The difference betwene the auncient phisicke, first taught by the godly forefathers by Richard Bostocke | Alchemy Books and Texts Celestial Archive

THE difference betwene the aun¦cient Phisicke, first taught by the god¦ly forefathers, consisting in vnitie peace and concord: and the latter Phisicke procee∣ding from Idolaters, Ethnickes, and Heathen: as Gallen, and such o∣ther consisting in dualitie, discorde, and con∣trarietie.

And wherein the naturall Philosophie of A∣ristotle doth differ from the trueth of Gods worde, and is iniurious to Christianitie and sounde doctrine.

Natura naturam continet & superat, & sua na∣tura solùm latatur & emendatur, & eius pro∣pinquitatis res commisceri & coniungi facit.

By R. B. Esquire.

Imprinted at London for Robert VValley.

1585.

CONTENTS.
Ca 8.
Certaine differences, betweene the auncient Phisicke and the Phisicke of the Heathens.

Ca. 9.
The causes why this Arte is euill spoken of, and findeth fewe fauourers.

Ca. 10.
The first Authors of the auncient Phisicke, and of the succession and pro∣gression therof, to Hermes Trismegestus, and howe he left writinges thereof yet extant.

Ca. 11.
What was the Phisicke of Apollo, Aesculapius, Machaon, and Podalirius, and of the knowledge of Thales Mile∣sius.

Ca. 12.
Of Pythagoras and his knowledge in this Art, and that he taught in Italy. And of his scholers and folowers. And of the medicine of Empedocles. And of the 70. Bookes that Esdras was com∣maunded to keepe.

Ca. 13.
That the Phisick which Hypocra∣tes left in writing, was not descended from Aesculapius.

Ca. 14.
That Democritus Abderites a Thra∣cian did write of this art, whose Bookes are yet extant: & of his teachers, scho∣lers and followers: and of some of their workes yet extant.

Ca. 15.
That in Plato his time, the Priests of Aegipt, were very skilfull in this art. And that Plato did finde that fault with the Phisitions of Greece, in his time, as the Chimicall Phisitions doe now with the Ethnicke Phisitions, and their folo∣wers. And how Aristotle and Plato do differ in the naturall causes of Effects.

Ca. 16.
Of diuers Poetical Fables shado∣wing & hyding the secretes of this Art.

Ca. 17.
Of certaine Phisitions that vsed Chimicall medicines. And of the three sects of Phisitions, that were betweene the time of Hypocrates and Gallen. And that the Chimical Phisitions, ought ra∣ther to bee called Rationales, then the Galenists. And that Galen following Hy∣pocrates 600. yeres, did comment vpon him against his meaning and wordes. And how Hypocrates agreeth with the Chimicall Phisitions.

Ca. 18.
Of the continuaunce of this Art in Aegipt, vntill the tyme of Dyoclesian the Emperour: And a notable monu∣ment thereof in Italy. And the sprea∣ding of this Art into other Countries. And of diuers writers of this Art be∣tweene Galens tyme and Paracelsus.

Ca. 19.
That Theophrastus Paracelsus was not the inuenter of this art, but the re∣storer thereof to his puritie: And that hee hath giuen more light thereunto, then any other before him. And the te∣stimonies of great cures that he did by this Art. And of diuers writers & lear∣ned Phisitions, which since his tyme haue written of this Art.

Ca. 20.
The true meaning of Paracelsus in dedicating his Booke, intituled Philo∣sophia magna to the Athenians: where∣with Erastus one of his aduersaries is so greeued.

Ca. 21.
How materia prima and mysteriam magnam, was the beginning of all thin∣ges, according to Paracelsus his mea∣ning: And how all things created were at one time in the increate.

Ca. 22.
Of the separation of visible and materiall bodies.

Ca. 23.
Certaine notes and cautions gi∣uen, for the better vnderstanding of this Chimicall Phisicke.

Ca. 24.
Of the coelestiall medicine of Pa∣racelsus: and matters toucking his per∣son and ignoraunce.

Ca. 25.
The Conclusion of the Author.

The Authors obtestation to almightie God.

OGOD the father al∣mighty, the true light O Christ, the light of the light, the wise∣dome, misterie, and vertue of GOD. O holy Ghost that knit∣test all thynges toge∣ther in one, which sustainest, and quicknest all thyngs by this deuine power, & giuest strength to liue and to moue, and also to continue, and to be preserued and nourished. O the holy Trini∣tie, three persons and one God, which of no∣thing, that is hauing no matter, preexisting, or goyng before, hast created al the world, that is, all thyngs that are, to set forth thy glorie, wise∣dome, power, & goodnesse: I besech thee teach, ayd, & assist thy seruaūts against the heathnish and false Philosophie of Aristotle, which tea∣cheth that the world had no beginning, neither shall haue endyng. And that of nothyng, no∣thyng can be made, whereby it maketh the world

So likewise thy most excellent creature man was created to thy Image, in pure vnder∣standyng, perfect memorie, sincere will with∣out any care, or without all feare of death or perrilles. But (O most iust God) after his fall, death crept in as it were a leaprosie, and the Image of God was darkened, blemished, and almost blotted out: Yet by thy mercifull good∣nesse O God, this Image is repaired by thy go∣spell, because wee be renewed by faieth into the hope of euerlastyng life, that wee maie liue in God, and with GOD, and maie bee one with hym. And whereas man after the eatyng of the Apple forbidden, had the knowledge of good and euill, yet the euil men doe detaine thy trueth O God, in vnrightuousnesse, and doe re∣fuse thy vocation and callyng, which by thy trueth doest continually call vs vnto thee, yet this thy trueth naturally grafed in vs continu∣ally doeth indeuour as much as it may to ap∣pere in action, but it is let and hindered by con∣cupiscence, which some say is in the nether part of the soule▪ others say it is in brutali spiritu or Anima, therfore thou hast giuē vs, O God, that what we knowe, we study to make manifest & shewe forth, which if we doe not wee be repro∣ued by our owne iudgement: for the better part of the Soule or Spiritus, which some call sinte∣resis,

doeth perswade to that is good. Hereby appeareth the wonderfull power and strength of conscience: which in great offenses cannot be perfectly quieted. Wherefore, it is written, the Gentiles which haue not the lawe, by nature, doe the workes of the lawe, and doe shewe the worke of the law written in their hearts: their conscience bearing thē witnesse: their thoughts either accusing or defending them. This pro∣pertie to perswade to doe good, some call sinte∣resis, which thy word calleth conscience, which is a liuing lawe, which cryeth, stirreth, and mo∣ueth to doe good: for thou O God, art so merci∣full and good to vs, that thou hast giuen this knowledge to our minde: which like a Schoole∣master doth instruct and teach vs: so that cō∣science, is as it were a certaine lawe in thinges subiect to sence and reason. But (O good God) omnipotent, Aristotle his heathnish Philoso∣phie, very absurdly teacheth, that all the Or∣bes, be bodies subiect to no corruptiō, and that they and their motions be eternall: and he as∣signeth to certaine myndes, Intelligentis, or vn∣der straunge natures and essenties, and sepera∣ted their seuerall and singuler motions of the sayd Orbes: And he assigneth one Orbe to the high God, which is moued by him. Whereby he maketh all those essenties seperated, among whō

those Orbes are distributed to bee equall and like substaunce: but he alloweth that mynde or essence which is the elder: that is, God to bee onely so much the more excellent then the rest, by how much the orbe assigned to him, is more excellent then the other Orbes. That Philoso∣phie also teacheth, that it is an absurde thing and against reason, to say that any thing eter∣nall had any beginning: therefore because those Orbes be eternal they had no beginning. Like∣wise, it teacheth that God medleth not vnder the Moone, and that he is not the maker nor the creatour of any thing, but onely the mouer of the heauen: and it maketh God to be the fi∣nall cause onely of motions, and not of the na∣ture of ech seueral thing: neither doth his Phi∣losophie teach any agent cause of those thinges which it affirmeth to be eternall. And by this doctrine it must needes follow, that because the world is eternall without beginning & ending, and incorruptible, therefore it needeth not thy prouidence, either that it should be, or continue, nor that it needeth thy helpe. And because it hath no other efficient cause of any other but of it selfe, therefore it needeth none other to pro∣uide for his being or well being. It also teacheth that thou O GOD medlest not vnder the Moone, but that thou rulest vnder the Moone

onely with a cōmon influence and vsuall course of second causes, though some doe vntruely goe about to excuse this doctrine: in saying, that it accompteth Nature to be God, or at least Gods Ʋicar or deputie: which neither needest any such, nor yet hast any deputie. O most mightie God, creator of all thinges, strengthen thy peo∣ple against these and all such doctrines, tending to the derogation of thine honour, goodnesse, mercie and wisedome: and by reason it appea∣reth that no body of it selfe is immortall, be∣cause each body consisteth of his partes, there∣fore it may be dissolued: but the soule of man is immortall, and the body is made immortall at the last resurrection, by reason of the presence of the soule: But Aristotle maketh no mention of the immortalitie of the soule, neither doth he attribute any felicitie to it after the death of man: whereby Alexander Aptrodisienses concludeth, that he denyeth the immortalitie of the soule: Also reason teacheth, that many diuers and contrary thinges can not bee ioyned together by themselues, without the helpe of an other, and be not brought to one certaine forme, vnlesse they bee vnited together by the helpe of some other. The worlde therefore, consisting of so many diuers and contrary partes: in which, colde, heate, drinesse, and moysture, are ioyned

together, and other thinges of contrary nature• and vertues, doe agree together in one forme. And the Orbes and celestiall bodies of contra∣ry motions from the East to the West, and from the West to the East, and in retrogradation and direction, and stationarij, their motions in the Epicycle, in the Aust. & oposito angis, doe make no discorde, but keepe a regular or∣der in all those contrarieties. Therfore, we must bee compelled to confesse, that there was and is one that hath coupled, vnited, and ioyned toge∣ther, such and so diuers contrary things: other∣wise, such diuers and contrary things and mo∣tions, by their owne swing, course and mouing, would bee dissolued one from an other, vnlesse they were preserued by some others. Can there be a table painted with diuers colours and pic∣tures, or pots of diuers sorts and fashions, with∣out a workmaster? Can any thing that lacketh a gouernour or ruler, be moued by it selfe conti∣nually in a regular or certaine order? There∣fore, by reason it appeareth, that the worlde is gouerned and ruled (O God) by thy diuine pro∣uidence: And thou (O God) that rulest all the vniuersall worlde, doest also gouerne, rule, and prouide for each parte thereof: for he doth no∣thing well, that neglecteth the least parte of that thing.

Likewise, O almightie God, that heathnish Philosopher doth teach, that homo & Sol ge∣nerāt hominē, whereby (O good God) it must needes followe, that man and the Sunne must be eternall and infinite. Though heate nouri∣sheth and cherisheth our bodies, yet for all that it is not the cause of generation and begetting, but thy worde, O mercifull God, so commaun∣ding, that the blood of this or that man shalbe made male or female. Reason can not compre∣hende this worde, therefore it must needes chil∣dishly trifle off the causes of such things. So the Phisitions following the Philosophers, doe re∣ferre the cause of generation (O God) to a cōue∣nient mixture of qualities, which doe worke in the matter ordeyned before, what colour soeuer reason doth beare herein: yet for all that, they doe not attaine to the first cause thereof. For, the holy Ghost (O God) doth leade vs into a higher cause then to nature, then to qualities, and their temperature, when it setteth before vs thy worde, O omnipotent God, in which all things are created and conserued. Also, O most high God, this heathnish Philosophie doth not admit any Metaphisicall principle in naturall thinges, in which ascending by the doubtfull care of naturall thinges, being remoued from diuine, mans minde is turned from them. And

surely such naturall Philosophie is the next way to make men forget thee, O God, and to be∣come Atheists: for it teacheth men to cleane and sticke fast vnto the nature of thinges, not ascending nor considering the Creator: And so it tyeth thee (O God) to the seconde causes, and doth not attribute to thee any actions, but according to that nature of thinges: whereby it doth bewitch men in such sorte, and make their mindes so mad, that they neither do aske neither looke for any good thing at thy hande: for the euent and successe of each thing must of necessitie bee answerable to the naturall cause. And by that doctrine thou (O God) doest fol∣lowe the nature of thinges created: whereas contrariwise all thinges created must followe thee: so that it placeth the effected cause in the steede of efficient, and the instrumentall cause for the agent. And further it teacheth, that matter and forme is the first principle of natu∣rall thinges: which doctrine draweth thy peo∣ple (O God) from true honoring of thee, for the creation and prouidence of thy creatures. It is not enough to confesse that thou didst create all thinges, if it bee sayd also that thou hast forsa∣ken those thinges as soone as thou hast created them: as the Carpenter leaueth the house when he hath once made it: for so should the worlde

sone perish and come to ruine: but thou, O most mercifull God, doest direct all thinges that bee or shalbe by thy vnderstanding and knowledge to meete and conuenient endes, such as pleaseth thee to thy honour and glory. For, in thee wee liue, moue, and haue our being: and all thinges be of thee, and in thee, and by thee. For, we can not moue our tongue, which is the lytist part of our body, without thy prouidence: Man may prepare the heart, but thou (O God) rulest the tongue: neither doth a Sparrowe light vpon the ground, without thy good will O almightie fa∣ther: And all the heires of our head be num∣bred, thou c•ri•st all things by the word of thy power: thou art the Lorde of all flesh: thou art the Lord of all spirites: thou workest all things according to the decree of thy will. Therefore, O God, graunt we may cast our care vpon thee, that thou may nourish vs: take thou care ouer vs: touch the apple of our eye: be thou our shield and brasen wall: Bee thou our helper and wee care not what man may doe to vs. Giue vs a newe heart and a newe spirite: as thou hast gi∣uen vs thy Commaundements, so make vs to walke in them. By these and such like testimo∣nies of thy most sacred and holy worde, O good God, we learne thy diuine prouidence ouer man and all other thy creatures, and that thou doest

not leaue nor forsake them when thou haddest made them, but doest of thy most tender good∣nesse gouerne not only man, but also whatsoeuer thou hast created: whose infinite power wor∣keth euery thing in euery thing. And thy ser∣uaunts doe acknowledge (O God) that a pecu∣liar force and vertue was giuen to euery thing at the beginning by thy worde, voyce, and com∣maundemēt: which yet are in continuall force: but yet the same bee but onely seconde and in∣strumentall causes, not working of themselues, not principally, but depend vpon thy power and commaundement, without which thou workest the same effects when thou pleasest: which thou art wont to do by meanes of the second causes. And all thinges which are in this world, and which are seene, doe not onely take their begin∣ning from thee to bee thinges, but also to haue such power and vertue, and to be such maner of thinges as they are. Therefore is the worlde a looking glasse, in which thy wisedome is per∣ceiued: If wee ascende into heauen, thou are there: If we descende into hell, thou art present. And though th•se vertues and powers haue in them great strength and e•f••acie, and thou (O God) 〈…〉 often tymes worke by them, as thou doest▪ by th••e Angels thy ministers which doe thy will: yet are they all but the second causes

and instruments of thy diuine prouidence, and can doe nothing vnlesse thou bee present to go∣uerne the things, and helpe and bring forth the effect: For thou (O God) doest not so giue force to thinges, nor doest so send thy Angels thy mi∣nisters, that thou art absent thy selfe: for thou reachest and touchest from end to end mighte∣ly, and disposest all thinges sweetely and profi∣table to thy glory. Therefore art thou (O most mightie God) the first and efficicient cause of all things. For, thou (O God almightie father) art the resting and quiet fountaine of al things that be, perfect of thy selfe, needing none other: Thou art the first action, and workest inward∣ly: thou art the true light. Thou art not onely all in each seuerall thing, but all in all, spiritu∣ally in power and essence: so thou art euery where: thou art the being, first, cheefe, and prin∣cipall liuing and parent of life: hauing quiet motion in thy self, and mouing thy self inward∣ly, being not moued by motion. Thou art the being and beginning of all other things: Thou art silence, thou art quietnesse, or resting, aby∣ding in thy selfe: that is, secret mouing, or secret action. Wherefore, thou art sayd (as it were) to sit in the Center of all thinges that bee, from whence with an vniuersall eye: that is, with the light of thy substance, by the which each

thing hath his being, life, and knowledge: thou doest beholde them: thy will is the still worde. Thou (O Father) art the beginning of being of all substaunces, which from thee that is the being it selfe, doest giue (being power of life and substaunce) to all thinges according to the po∣wer and capacitie of the receiuer. All thinges dwell in thee, potencially: thou art the parent of all things in power. Thou art omnipotent: thou art all in all in those thinges: whereof thou art the originall and cause in vertue and power. Thou fillest heauen and earth, and thy spirite hath filled the whole world yet it is in secrete: that is, in power. For, there must bee a certaine might or power, wherwith all things are quic∣kened into liuely Spirits, as it were from a liue∣ly fountaine, that they may liue of that: and be∣cause they do liue, they obteine their being. For there must be an Actor before there be action, the Agent bringeth f•orth action. Therefore, thou (O Father) which art the principall and first liuing, doest bring forth life.

Thou (O God the Sonne) by whom all thin∣ges were made, and without whom nothing is made, art the f•ood or riuer running from the Father the fountaine: thou art the light of the worlde: for by reason of thee all worldly things liue: Thou art the Image of the Father, the

word, the wisedome of the father, and the ver∣tue and power of operation and working. Thou (O God the Sonne) art the apparent and ma∣nifest motion or mouing, moued by motion, the actiue motion or action, and actiue worde: for the manifesting of the power is action: which action hauing all thinges that bee in power li∣uing and knowledge according to motion, doth bring forth and make manifest all thinges: not by locall motion, neither by transferring into place, but by a better and diuine motion, such as belongeth to the Spirite▪ which by his owne motion doth giue life, and bringeth foorth vn∣derstanding 〈…〉 in it selfe, and not cut from the first power in the operation. Thou (O Christ) art life hauing life in thy self, appearing outwardly in quickning: And because thou art life, therfore thou art motion quickning al that is quickened▪ for life is cause of motion. And because thou art manifest motion, comming from secrete and inwarde motion, and life ta∣king life from liuing, and the principall life and beginning: therefore life is begotten of liuing or principall life, and thou art the Sonne of the fa∣ther, and by thee all thinges are made. Thou art life in al things▪ seing thou art euery where: all fulnesse doth inhabite in thee corporally: that is, in operation substantially. And because

the very life had no beginning, being alwaies of it selfe, to it selfe, of the father: therfore it ne∣uer c•as•th, and it is alwaies infinite: and there is no life which in so much that it is life, doth not pertaine to the riuer of life: it giueth life & breath to all thinges, and in all thinges, from supercelestiall thinges to coelestiall and to hea∣uenly bodies, to ••yall, waterie, and earthly thinges, and to all thinges that the earth doth bring forth, and to all other thinges: therefore, euery matter whereof the worlde consisteth is indewed with life, and Christ is in the life, by whose power all things doe come forth and pro∣ceede into generation, and consist according to their matters and substancies, to the which thou giuest such propertie and vertue as they haue. Thou art the vniuersal word remayning impassible and not turning: yet life is before the soule: for the life of the soule is of the power of liuing: Thou art the seede of all thinges that be in operation and made manifest: for nothing can come nor proceede from the Elements of parents nor of any seede, if thou (O Christ) worke not: if thou withdrawe thy working po∣wer from things, they perish immediatly. Thou (O GOD the holy Ghost) art the springing knowledge and vnderstanding, flowing and proceeding from the Father and the Sonne.

Thou art the spirituall voyce of the manifest voyce or Sonne, as the Sonne is the voyce of the voyce in silence, therefore thou art of the Sonne and of the Father: yet but one voyce, one word: that is, one actiue power agreeing together be∣fore it maketh any thing to bee. Thou art the Spirit of God, the power of Christ: and the Spi∣rite of God is God: therefore, all three of one substaunce: All thinges be in thee, as al things be by the Sonne, and of the Father. Thou (O God the holy Ghost) art (as it were) the mini∣sterie of God, and doest deuide the graces and ministeries in the operation of life: so that by thee the first seedes of things are nourished and sustayned, and now also be continually moued: and first bring foorth rootes and blades: af∣ter stalkes, eares▪ flowers, blossomes, s•edes, and fruite, of each thing in his degree, according to thy distribution and diuision of the giftes. As the Father is the cause of the operation▪ and the Sonne the manifest operation: so all three are one action and substaunce. Thou couplest and k•••est the Father and the Sonne in one, and art coupled with them: and all other thinges thou ioynest in vnitie and band of peace. And because in God to knowe, is as much to say, as to vnderstande, and to knowe that one liueth, and to knowe himselfe is to liue: therefore, to

knowe or vnderstande, and to liue, is all one: And because they be one, and because to bee, is all one with life and vnderstanding: (for true being can not bee without life and vnder∣standing: neither can life and vnderstanding be without such being) therefore they be three, yet one substaunce and one God. So the soule of man, in that it is a soule hath his being, giuing life and vnderstanding, & is there in one. And as God the Father is a Spirite substancially, and the Sonne is a Spirite and motion moued, and working openly: so thou the holy Ghost art the secrete spirite and motion: Thou implantest and giuest strength to liue and to moue, and al∣so sustaynest all things that they may exist and liue, and also continue and be preserued. And because thou art God, thou art a Spirite: and because thou art that Spirite thou doest quic∣ken: for it is the Spirite that quickeneth: and because thou quicknest, thou hast power of life: (for the Spirite is life) therfore thou liuest and art life, and substancially quickenest or giuest li•e to all thinges, or makest life in all thinges. But this Spirite and life which is in thee (O God) is not that which is in man, beastes, An∣gels, or other thinges created: but all thinges of the worlde created whatsoeuer they bee, and of what sorte souer they bee, doe receiue life and

liue of that life, according to their kinde of be∣ing, and as that life doth breathe power and giue power of liuely vertue and strength to thē, as the thinges be made able to receiue it. For, there must be Agens before there be Actio: so in all thinges there is proper being, life and vn∣derstanding or feeling, according to their seue∣rall capacities, which they doe receiue of being life and vnderstanding: which three be all one: that is, of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, three persons & one God: in euery one of which three, all these three, vz. being life and vnder∣standing are, by which all thinges are made. For, though certaine thinges be attributed vn∣to the seuerall persons, to bee proper to each of them in diuine thinges: yet it is to bee vnder∣standed, to be the inseperable and agreeing ope∣ration of the three or Trinitie together: for there is but one beginning, and one cause of all thinges that be: and parte of diuine thinges al∣waies is the same that is the whole.

By these (O mercifull God) it may appeare how iniurious (and contrary to thine honour and glory, in creating of the worlde, and to thy prouidence ouer the creatures that thou hast made) is the heathnish Philosophy of Aristotle, which admitteth nothing, that cannot be de∣monstrated: And also how falsely that Phi∣losophi•

maketh priuation to bee the third be∣ginning of all naturall thinges: and that it as∣signeth no Author nor propagator vnto the es∣sences or natures which a saith be eternall: and that, that Philosophie will not allowe any cause of their being besides their motion: and that some thinges that bee done are done without cause: as deliberation, &c. From these and such other blinde and iniurious doctrine taught in that Philosophie (good and mercifull God) de∣liuer thy people and seruaunts. And (O most mercifull God) because the heathnish Phisicke of Galen, doth depende vppon that heathnish Philosophie of Aristotle, (for where the Phi∣losopher endeth, there beginneth the Phisition) therfore is that Phisicke as false and iniurious to thine honor and glory, as is the Philosophie. For, that heathnish Phisicke (O God) doth not acknowledge the creation of man, whereby it doth not rightly knowe why he is Microcos∣mus, or little worlde: which is the cause why they neither knowe his deseases rightly, neither prouide medicine for him aptly, nor prepare it fitly, neither minister it accordingly. This heathnish Philosophie and Phisicke, doth at∣tribute thy workes (O God) to heate, colde, and such causes, which it calleth falsely naturall: So it teacheth, that natural heate doth chaūge

meate receiued into mans stomacke into blood, flesh, bones, braines, sine••es, vaines, and artires: And that the like meare receiued of a dogge, horse, beast, or birde, &c. by heate of that beast or fowle, is turned into his flesh, blood, bones, &c. Much vnlike vnto that which is in man: which operation and transmutation, in trueth commeth of thee, (O God) and not of a∣ny nature of heate: and whereby in seeking for like cure in such defects, their Phisicke must needes erre, in not seeking helpe at thy handes, nor praying to thee, nor giue thankes to thee: No more doth that heathnish Philosophie and Phisicke acknowledge, that all seedes did re∣ceiue by thy diuine worde the power of multi∣plying, of transplantation, the essence and pro∣perties: of which, all Philosophie, Phisicke, and Alchimie doth consist: Therefore they must needes erre, both in the cause & effects of thin∣ges in the great worlde and in the little world.

Likewise, because the heathnish Philosophie doth not knowe out of thy worde, that thou (O God) hast made all thinges in weight, number, and measure, therefore that Phisicke doth not knowe the cause nor cure of those deseases that bee either originally or inflicted into the inuisi∣ble parte of man Anima or Limbus, nor to helpe them: which error Plato reproued in the

Greeke Phisitiōs long ago which Plato taught, that Anima curat corpus. And because the heathnish Philosophie doth attribute the cause of thinges to dead qualities, of heate, cold, &c. and not to the liuely vertues and powers in thinges, therefore that heathnish Phisicke see∣keth by like dead qualities, to cure liuely and mechanicall spirites: And because they vnder∣stand not, that deseases doe proceede of the me∣chanicall spirites and tinctures of impure see∣des ioyned to the pure by thy curse, O iust God, therefore they seeke not their medicines in the pure seedes. And because (O mercisull God) the heathnish Phisicke and the heathnish Phi∣losophie doth not acknowledge, that it is thy power and vertue that bringeth forth all thin∣ges that growe, and that thy working power doth preserue and maintaine all thinges: and that it is thy curing vertue that helpeth and cureth all deseases, greeses and infirmities, by such meanes as it pleaseth thee, or without meanes: therefore they cleaue fast to their false imagined naturall causes and meanes of helpe, forgetting thee: whereby many of them become Atheists. And because the heathnish Phisick of Galen, doth not knowe how thou (O God) hast ordeyned all thinges in vnitie peace and concorde, therefore it seeketh the cure in duali∣tie

and contrarietie. To bee short, because (O most merciful God) the heathnish Phisick doth not knowe that the purest, best, and medicina∣ble parte of each thing is in his Center, therfore it neither doth seeke, neither haue his fauorers learned, nor doe knowe, how to finde that pure parte, nor to separate the pure from the impure: they cannot digest, nor make ripe that is rawe: they cannot chaunge sower into sweete: they cannot mittigate the lothsomnesse of heates, ta∣stes, smelles, coagulations, &c. neither make a∣ny medicine volatile: For which cause, there∣fore doe they not knowe the power of the me∣chanicall spirites, by meanes of their subtiltie, finesse, pearcing, and moueablenesse: neither do they knowe the finesse and pearcing, by meanes of separation of thinges mixt with them: nei∣ther the separaetion by meanes of digestion and circulation: wherefore, they doe not knowe how the mechanicall spirites of deseases doe differ among them selues, and one from an other in power, pearcing, moueablenesse, finesse, grosnesse, in easie or vneasie resolution and alteration, and such like tokens: whereby they are ignoraunt of the true causes of the pangs, fits, and passions of deseases: and how and in what maner, bodies and partes of bodies doe differ one from an o∣ther, and among themselues. For, seedes do dif∣fer

in partes of the body: and as the seedes doe differ, so the bodies and partes of the bodies doe differ one from an other, and their natures and properties: of which difference of the seedes cō∣meth the difference of the mechanicall spirites conteyned in them, in which the giftes and of∣fices of the seedes doe florish. Likewise, might they know of the fits, panges, and passions of de∣seases, the difference of the seedes, and of the fruites of the seedes being knowne, the seedes or rootes of deseases are knowne: euen as the Peare tree is by the Peare: because the fruites, vz. the panges, fits, passions, and maner of the deseases, are brought forth like to the rootes. Neither haue they any skill to reiect the Bynary, and to bring the Ternary, to the simplicitie of vnitie, where by the medicines may bee purged from their carcases and impediments: and the spirit Anima, be brought out of darknesse into light: by meanes whereof, the corrupt body of man may bee so purged, and purified, that the trou∣bled minde and oppressed memorie may bee quickned and releeued, by thy gift (O God) and be made more able to vse the talent by thee gi∣uen •t the beginning, and the more strongly to resist the wicked deceiuer, and be better dispo∣sed to honest life and conuersation, pleasing to thee O God.

Because (O most mercifull God) I doe finde these faultes and such like in the heathnish Philosophie and heathnish Phisicke, I do know that by the fauorers and followers of that Phi∣losophie and Phisicke, I shalbe mocked, laughed at, had in derision, and my sayinges and words shalbe wrested, racked, writhed, dismembered, pulled from their partes, and turned from their right sence and meaning. And the more vn∣skilfull the aduersaries be in the true Philoso∣phie and Phisick, and withall wilfull, the more busie (O God) wil they be to replye with taunts, quippes, scoffes, and gibes: but such deserue no place nor time of answere. Wherefore, O most wise God, author of all wisedome, I pray thee instruct thy people and seruaunts in the true Philosophie and Phisick: and open the eyes and mollifie the hearts of the followers of the hea∣then, that they may see and followe the same for thine honor & glory▪ And from lying lippes and de∣ceiptfull tongue, deli∣uer me O God.

R. B.

FINIS.

Chapter first. What the auncient Phisicke is. And what the phisicke of the Ethnikes or heathen is. And that there is no trueth that is not deriued from Christ the trueth it selfe.

THE true and auncient phi∣sicke which consisteth in the searching out of the secretes of Nature, whose study & vse doth flowe out of the Foun∣taines of Nature, and is col∣lected out of the Mathematicall and superna∣turall precepts, the exercise whereof is Me∣chanicall, and to be accomplished with labor, is part of Cabala, and is called by auncient name, Ars sacra, or magna, & sacra sciētia, or Chymia, or Chemeia, or Alchimia, & mysti∣ca, & by some of late, Spagirica ars. Which sheweth foorth the compositions of all maner bodies, and their dissolutions, their natures & properties by labour by the fire, following Nature diligently. So that Philosophie na∣turall and supernaturall, the Mathematicals Chimia and Medicina be so combined toge∣ther,

that one of them can not be without the other. I doe meane the true and right vse of Chymia, and not the abuse thereof, which promiseth golden mountaines vnder the vain title of Philosophie and Wisdome, the wise∣dome whereof is consumed and wasted in smoke, by force of the fire. This auncient and true phisicke consisteth of Medicines of two sorts. The first is Vniuersalis or vnarii. The second is ternarii or particularis. These two are founded vpon the Center of vnitie, con∣cord and agreement, their scope and end is to bring the sicke person to vnitie in himselfe, they doe agree with the rule of Gods worde, they depend vpon the fountaine of trueth. The Eth••kes or heathen haue of their own braynes deuised a third kinde of phisicke or Medicine which is binarii or vulgaris. This is most grosse and worst, and is that phisicke which is most commonly vsed, and most stout∣ly mainteined and defended. This phisicke is founded vpon a contrary Center to the other, therefore a false Center. For it consisteth in dualitie, discord and contrarietie. It maketh warre and not peace in mans bodie. It is not founded vpon the rule of Gods worde, but vp∣on the authoritie of men reprobate of God, & such as were Idolaters and ignorant of the

trueth, consisting onely in God (whome they knewe not) and in his Christ the trueth it self, whome Galene the prince of that phisicke, in his workes hath blasphemed of set purpose and by expresse wordes. And therefore he and the rest his folowers, were sedused with the spirit of contradiction and error. Yet their fo∣lowers thinke wee doe them great wrong in saying, such haue not sayde nor written the trueth. As though Artes and Sciences may be possessed and exercised by mans braynes and inuētions without God that made them. This may well be called blasphemie. Herein Plato may be sufficiēt witnesse against them, saying that no man can rightly vnderstande and haue knowledge of things belonging to man, if he be ignorant in things parteyning to God: and doe not first know things diuine. For seeing Christ is the way by the which we ought to begin, proceede, goe onward and to the ende in all our actions, artes and Scien∣ces, we ought to walke in this way, aswell to attaine knowledge, health and life in this world, as life in the world to come. The hea∣then Phisitions not walking in this way, must needes erre and stray, not receiuing the key of wisdome, which is science of GOD himselfe, who giueth wisedome to the wise.

And seeing that all things which the Father hath, be his sonnes Christes: and seeing wis∣dome and science be the riches of God, and all wisedome is of him, and the power of God is wisdome and science, and the working power of GOD is Christ, and Christ is the trueth, therefore hee that swarueth from Christ nei∣ther hath the treasures and riches of the wis∣dome and science of God, neither is lead into the trueth by the trueth it selfe, therefore hath not trueth. And seeing Christ is life it selfe, which is the power of life to himselfe and to al others, by whome all things are made and moue, and by whome life is in all things, frō things celestiall to things in the heauens, ayer, water and earth, and to all matter in the world which hath life, and he is in the life, and is the power of the seede of all things, which become and proceede to be manifested and come to action, of whom euery body brought forth by touching, and coniunction doth grow and increase, and by whome all thinges are one, not as a heape of Corne or graine is one body, onely by lying together, but because all partes doe hang together, and be as it were one chaine. For God, Christ, the holy Ghost, the soule, Angels and all corporall things is as it were this chaine, and the Father is the

principall life and cause of life, and al things in the world haue bèing and life of Christ, the life it selfe which giueth them to all things, and is in the life, and all in all. Who also is the light of the light, that is of God which sit∣teth in the Center of all things that be, from whence with his vniuersall eye, that is with the light of his substance, whereby he is their being, and life, doeth behold all things. For from the Center all things are seene at once, and alike. Therfore all perswading speaches and fayre and plausible arguments, hauing great shewe and colour of reason, being deri∣ued out of mans braines, or corrupted or min∣gled with the leuen of mans inuētions, swar∣uing from Christ or not resting in him, or leauing nothing or very litle to him, in whose power and gouernement all things are: from whome health and life is deriued, in whom all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidde, must needes be not onely confuse and vayne, but also erronious, foolish, deceitfull, false and counterfeit, though they beare ne∣uer so gay titles of Philosophie, wisedome or phisicke. Such is the Philosophie whereof S. Paule giueth vs warning, Col. 3. saying, beware lest there be any man that spoyle you through the tradition of men, according to the

rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: for in him dwelleth al the fulnesse of the God∣hed bodily. Such Philosophie and phisicke hang not together in the chaine aforesaid, nor yet bee illuminated from the right Center, nor seene from the same, but be founded vpon diuers Centers, whereby their Circles doe cut one another, or touch ech other, therefore they doe not consist in vnion, but are contrary to eche other. Such Center is the Center of dualitie, contrarietie and discord. The ori∣ginall thereof is worthely called Binari, the author of diuersitie and contrarietie, which alwayes maketh sedition and discord, as vni∣tie is the band of concord. For concord is the vnion of diuers appetites of those things that doe desire, whereby they be of one minde. Therefore euery thing in the worlde doth so long indure and abide as long as it is one: but it dieth and is dissolued as soone as it ses∣seth and leaueth to be one. Vnquietnesse be∣ginneth in things, where Meum & tuum, is become to be knowen in them: whereof com∣meth griefe, which is a sense or feeling that can not abide deuision or corruption. Where∣by it appeareth how desirous Anima (which is medium inter corpus & spiritum) is of vnitie in his body, which bendeth it selfe and

striueth against that passion or griefe of his body, by the which it greeueth him, that his vnitie and integritie should be weakened.

Chapter second. The originall causes of all diseases in the greate worlde, and in the little worlde, which is man.

GOD almightie the creator of al things, did see the angels which he had created fall from vnitie, and he made all the world to the image and similitude of vnitie wherein it did consist. Also by his bountifull goodnesse and prouidence he created Micro∣cosmum or little worlde, vz. man, his terna∣rium and last creature, and substituted him in the place of his other creatures which were cast out of heauen. From this one did God de∣riue all mankind. And hee did not create the woman which should bee cowpled to man, as he made him but out of him, that al mankind should spring out of one, to the commendation of vnitie and concord. The worlde did persist in this vnion, and did obserue the nature of v∣nitie, vntill that wretched creature Binarius,

which fell from vnitie, and made a dualitie & contrarietie, enuying the state of man, that persisted in vnitie, by captious sophisticall reason did perswade him to eate of the Apple forbidden, whereby he brake vnitie, and fell headlong into disobedience, dualitie and con∣trarietie. Then was he spoyled of perfection, and of the health of his soule and body, and purchased to himself all the filthinesse of vice, infirmitie and sicknesse. Also the Seedes of all things of the world, which by vertue of the word of God at the beginning, had receaued power of generatiō and multiplication, were perfect and sound without corruption, aud did persist in vnitie, vntill such time as by the said counsel of Binarius, man fell into disobe∣dience and brake vnitie. Whereupon by the curse of God impure Seedes were mingled with the perfect seedes, and did cleaue fast to them, and doe couer them as a garment: and death was ioyned to life. So imperfection and impuritie, is ioyned to puritie, and death to life, sicknesse to health, not onely in man, but also in all liuing creatures, Hearbes, Plants, Mynerals: and in the fruites of the Firmament and ayer. By this meanes the Mynerals haue their rust and canker, which worke their destruction and ende. The vege∣tables,

as hearbes, trees and plantes, haue their corruptions of diuers sorts, ioyned with their pure balme & seedes, which in their time work their putrification, withering & cōsump∣tion, according to the Science and propertie of their impure seedes, besides the alteration which they receiue by the nature of the soyle wherin they growe, as may be tasted, felt and perceiued, by wheate sowen in some ground, which will manifestly taste of Garlicke, and be much like in propertie. And some grounde will make transplantation of one seede into an other, as from Wheate to Drake or Dar∣nell or such like. The beastes also, Cattell and such liuing creatures, because they liue and be nourished with the vegetables and mi∣nerall resolutions, haue like impurities as they haue, according to the nature of the soyle whereupon they feede, & of the water which they drinke. As appeareth by the Meadowes neere the Riuer Potheus in ye Ile of Candie, neere the Cittie Cortina, wherein groweth such grasse and hearbes, that the Cattell which be fedde therwith will haue no apparēt Spleene. Some countreys & soyle do infect the Liuer, others the Lungs, other places, o∣ther parts of the Cattell which be there fed, as experience teacheth. Which partes of the

Cattell our forefathers did diligently vewe and search before they layde the foundation of their houses, townes or Cities, and that they did oftentimes, because they would knowe whether those parts were infected with sick∣nesse, with their foode and by the often sight of them, they iudged whether the Cattell fed there were holsome for their victuall and foode or no. And because man receiueth his nourishment out of all the rest, therefore hee hath infinite sortes and kinds of diseases, and therefore no other Creature hath so many meanes to bring it to sicknesse, nor to his death. But the foode and nourishments for mans body, though they haue in them ming∣led, venemous, sickly or medicinable proper∣ties, yet for all that, by reason of that mixture with their good seedes, as long as vnitie and concord is kept betweene them, they be tem∣pered, seperated, resolued and expelled out of mans body. But if man doe take them out of measure, or if the first stomake, or the Sto∣make of any part of the body be faultie in at∣traction, separation, resolution, digestion, di∣stributiō or expultiō, the seedes of diseases do then take roote in mans body. And that euery thing hath his impure seede ioyned with his pure, and death to his life, though it be neuer

so holsome or pleasant to mans nature, is ma∣nifested and made plaine to the eye, touch and taste of them that haue skill to seperate the pure from the impure, by his auncient Phi∣sicke or Chymia. They finde in Hony & Su∣gar, as veuemous impuritie as in Arsnicke, and in Roses, Violets, Balme, Betony, gold, Siluer, &c. there be impurities. They also finde by this arte, as there is nothing so good, but it hath in it also some impure thing and vnholsom, which they separate from the pure, so also there is nothing so vnholsome, peri∣lous nor venemous, but it hath in it also some good thing and pure which hath vertue and power to cure and helpe those diseases and hurtes which be caused and procured by them and by others also. As out of Quicksiluer is drawen medicine which can helpe diseases by him caused, and by other meanes also. They finde in Arsenicke excellent medicine for di∣uers griefes. So Lead hath in it remedie for those diseases which bee caused and bread in the Miners of Leade. Out of Tartar also is drawen excellent medicines for those diseases which come of the Tartar of Wine, and so forth of others. Therefore all diseases do pro∣ceede of their impure Seedes, which are in∣dowed with science and knowledge of gene∣ration

and transplantation of impure fruits, vz. of sicknesse and diseases, according and a∣greeable to their gift and science: Which do appeare and proceede into action by separa∣tion, breache of vnitie, peace, concord and a∣greement, whereby they are inabled to striue for the superioritie wt nature & pure seedes in mans body. Seeing therefore yt first original of diseases in man did proceede frō the breach of vnitie, therefore it must needes be that all health must consist only in vnitie. And in and by this vnitie health is to be sought, and not in contrarietie, as the Ethnikes doe.

Chapter third. Of the vniuersall Medicine, And how the darke speaches of the writers thereof, did deceaue couetous men, wherby the right vse of this Phisicke was not vn∣derstoode, but by abuse it grewe to bee despised.

THE first of the Medicines afore∣sayde of the auncient Phisicke which is the vniuersall Medicine, is such, as by that onely, all and al maner diseases of what sort and kinde soeuer

they be, are cured. It is so perfect, temperat, pure and incorruptible, that it is able to cor∣rect, amende aud consume all corruptions in mans body, euen as fire doth consume the im∣pure part, and separateth it from the pure. It increaseth the vitall spirites, and defendeth and preserueth the body from corruption, be∣cause it is separated from all corruptible sub∣stance, from all qualities of heate, colde, &c. It is not moyst, could, drie nor hotte, but it is Aethereall, separated from the inferiour Ele∣ments: and it is of an incorruptible nature in respect of the bodie from whome it is taken. And because it is agreeable with our Anima (the Medium aforesayd) it nourisheth, forti∣fieth and strengtheneth it, whereby it is made able to digest, consume and expell, all the cor∣ruption and impedimentes of mans body, wherewith it is ouerwhelmed and let, that it was not able to exercise, performe and accom∣plish his office, duetie and actions. If this na∣turall liuely fire in man like to the Aethereal fire, were not continually nourished, it would consume it selfe and also that is ingendered of it. Therefore when nature in the stomacke hath separated the pure from the impure, of meates which we eate, and of our drinke, hee doth expell the impure partes by their proper

passages, but it reteineth and keepeth the fine and pure bodies, that be the cariers of the hea∣uenly vertues, for nourishments of two sorts, the one is of all the members of the body, the which nourishment also is separated into the nourishment of the three substanties, whereon we consist. That is of our Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. The other which is the liquor of the heauenly Luna, is the nourishmeut of our naturall fire or Anima. But if this be oppres∣sed, stopped, or let of his operation or working by the corruptiō of our bodies, then is it to be nourished, holpen & fortified with this Philo∣sophical and Aethereal medicine, in which is no grossenesse, impuritie, nor any thing su∣perfluous. And our Anima liuely and natu∣rall fire doth take and receiue to it this Aethe∣reall medicine, vertue, and heauenly power like to it selfe, Whereby it is holpen, streng∣thened and made able to bee deliuered from his impediments and lettes, and to consume and expell superfluitics of the bodie, whereby the body is compelled to agree and to bee changed into the like nature, voyde and clean from corruption and superfluitie. Because nature delighteth to bee ioined with her like, with peace rather then with warre, with vni∣tie and concord, rather then with discord. And

all naturall bodies desire in their kindes to be perfected: which naturall desire is the cause of all perfection. This Medicine Vna∣ry, among the Philosophers and Chymicall Physitions, is called by diuers and many names, and couered vnder diuers parables & darke kinde of speaches, which brought the right vse of this Arte into obliuion, and decei∣ued worldly men, and brought many from rich estate to extreme beggery. For whereas the Philosophers were louers of wisdom and not of the world, nor of worldly riches, but de∣sired to haue ternam atque quaternam bea∣titudinem, vz. mentem sanam in corpore sano. Therefore they vsed this vniuersall me∣dicine, wherewith they disgest and expell the corruptions out of their naturall bodyes, wherby the body was so prepared, that there∣in was made a perfect vnion betweene Cor∣pus, Anima & Spiritus, and transitus ab extremo perfecto per medium ad imper∣fectum. Whereby the body was made sub∣iect to the soule, whereof seperatio mentis à corpore might ensue. This surely they ac∣counted purest Golde and chiefest riches, as appeareth aswell by other Philosophers, as by them that write of this arte. But they that did write of this Medicine, did it so couertly,

that men thought that those Philosophers promised in their writinges mountaynes of Golde, and such a Stone or fixed matter that could conuert and turne al other base metals into materiall Gold, wherein (I thinke) they were greatly deceiued. For though some say that they doe finde by experience, howe to take out of an ounce of Gold, a small quanti∣ty, wherewith they wyll turne an Dunce of Duick siluer or Leade into perfect Golde, yet they get nothing thereby, for by this meanes they make no more Gold, then that weight of Gold was, ftō whence they tooke their medi∣cine, because the medicin had no more goldish nature, then serued onely for an ounce, there∣fore could giue no more to others, but may slightly colour more metall, but then it is no Golde. The probable and likely reasons of concockting, digesting, purging and separa∣ting of the rawe and impure mettals, and so to make them pure by arte, as nature in the earth doth make perfect Golde and siluer, by conquocting and purging of Sulphur and Mercury, because arte is the folower of Na∣ture, hath deceaued and vndon many men. But if there may be such trāsmutation made into gold, as men imagine and hope for, yet I would aduise no man, to study this Arte to

that end, nor yet to assay or practise that way, least he doe repent to late, as others haue don before. For in my opinion, the Philosophers Gold is such a temperate medicine as I haue declared, which in deede is Astrum seperated from his impediments and grosse substance, and brought to such puritic that it worketh in mans body, euen as the vertue and power of the Starres worke in any matter prepared therefore, by nature. For this cause the Phi∣losophers called the Mynerall diseases and instrmities of mans body, by the name of im∣perfect metals, as of Leade or Saturne, of Coper or Venus, of Iron or Mars, &c. like as the Astrologians doe, aswell by reason of their place in mans body, as for their nature and properties. For there be double Excre∣ments in mans body, the one proceding of his Balme which is his Gold, the other procee∣ding of nourishment. The excrements com∣ming of his Gold be called Myuerall excre∣ments, of the likenesse of the drosse which is about the Gold, before it be fyned with Anti∣mony. These Mints are as it were Starres or Seedes, therefore they make influencies & blomings, which are the fruites of Starres and Seedes. Therefore they call bealth and sicknesse in man, Minerals, that is the fruits

of man. Such diseases in mans Gold are cal∣led Mynerall diseases, which be purged one∣ly with Mynerall Medicines. For Mynerall excrements are onely purged with Minerall medicins, which consist in the vniuersall me∣dicine and in the tinctures of Gold, Mercu∣ry & Antimony, which purge mans Balme▪ and remooueth it from all filth, which being purged, all other filth will easely be voyded. But if these myneral excrements be not pur∣ged, then they hinder the operation and wor∣king of mans Gold or Balme, into the three Principia, of mans body aforesayd. Whereof followeth their corruption, and of the corrup∣tion of the Salts in man, followe Boyles, Vlcers, Impostumes & griefes not outward∣ly discerned, most paynefull, &c. So that whē any man yt had any of these infirmities, was brought to perfect temper by this vniuersall medicine, then they said, that those imperfect metals were turned into Golde. And by this meanes, was this great treasure of medicine hidden, so that very fewe Phisitians and pro∣fessors of Philosophie did vnderstand it, though the Philosophere themselues in their writings exhorted al men that did reade their bookes, that they should not credit the bare letters of their writings, but should rather

make an allegorical exposition thereof. This seeking of materiall golde by this Arte, did bring it out of the right vse of phisick, and did (as I said) bryng many rich folke to extreme beggery, whereby they grewe to sophisticati∣on of mettalles, and so when they had wasted their owne substance they proceeded to exer∣cise deceite, lying and deuises to bring others into like state & case vnto them selues, which mooued princes in their countreyes to make Lawes agaynst Multiplyers as they were termed.

The auncient Chymicall Phylosophers and Phisitions, did vse such darke speeches and parables in their writings, because Se∣cretes are to be reueyled onely to the Godly, and vnto the children of doctrine and know∣ledge, and vnto the wise, therefore they did write vnto such, that the secrets might be hid∣den from the vngodly, foolish, slouthfull and vnthankefull hypocrites, whereby the wise and diligent with trauayle and labour might attaine to the vnderstanding thereof, as one of them sayde, it is not meete to pro∣uide for a man, a Pigion, and to rost it for him and also to put it vnto his mouth, or chawe it for him. The auncient Aegyptians did vse no letters in holy and secret matters, but pic∣tures,

figures and charects grauen of things and beastes, least the Secrets and mysteries should be prophaned among the vulgare peo∣ple. Such was the maner of the wise men of the oldest age, to deliuer the profund and deep inquisition and search of wisedom, by allego∣gories of secret Letters, and by Mysteries. Therefore all the wrytings of the auncient Philosophers and Poets are full of Riddles, darke speeches and parables, to auoyde the contempt of the common people. Such were the often teaching of our sauiour Christ. So in the Primatiue Church, those that were Ca∣techymeni and Energymeni, and those that had penance enioyned them, might heare the Psalmes and the reading of the holy Scrip∣tures, but they might not be present at the ministration of the Sacraments, nor at the holy workes which were done afterward, but they onely were present which were thought worthy.

An example by an excellent particular Chymicall Medicin, vnder the title, to conuert ☽ into ☉

TAke the greene dragon and bath hym in warme liquor, so long vntill all his blood be come out of his vaynes, take

out the purer part of this blood according to arte, and distill it, then c•hobate the same three time, take this liquor and distill it with the Liuer of Mars, and keepe it for a pre∣cious thing. For it will turne the Calces of Luna, into perfect Sol, that is to say, it will turne siluer into Gold.

But the true meaning hereof is, that this medicin will conuert and turne those partes of mans body affected, which be subiect or at∣tributed to the moone into perfect health.

Chapter 4. Of the Medicine Ternarij or perticu∣laris.

BVt because this vniuersall me∣dicin and knowledge thereof is gr•ūted of ye almighty God but vnto very fewe, and is rather to be wished and praied for, then to be looked for, therfore the particular medicin called Ternarii, as is aforesayd, is diligently to be laboured for and searched out, which of∣ten times performeth and worketh the effet of the vniuersall medicin, euen in greeuous diseases, in consuming the impure seedes of

diseases, and in confirming and fortifying the power of our inwarde and naturall Balme. This medicin of Ternarii cōsisteth in ye three substāties, which are to be foūd in euery body▪ that is to say in Sal, Sulphur and Mercuri. For as eche body is compounded of these three, so they be causes of all diseases and not humors. In these three consisteth all mans health and sicknesse, as long as they doe a∣gree together, the body is in health, but as soone as they disagree, and vnitie is broken betweene them, and if any of them be exalted or breake vnitie the body is sicke. Therefore there be three generall kinds of diseases, and eche of them haue their especiall sortes of in∣firmities, as there be sundry sorts of Sal, Sul∣phur and Mercuri of diuers and sundry na∣tures. There be like wise three kinds of me∣dicine required, and eche kinde of sondry nature to preserue or restore mans body to health. So that if any of these three be exal∣ted to much and passe their meane, or breake vnitie, he must be amended and reduced to perfect state by his owne kinde, and not by a contrary kind, by way of trasmutation. If the disease be mixed or compounde of any of these (for there is no disease almost but is mixed by some meanes, yet it hath one of these

three that is chiefe) then must such disease bee holpe with oue or two of these taken out of some other fit body or substance. per propriū ad suum innatum, because nature cou•teth his like nature, and desireth much to be cou∣pled ioyned and chaunged into his like. This naturall desire is cause of all perfection. As long therefore as the three substanties afore∣sayd, doe abide in vnitie peace and concord in mās body, and in their owne proper degrees, without pride doing their office, their body continueth in health. But because nothing is perpetual nor continueth in estate long, a∣mong creatures consisting of fleshe, therefore by reason of the diuersitie of the giftes, ver∣tue and power which be in them, and by rea∣son of the impure seedes ioyned with our no∣rishment, they abide not long in their office, they abide not long in their degrees, they ex∣alt themselues, they breake vnitie peace and concorde, the badd is seperated from the obe∣dience and mixture of the good: which breach of vnitie and seperation doth shew those sick∣nesses and deseases in mans body, which be∣fore by reason of the vnitie concorde and obe∣dient mixture could not breake forth appeare nor be made manifest. The which thinges as they come to passe in man, that is Mycrocos∣mus,

so doe they likewise in the great world. Which therefore is called Mycrocosmus or the little world, because after God had made all thinges in the great world of nothing, he made man in whom spiritually be conteyned all those thinges that is the properties of all those thinges which bee really in the greate worlde, as the auncient Philosophers haue taught by these and like wordes, homo na∣turaliter habet naturam omnium tinctu∣rarum. Therefore that this Mycrocosmus may bee inwardly knowne to the Phisition, he had neede to haue lumen naturae, that is the knowledge of thinges in the great world, how all of them doe grow increase be chaun∣ged and dye, whereby he may by the insight of his minde vnderstand the inward and hid∣den nature of man. Wherefore he that would perfectly knowe what inward thinges be in man, he had need to compare the vertues and properties of the naturall things in the great worlde with the inward thinges of man. As you may perceiue by wine (for this purpose) which as long as his spirite doth abide in him mingled with the tarte vineger in vnitie and peace, the wine is sounde pleasaunt and per∣fect, but as soone as the spirite of the wine is seperated from the mixture of the sharpe vi∣neger,

then the vineger doth appeare is ma∣nifested and may bee tasted. Likewise when the vineger is seperated from the tartar, thē doth the tartar appeare. So is it in all thin∣ges when they growe to corruption putrifac∣tion and dissolution, then the good that was in them is seperated from the bad seedes, the bad doe no longer abide in obedience of the good, but haue broken peace, concord, vnitie and obedience, whereby thinges doe growe to corruption & death. This auncient Chim∣nicall Phisicke doth teach such seperation of the good from the bad out of all thinges, and to make them manifest to visible and palpa∣ble experience, which the Ethnicke Phisicke hath nothing to doe with, nor his followers hath any skill thereof, yet they barke and bite against this skill through their ignoraunce.

Chapter fifth. How deseases ought to be cured by peace and not by discord in mans body.

THerefore, as when the seede of the disease or corruption in man is se∣perated from his temperature cō∣corde and vnitie of the body, or of

the good séede in the body, then the bodie fee∣leth griefe & sicknesse: so on the other side, to seperate the impure seed that hach gotten the maysterie from the pure that is maystered, is the way to get health, therefore sweate which is the seperatiō of the vncleane frō the cleane is wholesome, for it purgeth by the pores and transpirations, so it maketh the good seede able to mayster the badd, by seperating the bad seedes in vapors, through the pores and transpirations in the tyme of sweating, and with the sweate, whereby the vnitie and con∣corde is restored in the body, whilest nature and the good seedes bee made so strong that the badd doe not exalt themselues aboue the other. Likewise al medicines ministred into the body, ought to bee such as haue propertie to bring the sicke body to vnitie and concord: therfore like is to be ministred to that which is like in our nature, which order doth de∣pende vpon the true Center of vnion. And contrary thinges are not to be cured by their contraries, vnlike to our nature, which ma∣ner of proceeding is from the Center of dis∣corde, contrary to the Center of vnitie, and therefore a false Center. For seeing that all thinges doe hang together in one chayne (as is aforesayd) & man is partell of that chaine,

and Mycrocosmus hauing in it the proper∣ties of the great world spiritually, therefore there is in the greate worlde, that which is a∣greeable to the nature of man, in what parte soeuer it be weakened, or not able to resist his enemy, which because of the conueniency and agreement with our nature, doth desire to be ioyned with it. Wherefore it must be mini∣stred in due order, finesse and proportion, it is able to fortifie, comfort and strengthen na∣ture and our naturall balme, and it wilbe as it were a weapon for nature against the ene∣my or disease, whereby nature by him self wil become and be his owne phisition. Therefore the Phisition ought to minister such things, which nature in the place afflicted doeth re∣quire for the cure that is like to it selfe, and not contrary qualities, such as will make peace in the body and not warres, vnitie and not discord, such as will helpe nature and not trouble it, and will strengthen it and not weaken it. Such medicines for the loue and liking they haue to our nature afflicted haue a desire to be ioyned and coupled together, as a hongry and thirstie man desireth meate or drinke, which nourish well. And as one friend coueteth and desiereth the company of his deere frends long absent, which natural loue

is the cause of perfection. Therefore his pro∣per and ordinary medicine, is to be ministred to eche thing. So shall we not neede of the Ethnikes directories. And such like are to be ioyned to their like in right Anotomie. We ought not to seeke helpe in things contrarie and repugnant: who findeth medicine for the Liuer in Gratian, Agarick, or Colocinthis, or who findeth medicin for the Gall in, Man∣na, Hony, Sugar or Polipody? therefore like are to be ioyned with their like in right Ano∣tomy, Ministering of contraries perteyneth rather to diet then to medicin, and they may serue to mittigate the payne, but not to take away the roote of the disease. Humors and qualities, to the which the folowers of the Ethnikes doe so much cleane, and in the whiche they spende their study and labour, are but onely dead accidents, without power of lyfe. They be conditions, signes, tokens, and as it were onely flowers and colours of diseases and not the very matter, cause, sub∣stance, or nature of the disease, they are caused and not the causes. Wherefore when they go about to cure the humor or qualitie, they fiat∣ter the payne and griefe, but they leaue the disease vncured. For the signes of thyngs are not the matter or substance it selfe. Therefore

he that wil be a perfect Phisition, must know eche disease by his right Anatomie, that is to say, by the matter, property and nature of the true substance of the disease, as which of the three substances haue broken vnitie, and not by the signe of it. Also he must haue the right Anatomie of all diseases, and of all naturall thynge before his eyes, so shall he apply to eche infirmitie his apt remedy. For by the concordance and agreement of the Anatomy of the herbe or other naturall thyng for medi∣cine, and of the disease, the Phisition know∣eth what things haue affinity together, and ought to be coupled and ioyned together in vnitie. For the right Anatomy cōsisteth not in cutting of the body, but in the knowledge of the Amitie, concord and nature of all na∣turall externe things, with man, which doe a∣gree, imbrace and receaue eche other, and cō∣cord together in mutuall agreement, in ver∣tue, power, propertie and essense, to defend nature. So that by the right concord of these two Anatomies, vz. of the disease and of the medicine, true cure doth proceede and growe, whereby is declared, that lyke are to be ioy∣ned with ther like, & like are cured with their lyke: and that all health consisteth in vni∣tie and agreement, in which of necessitie

health is to be sought for. And that sickenesse can not be taken away from the third crea∣ture by Binarius the Author of discorde and contrarietie, but by vnari ruling equally in three.

Chater 6. Of the medicin Binarii or Vulgaris, howe iniurious it is to the body.

By these aforesayd it doeth appeare how the medicines of the auncient Phisicke doe disagree with those medicines which be commonly in vse, which be conteined vnder the third kinde of Medicine called Binarii or vulgaris, For these medicines do more agree with the body (because bodyes are nourished with bodyes) then with Anima wherein Fons vitae consi∣steth. This medicine helpeth little to long life, or to the reliefe of Anima, if it be feeble or hindred in his worke. Because these medi∣cines bee ministred with their bodies, the worke vertue and power in them that should do good is hindered: so that it doth litle good, especially in partes of the body, a farre of frō the Stomache. For all things that shoulde serue for medicine, should be purged first from

their grosse substance, because whilest the hea∣uenly vertues be wrapped, hidden and clog∣ged in the matter or substance of their bodies, they abyde and cleaue fast to them, & can not easely be parted a sunder, vnlesse nature haue help thereunto prepared by Arte, which may separate the pure from the impure, otherwise the working of that heauenly vertue is hin∣dered. For it is the vertue of eche thing that is medicinable and not the body. So that see∣ing separation of the pure from the impure must needes be made in the stomache, if it be not made before, because euery thing hath his corruption ioyned with it, and because the vertues of eche thing be small in quantitie, & tyed and clogged with the masse of his body, (as is aforesayd) it is better this seperation be made before the medicine come neere to the stomache then after, in the sicke mans Sto∣mache which is to weake to make such sepa∣tion. Besides this, by such grosse and rawe medicine, the patient receiueth rather nou∣rishment then medicine, centrarie to their owne rules, Omne medicamentum quod transit in alimentum, cessant esse medica∣mentum. For when the medicine ministred with his body or substance, commeth into the Stomach, it is separated into treble nourish∣ment,

that is of our Salt, Sulphur and Mer∣cury, and into double excrement. So that when these medicines be rightly considered and compared together, there seemeth to bee as great diuersitie betweene the rawe and grosse medicines, and those that be purged by fire, as is betwixt the true doctrine of Christ and the Romish doctrine, For as the doctrine of Christ for the health of the Soule, is alto∣gether spirituall, and the holy Scriptures of God do instruct the soule of man and speake to it, whereby the euill affections and the ac∣tions and filthy workes of the body be taken away, and amendement of life foloweth. So do these auncient medicines for the helth of the body consist in heauenly vertues, which are to be ministred and ioyned with the liue¦ly Spirits of mans body, that they may ther∣by be fortifyed and made strong, or rectified & brought to vnitie, whereby foloweth the help and cure of the diseases of the body. And as the Romish religiō is mixed with impurities, & stādeth in outward ceremonies & traditiōs, corporal exercises which be lets to the works of the spirite, whylest it is occupied about them. So these corrporall and grosse medi∣cines, which serue for the body, consist in bo∣dyly grosse and rawe substances, whereby the

worke of the heauenly vertues be let and hin∣dered. And these bodies doe resist digestion, which is occupied about them, by meanes whreof the weake and faint partes that desire reliefe, can not drawe to them these vertues for their succour, being bound and fast tyed to their grosse substance. And euen as the Ro∣mish religion teacheth that in the Eucharist, there is no substance of bread and wine, but onely accidents, and that our bodies be nouri∣shed with the accidents of the Sacrament, euen so the Ethnicke Phisitions and their folowers doe teache, that accidents, vz. heate, cold, &c. be causes of al diseaces. And that by them diseases are cured, and health restored, whereby they attribute vim vitae, to accidents & dead qualities which are caused, raised and stirred vp, by other things, & bee them selues onely Simptomata morborum. So that in curing those accidents and qualities, they doe as if a man would goe about to stop the flame and smoke of the fire, and leaue the hot coles burning.

Chapter seuen. One cause why the Author did write this treatise.

I Was the last Parliament time before this that is now sommoned at the table of a re∣uerend

Bishoppe of this land, which was not vnskilfull in Phisicke, in the companie of a Phisition, which inueying against this aun∣cient Phisicke, by the name of Paracelsus his Phisicke, ignorantly attributing to him the first▪ inuention thereof, pleased himself and some of his audience, in telling that the same Phisicke, had no ground nor foundation, nei∣ther any being. Whereupon he tolde a tale that a man came to a Phisition and sayd to him that he was sicke, but he could not tell where, neither how he tooke his sicknesse, nor how it held him. The Phisition aunswered him, that he▪ had a Garden he could not tell where, it was full of simples he could not tell their properties, and that he would helpe him but he could not tell when: And concluded that this Paracelsicall Phisicke (as he called it) was like, in that, it was vaine, had no ground, nor being. I aunswered him with an other tale of a Poet, which disdayning that Paynters and Poets were compared toge∣ther and ioyned in one prouerbe, pictoribus atque poetis quidlibe• addendi semper sunt equa potestas, came to a •ūning Pain∣ter and asked of him whether he could paint a man, shooting at a birde sitting vppon the top of a tree, with a Sunne, and the bird ther∣with

killed and falling downe, yet the man should not be seene nor appeare. The Payn∣ter aunswered he could doe all that he requi∣red, sauing the noyse of the Gunne and the smell of the powder: which being excepted, the price was agreed on, the daye set for the deliuerie of the worke and for the payment of the money, and bandes made of each side for performance of couenauntes on both sides. The Poet at the day prefixed seeing and ve∣wing the peece of Paynting, could not finde the man with the Gunne, but all the rest of the worke he found very artificially wrought: whereupon he entereth the Paynters bande into the lawe: He pleadeth performance of couenauntes: the condition of the band being read and the paynting vewed, the Gunner could not bee founde: whereupon the action was like to passe against the Paynter. Then sayd he, it is parcell of the condition of ye band that the Gunner should not be seene: But yet sayd he, turne ouer the leafe, which cunning∣ly was couched in the peece of painting: then appeared the Gunner very artificially payn∣ted, and also a greate sorte of the fables and tales of the Poets, before his time very cun∣ningly wrought. And among them he had made very artificially a little Ant or Pisiner,

with a Poets hood about his necke, creeping out of a Caue vnder a greate huge Moun∣taine. I left the applying of the tale in both the po•utes thereof to him. I do confesse that newe vayne confused and vnperfect doctrine, without grounde is odiouse and a signe of r•she wit and greate follie. But seeing that both sides do clayme trueth, perfection, aun∣ciantie and continuance, on their sides their methoodes and opinions beeing somewhat briefly layd abroad to the indifferent Reader, and after the originall progression and conti∣nuaunce of both these Phisickes likewise be∣ing set downe, I doubt not but he wilbe able to iudge hetwixt them. The chiefe pointes therefore be these.

Chapter eight. Certaine differenses, betweene the aun∣cient Phisicke and the Phisicke of the Heathens.

THE Ethnick Philosophers lay the foundation of their Philosophie vp∣pon Aristotle a Heathen and igno∣raunt Mayster and teacher of the true know∣ledge

of God and of his trueth.

The Chymicall Philosopher layeth the foundatiō of his Philosophie in Gods booke, and alloweth none other principles of Philo∣sophie, but such as be there sounde, or such as may bee deduced out of the same, or bee not contrary to it.

2 The Ethnicke Philosophers ascribe the efficient chiefe and principall cause of thinges vnto nature, which is in them, wher∣by they tye and bind God to the second cause, and take away his prouidence ouer his crea∣tures.

The Chymicall Philosophers affirme, that all nature of things be onely instrumen∣tall causes, not working of them selues nor principally, but depending wholly vpon the power and commaundement of God.

3 The Ethnicke Phisitions doe seeke with mortall medicines (that is to say) such medicines as haue corruption ioyned with immortalitie, whereof must needes followe dissolution, whereof commeth death, to cure and helpe the heauenly and Aethereall ver∣tue in mans body. And they seeke to cure the materiall body subiect to the worker and mo∣uer, and leaue the worker and mouer and his arte and cunning vnthought on, and not pro∣uided

for, because his arte and cunning is not to them knowne.

The Chymicall Phisition teacheth for the perfect Philosophicall medicine, to seperate the gift of nature, the life, the Science, cun∣ning and arte •• the worker & mouer, (which he calleth immortall) and the artificer wor∣ker and mouer, in a metaphisicall body, from the corruptible materiall body, subiect to the worker, into which it moueth and worketh therewith •o cure and helpe the Aethereall and heauenly vertue & power in man, which is the subiect wherein life consisteth and shi∣neth, by whose power and vertue the body subiect to the mouer is preserued and main∣tayned, and by it restored, when the corrup∣tion thereof doth oppresse, let, and hinder his operation. So that it appeareth that the fol∣lowers of the Ethnicke Phisitions in mini∣string of their medicines, do as if they would go about to restore a fire, where is remayning a fewe sparkles, vnder greene wood, by hea∣ping on more greene wood, thinking therby to make the sparkles to kindle and burne, but they will not put more fire to the spar∣kles, nor yet vse any meanes to blowe then▪ to make them burne. And as if they would minister medicines to a sicke mans house

wherein he dwelleth, and not to the man that is sicke.

4 The Etnick Phisitions lay their foun∣dation vpon the false Center of Binarii and dualitie, which is the Roote of contrarietie discorde and dissention, therefore most com∣monly they teache that contrary things are to be cured by their contraries.

The Chimicall Phisition layeth his foun∣dation vpon the true Center of Vnarii or v∣nion, which is the roote of concord and vni∣tie. So that when any contrarietie in mans body that is to say, any infirmitie or weake∣nesse of nature must be remooued or amēded, which did rise, beginne and growe by rea∣son of the contrarietie and inwarde dissen∣tion of the three substanties of Sal, Sulphur, and Mercury, whereon mans body consisteth, which haue broken vnity and concord among them selues, or exaited themselues one aboue an other, it must be done with peace and con∣cord, and not with dissention & discord. One disease may not be added to another. And the Monarchie of mans body must be preserued by harmony, consent and agreement, and not by Mono•nachie. Therefore the Medicine ought to be such as may bring the sicke body to vnitie, which can not be done by Binarii

the author of discord and contrarietie•, but by vnarii ruling equally in three. But this doc∣trine the folowers of the Ethnikes can not digest, because they knowe not the three sub∣stanties aforesayd, though by arte they may be made manifest out of eche thing to the eye and touche: neither doe they knowe the con∣cordance and agreement of the three in one, nor their exaltation.

5 The followers of the Ethnicke Phisi∣tions, be ruled by the doctrine and principles of Galen, Auicen, and such other.

The Chymicall Phisition in his phisicke first and principally respecteth the worde of of God, and acknowlegeth it to be his gifte, next he is ruled by experience, that is to say, by the knowledge of three substanties, where∣of eche thing in the great world and man also consisteth, that is to say, by their seuerall Sal, Sulphur and Mercury, & by their seueral pro∣perties, vertues and natures, by palpable and visible experience. And when he knoweth the three substanties and all their properties in the great worlde, then after shall he knowe them in man. For man is Microcosmus for this cause, that hee might haue the good and bad sicknesse & health of the great world. The right way to come to this knowled is to trie

all things by the fire: for the fire teacheth the science and arte of Phisicke. It is the Phisi∣tions maister: it teacheth the Phisition expe∣rience, by digesting, fixing, exalting, resol∣uing, reducing, compounding, and such like. By this experience shall he find out the three substanties of all creatures in the worlde, of what nature, facultie, propertie and condition they be of. So shall he knowe all things by visible and palpable experience, so that the true proofe and tryal shal appeare to his eyes & touched with his hands. So shall he haue ye three Principia, ech of them separated frō▪ the other, in such sort, yt he may see them, & touch them in their efficacie and strength, then shal he haue eyes, where with the phisition ought to looke and reade with al. Then shal he haue that he may taste and not before. For thē shall he know, not by his owne braines, nor by rea∣ding, or by reporte, or hearesay of others, but by experience, by dissolution of Nature, and by examyuing and search of the causes, be∣ginnings and foundations of the properties and vertues of thinges, which he shall finde out not to be attributed to colde or heate, but to the properties of the three substanties of each thing and his Arcanum. Then may he vse Lumen Naturae, and by meanes of that

vse his eyes in those thinges that hee to bee seene. This is the sure way as one of their owne coate sayth, it is in vayne to leaue the vse and helpe of sences for reasons sake. And an other of the same stamp, sayth: Experience is the maysteries of thinges.

6 The followers of the Ethnickes in the nature of Simples, as Hearbes, Plantes, Rootes, &c. father themselues vpon Gallen, Mesue, dioscorides, &c. and say it is written that in their Bookes. So that who is lear∣ned in their Bookes may proceeve Doctor of their Phisicke.

The Chymicall Phisition trieth all thin∣ges by fire, whereby the vertue, nature, and propertie of each thing appeareth to the pal∣pable and visible experience. By this is foūd in Honey a venomous tartis•nesse, and much filthinesse in Surgar. And in Arsenicke ex∣cellent good medicine, wholesome and frend∣ly for man• body, when the impuritie is se∣perated and cast away. By this meanes bee found especiali thinges euen of one kinde only to differ from an other of the same kind. As the Rosine of one Countrey is not of that nature as the Rosine of an other Countrey. Wheate that groweth vpon some grounde hath the propertie of Garlicke, or some other

propertie according to the nature of the soyle or grounde either wholesome or vnwhole∣some. And the things growing vpon Moun∣taines doe differ from their like, or from thin∣ges of the same kind growing on the plaine. And generally ech Countrey most common∣ly hath his proper desease (besides them that be caused of Influencies) by reason of ye foode which wee receiue for nourishment, either of the vegetables which receiue their nourish∣ment of the resolued spirites of the Myne∣ralles, or of the Animals which be nourished of the vegetables, in the soyle wherupon they feede. Whereby it commeth to passe, that if a Phisition do follow the opinion of Wri∣ters of other Nations, or be cunning onely in his owne Countrey and Region, he shal erre in his medicine. So that Nature made ma∣nifest by fire and the right applying it to me∣dicine, maketh a Phisition according to this Arte. He that listeth to leane to Bookes, let him learne of those Bookes which Paracel∣sus hath most Godly and learnedly expressed in his Labyrinth. In comparison of which al other Aucthorities in those matters are small or none. Ars Signata also hath his place to giue euidence of the properties of things.

7 The Ethnickes themselues that write

of Symples, &c. measure (as the plowe man doth) the nature of them by their outwarde tastes and accidentes, which perish in digesti∣on, so fewe outward things keepe their de∣grees, which the Hearbals describe, for the middle bodie doth blinde the phisition.

The Chymicall Phisition in triall of the nature of thinges, first spoyleth them of all their outward formes, qualities, impurities, and accidents, which be couerts and clothes of the vertues and garments, or ornaments of nature, because superfluities, impurities, &c. doe come to bodies accidentally and not borne in them, in their first nature, nor bee in them radically, therefore they are fugitine, by reason whereof it is possible to spoyle them of their accidents, and by the fire artificiall to purge and cleanse them, and to take away all their superfluities and externe things, meete for the plowman to iudge vpon, leauing only their Arcana, inward and secret things re∣mayning for the phisition to iudge vpon. For mortification is the beginning of dissolution and separation of good from euill. Where∣by the inwarde Nature and arcana there∣of doeth remayne free from his accidentes which then do shewe the verie properties and nature of things. Aron called in english Coc∣cowpint,

hath a very hotte taste in the leaues and roote. Wormewod hath a bitter taste, yet by light digestion, preparation and separation of their vertues and properties from their bo∣dies, they vanish away and be lost. It is other∣wise in Ginger, because his heate is stable, liuely and foū•ed in his naturall seede, vertue or propertie, and cleaueth to it stedfast. The Vitrum of Antimonie is without any tast, yet for all that is vehement Purgation. Lead like wise hath no taste, yet notwithstanding, a pleasaunt sweete Sugar wilbe drawen out of it, comfortable or pourging medicines, or such as cause sleepe, can neuer be found out by their taste of heate or cold. The practisers in this arte doe finde by experience by healpe of the fire, that eche thing hath two natures, that is occultum and manifestum, and that manifestum is commonly contrarie to oc∣cultum. By this meanes of the fire, they find Quicsiluer in manifesto is cold and moyste. and within his occultum, is hotte and drie, And farder that in ech thing is good and bad: of the bad doe diseases rise, by the good being separated from the bad, the same diseases are cured & holpen. This good thing is Arcanū of that thing, and is in the inner parte of the thing in occulto, and is not tasted before se∣paration,

as in Arsnick and poysons. And dis∣eases caused by Quicksiluer, Lead, or any o∣ther thing bee cured by Arcana taken out of them. Hony and Sugar haue good in mani∣festo, but in occulto they haue sharpe poy∣son, which can not be tasted before separation, Glasse is hidden in ashes & Glewe in leather, Therefore the outward tastes of the inwarde body of any thing doeth not, nor can trie the inwarde nature, vertue or propertie of any thing, which should serue for medicine. Euen as the Stomache doth prepare all things put into it, and dissolueth, seperateth, and brea∣keth all the accidents of heate, colde, &c. and searcheth out all their Arcana and ver•nes of the meate, because all other thinges dye in the stomack: euen so the Herbe▪ Plant, &c. must putrifie and dye in putrifaction, and bee borne againe before it be a medicine. But the s•cend life which is after putrifaction is pro∣fitable for medicine. For a Graine doth not bring forth fruite vnlesse it bee first cast into the grounde, and suffer putrifaction: so the stomacke leaueth nothing whole or vnputri∣fied, but seperateth, digesteth, and putrifieth all thinges put into it, but if they dye not and putrifie in the stomacke they doc no good: but it is a signe of weakenesse thereof. So what

soeuer of the Hearbes, Plantes, &c. dyeth or goeth away with the life thereof (as the out∣warde ornamentes doe) whatsoeuer doth not remaine after putrifaction, nor doth passe in regeneration that is not subiect to the Phisi∣tion. Therefore those thinges that let putri∣faction let health. And vnlesse all the out∣ward thinges bee spoyled there can bee no knowledge of their natures. And vnlesse all the olde nature of things doe passe into rege∣neration, there will bee no right medicine. Therefore all the Phisitions labour and en∣deuour ought to be bent about the seperation of the pure from the impure, and about rege∣neration. For from thence •••w Tynctur•s, Arcana, Quintum esse, in which be reposed and hidden all misteries, the whole founda∣tion true labour and care of the Phisition.

8 The Heathen Phisitions and their fol∣lowers say there be fower humours in man, and according to those humours they attri∣bute to man fower complexions.

The Chymical Phisition sayth, ech mem∣ber hath his proper humour not like to any of the fower, but according to the c••itution of the members, and their effect, ech member possesseth his owne humour. and that ech dis∣ease consisteth vpon one qualitie, and not vp∣pon

two or many. And that there is but one heate, one colde, one moysture, and one dry∣nesse: because it cannot bee proued that there is a dubble or treble colde, substaunce, hott, moyst, or drie substaunce. Neither doe those humours receiue any anatony, nor yet can they bee shewed as the three principia can. And humors are dead thinges without life or power of life.

9 The Heathen Phisitions and their fol∣lowers take vpon them to discerne the desea∣ses in man, by the complexions, humors, and qualities.

The Chymicall Phisition teacheth, if the Phisition couet or desire to know the nature of mā, with al his deseases, he must first know the deseases of all thinges which nature suf∣fereth in the greate worlde, by reducing those bodies into their three substanties: So then shall he see one desease in this kinde of thing, in that kinde an other desease, but in man he shall see them all. For by the Anatomy of the three substanties, the Seedes, Rootes, foun∣dations, causes, similitudes, and likenesses of the effects, panges, griefes, and fittes, which appeare in deseases & sicknesses are knowne and espyed. If he ioyne these thinges toge∣ther, he shall be indowed with the knowledge

of all deseases. And the knowledge of the na∣ture and effect of deseases of the great world pertayneth to the Phylosopher. Thereby therefore shall he bee a perfect Phylosopher. And where the Philosopher endeth, there be∣ginneth the Phisition. And he that can know the nature of man and his deseases, and the efficient causes of them, as the Phylosopher knoweth the causes of deseases of externe thinges (for that which hurteth Hearbes and Plantes, &c. that causeth the like in man) and can bring nature to that point and passe, that it may bee made fit and apt to helpe and cure the desease by extracting out of things in the greate worlde that which is wholesome and fit, and by casting away that which is vnpro∣fitable, and knoweth the efficacie, strength and vertue thereof, and doth so apply and mi∣nister the same, that it cureth the desease, such an one is to bee accompced a Chymicall or Spagyricall Phylosopher and Physition. For Chymia and Medicina may not be se∣perated asunder, no more thē can preparation or separation from knowledge or science.

10 The Heathen Physitions and their followers, attribute the causes of all deseases to dead accidents, vz. to the first and seconde qualities, &c. So they make no difference be∣twixt

fire and smoke, betwixt seedes and their fruites, betweene substanties and their acci∣dents, betweene the thing it selfe and his ex∣crements.

The Chymicall Physition proueth, that there bee spirituall Seedes of all maner de∣seases, indowed with liuely power, which bring forth those qualities, & all other fruites of deseases, and their sundry kinds of griefes in our bodies, as ye earth bringeth forth fruite by meanes of seedes in it. And that those qua∣lities be onely signes, colours and Sympto∣mata of deseases. And though ech desease be either hot or colde, &c. yet they be but signes and conditions of the desease, and not the de∣sease it selfe. But all deseases are in the three substanties of Sal, Sulphur, and Mercury. For the spirites or spirituall essent•es being kindled, resolued, sublimed, and brought to action, doe ascribe the cause of their opera∣tions and actions to those principia. Yet it is to bee vnderstanded, that some greeses doe come to man which be not properly deseases but lesiones or hurtes.

11 The Heathen likewise measure their medicins according to those accidentall qua∣lities aforesayd.

The Chymicall Physitions in their me∣dicines

consider the essentiall vertues and actions of the medicines not the qualities accidentall. But the followers of the Eth∣nickes them selues in taking one hott thing before an other, as Pepper before Camamil, &c. and one cold thing before an other, doe te∣stifie sufficiently that they seeke not heate nor cold, but Arcana which they thinke to be de∣grees. Therefore the Chymicall Physitions consider the nature of things, and not the hu∣mors or qualities, their seedes and the effects of their Mechanicall spirites: As whether they be Attractiua, Anodymae, Abstergen∣tia, Aperitiua Constringentia contra∣hentes. Quale membrum principale re∣spicientia: or in carne cartilagine ossibus sanguine Synouia, &c. operantia conden∣santia, conglutinantia, Corrosiua confor∣tantia, coagulantia digestiua diuretica, dyaphoretica, dormire facientia discussiua expulsiua eracuantia, extenuantia, famen morentia grauedinem morētia, horrorem morentia, renouantia incidentia, incras∣santia, inflamantia, incarnatiua mundifi∣catiua mollificatiua maturantia, mortifi∣catiua, morbos quosdam respiciētia Mar∣tialia Narcotica Nitrosulphureae nutritiua oppilantia purgatiua penetratiua, reten∣tiua

regenerantia repellantia repercussiua resoluentia trahentia vlceratiua venenum repugnantia vomitum morentia and such like. Some curing of a wounde they take things that haue propertie to bring or ingen∣der fleshe, without consideration of heate or colde. And for the Dropsie those thinges are to be taken which doe expell Sal resolutum without consideration of heate or colde. And in Purgatiōs Colocynthis doth purge with∣out respect of the qualities. So in all Pur∣gations the Ethnicks them selues are driuen away from their qualities accidentall. Here∣by appeareth the cause, why the followers of the Heathen often tymes, yea after their con∣sultations, either knowe not what to doe, or els determine often the worst rather thē good for their patient: as when in a Mynerall de∣sease the toe or foote is growing towardes mortification, because Balsamū humanum that should keepe vnitie betweene the three principia, in that parte is oppressed with im∣pediments, as Gold in his Myne, and faileth there and is not mingled with that parte, wherefore it cannot pres•rue it from putri∣faction: whereby that parte groweth first to a s•n••l•sse Adust•o•: •nd after if an vnnatural heate doe come to it, then it groweth to Gan∣greua:

for cure whereof the naturall Balme inwardly ought to be clensed, and outwardly preseruantia, as Mumy or Balme taken out of other fit matter ought to bee applyed to it. Then regenerantia and renouantia, & not that paynefull cutting and mangling of that parte of the body. Likewise in Caukrose and corrosiue Vlcers they pur•e and •uacuate moysture out of the body which should miti∣gate the corrosiuenesse of the Salt, and so in∣crease the desease. Also when any corroding Salt in the bloud exalted hath frett through some vayne within the body, whereby some∣time the patient auoydeth pure bloud doune∣ward they vse Purgations, the next way to make an ende of them, or els that shipmans hose and suprema aucora of the diet, the pro∣fitablest thing that euer they could deuise for their purses, and not alwaies for their pa∣tients, whereas sanguinē renouantia, dul∣cedines out of apt things rightly extracted, and potiones vulnerariae and consolidātia ought to bee vsed. Finally, all thinges haue their power and vertue, not of the qualities but of their nature which excelleth in them. Wherfore all vertue of things are their Ar∣cana, that they may heale the deseases after that maner as they be caused.

12 The Ethnikes doctrines standeth vpon contemplation, Sophistrie argument, opini∣on and probabilitie of reason without proofe, and commonly fighting against experience.

The Chimical doctrine standeth and foū∣ded vpon experience ioyned with knowledge of the propertie, vertue and nature of euery thing, and not vpon the knowledge onely of his operation and working, nor vpon contem∣plation onely but in action, not vpon reason onely, but vpon experience, whereby his workes bee made perfect and trueth tried. Thereby he learneth what man is, what the medicine is, howe they agree in right Anato∣my. For medicin consisteth in nature, so that nature is medicin, which ought to be learned in nature: and nature hath brought forth me∣dicine by experience, so that by fire and labor the phisition maketh nature manifest, where∣fore without the doctrine of fire, there is none other schole, by the which we may learne phi∣sicke. So that experience and practise ought not to proceede of speculation, but speculati∣on ought to be deriued out of practise. This practise and experience teacheth that a medi∣cin prepared by the heate of the Sunne, hath an other power then that which is prepared by the fyre Coles and dung, and that the heat

of water and sand doe worke diuersly, though they be outward heates: and that one medi∣cin or simple, by preparation may be made to worke diuers operations, and made fitte for diuers purposes, as appeareth by experience. So that probabilitie of reason onely against true and perfect proofe, found out by practise and experience, maketh the folowers of the Ethnikes to say, that all medycins prepared by this Arte, doe get a fretting corrosiue and hurtful property by the fire. For it by the fire the medicin doth get at the first any euill cor∣rosiuenesse, yet by operation and by degrees of working (to the skilful knowen) it shal not only lose that & haue it cleane takē away, but also it may bee brought to the highest degree of operation and working, and made most perfect like to ye Aethereall fyre, which nouri∣sheth and quickeneth mans body, whose pro∣perty is to consume all corruptions, caused hy the elementall fyre, and with his bateful∣nesse to restore the naturall moysture which was consumed by the Elementall Fyre. In these things labour and diligence is required which the followers of the Ethnicks for the ease sake loue not to heare of. Yet God which hath created medycine, would that the Phisi∣tion should prepare it by his labour and dili∣gence.

For he selleth all things to vs for the price of our labour: & he willeth vs we should eate our bread in the labour and swette of our face. There like probabitie of reason without knowledge of the working by this Arte, ma∣keth them to inueigh against medicins taken out of Mettals, because they knowe not that before they be medicin, they are not reducible into mettall againe, but bee volatill spirits: and they themselues being ignorant to get out such their nature, vertue and propertie by Arte, are glad to seeth Golde, and steale in Drinke or Brothe, and to giue Golde beaten into fiue leaues in medicin, and to vse Pearls and Precious stones (which be Mynerals al∣so) in power (which is their body) for medicin and sometimes the very bodies of some Met∣tals: which is contrary to the Rules of this auncient Chymycall Phisicke, and thinke they doe much good therewith.

13 The folowers of the Ethnikes do call the names of diseases only the humors, heate, cold, &c. which be onely the signes of the dis∣eases, not the matter or cause of them. So is the Agewe by them called and Agewe without any foundation in reason. For this name is deriued of his heate, which is one∣ly the signe of the disease.

The Chimical Phisition taketh the names of the diseases of the matter, property and na∣ture of the true substance (for all diseases are in the three substanties aforesayde) therefore the Agewes ought to be called the disease of Sulphur, of salt peter kendled, for this cause diuers diseases are called tartareall diseases, because of the likenesse of the propertie, that those diseases haue vnto the Salt of Tartar, which is most sharpe: but the followers of the Ethnikes not knowing that Salt, are sore grieued for that name, and because the Chimical Phisitions doe lay tartar to be the cause of diuers diseases. Or els the name is to be taken of the Medicin yt healeth & cureth ye disease: so by this meanes euery disease hath his right name, and is rightly vnderstanded.

14 In the medicins of the followers of the Etnickes, no Anatomy is obserued, but phantasie, for qualities accidentall receaue no Anatomie.

In the Chymycall Medicins the Anato∣my of the disease and medicine doe agree and ioyne together. Hee considereeh the amitie, concord and agreement of nature of externe and outward things with man, and how they doe receiue and embrace eche other, so is hee cunning and skilfull of the Anatomy: and of

the concordance of the two Anatomies the Phisition doeth growe: so man is taught of the great world and not of man. This A∣natomy maketh a perfect Phisition when he knoweth the great worlde, & of that knoweth the disease in man, by the disease of externe things: and the▪ Medicin by the medicine, by the helpe of the Anatomie.

15 The Medicins of the Ethnickes and their followèrs doe consist in grosse and rawe substancies, in which the vertues of the medi∣cine be fast tyed, bound and incumbered with hurtfull baggage, and therefore hard to be se∣parated in the stomache, and commonly they prouoke the pacient to vomite, or at least his stomache abhorreth them.

The Chymycall Medicines for the most part be purifyed and pourged by the fire, and the impure separated from the pure. And the vertue and pure part onely ministred, and therefore may be receaued without offence: and that in small quantitie, (because the ver∣tue of eche thing is small in quantitie) but he ministreth not the substance and grosse quan∣titie or bodyes as the other doe, vnlesse it bee in some Alimentary diseases.

16 The followers of the Ethnickes in disccening diseases, & the original of them are

merueilously trobled wt the causes antecedēt and conseqnent, and with signes repugnant, and agreeing, and such other very doubtfull causes, tokens and signes. And so likewise in curing, they proceede without respect of the right difference betwixt diseases, vehe∣ment, long, circulated, rooted, and in places hard to bee remooued, and their contraries, with medicins grosse, grosse, grosse, and sick∣ly, euen in such rooted diseases and in such places.

The Cimycall Phisition teacheth that the right causes signes and tokens of diseases, be founded in the properties of nature: their originals be by them rightly discerned. And that some diseases be Caelestes, other some be Terrestres, by reason of the lower and vpper globe in mans body. And they that be in the vpper globe are made mighty and vehement, and harder to be remooued then those that be in the lower globe. Wherfore those Alimen∣tary diseases of the lower Globe, may be cu∣red with Arcana of vegetables, but if they be in the vpper Globe, they require medicins of higher degrees of preparation. Likewise if the cause of the disease proceede of the Mine∣rals or metals, they must be cured with Ar∣cana of Mynerals, because such will not

yeeld to Arcana of vegetables, that is of hearbes and rootes, &c. But if the disease bee caused by influencies of the heauens, neather of the other Arcana will serue, but they are to be cured by A••ronomy and influencies. But those Diseases and griefes that come by su∣pernaturall meanes, will not be holpen by a∣ny meanes aforesayde, but by supernaturall meanes. Likewise the agreement of the Me∣dicin with the disease in one degree, is thus by those Phisitions cōsidered, that the Midi∣cine that hath the pure onely separated from the impare, may agrée in one degree, with the diseases of the lowest degree, of least danger, and in places of least parrell, and of least con∣tinuance. And Medicins that haue that pure body sublymed, and a purer thereby separated from it, may agree with diseases more stub∣borne, of longer continuance, & in place more perilous. And medicins so sublymed, after distilled in the Sunne, may agree in degree with diseases, most stubburne, and of longest continuance. For vnlesse the Mecicine doe a∣gree with the disease in oue degree, he can not preuayle, because the weaker can not drawe, consume, nor expell the stronger. In this sort doth the Chimycall Phisition proceede from medicins fyne and pure, to purer, fyner, and

most excellent, and maketh choyse of his me∣dicins as occasion serueth, by the reason of the cause, place, vehemencie and continuance of the disease. Such medicins doe not moulde and putrifie, but will continue in the vertue, a mans lyfe. Furthermore, by operation and working according to this Arte, you shall see with your eye, and perceyue the reason, why one disease is vehementer then an other, why in one place it is more painefuller then in an other, why in continuance of time the disease is harder to bee remooued then at the first: why some diseases be vehement and yet con∣tinue long: why some be suddenly vehement and seone gonne: Why other bee long in growing: why some be extreame: why some be not, why in some places of the bady they he more easely remooued, then in an other, wher∣by you shalbe led into the knowledge of that parte of the body wherein the roote of the dis∣ease lurketh.

17 The folowers of ye Ethnikes in iudge∣ment of Vrin. (most of them) take vpon them to pronounce of al diseases in any part of mās body, by looking on the water. Other some of them confesse, that they bee able to iudge of those diseases onely, which be in those partes of the body, through the which the Vryn pas∣seth.

And some of them affirme that the Urin is Meretrix and deceitfull, yet all of them are contented to make gaine of the looking vpon the Urin.

The Chymicall Phisition affirmeth that such iudgement of vrine is monstrous, and that the right iudgement is to bee had after due seperation thereof be made by fire: so shal he see the matter of ech desease and his medi∣cine and touch it with his hande, whereby he shalbe able to giue a perfect iudgement if he bee able to iudge as becommeth a Phyloso∣pher and a Physition. By this meanes shall hee finde the vrine not to bee Meretrix nor lyar.

18 The followers of the Ethnickes, to purge spirituall tyncturs of deseases, doe mi∣nister rawe and indigested medicines, which drawe from the stomacke and other partes thinges necessary for them, aswell as excre∣ments: And also such Purgations do withall purge humidum radicale, and thereby doe shake the body and weaken it, and leaue be∣hinde them much venenositie, for lacke of due seperation. But in such deseases greeuous and deepely rooted, or in places principall, or parts where deseases are hard to be remoued, such Purgations doe vexe and torment the

bowels (which haue not deserued it) in vaine, without any helpe or ease, because the stron∣ger is not drawne of the weaker.

The Chymicall Phisition knowing, that onely the superficiall and grosse impurities, in primis officinis alimentorum will yeeld to Purgations, and be expelled by seege and stoole, therefore to purge spirituall tyncturs of deseases, and also against deseases in pla∣ces farre distant from the first receptacles of our meates, or in principall partes of the bo∣die, he vseth spirituall tyncturs for Purga∣tions, which doe purge radicitos, within and without: that is to say, they take away not onely, the superficiall impurities by seege and stoole, but also the deepe rooted spiritual tyncturs, of long continuaunce and fine cir∣culation, either by absolute and perfect con∣suming of them, without any sensible auoy∣ding or expulsion, or els by mundifying and clensing of Balsamum, and the Spirites and Elementes of man, and renuing of blood, or els by dissoluing, clensing & sending abroad, the rooted spirituall tyncturs of deseases by vrine, sweate and insensible transpirations.

19 The followers of the Ethnickes in their medicines, credite Recipe of Gallen Auicen, and such other, though in these daies

the bodies of men bee not so strong as they were in their time. And though deseases in nature doe dayly alter, and newe are bredd, which were not in their time knowne. And if they doe not followe those olde receiptes of their Authors, but make newe medicines of themselues, yet they haue none other skill, but to trie them, and make their experiment vpon men.

Thè Chymicall Phisition calleth such re∣ceiptes, decipe, and willeth their followers to leaue such receiptes, and to prouide that the medicine doe agree with the deseases in one degree. For if it fayle in degree it fayleth in cure. And as in manuall operation he wil∣leth his followers not to worke before they know the nature of the worke which they in∣tende. So in ministering of medicines, he willeth thē not to minister, before they know the cause and nature of the desease, and what and how much it wanteth of his proper na∣ture, and what and how much it hath gotten of an other nature. For incognita causa, à casu procedit cura, to the knowledge wher∣of wee ought to come, as the Alkimistes doe come to the knowledge of the body that is to them vnknowne, and not by trying of the me∣dicine in man. For, Ve his qui nesciunt ex∣periri

nisi in hominibus, as that worthie Chymicall Phylosopher and Physition Ro∣ger Bacon sayth, and per effectus facta, & signa, causa tuenda est.

Chapter. 9. The causes why this Arte is euill spoken of, and findeth fewe fauourers.

BY these cōtrouersies thou maist see gentle Reader, that most of the matters wherein the Chy∣micall Physition doth differ frō the Ethnickes, and their follo∣wers bee such as doe not consist in opinion or dunsicall wrangling and arguing, as those of the Ethnicks doe, but in palpable sensible and visible experience, which is the mayste∣ries of Artes and Sciences, of which maner of experiences and operations the followers of the Ethnicks are vtterly ignorant: where∣fore it is no maruaile that they inueigh so ve∣hemently against this Arte. For therein they verifie the old saying, Ars non habet inimi∣cum preter ignorātem. It is an vniust dea∣ling for any man to reproue, hate, and with

despightfull wordes to inueigh against that whereof he is ignorant. For loue and hatred ought to proceed of knowledge, whether the thing descrueth to be loued or not, and not of chaunce. But when a man knoweth not whe∣ther the thing be worthy to be loued or hated, how can he giue a •ust reason of hate thereof, especially when the thing wherof he is igno∣rant may be good. Therefore it is great rea∣son that a man should knowe what the thing is whereunto it leaneth, and app•rtayneth, before he hate it, or if he be ignoraunt thereof then not to hate it. Which of them knoweth what way to begin to seperate the Salt, Sul∣phur, and Mercury, from Hearbes, Plants, and all other thinges as it ought to bee artifi∣cially, according and agreeable to the proper∣ties and seueral natures of ech Herbe, Roote &c. For diuers and seuerall Hearbes require seuerall maner of seperations. Plantes haue their peculiar seperations: Mynerale theirs: Marchesies theirs. &c. Which of them doth knowe the seuerall maners of Calcination, Reuerberation, Cementation, Inceration, Imbybytion, Pa•tation, Liquefaction, Ab∣lution, Sublymation, Exaltation, Contri∣tion, Resolution. Putrifaction, Circulatiō, Inhumation, Distillation, Ascention, Fixa∣tion,

Lauatiō, Coagulation, Assation, Cō∣gelation, Fermentation, &c. And the na∣tures and properties of these seuerall works and operations, whereby Regeneration, Tvncturs, Arcana, Magisteria, Quintum esse, and Elixirs be had and gotten. Which of them can tell what transmutation of E∣lements meaneth: Eau any of them make ripe, the rawe medicine, separate the pure frō the impure, turne bitter into sweete, mittigat corrosions, heates, tastes, smelles, Coagula∣tions, &c. of medicines, and make them vola∣till and spirituall, to helpe and cure spirituall and long circulated diseases? For this cause Erastus and others not conceauing a right the meaning of Paracelsus, doe imagine a construction of their owne heads ond braines of that they read in him, which is not agreea∣ble with his meaning: and vpon such an ab∣surditie of their owne deuise, they make long discourses, and goe about to disprooue that, which is not affirmed, or that which they can not skill of. I would such folowers of the Ethnickes did in this followe their Prince & Captayne Gallen, as they doe in the rest of his doctrine, which being demaunded at any time of any Sect (being himselfe addicted to noue) whether it were sound or good or no, v∣sed

to say, that he could not make any answer there unto, vnlesse he had first learned all their decrees and determinations perfectly, and had gotten a briefe method to iudge them, for no man sayeth he can iudge of things to him vnknowen. But alas, herein the cause of this Chimicall phisicke consisteth in a despe∣rate state, for though this Arte be shewed by worke and experience: and experiēces which doe agree with nature, and do bring forth like actions, by the cause of all certeintie, yet it may not come to that triall: for in the scholes nothing may be receiued nor allowed that sa∣uoreth not of Aristotle, Gallen, Auicen, and other Ethnickes, whereby the yong begin∣ners are either not acquainted with this doc∣trine, or els it is brought into hatred with them. And abrode like wise the Galenists be so armed and defended by the protection, pri∣uiledges and authoritie of Princes, that no∣thing can be allowed that they disalowe, and nothing may bee receiued that agreeth not with their pleasures and doctrine: & whatso∣euer is ministred to any person according to their rules and Canons, although it be to the destrunction of the patient, must be reputed, accepted, ratifyed, allowed and accompted learnedly well and rightly done, and they are

excused and discharged of their fact, by the lawe called Lex Aquilia. But as long as the vns kilfull and fluggish Phisition may enioy that immanitie and freedome, and as long as it shalbe allowed in the Scholes to be heresie and foule ignoraunce to speake against any partof Aristotle, Galen, Auicen, or other like heathens doetrine: as long as the Galenists may shrowde themselues vnder the Wings and protection of Princes, Priuiledges and Charters, the cause of the Chimycall Phisi∣tion must needes lye in a desperate state. And no man almost shalbe able to attayne to the perfection in true Phisicke. As long as Sco∣tus or Thomas Aquinas, and such other were so priuileged in the scholes, that no interpre∣tation of Gods worde was allowed, but such as was brought out of them, or agreed with them, the cause of true Religion, and seruing of God was in desperate state, and it lay op∣pressed and hidden. And as long as those that were noseled in such puddle, were maintey∣ned, defended and priuiledged by princes and potentates, it was hard for trueth to shewe his face abroade openly. Wherefore if the Chy∣micall doctrine agreeing with Gods worde, experience and nature may come into the Scholes and Cities in steade of Aristotle,

Gallen, and other heathen and their follow∣ers. And if it were lawfull I and commenda∣ble for euery honest student to labour in the Philosophicall searching out of the trueth, by the fire or otherwise, and thereby either con∣firme and make manifest the trueth by this Arte tought, cather to adde newe things wel tried to the old that be good, and then to reiect the other vastard, adulterat, sophisticat stuffe, and so ioyne words and deedes together, then should there be no time spent in vayne, and vain glorious bable and sophisticall disputa∣tions, without due triall by labor and worke of fire, and other requisite experiments, then should it easely be seen whether Gallen and other heathen or the Chimests were most to be folowed and allowed. And whose writings and trauailes were more auaileable for mans health, either conseruing or restoring, & who seeketh more paynefully, faythfully, sincere∣ly, charitably and Christianlike, for the cer∣teine helpe of his neighbour, and not for lucre or veine glory and pompe, the auncient Chi∣mical Phisition or Gallen and his folowers. Then as Galen the prince of their Phisicke sayeth, if men would not bee sworne to the wordes of any master or teacher, they woulde choose out of eche thing that were best, and

would not be slaues to followe or name them selues either of Hypocrates, Praxagoras, or of any other man.

Chater 10. The first authors of the auncient Phisicke, and the Succession and Progression thereof, to Hermes Trismegestus, and how the rest writing thereof yet extant.

FOR the Authros, Inuentors, ori∣ginall succession and progression of this auncient Chimycall Phi∣sicke, whose studie and vse doeth flowe out of the fountaines of nature, and is collected out of the Mathematicall, naturall, and supernaturall precepts (as is aforesaid in the beginning hereof) it is to bee vnderstan∣ded, that Adam by diuine reuelation, or by arte giuen to him of God, did foretell of the vniuersall destruction of the worlde, one by water, the other by fire. And no doubt he was indowed with singular knowledge, wisedom and light of nature, that assoone as he did be∣hold any beast, he by & by did so exactly know all their natures, powers, properties and ver∣tues,

that he gaue them names, apt, meete and agreeable to their natures and properties, whereby it appeareth he knewe the natures and properties of things better then we, whē we haue spent all our life time in searching out their natures, which was a singuler gift of God & pleased him mightely. The sonnes of Seth which were his Nephewes, recey∣uing wisdome & knowledge from the hands and deliuery of their Auncitors, least that the Mathematicals and that knowledge they had so learned should perish with the fludde, did erect two Pillers, in which they did •n∣graue their learning, knowledge and inuēti∣ons, out of the which they that should be pre∣serued from the fluddde, might learne those knowledges, cunning and Arte, ss Iosepus writeth in his first booke Chap. 13. of Anti∣quities, which did see one of the Pillers that was of stone in his time standing in Syria as he writeth.

Abraham the Prince of faith was borne in that Countrey, where those Mathematicals and other knowledges & learning was thus preserued, and continued 292. yeres after the Flood, in the yeare of the world 1949. This Abraham hauing knowledge in the Mathe∣maticalls, which in his Countrey were pre∣serued

as is aforesayd, by the wonderfull har∣mony of the worlde did ascende to the know∣ledge of the one onely God, as some say. But rather, thereby he did see and perceiue, the in∣uisible thinges of GOD, that is, his eternall power and Godhead, by the creation of the world. And he being the mightie and renow∣med father of the elect nation, no doubt was a greate Deuine, as hee was excellent in the Mathematicalls and other learning. But because the Chaldeās, Mesapotamians and Assyrians were moued and s••rred against him, for Religions sake, he left his Countrey and kinsfolkes by the Commaun• ement of God, and went to soiurne in the lande of Ca∣naan. From whence shortly after through great Famine, he was constrayned to goe in to Aegipt. He there as Iosephus writeth, de∣clared God to bee the Creator of all thinges, teaching them the Sciences and Mathema∣ticalls. By this meanes was the true know∣ledge of God and of the Mathematicals and Sciences brought into Aegipt, the which knowledges the Priestes of Aegipt, succes∣siuely, did after that professe. And they had de∣uided among them portions of land, by Pha∣roes appointment, for their maintenance and stipende, as appeareth Gene. cap. 47. After

that Abraham returned into the land of Ca∣naan, where ye Godly fathers did successiuely professe these Artes and knowledges. After this in the yeare of the worlde 2355. Moses that was so acceptable vnto God was borne in Aegipt, and was learned in all the wise∣dome of the Aegiptians, as S. Luke writeth in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 70. And he doth there sett downe and make mention of that his learning for his excellent praise and honors sake. Sainct Augustine sayth in his Booke, de Ciuitate dei lib. 18. cap. 39. that the wisedome of the Aegiptians wherein Mo∣ses was instructed was Astronomy, Geo∣metry, and Arithmetike, and surely it was that which before they had learned of Abra∣ham. And although some of the Aegiptians, as some of the Chaldeans did wander and stray aside in many foolishe vayne and super∣sticious speculations, yet some were conten∣ted, with the simple order of Nature, profita∣ble to be learned and praise worthie, which is to bee considered and marked in the wonder∣full worke of God, not onely in the places of the Starres, and in so goodly and beautifull distinguished varietie of thē, but also in their motions, powers, and secret offices and ope∣rations: whereof it is like that Moses made

choyce, abandoning and forsaking the other supersticious and vayne doctrine, not deser∣uing the name of wisedome. After these liued Hermes, or Mercurius Trismegestus in Ae∣gipt not long after Moses: For alas ye great A•tronomer liued in Moses his time, & was grandfather on the mothers side to Mercury the great, whose Nephewes sonne was this Hermes Trismegestus, as S. Augustine writeth in his Booke, de Ciuitate dei lib. 8. Cap. 26. and lib. 18. Cap. 39. In his tyme sayth Saint Augustine, in Aegipt the studie of Phylosophie, which did promise to teach that, whereby m•n might be made blessed or happie did •he••ly •l•rishe. This Hermes or Mercurius was called Trismegestus, as some say, because he was the greatest Phylo∣sopher, the greatest King, and the greatest Priest. But Guydas sayth, that he was cal∣led Trismegestus, because he held opinion of God nere agreeable with the right doctrine of the Trinitie. He did write diuers workes, as one Dialogue in whiche Asclapeus is brought in to thinke that one onely God is the maker of all thinges, and confesseth the errors of them which founde out the supersti∣tion of Idols, & doth prophesie in that Booke that they shall perishe. And in his Booke de∣dicated

〈1 page missing〉tion amōg the Aegiptians at that time. Now concerning his knowledge in prophane Sci∣ences, & in this Arte which we haue in hand, for his excellencie in Philosophie (as is afore sayd) he had one of his titles after Maximus. For in his time did the studie of Phylosophie chiefly florish, as writeth Volateran, lib. 15. Also in his first Booke of 15. intituled libri Hermeicorum, he bringeth in a Priest say∣ing thus. Doest thou not heare that our Her∣mes hath deuided Aegipt into his bounde•, and lotted ech mans ground asunder, that he measured with a corde, and deuided dikes for to water the groundes, and that he hath or∣dayned, lawes and rules, and that he hath na∣med gouernors out of those statutes and or∣dinaunces, and hath appointed chaunges of buying and selling, and hath sat downe the briefe doctrine of the course of the Starres, and hath deuided the Hearbes. And that he hath inuented, founde out and taught with numbers or Arithmetike and Geometrie. Also all Astronomie, Astrologie, Musicke and Grammer. Others write of him that he attayned at the full, to all the partes of Phy∣losophie. Bradeus in primo Epigrammatū sayth, that Mercurius found out th•s• fower, that is, Letters, Musicke, Geometrie, and

Wrestling. Dioderus sayth, that this Mer∣cury founde out Physicke among the Aegip∣tians. This Hermes did also write diuers o∣ther Bookes, as one intituled Pymander, of the power and wisedome of God. And other thinges in Iamblicus proctus, and prophi∣rius. Also an other Booke intituled, Latro∣mathematica, that is to say, meditations ap∣plied to Astrologie, and diuers fragments and little peeces be by him written, which be alledged and cited by other Writers, which be not extant. But among others his excel∣lent worke intituled, Tabula Smaragdina, or Sermo veredicus Hermetis, or Mercurii Trismegesti patris vere metaphycices doth sufficiently declare his excellent skill and knowledge in this Arte, whiche is extant hitherto thou hast heard gentle Reader howe the true knowledge of God and the Science of Chymia (from which medicina may not be separated) haue bene deriued from Abra∣ham the renowmed father of faith, vnder the title and names of the Mathematicall scien∣ces, whisedome and Philosophie, vnto the Priestes of Aegypt, and from them, vnto Mercurius or Hermes, Trismegestus the Aegyptian, which as hath bin said, was called three times great, whereof two of those titles

sleepe with Apollo his golden Harpe, that is by equal sweete and temperate motion in the sayd fire. By this meanes doth the Chymical Physition dissolue, make thinne, eleuate, and conuert natures, and make perfect medicins: It should seeme therefore that the Physicke of Apollo was exercise of the naturall ver∣tue and power in man like to the Aethereall fire, or els that it was not the grosse Phisicke of the followers of the Ethnicks now in vse, but some pure medicine like to the Aethereall fire, or a very simple fine and pure medicine, wherof the Binarii Phisitions haue no skill. And then surely it was not of his owne inuē∣tion or deuise, but he had learned the same in some other Countries and brought it into Greece, and there practised it: wherefore it was accompted his inuention there, or els he learned it of some that had beene in some o∣ther Countries. For Eusebius and others do testifie that Greece was barren and bare of all good Artes and doctrine before the tyme of Pythagoras, which liued about the yere of the world •4•6. And whatsoeuer good lear∣ning and knowledge they had, they got it frō other Nations. As Pythagoras, Plato, and others did trauaile out of Greece, for to get learning and knowledge into Syria, Iudia,

Aegipt, Persia, and other Nations, which the Grecians doe call Barbarians. And surely if his Physicke was of his owne and not pro∣ceeding from the Children of God, then was it not worthie the name of true Physicke: be∣cause as Plato sayth, he that is ignorant in di∣uine thinges, cannot haue right vnderstan∣ding in prophane learning. As Apollo and Aesculapius, & all the Grecians at that time were without the true knowledge of GOD, and were Idolaters, and both they were ho∣nored as Gods, and ech of them had a temple dedicated to him. But it should seeme by that Plato hath written, and Plinie also, that their Physicke was altogether Surgery. Where∣vnto Cicero doth seeme to cōsent in his third Booke de Natura deorum, ascribing to Aes∣culapius the first inuention of bynding and healing of woundes. Sabellicus also & Stra∣bo, do write that the old Physicke was rude, and their medicines were such onely as were found out by chaunce, to haue holpen any bo∣die, and such they did minister vnto those that were sicke of like deseases. Aesculapius did not meddle with bodies infected with inward sicknesses, but onely prescribed to such a dyet about meate and drinke: as one did to Euri∣pilus that was wounded at the siege of Troy,

in the presence of his two sonnes Machaon and Podalirius: and as they two did to Me∣nataus whom Pandar woūded there, because they thought deseases did commonly come to man, either by externall hurtes, as by pric∣king, cutting, or brusing, or els did chaunce to him by euill dyet, lacke of exercise, and e∣uill order of his liuing: therfore they thought it necessary to helpe them that were so hurt. But they thought as long as men vsed good dyet, exercise, and good order of life, they cō∣tinued in health, and prolonged their life at ease. Therefore Phocilides vsed to say, that the liuely vertue and power of the body must be exercised whilest wee bee able. But Plato sayth, that Aesculapius and others were of this opinion, that he which would not liue in the appointed and accustomed rule and order of life, but by incontinencie of liuing, did fall into deseases, was not profitable for himselfe nor for others, and that the Arte of Physicke had nothing to doe with such, nor serued for them: and that such ought not to bee cured, though they were richer then Midas. And that it was against reason to thinke that men should neede Physicke for Rewmes, Distil∣lations, and for the griefes of the swellings of the inwarde spirites, which come through

delicacy of liuing and slouth, and lacke of good order in liuing, and therefore proueth that those deseases were not knowne to Ma∣haon and Podalirius, at the siege of Troye. Asclepyades also the Physition sayd, that health consisteth in abstinence of meate and drinke, and in ryding, walking, and running. Then resteth to consider what maner medi∣cines they vsed in Surgery. I doe reade in Plato in the 31. Booke and 3. Dialogue de iusto, that when Pandarus had woūded Me∣nalaus at the siege of Troye, after Mahon and Podalirius had dried vp the blood of his woundes with their handes, they did anoynt the woūd with mitigating Balmes or Oynt∣ments, and prescribed him a certayne order and forme of dyet in his meate and drinke. Wherby it appeareth, that the maner of their Surgery, was like vnto that of the Chymi∣call Surgions, whose maner is with Oyles and Balmes to pacifie nature, and to keepe the wounde defended from accidents, and to leaue the cure to nature which is able then to be his owne Surgion. And more playnly to proue their doctrine, one Petrus Hasardus is sufficient witnesse, who in his French E∣pistle before the great Surgery of Paracel∣sus, writeth that as he trauailed through the

Countrey of Lyuonia, he ariued in a certaine Monastery there, where he taried two daies in perusing the Lybrarie, and there he found two peeces of the workes of the same Maha∣con and Podalirius, which intreated fully that Chymical forme and maner of doctrine. About the tyme of Apollo, that is the yeare of the world 2697. liued Orpheus the Thra∣cyan, and was the first that is remembred to haue written of Hearbes (as some say) exact∣ly, and he founde out remedies for many de∣seases. After hym followed one Musaeus, his Scholler. After them liued Hesiodus in the yere of the world 3111. After him liued Pro∣nopis the Master of Homer, which likewise had knowledge of Hearbes in the yere of the worlde •258. Thales Milesius liued in the yeare of the worlde 3379. and before Christ 584. He trauayled into Aegipt, and brought into Greece greate knowledge in the Ma∣thematicalls. Ameristus or Mamercus suc∣ceeded him. Before this tyme was one Sisi∣phus, otherwise called Theosophos, a fa∣mous Physition.

Chapter 12. Of Pythagoras and his knowledge in this Arte, and that he taught in Italy, and of his Schollers and folowers: And of the medicin of Empedocles. And of 70 Boo∣kes that Esdras was commaunded to keepe.

ABout the yeere of the worlde 3434. liued Pythagoras, a Grecian famous for his wise∣dome and diuine knowledge, and for his learning in the Me∣taphisickes and Mathematicals, he labor•• much in Arithmetick, he brought Geometrie to perfection as Laertius writeth. He lest di∣uers rules of Astrologicall proguoslic•tion, and of this arte some what, he found out Mu∣sicke in the starres, and deriued the same to mittigate the affections of the mynde: he did write of the effect of herbes. He trauayled in∣to Persia, Arabia, Aethiopia and Aegypt for learning and knowledge: he was conuersant with the Priestes of the Jewes, after he had once professed their Religion. After his re∣turne

hee taught in Italy. Hee was a great Cabalist. Some say that one Phericides was his teacher, which did first write de Natura. After Pythagoras in this learning & know∣ledge succeeded as his scholers and folowers Telanges his sonne, after hym Xenophanes, Archilas, Philolaus, Lisias, Parmenides, Leno, Eleates, Anaxagoras, Leucippus, Democritus, Nausiphales, Naucides, Epi∣charmus, Alchmeon, Epimenides. For Ae∣liames lib. 9. writeth that all the Pithagore∣ans were studious in Phisicke, and many auncient kings and others before the time of Pythagoras were studious in phisicke which I doe omit, putting you first in remembrance of Empedocles a singuler Philosopher and notable Phisition, about the yere of the world 3308. Suidas writeth of a medicin that hee vsed to minister, called Apnus, which was of that nature, yt it would preserue a mans body 30. dayes without meat, that was speachlesse and ready to giue vp the Ghost, for so doeth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifie. I thinke the Phisi∣tions the folowers of the Ethnickes wil con∣fesse that it is no part of their profession to make such a Medicine, and that their grosse medicins can haue no such vertue, because the knowledge of such medicins doth depend vp∣on

Metaphisicke and supernaturall princi∣ples, which Empedocles, Pithagoras, De∣mocritus, Plato, and diuers others doe main∣taine in naturall things, contrarie to the grosse Phisicke. About the yere of the worlde 3503 liued Esdras, to whome the most high gaue vnderstanding and commaundement to write, and to whom the most high spake thus. The first bookes that thou hast written pub∣lish openly, that the worthy and vnworthy may reade. But the last seuentie bookes kepe, that thou mayst giue them to the wise among the people. For in them is the veine of vnder∣standing, and the Fountaine of wisdome, and the riuer of knowledge, in which 70. bookes as some thincke, be contayned the vnderstan∣ding of this arte, out of the which the worthy from time to time haue receaued the vayue of vnderstanding of this Arte.

Chapter 17. That Phisicke which Hypocrates left in writing was not descended from Aescu∣lapius.

NOwe are wee come to the time of of Hipocrates of Cous in Greece which liued at the tyme of the wars of Peloponensus which be∣gan

about the yere of ye world 3536. Gesne∣rus and Andreas Lacuna for credit of their Phisicke, say that he was descended from Aes∣culapius, and that Apollo taught Aescula∣pius Phisicke, which likewise did teach his sonnes which were called Asclepiades after their father Aesculapius, and so Phisicke by inheritance successiuely did descende from the Parents to the Children vnto Hypocra∣tes. And that it was not lawfull for them to communicate the same to any man that was not borne of that family or kinred, therefore they that were cunning in that arte, were cal∣led the sonnes of Phisitions. And though his ancestors & kinred before him did deteine their arte in their families, & did not cōmunicate ye same to others, yet he reduced it into method, and did commit it to writing, that it might be common to all men. And therefore he is sayde to be author of method and princeps natura∣lis medicine, and the first that did write of Phisicke.

That Hypocrates was descended from Aesculapius, I will not contend, because it should seeme by auncient writers to be so, or els for reputations sake they did terme him of that progenie. But that the Phisick which Hypocrates did leaue in writing, was in all

poynts the selfe same which Aesculapius did learne of Apollo his father, and which he did teache to Machon and Podalirius, and was deliuered successiuely by tradition downe the right lyne from them, to Hypocrates by the space of 800 yeres (for so long time was be∣tweene Aesculapius and Hypocrates) is hard to be proued, because tradition of doctrine without writing, not cos•sting vpon naturall practise, nor continuing in one place certeine, but at large, is no faithfull preseruer of the trueth therof, so many yeres, neither is it like that the issue of Aesculapius line could bee knowen, and did not fayle in 800 yeres, nor cease nor degenerate from the steps and stu∣dious loue of that arte of their Auncestors, neither is it lyke that Hypocrates woulde haue broken his oth if it were true that goeth vnder the name of iusiurandum medicorum Asclepiadarū, or Hipocraticū iusiurandū, and would make that common which shoulde haue bene kept so secret. But if the Phisicke of Apollo & Aesculapius was any other then exercise of Surgery, (as is aforesayd) then no doubt was their medicins simple, pure, and like to the Aethereall fire, and therefore altogether vnlike vnto grosse medicins that be nowe stoutly defended, (as is before de∣clared)

And that it may appeare, that the phi∣sick which Hypocrates had learned, was not so precious, nor kept so secret in one kinred, line and family, as we are borne in hand, thou must vnderstand gentle Reader, that Plinie in his 29 booke, cap. 1. and Strabo in his 8. booke doe write, that from the time of Aescu∣lapius, Phisicke laye hidden and couered in most thicke darkenesse, vntill the time of Hy∣pocrates, which did bryng it to light by this meanes. For whereas it was the maner and fashion of those that were cured and deliuered from any sicknesse, to write in the Temple of Aesculapius which was in Cous, the maner & forme of their remedie, and cure thereof, to the ende, that the like diseases might be by them cured, Hypocrates did write out these Medicins, and out of them began Phisicke. Here thou seest, gentle Reader, that the Phi∣sicke of Aesculapius was not knowē at Cous, at the tyme of Hypocrates, but he out of the experiments of olde wiues, men and women of the Countrey and Citie, which were not kept secret, but by custome and vsage were written and fastened to the wall of Aescula∣pius, his Temple openly to be seene, he deri∣ued his Phisicke: He wrote out those experi∣enses of men and women of all sortes, he

brought them into order. Out of the which afterward he drewe Aphorismes and briefe Rules of Phisicke. Besides this, it hath bene sayd of some, that Hypocrates for enuie that he bare to Aesculapius, did set a fire his tem∣ple, and so consumed the writings of the aun∣cient Phisitians. And besides them that bee folowers with them, it appeareth by Sudas and other writers, that before Hypocrates, diuers did write of Phisicke, though we haue not their works extant among vs, as Demo∣critus the Sonne of Caliphon, which was Aesculapius his Priest. Nichomachus the Sonne of Machaon, did write sixe bookes of phisicke and one of Philosophie. Also Hypo∣crates the first of the seauen, which Suidas speaketh of, did write of Phisike, Orpheus al∣so did write of hearbes, and so did Pithagoras and diuers others, whereby it appeareth, that Phisicke was not kept so secret in one fame∣ly, but it was at libertie for euery man to see their writings. But this is true, yt they which did write of ye right, true aunciēt phisick Chi∣mical, did write darkly and in figuratiue kind of speaches, to the entent they would only be vnderstoode of the children of their Science. And therefore they did write filiis scientie. So they which were cunning in that Arte,

might well be called the Sonnes of Phisiti∣ons, as is before declared. But to what pur∣pose should any man write darkely of that Phisicke, which is so grosse? whose medicins be so common to olde wiues, and men and women of all sorts. And why should any man be called the Sonne of a Phisition, for such Medicins, rather then the man or woman of the Countrey, which had done the like good with such a medicine as the professor of Phi∣sicke did.

Chapter. 10. That Democritus Abderites a Thacian did write of this arte, whose bookes are yet extant, and of his teachers, Scholers and followers, and of some of their workes yet extant.

DEmocritus Abderites of Thra∣cia, was in the tyme of this Hy∣pocrates: He was olde whē Hy∣pocrates was young, Anaxago∣ras and Lacippus were his teachers. Also he trauayled into Caldea, Aegipt, and Persia, for to learne their knowing and knowledge. He had a notable Scholler called Metrodo∣rus,

whose Scholler was Anaxarchus: He did write two Bookes, one called Magnus diacosmus, that is to say, of the gouernment and distinction of the nature of thinges: and one other de natura mundi. He was skilfull in all kinde of Phylosophie naturall, morall Mathematikes, Metaphysicks, and Logick. He also did write one excellent worke, intitu∣led, Democritus de Arte Chimica, vel de Arte sacra, siue de rebus naturalibus & misticis, intreating of this Art, in effect like vnto that of Hermes Trismegestus afore∣sayd, which is yet extant among vs. Sinesius Pelagius, Stephanus, Alexandrinus, and Olympiodorus, fower famous Chymistes and Philosophers, did write Commentaries and Expositions vpon that worke of his. Af∣ter him of this Arte did write Blemida Zo∣simus, and Archelaus.

Chapter 15. That in Plato his time, the Priestes of Ac∣gypt were very skilfull in this arte. And that Plato did finde that fault with the Phisitions of Greece, in his time, as the Chimicall Phisitions doe now with the Ethnicke Phisitions and their follow∣ers. And howe Aristotle and Plato doe differ in the naturall causes of Effects.

AFter these about the yere of the worlde 3586. followed Plato in the Mathematicalls, Phylo∣sophie, wisedome, knowledge, vertue, and Eloquence, farre exceding al others in his time: He was borne at Athens, he did not onely heare the famous Phylosophers & Geometricians in Greece, but also wēt into Italy, Affrike and Aegipt, to learne the misticall Sciences. Strabo writeth that the Priestes of Aegipt, were so much esteemed and reuerenced in the olde time, for their wisedome and knowledge, that the most famous, and best Phylosophers of Greece, did trauayle to them for learninges sake. They excelled in secrete Seyences,

which they called Cabalisticae, and did com∣municate the same to others, that were desi∣rous to learne. All the Priests of the Aegip∣tians, were Physitions, as Homer and Plato doe testifie. Plato himself when he trauayled to them, with his companion Euripides, was taken with sicknesse, and was cured by those Priests. The opinion of Plato was this, that the Phi•tions of Greece, had no knowledge nor vnderstanding of many deseases in mans body, because they were altogether and who∣ly ignorant in that which they ought cheefly to cure: the which if it be not well at ease, it is not possible for any parte of the body to be in health. For all thinges either good or bad, be deriued and doe flowe from Anima, (before declared) into the body and to euery parte of man, as they doe from the head into the eyes. And as a man cannot cure the eyes, without that he first doe cure the head, nor the head be∣fore the body bee cured, euen so the body can not be cured without you begin with Anima. For Anima corpus curat, is his doctrine in diuers places. This he learned out of Greece by his trauayle. The lacke of knowledge hereof, was in his tyme the cause of error of the Physitions of Greece, and so hath he∣therto continued. This is the doctrine of the

Chymicall Physitions, which the followers of the Greekes and Ethnickes, haue no skill of, and therefore so much impugne it.

Aristotle was in the tyme of Plato, and was his vngrate and vnkind scholer. Wher∣fore Plato vsed to call him a Moyle, whose propertie is whē he hath filled his belly with his dams milke, then to kicke at her with his heeles. He did not onely kicke at Plato, but he omitted no man whom he did not taunt, reproue, or find fault with: thinking to gaine and deriue to him selfe so much glory, as he had taken from others, although hee were more high and more excellent thē others, and could see farther then any man els. Aristotle contrary to his Master Plato, referreth na∣turall causes of effects, onely to certayne E∣limentall qualities, and so vaynly he doth at∣tribute the power of life to dead thinges, and resteth in such a beginning and ending, in which ascending, by the doubtfull care of na∣turall thinges being remoued from diuine, mans mynde is turned from them, which is the right way to Atheisme. But Plato vseth his naturall knowledge in descent and not in ascent: for he doth demonstrate and shewe the naturall beginnings in descent by the diuine causes of naturall thinges.

Chapter 16. Of diuers Poetical Fables shadowing and hyding the secretes of this Arte.

DIuers Poets before the tyme of Plato, and also after his time did wrapp and hide this Arte in Ridles, darke speeches and fa∣bles. As by the fable of the gol∣den Fleece brought from Colchos by Ar∣gonautae, the companions of Iason, in the yeare of the worlde 2694. by their perrilous nauigation, by the place where it was kept, which was the fielde called Martius, or dedi∣cated to Mars, by ye plowing of it with Oxen, that breathed & blowed out fire at their nose∣thrills, by the ground which should be sowne with the teeth of the Dragon that watched and kept the golden Fleece, by the bringing the Dragon a sleepe, and obtayning the gol∣den Fleece, they signified the practise of this Arte, daungers and perrills in this worke, the purging and preparing of the matters and substaunce of the medicine, in the furna∣ces that breath out fire at the venteholes con∣tinually in equall quantitie: the Quicksiluer

and Mercury sublimed, which should bee so∣wen in Mars his fielde like seede, which by often sublimation, doth so rise out of the mat∣ter cōtained in the Alembeck, into the helme or head, and in it maketh diuers formes, figu∣res and fashions, as if men were fighting, and one killing an other. By these finally they signifie the medicine obteyned by labor, wherwith Medea restored Aeason the father of Iason to his youth agayne. The Poeticall Fables and darke tales of the Stones which Pyrra & Dewcalion did cast from thē, which were conuerted into women and men. The Fable of Gorgon, which turned all thinges that he did see into stones. The Fable of Ga∣nimedes whom Iupiter did turne into an E∣gle and caried hym vp to heauen. The Fable of Dedalus, and his sonne Icarus, inclosed in Laberinth, and the winges which were made for them of feathers fastened together with waxe to flye out of the Laberinth. The gol∣den Bow which Virgil doth speake of, which being cut of, an other like to it did immediat∣ly rise in his place. The Fable also that Iu∣piter being angry with his father Saturne, did cut of his prime members with a sharpe Cycle, of the blood of which when it was fal∣len into the Sea, Venus was begotten. The

Fable that Iupiter did shake his head, wher∣by Minerua lept out of his brayne. The tale how Minerua escaped from Vulcan, taken with the loue of Minerua, when he followed her hastely. The tale how Io (whom Iupiter loued) was compassed with a grosse and dark Cloud, whereby she was staied when she was running from Iupiter. The blacke sayles of Theseus, which his father did see, for sorrowe whereof he drowned himself in the Sea. The Serpent also that was ingendred after the great Flood, whom Apollo did kill with an Arrowe. The Fable of the Gardens of He∣sperides, out of the which Hercules tooke the golden Apples, which were kept by a Dra∣gon. And the Fable of Cadmus the sonne of Agenor, which killed the Dragon that de∣uoured his companions, whose teeth he did pull out and sowed them, of which men did rise, which did immediatly kill ech other. And his building of Thebes in Boetia, after the maner of Thebes in Aegipt where he was borne (as some say) with money which he got by this Arte: whereby it is signified that this Arte did still florishe in Aegipt. All these and such other Poeticall Fables, darke speeches and coloured tales, doe secretly hide and co∣uer this whole Arte, taught by the Poets in

Method and wrapped in Ridles: namely af∣ter Plato by the Poets Ouid and Virgill, which liued in the yeare of the world 3959. and fower yeares before Christ was borne, which did chiefly excell in this Arte, and did hide the same in secrete speeches and darke tales.

Chapter 17. Of certeine Phisitions that vsed Chymical Medicins: aud of the three sects of phi∣tions that were betweene the time of Hypocrates & Gallen. And that the Chi∣mical Phisitions ought rather to be cal∣led Rationales, then the Galenists. And that Galen folowing Hypocrates 600. yeres did comment vpon him against his meaning and words. And how Hy∣pocrates agreeth with the Chymicall Phisitions.

AEchines of Athens did vse to helpe & cure the disease called ye Qwins∣cie, the kernels growe in ye mouth, and the inflammation that com∣meth by the same, and the Canker in the

mouth, with the Ashes of a brunt man. This medicin he called Botrion, as Plini writeth, lib. 28. ca. 4. Artemon also did helpe the fal∣ling sicknesse with the Ashes of the Skull or brayne panne of one that was killed, and bur∣ned in the fire, by giuing the same to the pa∣cient in water, in the night time as Plinie writeth, lib. 28. cap. 1. Aeschrion did helpe them that were bitten with a madde dogge, with the Ashes of S•acrab•. These and such other experiments depending vpon the foun∣dation and principles of this Chimicall Phi∣sicke, doe prooue that the same hath had his continuance, vntill Christes tyme and after. For this Aeschrion was Empericus and Gallens master, who liued in the yeere of the world, 4139. which was after the incarnati∣on of Christ 178. yeres, and after the time of Hypocrates about 600. ye•res. In which space of tyme betweene Hypocrates and Gallen, our newe Phisi•ions say were three kinds & sects of Phisitions, yt is, Rationales the Prince and chiefe whereof they woulde haue Hypocrates to be. The second sort bee the sect of Emperici. The differēce betweene these two sects they say is this, that Rationa∣les doe vse both reason and experience, to s•nd remedy for diseases agreeable to them, but

the other are onely contented with the vse of those things, which by often obseruation, they haue found to doe good. Although any man would enterprise first to make medicin, vnlesse hee were before thereunto mooued by some reason, that the experiment thereof would take successe. The third sort were Me∣thodici, which as the new Phisitions say, doe refuse to search out the secret causes, nor yet doe allowe of particular experiments which Emperici doe cleane vnto. But they reduce all particalar affects, vnto two generall, that is to say, to Astructum and Laxum: and they doe affirme that all maner cure doth consist in binding the loose, & in loosing that is bounde. Yet these ought not to be condemned to haue tought this without some reason, ioyned with some experience, before they established their doctrine. Therefore the Galenists doe very presumptuously chalenge to them selues on∣ly the name of Rationales, whose foundation doth depend vpon a false Center of dualitie and contrarietie, contrary to the true Center of vnitie, and vppon the false and vncerteine iudgement by the superficiall and outwarde taste and smell of things, whereby they take vppon them to iudge of the nature of them, leauing the inward and hidden nature of the

thing vnsearched, and not reached vnto, they search, consideratiō, and knowledge wherof, doeth onely make a reasonable Phisition, wherof they are vnterly ignorant as is afore∣sayd. Therefore the Chimicall Phisitions to whome this search and knowledge doth ap∣perteine, ought rather to be called Rationa∣les medici, then their aduersaries: and their phisicke ought to bee accounted vayne, false, and vncerteyne, and not this Gallen follow∣ing Hypocrates 600 yeares as is aforesaide, tooke vpon him to Comment vpon Hypo∣crates, and contrary to his masters doctrine, set downe in his booke, de antiqua medici∣na, he attributeth ye causes of diseases & their cures, to bare dead qualities of heat could, &c which be caused and not causes. And so our later Phisitions, following their Prince and Captaine Gallen that heathen and professed enemy of Christ, in steade of Phisitions and healers or curers of sicknesses and griefes, are become warmers, or coolers and bathers, whereas Hypocrates teacheth plainly and expressely that diseases are not caused nor cured by the bare dead qualities of heate and cold, &c. but by such things yt haue power to worke, which he calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Wherein he agreeth with the auncient and true phisick

of the Chimists, which teacheth that disea∣ses are caused, and all naturall actions are performed by liuely and spirituall vapors and Essenties, which they call by the name of starres & diuers other names. And that they are to bee cured by such as they are them∣selues, in finesse, power and strength, accor∣ding to this Chimicall rule. Necesse est vt astra fiant medicamenta, & astris ipsis, que morbos creant accommodentur.

Chapter. 18. Of the continuance of this arte in Aegypt vntill the time of Dyoclesian the Empe∣rour, and a notable monument thereof in Italy: and the spreading of this art into other Countreys: and of diuers writers of this arte betweene Galens time and Paracelsus.

AS you haue heard of the conti∣nuaunce of this Arte in Aegipt vntill Plato his tyme, and from thence how it hath bene deriued into Greece and into other pla∣ces: so also you shall vnderstande, that it flori∣shed

mightely in Aegipt, in the tyme of Dio∣clesian the Emperour of Rome, which liued in the yeare of the worlde 4252. and after the Natiuitie of Christ 292. as Swydas & others doe write. And as this Arte was brought into Italy by Pythagoras, and there continued by his Schollers and followers, so no doubt as the Romaines did get and gather the vse of the best lawes of those Countries which they conquered, so did they also the best Artes Sciences, learning & knowledge out of all partes of the worlde, which they subdued to their dominion: as appeareth by the skil that Ouid and Virgill had in this Art, and diuers others after them. And also by that most aun∣cient Monument and wonderfull proofe of this Arte of Chymia, that was found at Pad∣way or Pauie in Italy, that is in an earthen pot, wherein were these verses written.

Plutoni sacrum munus ne attingite fures,
Ignotum est vobis hoc quod in vrna latet,
Nam{que} elementa graui clausit digesta labore
Vase in hoc modico Maximus Olibius:
Adsit foecundo custos sibi copia cornu,
Ne pretium tanti depereat laticis.
An other litle pot of earth was within this,

mulierū, and Ludus puerorum, Rosarius▪ and diuers workes intituled, de Alchymia, and de magni lapidis compositione. The names of their Authors bee vnknowne, and many others aswell in Print as in written hande.

Chapter 19. That Theophrastus Paracelsus, was not the inuentor of this Arte, but the restorer thereof to his puritie: and that he hath giuen more light thereunto then any other before him: and the testimonies of great cures that he did by this Arte: and of diuers writers and learned Phy∣sitions, which since his time haue writ∣ten of this Arte.

AFter all these followed that fa∣mous and worthie Phylosophi∣call Chymist Theophrastus Pa∣racelsus, whose paynes were in∣tollerable in searching out the secrets of Na∣ture, and in setting forth and amplifying this Arte, and in practise wonderfull.

He was not the author and inuentour of this

arte as the followers of the Ethnickes phi∣sicke doe imagine, as by the former writers may appeare, no more then Wicklife, Lu∣ther, Oecolāpadius, Swinglius, Caluin, &c. were the Author and inuentors of the Gospell and religion in Christes Church, when they restored it to his puritie, according to Gods word, and disclosed, opened and expelled the Clowdes of the Romish religion, which long time had shadowed and darkened the trueth of the worde of God. And no more then Ni∣cholaus Copernicus, which liued at the time of this Paracelsus, and restored to vs the place of the starres according to the trueth, as experience & true obseruatiō doth teach is to be called the author and inuentor of the moti∣ons of the starres, which long before were taught by Ptolomeus Rules Astronomicall, and Tables for Motions and Places of the starres and by others, whose Tables of moti∣ons of the starres by long excesse of time grewe to be vnperfect (which imperfections by Copernicus his obseruations were disclo∣sed, opened and brought to the former puritie, nor yet is the lawe of nature in the starry mo∣tions, now though newly and lately we haue the old tables reformed, and trueth liuely re∣stored. Neyther was any Countrey or people

at any tyme tyed and fast bound to one kinde of Salue, Oyutment or Medicin, but it was lawfull and needefull for men to search and find out, and to adde better to that was in vse, and to altar the same, though it were vnlike and contrarie to that was before vsed. So that latter ages haue alwayes added some∣what to the former and newe diseases require newe Medicins. And so much the rather, for that by the Ethnickes phisicke, old and com∣mon diseases haue not their certeine reme∣dies, as the Goute, the Leprosie, the Dropsie, the falling sicknesse, nay now and then the Quarteyne and blacke Jaundies, yea, what adoe sometime doth the seely toatheach make among them to cure it, nay what disputati∣ons and mutes are to be maintained about the cause of it by their doctrine. Therefore true searche and true proofe by him made and reuiued, and true principles by him resto∣red, are and ought most ioyfully of others to be embraced & folowed. But after the trueth is found and established, then to seeke or goe about to alter, that is to seeke after lacsings.

His most enemies can not denie, but in Surgery and also in Phisicke he did great cures: and had great skill in preparation of Medecins. Erastus his greatest enemy, in the

Preface of his first volume to ye Reader, hath these words. Studiū & diligentiā, quam in preparatione medicamentorum certorū adhibuit, nequaquam reprehendimus, sed vehementer commendamus. Againe hee sayth. Laude eum sua frustratum non veli∣mus, dum artem preparandi & destillandi, quasi reuocare ad vsum conatus fuit. Such like commendatios I finde in him, and in o∣ther of his enemies, though in trueth this is no cōmendatiō of Paracelsus, in Erastus his mouth which can no skill of preparations of Medicins, according to this Chymicall arte. But in this that his most enemy is compelled to confesse the trueth of preparation of his Medicins, by reason of the successe that fol∣lowed in the ministring of them to his Pati∣ents. This Epitaphe grauen in a Marble stone, reared against the outside of the Church wal of S. Sebastian at Salsburge, at the fote of a payre of Staires, going downe vnto the Churchyard, there yet to be seene, doth shewe and prooue what opinion they had of hym which knew him, concerning his knowledge in Phisicke, which is as foloweth.

Conditur hic Philippus Theophrastus in∣signis medicine doctor, qui dira illa

vulnera, Lepram, Podagram, Hidropi∣sin, aliaque insanabilia corporis con∣tagia mirifica arte sustulit, ac bona sua in pauperes distribuenda collocanda∣que ordinauit. Anno Domini 1541. die Septembris 24. Vitam cum morte mutauit.

Pax viuis requies aeterna sepultis.

He in his life time was had in such reue∣rence, (as it is written of him) that some cal∣led him Rabbi Moyses: Some called him Hypocrates: some Esculapius: some Mo∣narcham perpetuum. Othersome called his doctrine a natural Gospell, the storehouse of trueth. Othersome did not stick to affirme that the world had not his like. It is credibly wri•ten of him yt he healed twelue Leapors at Norymberge opēly brought to him. Cyria∣cus Iacobus Typograph{us}, in an Epistle de∣dicatory to the mightie Prince Otto, Coūti∣palatine of Rhene, and Duke of Bayerland, writeth this, if his Latm be Englished: They which haue the thinges yet in freshe remem∣braunce, doe reporte that not long agoe there was one Theophrastus of Transsiluania, who hauing knowledge in the secrete miste∣ries

of this arte, founde out a matter (which without doubt the old and auncient Phyloso∣phers, the serchers out of nature, hidyng by darcke parrables, and couert speches: woulde signifie and giue the world warning of) and in appliyng & ministering the same to mans bo¦dy he hath performed wouderful, & almost di∣viue thyngs: for he d•ubted not by the means of yt thing, to cure those three most greuious dezeses (that is to say) the Goute, Leprosie, & fallyng sicknesse, besides all other dezeses, wherein he did wonderfull cures. There bee a great number of learned Philosophers and Phisitions, as well such as weare Galenists, as others, which at this daie doe embrace, fol∣low, and practise, the doctrine, methods and wayes of curyng of this Chimicall Phisicke. As D. Petrus Seuerinus in Denmarcke Philosopher, and Phisition to the Kyng of Denmorke now raigning. An other is D. Albertus Wimpineus a Phisition also and Philosopher, whose patron is that noble Prince Alberte Paltzegraue of Rhene, Duke of high and lowe Bauaria. Hee in his Epistle dedicatorie before Archidopa of Paracelsus by him published in douche, doeth reprehend the folowers of the Ethnicks, whō hee calleth wenyng great Docters, because

they giue so muche praise to Aristotle Hipo∣crates Galen, &c. for ther labour and trauai∣les, onely to Theophrasus Paracelsus, they are not onely vuthankesull, but withall they speke ill of him, and reuile him, although he hath exercised him self more then any of the Philosophers or Phisitions in the hid secrets of Nature, serched them out, knowne them & published them for the preseruation and fur∣dering of the long life of man, which their do∣yng he iudgeth rather worthie to be accomp∣ted wilfull blindnesse, then iudgement agre∣able to knowledge and manhode. And he gi∣ueth this farder reason of their doyngs: For they perceiue (saith he) when soeuer this Tris∣megestus Phisicke shall winne credit and furderauce, that their authoritie shal fall to the ground: For thei are ashamed after their doc∣tershipp, and long exercised weening practise to learne any more of Paracelsus and his fo∣lowers, not withstandyng in greuious decea∣ses, they haue no knowledge, either to coun∣cell or to helpe: Against all whiche dezeases Theophrastus hath left to his folowers, true and approued remedies. After his Epistle he hath placed Paracelsus his picture, and his owne by it, hauyng Sentensis in lattin ad∣ioyned. In the right hande of his picture he

holdeth a Serpente by the brest the rest of his bodie writhing about his armes and handes: Ouer the picture, is the lattin of this englishe placed. Questions framed vppon thy princi∣ples (speakyng as it were to Paracelsus) ta∣ken out of the pith of nature, wee will in the light of Nature (beyng from God illumina∣ted) resolue expound and wee will establishe the verities. Under this picture is this sen∣tence. Sophisters alwaies writhing, trim∣bling and shouing to heare the voyces of them whiche wisely charme them, neither are wee afraied of, nor make any accompt of you, nor yet with their vnlearned rayling, are we any thing moued, standyng on the rocke of verity: others there be many like wherof I wil name some as Adam Bodesten, Gerardus Doru, Michaell Toxites, Iohannes Huerius, Leo∣nardus Turneihisserus, Iosephus Querce∣tanus, Iohannes Chrisippus, Michael Ne∣anger, Theodorus Suingerus, Theodorus Brickmanus, D. Rochefort and Lieband, Iohannes Gwinterus Andernacus: And a number of others fauourers and folowers of this Arte, aswell of them that haue written thereof as haue not written sence the tyme of Paraselsus.

Chapter 20. The true meaning of Paracelsus in dedi∣cating his booke entituled Philosophia magna to the Athenians, wherewith Erastus one of his aduersaries is so gre∣ued.

BEcause ye folowers of the heath∣nishe Phisitions doe seeke to de•ace this auncient t• Chimi∣call Phisicke, by slaunderyng Paracelsus (to whom the igno∣rant doe attribute the first invention thereof) obiecting against him, aswell heresie coniura∣tions, lacke of learnyng, as also hurt and dan∣ger of mynerall medicines and obscuritie in writyng, I will breefly explicate some obiec∣tions that be made against him, such as maie giue some lyght to the better vnderstandyng of him: And also sett downe some causes why he is not vnderstoode, by reasen whereof his aduersaries run at large, when vpon matters not by hym thought nor ment, they persecute onely his shadowe and not him. One greate fault is found with him for that he dedicated his booke intituled Philosophia magna vnto

the Athenians, whichr Erastus sayeth bee barberusse Tnrckes and Mahumetans. His meaning herein was that all Arts and Philo∣sophie ought of necessetie to haue their foun∣dation in light of the holy Scriptures as ex∣presly in the 119. leafe of that book and in the 38. leafe and in the 45. leafe, and in the 48. & 84, leafe of the same booke, he plainly teach∣eth and expresseth. And to be short in his book de Vermibus cap 5. he hath these words: In diuinitie especially in the books of Salamon, Prophets, and in the new testament al Artes both naturall and supernaturall be conteined, out of them we may learne them. For in them is hidden the high treasure of the whole world though it be hidden from the simple men: And because the originall & cause of all creatures doeth prosede onely from God, therefore God onely is to be sought for, in him onely Arte doeth consist, he onely is to bee considered, of hym and his worde all Arte is to be learned. Wherefore Paracelsus considering that the blindnesse among vs Christians, in the true foundation of Philosophie (whiche seeke it of the Heathen whiche bee onely gessers at the trueth beeyng not taught by Gods worde) is as great, as the ignoraunce of the Athenians was in the tyme of Sainct Paule, in the true

worshipping of God, therefore be calleth vs Athenians: And therefore he layeth the foun∣dation of Philosophie in the light of the holy Scripture. The effect of that doctrine which Saincte Paule did preache to the Athenians Acts 17. was that God made the worlde and all thinges therein &c. seeyng he giueth to all life and breath and all things: And hath made of one bloude all mankynd to dwell in all the face of the earth and hath assigned the tymes whiche weare ordained before, and the bands of their habitation, that they should seeke the Lord, if so be they myght haue groped after hym, and found him, though doubtlesse he bee not farre from euery one of vs: for in hym we liue, moue and haue our beeyng, as also cer∣taine of your owne Poets haue saide &c. how the doctrine of Paracelsus doeth agree with that of Saincte Paule, appereth by that folo∣weth: For in the same booke, the first wordes of the same treatise be these, All thinges are of God, therfore the power & vertue of herbes be of God. The bringing forth of the Herbes is natural, but the bringing forth of his vertue is not naturall: For as God is not naturall, neither be the vertues naturall. All power and vertue is increate, because God is without be∣ginnyng increate. For all vertues and power

weare in God of heauen and earth, when the spirite of God was carried vppon the waters, euen so likewise when the heauen and earthe shall perishe, all vertues shall returne to God againe, because they had no beginning, but the visible matter of ech thyng is increat for they were not in the begynnyng with God, for he created them of nothing, & endued them with life and vertue.

Sainct Augustine in his thirde booke De trinitate, hath the like doctrine, saiyng, virtus dei in terius operatur ista creanda, againt, he saieth, Deus interius creans & formaus. Also the first words of the prologe of the same booke, be these. There be two sortes of influ∣ences of thinges, one is of the creatures, as of Heauen. Spirites &c. the other procedeth & commeth to vs emediately from God, whiche is the true influence. The first is Nature it selfe, and whatsoeuer God hath put in it. Also in his booke de occulta Philosophia, he sai∣teh: The vertue & power of God is the cause and originall of all creatures, and gouerneth all things: therefore we ought not to atribute and / giue the power of God to cratures, as the heathen do and, their folowers. And in the said booke dedicated to the Athenians, fol. 13. he saieth the vertue and power of Stars, Herbes

&c. be of God, yea, the vertue & power is giuē only of God to al thinges, wherfore he calleth Annimam and the secretts of Nature which be in Misteriis, whereby a man is healed and suche like Magnalia dei, because thei procede onely from God. And the influen•is of God his giftes and vertues be in Arcanis, and the influence and seede together bring forthe all thinges by the grace of God. All vertues and power of thinges be of God onely, The work of starres is like to the worke of the fire which doeth seethe the fleshe in the pott, and giuethe no vertue to the fleshe, it doeth onely seeth and prepare that which is in it: euen as the Car∣penter which buildeth the house to be dwelt in, but he maketh not the dweler, he fashoneth on∣ly the forme, and the outwarde house with his signes, by the whiche eache thing maie bee knowne accordyng to his forme and fation. By these and such like testimonies whiche in many places, yea, euery where almost in his workes be found he sheweth that the Philoso∣phie which he teacheth is agreable to yt which S. Paule teacheth ye Athenians, yt God dwel∣leth not farre from euery one of vs: so saiethe the psalmist, thou arte nere vs O God, and al thy commandiments are trueth. The Pro∣phet likewise saienh, I am God nere at hand,

and not God a farre of, sateth the Lorde. Yet the great•elle of the d••me power is not streightened in spaces or limites, but is euery where, as the inuisible and incorporall soule is diffused and disper•ed into all the members & partes of the bodie, and is not absent from ā¦ny seuerall parte, although it haue one priuate and principal seate in the whole bodie, yet it is diffused and dispersed into the vaines, fingers and other partes: And if any member of the bodie be corrupte, and neede to be cut of, be∣cause that member beeng dead by defect, hath not his proper vse, that f••she which is rotten and▪ corrupte is cut of, without any detriment of the Soule, euen so the invisible, incorpe• all and immesurable God, we doe vnderstande to be in this corporall & cu••mscriptible world, and suf•erith no detriment, by the death or ra∣ther dissolution of any thyng therein: he pas∣se the through all thynges and ail thinges are full of him: Therefore both heauen earth shew forth his glorie: how is heauē yt scate of God, & the earth his footestole, as the Psalmist sai∣eth: But that bothe in heauen and in earth his vertue might & power replenisheth al things. So therfore is God the parent of al thyngs, repleneshing all the worlde, in the fulnesse of his vertue. This kynde of Philosophie certain

of the Poets before Sainct Paules tyme haue confessed, as Sainct Paule saiethe, for their great god Iupeter or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they cawhed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifiyng by this worde that we liue by hym, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is as muche to saie as to liue: Aratus also the Poet saied the waies, markets, gates and all thinges are Iouis Plena, so saide De∣mocritus omnia plena diis sunt, all thinges are full of gods. Therefore Christians ought not to attribute the vertues power and worke of God to Nature or other creatures, or to* 4.1 dead qualities, nor yet the office of life to dead thynges: For this cause Selsus the hereticke is worthely reprehended for attributyng the creation and generation of one thyng out of an other, as Bees out of ane Oxe, Waspes out of a Horse &c. to the temperature of quali∣ties of heat, cold, moisture, and drinesse &c. and not to the workes of God: For to giue life or to quicken belongeth to no creature, but onely to the Diuine nature, onely God quickeneth all thyngs, and the spirite of God giueth life to all thinges. For first there must be, quod est Viuere afterwarde Vita, because that Vi∣uere is the cause of life, and life is the effect of liuyng: for Viuere bringeth forth life by force of Nature there must be Actor, before ther be Actio, for Agens begetteth Actionem, wee

must therefore confesse that there is a certain might and power, wherby al thyngs doe liue,, and as it were with a liuyng spring, be wate∣red and erected into life, to the ende that they may liue: And because they doe liue they ob∣teined their beyng. God the Father whiche is principal Viuere, and Potentia viuendi, and tht Sonne whiche is Vita, is that might and yower and cause of all life, the fountaine and originall of liuing things, the which from him that is, Esse, doeth giue Esse and beyng to o∣ther thynges accordyng to the power of that whiche receiueth, and that moderateth the po∣wer of liuing and substance accordyngly. But this cause of life doeth neuer forsake life: for his inuisible thynges vz. his vertue, power, and prouidence, doeth gouerne things visible, liuyng and created, otherwise without that e∣ternall and inuisible vertue, nothing can abide nor continue stedfastly in his essence beyng & life: for whē that vertue of God is taken away that gouerneth and quickned the thyng visi∣ble, then it liueth nor moueth any longer, then hath it no beeyng longer, then is it subiect to corruption: therfore to giue life, to liue and to maintain life belōg to the diuine nature, so thē they be eternall. For this cause the nature of the Elementes, haue not of them selues: that

they cann avoyde corruption, neither doe they consist of themselues, but by the wordes and spirite of God: If to liue and to giue life and to maintaine life be immortall and eternall of their owne nature, then were thei not created neither can they suffer corruption: And if at their creation thynges be inspired with life (for life is the cause that thynges haue their beeyng) and creation he the worke and vertue of the highest nature, and of the onely God of all thynges: for immittit spiritum & crean∣tur then it seemeth to be cheifly against the di∣uine glorie, to say that God hath giuen to na∣ture or to any thing created and subiect to cor∣ruption the office of creatyng and giuing life and to bring forth things that were not: Like∣wise the secret operatiō and working of God giueth increase and norishment to all things, and the inner power of the creator, whiche fil∣leth both heauen & earth, giueth forme, figure and mouing to all things, yea, all those thnigs whiche we call natures of thyngs whiche doe worke in this sorte or that fashion, do not pro∣ced outwardly nor are the workyng of crea∣tures, but are the workes of the highe God whose seecrete power perseth all thynges and causeth to be what soeuer is by any meanes. For vnlesse he make it to be such, or in suche

sort, it should be nothyng: Therefore it is not lawfull to saie that those thinges that be pro∣per to the diuine and vnspeakable Nature, can naturally be in any thyng made by hym, or to attribute the power of God, to creatures, or dead accidents: vnlesse you will vnderstand, naturally to be the workyng of summa natu∣ra in his creatures, for this cause saieth Para∣celsus the vertues of thinges be not naturall: And not only in that we are begotten and liue but also in that wee moue, wee haue it of the might and power of God, so saieth the Psal∣mist thou hast put thy hand vppon me, that is thou gouernest, conteinest, makest, orderest, and bearest me. And if thynges liue not and haue not motum vitulem, or stuendi reflu∣endi naturam, they bee nothyng: And that which lacketh to be some what, doeth not hold and kepe his being so that truely it maie by no meanes be saied to haue being: for quies, brin∣geth forth nothing but motus, & agendio o∣peratio doth frame to it felf, that thing which is, or in what sort it is: And seing Vita is mo∣tus quidam, hereof commeth beyng, and that whiche is exstant, and the substance. Hereof it folowith that the liuely might ••• and power flowyng from the worde, which is life that is to say from the Sonne, doeth cause the mate∣riall

thynges to be seene, to haue their beyng, and guieth to this beyng, in eache thyng, that which belongeth and is proper to it. Further∣more all thynges that bee begotten or made, bee made or begotten ex motu, but motus ipse, quo motus, before it be moued, is quies for it is a rule that contrarius ortus contra∣riorum fit, ita vt contrario ortu contrari∣orum, vnde hoc ortum est pereat: as death folowith life, and of deathe, life riseth, and of esse commeth non esse, and of non esse riseth esse likewise of quies risethe motus, and of motus, quies. Uppon this reason semeth to bee grounded that opinion whiche some doe hold, that those things which seme here to dye. doe passe or goe, ad non eus: But the trueth is that the thynges whiche seeme to dye haue their beyng: For seeyng life is to haue beyng, whereof riseth death, death also hath his bee∣yng, if life risethe of death, likewise, if of that which is, is made that whiche is not, of neces∣sity that whiche is, must not bee, if that which is rise therof, in like maner if there be ceasing, or leauing of, or quiet, of necessatie ther must be ceasing of mouing, if mouing be engēdered This semeth to be a strong argument, tothē which haue not tasted true Philosophie: For hereby it semeth, yt by rising of the contraries,

the contrary doeth either dye or els is to bee thoughe not to haue beeyng: but in truthe it is not so, but cleare contrary: For they bothe doe abide, neither doe they dye concer∣nyng their eternall vertue: For in thinges vi∣zible and materiall, if there be any death, it is the death of the bodie. But yet to come nerer to the truth, neither is there death of ye bodies, in that they be materiall, but there is made a dissolution in that figure and forme whiche is now, by a certain departure: therfore only the fashion & forme of the body is dissolued. But those thyngs doe remaine & haue their beeyng whereof those thinges whiche shall liue, •e re∣paired renewed and rise. For seeyng the first and principall liuyug, by his omnipotencie is the cause that all thynges, that be or can be, haue their life beeyng and mouyng according to the capacitie of the thyngs ond substancies, as they bee parted and deuioed, for euery one hath his proper beeyng, his owne life▪ his pro∣per mouing from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: from Viuere & Vita, what can death preuaile against close vertues and powers which flowe and are de∣riued from that fountaine and line: Therefore seeyng they be eternall, whilest they •e in the matter or substance, if death doeth onely loose the composition of them, and separate them

asonder, nothyng dieth and perisheth vtterly. Wherefore it is well saied that of life com∣meth death, because there is a dissoluyng of that bodie from the power & abilitie of liuyng: And likewise there is a repairyng and a renu∣yng from death by those guides into an other composition and thynges that is newly raised and sprong: For God doeth create, when by his worde, he calleth things into beeyng. So the Father worketh euen vntill this tyme, as our sauiour saieth: But the gentle reader must* 4.2 knowe that I doe not here speake of man, that his soule after the dissolution of it from the bo∣die doeth passe in to another bodie: For his soule is created by God, therfore those thyngs can by no meanes be vnderstanded of it.

Chapter. 21, Haw materia prima and misceria magna was the beginnyng of all things according to Paracelsus his meanyng: and how al create were at one time in the increate.

ONe other great falt doeth Erastus finde with Paracelsus, for that he saiethe that

Prima materia and Misterium magnum was the beginnig of al thinges by separation. Aud this misterie he saieth to be increate here∣of doeth Erastus conclude, that accordyng to Paracelsus creation, is nothyng but seperati∣on. Though in this place and many other pla∣ces of the same booke ad Athenienses he doth intreate of the influencies which proceed from God (as in the first entery of the same booke he plainly confesseth) and of inwarde genera∣tions, & fruits, and of inward seperations (for deepe and secrete purpose) yet if Erastus had delte indifferently with hym, he myght easely perceiue his meanyng in other of his workes, and also in this, where he findeth this horible herecie, concernyng the creation of vizible bo∣dies to bee accordyng to Gods worde. For in his booke intituled Paramirum lil. 1. cap. 2. he confesseth accordyng to Gods holy worde that Prima materia mundi was Fiat: Aud in the same booke to the Athenians he saieth that Materia prima can net be perceined by senses: Also in that booke Lib. 1. cap. primo he plainely affirmeth that the vizible matter of ech thing was create, for thei were not with God at the beginning: For God created them of nothing, and inspired into them life and ver∣tue &c. So are we taught by Gods worde

that in the beginnyng after God had created the heauens and earth, the earth was rude, voide and emptie, that is to saie, it was imper∣fect and vnfruitfull, it brought for the no Her∣bes, Trees, nor Flowers, of diuers collours •or sweete smelles, nor yet any other thyng, whiche afterwarde did growe or spryng in it. The heauen also at the first lacked his orna∣ments, and so did the water. The earth con∣tinued baren vntill God by vertue of the word had commaunded it to be fruitfull, whereby it brought forth Herbes, Trees, and Plantes, which haue seeds eche of them in themselues accordyng to ther kynd. The firmament was emptie vntill suche tyme God the creator of al thynges had by his word made the Sunne, Moone, and Stars, and appointed them their office, duetie, and propertie. The water also was baren vntill the same worde had made it fruitfull, of liuyng creatures in their kindes and made likewise foules in their kyndes, and blessed them, and gaue them commaundemēt to increase and multiplie. Also God created and made catell, beasts and all creping things of the earthe accordyng to their kyndes, and likewise gaue them propertie to increase and multiplie. For as Sainct Augustine saieth, if wee consider the nature of thinges properly

without Allegerye, this worde increase and multiplie doethe belong to all thynges which doe grow and come of seeds. These leeds saith Paracelsus haue receiued by the diuine worde the power of multipliyng and transplant action their essence and properties. As Sainct Ba∣sill saieth, nothyng is in any herbe or plante, which is not planted by the commaundement of the Almightie. Of these Semina Essentiae of their naturs, vertues, & properties, & their seperations doth he here intreat. The vertues of thinges, saieth he, were in God, when the* 4.3 Spirite of God was caried vpon the waters. And they be of God and are not naturall but God sendeth forth his influences, euen as the sunne doeth his beames, whiche be deuided in to diuerse and wonderfull vertues. And God replenisheth all thyngs with his vertues: And God did inspire life and vertues into those thinges whiche he created of nothyng. By these places and others to the like effect, it ap∣peareth that he teacheth, that in the beginning the vertues of vizible thynges were vnited in their fountaine, neither were they seperated in diuersity and multitude of offices: but after that by the vertue of the spirite, whiche was caryed vpon the waters, they were commaū∣ded to doe their offices in the worldly mini∣stration,

they were seperated and deuided in offices, life, essenties, and beyngs: We neede not here to imagine that these did proceede of Chaos, but out of the treasures of the diuine wisedome: but euen as the inuizible vertue in a carnell hath a might, science, and power, a∣ble to worke and bryng forth diuerse and sun∣drie effectes, which in winter doe not appere but lye quiet, and in appointed and due tyme, bringeth forth the roote, bodie, pith, barke, and bowe, twige, leafe, fruite, and all these things, belongyng to the Tree, and deuideth and se∣perateth them in iust and true order, proporti∣on, forme, sigure, and qualitie,: So in the be∣ginnyng were all the vertues vnited in God, their fountaine, vntill such tyme as by the ver∣tue of the word, they were commaūded to doe their seuerall officies in the worldly ministe¦rie. And as a man holdyng his peace doeth se∣cretely reason with hymselfe, and doeth com∣prehende in his reason all those wordes which after he vttereth and speaketh perticulerly in diuers seueral sentences, words, and sillables, which wordes be receiued of diuers hearers: So in the begynnyng all the might, vertue, and power, of thyngs were in God, vntill the word proceeded from God, wherby they were distributed to ech as seemed best to the diuine

wisedome. But these vertues and power of God are not inuizible thynges, as the harte is in a beast, or as it is parte of a beast, but they be in thynges, as the beames of the Sunne be in those wherevppon it shineth, yet the sub∣stance of the Sunne is not in them, neither is God in part any where but in singulis totus and in onibus omnis. And as the soule di∣spersed through the whole bodie, is wholy in euery member, and yet doeth not giue to eche member his giftes, of his office worke and ministerie, but to the eye he giueth onely the office of leyng, and not to heere, to the eare he giueth heeryng and not to see, and to other members likewise: so god beeyng Diffusus in singulis, replenisheth all thynges essenci∣ally, both aboue and benethe, within and without, and round about, and doeth se∣perate & distribute, to euery thing, as it plea∣seth hym: As to a tree he giueth life to growe, & not to feele, to beasts he giueth feeling & not to discerne: to Aungels & to ye soule he giueth to deserne, & if God do withdraw any of these things frō any thing, immediately it shall be come vnprofitable in the vniuersall body, euen as ye member of the body wil be vnprofitable, & without vse, from which God hath withdra∣wen his gifte & vertue: Likewise God hath se∣perated

perated & parted the vertues of herbs & plants among them elues, gyuyng to some vertus stipticke, to others vertues lax••iue &c. And* 4.4 so i• Mineralle•, A••nailes and at thyngs vi∣zible, b• they deuided in ••ueralvertues one from an other: so saieth olde Father Origen God the parent of all things, for the health of al his creatures hath deuided and seperated to eche thing here, ineffabilem rationem of his word and wisedome: And the Psalmist saieth all his vertues be his ministers and workers doyng his will. Therefore saieth Sainct Au∣gustine, every creature doth feele God to be in it by somewhat. And because Paracelsus attributeth the beginning of thyngs, as• ell to Materia prima, which as is aforesaid, is fiat, which I iudge to be the diuine will, & the first councell of the spirituall motiō, as to Misteri∣um magnum, which he meaneth to be Christ accordyng to these old verses.

Adesto lumen rerum, pater omnipatens deus
Adesto lumen luminis, misterium et Virtus dei
Adesto sanct• spiritus, patris & filij copula
It is manifest by these words, he meaneth God the father, and the sonne whome he con∣fesseth to be the creator of all thynges visible, and from whom all Misteries did proceede. For it is not to be vnderstanded that God the

father, did create all thynges without the wis∣dome, word, and vertue, that is to saie, with∣out the onely begotten or God our Lorde Je∣sus Christ. For so God saied of the person, of the wisedome, vz I was with hym making all thinges, sei mone eius coeli confirmati sunt, & spiritu eius omnes vires eorum: For the workes of the sonne be the workes of the father: and the father worketh in the sonne for so he saieth, the father which is in me o••h his worke: and againe I doe the workes of the father: So the father worketh onely, wor∣kyng in hym and by hym whome he hath be∣gotten. In this sorte Christ that great miste∣ry was the beginnyng of all thynges. And be¦cause all those vertues wherewith God hath inspired, thyngs visible and materiall, do pro∣ceed and are deriued from that fountaine and line vz from the great Misterie, he calleth them likewise Misteria saiyng, that greate Misterie, hath giuen, seperated, and deuided, to all thynges their generall Misteries. And sometymes he calleth the seedes, the recepta∣cles of the vertues, by the name of Misteria like wise: But Erastus fasly & corruptly saieth, that he affirmeth that all thynges did proceed out of Misterium magnum, whereas his words be, that all misteries did proceede out

of Misterium magnum: And that great Mi∣stery doth giue to al things their general Mi∣steries &c. And that whiche is eternall, is the cause of all thyngs visible and materiall. God created visible thyngs, and inspired into them life and vertues: so all thynges be of God, as∣well thynges materiall and vizible, as also the vertues power and might of thynges, which he often calleth Misteria.

Fordermore, whereas Paracelsus saieth all thyngs created were together at one time in the increate, as butter and chese be in the milke and wormes in the chese, whiche after growe in it, and as the Image is in the wood before the Keruer hath made it. Erastus saieth that this must needes be the Chaos of Anax∣agoras. The true meanyng of Paracelsus herein is, that euery creature maie iustly bee saide to be in God, because without God there is nothyng: but yet they be not so in God, that they be of his substance, or parte of hym: For it followith not, that the thyng that is in an o∣ther, is that thyng in which it is: For wine is in the botle, yet the wine is not the botle: The sunn is in the glasse and the glasse in the soun,* 4.5 yet neither of them is that ye other is. Sainct Augustine teacheth by expresse wordes, that euery creature is in the creator, and God is in

euery creature: for saieth he euen as if a man were at Rome, if he doe thinke vppon the whole Cittie, and comprehended, and inclu∣ded all the Cittie, with all the people thereof in his mynd by immagination, it may very well be saide, that Rome is in his mynde, and his mind is in Rome: so is it truely affirmed, that God is in euery creature, and euery crea∣ture is in God: But to goe a little nerer to the matter euen as in a little corne or grane, all thynges be inuizible at one tyme, whiche in processe of tyme doe appere in the stalke and eare, as the roote, stalke, knottes or ioyntes, blade eare, blossom, chaffe, brissels, and corn, and nothing riseth, commeth or is in the stalke or eare whiche is not deriued, or desended frō the secret treasure of the corne or graine: For all those thynges were first in the graine not in the hu•ge quaintitie, but by vertue and po∣wer whiche causeth all those things, and hath the commyng to worke all those seuerall for∣mes, figures, and thynges, belongyng to the stalke and eare, in iust and true order and proportion, by dewe separation and diui∣zion: as in the same graine all thynges were inuizible whiche in tyme did growe in to the stalke and eare, so is it to be thought, in the beginnyng when God created all thynges of

nothyng, he had all thynges together in hym which were made.

Chapter 22. Of the seperation of vizible and materi∣all bodies.

AS concerning the separation of materiall and vizible bodies Pa∣raselsus in his booke de mete∣oricis axpressionibus saieth, that in the beginning God crea∣ted the iiii. Elements of nothing by his word, fiat: and that nothyng was made somewhat by hym, and was made into one substance and one bodie, so that all thynges were included in that one vz materia prima. After that he separated ech of them out of that as pleased hym, wherefore God did woorke six daies, vn∣till he had drawen out, seperated and formed, out of Materia prima materiàs vltimas, yt is to saie all creatures, and had put in eche of them peculierly his proper nature condition and state, and placed and ordeined hym in his place and mantion, so that after that he ceased from creatyng: and all places were repleni∣shed

with the number of creaturs of all kinds and their Essentiis: Euen as the Potter hath his earth or claie before hym, in which be con∣tained diuers formes of vesselles and instru∣ments, for he maie out of one lumpe of claye frame and fashion a thousand and more son∣drye fashions of pots and vesselles: Likewise the Carpenter and image maker maie forme out of one peece of timber what he list, so that he knowe how to seperate from it, that which is superfluous and not meete for the Image, so God did drawe and seperate all creatures out of one lumpe and matter which he made of nothyng: And as the earth in the winter is bare rude and baren, without beautie, but yet hath in it al colours, as greene, blewe, white, with all other fine and noble colours and all other things, which in the spring and sommet doe appeare and come forth, whiche a man woulde not beleue to be in it vnlesse he did see thē, euen so all the diuersitie of bodies did pro∣ceed out of materia prima: This doctrine doeth seeme to agree with that place of the ho∣ly Scripturs whiche saiethe God made the worlde de materia infromi vel inuisa. And with Sainct Basill and others which affirme that there was some what before this vizible world: And it auoideth certaine obiections,

whiche certaine heretikes did make against Gods holy worde, and did aske from whom the water was, vpon which the spirite of God was caried: for it was not written before that God made the waters and suche like questi∣ons: for the water is not so called in this place that we should thinke it to be suche as we can nowe see and touche, neither was the earth which is there called voide and inuizible, such as this whiche maie bee seene and handled, but where it is saide in the beginnyng God made heauen and earth, vnder the name of heauen and earth, all creatures are signified, which God made and created out of it after∣warde: For prima materia was made, con∣fused, and without forme, out of the which all thynges were made, whiche were seuerally formed: And therefore it is rightly beleeued that God made all thynges of nothyng: For though all thynges were made of that prima materia, yet that was made of nothyng: and that prima materia whiche God made of no∣thyng was calle Co•lum & terra, as it is saied in the beginnyng God made heauen and earth not because it was so presently, but be∣cause it was so potentia for it is written that God made heauen after: Euen as we maie saie of a kernell of an aple, that in it bee the

roote, bodie, bowes, leues, and fruites, not* 4.6 because they be so presently, but because they wilbe so after. So it was saide in the begin∣nyng God made heauen and earth, as it were the seede of heauen and earth, whilest the mat∣ter of heauen and earth was therein confused∣ly. And because it was certaine, that the hea∣uen and earth should thereof be made, there∣fore the same matter was called the heauen and earth. This is the opinion of Sainct Au∣gustine in diuers places of his workes: and in his xii. book Confessionum he saieth God made this world de materia informi which he made of nothyng out of which he made all thynges which be in this world: And an aun∣cient Chimist likewise saiethe de simplici substantia, primordialis cuiuslibet elemē∣tii elemēta que sunt materia naturae, fue∣rant pure creata cum diuina separatione.

Chapter 23. Certaine notes and cautions giuen for the better vnderstandyng of this Chimi∣call Peisicke.

THus I haue giuen thee gentle reader a taste of the dealing of Erastus aganst Pa∣racelsus,

he hath stuffed fiue volummes with the ••ke stuffe, for suche matters in•einyg a∣gainst hym as either he is ignorant and vnskilfull in, and which he doeth not vnder∣stand, or such as he hath mistaken and for such as by hym be falsly gathered, or peruersly re∣•eited or craftely handled, and maliciously mangled, hauyng either somethyng cut from them, or some more added, or racked out of their place, or wrested to a wrong meanyng whiche the place giueth not, or else whiche in some other place of his worke he him self doth better expound and declare, and by such as be perfect and true principles of true Philosophy agreable with the puritie of Gods word, con∣trarie to the rules of the Ethnickes, Paracel∣sus bo••eth the riddles, parabels, & dark spe∣ches wherewith he shadowith and hireth this Arte, and the matter whereof the vniuersall medecine is made, and the operation and wor∣kyng thereof out of the Scriptures: And be∣cause in suche writyng he must obserue the sence of the Scripturs, and also therein com∣prehend the Doctrine he hath in hande, there∣fore be thos• phrases, sentences, and speches, darke and subiect to cauilation. Therefore who so euer wil rightly vnderstand hym wher he writeth of our creation, conception▪ & birth

and also of Babtisme, regeneration, both kin∣des of death, reserection &c. Must know and vnderstand this auntient Chimical rule, that the Chimicall worke in parte, ex creatione hominis deriuatur: Generally in other pla∣ces. where he doeth not purposly intreate of Diuinitie he that will vnderstand hym right∣ly, must know and vnderstand that he teacheth Metaphisicall principles in naturall thyngs, then shall he vnderstand how all thynges par∣ticipate in nature, whereby the nature of the thyng that is left perfect, doeth desire and co∣uite his perfection, and the one is made per∣fect by an other by reason of their concordance and agrement, whiche doe participate toge∣ther in nature for Natura, natura delectatur & coniungi appetit which is ye cause of per∣fection. Then shal he perceiue what doth ioyn the Elementes together in the worke of Na∣ture beeyng so contrarie, and wherewith they be quickened. Then shall he perceiue howe God woorketh in his creatures, and how all parts hang together as it were in one chaine. Then shall the reader perceiue and find in his great Philosophie dedicated to the Atheni∣ans (wherein Erastus doeth finde so many faults) a treatise of the right & true obseruing the Sabbaoth daie, wherein he hath taught

deliuered, and set doun many good and whole∣some preceptes for the keepyng of the Sab∣baoth rightly in the plaine letter ther written: yet couertly and darkely, hath he hidden as many rules and preceptes of true naturall Philosophie in that treatise, as of the kepyng the Sabbaoth, though in the bare letter no suche thyng appeareth, but filii scientiae maie vnderstand them: Therefore gentle reader in readyng of hym and other Chimicall wri∣ters follow their owne counsell and warning, that is search out their meanyng and cleeue not to the bare letter of their wordes, sticke not in the barke and rinde, but finde out the pithe, haue not regarde to the bodie, but to the soule and life of that which is written, other∣wise thou shalt doe the Author great wrong and thou shalt neuer vnderstand hym: and if in one place the Author write darkly, in some other place some particuler thyng maie bee found that ioyned with the other may expli∣cate the meanyng, for they disperse their mea∣ning in seuerall places, to the ende they would be vnderstode onely of the deligent and pain∣full reader and not of the vnworthie. As con∣cernyng his straunge wordes and phrases of speche in his medicines and practise, they are to be learned, by manuell experience and prac∣tise

by the fire, which is the Chimicall Phi∣sitions Scholemaister, so shall he vnderstand his straunge wordes and phrases of spech by his meanyng, but he must not thynke to finde his meaning by his straunge words and phra∣ses: as for example he that would learne what this worde Alcool meaneth, he must knowe what Contritio Philosophica is, so shall he find that it doth not signifie a powder stamped and most finely serched, though he did wash it in water, and take the powder after the water be dried awaie. Againe he that knoweth what Circulation meaneth doeth knowe that these figures 3000. do not signifie three thousand yeres: Likewise he that can skill to resolue ech thyng into his three substancies, and hath re∣spect to the liuely vertues of thynges and not cleaue to the ded qualities, maie finde what Sanguinea, Cheri, Anthos, & such like be in Paracelsus▪ & would not call his darke words Diabolicall as Erastus and others doe, besids this he that knoweth that by diuerse operati∣ons by the fire one thyng maie bee made to woorke diuerse effects, shal find the difference betwene Arcana, Essentiae Misteria &c. And shall finde this rule true that Medicus in se∣cunda vita averit a•tem suam. Likewise he that knoweth the worke and effect of Putre∣factio

Philosophica, would not saie that me∣dicines prepared by the fire do get a Corro∣siue Nature or hurte by the fire, though it be by Calcination, yea the Chimicall Phisiti∣on knoweth by Fixation to take awaie all ve∣nenositie from thynges: And to take awaye their sharpenesse, by ablution, and solution. Besides this he that is instructed, that it is a∣gainst the grounds and principles of the Chi∣micall Phisicke to minister any Marchesitt or metall, to any pacient inwardly, before it bee made Volatile and Spirituall, so that it can not bee reduced into Metall againe, will not saie that Vitrum antimonii (which purgethe and shaketh the bodie so sore, or the common Aurum potabile and such like) be mediciens warranted by this Arte, or by Paraselsus, whiche so laborreth to teach the separation of the pure form the impure. But he would per∣ceiue that he is taught fustio spiritum & non corporum, but they would rather turne this accusation vpon the Ethnicke Phisitions and their folowers whiche sticke not to minister the scales of Iron and Brasse in powder in∣wardly,* 4.7 Some sticke not to minister Quick∣siluer raw, some when it is burned into ashes: So do thei minister gold in leaues, & pretious Stones, brimstone & vitriell also in powder.

Chapter. 24. Of the Coelestiall medicynes of Paracel∣sus: and matters touchyng his person and ignorance.

ERastus doth besids these things finde great falte with the cele∣stiall medicine of Paracelsus, saiyng they haue their strenthe and power of the deuilles and e∣uell spirites, and not af God nor by the mini∣sterie of good Aungels, this he would haue vs beleeue vppon his bare reporte, but in truith Paracelsus excludeth from the true, pure, and auncient Magike, and from his coe∣lestiall medicine, all Nigromancie, Sorcery, Ceremonies, Coniurations, and all ma∣ner of inuocations of deuilles, Demones & euill spirits: And he giueth an especiall charge that this Arte be onely vsed to doe good, and not to the preiudice nor hurte of any bodie: and that it be done without Ceremonies, Coniu∣rations, Inuocations, Consecrations, Bles∣singes, and allmaner superstytion whereby it becometh vngodly. He saieth that the diuell

can not cure nor helpe an ague, nor the toothe* 4.8 ache: And that the diuell hymself with all his legions hath not so muche power nor authori∣tie, that he is able to breake one po•t, muche lesse is he able to make him: also he saieth that euell spirites are Gods butchers and executi∣oners, which doe execute nothyng besides the commission of their magistrate, that is to say, of the diuine Magestie, therefore he conclu∣deth, that all coniurations be against Gods worde, the diuine lawe and light of Nature, whether they bee vsed to Spirites, Rootes, Herbes, Stones, or any thynge els: And that Nigromantiers, and Conturers, are like to theues, liuyng in woodes, whiche robbe and kill so long as God permitteth them, and no longer, but when the time is come when their wickednesse shal bee made manifest, and the hower of their punishment is at hand, then by one meanes or other, they come into the hang∣mans handes, which giueth them the reward of their worke, so is it with the nigromantier and coniurer whiche receiue iustly their re∣warde bothe in this worlde, and in the worlde to come: besides this he saieth the diuell is the poorest of all creatures, and most miserable,* 4.9 and that he hath no money, neither hath he any power ouer money, therfore can not giue that

he hath not, nor hath power ouer: to this pur∣pose I coulde alledge out of hym a number of testimonies, but you shall vnderstand that the cause why he sometyme vseth ••dicines dra∣wen out of Vegetables, and sometyme out of Mineralles, and sometyme these heauenly medicines is this: It the deceases haue light originalls, or beginnyngs, of meat and drink, or other fruites of the earth, those maie be cu∣red by such medicines drawen out of herbes, or rather with their Arcana: and in suche de∣ceases if they be not long circulated nor in the remote parts but in primis officinis ciborū the grosse medicines of the heathens maie preuaile or at least thei may flatter som dicea∣ses: But if the decease be caused by Minerals, Metalles, or Markesits, in the principall par∣tes of the body, or in the Balsamum of man, then they must be cured by medicine drawen out of Metalles, or Markesits, because suche deceases will not yealde to medicines drawen out of herbes or rootes, &c. Because the roots of those deceases are not so soone resolued as the other: therefore they neade pure spi∣rites, for pascimur nutrimur, curamur na∣tura Mercurii id est spiritu, saieth an aunti∣ent Chimist. Likewise if disceases be caused by influencies of starres, they are to be holpen

by influencie: And causes of inuisible deceases in the inuisible parte of man: and those grefes and paines whiche be caused by supernaturall meanes, will not be holpen by any meanes a∣foresaied, but they must be remedied by such meanes as they were caused, that is by suche maner of cure as hath power to worke in to the inuisible part of man. If Paracelsus some tyme woulde be dronke after his Countrey maner I can not excuse hym no more then I can excuse in some nations glottenie, in other pride, and contempt of all others in compari∣son of themselues, in others breach of promise and fidilitie, in others dissimulation, triflyng and muche babling: but lett the doctrine bee tried by the worke and successe, not by their faultes in their liues.

As for lacke of methode in his woorkes, I saie his bokes intituled Paramirum, his boks de vita longa, lacke no methode. But if in any other of his works he did not obserue me∣thode, he did it because he would disperse his minde in seuerall partes, to the ende he would be vnderstoode onely of the Children of the Arte. The ignorance in the lattin tongue is vntruly obiected against hym: as appereth by his bokes de Tartare written in latten, and his epistles written to Erasmus in latten and

by diuerse his lectures: and by his commen∣taries vppon Hipocrates &c.

Chapter 25. The conclution of the Author.

THus thou hast harde gentle rea∣der, how this Auncient Chi∣micall Phisicke, had his begyn∣nyng from Abraham, or at least from Hermes Trismegestus, and after in the Aegiptian priests which were kynges, or of the kynges bloud, it had his con∣tinuaunce. From whom it hath beene deriued amongst the godliest and best learned Philo∣sophers, in to diuerse partes of the worlde, which haue shadowed and hidden it in para∣bles, and darke speaches to auoide contempte among the foolish and vnworthy readers, and yet so that it should not be hidden from those whiche were meete to heare and vnderstande suche secreets and misteries: Also thou haste harde how the newe Phisicke of the heathen hadd his begynnyng of late yeares, in com∣parisonne of the other from the heathen and Idollaters whiche were without the true

knowledge of God. Thou hast harde also the difference between these two Phisiks, where∣by thou maiest be able to iudge, whether this auntient Phisicke be vaine without begin∣nyng, as it hath been obiected. Thou hast hard the explanation of certaine obiections laied against Paracelsus, whereby thou maist the better iudge of the rest, wherewith he is char∣ged. Now I doe craue of thee gentle reader as I haue taken this in hand to do thee good, so thou wilt interpret my meaning to the best, if any thyng mi•like thee, doe not picke at e∣uery sillable and worde, but consider whilest mine eye was bent to the matter, which I did folowe and intreate of, wordes may esely e∣scape and be misplaced, especially with hym which lacketh eloquence, & vseth not to write. If thou vnderstand not somewhat that is here written, doe not therefore condemne it, but kepe silence, as Pithagoras his scholars did, and be quiet, or else learne of others. If any thyng herein shall seeme to be absurde & con∣trary to thy mynde, because it is contrary to Aristotle Galen Auicen &c. doe not there∣fore reiecte it, but waye it with an indifferent iudgement, and take not all thynges for Ora∣cles which the heathen haue taught. And if a∣ny thyng herein be amisse (for no mans wri∣tynges

can be warranted in all,) doe not giue iudgement and pronounce definite sentence a∣gaiust the whole, by reason of some one perti∣culer. And if thou perceiue my meanyng to be Godly and sound, doe not condemne me of error by reason of wordes, not rightly placed, nor aptly vsed, for error consisteth in sence and meanyng, and not in sound of wordes. And though I write not to the latter Phisitions the folowers of the heathens, that be practisio∣ners, and wilfully bent against this Chimicall Phisicke, because thei be like knottie and bur∣s•e woode, not fit for framyng timber, but will gnawe the line wherewith they bee ledd, and girne erre and shew their angrie teeth at their leaders, and will not now become scholars: Yet because this my writyng can not escape their handes, neither can they well digest it, therefore I doe admonishe them that if they take in hand to answer it, that they answer ech part therof, and doe not dismember it, nor put any thing to it, nor take any thing from it, and that they do not aunswer with railing scoffes, quippes, mockes, tauntes, and lies, as some ignorant vse in their talke against this Arte: And as Erastus vseth in his writing: And as Bernar dus Dess•ius a Doctor of Phisicke of Colen, vseth against one Fedro a Chi∣mist,

after he was ded, which by his writyng as semeth may teche a schole of scoldyng and railyng: For suche maner eloquence may not passe for proofe amōg the indifferent readers, neither is it worthie to be aunswered, neither may the bare auctoritie of Aristotle, Galen, Auicen, and suche like serue for aunswer a∣gainst the Scripturs of God, nor against the liuely artificiall proofe by fire, followyng Na∣ture, but with charitable wordes, and sounde arguments dependyng vppon Gods worde, the true touchstone that can not erre, and vp∣pon vnfallible experience by the fire, the Phi∣sitions maister, let the matter be tried: then no doubt some good may come by this conten∣tion to the sicke, and deceased, which hath need of the Phisition: and the doctrine of Phisicke, will exalt and lift vp his hed, and the trueth of it self will appeere, as fire doeth by knockyng of two flintes together: whiche the most high God of whom cōmeth all healyng, and which hath created the Phisition because of necessity, graunt for his deare sonne Jesus Christe his sake, which is the life and trueth.

Amen Valete 1585.

The difference betwene the auncient phisicke, first taught by the godly forefathers