THE difference betwene the auncient Phisicke first taught by the godly forefathers consisting in vnitie peace and concord and the latter Phisicke proceeding from Idolaters Ethnickes and Heathen as Gallen and such other consisting in dualitie discorde and contrarietie And wherein the naturall Philosophie of Aristotle doth differ from the trueth of Gods worde and is iniurious to Christianitie and sounde doctrine Natura naturam continet superat sua natura solùm latatur emendatur eius propinquitatis res commisceri coniungi facit By R. B. Esquire Imprinted at London for Robert VValley 1585. 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 progression 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 Milesius 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 commaunded to keepe Ca. 13. That the Phisick which Hypocrates left in writing was not descended from Aesculapius Ca. 14. That Democritus Abderites a Thracian did write of this art whose Bookes are yet extant of his teachers scholers 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 folowers And how Aristotle and Plato do differ in the naturall causes of Effects Ca. 16. Of diuers Poetical Fables shadowing 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 rather to bee called Rationales then the Galenists And that Galen following Hypocrates 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 monument thereof in Italy And the spreading of this Art into other Countries And of diuers writers of this Art betweene Galens tyme and Paracelsus Ca. 19. That Theophrastus Paracelsus was not the inuenter of this art but the restorer thereof to his puritie And that hee hath giuen more light thereunto then any other before him And the testimonies of great cures that he did by this Art And of diuers writers learned Phisitions which since his tyme haue written of this Art Ca. 20. The true meaning of Paracelsus in dedicating his Booke intituled Philosophia magna to the Athenians wherewith Erastus one of his aduersaries is so greeued Ca. 21. How materia prima and mysteriam magnam was the beginning of all thinges according to Paracelsus his meaning 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 giuen for the better vnderstanding of this Chimicall Phisicke Ca. 24. Of the coelestiall medicine of Paracelsus and matters toucking his person and ignoraunce Ca. 25. The Conclusion of the Author The Authors obtestation to almightie God O GOD the father almighty the true light O Christ the light of the light the wisedome misterie and vertue of GOD. O holy Ghost that knittest all thynges together 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 Trinitie three persons and one God which of nothing 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 wisedome power goodnesse I besech thee teach ayd assist thy seruaūts against the heathnish and false Philosophie of Aristotle which teacheth that the world had no beginning neither shall haue endyng And that of nothyng nothyng can be made whereby it maketh the world So likewise thy most excellent creature man was created to thy Image in pure vnderstandyng perfect memorie sincere will without 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 goodnesse O God this Image is repaired by thy gospell 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 refuse thy vocation and callyng which by thy trueth doest continually call vs vnto thee yet this thy trueth naturally grafed in vs continually doeth indeuour as much as it may to appere in action but it is let and hindered by concupiscence 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 reproued by our owne iudgement for the better part of the Soule or Spiritus which some call sinteresis 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 propertie to perswade to doe good some call sinteresis which thy word calleth conscience which is a liuing lawe which cryeth stirreth and moueth to doe good for thou O God art so mercifull and good to vs that thou hast giuen this knowledge to our minde which like a Schoolemaster doth instruct and teach vs so that cōscience is as it were a certaine lawe in thinges subiect to sence and reason But O good God omnipotent Aristotle his heathnish Philosophie very absurdly teacheth that all the Orbes be bodies subiect to no corruptiō and that they and their motions be eternall and he assigneth to certaine myndes Intelligentis or vnder straunge natures and essenties and seperated 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
to the wise among the people For in them is the veine of vnderstanding and the Fountaine of wisdome and the riuer of knowledge in which 70. bookes as some thincke be contayned the vnderstanding 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 Aesculapius 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 began about the yere of y e world 3536. Gesnerus and Andreas Lacuna for credit of their Phisicke say that he was descended from Aesculapius and that Apollo taught Aesculapius 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 Hypocrates 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 called the sonnes of Phisitions And though his ancestors kinred before him did deteine their arte in their families did not coÌ„municate y e 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 naturalis 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 betweene Aesculapius and Hypocrates is hard to be proued because tradition of doctrine without writing not cosâ—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 studious 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 AsclepiadaruÌ„ or HipocraticuÌ„ iusiuranduÌ„ 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 declared And that it may appeare that the phisick 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 Aesculapius Phisicke laye hidden and couered in most thicke darkenesse vntill the time of Hypocrates 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 Phisicke of Aesculapius was not knoweÌ„ 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 Aesculapius his Temple openly to be seene he deriued his Phisicke He wrote out those experienses 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 temple and so consumed the writings of the auncient 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 Democritus 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 Hypocrates the first of the seauen which Suidas speaketh of did write of Phisike Orpheus also did write of hearbes and so did Pithagoras and diuers others whereby it appeareth that Phisicke was not kept so secret in one famely but it was at libertie for euery man to see their writings But this is true y t they which did write of y e right true auncieÌ„t phisick Chimical 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 Phisitions as is before declared But to what purpose 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 Phisicke 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 Thracia was in the tyme of this Hypocrates He was olde wheÌ„ Hypocrates was young Anaxagoras 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 Metrodorus 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 intituled 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 aforesayd which is yet extant among vs. Sinesius
with this Philosophical and Aethereal medicine in which is no grossenesse impuritie nor any thing superfluous And our Anima liuely and naturall fire doth take and receiue to it this Aethereall medicine vertue and heauenly power like to it selfe Whereby it is holpen strengthened 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 vnitie 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 Vnary 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 deceiued 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 desired to haue ternam atque quaternam beatitudinem vz. mentem sanam in corpore sano Therefore they vsed this vniuersall medicine wherewith they disgest and expell the corruptions out of their naturall bodyes wherby the body was so prepared that therein was made a perfect vnion betweene Corpus Anima Spiritus and transitus ab extremo perfecto per medium ad imperfectum Whereby the body was made subiect to the soule whereof seperatio mentis à corpore might ensue This surely they accounted 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 quantity 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 medicine because the medicin had no more goldish nature then serued onely for an ounce therefore 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 separating 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 Nature 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 Philosophers called the Mynerall diseases and instrmities of mans body by the name of imperfect 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 Excrements in mans body the one proceding of his Balme which is his Gold the other proceeding of nourishment The excrements comming of his Gold be called Myuerall excrements of the likenesse of the drosse which is about the Gold before it be fyned with Antimony 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 called Mynerall diseases which be purged onely with Mynerall Medicines For Mynerall excrements are onely purged with Minerall medicins which consist in the vniuersall medicine and in the tinctures of Gold Mercury 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 purged then they hinder the operation and working of mans Gold or Balme into the three Principia of mans body aforesayd Whereof followeth their corruption and of the corruption of the Salts in man followe Boyles Vlcers Impostumes griefes not outwardly discerned most paynefull c. So that whē any man y t 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 professors 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 sophistication of mettalles and so when they had wasted their owne substance they proceeded to exercise 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 Secretes are to be reueyled onely to the Godly and vnto the children of doctrine and knowledge and vnto the wise therefore they did write vnto such that the secrets might be hidden 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 prouide 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 pictures figures and charects grauen of things and beastes least the Secrets and mysteries should be prophaned among the vulgare people Such was the maner of the wise men of the oldest age to deliuer the profund and deep inquisition and search of wisedom by allegogories of secret Letters and by
The Chymicall Phisition teacheth for the perfect Philosophicall medicine to seperate the gift of nature the life the Science cunning and arte â—â— the worker mouer which he calleth immortall and the artificer worker and mouer in a metaphisicall body from the corruptible materiall body subiect to the worker into which it moueth and worketh therewith â—o cure and helpe the Aethereall and heauenly vertue power in man which is the subiect wherein life consisteth and shineth by whose power and vertue the body subiect to the mouer is preserued and maintayned and by it restored when the corruption thereof doth oppresse let and hinder his operation So that it appeareth that the followers of the Ethnicke Phisitions in ministring of their medicines do as if they would go about to restore a fire where is remayning a fewe sparkles vnder greene wood by heaping on more greene wood thinking therby to make the sparkles to kindle and burne but they will not put more fire to the sparkles 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 foundation vpon the false Center of Binarii and dualitie which is the Roote of contrarietie discorde and dissention therefore most commonly they teache that contrary things are to be cured by their contraries The Chimicall Phisition layeth his foundation vpon the true Center of Vnarii or vnion which is the roote of concord and vnitie So that when any contrarietie in mans body that is to say any infirmitie or weakenesse of nature must be remooued or ameÌ„ded which did rise beginne and growe by reason of the contrarietie and inwarde dissention 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 concord 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 Monoâ—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 contrarietieâ— but by vnarii ruling equally in three But this doctrine the folowers of the Ethnikes can not digest because they knowe not the three substanties aforesayd though by arte they may be made manifest out of eche thing to the eye and touche neither doe they knowe the concordance and agreement of the three in one nor their exaltation 5 The followers of the Ethnicke Phisitions 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 whereof eche thing in the great world and man also consisteth that is to say by their seuerall Sal Sulphur and Mercury by their seueral properties 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 Phisitions maister it teacheth the Phisition experience by digesting fixing exalting resoluing 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 y e three Principia ech of them separated froÌ„ the other in such sort y t 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 theÌ„ shall he know not by his owne braines nor by reading or by reporte or hearesay of others but by experience by dissolution of Nature and by examyuing and search of the causes beginnings 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 learned in their Bookes may proceeve Doctor of their Phisicke The Chymicall Phisition trieth all thinges by fire whereby the vertue nature and propertie of each thing appeareth to the palpable and visible experience By this is fouÌ„d in Honey a venomous tartisâ—nesse and much filthinesse in Surgar And in Arsenicke excellent good medicine wholesome and frendly for manâ— body when the impuritie is seperated 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 vnwholesome And the things growing vpon Mountaines doe differ from their like or from thinges of the same kind growing on the plaine And generally ech Countrey most commonly hath his proper desease besides them that be caused of Influencies by reason of y e foode which wee receiue for nourishment either of the vegetables which receiue their nourishment of the resolued spirites of the Myneralles 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 Writers of other Nations or be cunning onely in his owne Countrey and Region he shal erre in his medicine So that Nature made manifest by fire and the right applying it to medicine maketh a Phisition according to this Arte. He that listeth to leane to Bookes let him learne of those Bookes which
into sweete mittigat corrosions heates tastes smelles Coagulations c. of medicines and make them volatill 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 agreeable with his meaning and vpon such an absurditie 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 vsed 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 desperate state for though this Arte be shewed by worke and experience and experieÌ„ces 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 sauoreth not of Aristotle Gallen Auicen and other Ethnickes whereby the yong beginners are either not acquainted with this doctrine or els it is brought into hatred with them And abrode like wise the Galenists be so armed and defended by the protection priuiledges and authoritie of Princes that nothing can be allowed that they disalowe and nothing may bee receiued that agreeth not with their pleasures and doctrine whatsoeuer 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 Phisition must needes lye in a desperate state And no man almost shalbe able to attayne to the perfection in true Phisicke As long as Scotus or Thomas Aquinas and such other were so priuileged in the scholes that no interpretation 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 oppressed and hidden And as long as those that were noseled in such puddle were mainteyned defended and priuiledged by princes and potentates it was hard for trueth to shewe his face abroade openly Wherefore if the Chymicall 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 followers And if it were lawfull I and commendable for euery honest student to labour in the Philosophicall searching out of the trueth by the fire or otherwise and thereby either confirme 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 disputations 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 sincerely charitably and Christianlike for the certeine helpe of his neighbour and not for lucre or veine glory and pompe the auncient Chimical 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 originall succession and progression of this auncient Chimycall Phisicke 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 vnderstanded 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 behold any beast he by by did so exactly know all their natures powers properties and vertues 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 wheÌ„ 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 receyuing 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 â—ngraue their learning knowledge and inueÌ„tions out of the which they that should be preserued from the fluddde might learne those knowledges cunning and Arte ss Iosepus writeth in his first booke Chap. 13. of Antiquities 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 Mathematicalls which in his Countrey were preserued as is aforesayd by the wonderfull harmony of the worlde did ascende to the knowledge of the one onely God as some say But rather thereby he did see and perceiue the inuisible thinges of GOD that is his eternall power and Godhead by the creation of the world And he being the mightie and renowmed father of the elect nation no doubt was a greate Deuine as hee was excellent
in the Mathematicalls and other learning But because the ChaldeaÌ„s Mesapotamians and Assyrians were moued and sâ—â—rred against him for Religions sake he left his Countrey and kinsfolkes by the Commaunâ— ement of God and went to soiurne in the lande of Canaan From whence shortly after through great Famine he was constrayned to goe in to Aegipt He there as Iosephus writeth declared God to bee the Creator of all thinges teaching them the Sciences and Mathematicalls By this meanes was the true knowledge of God and of the Mathematicals and Sciences brought into Aegipt the which knowledges the Priestes of Aegipt successiuely did after that professe And they had deuided among them portions of land by Pharoes appointment for their maintenance and stipende as appeareth Gene. cap. 47. After that Abraham returned into the land of Canaan where y e 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 wisedome 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 Moses was instructed was Astronomy Geometry and Arithmetike and surely it was that which before they had learned of Abraham And although some of the Aegiptians as some of the Chaldeans did wander and stray aside in many foolishe vayne and supersticious speculations yet some were contented with the simple order of Nature profitable to be learned and praise worthie which is to bee considered and marked in the wonderfull worke of God not onely in the places of the Starres and in so goodly and beautifull distinguished varietie of theÌ„ but also in their motions powers and secret offices and operations whereof it is like that Moses made choyce abandoning and forsaking the other supersticious and vayne doctrine not deseruing the name of wisedome After these liued Hermes or Mercurius Trismegestus in Aegipt not long after Moses For alas y e great Aâ—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 mâ—n might be made blessed or happie did â—heâ—â—ly â—lâ—rishe This Hermes or Mercurius was called Trismegestus as some say because he was the greatest Phylosopher the greatest King and the greatest Priest But Guydas sayth that he was called 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 superstition of Idols doth prophesie in that Booke that they shall perishe And in his Booke dedicated tion amoÌ„g the Aegiptians at that time Now concerning his knowledge in prophane Sciences 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 saying thus Doest thou not heare that our Hermes hath deuided Aegipt into his boundeâ— and lotted ech mans ground asunder that he measured with a corde and deuided dikes for to water the groundes and that he hath ordayned lawes and rules and that he hath named gouernors out of those statutes and ordinaunces 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 Phylosophie Bradeus in primo EpigrammatuÌ„ sayth that Mercurius found out thâ—sâ— fower that is Letters Musicke Geometrie and Wrestling Dioderus sayth that this Mercury founde out Physicke among the Aegiptians This Hermes did also write diuers other Bookes as one intituled Pymander of the power and wisedome of God And other thinges in Iamblicus proctus and prophirius Also an other Booke intituled Latromathematica that is to say meditations applied 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 excellent 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 Abraham the renowmed father of faith vnder the title and names of the Mathematicall sciences 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 vertue 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 inueÌ„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 other 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 â—4â—6 And whatsoeuer good learning and knowledge they had they got it froÌ„ 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 proceeding from the Children of God then was it not worthie the name
of true Physicke because as Plato sayth he that is ignorant in diuine thinges cannot haue right vnderstanding 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 honored 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 Wherevnto Cicero doth seeme to coÌ„sent in his third Booke de Natura deorum ascribing to Aesculapius the first inuention of bynding and healing of woundes Sabellicus also Strabo do write that the old Physicke was rude and their medicines were such onely as were found out by chaunce to haue holpen any bodie 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 Euripilus that was wounded at the siege of Troy in the presence of his two sonnes Machaon and Podalirius and as they two did to Menataus whom Pandar wouÌ„ded there because they thought deseases did commonly come to man either by externall hurtes as by pricking cutting or brusing or els did chaunce to him by euill dyet lacke of exercise and euill 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 coÌ„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 Distillations 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 Mahaon 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 medicines they vsed in Surgery I doe reade in Plato in the 31. Booke and 3. Dialogue de iusto that when Pandarus had wouÌ„ded Menalaus at the siege of Troye after Mahon and Podalirius had dried vp the blood of his woundes with their handes they did anoynt the wouÌ„d with mitigating Balmes or Oyntments 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 Chymicall 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 Epistle before the great Surgery of Paracelsus 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 Mahacon 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 Thracyan and was the first that is remembred to haue written of Hearbes as some say exactly and he founde out remedies for many deseases After hym followed one Musaeus his Scholler After them liued Hesiodus in the yere of the world 3111. After him liued Pronopis the Master of Homer which likewise had knowledge of Hearbes in the yere of the worlde â—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 Mathematicalls Ameristus or Mamercus succeeded him Before this tyme was one Sisiphus otherwise called Theosophos a famous 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 Bookes that Esdras was commaunded to keepe ABout the yeere of the worlde 3434. liued Pythagoras a Grecian famous for his wisedome and diuine knowledge and for his learning in the Metaphisickes and Mathematicals he laborâ—â— much in Arithmetick he brought Geometrie to perfection as Laertius writeth He lest diuers rules of Astrologicall proguoslicâ—tion and of this arte some what he found out Musicke in the starres and deriued the same to mittigate the affections of the mynde he did write of the effect of herbes He trauayled into 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 returne 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 knowledge succeeded as his scholers and folowers Telanges his sonne after hym Xenophanes Archilas Philolaus Lisias Parmenides Leno Eleates Anaxagoras Leucippus Democritus Nausiphales Naucides Epicharmus Alchmeon Epimenides For Aeliames lib. 9. writeth that all the Pithagoreans 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 y t 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie I thinke the Phisitions the folowers of the Ethnickes wil confesse 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 vpon Metaphisicke and supernaturall principles which Empedocles Pithagoras Democritus Plato and diuers others doe maintaine 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 publish openly that the worthy and vnworthy may reade But the last seuentie bookes kepe that thou mayst giue them
saith he when soeuer this Trismegestus Phisicke shall winne credit and furderauce that their authoritie shal fall to the ground For thei are ashamed after their doctershipp and long exercised weening practise to learne any more of Paracelsus and his folowers not withstandyng in greuious deceases they haue no knowledge either to councell 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 adioyned 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 principles speakyng as it were to Paracelsus taken out of the pith of nature wee will in the light of Nature beyng from God illuminated resolue expound and wee will establishe the verities Under this picture is this sentence Sophisters alwaies writhing trimbling 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 Leonardus Turneihisserus Iosephus Quercetanus Iohannes Chrisippus Michael Neanger 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 dedicating his booke entituled Philosophia magna to the Athenians wherewith Erastus one of his aduersaries is so greued BEcause y e folowers of the heathnishe Phisitions doe seeke to deâ—ace this auncient tâ— Chimicall Phisicke by slaunderyng Paracelsus to whom the ignorant doe attribute the first invention thereof obiecting against him aswell heresie coniurations lacke of learnyng as also hurt and danger of mynerall medicines and obscuritie in writyng I will breefly explicate some obiections 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 Philosophie ought of necessetie to haue their foundation in light of the holy Scriptures as expresly 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 teacheth 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 foundation 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 certaine of your owne Poets haue saide c. how the doctrine of Paracelsus doeth agree with that of Saincte Paule appereth by that foloweth 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 beginnyng 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 influences 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 saiteh 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 giueÌ„ 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 influenâ—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