Presence makes Humane Actions flourish preserves body and mind in vigour she is an Excellent Chamber mate more precious then Gold admirable useful both for Church and Common-wealth and the best of all earthly goods she being gone the body runs the direct road unto Death 4. Health is a Power of exercizing the actions of the body of man which are according to Nature arising from the Natural Constitution of all the parts ' We will let Galens definition of this alone as somthing imperfect you shall finde that to Performe the ordinary and Natural offices of the body two things are required The Action it selfe and the Power of acting Thence we gather that Health consisteth either in actual or potential act That it doth not consist in Acting alone is Palpable for then every man should be sick when he is asleep because most parts of his body Act not then 5. The Reason of Health is to be sought out in the body rather then in the Soul For seeing there are two things required to every Act namely the facultie or the soul instructed with its faculties which is the principal cause of Operation and moves the body to action Then the organ which the soul useth as a meanes to act by The faylings of this cannot be imputed to the soul for the soul cannot be hurt nor weakned but remaynes alwayes the same it acts the same operation so long as the creature liveth if it have the same instruments to act by According to Aristotle for a man is Somtimes well somtimes sick the Cause of which is to be sought from the constitution of the Organ although I ingeniously confesse My opinion is That the greatest mischiefs that befal a man during his life take their Original from the soul and the internal spirits as I shall shew more clearly when I come to the Subject 6. Health consisteth in an Accedental not in an Essential Constitution The Consttitution of each Part is double Essential and Accidental Essential is that which depends upon Matter and Substancial Forme by which all Compounds have their Nature and being Accidental is that which followes the former and disposeth their qualities and Accidents in all parts Exercies all their action diversly according to their diversity Now Health consists not in the Essential Constitution for so long as a man lives the Essential Constitution is immutable but Health may be changed and Sickness come in place the Substantial Form remaining Therfore a man is Somtimes sick and Somtimes well and yet a man stil. Health then is to be placed rather in Accidentalls for they are changable both by reason of Age Diet Air and other circumstances 7. To the Health of a mans body is required a good constitution of the humors and Spirits a good temperature of the similarie prats a good structure of the Organs and vnion of all the body The word Healthfull is taken three waies As the Body As the cause As the sign A healthfull body is such a one as enjoyeth present health and that either as alwayes so or as most commonly so as at present Health alwayes so is he who hath a firm and stable Health Health as at present is that which is fleeting and unconstant The Cause of Health is that which either restoreth it beeing lost or preserveth it being obtayned good Constitution of the foure Humors and spirits causeth Health The just structure of the Organs is when they consist of a just Magnitude Number Place and Confirmation Lastly the union Continuaty of all the Parts To conclude you shal find no greater preserver of Health than the Moderate use of the six things not Natural which because my Author hath left out I care not greatly if I set them down 1. Ayre 2. Meat and drink 3. sleeping and watching 4. Fulness and Emptiness 5. Exercise and Rest. 6. Affections of the Mind 8. Medicines may be given even to men in health if they be rightly administred Hyppocrates was the first that gave occasion to this question Whether healthful men ought to take Medicines or not But yet t is most certain and Galen both confesseth and commendeth it That it is the Peculiar Office of many Medicines to resist the Disease before it comes as such as resist infection cut gross and tough Humors and many others which we may reade in his fourth Book of Preserving Health But if by Medicine Hipocrates means Scammony and such other violent purges we will easely grant him the point without further dispute of the story We have done with the end come now to the cause both of Medicine and Alchymie both principal and less principal Chap. 6. The cause of Physick and Alchymie both principal and less principal 1. THe principall Cause of Medicine is God As all good Arts in generall have their fountain Original from God himself So Medicine also is a gift of God by his divine will granted to the sons of men for the Art was never first invented by the wit of man but came by demonstration from God himself to man becanse he belighted in the sons of men All Arts and Mystriees as well as the world that contains them have their Originall from God Hence it came to pass that those ancient wise men because they knew Medicine was a divine thing and they were ignorant what the true God was ascribed it unto their gods God then is the Author of medicine Nature the instrument of God the Physitian is or should be the servant of them both Hence it is that Herophylus said That medicine was the band by which God healed the sick if then the most high God be the Author of Medicine let not men despise it 2. God is the principall cause of Alchymie All true Medicine is the gift of the most high God and he that will learn it let him go to God and not to the Ethicks If you will learn wisdom go to God and not to the creatures for they are as foolish as your self God is the maker of all secrets and hath distributed some of them to every creature you can never learn them by reading dead letters but go to the living God from whom all knowledg flows to mortals even as the trees bud by the heat of the sun What knowledg hath man which he hath not from above even from that God which created knowledg it 's not an Accademie can furnish a man with the principls of knowledg but'tis the grace and gift of that invisible God if God inlighten your eys the best Book of Physick is the Book of nature and there you may read it and search for it by Chyromancie and Physiognomie 3. The less principal cause of Physick is either Impulsive or Instrumental Impulsive is the want and defect of Human Nature joyned with a natural appetite to knowledg Instrumental is that admirable Beauty and Hermony of Natural things 4. The less principal causes of Alchymie are the same with those of Medicine The Impulsive
appeared to the Magitians which our translators to keep the people in ignorance translated Wise men that came to worship Christ in his Infancy Such were the Visions of the Prophets and of Iohn in the Revelation 2. The transformation of living bodyes as was in Moses his time before Pharaoh and the Transfiguration of Christ. Let no man say I writ Blasphemie in following my Author in this and say it was done by Divine power I le easily grant it I'ts by Divine power the Trees blossome and bear fruit if you say that 's according to Nature I will quickly answer you That it is Divine power and the finger of God himself that upholds Nature and the Creation in the state t is in 3. The third is Characters or certain strange words which have the same vertue with Harbs c. and will cure Diseases as well 4. The fourth is called Gamahew or Gamaheos Viz Images and sculptures with certain strange Characters engraven upon them which carry the vertues of the Heavenly bodyes and mightily strengthen Creatures below For as a key opens a Lock a Sword wounds and a Breast-plat defends so the Images of things above engraven upon things below have a strange operation upon Sublunarie Creatures 5. The fift is an action from one to another and that by Images which are like them I would translate my Author in this particular if I durst but I dare not before the Nation is honester 6. The sixth is Art Cabalistick Cabal amongst the Ancients was nothing else then a certain mistical Symbolicall and Aenigmatical Divinity it was three fold 1. That which Adam learned of God and taught to his Children 2. That by which God delivered the Law to Moses upon Mount Sinai and Moses again taught it to Joshua This continued by succession unto Ezra yet was it lawful for few to read it and not for those few before they were forty yeares of age 3. The third Cabal was invented by the Jewes Rabbies which converts the Letters and sillables of the scripture into Number and finds out the hidden sence of them c. But the Cable of Paracelsus manifesteth a way whereby Characters Figures Sigills and words strang things which some think is impossible may be Performed He teacheth a way how a man may hear ones voycé cross the seas Nay how one thet dwells in the East may hear ahother that dwells in the West and both keep their stations though thay are above a hundred Germane Miles distant In Naturall Magick Imagination bears a great sway not only in gausing but also in curing diseases For proof of which we may let Phylosophie alone Look but upon a woman great with child and you may see it without a paire of spectacles Imagination is a knowing power it acts potently upon other things beside it self and although knowledg and 〈◊〉 concur to a Local Motion yet are they not the first cause of Motion neither can they work alteration or change in their own body much lesse in another But Knowledg is an act of the soul and appetite alwayes followes it or alwayes should Neither is the soul of man conversant only in it's own body if it were How could one man love another And if the souls of men produce Mutuall Love why not a Mutual help by the same Rule Hence it comes to passe that many times a sick man is more cheered by the sight and Companie of one man then he is by the help of another It 's in vayn to object That Humors and Spirits are immediately and directly moved by Imagination for 't is only Accidental They are moved by the Attractive Retentive and Expulsive Faculties Weconfesse a sudden fear will make a man tremble though there be no reallity in it so then the Humors and Spirits are the second cause of the chang of mans body but the first and remote cause is Imagination You may see it clearly in all Epidemical diseases who is sooner taken with them then they that fear them Or I 'le make it more clear by a simillitude An Apple-tte is the second cause of bearing the Apple but the first and remote cause is the sun which causeth the tree to spring and grow blow and bear But the first cause seldom produceth an act without the help of the second cause For Example In a Pestilential time Imagination it self will infect a man but 't is fear and terror caused by that Imagination which corrupts the Humors and changeth them into the nature of the thing feared Those that have read Physical Authors know what strang Imaginations a Melancholly Fancie will introduce into men As one that conceited his Nose to be bigger then al his body Another that he had no Head A third that he was made of Butter who being a Baker by Trade durst not come near his Oven lest he should be melted Another that he had gotten a Fish in his blood But to let passe others My self the translator of this work Anno 1642. had a Patient in Old street London who being troubled with a Melancholly distemper conceited himself only a man and all others that came neer him Wild Beasts that came to devoure him To see whether this Fancie might be removed or no I perswaded him He was made of a black pot This also wrought upon his Imagination and then he durst let no body touch him for fear they should break him until at last his cure drawing neer such vayn delusions vanish't To return to my Author The strongth of Imagination appeares in this to goe no further In that Women with child will not only desire but also eat such things as are not fitting to be eaten and their health is so far from being impayred that it is much amended by so doing That the Imagination of one man will work upon another is very conspicuous by a Woman with child the child bearing the mark upon it's body of what the Mother desired Nay if we doe but consider what Union there is between our Spirits and the Angels and Intelligences nay to reach a little higher If man be united to God by the person of Jesus Christ what wonder is it that one man should be united to another by Imagination He that would know more of this let him read Synertus his book of Alchymie V. A Physitian ought to be busied in diligent speculation and happy Imitation of Nature A Physitian ought perpetually to watch the Motions of Nature and order his Physick accordingly that he may expel the infirmities of Nature that way If he drive the same course Nature drives the Cure will bee easy because Nature helps and safe because 't is Natural Let all Physitians know that they are servants and not Masters to Nature VI. Physitians are Rulers over both body and Mind We told you before the subject of a Physitian was the whole body of man taken universally And he that doth not know that the Conditions of the body follow the Temperature of the Mind
to Hermetical Phylosophers 1 They can by no means close with this Doctrine for they demand seeing Mixture is a certain Motion Who is the Mover By what Powter â—he Elements tend to Mixture in such just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 The Mover is a Vital Principle indued with Knowledg the Form Species Seed Constellation by whose Power and Knowledg such Divine Offices of Mixture are administred 3 Transplantation is a certain accident of Mixture and Generation when not that which is intended but another thing is Generated And this comes to pass two waies First By a confusion of Seed and so of a Horse and a shee Ass a Mule is ingendred Or the Seeds of many Plants put close together will produce but one Plant. Secondly By Degeneration when not the same Seed comes up which you Sow so Wheat often degenerates into Darnel Chap. 7. Of Generation according to the opinion of Dogmatists and Hermetical Phylosophers 1 GEneration is a Mutation from qualities having respect to the Nature of each Subject 2 For as Philip Melancton saith Heat being tempered with cold and joyned with driness and moisture is a mixt body of al qualities and Elements 3 Putrefaction is an Alteration bringing Corruption from whence is bred Consent 4 Consent is a Transit of one thing into another by certain Nurseries 5 According to Hermetical Phylosophers Generation is the progression of the Seminal Spirit out of its Fountain and vital Principle into the Stage of the World whereby of Invisible it becomes Visible and produceth Color Smel Tast Heat Cold Moisture Driness Magnitude and Form and all Ornaments of Body and by this Renovation maintains a perpetuity of its own Species 6 Whatsoever new things we see every day they had a being before in the Seeds 7 Whatsoever we see corrupted here every day they are not brought again to nothing but return again to their Fountains from whence they came 8 For this cause are Elements necessary to Generation which are the Wombs that contain the Seeds and Principles of al Bodies 9 The Places Elements and Bodies must be agreeable to the Seeds for the Seeds themselves have this Power to find out what is agreeable to their own Natures and therefore such Seeds grow Naturally in hot places such in Cold such in Moist and such in Dry. Sulphur is best found in one place Mercnry in another and Salt in a third 10 The Seeds perform their Progress and Operation by the help of the sensible Mechanical spirits 11 The Mechanical Spirits are such as are adorned with an inbred Knowledg and instructed with an Artificial Workmanship whereby they cause Tast Color Smel Order and Proportion in Natural things He that dreams of Spirits without these endowments dreams of nothing but Vapor and Smoke 12 In this inferior Globe are three famous differences of Generation namely of Living Creatures Plants and Minerals 13 In Living Creatures the Seminal Matter is contained in the Natural Balsom in the Vital Sulphur in the Vital spirit in the Mummy in the Radical and first matter c. 14 The Generations of the superior Globe are certain but far different For in the Coelestial Sphears they continue perfect til the Consumation of al things 15 Generation comes not by Putrefaction as people think Putrefaction doth but administer heat wherby the vital vertue is stirred up to action For as in the Earth it were a Madness to think that one Plant was changed into another by Putrefaction so above the Earth Living Creatures beget their like not by Putrefaction but by the Vital spirit of the seed Chap. 8. Of Temperaments 1 TEmperament is either the end of the Mixture or the Form of the thing mixed or the Principle of Natural Facultie 2 The Soul makes use of the Temperament as an Instrument to perform its Actions 3 Temperament is the Principle without which actions cannot be performed Take away the Temperature of a Particular part and the Natural Actions thereof cease also 4 The Temperament of Living Creatures is one thing and of Creatures without life another and yet some question whether there be any Creatures without life or not and my self by the leave of my Author could afford to be one of them 5 The Temperament of Living Creatures is either Total or Partial 6 The Total is either Influential or Radical 7 Influential ariseth from the Elements 8 Radical is the Justice or due giving to every one his own 9 Justice is Simple or Compound 10 Simple is Four-fold Hot Cold Dry and Moist 11 Compound is Four-fold Hot and Moist Hot and Dry Cold and Moist Cold and Dry. 12 Temperament is to be considered in respect 1 Of Sex 2 Of Age. 3 Of Place or Region 4 Of the Seasons of the Year 13 It is called Temperament 1 For its Excellency 2 Absulutely or Comparatively 3 By act or power of acting 4 By it self or by accident Also it is either Healthful or Sickly either alone by itself or with Flux of Matter Fluxes of Matter which hinder Temperament are Blood Choller Flegm Melancholly 14 Al these Hermetical Phylosophers cal Salts which are of divers abilities And thus much of the Common Affections The Species followeth to wit A Body with Life A Body with Life 1 It is either not sensible as Plants and Mettals or sensible as Living Creatures 2 Living Creatures are either Rational or Irrational 3 Irrational are Beasts of which some have Blood and some have none 4 Such as have Blood some have Feet and some have none 5 Of such as have Feet some have two as Birds some have four as Beasts 6 Of such as have no Feet some have Fins as Fishes some no Fins as Serpents Of al these in Order The second Part of the first Tome Of Living Bodies not Sensible and Sensible 1 A Living Body not sensible is that which we cal Vegetative 2 It is either perfectly Living as Plants or imperfectly as Mettals 3 The Doctrine of Plants is called Botanical LIB I. Of Art Botanical 1 ART Botanical is the Anatomy of Plants 2 The Instruments to be compared for this Art as also for all other Arts are Skill and Exercise 3 The Parts of this Art are Two The shewing the Reason of them and the History of them The shewing the Reason of Plants 1 It is the first part of Art Botanical which finds out the common Natures of Plants from their Causes 2 A Plant is a Vegetable Essence growing for the most part out of the Earth or Water 3 Its parts are two A Body and a Soul by which the Body is nourished encreased and brings forth seed 4 The Kinds of Plants are two Simple and Compound The simple are Garden and Wild. 5 The parts of a Plant are like or unlike 6 As in men there are Ages so there are in Plants and also in Herbs namely before they run to Flower in flower in seed or Fruit and when they shed their seed or Fruit. 7 Of Herbs some are nourishing as Wheat Barly
c. VIII Pectorals as Scabious Orris c. IX Breeding Milk as 〈◊〉 Smallage c. X. Breeding Seed as Pease Beans c. XI Extinguishing Seed as Rue c. XII Helps Burnings as Plantane c. XIII Dissolves swellings as Marsh-Mallows Orris c. 18 You have the Manifest Qualities of Simples the Hidden Qualities follow 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the 〈◊〉 cannot tell what to make of only their Ancestors gave them with good 〈◊〉 They have nothing to say for the 〈◊〉 of them but only Tradition and by that they are led by the Noses as they use to lead Bears along the street And in so doing pray tell me how much they differ from Empericks 20 You have the common Altering Qualities the Proper follow as they are attributed to certain parts of the Body Such are Cephalick Pectorals Cordials Stomachicals Hepaticals Spleeneticals Nephriticals Histericals Arthriticals 〈◊〉 if a Man should write plain English they are such as are appropriated to the Head Breast Heart Stomach Liver Spleen Break the Stone Cherish the Womb and the Joynts 21 You have such as Alter those that Evacuate Chacochymia follow And they do it by a Quality either Manifest or Hidden 22 They which Evacuate by a Manifest Quality are either washing clensing or making slippery 23 They which Evacnate by a Hidden Quality as they cal it do it either Insensibly as Sweating or Sensibly and that either upwards as Vomiting or downwards as Purging by Urin or Stool 24 Purging is either Moderate or Strong and 〈◊〉 certain Humors as Choller 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Water 25 You have the Qualities of Simples conducing to Health those conducing to Ornament should follow which because they rather consist of Compounds than of Simples we wil refer them to their proper place 26 Thus have you the qualities of Simples considered in General what now remains but that we enquire after the Special Anatomy of 〈◊〉 27 In every Medicine we must consider its common Affections and its Species 28 It s Common Affections are either its Subject as the place of gathering and preserving of them or Adjunct as the time of gathering of them and the time of their durance 29 According to Species the Medicine is made either of simple bodies or of mixed Of simple Bodies as Fir Air Water Earth 30 Of mixt Bodies either such as have life and not sence or such as have life and sence Such as want sence are such as come out of the Sea or 〈◊〉 out of the Land as Mettals Plants and their parts Thus you have the Signatures of the 〈◊〉 which are no certainer than they should be The Signatures of Hermetical Phylosophers follow which if you try you shal find a little more certain LIB IV. The Signatures of Hermetical Phylosophers both Internal and External by which they find out the Vertues of things 1 A Signature is either Internal or External 2 External is that which shews the Efficacy of a thing and somtimes the Temperature 3 It contains 1 The Signatures of Men taken from other Living Creatures 2 The Signatures of Plants by their similitude to some part of the Body of Man 3 The Signatures of Diseases 4 Medicines which help by similitude 4 Internal Signature is the Principle Cause 〈◊〉 and Foundation shewing the Vertue and Efficacy of a thing and it is called Vital Essential and Formal 〈◊〉 or Anatomy 5 These Internal Principles are three Sal Sulpher and Mercury 6 In these three constituting and vertual Principles the qualities that is Tast Smel and Color are found not by imagination and guess only but in Reality and Truth namely The Tasts are most found in the Salt the Smel in the Sulphur and the Colors in the Mercury 7 These three are found in every Elementary Body These are the things that bring it forth and preserve it being brought forth By these it flourisheth and is furnished with divers Operations 8 None of these three Principles are found alone but doth partake of some of the other for Salt by the benefit of these two Salts Sal Nitre and Sal Armoniack contains in it self a certain Oyly substance and Mercurial The Sulphur retains a certain Salt substance and Mercurial And Mercury retains a certain Sulpurous and Salt substance but it retains the name of that which it partakes most of Now what Analogy there is of these three with our Body I shal open God willing more plainly when I come to our 〈◊〉 Harmony which I promised before 9 Thus you have the Remote Theorick of 〈◊〉 the Neer follows Tome I. Part V. Of that part of the Theorick of Physick which is called Pathologia 1 THE next part of the Theory of Physick is that which explaineth the Universal Constitution of Man 2 In every Constitution four things are to be considered 1 The Disposition of the part to act 2 The Action 3 The Cause of the Action 4 The Consequence of the Action 3 Every Constitution of the Body is included under these three Differences namely Good Bad or neither of them both 4 Health is Good Sickness Ill Neutrality neither of them both Therfore Medicine is the knowledge of things Healthful Unhealthful and Neuter 5 Healthful Unhealthful and Neutrality is taken three waies 1 As a Body 2 As a Cause 3 As a Sign 6 A Body is said to be Healthful that enjoyes 〈◊〉 Health The Cause of Health is that which either brings it or preserveth it being obtained A Healthful Sign is that which shews the Body to be in Health 7 An Unhealthful Body is that which is surprized with a Disease The Cause is that which causeth the Disease The Signs are 1 Such as shew the kind and greatness of the Disease and they are called Diagnostical Or 2 Such as shew the Event of the Disease and they are called Prognostical 8 Neutrality is when the Body is neither perfectly wel nor yet sick between which two Extreams is a great Latitude For when a Man begins to fail in performing his Actions before he fals absolutely sick it is called a Neutrality of sickness when a man begins to recover again it is called a Neutrality of Health 9 The Causes of this Neutrality are no way 〈◊〉 neither are the Signs absolutely Demonstrative 10 The knowledge of things Healthful is called Hygiena or Diet under which also the knowledg of things Neutral is comprehended The knowledg of things Unhealthful if you regard the 〈◊〉 is called Pathologie but if you regard the Practice 〈◊〉 11 Pethal gie is 〈◊〉 part of Medicine which explaineth 〈◊〉 against Nature 12 The 〈◊〉 which are against Nature in Man are 1 The Disease which consists in the parts 2 The Cause which consists in the things contained of which we 〈◊〉 before 3 The Symptomes which consists in the Functions and Operations of the 〈◊〉 13 The Common 〈◊〉 and Species are to be considered in Pathologie 14 The Common 〈◊〉 is that which unfoldeth the Accidents of the Disease 15 It is called 〈◊〉 and
only judges by Evidences And take Indication alone for the principal and leading Rule of their practice They dealt by Triplicities and used but three kinds of Medicines according to the three Natures of diseases Viz. 1. Diseases of Binding 2. Diseases proceeding of loosening 3. Diseases compound of both these For they defended with all the wit they had That Loosness or Binding accompanyed all diseases and therfore they called them Communitvies Besides in all Cures they Presciribed Fasting as the Egiptians did as we shewed you before Lastly They observed certain scopes in administring Physick of which they called one Metasyntrecos with which they empted the body of Humors another Resumptivos with which they restored decayed Flesh. 4. Hermeticks or Alchymists which you please being something male-contented with such a Method of Physick brought in new Rules contrary to them 7. Medicine cannot want Alchymie the one is so helpful to another as man wife and therfore they ought not to be separated Many contend stoutly and stubbornly too That Physick is a sufficient body of it self without Alchymie And what a learned Argument do they bring to prove it think ye Galen and Hippocrates the two great Lights of Physick were without it A Cuckoos song is worth ten such Arguments They are far of another opinon whose Breasts Apollo inlightens with the light of nature for That without which Medicine cannot attain the end it was ordayned for namely To Cure the sick perfectly and speedily That is plainly necessary and ought in no wise to be wanting But we cannot do this by common Medicines without Alchymie Therefore Alchymie is very necessary and ought in no wise to be wanting The Assumption is thus proved Although when you look upon one of Galens Apothecaries Shops you see fine painted Boxes and curious pots that it would dazle your eyes to look upon them they are so finely painted That if there be a paradice upon Earth you would think it were there yet in the inside is nothing but filth and the very Carkeises and Dung of all Medicines Their common Medicines are grosse crude bodyes the vices of the simples are in as well as their vertues yea so many simples are in one Composition that they hinder one anothers operation and therefore how can they ease the sick without calling the help of an Alchymist to resolve seperate and exhale what is obnoxious thereby producing the hidden Natures of things for use For God hath vayled the greatest and most wonderful things that so he may stir up man to search after them else why did God hide the vertues of an Herb amongst his vices seeing he would have all things made manifest Also the Alchymist searcheth after the strength and Temperature of things the Causes and Originall of their actions and by Mediation of a certain pure body sets the very species and forms of things before your eyes I could bring an infinite Examples of this Opium is held to be cold because it is stupefactive but t is bitter therfore according to Galens Hypothesis hot you see then it contains in it self more properties then one which Alchymie teacheth artificially to seperate from one another Here then is no more doubt then there is knots in a Rush but that Alchymie is the Fountain of sound Phylosophy the key of Wisdom the soul and Marrow of Physick the Root of Medicine and the Mark at which wise men shoot therefore not to be separated from Medicine Nay we may say and that truly too That Physitians destiture of Chymical remedies are like to Smiths that give you an Axe that is dull or broken in the middle to cleave Loggs with yet seeing the Theory of Alchymy as wel concerning things Naturall as things not Naturall and preternaturall is not yet sufficiently unfolded and Methodically digested and is pestered with variety of names and Opinions Physitians follow the precepts of Galen and Hippocrates But O let us shake of this lazy life and learn the preparation of Medicines from Paracelsus and the Alchymists which is far fitter more pleasing and more profitable and let us use it to the glory of God the health of our selves and of our Neighbors This is the Reason moved me to handle both in this book That the Medicine both of Hypocrates and of Alchymy might be a Rule for us and that you may see the Sympathy and Antipathy between them The other two Sects namely Empericks and Methodicks if they be rightly understood pertain to them both for both embrace Experience both strive after Reason and Method Besides they seek after the knowledge of the body of man and conses that they search after the Elements principles and Causes by which the body may be changed as very necessary for stark naked Experience if it be not joyned with Reason is very dangerous and to build upon Reason alone is very difficult and many times puzles the wisest Physitians Neither do we approve of that ill favor'd fashion of scribbling Receipts which most commonly the Apothecaries either for want of learning do not understand or for want of care alter But we embrace that Manual pleasant and effectual preparation of Medicines which Alchymie teacheth Chap. 2. Of the Essence of Medicine and Alchymie 1. There is no doubt but Medicine may be given unto men There were a sort of men formerly in the world that were of an opinion and that opinion is scarce worn out yet That because Physitians dissented in Opinions the groundwork of Physick was built only upon imagination without one jot of Truth in it That no honest man may harbour such a thought in his breast Wee will proue the contraries by what followes 1. From a resolution of the action to the Habit for he that grants there is any operation without the understanding must needs grant it to be within either in Act or in possibility of Act. 2. From the sense of bruit beasts and Reason of men For that which bruit beasts know only by natural instinct man must needs know by observation But bruit beasts know the natures of Herbs and make use of them when they need them as we find by continual observation Ergo 3. From the actions of Physick from certain causes for if the Example of the action be certain the Cause must needs be certaine too But Examples of many Cures done by Medicine are certain Ergo. 4. From the Habit by the cause of the Physical actions to the Essence of the Medicine For if the causes of whatsoever be certain there must needs be a just knowledge of the same causes in the mind of him that knows them And this must needs beget a certain Habit according to which Habit he exerciseth the like actions 2. Secondly There is no doubt but Chymicall Medicines may be given unto men The Truth produceth Hatred said that famous Orator Cicero and that is the reason so few people look after it and those few such whose hearts God hath touched Therefore Alchymie was first
Judgment to be Passed accordingly Also the Nature of the Signes for some are Humane and they indanger Men most others the Signs of Beastes and they hurt Beastes most especially Some Specis of Beastes Imagine Horses Sheep Hoggs c. In watery Signs it hurts Fishes most 2 The actions of the Heavens Astrologers cal by the name of Universal Influence not because it workes Universaly in all Sublunary creatures for wee shewed the contrary but now but because it workes of it self without any other disposing cause 3 The Planets have a disposition to act Sublunary bodyes to suffer by action and passion are all things generated therfore are alwayes subject to them And the whol Creation being taken as one United body one part of it must needs be Subject to the other 14 There is such a Harmonie in the Creation that every particular Constellation Produceth Effects according to its own Nature 15 Therfore when the Horoscope or the degree ascending at the nativity of any man or beast or the building of a Town setting of a Tree sowing of Corne Changing of the Goverment of a Commonwealth or of a City is afflicted by the Conjunction of evil Plannets or Eclypse of the Luminaries It threatens the distruction of them and the time when you may know by Direction or progression 16 Hence it appeares that the Operation of these is two sold first upon those Clymates Provinces and Kingdomes under that Signe the Conjunction or Eclypse happens and secondly upon those Living Creatures In whose Genesis that sign ascended or upon Trees and Plants sowed under that signe 17 Neither are wee to thinke this cause worketh altogether absolute and simply of it selfe But other causes also intervene as il Diet want of convenient Remedie c. 18. By al that hath been spoken you may see how absolutely necessary the knowledg of Astrologie is to a Physitian that so when such Accidents happen so the Ascendent of a mans Nativitie or any other Hylegiacal part or indeed when any bad Direction comes which may signifie Death Hee may keep the body with fit Diet and convenient Remidies pure and cleare from such an Humore as at such a time will take fire at the least touch Thus you have what is agreeable It followes what is disagreeable to Medicine Desagreeable to Medicine and Alchymie are Confusion abuse and ill preparation of Medicine Ignorant and Blockheaded Physitians But those things Because they belong not to the Art it selfe but to the Artist we will speake of in the booke following And thus much for the Nature of Physick and Alchymie and also for this first Treatise The Second Treatise Of the Nature and Ministers of the Physitian and Alchymist WHerin come these three things into Consideration 1. The Definition of a true Physitian and Alchymist 2. The Office and Requisites of them both 3. The Witts of Sophisters and Impostors Chapt. 1. Of the Definition of a Physitian and Alchymist 1. A Physitian is a person called of God to that Office instructed by Doctor Reason and Doctor Experience to prserve the health of man and restore it being lost as much as is possible The more difficulty there is in Medicine the more Dignitie belongs to a good Physitian Scaliger discribes him thus A Physitian is a man learned and as honest as learned Gentle Diligent and Fortunat a man that trusts in God and not in his owne Skill Hippocrates thus A Physitian ought to bee filled with the Deitie he ought to be learned good and well Skill'd in his Art Hee ought to know what hee would do and bee able to put it in practise for the Health and life of Mankind is commited into his hand The Latins derive Medicus a Medio A Physitian from the Meanes by which hee Cures And to speake â—he truth A Physitian is a great imitater of Christ himselfe for as Christ cures our spirituall wounds so ought a Physitian our Naturall Hee ought to deny himselfe to bee mindfull of the Poore He ought not to regard Gayne for that 's the bane of the World Hee ought to bee one that knowes what spirituall good Christ hath done him that so at the same rate hee may do his Brother Temporal good freely without grumbling II. An Alchymist is a person called of God himselfe artificially to make profitable Medicines of Plants living Creatures and Mineralls as also as much as is possible to change base Mettalls into Noble that so they may bee the more usefull unto Man kind which are his Brethren I told you before that such as dealt in Mettalls gave the first occasion of finding out Alchymie for they first found out how what was mixed by nature might be seperated by Art And when they noted Gold to bee the most Noble Mettall and found it mixed with much drosse they conceived a hope of changing other Mettalls into Gold as well as Ore and when they found that things were made more perfect by Distillation and separation they began to try whether the same might not bee don by Herbs and Plants and by trying found it true and their Operation to bee more perfect And thus came the Art of Alchymy which before was purely Natural to bee Medecinall from beeing servile to Houshold uses it became excellent to restore Health for the Art of transmuting Ore into Mettall begatt the Art of transmuting Mettall into Medicine To which Doctor Reason adjoyning himself as a Companion for he loves ingenious wits finding that Ore may bee separated from his drosse and so become pure Mettall presently gave order the same should bee tryed in Hearbs and plants that so the drosse beeing separated from them the Medicine might bee most pure Just so it came to passe And thus came the Art of an Alchymist to bee conversant upon all Naturall bodyes The art of an Alchymist is to bee considered under a double notion 1. As a Physitian 2. As an Apothecary 1. As a Physitian Because he knowes the use of Simple Medicines Mettals and living Creatures and knowes not only what they are but what they are good for and is very well able to teach another how to prepare a Medicine 2. As an Apothecary Hee prepares Medicines exactly for the Physitians use You haue the Definition of a Physitian and an Alchymist The Requisites follow Chapt 2. Of what is requisite to a Physitian and Alchymist in the generall I. Of a Physitian and Alchymist are two things required Forme and Beautie Forme is held to bee an Historicall knowledge of certaine precepts but indeed and in truth it consisteth chiefly in Example and Experince II. Doctor Reason and Doctor Experience are thetwo pillars upon which a Physitian stands the Principles of his knowledge are Drawn from them Doctor Reason is his master Doctor Experience his mistris both of them Joyn together hand in hand to teach a Physitian how to cure a Disease What wonders can a Physitian do unless hee know such an Hearb Performes such an Operation Hath he any more