the soule for the life of the soule is of the power of liuing Thou art the seede of all thinges that be in operation and made manifest for nothing can come nor proceede from the Elements of parents nor of any seede if thou O Christ worke not if thou withdrawe thy working power from things they perish immediatly Thou O GOD the holy Ghost art the springing knowledge and vnderstanding flowing and proceeding from the Father and the Sonne Thou art the spirituall voyce of the manifest voyce or Sonne as the Sonne is the voyce of the voyce in silence therefore thou art of the Sonne and of the Father yet but one voyce one word that is one actiue power agreeing together before it maketh any thing to bee Thou art the Spirit of God the power of Christ and the Spirite of God is God therefore all three of one substaunce All thinges be in thee as al things be by the Sonne and of the Father Thou O God the holy Ghost art as it were the ministerie of God and doest deuide the graces and ministeries in the operation of life so that by thee the first seedes of things are nourished and sustayned and now also be continually moued and first bring foorth rootes and blades after stalkes eares flowers blossomes sâ—edes and fruite of each thing in his degree according to thy distribution and diuision of the giftes As the Father is the cause of the operation and the Sonne the manifest operation so all three are one action and substaunce Thou couplest and kâ—â—â—est the Father and the Sonne in one and art coupled with them and all other thinges thou ioynest in vnitie and band of peace And because in God to knowe is as much to say as to vnderstande and to knowe that one liueth and to knowe himselfe is to liue therefore to knowe or vnderstande and to liue is all one And because they be one and because to bee is all one with life and vnderstanding for true being can not bee without life and vnderstanding neither can life and vnderstanding be without such being therefore they be three yet one substaunce and one God So the soule of man in that it is a soule hath his being giuing life and vnderstanding is there in one And as God the Father is a Spirite substancially and the Sonne is a Spirite and motion moued and working openly so thou the holy Ghost art the secrete spirite and motion Thou implantest and giuest strength to liue and to moue and also sustaynest all things that they may exist and liue and also continue and be preserued And because thou art God thou art a Spirite and because thou art that Spirite thou doest quicken for it is the Spirite that quickeneth and because thou quicknest thou hast power of life for the Spirite is life therfore thou liuest and art life and substancially quickenest or giuest liâ—e to all thinges or makest life in all thinges But this Spirite and life which is in thee O God is not that which is in man beastes Angels or other thinges created but all thinges of the worlde created whatsoeuer they bee and of what sorte souer they bee doe receiue life and liue of that life according to their kinde of being and as that life doth breathe power and giue power of liuely vertue and strength to theÌ„ as the thinges be made able to receiue it For there must be Agens before there be Actio so in all thinges there is proper being life and vnderstanding or feeling according to their seuerall capacities which they doe receiue of being life and vnderstanding which three be all one that is of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost three persons one God in euery one of which three all these three vz. being life and vnderstanding are by which all thinges are made For though certaine thinges be attributed vnto the seuerall persons to bee proper to each of them in diuine thinges yet it is to bee vnderstanded to be the inseperable and agreeing operation of the three or Trinitie together for there is but one beginning and one cause of all thinges that be and parte of diuine thinges alwaies is the same that is the whole By these O mercifull God it may appeare how iniurious and contrary to thine honour and glory in creating of the worlde and to thy prouidence ouer the creatures that thou hast made is the heathnish Philosophy of Aristotle which admitteth nothing that cannot be demonstrated And also how falsely that Philosophiâ— maketh priuation to bee the third beginning of all naturall thinges and that it assigneth no Author nor propagator vnto the essences or natures which a saith be eternall and that that Philosophie will not allowe any cause of their being besides their motion and that some thinges that bee done are done without cause as deliberation c. From these and such other blinde and iniurious doctrine taught in that Philosophie good and mercifull God deliuer thy people and seruaunts And O most mercifull God because the heathnish Phisicke of Galen doth depende vppon that heathnish Philosophie of Aristotle for where the Philosopher endeth there beginneth the Phisition therfore is that Phisicke as false and iniurious to thine honor and glory as is the Philosophie For that heathnish Phisicke O God doth not acknowledge the creation of man whereby it doth not rightly knowe why he is Microcosmus or little worlde which is the cause why they neither knowe his deseases rightly neither prouide medicine for him aptly nor prepare it fitly neither minister it accordingly This heathnish Philosophie and Phisicke doth attribute thy workes O God to heate colde and such causes which it calleth falsely naturall So it teacheth that natural heate doth chauÌ„ge meate receiued into mans stomacke into blood flesh bones braines sineâ—â—es vaines and artires And that the like meare receiued of a dogge horse beast or birde c. by heate of that beast or fowle is turned into his flesh blood bones c. Much vnlike vnto that which is in man which operation and transmutation in trueth commeth of thee O God and not of any nature of heate and whereby in seeking for like cure in such defects their Phisicke must needes erre in not seeking helpe at thy handes nor praying to thee nor giue thankes to thee No more doth that heathnish Philosophie and Phisicke acknowledge that all seedes did receiue by thy diuine worde the power of multiplying of transplantation the essence and properties of which all Philosophie Phisicke and Alchimie doth consist Therefore they must needes erre both in the cause effects of thinges in the great worlde and in the little world Likewise because the heathnish Philosophie doth not knowe out of thy worde that thou O God hast made all thinges in weight number and measure therefore that Phisicke doth not knowe the cause nor cure of those deseases that bee either originally or inflicted into the inuisible parte of man Anima or Limbus nor to helpe them which
error Plato reproued in the Greeke PhisitioÌ„s long ago which Plato taught that Anima curat corpus And because the heathnish Philosophie doth attribute the cause of thinges to dead qualities of heate cold c. and not to the liuely vertues and powers in thinges therefore that heathnish Phisicke seeketh by like dead qualities to cure liuely and mechanicall spirites And because they vnderstand not that deseases doe proceede of the mechanicall spirites and tinctures of impure seedes ioyned to the pure by thy curse O iust God therefore they seeke not their medicines in the pure seedes And because O mercisull God the heathnish Phisicke and the heathnish Philosophie doth not acknowledge that it is thy power and vertue that bringeth forth all thinges that growe and that thy working power doth preserue and maintaine all thinges and that it is thy curing vertue that helpeth and cureth all deseases greeses and infirmities by such meanes as it pleaseth thee or without meanes therefore they cleaue fast to their false imagined naturall causes and meanes of helpe forgetting thee whereby many of them become Atheists And because the heathnish Phisick of Galen doth not knowe how thou O God hast ordeyned all thinges in vnitie peace and concorde therefore it seeketh the cure in dualitie and contrarietie To bee short because O most merciful God the heathnish Phisick doth not knowe that the purest best and medicinable parte of each thing is in his Center therfore it neither doth seeke neither haue his fauorers learned nor doe knowe how to finde that pure parte nor to separate the pure from the impure they cannot digest nor make ripe that is rawe they cannot chaunge sower into sweete they cannot mittigate the lothsomnesse of heates tastes smelles coagulations c. neither make any medicine volatile For which cause therefore doe they not knowe the power of the mechanicall spirites by meanes of their subtiltie finesse pearcing and moueablenesse neither do they knowe the finesse and pearcing by meanes of separation of thinges mixt with them neither the separaetion by meanes of digestion and circulation wherefore they doe not knowe how the mechanicall spirites of deseases doe differ among them selues and one from an other in power pearcing moueablenesse finesse grosnesse in easie or vneasie resolution and alteration and such like tokens whereby they are ignoraunt of the true causes of the pangs fits and passions of deseases and how and in what maner bodies and partes of bodies doe differ one from an other and among themselues For seedes do differ in partes of the body and as the seedes doe differ so the bodies and partes of the bodies doe differ one from an other and their natures and properties of which difference of the seedes coÌ„meth the difference of the mechanicall spirites conteyned in them in which the giftes and offices of the seedes doe florish Likewise might they know of the fits panges and passions of deseases the difference of the seedes and of the fruites of the seedes being knowne the seedes or rootes of deseases are knowne euen as the Peare tree is by the Peare because the fruites vz. the panges fits passions and maner of the deseases are brought forth like to the rootes Neither haue they any skill to reiect the Bynary and to bring the Ternary to the simplicitie of vnitie where by the medicines may bee purged from their carcases and impediments and the spirit Anima be brought out of darknesse into light by meanes whereof the corrupt body of man may bee so purged and purified that the troubled minde and oppressed memorie may bee quickned and releeued by thy gift O God and be made more able to vse the talent by thee giuen â—t the beginning and the more strongly to resist the wicked deceiuer and be better disposed to honest life and conuersation pleasing to thee O God Because O most mercifull God I doe finde these faultes and such like in the heathnish Philosophie and heathnish Phisicke I do know that by the fauorers and followers of that Philosophie and Phisicke I shalbe mocked laughed at had in derision and my sayinges and words shalbe wrested racked writhed dismembered pulled from their partes and turned from their right sence and meaning And the more vnskilfull the aduersaries be in the true Philosophie and Phisick and withall wilfull the more busie O God wil they be to replye with taunts quippes scoffes and gibes but such deserue no place nor time of answere Wherefore O most wise God author of all wisedome I pray thee instruct thy people and seruaunts in the true Philosophie and Phisick and open the eyes and mollifie the hearts of the followers of the heathen that they may see and followe the same for thine honor glory And from lying lippes and deceiptfull tongue deliuer me O God R. B. FINIS Chapter first What the auncient Phisicke is And what the phisicke of the Ethnikes or heathen is And that there is no trueth that is not deriued from Christ the trueth it selfe THE true and auncient phisicke which consisteth in the searching out of the secretes of Nature whose study vse doth flowe out of the Fountaines of Nature and is collected out of the Mathematicall and supernaturall precepts the exercise whereof is Mechanicall and to be accomplished with labor is part of Cabala and is called by auncient name Ars sacra or magna sacra scieÌ„tia or Chymia or Chemeia or Alchimia mystica by some of late Spagirica ars Which sheweth foorth the compositions of all maner bodies and their dissolutions their natures properties by labour by the fire following Nature diligently So that Philosophie naturall and supernaturall the Mathematicals Chimia and Medicina be so combined together that one of them can not be without the other I doe meane the true and right vse of Chymia and not the abuse thereof which promiseth golden mountaines vnder the vain title of Philosophie and Wisdome the wisedome whereof is consumed and wasted in smoke by force of the fire This auncient and true phisicke consisteth of Medicines of two sorts The first is Vniuersalis or vnarii The second is ternarii or particularis These two are founded vpon the Center of vnitie concord and agreement their scope and end is to bring the sicke person to vnitie in himselfe they doe agree with the rule of Gods worde they depend vpon the fountaine of trueth The Ethâ—â—kes or heathen haue of their own braynes deuised a third kinde of phisicke or Medicine which is binarii or vulgaris This is most grosse and worst and is that phisicke which is most commonly vsed and most stoutly mainteined and defended This phisicke is founded vpon a contrary Center to the other therefore a false Center For it consisteth in dualitie discord and contrarietie It maketh warre and not peace in mans bodie It is not founded vpon the rule of Gods worde but vpon the authoritie of men reprobate of God such as were Idolaters and ignorant of the
good seede able to mayster the badd by seperating the bad seedes in vapors through the pores and transpirations in the tyme of sweating and with the sweate whereby the vnitie and concorde is restored in the body whilest nature and the good seedes bee made so strong that the badd doe not exalt themselues aboue the other Likewise al medicines ministred into the body ought to bee such as haue propertie to bring the sicke body to vnitie and concord therfore like is to be ministred to that which is like in our nature which order doth depende vpon the true Center of vnion And contrary thinges are not to be cured by their contraries vnlike to our nature which maner of proceeding is from the Center of discorde contrary to the Center of vnitie and therefore a false Center For seeing that all thinges doe hang together in one chayne as is aforesayd man is partell of that chaine and Mycrocosmus hauing in it the properties of the great world spiritually therefore there is in the greate worlde that which is agreeable to the nature of man in what parte soeuer it be weakened or not able to resist his enemy which because of the conueniency and agreement with our nature doth desire to be ioyned with it Wherefore it must be ministred in due order finesse and proportion it is able to fortifie comfort and strengthen nature and our naturall balme and it wilbe as it were a weapon for nature against the enemy or disease whereby nature by him self wil become and be his owne phisition Therefore the Phisition ought to minister such things which nature in the place afflicted doeth require for the cure that is like to it selfe and not contrary qualities such as will make peace in the body and not warres vnitie and not discord such as will helpe nature and not trouble it and will strengthen it and not weaken it Such medicines for the loue and liking they haue to our nature afflicted haue a desire to be ioyned and coupled together as a hongry and thirstie man desireth meate or drinke which nourish well And as one friend coueteth and desiereth the company of his deere frends long absent which natural loue is the cause of perfection Therefore his proper and ordinary medicine is to be ministred to eche thing So shall we not neede of the Ethnikes directories And such like are to be ioyned to their like in right Anotomie We ought not to seeke helpe in things contrarie and repugnant who findeth medicine for the Liuer in Gratian Agarick or Colocinthis or who findeth medicin for the Gall in Manna Hony Sugar or Polipody therefore like are to be ioyned with their like in right Anotomy Ministering of contraries perteyneth rather to diet then to medicin and they may serue to mittigate the payne but not to take away the roote of the disease Humors and qualities to the which the folowers of the Ethnikes doe so much cleane and in the whiche they spende their study and labour are but onely dead accidents without power of lyfe They be conditions signes tokens and as it were onely flowers and colours of diseases and not the very matter cause substance or nature of the disease they are caused and not the causes Wherefore when they go about to cure the humor or qualitie they fiatter the payne and griefe but they leaue the disease vncured For the signes of thyngs are not the matter or substance it selfe Therefore he that wil be a perfect Phisition must know eche disease by his right Anatomie that is to say by the matter property and nature of the true substance of the disease as which of the three substances haue broken vnitie and not by the signe of it Also he must haue the right Anatomie of all diseases and of all naturall thynge before his eyes so shall he apply to eche infirmitie his apt remedy For by the concordance and agreement of the Anatomy of the herbe or other naturall thyng for medicine and of the disease the Phisition knoweth what things haue affinity together and ought to be coupled and ioyned together in vnitie For the right Anatomy cōsisteth not in cutting of the body but in the knowledge of the Amitie concord and nature of all naturall externe things with man which doe agree imbrace and receaue eche other and cōcord together in mutuall agreement in vertue power propertie and essense to defend nature So that by the right concord of these two Anatomies vz. of the disease and of the medicine true cure doth proceede and growe whereby is declared that lyke are to be ioyned with ther like like are cured with their lyke and that all health consisteth in vnitie and agreement in which of necessitie health is to be sought for And that sickenesse can not be taken away from the third creature by Binarius the Author of discorde and contrarietie but by vnari ruling equally in three Chater 6. Of the medicin Binarii or Vulgaris howe iniurious it is to the body By these aforesayd it doeth appeare how the medicines of the auncient Phisicke doe disagree with those medicines which be commonly in vse which be conteined vnder the third kinde of Medicine called Binarii or vulgaris For these medicines do more agree with the body because bodyes are nourished with bodyes then with Anima wherein Fons vitae consisteth This medicine helpeth little to long life or to the reliefe of Anima if it be feeble or hindred in his worke Because these medicines bee ministred with their bodies the worke vertue and power in them that should do good is hindered so that it doth litle good especially in partes of the body a farre of frō the Stomache For all things that shoulde serue for medicine should be purged first from their grosse substance because whilest the heauenly vertues be wrapped hidden and clogged in the matter or substance of their bodies they abyde and cleaue fast to them can not easely be parted a sunder vnlesse nature haue help thereunto prepared by Arte which may separate the pure from the impure otherwise the working of that heauenly vertue is hindered For it is the vertue of eche thing that is medicinable and not the body So that seeing separation of the pure from the impure must needes be made in the stomache if it be not made before because euery thing hath his corruption ioyned with it and because the vertues of eche thing be small in quantitie tyed and clogged with the masse of his body as is aforesayd it is better this seperation be made before the medicine come neere to the stomache then after in the sicke mans Stomache which is to weake to make such sepation Besides this by such grosse and rawe medicine the patient receiueth rather nourishment then medicine centrarie to their owne rules Omne medicamentum quod transit in alimentum cessant esse medicamentum For when the medicine ministred with his body or substance commeth into the Stomach
working to the skilful knowen it shal not only lose that haue it cleane takeÌ„ away but also it may bee brought to the highest degree of operation and working and made most perfect like to y e Aethereall fyre which nourisheth and quickeneth mans body whose property is to consume all corruptions caused hy the elementall fyre and with his batefulnesse to restore the naturall moysture which was consumed by the Elementall Fyre In these things labour and diligence is required which the followers of the Ethnicks for the ease sake loue not to heare of Yet God which hath created medycine would that the Phisition should prepare it by his labour and diligence For he selleth all things to vs for the price of our labour he willeth vs we should eate our bread in the labour and swette of our face There like probabitie of reason without knowledge of the working by this Arte maketh them to inueigh against medicins taken out of Mettals because they knowe not that before they be medicin they are not reducible into mettall againe but bee volatill spirits and they themselues being ignorant to get out such their nature vertue and propertie by Arte are glad to seeth Golde and steale in Drinke or Brothe and to giue Golde beaten into fiue leaues in medicin and to vse Pearls and Precious stones which be Mynerals also in power which is their body for medicin and sometimes the very bodies of some Mettals which is contrary to the Rules of this auncient Chymycall Phisicke and thinke they doe much good therewith 13 The folowers of the Ethnikes do call the names of diseases only the humors heate cold c. which be onely the signes of the diseases not the matter or cause of them So is the Agewe by them called and Agewe without any foundation in reason For this name is deriued of his heate which is onely the signe of the disease The Chimical Phisition taketh the names of the diseases of the matter property and nature of the true substance for all diseases are in the three substanties aforesayde therefore the Agewes ought to be called the disease of Sulphur of salt peter kendled for this cause diuers diseases are called tartareall diseases because of the likenesse of the propertie that those diseases haue vnto the Salt of Tartar which is most sharpe but the followers of the Ethnikes not knowing that Salt are sore grieued for that name and because the Chimical Phisitions doe lay tartar to be the cause of diuers diseases Or els the name is to be taken of the Medicin y t healeth cureth y e disease so by this meanes euery disease hath his right name and is rightly vnderstanded 14 In the medicins of the followers of the Etnickes no Anatomy is obserued but phantasie for qualities accidentall receaue no Anatomie In the Chymycall Medicins the Anatomy of the disease and medicine doe agree and ioyne together Hee considereeh the amitie concord and agreement of nature of externe and outward things with man and how they doe receiue and embrace eche other so is hee cunning and skilfull of the Anatomy and of the concordance of the two Anatomies the Phisition doeth growe so man is taught of the great world and not of man This Anatomy maketh a perfect Phisition when he knoweth the great worlde of that knoweth the disease in man by the disease of externe things and the Medicin by the medicine by the helpe of the Anatomie 15 The Medicins of the Ethnickes and their followèrs doe consist in grosse and rawe substancies in which the vertues of the medicine be fast tyed bound and incumbered with hurtfull baggage and therefore hard to be separated in the stomache and commonly they prouoke the pacient to vomite or at least his stomache abhorreth them The Chymycall Medicines for the most part be purifyed and pourged by the fire and the impure separated from the pure And the vertue and pure part onely ministred and therefore may be receaued without offence and that in small quantitie because the vertue of eche thing is small in quantitie but he ministreth not the substance and grosse quantitie or bodyes as the other doe vnlesse it bee in some Alimentary diseases 16 The followers of the Ethnickes in disccening diseases the original of them are merueilously trobled w t the causes antecedeÌ„t and conseqnent and with signes repugnant and agreeing and such other very doubtfull causes tokens and signes And so likewise in curing they proceede without respect of the right difference betwixt diseases vehement long circulated rooted and in places hard to bee remooued and their contraries with medicins grosse grosse grosse and sickly euen in such rooted diseases and in such places The Cimycall Phisition teacheth that the right causes signes and tokens of diseases be founded in the properties of nature their originals be by them rightly discerned And that some diseases be Caelestes other some be Terrestres by reason of the lower and vpper globe in mans body And they that be in the vpper globe are made mighty and vehement and harder to be remooued then those that be in the lower globe Wherfore those Alimentary diseases of the lower Globe may be cured with Arcana of vegetables but if they be in the vpper Globe they require medicins of higher degrees of preparation Likewise if the cause of the disease proceede of the Minerals or metals they must be cured with Arcana of Mynerals because such will not yeeld to Arcana of vegetables that is of hearbes and rootes c. But if the disease bee caused by influencies of the heauens neather of the other Arcana will serue but they are to be cured by Aâ—â—ronomy and influencies But those Diseases and griefes that come by supernaturall meanes will not be holpen by any meanes aforesayde but by supernaturall meanes Likewise the agreement of the Medicin with the disease in one degree is thus by those Phisitions coÌ„sidered that the Midicine that hath the pure onely separated from the impare may agrée in one degree with the diseases of the lowest degree of least danger and in places of least parrell and of least continuance And Medicins that haue that pure body sublymed and a purer thereby separated from it may agree with diseases more stubborne of longer continuance in place more perilous And medicins so sublymed after distilled in the Sunne may agree in degree with diseases most stubburne and of longest continuance For vnlesse the Mecicine doe agree with the disease in oue degree he can not preuayle because the weaker can not drawe consume nor expell the stronger In this sort doth the Chimycall Phisition proceede from medicins fyne and pure to purer fyner and most excellent and maketh choyse of his medicins as occasion serueth by the reason of the cause place vehemencie and continuance of the disease Such medicins doe not moulde and putrifie but will continue in the vertue a mans lyfe Furthermore by operation and working according
Mysteries Therefore all the wrytings of the auncient Philosophers and Poets are full of Riddles darke speeches and parables to auoyde the contempt of the common people Such were the often teaching of our sauiour Christ So in the Primatiue Church those that were Catechymeni and Energymeni and those that had penance enioyned them might heare the Psalmes and the reading of the holy Scriptures but they might not be present at the ministration of the Sacraments nor at the holy workes which were done afterward but they onely were present which were thought worthy ¶ An example by an excellent particular Chymicall Medicin vnder the title to conuert ☽ into ☉ TAke the greene dragon and bath hym in warme liquor so long vntill all his blood be come out of his vaynes take out the purer part of this blood according to arte and distill it then câ—hobate the same three time take this liquor and distill it with the Liuer of Mars and keepe it for a precious thing For it will turne the Calces of Luna into perfect Sol that is to say it will turne siluer into Gold But the true meaning hereof is that this medicin will conuert and turne those partes of mans body affected which be subiect or attributed to the moone into perfect health Chapter 4. Of the Medicine Ternarij or perticularis BVt because this vniuersall medicin and knowledge thereof is grâ—uÌ„ted of y e almighty God but vnto very fewe and is rather to be wished and praied for then to be looked for therfore the particular medicin called Ternarii as is aforesayd is diligently to be laboured for and searched out which often times performeth and worketh the effet of the vniuersall medicin euen in greeuous diseases in consuming the impure seedes of diseases and in confirming and fortifying the power of our inwarde and naturall Balme This medicin of Ternarii coÌ„sisteth in y e three substaÌ„ties which are to be fouÌ„d in euery body that is to say in Sal Sulphur and Mercuri For as eche body is compounded of these three so they be causes of all diseases and not humors In these three consisteth all mans health and sicknesse as long as they doe agree together the body is in health but as soone as they disagree and vnitie is broken betweene them and if any of them be exalted or breake vnitie the body is sicke Therefore there be three generall kinds of diseases and eche of them haue their especiall sortes of infirmities as there be sundry sorts of Sal Sulphur and Mercuri of diuers and sundry natures There be like wise three kinds of medicine required and eche kinde of sondry nature to preserue or restore mans body to health So that if any of these three be exalted to much and passe their meane or breake vnitie he must be amended and reduced to perfect state by his owne kinde and not by a contrary kind by way of trasmutation If the disease be mixed or compounde of any of these for there is no disease almost but is mixed by some meanes yet it hath one of these three that is chiefe then must such disease bee holpe with oue or two of these taken out of some other fit body or substance per propriuÌ„ ad suum innatum because nature couâ—teth his like nature and desireth much to be coupled ioyned and chaunged into his like This naturall desire is cause of all perfection As long therefore as the three substanties aforesayd doe abide in vnitie peace and concord in maÌ„s body and in their owne proper degrees without pride doing their office their body continueth in health But because nothing is perpetual nor continueth in estate long among creatures consisting of fleshe therefore by reason of the diuersitie of the giftes vertue and power which be in them and by reason of the impure seedes ioyned with our norishment they abide not long in their office they abide not long in their degrees they exalt themselues they breake vnitie peace and concorde the badd is seperated from the obedience and mixture of the good which breach of vnitie and seperation doth shew those sicknesses and deseases in mans body which before by reason of the vnitie concorde and obedient mixture could not breake forth appeare nor be made manifest The which thinges as they come to passe in man that is Mycrocosmus so doe they likewise in the great world Which therefore is called Mycrocosmus or the little world because after God had made all thinges in the great world of nothing he made man in whom spiritually be conteyned all those thinges that is the properties of all those thinges which bee really in the greate worlde as the auncient Philosophers haue taught by these and like wordes homo naturaliter habet naturam omnium tincturarum Therefore that this Mycrocosmus may bee inwardly knowne to the Phisition he had neede to haue lumen naturae that is the knowledge of thinges in the great world how all of them doe grow increase be chaunged and dye whereby he may by the insight of his minde vnderstand the inward and hidden nature of man Wherefore he that would perfectly knowe what inward thinges be in man he had need to compare the vertues and properties of the naturall things in the great worlde with the inward thinges of man As you may perceiue by wine for this purpose which as long as his spirite doth abide in him mingled with the tarte vineger in vnitie and peace the wine is sounde pleasaunt and perfect but as soone as the spirite of the wine is seperated from the mixture of the sharpe vineger then the vineger doth appeare is manifested and may bee tasted Likewise when the vineger is seperated from the tartar theÌ„ doth the tartar appeare So is it in all thinges when they growe to corruption putrifaction and dissolution then the good that was in them is seperated from the bad seedes the bad doe no longer abide in obedience of the good but haue broken peace concord vnitie and obedience whereby thinges doe growe to corruption death This auncient Chimnicall Phisicke doth teach such seperation of the good from the bad out of all thinges and to make them manifest to visible and palpable experience which the Ethnicke Phisicke hath nothing to doe with nor his followers hath any skill thereof yet they barke and bite against this skill through their ignoraunce Chapter fifth How deseases ought to be cured by peace and not by discord in mans body THerefore as when the seede of the disease or corruption in man is seperated from his temperature coÌ„corde and vnitie of the body or of the good séede in the body then the bodie feeleth griefe sicknesse so on the other side to seperate the impure seed that hach gotten the maysterie from the pure that is maystered is the way to get health therefore sweate which is the seperatioÌ„ of the vncleane froÌ„ the cleane is wholesome for it purgeth by the pores and transpirations so it maketh the
Paracelsus hath most Godly and learnedly expressed in his Labyrinth In comparison of which al other Aucthorities in those matters are small or none Ars Signata also hath his place to giue euidence of the properties of things 7 The Ethnickes themselues that write of Symples c. measure as the plowe man doth the nature of them by their outwarde tastes and accidentes which perish in digestion so fewe outward things keepe their degrees which the Hearbals describe for the middle bodie doth blinde the phisition The Chymicall Phisition in triall of the nature of thinges first spoyleth them of all their outward formes qualities impurities and accidents which be couerts and clothes of the vertues and garments or ornaments of nature because superfluities impurities c. doe come to bodies accidentally and not borne in them in their first nature nor bee in them radically therefore they are fugitine by reason whereof it is possible to spoyle them of their accidents and by the fire artificiall to purge and cleanse them and to take away all their superfluities and externe things meete for the plowman to iudge vpon leauing only their Arcana inward and secret things remayning for the phisition to iudge vpon For mortification is the beginning of dissolution and separation of good from euill Whereby the inwarde Nature and arcana thereof doeth remayne free from his accidentes which then do shewe the verie properties and nature of things Aron called in english Coccowpint hath a very hotte taste in the leaues and roote Wormewod hath a bitter taste yet by light digestion preparation and separation of their vertues and properties from their bodies they vanish away and be lost It is otherwise in Ginger because his heate is stable liuely and fouÌ„â—ed in his naturall seede vertue or propertie and cleaueth to it stedfast The Vitrum of Antimonie is without any tast yet for all that is vehement Purgation Lead like wise hath no taste yet notwithstanding a pleasaunt sweete Sugar wilbe drawen out of it comfortable or pourging medicines or such as cause sleepe can neuer be found out by their taste of heate or cold The practisers in this arte doe finde by experience by healpe of the fire that eche thing hath two natures that is occultum and manifestum and that manifestum is commonly contrarie to occultum By this meanes of the fire they find Quicsiluer in manifesto is cold and moyste and within his occultum is hotte and drie And farder that in ech thing is good and bad of the bad doe diseases rise by the good being separated from the bad the same diseases are cured holpen This good thing is ArcanuÌ„ of that thing and is in the inner parte of the thing in occulto and is not tasted before separation as in Arsnick and poysons And diseases caused by Quicksiluer Lead or any other thing bee cured by Arcana taken out of them Hony and Sugar haue good in manifesto but in occulto they haue sharpe poyson which can not be tasted before separation Glasse is hidden in ashes Glewe in leather Therefore the outward tastes of the inwarde body of any thing doeth not nor can trie the inwarde nature vertue or propertie of any thing which should serue for medicine Euen as the Stomache doth prepare all things put into it and dissolueth seperateth and breaketh all the accidents of heate colde c. and searcheth out all their Arcana and verâ—nes of the meate because all other thinges dye in the stomack euen so the Herbe Plant c. must putrifie and dye in putrifaction and bee borne againe before it be a medicine But the sâ—cend life which is after putrifaction is profitable for medicine For a Graine doth not bring forth fruite vnlesse it bee first cast into the grounde and suffer putrifaction so the stomacke leaueth nothing whole or vnputrified but seperateth digesteth and putrifieth all thinges put into it but if they dye not and putrifie in the stomacke they doc no good but it is a signe of weakenesse thereof So what soeuer of the Hearbes Plantes c. dyeth or goeth away with the life thereof as the outwarde ornamentes doe whatsoeuer doth not remaine after putrifaction nor doth passe in regeneration that is not subiect to the Phisition Therefore those thinges that let putrifaction let health And vnlesse all the outward thinges bee spoyled there can bee no knowledge of their natures And vnlesse all the olde nature of things doe passe into regeneration there will bee no right medicine Therefore all the Phisitions labour and endeuour ought to be bent about the seperation of the pure from the impure and about regeneration For from thence â—â—â—w Tyncturâ—s Arcana Quintum esse in which be reposed and hidden all misteries the whole foundation true labour and care of the Phisition 8 The Heathen Phisitions and their followers say there be fower humours in man and according to those humours they attribute to man fower complexions The Chymical Phisition sayth ech member hath his proper humour not like to any of the fower but according to the câ—â—itution of the members and their effect ech member possesseth his owne humour and that ech disease consisteth vpon one qualitie and not vppon two or many And that there is but one heate one colde one moysture and one drynesse because it cannot bee proued that there is a dubble or treble colde substaunce hott moyst or drie substaunce Neither doe those humours receiue any anatony nor yet can they bee shewed as the three principia can And humors are dead thinges without life or power of life 9 The Heathen Phisitions and their followers take vpon them to discerne the deseases in man by the complexions humors and qualities The Chymicall Phisition teacheth if the Phisition couet or desire to know the nature of maÌ„ with al his deseases he must first know the deseases of all thinges which nature suffereth in the greate worlde by reducing those bodies into their three substanties So then shall he see one desease in this kinde of thing in that kinde an other desease but in man he shall see them all For by the Anatomy of the three substanties the Seedes Rootes foundations causes similitudes and likenesses of the effects panges griefes and fittes which appeare in deseases sicknesses are knowne and espyed If he ioyne these thinges together he shall be indowed with the knowledge of all deseases And the knowledge of the nature and effect of deseases of the great world pertayneth to the Phylosopher Thereby therefore shall he bee a perfect Phylosopher And where the Philosopher endeth there beginneth the Phisition And he that can know the nature of man and his deseases and the efficient causes of them as the Phylosopher knoweth the causes of deseases of externe thinges for that which hurteth Hearbes and Plantes c. that causeth the like in man and can bring nature to that point and passe that it may bee made fit and apt to helpe and cure
the desease by extracting out of things in the greate worlde that which is wholesome and fit and by casting away that which is vnprofitable and knoweth the efficacie strength and vertue thereof and doth so apply and minister the same that it cureth the desease such an one is to bee accompced a Chymicall or Spagyricall Phylosopher and Physition For Chymia and Medicina may not be seperated asunder no more theÌ„ can preparation or separation from knowledge or science 10 The Heathen Physitions and their followers attribute the causes of all deseases to dead accidents vz. to the first and seconde qualities c. So they make no difference betwixt fire and smoke betwixt seedes and their fruites betweene substanties and their accidents betweene the thing it selfe and his excrements The Chymicall Physition proueth that there bee spirituall Seedes of all maner deseases indowed with liuely power which bring forth those qualities all other fruites of deseases and their sundry kinds of griefes in our bodies as y e earth bringeth forth fruite by meanes of seedes in it And that those qualities be onely signes colours and Symptomata of deseases And though ech desease be either hot or colde c. yet they be but signes and conditions of the desease and not the desease it selfe But all deseases are in the three substanties of Sal Sulphur and Mercury For the spirites or spirituall essentâ—es being kindled resolued sublimed and brought to action doe ascribe the cause of their operations and actions to those principia Yet it is to bee vnderstanded that some greeses doe come to man which be not properly deseases but lesiones or hurtes 11 The Heathen likewise measure their medicins according to those accidentall qualities aforesayd The Chymicall Physitions in their medicines consider the essentiall vertues and actions of the medicines not the qualities accidentall But the followers of the Ethnickes them selues in taking one hott thing before an other as Pepper before Camamil c. and one cold thing before an other doe testifie sufficiently that they seeke not heate nor cold but Arcana which they thinke to be degrees Therefore the Chymicall Physitions consider the nature of things and not the humors or qualities their seedes and the effects of their Mechanicall spirites As whether they be Attractiua Anodymae Abstergentia Aperitiua Constringentia contrahentes Quale membrum principale respicientia or in carne cartilagine ossibus sanguine Synouia c. operantia condensantia conglutinantia Corrosiua confortantia coagulantia digestiua diuretica dyaphoretica dormire facientia discussiua expulsiua eracuantia extenuantia famen morentia grauedinem moreÌ„tia horrorem morentia renouantia incidentia incrassantia inflamantia incarnatiua mundificatiua mollificatiua maturantia mortificatiua morbos quosdam respicieÌ„tia Martialia Narcotica Nitrosulphureae nutritiua oppilantia purgatiua penetratiua retentiua regenerantia repellantia repercussiua resoluentia trahentia vlceratiua venenum repugnantia vomitum morentia and such like Some curing of a wounde they take things that haue propertie to bring or ingender fleshe without consideration of heate or colde And for the Dropsie those thinges are to be taken which doe expell Sal resolutum without consideration of heate or colde And in PurgatioÌ„s Colocynthis doth purge without respect of the qualities So in all Purgations the Ethnicks them selues are driuen away from their qualities accidentall Hereby appeareth the cause why the followers of the Heathen often tymes yea after their consultations either knowe not what to doe or els determine often the worst rather theÌ„ good for their patient as when in a Mynerall desease the toe or foote is growing towardes mortification because BalsamuÌ„ humanum that should keepe vnitie betweene the three principia in that parte is oppressed with impediments as Gold in his Myne and faileth there and is not mingled with that parte wherefore it cannot presâ—rue it from putrifaction whereby that parte groweth first to a sâ—nâ—â—lâ—sse Adustâ—oâ— â—nd after if an vnnatural heate doe come to it then it groweth to Gangreua for cure whereof the naturall Balme inwardly ought to be clensed and outwardly preseruantia as Mumy or Balme taken out of other fit matter ought to bee applyed to it Then regenerantia and renouantia not that paynefull cutting and mangling of that parte of the body Likewise in Caukrose and corrosiue Vlcers they purâ—e and â—uacuate moysture out of the body which should mitigate the corrosiuenesse of the Salt and so increase the desease Also when any corroding Salt in the bloud exalted hath frett through some vayne within the body whereby sometime the patient auoydeth pure bloud douneward they vse Purgations the next way to make an ende of them or els that shipmans hose and suprema aucora of the diet the profitablest thing that euer they could deuise for their purses and not alwaies for their patients whereas sanguineÌ„ renouantia dulcedines out of apt things rightly extracted and potiones vulnerariae and consolidaÌ„tia ought to bee vsed Finally all thinges haue their power and vertue not of the qualities but of their nature which excelleth in them Wherfore all vertue of things are their Arcana that they may heale the deseases after that maner as they be caused 12 The Ethnikes doctrines standeth vpon contemplation Sophistrie argument opinion and probabilitie of reason without proofe and commonly fighting against experience The Chimical doctrine standeth and fouÌ„ded vpon experience ioyned with knowledge of the propertie vertue and nature of euery thing and not vpon the knowledge onely of his operation and working nor vpon contemplation onely but in action not vpon reason onely but vpon experience whereby his workes bee made perfect and trueth tried Thereby he learneth what man is what the medicine is howe they agree in right Anatomy For medicin consisteth in nature so that nature is medicin which ought to be learned in nature and nature hath brought forth medicine by experience so that by fire and labor the phisition maketh nature manifest wherefore without the doctrine of fire there is none other schole by the which we may learne phisicke So that experience and practise ought not to proceede of speculation but speculation ought to be deriued out of practise This practise and experience teacheth that a medicin prepared by the heate of the Sunne hath an other power then that which is prepared by the fyre Coles and dung and that the heat of water and sand doe worke diuersly though they be outward heates and that one medicin or simple by preparation may be made to worke diuers operations and made fitte for diuers purposes as appeareth by experience So that probabilitie of reason onely against true and perfect proofe found out by practise and experience maketh the folowers of the Ethnikes to say that all medycins prepared by this Arte doe get a fretting corrosiue and hurtful property by the fire For it by the fire the medicin doth get at the first any euill corrosiuenesse yet by operation and by degrees of
to this Arte you shall see with your eye and perceyue the reason why one disease is vehementer then an other why in one place it is more painefuller then in an other why in continuance of time the disease is harder to bee remooued then at the first why some diseases be vehement and yet continue long why some be suddenly vehement and seone gonne Why other bee long in growing why some be extreame why some be not why in some places of the bady they he more easely remooued then in an other wherby you shalbe led into the knowledge of that parte of the body wherein the roote of the disease lurketh 17 The folowers of y e Ethnikes in iudgement of Vrin. most of them take vpon them to pronounce of al diseases in any part of maÌ„s body by looking on the water Other some of them confesse that they bee able to iudge of those diseases onely which be in those partes of the body through the which the Vryn passeth And some of them affirme that the Urin is Meretrix and deceitfull yet all of them are contented to make gaine of the looking vpon the Urin. The Chymicall Phisition affirmeth that such iudgement of vrine is monstrous and that the right iudgement is to bee had after due seperation thereof be made by fire so shal he see the matter of ech desease and his medicine and touch it with his hande whereby he shalbe able to giue a perfect iudgement if he bee able to iudge as becommeth a Phylosopher and a Physition By this meanes shall hee finde the vrine not to bee Meretrix nor lyar 18 The followers of the Ethnickes to purge spirituall tyncturs of deseases doe minister rawe and indigested medicines which drawe from the stomacke and other partes thinges necessary for them aswell as excrements And also such Purgations do withall purge humidum radicale and thereby doe shake the body and weaken it and leaue behinde them much venenositie for lacke of due seperation But in such deseases greeuous and deepely rooted or in places principall or parts where deseases are hard to be remoued such Purgations doe vexe and torment the bowels which haue not deserued it in vaine without any helpe or ease because the stronger is not drawne of the weaker The Chymicall Phisition knowing that onely the superficiall and grosse impurities in primis officinis alimentorum will yeeld to Purgations and be expelled by seege and stoole therefore to purge spirituall tyncturs of deseases and also against deseases in places farre distant from the first receptacles of our meates or in principall partes of the bodie he vseth spirituall tyncturs for Purgations which doe purge radicitos within and without that is to say they take away not onely the superficiall impurities by seege and stoole but also the deepe rooted spiritual tyncturs of long continuaunce and fine circulation either by absolute and perfect consuming of them without any sensible auoyding or expulsion or els by mundifying and clensing of Balsamum and the Spirites and Elementes of man and renuing of blood or els by dissoluing clensing sending abroad the rooted spirituall tyncturs of deseases by vrine sweate and insensible transpirations 19 The followers of the Ethnickes in their medicines credite Recipe of Gallen Auicen and such other though in these daies the bodies of men bee not so strong as they were in their time And though deseases in nature doe dayly alter and newe are bredd which were not in their time knowne And if they doe not followe those olde receiptes of their Authors but make newe medicines of themselues yet they haue none other skill but to trie them and make their experiment vpon men Thè Chymicall Phisition calleth such receiptes decipe and willeth their followers to leaue such receiptes and to prouide that the medicine doe agree with the deseases in one degree For if it fayle in degree it fayleth in cure And as in manuall operation he willeth his followers not to worke before they know the nature of the worke which they intende So in ministering of medicines he willeth theÌ„ not to minister before they know the cause and nature of the desease and what and how much it wanteth of his proper nature and what and how much it hath gotten of an other nature For incognita causa à casu procedit cura to the knowledge wherof wee ought to come as the Alkimistes doe come to the knowledge of the body that is to them vnknowne and not by trying of the medicine in man For Ve his qui nesciunt experiri nisi in hominibus as that worthie Chymicall Phylosopher and Physition Roger Bacon sayth and per effectus facta signa causa tuenda est Chapter 9. The causes why this Arte is euill spoken of and findeth fewe fauourers BY these coÌ„trouersies thou maist see gentle Reader that most of the matters wherein the Chymicall Physition doth differ froÌ„ the Ethnickes and their followers bee such as doe not consist in opinion or dunsicall wrangling and arguing as those of the Ethnicks doe but in palpable sensible and visible experience which is the maysteries of Artes and Sciences of which maner of experiences and operations the followers of the Ethnicks are vtterly ignorant wherefore it is no maruaile that they inueigh so vehemently against this Arte. For therein they verifie the old saying Ars non habet inimicum preter ignoraÌ„tem It is an vniust dealing for any man to reproue hate and with despightfull wordes to inueigh against that whereof he is ignorant For loue and hatred ought to proceed of knowledge whether the thing descrueth to be loued or not and not of chaunce But when a man knoweth not whether the thing be worthy to be loued or hated how can he giue a â—ust reason of hate thereof especially when the thing wherof he is ignorant may be good Therefore it is great reason that a man should knowe what the thing is whereunto it leaneth and appâ—rtayneth before he hate it or if he be ignoraunt thereof then not to hate it Which of them knoweth what way to begin to seperate the Salt Sulphur and Mercury from Hearbes Plants and all other thinges as it ought to bee artificially according and agreeable to the properties and seueral natures of ech Herbe Roote c. For diuers and seuerall Hearbes require seuerall maner of seperations Plantes haue their peculiar seperations Mynerale theirs Marchesies theirs c. Which of them doth knowe the seuerall maners of Calcination Reuerberation Cementation Inceration Imbybytion Paâ—tation Liquefaction Ablution Sublymation Exaltation Contrition Resolution Putrifaction CirculatioÌ„ Inhumation Distillation Ascention Fixation LauatioÌ„ Coagulation Assation CoÌ„gelation Fermentation c. And the natures and properties of these seuerall works and operations whereby Regeneration Tvncturs Arcana Magisteria Quintum esse and Elixirs be had and gotten Which of them can tell what transmutation of Elements meaneth Eau any of them make ripe the rawe medicine separate the pure froÌ„ the impure turne bitter
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
Poeticall Fables darke speeches and coloured tales doe secretly hide and couer this whole Arte taught by the Poets in Method and wrapped in Ridles namely after Plato by the Poets Ouid and Virgill which liued in the yeare of the world 3959. and fower yeares before Christ was borne which did chiefly excell in this Arte and did hide the same in secrete speeches and darke tales Chapter 17. Of certeine Phisitions that vsed Chymical Medicins aud of the three sects of phitions that were betweene the time of Hypocrates Gallen And that the Chimical Phisitions ought rather to be called Rationales then the Galenists And that Galen folowing Hypocrates 600. yeres did comment vpon him against his meaning and words And how Hypocrates agreeth with the Chymicall Phisitions A Echines of Athens did vse to helpe cure the disease called y e Qwinscie the kernels growe in y e mouth and the inflammation that commeth by the same and the Canker in the mouth with the Ashes of a brunt man This medicin he called Botrion as Plini writeth lib. 28. ca. 4. Artemon also did helpe the falling sicknesse with the Ashes of the Skull or brayne panne of one that was killed and burned in the fire by giuing the same to the pacient in water in the night time as Plinie writeth lib. 28. cap. 1. Aeschrion did helpe them that were bitten with a madde dogge with the Ashes of Sâ—acrabâ— These and such other experiments depending vpon the foundation and principles of this Chimicall Phisicke doe prooue that the same hath had his continuance vntill Christes tyme and after For this Aeschrion was Empericus and Gallens master who liued in the yeere of the world 4139. which was after the incarnation of Christ 178. yeres and after the time of Hypocrates about 600. yeâ—res In which space of tyme betweene Hypocrates and Gallen our newe Phisiâ—ions say were three kinds sects of Phisitions y t is Rationales the Prince and chiefe whereof they woulde haue Hypocrates to be The second sort bee the sect of Emperici The differeÌ„ce betweene these two sects they say is this that Rationales doe vse both reason and experience to sâ—nd remedy for diseases agreeable to them but the other are onely contented with the vse of those things which by often obseruation they haue found to doe good Although any man would enterprise first to make medicin vnlesse hee were before thereunto mooued by some reason that the experiment thereof would take successe The third sort were Methodici which as the new Phisitions say doe refuse to search out the secret causes nor yet doe allowe of particular experiments which Emperici doe cleane vnto But they reduce all particalar affects vnto two generall that is to say to Astructum and Laxum and they doe affirme that all maner cure doth consist in binding the loose in loosing that is bounde Yet these ought not to be condemned to haue tought this without some reason ioyned with some experience before they established their doctrine Therefore the Galenists doe very presumptuously chalenge to them selues only the name of Rationales whose foundation doth depend vpon a false Center of dualitie and contrarietie contrary to the true Center of vnitie and vppon the false and vncerteine iudgement by the superficiall and outwarde taste and smell of things whereby they take vppon them to iudge of the nature of them leauing the inward and hidden nature of the thing vnsearched and not reached vnto they search consideratioÌ„ and knowledge wherof doeth onely make a reasonable Phisition wherof they are vnterly ignorant as is aforesayd Therefore the Chimicall Phisitions to whome this search and knowledge doth apperteine ought rather to be called Rationales medici then their aduersaries and their phisicke ought to bee accounted vayne false and vncerteyne and not this Gallen following Hypocrates 600 yeares as is aforesaide tooke vpon him to Comment vpon Hypocrates and contrary to his masters doctrine set downe in his booke de antiqua medicina he attributeth y e causes of diseases their cures to bare dead qualities of heat could c which be caused and not causes And so our later Phisitions following their Prince and Captaine Gallen that heathen and professed enemy of Christ in steade of Phisitions and healers or curers of sicknesses and griefes are become warmers or coolers and bathers whereas Hypocrates teacheth plainly and expressely that diseases are not caused nor cured by the bare dead qualities of heate and cold c. but by such things y t haue power to worke which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein he agreeth with the auncient and true phisick of the Chimists which teacheth that diseases are caused and all naturall actions are performed by liuely and spirituall vapors and Essenties which they call by the name of starres diuers other names And that they are to bee cured by such as they are themselues in finesse power and strength according to this Chimicall rule Necesse est vt astra fiant medicamenta astris ipsis que morbos creant accommodentur Chapter 18. Of the continuance of this arte in Aegypt vntill the time of Dyoclesian the Emperour and a notable monument thereof in Italy and the spreading of this art into other Countreys and of diuers writers of this arte betweene Galens time and Paracelsus AS you haue heard of the continuaunce of this Arte in Aegipt vntill Plato his tyme and from thence how it hath bene deriued into Greece and into other places so also you shall vnderstande that it florished mightely in Aegipt in the tyme of Dioclesian the Emperour of Rome which liued in the yeare of the worlde 4252. and after the Natiuitie of Christ 292. as Swydas others doe write And as this Arte was brought into Italy by Pythagoras and there continued by his Schollers and followers so no doubt as the Romaines did get and gather the vse of the best lawes of those Countries which they conquered so did they also the best Artes Sciences learning knowledge out of all partes of the worlde which they subdued to their dominion as appeareth by the skil that Ouid and Virgill had in this Art and diuers others after them And also by that most auncient Monument and wonderfull proofe of this Arte of Chymia that was found at Padway or Pauie in Italy that is in an earthen pot wherein were these verses written Plutoni sacrum munus ne attingite fures Ignotum est vobis hoc quod in vrna latet Namque elementa graui clausit digesta labore Vase in hoc modico Maximus Olibius Adsit foecundo custos sibi copia cornu Ne pretium tanti depereat laticis An other litle pot of earth was within this mulieruÌ„ and Ludus puerorum Rosarius and diuers workes intituled de Alchymia and de magni lapidis compositione The names of their Authors bee vnknowne and many others aswell in Print as in written hande Chapter 19. That Theophrastus Paracelsus was not the
inuentor of this Arte but the restorer thereof to his puritie and that he hath giuen more light thereunto then any other before him and the testimonies of great cures that he did by this Arte and of diuers writers and learned Physitions which since his time haue written of this Arte. AFter all these followed that famous and worthie Phylosophicall Chymist Theophrastus Paracelsus whose paynes were intollerable in searching out the secrets of Nature and in setting forth and amplifying this Arte and in practise wonderfull He was not the author and inuentour of this arte as the followers of the Ethnickes phisicke doe imagine as by the former writers may appeare no more then Wicklife Luther OecolaÌ„padius Swinglius Caluin c. were the Author and inuentors of the Gospell and religion in Christes Church when they restored it to his puritie according to Gods word and disclosed opened and expelled the Clowdes of the Romish religion which long time had shadowed and darkened the trueth of the worde of God And no more then Nicholaus Copernicus which liued at the time of this Paracelsus and restored to vs the place of the starres according to the trueth as experience true obseruatioÌ„ doth teach is to be called the author and inuentor of the motions of the starres which long before were taught by Ptolomeus Rules Astronomicall and Tables for Motions and Places of the starres and by others whose Tables of motions of the starres by long excesse of time grewe to be vnperfect which imperfections by Copernicus his obseruations were disclosed opened and brought to the former puritie nor yet is the lawe of nature in the starry motions now though newly and lately we haue the old tables reformed and trueth liuely restored Neyther was any Countrey or people at any tyme tyed and fast bound to one kinde of Salue Oyutment or Medicin but it was lawfull and needefull for men to search and find out and to adde better to that was in vse and to altar the same though it were vnlike and contrarie to that was before vsed So that latter ages haue alwayes added somewhat to the former and newe diseases require newe Medicins And so much the rather for that by the Ethnickes phisicke old and common diseases haue not their certeine remedies as the Goute the Leprosie the Dropsie the falling sicknesse nay now and then the Quarteyne and blacke Jaundies yea what adoe sometime doth the seely toatheach make among them to cure it nay what disputations and mutes are to be maintained about the cause of it by their doctrine Therefore true searche and true proofe by him made and reuiued and true principles by him restored are and ought most ioyfully of others to be embraced folowed But after the trueth is found and established then to seeke or goe about to alter that is to seeke after lacsings His most enemies can not denie but in Surgery and also in Phisicke he did great cures and had great skill in preparation of Medecins Erastus his greatest enemy in the Preface of his first volume to y e Reader hath these words StudiuÌ„ diligentiaÌ„ quam in preparatione medicamentorum certoruÌ„ adhibuit nequaquam reprehendimus sed vehementer commendamus Againe hee sayth Laude eum sua frustratum non velimus dum artem preparandi destillandi quasi reuocare ad vsum conatus fuit Such like commendatios I finde in him and in other of his enemies though in trueth this is no coÌ„mendatioÌ„ of Paracelsus in Erastus his mouth which can no skill of preparations of Medicins according to this Chymicall arte But in this that his most enemy is compelled to confesse the trueth of preparation of his Medicins by reason of the successe that followed in the ministring of them to his Patients This Epitaphe grauen in a Marble stone reared against the outside of the Church wal of S. Sebastian at Salsburge at the fote of a payre of Staires going downe vnto the Churchyard there yet to be seene doth shewe and prooue what opinion they had of hym which knew him concerning his knowledge in Phisicke which is as foloweth Conditur hic Philippus Theophrastus insignis medicine doctor qui dira illa vulnera Lepram Podagram Hidropisin aliaque insanabilia corporis contagia mirifica arte sustulit ac bona sua in pauperes distribuenda collocandaque ordinauit Anno Domini 1541. die Septembris 24. Vitam cum morte mutauit Pax viuis requies aeterna sepultis He in his life time was had in such reuerence as it is written of him that some called him Rabbi Moyses Some called him Hypocrates some Esculapius some Monarcham perpetuum Othersome called his doctrine a natural Gospell the storehouse of trueth Othersome did not stick to affirme that the world had not his like It is credibly wriâ—ten of him y t he healed twelue Leapors at Norymberge opeÌ„ly brought to him Cyriacus Iacobus Typographê° in an Epistle dedicatory to the mightie Prince Otto CouÌ„tipalatine of Rhene and Duke of Bayerland writeth this if his Latm be Englished They which haue the thinges yet in freshe remembraunce doe reporte that not long agoe there was one Theophrastus of Transsiluania who hauing knowledge in the secrete misteries of this arte founde out a matter which without doubt the old and auncient Phylosophers the serchers out of nature hidyng by darcke parrables and couert speches woulde signifie and giue the world warning of and in appliyng ministering the same to mans body he hath performed wouderful almost diviue thyngs for he dâ—ubted not by the means of y t thing to cure those three most greuious dezeses that is to say the Goute Leprosie fallyng sicknesse besides all other dezeses wherein he did wonderfull cures There bee a great number of learned Philosophers and Phisitions as well such as weare Galenists as others which at this daie doe embrace follow and practise the doctrine methods and wayes of curyng of this Chimicall Phisicke As D. Petrus Seuerinus in Denmarcke Philosopher and Phisition to the Kyng of Denmorke now raigning An other is D. Albertus Wimpineus a Phisition also and Philosopher whose patron is that noble Prince Alberte Paltzegraue of Rhene Duke of high and lowe Bauaria Hee in his Epistle dedicatorie before Archidopa of Paracelsus by him published in douche doeth reprehend the folowers of the Ethnicks whoÌ„ hee calleth wenyng great Docters because they giue so muche praise to Aristotle Hipocrates Galen c. for ther labour and trauailes onely to Theophrasus Paracelsus they are not onely vuthankesull but withall they speke ill of him and reuile him although he hath exercised him self more then any of the Philosophers or Phisitions in the hid secrets of Nature serched them out knowne them published them for the preseruation and furdering of the long life of man which their doyng he iudgeth rather worthie to be accompted wilfull blindnesse then iudgement agreable to knowledge and manhode And he giueth this farder reason of their doyngs For they perceiue
some other place of his worke he him self doth better expound and declare and by such as be perfect and true principles of true Philosophy agreable with the puritie of Gods word contrarie to the rules of the Ethnickes Paracelsus boâ—â—eth the riddles parabels dark speches wherewith he shadowith and hireth this Arte and the matter whereof the vniuersall medecine is made and the operation and workyng thereof out of the Scriptures And because in suche writyng he must obserue the sence of the Scripturs and also therein comprehend the Doctrine he hath in hande therefore be thosâ— phrases sentences and speches darke and subiect to cauilation Therefore who so euer wil rightly vnderstand hym wher he writeth of our creation conception birth and also of Babtisme regeneration both kindes of death reserection c. Must know and vnderstand this auntient Chimical rule that the Chimicall worke in parte ex creatione hominis deriuatur Generally in other places where he doeth not purposly intreate of Diuinitie he that will vnderstand hym rightly must know and vnderstand that he teacheth Metaphisicall principles in naturall thyngs then shall he vnderstand how all thynges participate in nature whereby the nature of the thyng that is left perfect doeth desire and couite his perfection and the one is made perfect by an other by reason of their concordance and agrement whiche doe participate together in nature for Natura natura delectatur coniungi appetit which is y e cause of perfection Then shal he perceiue what doth ioyn the Elementes together in the worke of Nature beeyng so contrarie and wherewith they be quickened Then shall he perceiue howe God woorketh in his creatures and how all parts hang together as it were in one chaine Then shall the reader perceiue and find in his great Philosophie dedicated to the Athenians wherein Erastus doeth finde so many faults a treatise of the right true obseruing the Sabbaoth daie wherein he hath taught deliuered and set doun many good and wholesome preceptes for the keepyng of the Sabbaoth rightly in the plaine letter ther written yet couertly and darkely hath he hidden as many rules and preceptes of true naturall Philosophie in that treatise as of the kepyng the Sabbaoth though in the bare letter no suche thyng appeareth but filii scientiae maie vnderstand them Therefore gentle reader in readyng of hym and other Chimicall writers follow their owne counsell and warning that is search out their meanyng and cleeue not to the bare letter of their wordes sticke not in the barke and rinde but finde out the pithe haue not regarde to the bodie but to the soule and life of that which is written otherwise thou shalt doe the Author great wrong and thou shalt neuer vnderstand hym and if in one place the Author write darkly in some other place some particuler thyng maie bee found that ioyned with the other may explicate the meanyng for they disperse their meaning in seuerall places to the ende they would be vnderstode onely of the deligent and painfull reader and not of the vnworthie As concernyng his straunge wordes and phrases of speche in his medicines and practise they are to be learned by manuell experience and practise by the fire which is the Chimicall Phisitions Scholemaister so shall he vnderstand his straunge wordes and phrases of spech by his meanyng but he must not thynke to finde his meaning by his straunge words and phrases as for example he that would learne what this worde Alcool meaneth he must knowe what Contritio Philosophica is so shall he find that it doth not signifie a powder stamped and most finely serched though he did wash it in water and take the powder after the water be dried awaie Againe he that knoweth what Circulation meaneth doeth knowe that these figures 3000. do not signifie three thousand yeres Likewise he that can skill to resolue ech thyng into his three substancies and hath respect to the liuely vertues of thynges and not cleaue to the ded qualities maie finde what Sanguinea Cheri Anthos such like be in Paracelsus would not call his darke words Diabolicall as Erastus and others doe besids this he that knoweth that by diuerse operations by the fire one thyng maie bee made to woorke diuerse effects shal find the difference betwene Arcana Essentiae Misteria c. And shall finde this rule true that Medicus in secunda vita averit aâ—tem suam Likewise he that knoweth the worke and effect of Putrefactio Philosophica would not saie that medicines prepared by the fire do get a Corrosiue Nature or hurte by the fire though it be by Calcination yea the Chimicall Phisition knoweth by Fixation to take awaie all venenositie from thynges And to take awaye their sharpenesse by ablution and solution Besides this he that is instructed that it is against the grounds and principles of the Chimicall Phisicke to minister any Marchesitt or metall to any pacient inwardly before it bee made Volatile and Spirituall so that it can not bee reduced into Metall againe will not saie that Vitrum antimonii which purgethe and shaketh the bodie so sore or the common Aurum potabile and such like be mediciens warranted by this Arte or by Paraselsus whiche so laborreth to teach the separation of the pure form the impure But he would perceiue that he is taught fustio spiritum non corporum but they would rather turne this accusation vpon the Ethnicke Phisitions and their folowers whiche sticke not to minister the scales of Iron and Brasse in powder inwardly Some sticke not to minister Quicksiluer raw some when it is burned into ashes So do thei minister gold in leaues pretious Stones brimstone vitriell also in powder Chapter 24. Of the Coelestiall medicynes of Paracelsus and matters touchyng his person and ignorance ERastus doth besids these things finde great falte with the celestiall medicine of Paracelsus saiyng they haue their strenthe and power of the deuilles and euell spirites and not af God nor by the ministerie of good Aungels this he would haue vs beleeue vppon his bare reporte but in truith Paracelsus excludeth from the true pure and auncient Magike and from his coelestiall medicine all Nigromancie Sorcery Ceremonies Coniurations and all maner of inuocations of deuilles Demones euill spirits And he giueth an especiall charge that this Arte be onely vsed to doe good and not to the preiudice nor hurte of any bodie and that it be done without Ceremonies Coniurations Inuocations Consecrations Blessinges and allmaner superstytion whereby it becometh vngodly He saieth that the diuell can not cure nor helpe an ague nor the toothe ache And that the diuell hymself with all his legions hath not so muche power nor authoritie that he is able to breake one poâ—t muche lesse is he able to make him also he saieth that euell spirites are Gods butchers and executioners which doe execute nothyng besides the commission of their magistrate that is to
say of the diuine Magestie therefore he concludeth that all coniurations be against Gods worde the diuine lawe and light of Nature whether they bee vsed to Spirites Rootes Herbes Stones or any thynge els And that Nigromantiers and Conturers are like to theues liuyng in woodes whiche robbe and kill so long as God permitteth them and no longer but when the time is come when their wickednesse shal bee made manifest and the hower of their punishment is at hand then by one meanes or other they come into the hangmans handes which giueth them the reward of their worke so is it with the nigromantier and coniurer whiche receiue iustly their rewarde bothe in this worlde and in the worlde to come besides this he saieth the diuell is the poorest of all creatures and most miserable and that he hath no money neither hath he any power ouer money therfore can not giue that he hath not nor hath power ouer to this purpose I coulde alledge out of hym a number of testimonies but you shall vnderstand that the cause why he sometyme vseth â—â—dicines drawen out of Vegetables and sometyme out of Mineralles and sometyme these heauenly medicines is this It the deceases haue light originalls or beginnyngs of meat and drink or other fruites of the earth those maie be cured by such medicines drawen out of herbes or rather with their Arcana and in suche deceases if they be not long circulated nor in the remote parts but in primis officinis ciboruÌ„ the grosse medicines of the heathens maie preuaile or at least thei may flatter som diceases But if the decease be caused by Minerals Metalles or Markesits in the principall partes of the body or in the Balsamum of man then they must be cured by medicine drawen out of Metalles or Markesits because suche deceases will not yealde to medicines drawen out of herbes or rootes c. Because the roots of those deceases are not so soone resolued as the other therefore they neade pure spirites for pascimur nutrimur curamur natura Mercurii id est spiritu saieth an auntient Chimist Likewise if disceases be caused by influencies of starres they are to be holpen by influencie And causes of inuisible deceases in the inuisible parte of man and those grefes and paines whiche be caused by supernaturall meanes will not be holpen by any meanes aforesaied but they must be remedied by such meanes as they were caused that is by suche maner of cure as hath power to worke in to the inuisible part of man If Paracelsus some tyme woulde be dronke after his Countrey maner I can not excuse hym no more then I can excuse in some nations glottenie in other pride and contempt of all others in comparison of themselues in others breach of promise and fidilitie in others dissimulation triflyng and muche babling but lett the doctrine bee tried by the worke and successe not by their faultes in their liues As for lacke of methode in his woorkes I saie his bokes intituled Paramirum his boks de vita longa lacke no methode But if in any other of his works he did not obserue methode he did it because he would disperse his minde in seuerall partes to the ende he would be vnderstoode onely of the Children of the Arte. The ignorance in the lattin tongue is vntruly obiected against hym as appereth by his bokes de Tartare written in latten and his epistles written to Erasmus in latten and by diuerse his lectures and by his commentaries vppon Hipocrates c. Chapter 25. The conclution of the Author THus thou hast harde gentle reader how this Auncient Chimicall Phisicke had his begynnyng from Abraham or at least from Hermes Trismegestus and after in the Aegiptian priests which were kynges or of the kynges bloud it had his continuaunce From whom it hath beene deriued amongst the godliest and best learned Philosophers in to diuerse partes of the worlde which haue shadowed and hidden it in parables and darke speaches to auoide contempte among the foolish and vnworthy readers and yet so that it should not be hidden from those whiche were meete to heare and vnderstande suche secreets and misteries Also thou haste harde how the newe Phisicke of the heathen hadd his begynnyng of late yeares in comparisonne of the other from the heathen and Idollaters whiche were without the true knowledge of God Thou hast harde also the difference between these two Phisiks whereby thou maiest be able to iudge whether this auntient Phisicke be vaine without beginnyng as it hath been obiected Thou hast hard the explanation of certaine obiections laied against Paracelsus whereby thou maist the better iudge of the rest wherewith he is charged Now I doe craue of thee gentle reader as I haue taken this in hand to do thee good so thou wilt interpret my meaning to the best if any thyng miâ—like thee doe not picke at euery sillable and worde but consider whilest mine eye was bent to the matter which I did folowe and intreate of wordes may esely escape and be misplaced especially with hym which lacketh eloquence vseth not to write If thou vnderstand not somewhat that is here written doe not therefore condemne it but kepe silence as Pithagoras his scholars did and be quiet or else learne of others If any thyng herein shall seeme to be absurde contrary to thy mynde because it is contrary to Aristotle Galen Auicen c. doe not therefore reiecte it but waye it with an indifferent iudgement and take not all thynges for Oracles which the heathen haue taught And if any thyng herein be amisse for no mans writynges can be warranted in all doe not giue iudgement and pronounce definite sentence agaiust the whole by reason of some one perticuler And if thou perceiue my meanyng to be Godly and sound doe not condemne me of error by reason of wordes not rightly placed nor aptly vsed for error consisteth in sence and meanyng and not in sound of wordes And though I write not to the latter Phisitions the folowers of the heathens that be practisioners and wilfully bent against this Chimicall Phisicke because thei be like knottie and bursâ—e woode not fit for framyng timber but will gnawe the line wherewith they bee ledd and girne erre and shew their angrie teeth at their leaders and will not now become scholars Yet because this my writyng can not escape their handes neither can they well digest it therefore I doe admonishe them that if they take in hand to answer it that they answer ech part therof and doe not dismember it nor put any thing to it nor take any thing from it and that they do not aunswer with railing scoffes quippes mockes tauntes and lies as some ignorant vse in their talke against this Arte And as Erastus vseth in his writing And as Bernar dus Dessâ—ius a Doctor of Phisicke of Colen vseth against one Fedro a Chimist after he was ded which by his writyng as semeth may teche a schole of scoldyng and railyng For suche maner eloquence may not passe for proofe amoÌ„g the indifferent readers neither is it worthie to be aunswered neither may the bare auctoritie of Aristotle Galen Auicen and suche like serue for aunswer against the Scripturs of God nor against the liuely artificiall proofe by fire followyng Nature but with charitable wordes and sounde arguments dependyng vppon Gods worde the true touchstone that can not erre and vppon vnfallible experience by the fire the Phisitions maister let the matter be tried then no doubt some good may come by this contention to the sicke and deceased which hath need of the Phisition and the doctrine of Phisicke will exalt and lift vp his hed and the trueth of it self will appeere as fire doeth by knockyng of two flintes together whiche the most high God of whom coÌ„meth all healyng and which hath created the Phisition because of necessity graunt for his deare sonne Jesus Christe his sake which is the life and trueth Amen Valete 1585. Origenes contra Celsum lib. 4. â—o 2. Fol. 84â— Iohn 5. Tract 1. Fol 10. Peri Aâ—choÌ„ Lib 2. Cap. 1. Fol. â—74 Tâ— 1. Psalm 102. De cognitione verz vitae Cap. 23. To. 9. De cognitione verz vitae Cap. 25. 10. 9. Sapient â—â— In hexamâ— hoâ—â—il â— Aetius Lib. 14. Maâ—heolus in dioscoe Lib. 5. RoÌ„dolerius Philosophia magna trâ—c 3. Oâ—culâ—a Philoso Cap. 2. Occulta Philoso Cap. â—