People they were and why God upon the account of this their relation to Lot and Abraham and their wonderful Original did take care of them and expresly commanded the Children of Israel that in destroying the other Nations they should spare these All which we pass by to avoid prolixity And as for Lot who was the third Person that was an instrument of implanting the Sodomites into Abraham was not he himself two several ways ingrafted in and united with Abraham viz. First by his Birth as being his Brothers Son and then again when Abraham with the hazard of his own Life delivered him together with all the Inhabitants of Sodom out of the hand of their Enemies 10 Q. How the Philistines became ingrafted into Abraham may not this be easily gathered from the 20 Chapter of Genesis as being most expresly hinted throughout that whole Chapter from the beginning to the end which the inquisitive Reader may be pleased to turn to and read over well weighing and considering the several passages of it viz. how Sarah became spiritually impregnated by Abimelech the Father of Kings according to the signification of that name in the Hebrew and how all the Births of his House and of his whole Kingdom entred into her which may it not be inferred from hence For that all the wombs of Abimelech's house were shut up by the Lord for Sarah Abrahams wife's sake Which afterwards were opened again upon Abraham's Prayer and so were healed and restored by the fruitful and proliferous intercession of Abraham with whom they were already spiritually united This I leave to the understanding Readers own consideration 11 Q. Do not we likewise find a plain Argument and Evidence for proof of the Revolution of Souls in the History of Dinah Gen. 34. For can any firmer or surer union and alliance of two different People be imagined than was that which was entered upon and concluded betwixt Jacob and his Sons on the one side and Hamor and his Son Sichem and all the People of the Land on the other side as being ratified by the strong and indissoluble tie of Matrimonial Union And seeing that this high and weighty undertaking which was carried on with so much earnestness and concern did to outward appearance come to nothing What may we therefore suppose was the cause why the Divine Wisdom ordered the same to be so exactly and carefully set down in writing without omitting of the least circumstance thereto belonging if there were not some exceeding great Mystery hidden in Spirit under this History And what can this Mystery be else but the spiritual union transplantation and ingrafting of this People by means of a conjugal band and the slaughter which followed thereupon into the Tribes of the Children of Israel especially those of Simeon and Levi who had already in their wrath Prophesied and said That they would be United and become one People in case they would be Circumcised and who killed them and took all their Goods Children and Wives to themselves For that a peculiar providence of God did superintend this whole affair and directed all to an end sutable and comporting with the Divine Wisdom and Designe is not this clear from hence that God caused a fear and terrour to fall upon the inhabitants of the land so that they did not pursue after Jacob and his sons as we see Gen. 35. 5. 12 Q. And are not some other passages concerning Jacob and his Sons well worth our consideration with referrence to his Hypothesis As that concerning Judah who was the fourth Son of Jacob by Leah of whose Tribe Jesus was born how he raised the seed of both his Sons in his Daughter-in-Law Thamar concerning which mention hath been made already 13 Q. And is not the History of Moses and the Children of Israel alike memorable And the Doctrine of Revolution very plainly held forth in the same For seeing that God began a new Union in Moses in order to reveal himself to produce a new World and to settle a new Government as before he had done in Noah and Abraham Is it not on this account that the Wisdom of God not without a singular Mystery represents to us Exod. 2. 2 3. how Moses when he was yet a Child swam upon the waters in an Ark of Rushes as before in the Creation Gen. 1. it is mentioned that the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters and as Gen. 7. 8. Noah saved himself in the Ark upon the Waters as was formerly mentioned And forasmuch as Divine Wisdom had chosen Moses to be a Leader and Governour of this new rising Birth and that no new one can be without a dying of the old and foregoing was it not therefore fitting that Moses himself from the very beginning of the work should enter upon dying as when the Lord came unto him and would have killed him Exod. 4. 24. And seeing that by means of him all the Egyptians were to be transplanted into the Israelites and consequently be made partakers of Circumcision was not that expression of Zipporah Prophetical think we when she said to Moses Thou art to me a bridegroom of bloods and that because of Circumcision Now in order to the production of this new World and Birth was it not needful for the old to perish and that in the Water as being the first matter forasmuch as every new Birth and Creation proceeds from the water as Christ himself witnesseth John 3. 5. Now this great Renovation as a kind of new Creation which was to be carried on for the good and salvation of two Nations in order to the rising of a new Life what was it else but the transplantation of the Egyptians into the Israelites And to the end that the same might be brought about was it not necessary for the Egyptians to die before forasmuch as without the Death of the old Birth no such new one can arise according to the testimony of Christ John 12. 24. And forasmuch as every Birth must take its beginning from a Child-like Being may it not have been for this reason that the Divine Wisdom so ordered it that Pharaoh who was the head of the Egyptians and their Center caused all the male Children of the Israelites to be drowned to the end that afterward by the right of Retalliation the Egyptians might be drowned likewise and by means of the drowned Children of the Israelites be transplanted into their Mothers For may not we suppose that the troubled and vengeance-crying spirit of the Fathers and Mothers did constantly remain united with their drowned Children as in whom their Life was entred in the water and was operative there until the right of Retalliation was fulfilled and executed upon those that were the cause of their Deaths 14 Q. To the end therefore that this right of Retalliation might be fulfilled upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and they drowned likewise was it not necessary that an union of the Spirits of both Nations should precede so as
fell to be the Portion â—d Propriety of their fore-Fathers and which â—as as it were the foundation-root of their â—hole stock and all the boughs and branches â—owing on the same and from whence not oneâ— they derived their nourishment and increase but â—eir very Bodies themselves I say that they might â—gain as it were be planted into the same and â—ecome united with it and that so by means of their â—oprietary enjoyment of it the said Land might â—evolve in them according to the Divine Ordiâ—nce and Appointment in order to its further â—erfection and glorification And this Inheritance â—hus divided by Lot not onely Sons but Daughters â—lso with some restrictions had a share according 〈◊〉 Gods Laws given by Moses And so it was adâ—dged and determined by God himself in the case 〈◊〉 the Daughters of Zelophehad Num. 27. 36. viz. 〈◊〉 to them should be granted the free possession 〈◊〉 their Fathers Inheritance for their Father had â—st never a Son behind him yet with this caution â—â—at they must marry into the Family of the Tribe of their Father And may not we with â—round conclude that this was thus appointed to â—he end the deceased fore-Fathers Predecessours â—nd Fathers of these Daughters might by revolâ—ing through them be restored again to their own â—heritance as also for to shew that in case of the want of Sons the Souls may revolve through Daughters May not we likewise here be informed of the reason why the Children of Israel were commanded that the surviving Brother should raise up the seed of his Brother deceased without leaving any Heirs And will it not follow that the Husbands which the Daughters of Zelophehad married being of their Tribe by their Wives raised up seed to Zelophehad deceased without leaving an Heir Male that might perform the same 17 Q. Moreover do not we meet with another proof of this Doctrine of Revolutions in Lev. 18. where certain Rules and Limitations are given by God himself about Marriages with those that are near of kin determining what is lawful and what unlawful in that matter and when we narrowly inquire into the ground of the said Rules and Restrictions must not we conclude that though it be wholly natural for men to cohabite with women yet that God himself set these bounds to the end that the order and way of Nature which is appointed for mankind might not be neglected perverted broken or removed And is not this the greatest and most universaâ— Law and Ordinance which the Creator once for all hath established in Nature viz. that in all natural propagations there might be a continuaâ— processions or going forwards Now that in Nature it is so ordered that Life goes always forwards and that Parents do live in their Children doth not daily experience teach us this Thus we see that when a Mother finds her sick Child drawing near to death she is so highly afflicted and anguished that she oft wisheth to die for her Child Of which we have examples that Fathers have offer'd themselves to be hang'd for their Sons whereby they gave sufficient evidence that their own lives were sensible of and did suffer what ever happened to their Children Now this Law of Nature could never be broken in whatsoever degree of affinity or consanguinity Man and Wife might be related together if according to the common opinion God should for every Birth create a new Soul and put it into the Body for so no such confusion or perverting of the order of Nature could happen Whereas on the contrary according to our Hypothesis which supposeth many Souls concentred and united together every one of which in a due order and procession must manifest and display it self in many different births and propagations would it not sollow that from such a promiscuous and disorderly commixture a great confusion would arise to the subversion of the order of Nature For was it not therefore thus ordained by God because he is a God of Order And must not his will incontestably take place 18 Q We will here omit many passages and examples relating to this matter which might be alledged out of the five Books of Moses and onely make reflection on some passages in the Ten Commandments When we read Exod. 20. 5 6. That God will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him but shew mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments May it not bear this Sense That forasmuch as formerly hath been hinted concerning the Conception and Birth of Man every Child is generated and formed of the Seed of his Parents and that each of these Seeds is twofold viz. Male and Female so as the Child is as it were made up of four Is it not therefore worth our enquiry whether or no all out-working must not happen in four Generations For do not we observe that when a Father begins to grow covetous the said vitious disposition increaseth in his Child and in his Grand-child arrives to extreme covetousness And then when this Vice hath attained to its full growth and maturity the great Grand-child proves a Prodigal and Spend-thrift because he hath had nothing of the said covetous inclination transmitted to him but rather is possessed with an hatred against it forasmuch as by means thereof he hath been oft pressed and forced against his will and thus being made sensible of the evil of it he takes up an hatred against it and consequently falls into the opposite extreme so that he lavishly spends all what his Forefathers in their Covetousness had scraped together and leaves nothing but Poverty to his Child which Poverty then occasions that his Child 's great Grand-child becomes disposed to grow up from this humble reduction to a new propagation And the same may be said of any other Vices whatsoever For ought we not always to keep in mind this great and fundamental Maxim That God never punisheth for sin but with this aim that his creature thereby may be amended and his Salvation promoted forasmuch as Sin which is finite cannot come in any competition with the infinite Emanation of the Grace of the Creatour in his Creature He being in the highest degree Righteous and Good and gives to man the fruits of his own doing For man himself works his own suffering and punishment but God in and by the same works out and manifests His own Glory Would it not therefore prove a very false imagination for any one to think that God for every Birth doth create a new Soul and afterwards eternally punish the same for sin which according to the meaning of some it could not avoid nor was once guilty of For this can never comport with the infinite Righteousness and Mercy of God Nor according to this Supposition can it be true which is said in Scripture that we all sinned in Adam for how could we sin in him except we had lived and been in him
especially to the heart and head And like as in the Body the Heart is a more principal part than the Stomach might we not compare the same with the most holy place in the Temple Moreover as the Temple was open above and that the Head of man is placed above and is the upper part of the body might we not compare it to Heaven whither the smell and savour of the Burnt-offerings and Incense mounted continually And when all this is done in its due order will it not again come down from the Head as from Heaven and so perform its Revolution in order to perfection 69 Q. Now for the way and means how this right and due order may be kept and observed in the Body of Man hath not God fully declared this to the People of Israel by Moses and ordered the same to be registred in Scripture as an everlasting Record viz. that they should eat no Creatures produced by Putrefaction nor such as be of a ravenous nature but onely clean Beasts that divide the Hoof and chew the Cud and revolving so the Meat And doth not God hereby point out to us that such Creatures as these were the next to Man and the fittest to be enobled into his nature And whereas the Beasts amongst the Jews were to be killed without any affrightment as much as possible to this end their slaughtering Knives were most sharp and keen without the least notch in them and that for this end that all cause of pain and fright to the Beasts might be removed whereby otherwise their bloud might be obstructed 70 Q. Forasmuch then as Man ought to be a King and Governour in his Kingdom which is within him in his Heart must he not in order to keep good rule by means of his spiritual upper under Officers each in his own place and order so rule the whole Body that all that is in it may be dispensed and regulated in good order And by consequence must not there be many under Officers all under the command of the Stomach which can and must distinguish what is good or bad for man According as we see in some sick persons in whom there is yet some strength of life left that oft-times there ariseth in them an appetite to some strange thing by means of which when they can get it and feed upon it they soon after recover And may not the wonderful healing renewing and out-working power and property which is in these under Officers be further discerned in Women with Child in that those things many time serve to procure their health and recovery which would be the death of others if they should take them 71 Q. Moreover may not the extraordinary mentioned Arsenick When we go about to separate this Red Arsenick from its redness it divides itself into two parts a small part of it yields a common combustible Sulphur and the remaining part is white Arsenick which white Arsenick that hath no mixture in it of Combustible Sulphur that is by art perceptible is also found in great quantity in the Silver Mines as the red is found in Gold-oare From some Silver-oare they sublime the common white Arsenick which is every where to be sold as made out of Cobalt and in that part of it which in sublimation stays below a certain matter is found which the Germans call Saffer in which are many round Pellets or Globules which in melting run together and are called Wismut or Bismut which are altogether white like Silver and heavy but very brittle as glass and consist of very thin leaves lying upon one another as it is in Izing-glass and shining like the Regulus of Antimony which is their form When this Bismuth is sublimed it changeth into common Arsenick But as for the Saffer when it is melted with Pot-ashes and white sand a Painters blew commonly called Smalt is made of it which blew colour shews that it is of a Lunar nature as indeed there are found several Cobalts that are rich in Silver As to what concerns the forms of Metals I shall onely in this place make mention of the form of Gold as being the most perfect Metal and consequently must have the perfectest form of them all for the other imperfect Metals especially are changeable wherefore also their form cannot be so well perceived as that of the perfect ones This likewise is the reason why the perfect Metals retain their form upon the Test and do not turn to glass without some addition as all the other Metals do Upon this account also it is that the fire cannot dissipate these perfect Metals nor break their form so as that they should be divided into little particles and carried away upon the wings of the Air as it happens to Mercury When we make an Aqua Regis of Vitriol or Alloms Salt-petre common Salt or Salt Atmoniack slowly rectifie it and then dissolve Gold in it and afterwards cohobate and digest the same several times and at last slowly distil the water from it and poure again of the same Aqua Regis fresh upon it digesting and cohobating as before and last of all distil it with a boiling fire in a low Retort we shall find that some part of the Gold will come over with the water and that when any of the said water impregnated thus with Gold falls upon any ones hand it tingeth the same with yellow spots which afterwards are changed into a bright and beautiful red and last of all into a high purple colour This fine dissolved volatile Gold if we let it stand long in the Air so as the strength of the water may gradually evaporate or put to it a little common water distilled and then let it stand for a while we shall observe and find that the subtile volatile Gold will by degrees form itself into little flat stars and when we hold the Glass against the light and shake it we shall see that the whole water is full of such little shining Golden stars which afterwards swim on the top of the water and twist and weave themselves in one another so that we can plainly and visibly to the eye perceive how the said Stars do vitally and naturally form themselves and afterward reduce themselves to a Body again From which instance we may exactly see and perceive the form of Gold and understand the reason why fine Gold is so flexible and suffers itself to be Hammer'd out into such thin leaves yea and yet further to be expanded afterwards when fine Silver is guilded with the foresaid thin Leaves and Hammer'd out for we find that Gold in conjunction with Silver suffers itself yet further to be dilated and hammer'd out until the Silver begins to appear or shine through the Gold and becomes after that whiter and whiter until that the Gold at last grows so thin that it vanisheth from the sight and comprehension of man This visible glorious spiritual Body may lead us to endless glorious thoughts and meditations
is still drawn in yet so as that a certain part of this first attracted and wrought-out air remains in the Belly which serves to the necessary strengthening and maintaining 〈◊〉 Life And may not we from all this in part understand that in the Little World the Body 〈◊〉 Man as well as in the Great World there is a continual Revolution without ceasing 19 Q. Do not we in like manner perceive this continual Revolution of the Air in the Body of Man and the Communication of the same from the Belly to all parts of the Body and that by means of the same the Life of man is without ceasing fed and maintained in this instance That when in aged Persons and sometimes young who by over-hard labour have already given forth their Life and Strength this Revolution comes to be weakened and draws to a period the Dropsie follows upon it because the living power and virtue in the Air can no more be taken in by that party and that consequently the Night and Moon as the Lady of Water gets the upper hand And thus the Water takes up its residence in the hollow of the Body where the Air before had its abode and from thence pours forth itself into the Legs and Feet where the Air bore sway before And upon this account it is that the Dropsie proves incurable when it seizeth persons in whom this revolutional power of Life is wholly lost either by reason of old age or over-hard labour or long-continued sickness 20 Q. May not we further perceive of how great concern this Revolution of the Air in the Body of Man is from hence that when the Dropsie is onely caused by some obstruction or disorder by means of which this Revolution is hindred and that the Life be not wholly wasted then it may be cured as is known by experience that many who have had life enough and by the help of Medicines have had this disorder appeased and reduced have been perfectly cured of this sickness and that by different ways in case the Disease have not yet taken an entire possession of man so as to rule over him 1. It hath been found by experience that Opium prepared in manner here specified hath proved very successful in the cure of this Distemper Take one pound of Opium to eight pounds of the Juice of Quinces with other Spices or Drugs that shall be thought fit digest and ferment these together the space of three weeks whereby it is spiritualized and made more fit for due operation the press it out and boyl it to a thick consistence and give the Patient daily of this six seven eight nine ten grains or more with regard had to his strength as well as the strength of the Opium in some warm Vehicle taking care that he be kept warm in Bed This I say is an experienced Cure of this Distemper for it makes the Patient to sweat and opens the obstructed hidden passages In like manner for cure of the Quartan Ague which is nothing else but a bare custom left by the Agues going before whereby Nature doth as it were return back from a Tertian to a Quartan in which case we give some grains of this prepared Opium upon the first invasion of the Paroxysm in some warm Vehicle and then compose the Patient to sweat in a Bed and repeat this if need be nine or ten times until the Patient do mend and be restored by which means many have been recovered The same likewise is commonly of great use in all those Diseases which proceed from an ebullition of the Bloud or from a contrariety aversion risen in Nature such as are the Cholick Gripes Bloudy Flux Pleurisie c. for to bring Nature to rest and quiet again but in cases where Vomits are necessary as in foulness of the stomach or Palsey this Opiate must not be given 2. Toads cut up in the midst and their intrails taken out and afterwards dried and beaten to powder with a like quantity of Sugar give the Patient a thimble full of this Powder fasting in Wine and it will strongly drive forth the water of the Dropsie by Urine 3. Where it is yet seasonable and the sick party is not wholly over-powered by the Disease the vulnerary Herb called Asclepias or Wince-toxicum taken inwardly every day is very good and profitable in this case Another means serviceable in the curing of this Disease hath already been set down in the former part of this Treatise to which we remit the curious Reader 21 Q. Forasmuch then as we do perceive that the Great and Lesser World do stand in an harmony and agreement together and that the Moon and Stars do continually produce water and bear rule in the same and that the Sun continually works in the said waters in order to the perfecting of them in that he makes a fiery water by which means a perfect Revolution is brought about And do not we find that the same thing happens also in Man the Little World so that his Moon and Stars continually generate a water in him and bear rule in the same And whenever this Revolution doth not happen so that the light of the Sun cannot work orderly in the said waters doth not then the nature of the Nocturnal Light get the dominion And forasmuch as the same doth continually produce water and that the said water cannot circulate for want of the light of the Sun must not then this standing water of necessity produce the Dropsie And according to this Hypothesis can the cure of the Dropsie consist in ought else but in appeasing of the disturbed solar life by which means the Sun being again duly united with the waters doth reduce the waters to their former out-working subtilty and life seeing that the light of the Sun Moon and Stars which pierceth through all bodies how hard soever they may be doth again open the hidden spiritual passages that were obstructed which are far more subtile and minute than to be perceived by any Anatomist or the outward eyes of any man whatsoever and through the said opened passages it afterwards by means of the Air drives forth that water by Sweat Urine and Stool But when for want of knowledge of a true Medicine they tap the Patient and by making an Incision in his body let out the water in cases where the said Disease is come to such an height that by reason of the weakness of Nature the Physicians cannot any other way cure the same all at once through unskilfulness and want of experience how can it be otherwise but that sudden death must needs follow because the life which is yet in the said water and cannot in this way be separated from it is let out together with the water In like manner also when some unexperienced Physicians mistake the Tympanites or Wind-Dropsie for the Water-Dropsie and according to this imagination of theirs make an Incision in order to the letting out of the supposed water and
living Spirit who when they prepare their strong Drink called Perino they take a great Root called Cassava which they grate and after they have pressed out the Juice which is poyson bake the remainder of the grated Roots upon hot stones into Cakes of a finger thick which they eat instead of Bread Another part of the 〈◊〉 grated or rasped Root they sleep in common water and their women take some of the foresaid Cakes and chew them and spit what they have chew'd into the water in which the Cassava is put to sleep and this makes the Liquor to ferment which afterwards serves them for a usual Drink 35 Q. Furthermore is not the Revolution of the said waters partly also evidenced from hence that when women make use of mercurial waters outwardly for to beautifie themselves if then when they go to sleep they put one or two Ducats into their mouths because they know by experience that the Mercury doth revolve or circulate the said Ducats become white but when put into the fire the Mercury flies away and so the Ducats come again to their first golden colour In like manner when some take Mercury inwardly in order to salivation by which means an internal Revolution is brought to pass now the Mercury by its Circulation causeth salivation because not being digested he is not wholly estranged nor changed from his mercurial quality but doth as yet in part retain the same as may be urged from this Argument viz. that he doth first set upon and kill that life of the parts of mans body which yet is not absolutely the first wherewith man is born such are the Teeth which are not born with man these I say he lays hold of in such a manner as to cause a corruption of the Gums and falling out of the Teeth when the said Mercury is unmeasurably and unskilfully taken or made use off And the reason hereof is forasmuch as the said Mercury is not yet wholly changed and therefore cannot pass through the Teeth which are some of the Rocks and Stones of the Microcosm 36 Q. That a certain water or moisture passeth through the Teeth and that amongst other ends they were especially formed for this likewise viz. to afford waters in quantity as also that the water in all and every part of the body must suffer a change to the end it may distribute to every part and member of mans body its due food and nourishment even as we may observe that the sweat of man in each several member hath a different odour so may not we also partly form the said judgment from hence inasmuch as we find some of the Teeth so fashioned and formed that when we look upon them through a Microscope we can perceive in the middle or hollow part of them many spungy bladders by which they continually draw unto themselves much moisture and also do renew the same Might not we from hence likewise gather in some measure that the Teeth of man the Lesser World bears somewhat a resemblance to the Mountains of the Great World which continually give forth their waters for to feed and nourish the Earth and this the rather for that we find that a great strength and force is in the Teeth forasmuch as we daily take notice that when Children come to get their Teeth they about the same time also begin to speak And on the contrary when the Teeth by reason of age or else through infirmity or other accidents do fall out notwithstanding that the party may be able to speak all words as plainly as before yet will he not be able to hold on a discourse so well as formerly but will soon be tired And lastly doth it not follow that the Teeth were chiefly given to man for these three reasons and uses 1. To afford water or to give a ferment and thereby to excite life 2. To bite and chew his Food 3. To speak that is to help to form his voice Moreover seeing that the Teeth are ordinarily thirty two in number even just as many as the Hebrew Letters are which likewise make up thirty two the Consonants and Vowels being reckoned together viz. twenty two Consonants and ten Vowels which are formed by the Tongue and by means of the little Arches which make the roof of the mouth and which are above the upper gums inwardly which Teeth together with the foresaid parts help to form the speech and words which are afterwards uttered through the Teeth and Lips so that through the concurrence of all these a word is produced or born Must not therefore both these viz. the Teeth and Letters have a great analogy and agreement with one another 37 Q. Forasmuch as we treat here concerning the Mouth wherein the speech or words of man 〈◊〉 formed and born it may give just occasion to the starting of this Question viz. Seeing that a 〈◊〉 and his word must be united or made one 〈◊〉 that accordingly the words which flow from his heart can as little be annihilated as the man himself can be whether then this being so all the powers of man must not concur to the production and birth of his word And forasmuch as the voice and word of man are his Off-spring and Children viz. his out-flown Spirits and Angels which continually from the beginning of his life until his death go out from him and make up the whole man Whether or no then man must not give an account of his words which do follow him as well as his works or thoughts And whether or no his words should not be his subjects over which his Central Life-spirit ought to rule as a King yea and as a Priest offer them up continually to the most High and that so long until his perfect Revolution be accomplished and his total Perfection attained to the end that man might be capacitated to enjoy the thousand years Sabbath which is made and consists of the weekly Sabbaths and obtain a spiritual body and be united with Christ For seeing that God hath made his beloved ones Kings and Priests how could he have made them Kings in case they had no Subjects Or Priests if they had nothing to offer up to him Forasmuch then as the words of Man are to be his Subjects and consequently must belong to his Regiment or Government and that they as well as his Sight and all his Outbirths through all his Senses and Desires are a spiritual endless and everlasting Being as well as he himself is how is it then possible that ever they should be separated from man or that they should lose themselves or perish in the Great World which is Mans Mother any more than a man is able to lose himself As for example let us suppose that if some thousands of men should be taken away from their Wives viz. by the Turks or the like and carried away Captives into great slavery and that then there should a man be found who should redeem them all
concerning all his other Senses and thus becomes enabled to enjoy and rule over all So that in this particular also he far excells a Dog and all other Beasts in case he will but apply himself to it and retire into himself in his Central Spirit Now it is upon the same account as aforesaid that a Dog doth so love his Master and others that are his Benefactors insomuch that he gives up himself willingly to death for them And forasmuch as his quick scent makes him to be watchful and of no sound sleep which sleep notwithstanding all Creatures stand in need of to the end that the old Images that are in their waters might be drowned by means of the overflowing Night-water and so be renewed and bettered And is it not worth our taking notice that when these internal waters in a Dog through divers causes as Hunger over-great Heat or Cold are turned the contrary way and disordered so that he cannot take his due rest the Image of Love he had for his Master is turned to Enmity and by this means grows mad and becomes shie of the outward water forasmuch as he is at enmity with his inward water the Images formed out of it so that he hates it and cannot endure it and that because his internal disordered waters are thereby put in motion And whilst he is thus distempered if he chance to bite another Dog Beast or Man or if he do but touch their skin with the foame of his mouth immediately the Spirit of his perverted and disordered waters and Image doth enter into them and causeth the same disorder in their waters so that they in like manner become shie of the outward water Furthermore it hath been found by experience that the best means for curing this Distemper is lightly to burn or cauterize the skin of the bitten man or beast with a small red-hot Iron or Copper and by this means to put them into a fright of fire or else by plunging them well under water for thus the outward Fire or Water-spirit of the Great World which stands in its due and right order will be predominant over and master the disordered Spirit of the Little World and turn about and set to right the disordered waters of the same And is not this well worth our animadversion and consideration 49 Q. Doth it not appear very probable from all this that the ancient wise men amongst the Jews did well understand this effect or operation of the waters as who without doubt by a paternal tradition from Moses or it may be yet further from Noah had received and learnt this Seeing that baptizing or plunging under water was very frequent amongst them in the Old Testament until the time of Christ and is so even to this day so as it is plain that this Ceremony is derived from them And we find it frequently asserted in the Writings of their Doctors that there can be no Repentance without Prayers Fasting and of Alms and being baptized or plunged under water And that the Jews in Christs time were of this opinion doth not that clearly appear from the Questions which their Messengers propounded to John the Baptist asking him why that he baptized seeing that he was neither the Messias nor Elias nor that Prophet Yea there are at this very day some amongst the Jews who endeavour to excel others in Holiness that do often yea two or three times a week plunge themselves under water Moreover in all places where Jews dwell they must have a place for men and women to bathe in the women always making use of the same apart or by themselves for after that they have accomplished the six weeks of their Purification before they can again cohabit with their Husbands the first thing they do is to go into the Bath This Bath is a living water or springing Fountain into which the woman enters stark naked without keeping so much as a Ring on her finger and by some understanding women is let down so deep into the same that the water quite covers her head for not so much as one hair of her head must abide above water And this the Jews do to the end that the old remaining Idea or Image might be drowned by the water and renewed This Bath when made as it ought to be is contrived after this manner First in some convenient place where a living Spring is they dig five or six foot deep and having made it of a fitting compass they wall it round within and fix a Stone-Table at the bottom of it on which the woman that is to be baptized or plunged doth seat her self in the water which then as hath been said covers her head under her feet is a Stone-step for a Foot-stool upon which when she stands upright her head is above the waters and so comes up by the steps made for that purpose in the Bath out of the water Now that after a preceding birth there yet remains in women an Idea of the said former birth which afterwards may become operative in case it be not thus drowned and renewed in the water do not we find this by experience Thus we see that a Fool so long as he continues in his foolishness and is not recovered thereof by being plunged under water doth beget no Children but what are meer Fools Is there not ground therefore to fear that a woman who hath had a Fool for her Husband hath even after his death something of the old Idea of her deceased Husband abiding with her And do not we partly meet with an instance hereof amongst irrational Creatures For when a young Mare hath the first time been covered by an Ass and Conception follows she brings forth a Mule and when the next time she is covered with a Stone-horse she indeed brings forth a Horse but yet so distinguished as that all those who understand Horses can easily perceive that the Dam of it the time before was covered by an Ass forasmuch as the said Horse retains still somewhat of the properties and shape of the Mule 50 Q. Forasmuch as we have here made mention of Baptism or Plunging under water it will not be amiss further to observe that Baptism is to be considered under a twofold notion viz. either as particular onely of which hitherto hath been spoken or as common and universal as was that of John the Baptist who was sent to baptize unto Repentance and the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire In imitation of which Baptism of John it happened about four years since that an old pious simple Jew came amongst his Brethren who imagined himself and declared as much publickly to the Jews to be sent to baptize unto Repentance as a Forerunner of the Messiah for that the time of the Messiah as he declared was near whereupon several simple Jews were baptized by him but the learned and understanding men amongst them were not so ready to approve of this
his powers at once are in anguish and suffering that then his Hairs rise on end as is commonly known As likewise from this instance of a known young man whose Beard was not yet grown who upon his receiving the Sentence of Death the day before he was to be executed for Manslaughter by him committed had the Hair of his Head turn'd gray in one night which continued so all the days of his life for he was pardoned because of the terrible fright he had suffered in the expectation of death as was evident from the change of his Hair and when afterwards his Beard began to grow the Hair of it was black whereas that of his Head continued gray as was mentioned before May not we give further evidence to this from another instance that when a man falls into Despair he bends and turns his Hands from him contrary to Nature and twists and squeeseth his Fingers as if he had a mind to break them as being the Out-workers of his thoughts and plucks off the Hair from his Head which are the upper Roots of Man and do receive a strong influence from the Stars and afford strength to the life of man and not his Nose nor any other part for Nature understands what the Hair is And have not we likewise an abundant confirmation of this power and force which resides in the Hair from the History of Sampson Judg. 16. 17 c. 58 Q. Again that a fiery power is in the Hair do not we perceive this in that when some comb their Hair in the dark a Light or fiery Glance proceeds from it and this as well in Beasts as men There was a certain known Lady who by reason of her intolerable Head-ach could not endure a Candle in her Room by night and she having in a dark night her Head comb'd by a Waiting-Gentlewoman that was newly come into her service who upon seeing a light or fire come from her Ladies Hair was sore afrighted and ran out of the Room but being afterwards perswaded to comb her own head in the dark she perceived that a light or fire proceeded from her own Hair also whereupon she was recovered from her fright and amazement VII Concerning the Hair which is before on the Forehead 59 Q. Don't we find likewise by experience that those who have their Hair growing down their Foreheads triangle-wise so as to reach to the midst of them are of very quick apprehension but ordinarily not so stedfast as others And may not we from this instance and from what was mentioned before conclude what the Hair of the Head as it stands in its proper station and order is in general and what use it is of to man And that it hath its peculiar powers and out-workings As also that they have an Analogy with and may be compared to the Stars of Heaven VIII Concerning the Eye-brows 60. Q. Forasmuch as we find by daily observation that when a man hath variety of thoughts in his head and is in the earnest study of any thing he doth knit his Brows and wrinkle the skin of his Forehead in which wrinkles then we may plainly perceive between the Eyes over the Nose the Figure of a Balance and are not we informed from hence that the Eye-brows of man have and receive power for to judge find out and rightly to weigh and consider any thing which the Eyes have in part taken in and laid hold of IX Concerning the Eye lids 61. Q. Seeing that we find by experience that those who by sickness have lost part of the Hair from their Eye-lids have had their sight weakened thereby is it not rational therefore to conclude that the said Hairs were not alone ordained to keep out dust from the Eyes but that they also contribute much to the sight it self which we may the rather infer for that the Eye-lids in that part where the hairs grow are gristly as the Nose and Ears also be as was before declared And accordingly we observe daily that when a man is sleepy his upper Eye-lids grow heavy and sink down and will it not follow from hence that the said gristly substance in the Eye-lids hath a peculiar power of life to attract and give forth in like manner as is found in the Ears Nose and all other Bones whose extreme parts are all vested with such gristles X Concerning the Hairs in the Nose and Ears as well as those of the Beard and Privities and under the Arms. 62. Q. Forasmuch as Man hath Hairs also in his Nostrils and Ears and that the Hairs of every part have their peculiar power and operation ought we not therefore to consider whether the Hairs that grow on these parts which are ordained to particular sensations of which they are the Organs or Instruments must not in all probability have a â—eculiar operation and contribute much to the â—erfection of the said Senses And may not we â—onclude the same concerning the Hair which grows on other parts of his body and is not born with him as the Hair under his Arms of his Beard Privities c. viz. that they also have their pecuâ—iar powers and operations The Hair under the Arms is it not probable that they communicate to the Arms and Hands a particular power and force for to operate or work out any thing And the like may be said of those of the Beard and Privities forasmuch as we see that Youths before they grow hairy in those parts have but a weak and womanish voice as is well known by Musicians but as soon as they grow hairy their voices become manly as being then fit and disposed for the production of Seed and is it not probable therefore that the Hair contributes much to this Operation Is it not likewise worth our animadversion as that which must have its peculiar cause and reason that women have no Hair growing in some parts of their body where men have 63 Q. And that these lower parts of Mans body contribute much to his Beard and Voice is matter of experience because we see that Eunuchs never have any Beard and always a womanly Voice And may not we partly gather from this instance that the Man is properly the Generator of the Word and is the Chief and Principal in getting of Children XI Concerning the Skin of Man 64 Q. Forasmuch as by the help of a Microscope we can plainly discern in the prepared Skin of a Man or tanned Hide of a Bufalo that the said Skins are throughout as it were woven together with many thin nervous Filaments as with so many Threads And moreover that all the said Filaments do properly belong to mans make or frame as with which he is born and therefore we see that when a man loseth any of the same it is not in the power of man to restore them or to make Hair to grow there as before The said Filaments are likewise lost when proud flesh grows in wounds or elsewhere which in the
use of his understanding and sound judgement without partiality or prejudice will he not thereby be enabled to find out a true and right explication of many passages in the said Chapter concerning the breaking off of the natural branches and their casting away in order to the grafting in of other strange branches which formerly did not belong to the Tree and then the ingrafting again of the natural branches which before were cut off as is most expresly declared in the 23d and following verses At the 25th verse Paul calls it a Mystery and v. 26 saith that when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be come in then all Israel shall be saved Besides several other remarkable passages in the same Chapter both before and after the verses now cited which would prove very dark and hard to be understood without being illustrated by this Hypothesis of the Revolution of Souls And we may plainly perceive from hence that this Doctrine was held for a certain and approved truth by the Apostles 30 Q. And besides these testimonies is it not worth our consideration what the Apostle mentions 1 Thess. 4. 14. to the end concerning the Resurrection of the Dead c And will it not be a difficult thing to find out the Apostles meaning and sense in those verses without laying this Doctrine for a foundation 31 Q. That we may by way of over-poise draw some arguments from Nature and the condition and state of man we 'll propound this Query Seeing we find that a child doth not come into the World till he hath held out nine months or ten Lunar Revolutions in his Mothers Body as was already mentioned until he have attained all his parts and members and forasmuch as all the works of God are perfect must not therefore the Life also which dwells and operates in Bodies have time allowed for to arrive at its perfection by divers steps and degrees even as well as the Bodies of Children stand in need of so much time for to attain their perfection And forasmuch as we see that Children when they are newly born are like clean white Paper that is without all Images to the end they may be sit and disposed every one according to his property to take in all objects that present themselves to them and to work out the same and seeing that this out-working is very imperfect in Children yea that but very few are found amongst old people which have attained to perfection must not we then conclude from the power a man hath to obtain the highest perfection possible in this World that the said power must at one time or other be brought into act and perfected And that in this World seeing it is very probable that man must attain his end where he hath had his beginning For seeing man consists of many parts and that during his Life time he doth not onely work out some few of them to any perfection as from his Childhood to his Youth from his Youth to Manhood and from thence to old Age all which parts are again multifariously diversifyed as we may perceive that from one man many do proceed and they of different properties Must not he therefore also have different times allotted him for the working out of those parts to perfection And what other medium can we imagine for to attain to this perfection than by dying to their former body by which means the ungodly are snatch'd away from the stage of this World that they may no further proceed in their wickedness but may be prepared to enter into another body therein to be punished for the sins of their former Life and receive the measure they have measured out to others in order to their being bettered thereby Whereas on the contrary to the pious and good a way is made by means of the suffering of Death for them to attain to a higher degree of perfection than yet they are arrived to And do not we thus perceive the reason why men must be several times born into this World For by getting of Children in whom they partly propagate themselves they are disposed to receive new Idea's both good and bad and thereby to enlarge their circumference which is their Kingdom Good Idea's that by working out of the same they may be advanced to further perfection and evil Idea's that they may subdue and rule over them And to the end they may be fitted for the reception of both these is it not necessary that by Death they lose the remembrance of their former Images But if we will not allow and admit of this Doctrine of the Revolution of Souls then we must assert either that Souls are made perfect in this one Life which contradicts our daily experience or that they never arrive to it which is contrary to the Wisdom and Goodness of God Or lastly that some where without this World where yet they had their first bodily beginning and were placed to the end that therein they might work out their perfection they shall attain to perfection the which for many reasons for brevity here past by cannot be admitted 32 Q. Is it not likewise well worth our consideration that even as the hands and feet are formed the last of all the other members in the womb of the Mother so they are the first that die as experience teacheth And doth it not deserve our serious thoughts that whereas a Child during the time of nine months is formed in his Mothers Womb amidst so many cares sufferings and dangers of Life and all this according to the aim of Nature in order to a degree of out-working of Life in this World Now when it happens that a Child dies with in a day or two after its birth must not we own that the said Child did not reach the aim and end of Nature to which its formation in the Mothers womb was directed And though indeed there must be a cause of this sudden cutting off yet cannot the said cause be so prevalent and powerful as is the Divine Wisdom and Providence and the aim and mark of the Workmaster himself in cutting off the Childs Life which is that the Child by means of Revolution should be wrought out and made perfect to the end that what hath had a beginning may likewise attain its end 33 Q. Moreover when we find that Children in the womb be formed out of Eggs of which there are so great a number in every woman that we do not find one that bears so many Children as she hath Eggs which she brought into the World with her Must not we therefore conclude that the rest of these Eggs were created in vain in case they should not at some time or other attain to their full perfection Now to remove this difficulty must not we conclude that the Life of these Eggs doth propagate itself another way to the end that what doth not arrive at perfection one time may attain it at another And that therefore the