Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	figure_n	matter_n	motion_n	3,415	5	9.0997	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B20628	A letter to his worthy friend, D.B.M. from Dr. Connor, member of the College of Physicians and Royal Society	Connor, Bernard, 1666?-1698.	1696 (1696)	Wing C5890	4,281	4

A LETTER TO His Worthy Friend D.B.M. FROM Dr. CONNOR Member of the College of Physicians Royal-Society CONCERNING HIS Medicina Arcana de Mystico Corporis Humani Statu OR A Latin TREATISE in which he designs to Explain the MIRACLES relating to HUMAN BODIES by the Principles of PHYSICK SIR I Presume you have not forgot a late Discourse wherein you and I were engaged in the Defence of Miracles against the Objections of some Persons then present who pretended they cou'd not conceive either the Possibility or the Manner of them These Objections we looked upon as weak in themselves and seeming to imply That either the Divine Omnipotence cou'd do nothing but what their Faculties were capable to comprehend or that there was a necessity that to convince Unbelievers to confirm some Important Truth or to bring about some other great or weighty End it were requisite that God shou'd not only do a Miracle but also shew them the Way and Manner how it was performed We freely owned That such Operations as are looked upon as Miracles those especially recorded in Scripture cannot be performed by the Stated Laws of Nature but immediately by a Supream Being for some great Design This Answer as being undeniably true they cou'd not but admit and tho' where the Relaters were of an Undoubted Credit and Veracity they cou'd not but believe those Performances were Miraculous and Supernatural yet for their clearer satisfaction they desired our further Thoughts concerning the Manner of such Supernatural Effects This being above my Sphere which reaches no further then Physick or Nature in its ordinary Operations wherein however I find matter more than sufficient to employ all my Time and Thoughts and wherein I plainly see the Existence and can never sufficiently admire the constant Providence of a Deity yet being willing to comply with their Desires I promised I wou'd give them what satisfaction I cou'd therein This indeed was not the first time the very same Difficulties had been proposed in my hearing for I had formerly discoursed with others both in this and other Countries upon the same Subject and had some Years ago drawn up a rude Scheme of an Essay towards the clearing of this Point But if this or the like occasion had not put me upon reviewing this Paper I might have never given my self or any Body else the Trouble of Reading it But having thus unwarily engaged my self I resolved to revise this Design and to give those Persons a sight of it This I did accordingly and afterwards shewed it to your self and to some other Friends They owned the Notions I advanced and the Ways of Explication I proposed were new to them and might be so to others and tho' they were not nor cou'd be convinced that these were the very Ways of the Divine Proceedings in the effecting of such Operations yet they seemed inclinable to imagine that upon these Principles Miracles and the Operations of them were conceivable by such as know any thing of the Nature and Laws of Motion This Communication of my Thoughts gave occasion to others to discourse with me about them and to desire that if I did intend to publish them I wou'd in the mean time give them at least the general Heads of my Design This I was willing to have been excused in as having not digested them into that order I might at last publish them in and was willing to reserve to my self a Power of making what Additions or Retrenchments I shou'd afterwards think fit to make but the Plan of the Essay happening not to be fully represented and afterwards being worse understood and commented upon I at last resolved to draw up the following Account of the Particulars I therein consider I endeavour Sir to make it no longer a Difficulty to conceive and make evident by Reason and the Principles of Physick I mean the Principles of Nature all the Miracles related in Scripture concerning Bodies particularly the Human I mean supposing those Miracles to be true Matters of Fact and all Matters of Fact as well Natural as Supernatural to be immediate Effects of a Supream Being which must be granted it is as easie to conceive the Manner how this Infinite Power may be apply'd to Bodies to work Miracles as to produce the common Phoenomena of Nature By this I hope to convince our Scepticks in Religion the Deists who must give their Assent when they have the same evident Reason to conceive the Possibility and consequently to believe the Truth of such Miracles that are anthentically deliver'd to us as they have to conceive that Straw can burn in a flaming Fire The Foundation I go upon is the Structure of the Human Body which I have often taken to pieces by Anatomy and resolved into its Essential Elements or Minute Particles by Chymistry for I find it as necessary to be acquainted with its Fabrick to give an Account of the Miraculous States it is supposed to have been in Supernaturally as it is to explain the Natural Effects commonly produc'd in it For want of a sufficient Insight in this Matter several Divines of the latter Ages have given very gross Ideas of the Miracles they have pretended to explain and in several Places where I have been I saw them either through Ignorance or for Interest give out for Miracles Phoenomen● that were only surprizing Effects of Natural Causes which has given so great an Occasion to Scepticism and increate of De●s●● Having laid down for my Basis the Structure of the Human body as far as I cou'd discover from my Senses Anatomy ●i●e Microscopes and Experiments I proceed to examine and endeavour to explain the different ways its Natural State is suppos'd to have been Supernaturally alter'd by an infinite Power For ●●●ing that the Human Body is all Matter and that all this Matter is nothing 〈◊〉 an Union of Particles with Bulk Figure and respective ●●●ation I thought that all the alteration that cou'd Sup●●naturally happen to this Bulk Figure or Scituation would be conceiv'd But before I enter upon those ●●ce Subjects I find it first necessary to enquire into the Cause Nature and Laws of Motion because Motion is the only true Cause of all Natural E●●●●●s and the Suspensions of the Laws of this Motion are the only Causes of all Supernatural Effects or Miracles I conceive the Laws of Motion can be suspended three different ways and by one or more of those Laws of Suspension it is as easie to solve clearly all Miracles as it is to explain the most evident Effects of Natural Causes by the common Laws of Motion Though I mention That all Miracles whatsoever can be easily reduc'd to some of the three Laws of Suspension of Motion notwithstanding I do not design to speak of all sorts of Miracles but of such only as are most in dispute among the I earned Yet any understanding Man may easily make his Application and resolve all other Supernatural Effects into one or other

of ' em The Heads of my Discourse I think fit to lay down here in the same Order I design to treat of ' em viz. I. Of the Nature of a Body particularly an Organical one where the Structure and Natural State of the Human Body is explain'd II. How many ways the Natural State of the Human Body is said to have been Supernaturally alter'd III. Of the Laws of Motion and of the three different Suspensions of the same in order to explain all Miracles IV. How it can be conceived that Water can be changed into Wine V. How it can be conceiv'd that a Human Body can 〈◊〉 Invulnerable Immortal and can live for ever without 〈◊〉 as after the Resurrection VI. How a Human ●ody can be conceived to be in a Fire without 〈◊〉 VII How we can conceive that an Army can p●ss through the Sea without Drowning or walk upon the Water without Sinking VIII How it can be conceived that a Man can have a Bloody S●eat IX Of the Different Ways a Human Body can come into the Word where is given an Account of its Generation by Concourse of Man and Woman X. How are can conceive a Human Body can be form'd o● Woman without a Man as Christ ' s. XI How to conceive a Human Body to be made without Man or Woman as Adam ' s. XII How to conceive a Human Body Dead some Ages since to be brought to Life again as in the Resurrection XIII How many ways it cannot be conceiv'd that a Human Body can be Intire and Alive in two Places at the same time Because my design here is to explain all the Supernatural States that our Body is supposed to have been put into and since its being in two Places at once is the State the most disputed and doubted of I thought it convenient to examine the Reasons of those that assert it capable of being in several Places at once to see whether they are reconcileable with our Senses and with the Nature and Structure of a Human Body which is the chief Thing to be consider'd I find it impossible to c●n ●ive that a Human Body can be in two Places at the same time after the manner they have hitherto descri●'d since the same Human Body can never be in two Places at o●●● with the same Bulk and with the same Quantity of Matter Tho' it may be plainly conceived that by a Supream Power and in a particular manner my Body without the Spirit can be in●ire and Alive with the same Structure and with the same number of Organical Parts tho' not with their usual Dimensions in several Places at the same time Yet since we have no evident Proof or Experience that any Human Body has ever been thus multiplied and because from conceiving the Possibility of it it is thought People may perhaps hereafter take occasion to draw several Consequences that may be liable to dangerous Constructions and lead into Erroneous Speculations I am advised and am willing to decline treating of this Subject having no mind to meddle with Scripture or Religion being not my Province Wherefore I will endeavour only to explain those Miracles that most People agree upon submitting my Judgment to greater Capacities For I have no other desing in this Book but to enquire how far we may look into and confirm Supernatural Effects relating to Bodies by the Principles of Physick Yet I do not think my other Occupations will permit me to get this small Treatise ready for the Press so soon as common Discourse and this notice of it might otherwise seem to intimate I cou'd not Sir resolve you the last time we were together what you asked me about the Anatomy but having thought of it since I design not to make any more Demonstrations and ●iscourses of Anatomy but I intend this Winter to try a great many Chymical and Anatomical Experiments to co firm the Natural Account I have had the Oceasion to give of the Structure Functions and Operations of the Human Body in this City and in both the Universities Because I have a mind to lay a Foundation of Experiments since Experiments are the only Foundation we can surely build upon in Physick for my Occonomia Animalis which I hope to be able to publish in few Years As for what we were talking about the Account of Poland I have put into some order the Memoirs I have brought with me out of that Kingdom and I design to publish soon an Historical Account of the Ancient and Present State of Poland with an Abridgment of the Lives and of the most remarkable Actions of the Kings of that Country from the Beginning of the Monarchy to this present Election I will insert in it something relating to the Dutchy of Curland for I do not find that there is any tolerable Account of them hitherto published in our Tongue But before I expose any thing to the Publick Censure of the World I shall first desire your Opinion knowing that your good Judgment can easily correct the Oversights of London Bow-street Octob. 22. 1696. Your Faithful Friend and Servant B. C. London Printed for Sam. Briscoe at the Corner of Russel-street Covent-Garden 1696.