Sonne and in the application to the Holy spirit for by the Holy Ghost was Christ conceiued in flesh and by the Holy Ghost are the Elect regenerate in spirite This worke likewise we consider either effectually in the Elect or priuately in the reprobate or according to apparance in the visible Church For manners the Doctrine thereof is contained in the lawe which discloseth sinne The lawe it selfe is deuided according to the edition thereof into the lawe of Nature the lawe Morall and the lawe Positiue and according to the stile into Negatiue and Affirmatiue Prohibitions and Commandements Sinne in the matter and subiect thereof is deuided according to the Commandements in the forme thereof it referreth to the three persons in deitie Sinnes of Infirmitie against the father whose more speciall attribute is Power Sinnes of Ignorance against the Sonne whose attribute is wisedome and sinnes of Malice against the Holy Ghost whose attribute is Grace or Loue. In the motions of it it either mooueth to the right hand or to the left either to blinde deuotion or to prophane libertine transgressiō either in imposing restraint where GOD granteth libertie or in taking libertie where GOD imposeth restrainte In the degrees and progresse of it it deuideth it selfe into thought word or Act. And in this part I commend much the diducing of the Lawe of GOD to cases of conscience for that I take indeede to bee a breaking and not exhibiting whole of the bread of life But that which quickneth both these Doctrines of faith and Manners is the eleuatition and consent of the heart whereunto appertaine bookes of exhortation holy meditation christian resolution and the like For the Lyturgie or seruice it consisteth of the reciprocall Acts betweene GOD and Man which on the part of GOD are the Preaching of the word and the Sacraments which are seales to the couenant or as the visible worde and on the part of Mans Inuocation of the name of GOD and vnder the law Sacrifices which were as visible praiers or confessions but now the adoration being in Spiritu veritate there remaineth only vituli labiorum although the vse of holy vowes of thankefulnesse and retribution may be accounted also as sealed petitions And for the Gouernment of the Church it consisteth of the patrimonie of the church the franchises of the Church and the offices and iurisdictions of the Church and the Lawes of the Church directing the whole All which haue two considerations the one in them selues the other how they stand compatible and agreeable to the Ciuill Estate This matter of Diuinitie is handled either in forme of instruction of truth or in forme of confutation of falshood The declinations from Religion besides the primitiue which is Atheisme and the Branches thereof are three Heresies Idolatrie and Witch-craft Heresies when we serue the true GOD with a false worship Idolatrie when wee worship false Gods supposing them to be true and Witch-craft when wee adore false Gods knowing them to be wicked and false For so your Maiestie doth excellently well obserue that Witch-craft is the height of Idolatry And yet we see thogh these be true degrees Samuel teacheth us that they are all of a nature when there is once a receding from the word of GOD for so he saith Quasi Peccatum ariolandi est repugnare quasi scelus Idololatriae nolle acquiescere These thinges I haue passed ouer so briefely because I can report noe deficience concerning them For I can finde no space or ground that lieth vacant and vnsowne in the matter of Diuinitie so diligent haue men beene either in sowing of good seede or in sowing of Tares Thus haue I made as it were a small Globe of the Intellectuall world as truly and faithfully as I coulde discouer with a note and description of those parts which seeme to mee not constantly occupate or not well conuerted by the labour of Man In which if I haue in any point receded from that which is commonly receiued it hath beene with a purpose of proceeding in melius and not in aliud a minde of amendment and proficience and not of change and difference For I could not bee true and constant to the argument I handle if I were not willing to goe beyond others but yet not more willing then to haue others goe beyond mee againe which may the better appeare by this that I haue propounded my opinions naked and vnarmed not seeking to preoccupate the libertie of mens iudgements by confutations For in any thing which is well set downe I am in good hope that if the first reading mooue an obiection the second reading will make an answere And in those things wherein I haue erred I am sure I haue not preiudiced the right by litigious arguments which certainly haue this contrarie effect and operation that they adde authoritie to error and destroy the authoritie of that which is well inuented For question is an honour and preferment to falshood as on the other side it is a repulse to truth But the errors I claime and challenge to my selfe as mine owne The good if any bee is due Tanquam adeps sacrificij to be incensed to the honour first of the diuine Maiestie and next of your Maiestie to whom on earth I am most bounden Historia Literarū Historia Naturae Errantis Historia Mechanica Historia Prophetica Metaphisica siue De formis F◅bus Rerū Naturalis Magiasiue Phisica Operatiua Maior Inuentarium Opum bumanarum Continuatio Problematum in Natura Catalogus Falsitatū grassantiū in historia Naturae De Antiquis Philosophijs Narrationes Medicinales Anatomia comparata Inquisitio vlterior de Morbis insanabisibus De Euthanasia exteriore Medicinae experimentales Imitatio Naturae in Balneis Aquis Medicinalibus Filum Medicinale siue de vicibus Medicinarum Experientia literata interpretatio Naturae Elenchi magni s◅e d◅ Idolis animi humani natiuis aduentitijs De Analogia Demonstrationum De Notis Rerum De Methode syncera siue ad filios Scientiarum De prudentia Traditionis De Productione Axiomatum Deprudentia sermonis priuati Colores boni mali simplicis comparati Antitheta rerum De cultura Animi Faber Fortunae siue de Am. bitu vitae De prudētia legislatoria fiue de fontibus Iuris De vsu legittimo rationis humanae in diuinis Degradibus vnitatis in Ci◅itate Dei Emanationes Scripturarum in doctrinas Positiuas
reserue for the last of all as the Hauen and Sabbath of all Mans contemplations wee will nowe proceede to NATVRALL PHILOSOPHIE If then it bee true that Democritus sayde That the truthe of Nature lyeth hydde in certaine deepe Myâ—… and Caues And if it bee true likewise that the Alchymists doe so much inculcate That Vulcan is a second Nature and imitateth that dexterouslie and compendiouslie which Nature worketh by ambages length of time It were good to deuide Naturall Phylosophie into the Myne and the Fornace and to make two professions or occupations of Naturall Philosophers some to bee Pionners and some Smythes some to digge and some to refine and Hammer And surely I doe best allowe of a diuision of that kinde though in more familiar and scholasticall tearmes Namely that these bee the two parts of Naturall Philosophie the INQVISITION OF CAVSES and the PROâ—…VCTION OF EFFECTS SPECVLATIVE and OPERATIVE NATVRALL SCIENCE and NATVRALL PRVDENCE For as in Ciuile matters there is a wisedome of discourse and a wisedome of direction So is it in Naturall And heere I will make a request that for the latter or at least for a parte thereof I may reviue and reintegrate the misapplyed and abused Name of NATVRALL MAGICKE which in the true seâ—…se is but NATVRALL WISEDOME or NATVRALL PRVDENCE taken according to the ancient acception purged from vanitie superstition Now although it bee true and I know it well that therâ—… is an entercourse betweene Causes and Effâ—… so as both these knowledges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great connexion betweene themselues yet because all true and frutefull NATVRALL PHILOSOPHIE hath A double Scale or Ladder Ascendent and Descendent ascending from experiments to the Inuention of causes and descending from causes to the Inuention of newe experiments Therefore I iudge it most requisite that these two parts be seuerally considered and handled NATVRALL SCIENCE or THEORY is deuided into PHISICKE and METAPHISICKE wherein I desire it may bee conceiued that I vse the word METAPHISICKE in a differing sense from that that is receyued And in like manner I doubt not but it will easilie appeare to men of iudgement that in this and other particulers wheresoeuer my Conception Notion may differ from the Auncient yet I am studious to keepe the Auncient Termes For hoping well to deliuer my selfe from mistaking by the order and perspicuous expressing of that I doe propounde I am otherwise zealous and affectionate to recede as little from Antiquitie either in tearms or opinions as may stand with truth the proficience of knowledge And herein I cannot a little maruaile at the Philosopher Aristotle that did proceede in such a Spirit of difference contradiction towards all Antiquitie vndertaking not only to frame new wordes of Science at pleasure but to confound and extinguish all ancient wisedome insomuch as hee neuer nameth or mentioneth an Ancient Author or opinion but to confute and reproue wherein for glorie and drawing followers and disciples he tooke the right course For certainly there commeth to passe hath place in humane truth that which was noted and pronounced in the highest truth Veni in nomine Patris nec recipitis Me Si quis venerit in nomine suo eum recipietis But in this diuine Aphorisme considering to whom it was applied Namely to Antichrist the highest deceiuer wee may discerne well that the comming in a Man 's owne name without regard of Antiquitie or paternitie is no good signe of truth although it bee ioyned with the fortune and successe of an Eum recipietis But for this excellent person Aristotle I will thinke of him that hee learned that humour of his Scholler with whom it seemeth hee did emulate the one to conquer all Opinions as the other to conquer all Nations Wherein neuerthelesse it may bee hee may at some mens hands that are of a bitter disposition get a like title as his Scholler did Foelix terrarum Praedo non vtile mundo Editus exemplum c. So Foelix doctrinae Praedo But to me on the other side that do desire as much as lyeth in my Penne to ground a sociable entercourse betweene Antiquitie and Proficience it seemeth best to keepe way with Antiquitie vsque ad aras And therefore to retaine the ancient tearmes though I sometimes alter the vses and definitions according to the Moderate proceeding in Ciuill gouernment where although there bee some alteration yet that holdeth which Tacitus wisely noteth Eadem Magistratuum vocabula To returne therefore to the vse and acception of the tearme METAPHISICKE as I doe nowe vnderstand the word It appeareth by that which hath bene alreadie saide that I intend PHILOSOPHIA PRIMA SVMMARIE PHILOSOPHIE and METAPHISICK which heretofore haue beene confounded as one to bee two distinct things For the one I haue made as a Parent or common Auncestor to all knowledge And the other I haue now brought in as a Branch or descendent of NATVRALL SCIENCE It appeareth likewise that I haue assigned to SVMMARIEPHILOSOPHIE the common principles and Axiomes which are promiscuous and indifferent to seuerall Sciences I haue assigned vnto it likewise the inquirie touching the operation of the Relatiue and aduentiue Characters of Essences as Quantitie Similitude Diuersitie Possibilitie and the rest with this distinction and prouision that they bee handled as they haue efficacie in Nature and not logically It appeareth likewise that NATVRAL THEOLOGIE which hereto fore hath beene handled confusedly with METAPHISICKE I haue inclosed and bounded by it selfe It is therefore now a question what is left remaining for METAPHISICKE wherein I may without preiudice preserue thus much of the coÌ„ceit of Antiquitie that PHISICKE should contemplate that which is inherent in Matter therefore transitorie and METAPHISICKE that which is abstracted fixed And againe that PHISICKE shoulde handle that which supposeth in Nature onely a being and mouing and METAPHISICKE should handle that which supposeth furder in Nature a reason vnderstanding and platforme But the difference perspicuously expressed is most familiar and sensible For as wee deuided NATVRALL PHILOSOPHY in GENERALL into the ENQVIRIE of CAVSES PRODVCTIONS of EFFECTS So that part which concerneth the ENQVIRIE of CAVSES wee doe subdiuide according to the receiued and sound diuision of CAVSES The one part which is PHISICKE enquireth and handleth the MATERIALL EFFICIENT CAVSES the other which is METAPHISICKE handleth the FORMAL and FINALCAVSES PHISICKE taking it according to the deriuation not according to our Idiome for MEDICINE is scituate in a middle tearme or distance between NATVRALL HISTORY METAPHISICKE For NATVRAL HISTORY describeth the varietie of things PHISICKE the CAVSES but VARIABLE or RESPECTIVE CAVSES and METAPHISICKE the FIXED and CONSTANT CAVSES Limus vt hic durescit haec vt Cara liquescit Vno eodemque igni Fire is the cause of induration but respectiue to clay Fire is the cause of colliquatioÌ„ but respectiue to Waxe But fire is noe constant cause either of induration or colliquation So
drawe vse of knowledge insomuch as that which if doubts had not preceded a man should neuer haue aduised but passed it ouer without Note by the suggestion and sollicitation of doubts is made to be attended and applied But both these commodities doe scarcely counteruaile an Inconuenience which wil intrude it selfe if it be not debarred which is that when a doubt is once receiued men labour rather howe to keepe it a doubt still then howe to solue it and accordingly bend their wits Of this we see the familiar example in Lawyers and Schollers both which if they haue once admitted a doubt it goeth euer after Authorized for a doubt But that vse of wit and knowledge is to be allowed which laboureth to make doubtfull thinges certaine and not those which labour to make certaine things doubtfull Therefore these Kalenders of doubts I commend as excellent things so that there be this caution vsed that when they bee throughly sifted brought to resolution they bee from thence forth omitted decarded and not continued to cherish and encourage men in doubting To which Kalender of doubts or problemes I aduise be annexed another Kalender as much or more Materiall which is a Kalender of popular Errors I meane chiefly in naturall Historie such as passe in speech conceit and are neuerthelesse apparantly detected cōuicted of vntruth that Mans knowledge be not weakened nor imbased by such drosse and vanitie As for the Doubts or Nonliquets generall or in Totall I vnderstand those differences of opinions touching the principles of Nature and the fundamentall points of the same which haue caused the diuersitie of Sects Schooles and Philosophies as that of Empedocles Pythagoras Democritus Parmenides and the rest For although Aristotle as though he had bin of the race of the Ottomans thought hee could not raigne except the first thing he did he killed all his Brethren yet to those that seeke truth and not Magistralitie it cannot but seeme a Matter of great profit to see before them the seueral opinions touching the foundations of Nature not for any exact truth that can be expected in those Theories For as the same Phenomena in Astronomie are satisfied by the receiued Astronomie of the diurnall Motion and the proper Motions of the Planets with their Eccentriques and Epicicles and likwise by the Theorie of Copernicus who supposed the ◅arth to moue the Calculations are indifferently agreeable to both So the ordinarie face and viewe of experience is many times satisfied by seuerall Theories Philosophies whereas to finde the reall truth requireth another manner of seueritie attention For as Aristotle saith that children at the first will call euery woman mother but afterward they come to distinguish according to truth So Experience if it be in childhood will call euery Philosophie Mother but when it commeth to ripenesse it will discerne the true Mother So as in the meane time it is good to see the Seuerall Glosses and Opinions vpon Nature wherof it may bee euery one in some one point hath seene clearer then his fellows Therfore I wish some collection to be made painfully and vnderstandingly de Antiquis Philosophijs out of all the possible light which remaineth to vs of them Which kinde of worke I finde deficient But heere I must giue warning that it bee done distinctly and seuerely The Philosophies of euery one throughout by themselues and not by titles packed and fagotted vp together as hath beene done by Plutarch For it is the harmonie of a Philosophie in it selfe which giueth it light and credence whereas if it bee singled and broken it will seeme more forraine and dissonant For as when I read in Tacitus the Actions of Nero or Claudius with circumstances of times inducements and occasions I finde them not so strange but when I reade them in Suetonius Tranquillus gathered into tytles and bundles and not in order of time they seeme more monstrous and incredible So is it of any Philosophy reported entier and dismembred by Articles Neither doe I exclude opinions of latter times to bee likewise represented in this Kalender of Sects of Philosophie as that of Theophrastus Paracelsus eloquently reduced into an harmonie by the Penne of Seuerinus the Dane And that of Tylesius and his Scholler Donius beeing as a Pastorall Philosophy full of sense but of no great depth And that of Fracastorius who though hee pretended not to make any newe Philosophy yet did vse the absolutenesse of his owne sense vpon the olde And that of Gilbertus our countreyman who reuiued with some alterations and demonstrations the opinions of Xenophanes and any other worthy to be admitted Thus haue we now dealt with two of the three beames of Mans knowledge that is Radius Directus which is referred to Nature Radius Refractus which is referred to God and cannot report truely because of the inequalitie of the Medium There resteth Radius Reflexus whereby Man beholdeth and contemplateth himselfe WE come therefore now to that knowledge whereunto the ancient Oracle directeth vs which is the knowledge of our selues which deserueth the more accurate handling by howe much it toucheth vs more neerely This knowledge as it is the end and Terme of Naturall Philosophy in the intention of Man So notwithstanding it is but a portion of Naturall Philosophy in the continent of Nature And generally let this be a Rule that all partitions of knowledges be accepted rather for lines veines then for sections and separations and that the continuance and entirenes of knowledge be preserued For the contrary here of hath made particular Sciences to become barren shallow erronious while they haue not bin N◅urished and Maintained from the cōmon fountaine Sowe see Cicero the Orator complained of Socrates and his Schoole that he was the first that separated Philosophy and Rhetoricke whereupon Rhetorick became an emptie verball Art So wee may see that the opinion of Copernicus touching the rotation of the earth which Astronomie it self cānot correct because it is not repugnant to any of the Phainomena yet Naturall Philosophy may correct So we see also that the Science of Medicine if it be destituted forsaken by Natural Philosophy it is not much better then an Empeirical practize with this reseruation therefore we proceed to HVMANE PHILOSOPHY or HVMANITIE which hath two parts The one considereth Man segregate or distributiuely The other congregate or in societie So as HVMANE PHILOSOPHY is either SIMPLE and PARTICVLAR or coniugate and Ciuile HVMANITIE PARTICVLAR consisteth of the same parts whereof Man consisteth that is of KNOVVLEDGES WHICH RESPECT THE BODY of KNOVVLEDGES THAT RESPECT THE MIND But before we distribute so far it is good to constitute For I doe take the consideration in generall and at large of HVMANE NATVRE to be fit to be emancipate made a knowledge by it self Not so much in regard of those delightfull and elegant discourses which haue bin made of the dignitie of Man of his