XIV.

[1]Ch.called, The Essay of a Meteor.

[2]Ch.Heat doth not digest efficiently, but excitingly.

[3]Ch.The ignorant natural Philosophy ofAristotleandGalen.

[4]Ch.A modern Pharmacopoly and dispensatory.

[5]Ch.Of the Power of Medicines.

[6]Ch.Heat doth not digest efficiently, but excitingly.

[7]Ch.The first Principles of the Chymists, not the Essences of the same are of the Army of Diseases.

[8]In theCh.Of Life Eternal, and in theCh.Of the Tree of Life.

MADAM,

I have read yourAuthorsdiscourse concerningSensation,[1]but it was as difficult to me to understand it, ash was tedious to read it; Truly, all the business, might have been easily declared in a short Chapter, and with more clearness and perspicuity: For Sensation, is nothing else but the action of sense proceeding from the corporeal sensitive motions, which are in all Creatures or parts of Nature, and so all have sense and sensation, although not alike after one and the same manner, but some more, some less, each according to the nature and propriety of its figure. But yourAuthorspeaks ofMotion without Sense, and Sense without Motion, which is a meer impossibility; for there is not, nor cannot be any Motion in Nature without Sense, nor any Sense without Motion; there being no Creature without self-motion, although not always perceptible by us, or our external senses; for all motion is not exteriously local, and visible. Wherefore, not any part of Nature, according to my opinion, wants Sense and Reason, Life and Knowledg; but not such a substanceless Life as yourAuthordescribes, but a substantial, that is a corporeal Life. Neither is Light the principle of Motion, but Motion, is the principle of Light: Neither is Heat the principle of Motion, but its effect as well as Cold is; for I cannot perceive that Heat should be more active then Cold. Neither is there any such thing as Unsensibleness in Nature, except it be in respect of some particular Sensation in some particular Figure: As for example, when an Animal dies, or its Figure is dissolved from the Figure of an Animal; we may say it hath not animal sense or motion, but we cannot say, it hath no sense or motion at all; for as long as Matter is in Nature, Sense and Motion will be; so that it is absurd and impossible to believe, or at least to think, that Matter, as a body, can be totally deprived of Life, Sense, and Motion, or that Life can perish and be corrupted, be it the smallest part of Matter conceivable, and the same turned or changed into millions of Figures; for the Life and Soul of Nature is self-moving Matter, which by Gods Power, and leave, is the onely Framer and Maker, as also the Dissolver and Transformer of all Creatures in Nature, making as well Light, Heat, and Cold, Gas, Blas, and Ferments, as all other natural Creatures beside, as also Passions, Appetites, Digestions, Nourishments, Inclination, Aversion, Sickness and Health; nay, all Particular Ideas, Thoughts, Fancies, Conceptions, Arts, Sciences, &c. In brief, it makes all that is to be made in Nature. But many great Philosophers conceive Nature to be fuller of Intricacy, Difficulty, and Obscurity, then she is, puzling themselves about her ordinary actions, which yet are easie and free, and making their arguments hard, constrained, and mystical, many of them containing neither sense nor reason; when as, in my opinion, there is nothing else to be studied in Nature, but her substance and her actions. But I will leave them to their own Fancies and Humors, and say no more, but rest,

Madam,

Your humble and

faithful Servant.

[1]Of the Disease of the Stone.Ch.9.

MADAM,

Concerning Sympathy and Antipathy, and attractive or magnetick Inclinations, which some do ascribe to the influence of the Stars, others to an unknown Spirit as the Mover, others to the Instinct of Nature, hidden Proprieties, and certain formal Vertues; but yourAuthor,[1]doth attribute todirecting Ideas, begotten by their Mother Charity, or a desire of Good Will, and calls it[2]aGift naturally inherent in the Archeusses of either part: If you please to have my opinion thereof, I think they are nothing else but plain ordinary Passions and Appetites. As for example: I take Sympathy, as also Magnetisme or attractive Power, to be such agreeable Motions in one part or Creature, as do cause a Fancy, love and desire to some other part or Creature; and Antipathy, when these Motions are disagreeable, and produce contrary effects, as dislike, hate and aversion to some part or Creature. And as there are many sorts of such motions, so there are many sorts of Sympathyes and Antipathyes, or Attractions and Aversions, made several manners or ways; For in some subjects, Sympathy requires a certain distance; as for example, in Iron and the Loadstone; for if the Iron be too far off, the Loadstone cannot exercise its power, when as in other subjects, there is no need of any such certain distance, as betwixt the Needle and the North-pole, as also the Weapon-salve; for the Needle will turn it self towards the North, whether it be near or far off from the North-pole; and so, be the Weapon which inflicted the wound, never so far from the wounded Person, as they say, yet it will nevertheless do its effect: But yet there must withal be some conjunction with the blood; for as yourAuthormentions,[3]the Weapon shall be in vain anointed with the Unguent, unless it be made bloody, and the same blood be first dried on the same Weapon. Likewise the sounding of two eights when one is touched, must be done within a certain distance: the same may be said of all Infectious and catching Diseases amongst Animals, where the Infection, be it the Infected Air, or a Poysonous Vapour, or any thing else, must needs touch the body, and enter either through the Mouth, or Nostrils, or Ears, or Pores of the body; for though the like Antipathies of Infectious Diseases, as of the Plague, may be in several places far distant and remote from each other at one and the same time, yet they cannot infect particular Creatures, or Animals, without coming near, or without the sense of Touch: For example; the Plague may be in theEast Indies, and in this Kingdom, at one and the same time, and yet be strangers to each other; for although all Men are of Mankind, yet all have not Sympathy or Antipathy to each other; the like of several Plagues, although they be of the same kind of disease, yet, being in several places at one time, they may not be a kin to each other, nor one be produced by the other, except the Plague be brought over out of an infected Country, into a sound Country, by some means or other. And thus some Sympathy and Antipathy is made by a close conjunction, or corporeal uniting of parts, but not all; neither is it required, that all Sympathy and Antipathy must be mutual, or equally in both Parties, so that that part or party, which has a Sympathetical affection or inclination to the other, must needs receive the like sympathetical affection from that part again; for one man may have a sympathetical affection to another man, when as this man hath an antipathetical aversion to him; and the same may be, for ought we know, betwixt Iron and the Loadstone, as also betwixt the Needle and the North; for the Needle may have a sympathy towards the North, but not again the North towards the Needle; and so may the Iron have towards the Loadstone, but not again the Loadstone towards the Iron: Neither is Sympathy or Antipathy made by the issuing out of any invisible rayes, for then the rays betwixt the North and the Needle would have a great way to reach: But a sympathetical inclination in a Man towards another, is made either by sight, or hearing; either present, or absent: the like of infectious Diseases. I grant, that if both Parties do mutually affect each other, and their motions be equally agreeable; then the sympathy is the stronger, and will last the longer, and then there is a Union, Likeness, or Conformableness, of their Actions, Appetites, and Passions; For this kind of Sympathy works no other effects, but a conforming of the actions of one party, to the actions of the other, as by way of Imitation, proceeding from an internal sympathetical love and desire to please; for Sympathy doth not produce an effect really different from it self, or else the sympathy betwixt Iron and the Loadstone would produce a third Creature different from themselves, and so it would do in all other Creatures. But as I mentioned above, there are many sorts of attractions in Nature, and many several and various attractions onely in one sort of Creatures, nay, so many in one particular as not to be numbred; for there are many Desires, Passions, and Appetites, which draw or intice a man to something or other, as for example, to Beauty, Novelty, Luxury, Covetousness, and all kinds of Vertues and Vices; and there are many particular objects in every one of these, as for example, in Novelty. For there are so many several desires to Novelty, as there are Senses, and so many Novelties that satisfie those desires, as a Novelty to the Ear, a Novelty to the Sight, to Touch, Taste, and Smell; besides in every one of these, there are many several objects; To mention onely one example, for the novelty of Sight; I have seen an Ape, drest like a Cavalier, and riding on Horse-back with his sword by his side, draw a far greater multitude of People after him, then a Loadstone of the same bigness of the Ape would have drawn Iron; and as the Ape turn'd, so did the People, just like as the Needle turns to the North; and this is but one object in one kind of attraction,viz.Novelty: but there be Millions of objects besides. In like manner good cheer draws abundance of People, as is evident, and needs no Demonstration. Wherefore, as I said in the beginning, Sympathy is nothing else but natural Passions and Appetites, as Love, Desire, Fancy, Hunger, Thirst, &c. and its effects are Concord, Unity, Nourishment, and the like: But Antipathy is Dislike, Hate, Fear, Anger, Revenge, Aversion, Jealousie, &c. and its effects are Discord, Division, and the like. And such an Antipathy is between a Wolf and a Sheep, a Hound and a Hare, a Hawk and a Partridg, &c. For this Antipathy is nothing else but fear in the Sheep to run away from the Wolf, in the Hare to run from the Hound, and in the Partridg to flie from the Hawk; for Life has an Antipathy to that which is named Death; and the Wolf's stomack hath a sympathy to food, which causes him to draw neer, or run after those Creatures he has a mind to feed on. But you will say, some Creatures will fight, and kill each other, not for Food, but onely out of an Antipathetical nature. I answer: When as Creatures fight, and endeavour to destroy each other, if it be not out of necessity, as to preserve and defend themselves from hurt or danger, then it is out of revenge, or anger, or ambition, or jealousie, or custom of quarrelling, or breeding. As for example: Cocks of the Game, that are bred to fight with each other, and many other Creatures, as Bucks, Staggs, and the like, as also Birds, will fight as well as Men, and seek to destroy each other through jealousie; when as, had they no Females amongst them, they would perhaps live quiet enough, rather as sympathetical Friends, then antipathetical Foes; and all such Quarrels proceed from a sympathy to their own interest. But you may ask me, what the reason is, that some Creatures, as for example, Mankind, some of them, will not onely like one sort of meat better then another of equal goodness and nourishment, but will like and prefer sometimes a worse sort of meat before the best, to wit, such as hath neither a good taste nor nourishment? I answer: This is nothing else, but a particular, and most commonly an inconstant Appetite; for after much eating of that they like best, especially if they get a surfeit, their appetite is chang'd to aversion; for then all their feeding motions and parts have as much, if not more antipathy to those meats, as before they had a sympathy to them. Again, you may ask me the reason, why a Man seeing two persons together, which are strangers to him, doth affect one better then the other; nay, if one of these Persons be deformed or ill-favoured, and the other well-shaped and handsom; yet it may chance, that the deformed Person shall be more acceptable in the affections and eyes of the beholder, then he that is handsom? I answer: There is no Creature so deformed, but hath some agreeable and attractive parts, unless it be a Monster, which is never loved, but for its rarity and novelty, and Nature is many times pleased with changes, taking delight in variety: and the proof that such a sympathetical affection proceeds from some agreeableness of Parts, is, that if those persons were vail'd, there would not proceed such a partial choice or judgment from any to them. You may ask me further, whether Passion and Appetite are also the cause of the sympathy which is in the Loadstone towards Iron, and in the Needle towards the North? I answer, Yes: for it is either for nourishment, or refreshment, or love and desire of association, or the like, that the Loadstone draws Iron, and the Needle turns towards the North. The difference onely betwixt the sympathy in the Needle towards the North, and betwixt the sympathy in the Loadstone towards the Iron is, that the Needle doth always turn towards the North, but the Loadstone doth not always draw Iron: The reason is, because the sympathy of the Needle towards the North requires no certain distance, as I said in the beginning; and the North-pole continuing constantly in the same place, the Needle knows whither to turn; when as the sympathy between the Loadstone and Iron requires a certain distance, and when the Loadstone is not within this compass or distance, it cannot perform its effect, to wit, to draw the Iron, but the effect ceases, although the cause remains in vigour. The same may be said of the Flower that turns towards the Sun; for though the Sun be out of sight, yet the Flower watches for the return of the Sun, from which it receives benefit: Like as faithful Servants watch and wait for their Master, or hungry Beggers at a Rich man's door for relief; and so doth the aforesaid Flower; nay, not the Flower onely, but any thing that has freedom and liberty of motion, will turn towards those Places or Creatures whence it expects relief. Concerning ravenous Beasts that feed on dead Carcasses, they, having more eager appetites then food, make long flights into far distant Countries to seek food to live on; but surely, I think, if they had food enough at home, although not dead Carcasses, they would not make such great Journies; or if a battel were fought, and many slain, and they upon their journey should meet with sufficient food, they would hardly travel further before they had devoured that food first: But many Birds travel for the temper of the Air, as well as for food, witness Woodcocks, Cranes, Swallows, Fieldfares, and the like; some for cold, some for hot, and some for temperate Air. And as for such Diseases as are produced by conceit and at distance, the cause is, the fearfulness of the Patient, which produces Irregularities in the Mind, and these occasion Irregularities in the Body, which produce such a disease, as the Mind did fearfully apprehend; when as without that Passion and Irregularity, the Patient would, perhaps, not fall sick of that disease, But to draw towards an end, I'le answer briefly to yourAuthorsalledged example[4]which he gives of Wine, that it is troubled while the Vine flowreth: The reason, in my opinion, may perhaps be, that the Wine being the effect of the Vine, and proceeding from its stock as the producer, has not so quite alter'd Nature, as not to be sensible at all of the alteration of the Vine; For many effects do retain the proprieties of their causes; for example, many Children are generated, which have the same proprieties of their Parents, who do often propagate some or other vertuous or vicious qualities with their off-spring; And this is rather a proof that there are sensitive and rational motions, and sensitive and rational knowledge in all Creatures, and so in Wine, according to the nature or propriety of its Figure; for without motion, sense and reason, no effect could be; nor no sympathy or antipathy. But it is to be observed, that many do mistake the true Causes, and ascribe an effect to some cause, which is no more the cause of that same effect, then a particular Creature is the cause of Nature; and so they are apt to take the Fiddle for the hot Bricks, as if the Fiddle did make the Ass dance, when as it was the hot Bricks that did it; for several effects may proceed from one cause, and one effect from several causes; and so in the aforesaid example, the Wine may perhaps be disturbed by the alteration of the weather at the same time of the flowring of the Vines; and so may Animals, as well as Vegetables, and other Creatures, alter alike at one and the same point of time, and yet none be the cause of each others alteration. And thus, to shut up my discourse, I repeat again, that sympathy and antipathy are nothing else but ordinary Passions and Appetites amongst several Creatures, which Passions are made by the rational animate Matter, and the Appetites by the sensitive, both giving such or such motions, to such or such Creatures; for cross motions in Appetites and passions make Antipathy, and agreeable motions in Appetites and Passions make Sympathy, although the Creatures be different, wherein these motions, Passions and Appetites are made; and as without an object a Pattern cannot be, so without inherent or natural Passions and Appetites there can be no Sympathy or Antipathy: And there being also such Sympathy betwixt your Ladiship and me, I think my self the happiest Creature for it; and shall make it my whole study to imitate your Ladiship, and conform all my actions to the rule and pattern of yours, as becomes,

Madam,

Your Ladiships

faithful Friend, and humble Servant.

[1]Ch.Of Sympathetical Mediums.

[2]In the Plague-Grave.

[3]In the Magnetick care of Wounds.

[4]Ch.Of the Magnetick Power.

MADAM,

My opinion of Witches and Witchcraft, (of whose Power and strange effects yourAuthoris pleased to relate many stories) in brief, is this; My Sense and Reason doth inform me, that there is Natural Witchcraft, as I may call it, which is Sympathy, Antipathy, Magnetisme, and the like, which are made by the sensitive and rational motions between several Creatures, as by Imagination, Fancy, Love, Aversion, and many the like; but these Motions, being sometimes unusual and strange to us, we not knowing their causes, (For what Creature knows all motions in Nature, and their ways?) do stand amazed at their working power; and by reason we cannot assign any Natural cause for them, are apt to ascribe their effects to the Devil; but that there should be any such devillish Witchcraft, which is made by a Covenant and Agreement with the Devil, by whose power Men do enchaunt or bewitch other Creatures, I cannot readily believe. Certainly, I dare say, that many a good, old honest woman hath been condemned innocently, and suffered death wrongfully, by the sentence of some foolish and cruel Judges, meerly upon this suspition of Witchcraft, when as really there hath been no such thing; for many things are done by slights or juggling Arts, wherein neither the Devil nor Witches are Actors. And thus an Englishman whose name wasBanks, was like to be burnt beyond the Seas for a Witch, as I have been inform'd, onely for making a Horse shew tricks by Art; There have been also several others; as one that could vomit up several kinds of Liquors and other things: and another who did make a Drum beat of it self. But all these were nothing but slights and jugling tricks; as also the talking and walking Bell; and the Brazen-Head which spake these words,Time was, Time is, andTime is past, and so fell down; Which may easily have been performed by speaking through a Pipe conveighed into the said head: But such and the like trifles will amaze many grave and wise men, when they do not know the manner or way how they are done, so as they are apt to judg them to be effected by Witchcraft or Combination with the Devil. But, as I said before, I believe there is Natural Magick; which is, that the sensitive and rational Matter oft moves such a way, as is unknown to us; and in the number of these is also the bleeding of a murdered body at the presence of the Murderer, which yourAuthor,mentions;[1]for the corporeal motions in the murthered body may move so, as to work such effects, which are more then ordinary; for the animal Figure, being not so quickly dissolved, the animal motions are not so soon altered, (for the dissolving of the Figure is nothing else but an alteration of its Motions;) and this dissolution is not done in an instant of time, but by degrees: But yet I must confess, it is not a common action in Nature, for Nature hath both common, and singular or particular actions: As for example, Madness, natural Folly, and many the like, are but in some particular persons; for if those actions were general, and common, then all, or most men would be either mad, or fools, but, though there are too many already, yet all men are not so; and so some murthered bodies may bleed or express some alterations at the presence of the Murtherer, but I do not believe, that all do so; for surely in many, not any alteration will be perceived, and others will have the same alterations without the presence of the Murtherer. And thus you see,Madam, that this is done naturally, without the help of the Devil; nay, yourAuthordoth himself confess it to be so; for, says he,The act of the Witch is plainly Natural; onely the stirring up of the vertue or power in the Witch comes from Satan.But I cannot understand what yourAuthormeans, by the departing of spiritual rays from the Witch into Man, or any other animal, which she intends to kill or hurt; nor how Spirits wander about in the Air, and have their mansions there; for men may talk as well of impossibilities, as of such things which are not composed of Natural Matter: If man were an Incorporeal Spirit himself, he might, perhaps, sooner conceive the essence of a Spirit, as being of the same Nature; but as long as he is material, and composed of Natural Matter, he might as well pretend to know the Essence of God, as of an Incorporeal Spirit. Truly, I must confess, I have had some fancies oftentimes of such pure and subtil substances, purer and subtiler then the Sky or Æthereal substance is, whereof I have spoken in my Poetical Works; but these substances, which I conceived within my fancy, were material, and had bodies, though never so small and subtil; for I was never able to conceive a substance abstracted from all Matter, for even Fancy it self is material, and all Thoughts and Conceptions are made by the rational Matter, and so are those which Philosophers call Animal Spirits, but a material Fancy cannot produce immaterial effects, that is, Ideas of Incorporeal Spirits: And this was the cause that in the first impression of myPhilosophical Opinions, I named the sensitive and rational Matter, sensitive and rational Spirits, because of its subtilty, activity and agility; not that I thought them to be immaterial, but material Spirits: but since Spirits are commonly taken to be immaterial, and Spirit and Body are counted opposite to one another, to prevent a misapprehension in the thoughts of my Readers, as if I meant Incorporeal Spirits, I altered this expression in the last Edition, and call'd it onely sensitive and rational Matter, or, which is all one, sensitive and rational corporeal motions. You will say, perhaps, That the divine Soul in Man is a Spirit: but I desire you to call to mind what I oftentimes have told you, to wit, that when I speak of the Soul of Man, I mean onely the Natural, not the Divine Soul; which as she is supernatural, so she acts also supernaturally; but all the effects of the natural Soul, of which I discourse, are natural, and not divine or supernatural. But to return to Magnetisme; I am absolutely of opinion, that it is naturally effected by natural means, without the concurrence of Immaterial Spirits either good or bad, meerly by natural corporeal sensitive and rational motions; and, for the most part, there must be a due approach between the Agent and the Patient, or otherwise the effect will hardly follow, as you may see by the Loadstone and Iron; Neither is the influence of the Stars performed beyond a certain distance, that is, such a distance as is beyond sight or their natural power to work; for if their light comes to our Eyes, I know no reason against it, but their effects may come to our bodies. And as for infectious Diseases, they come by a corporeal imitation, as by touch, either of the infected air, drawn in by breath, or entring through the pores of the Body, or of some things brought from infected places, or else by hearing; but diseases, caused by Conceit, have their beginning, as all alterations have, from the sensitive and rational Motions, which do not onely make the fear and conceit, but also the disease; for as a fright will sometimes cure diseases, so it will sometimes cause diseases; but as I said, both fright, cure, and the disease, are made by the rational and sensitive corporeal motions within the body, and not by Supernatural Magick, as Satanical Witchcraft, entering from without into the body by spiritual rays. But having discoursed hereof in my former Letter, I will not trouble you with an unnecessary repetition thereof; I conclude therefore with what I begun,viz.that I believe natural Magick to be natural corporeal motions in natural bodies: Not that I say, Nature in her self is a Magicianess, but it may be called natural Magick or Witchcraft, meerly in respect to our Ignorance; for though Nature is old, yet she is not a Witch, but a grave, wise, methodical Matron, ordering her Infinite family, which are her several parts, with ease and facility, without needless troubles and difficulties; for these are onely made through the ignorance of her several parts or particular Creatures, not understanding their Mistress, Nature, and her actions and government, for which they cannot be blamed; for how should a part understand the Infinite body, when it doth not understand it self; but Nature understands her parts better then they do her. And so leaving Wise Nature, and the Ignorance of her Particulars, I understand my self so far that I am,

Madam,

Your humble and

faithful Servant.

[1]Ch.Of the Magnetick cure of wounds.

MADAM,

I am not of yourAuthors[1]opinion, ThatTime hath no relation to Motion, but that Time and Motion are as unlike and different from each other as Finite from Infinite, and that it hath its own essence or being Immoveable, Unchangeable, Individable, and unmixed with things, nay, that Time is plainly the same with Eternity.For, in my opinion, there can be no such thing as Time in Nature, but what Man calls Time, is onely the variation of natural motions; wherefore Time, and the alteration of motion, is one and the same thing under two different names; and as Matter, Figure, and Motion, are inseparable, so is Time inseparably united, or rather the same thing with them, and not a thing subsisting by it self; and as long as Matter, Motion and Figure have been existent, so long hath Time; and as long as they last, so long doth Time. But when I say, Time is the variation of motion, I do not mean the motion of the Sun or Moon, which makes Days, Months, Years, but the general motions or actions of Nature, which are the ground of Time; for were there no Motion, there would be no Time; and since Matter is dividable, and in parts, Time is so too; neither hath Time any other Relation to Duration, then what Nature her self hath. Wherefore yourAuthoris mistaken, when he says, Motion is made in Time, for Motion makes Time, or rather is one and the same with Time; and Succession is no more a stranger to Motion, then Motion is to Nature, as being the action of Nature, which is the Eternal servant of God.But, says he,Certain Fluxes of Formerlinesses and Laternesses, have respect unto frail moveable things in their motions, wherewith they hasten unto the appointed ends of their period, and so unto their own death or destruction; but what relation hath all that to Time: for therefore also ought Time to run with all and every motion? Verily so there should be as many times and durations as there are motions.I answer: To my Reason, there are as many times and durations as there are motions; for neither time nor duration can be separated from motion, no more then motion can be separated from them, being all one. But Time is not Eternity, for Eternity hath no change, although yourAuthormakes Time and Eternity all one, and a being or substance by it self: Yet I will rather believeSolomon, then him, who says, that there is a time to be merry, and a time to be sad; a time to mourn, and a time to rejoyce, and so forth: making so many divisions of Time as there are natural actions; whenas yourAuthormakes natural actions strangers to Nature, dividing them from their substances: Which seemeth very improbable in the opinion of,

Madam,

Your Ladiships

faithful Friend, and humble Servant.

[1]In his Treatise of Time.

MADAM,

YourAuthors[1]opinion is, Thata bright burning Iron doth not burn a dead Carcass after an equal manner as it doth a live one; For in live bodies, saith he,it primarily hurts the sensitive Soul, the which therefore being impatient, rages after a wonderful manner, doth by degrees resolve and exasperate its own and vital liquors into a sharp poyson, and then contracts the fibres of the flesh, and turns them into an escharre, yea, into the way of a coal; but a dead Carcass is burnt by bright burning Iron, no otherwise, then if Wood, or if any other unsensitive thing should be; that is, it burns by a proper action of the fire, but not of the life.To which opinion, I answer: That my Reason cannot conceive any thing to be without life, and so neither without sense; for whatsoever hath self-motion, has sense and life; and that self-motion is in every Creature, is sufficiently discoursed of in my former Letters, and in myPhilosophical Opinions; for self-motion, sense, life, and reason, are the grounds and principles of Nature, without which no Creature could subsist. I do not say, That there is no difference between the life of a dead Carcass, and a live one, for there is a difference between the lives of every Creature; but to differ in the manner of life, and to have neither life nor sense at all, are quite different things: But yourAuthoraffirms himself, that all things have a certain sense of feeling, when he speaks of Sympathy and Magnetisme, and yet he denies that they have life: And others again, do grant life to some Creatures, as to Vegetables, and not sense. Thus they vary in their Opinions, and divide sense, life, and motion, when all is but one and the same thing; for no life is without sense and motion, nor no motion without sense and life; nay, not without Reason; for the chief Architect of all Creatures, is sensitive and rational Matter. But the mistake is, that most men, do not, or will not conceive, that there is a difference and variety of the corporeal sensitive and rational motions in every Creature; but they imagine, that if all Creatures should have life, sense, and reason, they must of necessity have all alike the same motions, without any difference; and because they do not perceive the animal motions in a Stone or Tree, they are apt to deny to them all life, sense, and motion. Truly,Madam, I think no man will be so mad, or irrational, as to say a Stone is an Animal, or an Animal is a Tree, because a Stone and Tree have sense, life, and motion; for every body knows, that their Natural figures are different, and if their Natures be different, then they cannot have the same Motions, for the corporeal motions do make the nature of every particular Creature, and their differences; and as the corporeal motions act, work, or move, so is the nature of every figure, Wherefore, nobody, I hope, will count me so senseless, that I believe sense and life to be after the like manner in every particular Creature or part of Nature; as for example, that a Stone or Tree has animal motions, and doth see, touch, taste, smell and hear by such sensitive organs as an Animal doth; but, my opinion is, that all Sense is not bound up to the sensitive organs of an Animal, nor Reason to the kernel of a man's brain, or the orifice of the stomack, or the fourth ventricle of the brain, or onely to a mans body; for though we do not see all Creatures move in that manner as Man or Animals do, as to walk, run, leap, ride, &c. and perform exterior acts by various local motions; nevertheless, we cannot in reason say, they are void and destitute of all motion; For what man knows the variety of motions in Nature: Do not we see, that Nature is active in every thing, yea, the least of her Creatures. For example; how some things do unanimously conspire and agree, others antipathetically flee from each other; and how some do increase, others decrease; some dissolve, some consist, and how all things are subject to perpetual changes and alterations; and do you think all this is done without motion, life, sense, and reason? I pray you consider,Madam, that there are internal motions as well as external, alterative as well as constitutive; and several other sorts of motions not perceptible by our senses, and therefore it is impossible that all Creatures should move after one sort of motions. But you will say, Motion may be granted, but not Life, Sense, and Reason. I answer, I would fain know the reason why not; for I am confident that no man can in truth affirm the contrary: What is Life, but sensitive Motion? what is Reason, but rational motion? and do you think,Madam, that any thing can move it self without life, sense and reason? I, for my part, cannot imagine it should; for it would neither know why, whither, nor what way, or how to move. But you may reply, Motion may be granted, but not self-motion; and life, sense, and reason, do consist in self-motion. I answer: this is impossible; for not any thing in Nature can move naturally without natural motion, and all natural motion is self-motion. If you say it may be moved by another; My answer is, first, that if a thing has no motion in it self, but is moved by another which has self-motion, then it must give that immovable body motion of its own, or else it could not move, having no motion at all; for it must move by the power of motion, which is certain; and then it must move either by its own motion, or by a communicated or imparted motion; if by a communicated motion, then the self-moveable thing or body must transfer its own motion into the immoveable, and lose so much of its own motion as it gives away, which is impossible, as I have declared heretofore at large, unless it do also transfer its moving parts together with it, for motion cannot be transfered without substance. But experience and observation witnesseth the contrary. Next, I say, if it were possible that one body did move another, then most part of natural Creatures, which are counted immoveable of themselves, or inanimate, and destitute of self-motion, must be moved by a forced or violent, and not by a natural motion; for all motion that proceeds from an external agent or moving power, is not natural, but forced, onely self-motion is natural; and then one thing moving another in this manner, we must at last proceed to such a thing which is not moved by another, but hath motion in it self, and moves all others; and, perhaps, since man, and the rest of animals have self-motion, it might be said, that the motions of all other inanimate Creatures, as they call them, doth proceed from them; but man being so proud, ambitious, and self-conceited, would soon exclude all other animals, and adscribe this power onely to himself, especially since he thinks himself onely endued with Reason, and to have this prerogative above all the rest, as to be the sole rational Creature in the World. Thus you see,Madam, what confusion, absurdity, and constrained work will follow from the opinion of denying self-motion, and so consequently, life and sense to natural Creatures. But I, having made too long a digression, will return to yourAuthorsdiscourse: And as for that he says,A dead Carcass burns by the proper action of the fire, I answer, That if the dissolving motions of the fire be too strong for the consistent motions of that body which fire works upon, then fire is the cause of its alteration; but if the consistent motions of the body be too strong for the dissolving motions of the fire, then the fire can make no alteration in it. Again: he says,Calx vive, at long as it remains dry, it gnaws not a dead Carcass; but it presently gnaws live flesh, and makes an escharre; and a dead carcass is by lime wholly resolved into a liquor, and is combibed, except the bone and gristle thereof; but it doth not consume live flesh into a liquor, but translates it into an escharre. I will say no more to this, but that I have fully enough declared my opinion before, that the actions or motions of life alter in that which is named a dead Carcass, from what they were in that which is called a Living body; but although the actions of Life alter, yet life is not gone or annihilated; for life is life, and remains full the same, but the actions or motions of life change and differ in every figure; and this is the cause that the actions of Fire, Time, andCalx-vive, have not the same effects in a dead Carcass, as in a living Body; for the difference of their figures, and their different motions, produce different effects in them; and this is the cause, that one and the same fire doth not burn or act upon all bodies alike: for some it dissolves, and some not; and some it hardens, and some it consumes; and some later, some sooner: For put things of several natures into the same Fire, and you will see how they will burn, or how fire will act upon them after several manners; so that fire cannot alter the actions of several bodies to its own blas; and therefore, since a living and a dead Body (as they call them) are not the same, (for the actions or motions of life, by their change or alteration, have altered the nature or figure of the body) the effects cannot be the same; for a Carcass has neither the interior nor exterior motions of that figure which it was before it was a Carcass, and so the figure is quite alter'd from what it was, by the change and alteration of the motions. But to conclude, the motions of the exterior Agent, and the motions of the Patient, do sometimes joyn and unite, as in one action, or to one effect, and sometimes the motions of the Agent are onely an occasion, but not a co-workman in the production of such or such an effect, as the motions of the Patient do work; neither can the motions of the Agent work totally and meerly of themselves, such or such effects, without the assistance or concurrence of the motions of the Patient, but the motions of the Patient can; and there is nothing that can prove more evidently that Matter moves it self, and that exterior agents or bodies are onely an occasion to such or such a motion in another body, then to see how several things put into one and the same fire, do alter after several modes; which shews, it is not the onely action of fire, but the interior motions of the body thrown into the fire, which do alter its exterior form or figure. And thus, I think I have said enough to make my opinions clear, that they may be the better understood: which is the onely aim and desire of,

Madam,

Your humble and

faithful Servant.

[1]Of the disease of the Stone,Ch.9.

MADAM,

YourAuthoris not a Natural, but a Divine Philosopher, for in many places he undertakes to interpret the Scripture; wherein, to my judgment, he expresseth very strange opinions; you will give me leave at this present to note some few. First, in one place,[1]interpreting that passage of Scripture, where it is said,[2]That thesons of God took to wives the daughters of men: He understands by the Sons of God, those which came from the Posterity ofAdam, begotten of a Man and a Woman, having the true Image of God: But by the Daughters of Men, he understands Monsters; that is, those which through the Devils mediation, were conceived in the womb of a Junior Witch or Sorceress: For when Satan could find no other ways to deprive all the race of Men of the Image of God, and extinguish the Immortal mind out of the flock ofAdamsPosterity, he stirr'd up detestable copulations, from whence proceeded savage Monsters, as Faunes, Satyrs, Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs, Driades, Najades, Nereides, &c. which generated their off-springs amongst themselves, and their posterities again contracted their copulations amongst themselves, and at length began Wedlocks with Men; and from this copulation of Monsters and Nymphs, they generated strong Gyants. Which Interpretation, how it agrees with the Truth of Scripture, I will leave to Divines to judg: But, for my part, I cannot conceive, how, or by what means or ways, those Monsters and Nymphs were produced or generated. Next, his opinion is, ThatAdamdid ravishEve, and defloured her by force, calling him the first infringer of modesty, and deflourer of a Virgin; and that therefore God let hair grow upon his chin, cheeks, and lips, that he might be a Compere, Companion, and like unto many four-footed Beasts, and might bear before him the signature of the same; and that, as he was lecherous after their manner, he might also shew a rough countenance by his hairs; which whether it be so, or not, I cannot tell, neither do I think yourAuthorcan certainly know it himself; for the Scripture makes no mention of it: But this I dare say, thatEvesDaughters prove rather the contrary,viz.that their Grandmother did freely consent to their Grandfather. Also he says, That God had purposed to generate Man by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, but Man perverted the Intent of God; for hadAdamnot sinned, there had been no generation by the copulation of a Man and Woman, but all the off-springs had appear'd out ofEve, a Virgin, from the Holy Spirit, as conceived from God, and born of a woman, a virgin, To which, I answer, first, That it is impossible to know the Designs and secret purposes of God: Next, to make the Holy Spirit the common Generator of all Man-kind, is more then the Scripture expresses, and any man ought to say: Lastly, it is absurd, in my opinion, to say, that frail and mortal Men, can pervert the intent and designs of the Great God; or that the Devil is able to prevent God's Intent, (as his expression is in the same place.) But yourAuthorshews a great affection to the Female Sex, when he says, that God doth love Women before Men, and that he has given them a free gift of devotion before men; when as others do lay all the fault upon the Woman, that she did seduce the Man; however in expressing his affection for Women, yourAuthorexpresses a partiality in God. And, as for his opinion, that God creates more Daughters then Males, and that more Males are extinguished by Diseases, Travels, Wars, Duels, Shipwracks, and the like: Truly, I am of the same mind, that more Men are kill'd by Travels, Wars, Duels, Shipwracks, &c. then Women; for Women never undergo these dangers, neither do so many kill themselves with intemperate Drinking, as Men do; but yet I believe, that Death is as general, and not more favourable to Women, then he is to Men; for though Women be not slain in Wars like Men, (although many are, by the cruelty of Men, who not regarding the weakness of their sex, do inhumanely kill them,) yet many do die in Child-bed, which is a Punishment onely concerning the Female sex. But to go on in yourAuthorsInterpretations: His knowledg of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, reaches so far, as he doth not stick to describe exactly, not onely how the blessed Virgin conceiv'd in the womb, but first in the heart, or the sheath of the heart; and then how the conception removed from the heart, into the womb, and in what manner it was performed. Certainly,Madam, I am amazed, when I see men so conceited with their own perfections and abilities, (I may rather say, with their imperfections and weaknesses) as to make themselves God's privy Councilors, and his Companions, and partakers of all the sacred Mysteries, Designs, and hidden secrets of the Incomprehensible and Infinite God. O the vain Presumption, Pride, and Ambition of wretched Men! There are many more such expressions in yourAuthorsworks, which, in my opinion, do rather detract from the Greatness of the Omnipotent God, then manifest his Glory: As for example; That Man is the clothing of the Deity, and the sheath of the Kingdom of God, and many the like: which do not belong to God; for God is beyond all expression, because he is Infinite; and when we name God, we name an Unexpressible, and Incomprehensible Being; and yet we think we honour God, when we express him after the manner of corporeal Creatures. Surely, the noblest Creature that ever is in the World, is not able to be compared to the most Glorious God, but whatsoever comparison is made, detracts from his Glory: And this, in my opinion, is the reason, that God forbad any likeness to be made of him, either in Heaven, or upon Earth, because he exceeds all that we might compare or liken to him. And as men ought to have a care of such similizing expressions, so they ought to be careful in making Interpretations of the Scripture, and expressing more then the Scripture informs; for what is beyond the Scripture, is Man's own fancy; and to regulate the Word of God after Man's fancy, at least to make his fancy equal with the Word of God, is Irreligious. Wherefore, men ought to submit, and not to pretend to the knowledg of God's Counsels and Designs, above what he himself hath been pleased to reveal: as for example, to describe of what Figure God is, and to comment and descant upon the Articles of Faith; as how Man was Created; and what he did in the state of Innocence; how he did fall; and what he did after his fall: and so upon the rest of the Articles of our Creed, more then the Scripture expresses, or is conformable to it. For if we do this, we shall make a Romance of the holy Scripture, with our Paraphrastical descriptions: which alas! is too common already. The truth is, Natural Philosophers, should onely contain themselves within the sphere of Nature, and not trespass upon the Revelation of the Scripture, but leave this Profession to those to whom it properly belongs. I am confident, a Physician, or any other man of a certain Profession, would not take it well, if others, who are not professed in that Art, should take upon them to practise the same: And I do wonder, why every body is so forward to encroach upon the holy Profession of Divines, which yet is a greater presumption, then if they did it upon any other; for it contains not onely a most hidden and mystical knowledg, as treating of the Highest Subject, which is the most Glorious, and Incomprehensible God, and the salvation of our Souls; but it is also most dangerous, if not interpreted according to the Holy Spirit, but to the byass of man's fancy. Wherefore,Madam, I am afraid to meddle with Divinity in the least thing, lest I incur the hazard of offending the divine Truth, and spoil the excellent Art of Philosophying; for a Philosophical Liberty, and a Supernatural Faith, are two different things, and suffer no co-mixture; as I have declared sufficiently heretofore. And this you will find as much truth, as that I am,

Madam,

Your constant Friend,

and faithful Servant.

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