1 HAving, in complyance with the impottunate desires, or rather commands, of many of my Worthy, and inge­nious Friends, obliged my self to ac­quaint the World with my thoughts concerning the most probable cause of [Page 2] the Stone, both in the Kidneyes, and Bladder [...] the greater World] in general: and I was encouraged the more to do so, by a Passage▪ I met with in the Works of that Noble Philosopher, Mr▪ Boyl whose words are there. Since we know very little a Prior [...] ▪ the observation of many effects manifesting, that Nature doth actually produced them so, Boyl, Use­full, of ex­periment. Philosephy, p. 31. and so, sug­gests to us several wayes of explicating the same Phaenomenon, some of which we should, perhaps, never have else dream­ed of; which ought to be esteemed no small advantage to the Physitian: And again; He that hath not had the curiosi­ty to inquire out, and consider the se­veral wayes whereby Stones may be generated out of the Body, not only must be unable, satisfactorily to expli­cate, how they come to be pro [...]uced in the Kidneys, and Bladder; [...]ut will perhaps, scarce keep himself from em­bracing such errors, (because Authoriz'd by the suffrage of eminent Physitians) as the knowledge I am recommend­ing, [Page 3] would easily protect him from.

2 Let us then, in the first place, examine, how Nature produceth Stones without the Body of Man (that is, in the greater World;) after which we will see, if the causes of generating Stones in the Bodies of Animals, be not the same; or at least, bear some Analogy, or resemblance thereunto. Which that we may the better be enabled to do, I shall relate some choice Histories of Petrifications, taken out of approved Authors; and then examine the causes by which they were performed.

3 Gabriel Falopius mentioneth a River, History 1. called Else, which receives into it self the Torrent of the River Sena; into which, Falopius de Metal▪ & fallili­bus. Wood, Herbs, or any other thing being [...]ast, it converts it into stone.

4 Albertus Magnus relates, that in the Danish Sea, near Lubeck, in his time, 2. there was found an Arm of a Tree, with a Nest, and Young Birds in it, the Wood, Nest, and Birds being all converted into Stone.

5 Domitius Brusonius tells us (not upon hear-say, 3. but upon his own knowledge) that the branches of Trees, with their Leaves, being cast into the River of Sylar, do turn into stone.

[Page 4] Marbodius acquaints us, 4. that there is a 6 Fountain in Gothia [or Guthland] that changeth whatsoever is put into it into stone; D▪ Lapid, ex Alberto. Lib. 1. Mineral. Cap. 7. and that the Emperour Frederick being incredulous of the thing, did send his Glove thither, sealed with his Ring; & that that part of the Glove, with the seal, which was immersed in the Water, was in a few dayes converted into stone; the other part remaining Leather.

Iohannes Kentmannus, concerning 7 Fossils, 5. writes, De fossili­bus. that Arms of Trees, with the Leaves, Bark, Wood; also Gloves, and divers other things, being cast into a certain Fish-pond, near the Castle of Schellenlerge, in Misnia, are turned into stone.

Bartholomaeus à Clivola affirms, th [...]re 8 is a Lake betwixt Caesarea, 6. and Tuana, In Lib. de Baluis. two Cities of Capadocia, into which part of a Reed, or Stick being put, it by de­grees is changed into stone, that part which is out of the Water remaining what it was before.

Anselmus Boethius declareth, that in 9 England, 7. near the River Dee, Lib. 2. de Lapid. & Gem. Cap. 300. by West-Chester, there is a great Cave, into which whatsoever water flows, is turned into stone.

Thomas Moresinus relates, 8. that in 10 [Page 5] Moravia there is a dark Water, in which there doth not at all appear any viscous matter; which water, nevertheless, coagulates into stone.

11 Iohannes Petrus Faber giveth us a wonderful account of a Spring in the Suburbs of Claremont, in the County of Avernia. History 9. It flows [sayes he] out of a Rock, In Lib. Hydrogr. Spagyr Cap. 14. and in its very coming forth it produces Rocks, and white stones; and the Inhabitants of this City, when they would make a Bridge to go over any of the small Rivulets, which are made by this Fountain, that so they may visit their Fields and Gardens, do thus: They cause the Water of this Fountain to glide over certain planks, made Arch­like, and within twenty four hours they have a solid stone Bridge; by the help of which they can pass dry-foot over the Rivers. The water of this Fountain is visibly changed into stone, yet neverthe­less it alwayes flows as other Springs do: This water is exceeding clear, nor doth it differ in colour, or clearness from other Springs; Beasts will drink of it if they be not hinder'd; but if they do, it co­agulates in their stomacks into stone, from whence Death follows, by reason of a Collick caused from thence, which [Page 6] kills with cruel torments all the Beasts that have drunk this water. Wherefore the Inhabitants take care to drive their Cattel far enough from this Fountain; for it is a present poyson to all sorts of living Creatures that drink of it. When it is taken from the Spring, it is quickly turned into stone; the truth of which the Inhabitants do make manifest [to all that doubt thereof] by many experiments; they fill a glass with this water, and pre­sently it is converted into stone, which re­taineth the shape of the glass: so like­wise if Earthen Vessels be filled with this water, it is suddenly congealed into stone, which keeps the form and figure of the Vessel that contained it. This wonder of Nature [sayes he] every body admires, but I believe hardly any body will be found, that shall be able to render the Natural reason of this thing. Thus far he.

Gassendus tells us, 10. that Peireskius [ac­cording 12 to his usual custom in the Sum­mer] going into a stream of the River Rhosne, In vita Peireskli. Lib. 1. to wash himself; he observed once the ground to be hard under his feet, and uneven, [which had at all times be­fore been soft, and smooth] being full of knobs, and Balls; about the bigness, [Page 7] and likeness of Eggs boyled hard, and the shells pilled off; which he looking up­on as somewhat strange, took some of them up, and cartied them home; but a few dayes after he was surprized with a greater Admiration: for, going again into the same place of the River, he found those soft, and yielding lumps, he had left there, turned into perfect peb­ble stones; and also viewing those he had laid up at home, he found them like­wise turned into true Pebbles.

13 Helmont likewise affirms, that [con­trary to the Proverb, 11. Gutta Cavat Lapi­dem, De Lithi­asi. Cap. 1. A drop by often falling doth hol­low a stone] there is a Spring in the Monastery of Zonia, near Brussels, that breeds stones so fast, that the Monks are daily forced to break them off with Crooks and Hatchets.

14 And I my self have seen a Spring near Wrixham, in North-wales, 12. that in a short space of time would convert Sticks, Straws, Leaves, Leather, or any other subject, put into it, into stone. And of this Nature are divers other Springs to be found, both in Ireland, and Eng­land.

15 Our Industrious Countrey-man, 13. Ger­ard, assureth us, he knew several Springs [Page 8] of this Nature, History of Plants. both in England, Lib. 3. p. 1586. and Wales: As in Bedford-shire, in warwick­shire, near Newnam Regis; and another near Knasborrow, in York-shire; he like­wise tells us, he knew divers pieces of Ground, into which astake being struck, that part in the ground would be changed into stone, the other part remaining Wood.

Libavius relates, 14. That a certain Hen sitting on her Eggs, In apend. Synt [...]g. Arcan. Chym. Cap. 32. being struck with a Gorgonick Spirit, was transform­ed into stone, with her Eggs likewise.

Crollius relates, 15. that in a certain place of Moravia there is a stupendious Den, In Praefat. Lib. de signat. Rerum. in which are to be found divers, and ad­mirable sportive works of Nature: for the drops distilling from the upper part of the Cave, into the hollow of it, do there form many intricate Labyrinths in the Mountain, and do presently [of their own accord] convert into stone, by the help [as he thinks] of the Spirit of Salt; and in their falling from on high, they form various Figures, and Statues of stone.

Aristotle sayes, 16. that in the Metalline Grots of Lydia, about the City Perga­mos, certain Workmen, in the time of War, having fled into them to hide [Page 9] themselves, and the mouth of the Cave being stopp'd; they perished there; but afterwards being found, not only their Bones, but their Veins, with the hu­mours contained in them, were found to be turned into stone.

19 Aventinus also writes thus: In the Year 1348. 17. by an Earthquake, In Hist [...]r▪ Bavar. Lib. 7. id▪ est▪ in Anal. Bavar. more than fifty Country men, with their Milch Cows, and Calves, being killed and stifled by an Earthy saline Spirit [as he supposeth] they were reduced into sa­line Statues, [such as Lots Wife:] And this happened amongst the Carini [a People of Germany;] which similitudes or Images of Men, and Beasts, were seen both by him, and the Chancellor of Austria.

20 To the like purpose, 18. Helmont tells us of a whole Army, De Lithiasi Cap. 1. consisting of Men, Women, Camels, Horses, Doggs, with their Armour, Weapons, and Waggons, which were all transmuted into stone, and remain so to this day, [a horrible spectacle;] And this, saith he, happened in the Year 1320. be­twixt Russia and Tartary, in the Latitude of 64. degrees, not far from a Fen of Kataya, a Village, or Horde, of the Bis­cardians; which he very rationally [Page 10] concludes to have happened from a strong hory petrifying breath or Ferment, ma­king an eruption through some clefts of the Earth, the Land being stony under­neath; and the Winds having been silent for many dayes.

He that desireth more Examples of this kind, let him consult Gorgius Wernerus, de ungaricis. Godfrid. Smoll▪ in lib▪ Princip. Philosoph. Et Medic. antiqui­tatis. Cap. 10. F. Leander Albertus in descript. Italiae. Andreas Laurentius, lib. 2. de strumis. Cap. 2. Georgius Agrico­la, lib. 7. de Natura fossil. Cap. 22. Johannas Wigandus, in libell [...] de Succino: Lobelius, in fine Observat. Caelius, &c, But I suppose what I have here related sufficient; and therefore I think it now time to inquire into the Causes of Petri­fication, and the Efficients of these Transmutations. SECT.

22 THe Doctrine of the four Elements [with their qualities, concutring, as is suppos'd, to the production of Bo­dies, which was intorduced by the Au­thority of Aristotle, and hath since pre­vailed with most Men even to this Age of ours,] hath been the cause, why we have hitherto received but an unsatisfact­ory account, not only of the Origine of all concretes, but more particularly con­cerning stones; and that not only in Rela­tion to the Material Cause, but also to the Efficient, of Petrifications in gene­ral.

23 For, they seem to think it sufficient, to have crudely told us, that Stones [and all other Minerals, and Metals] are made of Earth, with a slight mixture of the other three Elements, as the Mate­rial; and by the assistance of Heat, Cold, Moisture, and Driness, as the Exter­nal, and efficient Cause. For perceiv­ing the weight of Minerals, and Stones, to exceed the weight of water, they therefore assign the matter of Minerals, [Page 12] and Stones, to be chiefly Earth; and with­out any further Controversie, or search after the matter, they are content to be­lieve, and would have us do so too, that all sorts of stones are nothing but Earth, from which the other three Elements are forced by heat; by which means it becomes baked into a stone. And this they [viz. the Aristotelians] think they prove by alleadging the Example of Pot­ters Earth, which being burnt gains a stone-like hardness. And because nei­ther Stones nor Earth do commonly melt in the fire, they therefore conclude stones are made of Earth. But there be­ing on such heat in the Superficies of the Globe, much less in the bottom of the Water [where commonly stones are bred,] I must confess I can receive but little satisfaction from this account.

And I find the Learned Sennertus is as unsatisfied with this Doctrine as my self: 24 for he will by no means allow the Ele­ments, or their qualities, to be the Primary Efficients of Stonification. His words are these; Sennertus, in Lib. con­cens. Cby­mis. Cum Ga [...]enist. Cap. 2. Licèt vulgò multi é qualitati­bus primis Calculorum Concretionum & Co­agulationum causas deducere conantur; ta­men frustrae laborant. Nam neque exsicca­ti [...], nec calor, nec frigus, hîc locum habere [Page 13] possunt, ut primariae causae, [nam, ut cau­sam sine qua non, concurre posse, non nega­mus; dum scilicet aquam, quae concretioni obstat, absumit;] neque à quoquam hacte­nus commonstrari potuit, quomodo calor nudus talem Concrescendi dispositionem ge­nerare, & succum Lapidescentem produce­re possit. Imo fit hoc etiam, ubi omnis Calor abest, & in frigidis etiam membra­neisque locis, item & in Infantibus, ubi­nullus concedatur Caloris excessus, sed ma­nifesta potius cruditatis indicia deprehen­dantur, in vesi [...]a generantur Calculi; & quomodo, quaeso, in fontibus frigidis, in quibus ligna immersa in lapides transfor­mantur, succus lapidescens à Calore produci­tur? Deinde, frigus quod attinet, non sem­per in loco frigido, vel minus calido, Cal­culi concrescant, cùm & in capite, & in pulmonibus, circa basin Arteriae magnae, in Cordis arteriis, imo in Corde reperti sint: uti Legimus in Observation. Cornel. Gemmae, lib. 1. Cosmocritic. Cap. 6. Anton. Beniven. de abdit. Morb. & Sanat. Causs. Cap. 24. Fernel. 5. P [...] ­tholog. Cap. 12. Hollerii, 1. de Morb. internis, in schol. Cap. 29. & 50. Et in balneis etiam Calidissimis Trophos at stirias saxeas concrescere, ubi frigus nullo modo admitti potest, experientia [Page 14] compertum habetur: in English, thus;

‘Though it hath been much endea­vour'd by many to deduce the causes of the concretion, & coagulation of stones, from the first, or primary qualities, yet hath their labour been in vain: for nei­ther can drought, heat, or cold, be here allowed as a primary cause, [but we do not deny, that they may concur as a cause, sine qua non, so that it may, for Example, waste the water, which hin­ders concretion;] neither could it hi­therto be demonstrated by any body, how heat of it self could be able to ge­nerate such a disposition of compaction; and that it could produce a Lapidescent juice: Nay, this is performed where all heat is wanting, and that in cold and Membranous places; as also in Infants, who are not allow'd to have any excess of heat, but are rather found to have manifest crudity, the stone is genera­ted in the Biadder: and how, I pray, is the stonisying juice produced in cold Fountains, into which wood being cast is changed into stone? Then, as to cold, stones do grow in the Head, in the lungs, about the basis of the great artery, in the Arteries of the Heart; nay, they [Page 15] are in the Heart it self. Also there grows in hot Baths, as experience sheweth, sandy stones, & stony Isicles, where cold can by no means be admitted.’ Thus far he: by which you see he is clearly of opinion, that neither heat, nor cold can be the primary, or chief cause of Petri­fication; contrary to the Axiom which Aristotle layes down, to this effect;

26 Of those bodies which adhere together, In Meteo­rologicar. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. and are hard, they are wont to be thus affect­ed; some by the fervour of heat; some by cold; that drying up the moysture, this pressing it forth.

27 Let us then inquire what the Chymical Philosopher's opinion is in this point: (and the rather because it is constantly affirmed by most of them, that the Art of Pyrotechny is the only true means of informing the mind with Truth, and ac­quainting it with realities; and we shall find, that they hold Salt to be the princi­ple of solidity, and the genuine cause of coagulation, in all bodies; [as also of stonification:] For, say they, if you consult experience, all those things that are compact, or solid, do contain Salt; and where there is no Salt, there can be no hardness. And for this reason they esteem Salt to be the [...] of [Page 16] Solidity: which they that deny [say they] are obliged to shew some other cause; from which Salts have that aptitude to coagulate themselves, and become solid bodies.

For, it is manifest, that the Salts of 28 Vegetables, as Crystals of Tartar, &c. also Nitre, Allom, Vitriol, Salt Gemm, [and divers other of this Nature] do coagulate themselves, not only into hard, but even brittle bodies, in the bosome of the water; and to this end they alleadge, that if the Salt be washed from ashes, no heat of fire will make them hard; but if the Salt be left in them, [and they be mixt with a little water] the fire will not only quickly make them become hard; but if they be strongly press'd with it, turn them into Glass.

The Learned Kircherus is also of the 29 same opinion with the Ghymists, Kircherus in Mund. Subter. [viz. that Salt is the cause of stonifying] and giveth us this experiment to confirm it. Si saxum [inquit] quodcun (que) in tenuissi­mum p [...]llinem resolveris, & aqua perfectè commixtum, per Manicam Hippocratis Colaveris, illa nil prorsus saxeum, sed preter arenaceum solummodo sedimentum nil relinquet; si verò Nitrum, vel Tarta­rum, aqua perfecté commixtum addideris, [Page 17] illa quacun (que) tetigerint intra subjectam concham posita sive frondes, similiaque, post exiguum temporis curriculum aeri ex­posita, vel in saxum ejusdem generis con­versum si non totum, saltem cortice Saxco vestient. ‘If [saith he] you reduce any sort of stone into a most subtile powder, and mixing it throughly with water, you strain it through Hippocrates's bagg, therewill nothing of it remain that is stony; nor will it leave any thing of it behind, but a certain sandy sediment; but if you shall add to this, Nitre, or Tartar, per­fectly dissolved in water, whatsoever body they shall touch, being placed in the same Dish, whether it be the twiggs of a Vine, or the like, after a little while being exposed to the Air, it will be turned into stone; or at least it will be covered with a stony Crust.’ And though this opinion be held by Crollius, 30 Hartman, Quercetanus, Severinus, and Sennertus, [who are but Neoterick, or late Writers] yet is it no new opinion, but hath been asserted by the venerable Ancients, as long agoe as the time of Hermes Tresmegistus, [who is said to have lived in the Age of Ioshua] who in his Smaragdine Tables [as they are cal­led] hath left us these words. Salis [Page 18] est, ut corporibus in Mundum prodituris, soliditatem coagulando praestet; Sal enim corpus est, Mercurius Spiritus, Sulphur anima, that is; ‘Tis from Salt that Bodies are produced in the World; it causeth Co­agulation, and Solidity: for Salt is the Body, Mercury the Spirit, and Sulphur the Soul.’

This Doctrine, though much more 31 rational than the former, and seeming to be confirmed by experiment, and to be verified by the account our senses give us of it, cannot yet gain my full assent to it, so far as to allow Salt to be the Pri­mary, either Matter, or Efficient of So­lidity in bodies, or the cause from whence stones are produced. For it is obser­vabe, that Salts are reducible into Li­quors, [and do seem to lose their soli­dity] either by being mixed with water, or exposed to the Air, in which many of them run per deliquium. But, to let this pass; what Salt can be supposed to be communicated to Quick-silver, when it is coagulated by the fumes of melted Lead, by which it becomes so solid, that it may be cast into Moulds, and Images formed of it; and when cold, is not only hard, but somewhat brittle, like Regulus of Antimony?. What access of [Page 19] Salt can be fancied is added to the white of an Egg, [from whence the whole Chick is formed] which is a Liquor so near water, that by beating it with a whisk it is reduced into so fluid a sub­stance, that it will easily mix with water, and is hardly distinguishable from it? And yet this white of the Egg, by the assistance of a gentle heat, to stir up its seminal Principle, and enable it to turn, and new shuffle the parts of that liquid substance, [by the means of which mo­tion divers of its parts are broken into shapes and sizes fit to adhere one to ano­ther] is all of it turned into solid bodies, some of them very tough, as the Mem­branes, and Nerves; and some of them hard and brittle, as the Beak, Bones, Claws, &c. [of the Chick;] and all this without any new addition of salt.

'Tis likewise remarkable, that very credible witnesses assure us, Gassendus, Lib. 4. that Corral [though it grow in salt water, Anno Dom. 1624. at the bot­tom of the Sea] is yet, Mr. Boyl. Essay of fermness. whilst it re­mains there, soft, like other Plants; [and juicy also:] neither will the ex­ample of Kircherus, alleadged above, avail much; sinceit is commonly known, that the powder of Plaster of Paris, or burnt Alabaster, if it be mixed with [Page 20] water, without any sort of salt, will co­agulate into an entire stony lump, or Mass.

I do not deny but that salt may very 32 much conduce towards the coagulation of some bodies, as we see in the curdling of Milk with Runner, Spirit of salt, Oyl of Vitriol, juice of Limmons, and the like; but then this happens but to some bodies, and is caused from the shape and motion of its small parts, which entring the pores of some bodies that are natu­rally fitted to be wrought upon by it, it fills up many of the cavities of such bo­dies; and also affixing it self to the par­ticles of them, it causeth them, not only to stick to it self, but also adhere closely one to another.

I say, salts do this to some bodies 33 [not to all,] for to some other bodies, instead of being an Instrument, either to cause, or confirm their solidity, it by dissociating the parts, of which they con­sist, and putting them into motion, doth reduce them into the appearance of Li­quor; as we see in the action of corro­sive saline spirits, both upon Metals, and stones.

Now, for that Argument, that salts do 34 shoot even in the water into hard, and [Page 21] brittle Crystals, if I should say they do so upon the account of a seminal Princi­ple, I should not, perhaps, be thought to have much mistaken the cause, by those that have well consider'd the cu­rious and regular Figures [yet constant­ly distinct from each other,] which their Crystals shoot into: which certainly can­not proceed from chance; for they do as constantly keep their own figure [as for Example, that of Nitre alwayes ap­pears in a Sexangular form, that of Sea­salt in a Cubical:] As Wheat produ­ceth Wheat, and the seed of a Man, a Man.

35 Philosophers hold, there are two sorts of Agents; one they stile [...], that is, the principal cause, or Agent; from which immediately, and primarily, the Action depends, and by whose power the thing is made; and this [as we shall prove in its due place] is an Architecto­nick stonifying Spirit, or Petrifick seed. The other cause they call [...], or the Adjuvant, or assisting cause, [of which sort there are many] by which the principal Agent may be furthered in its acting upon matter; of which last sort of causes [of the solidity in Bodies, viz. the Helping, or Assistant] we [Page 22] will not deny but that salt may be one, as being such a praevious disposition of the parts of Matter, as renders them more apt to be wrought upon by the first kind of Agent, viz. the Seed. So that in some sence we may [for the reasons above alloadg'd] allow the Chymist to think salt is [though Nec prima materia, nec efficiens. Yet] Proxima ma [...]eria, & [...] Soliditatis. ‘The Proximate matter, and Adjuvant cause of Solidity.’

But since not only salt, but the whole 36 Tria prima, or Three first Principles of the Chymists, as also the Quaternary, or four Elements of the Peripateticks, are justly enough denyed to be the first Ele­ments, or constitutive Principles of all Bodies, [they themselves being further resolvable into more simple parts, as we shall prove by and by,] I say, since it is so, I must be excused, if denying my suffrage to both their Doctrines, [in that large sence they propose it in:] I offer to render other causes, by which not on­ly solidity, but Petrification also may be introduced into Matter.

37 THe Doctrine I am now about to af­firm, is no Novel conceit; but so Ancient, that we shall find that it was held, [and by them transmitted to Po­sterity] not only by Plato, Timaeus Locrus, Parmenides, Pythagoras, &c. Philoso­phers of the Academick, and Italick Sect; but also by Orpheus, Thales the Milesian, and also by Mochos, and San­choniathon, the great, and Ancient Phoe­nitian Philosophers; nay, by that Di­vinely illuminated Man, Moses.

38 I urge this point of the Antiquity of the Doctrine I am now going to affirm, because I know it is the custom of some Men, to disgust any Philosophical truth, that cannot shew it self to be as ancient as Aristotle's time; but to please such, let them consider, that the Hypothesis we intend to make use of in this ensuing Dis­course, beareth an equal Date with the World, and was at first deliver'd to Man by the Ancient of Dayes himself.

This Doctrine then [which hath of [Page 24] late years been revived, and assumed by the Noble Helmont, and other great wits,] I now am come to lay down, and explain; and in the next place shall endeavour to prove, and confirm it; first, by rea [...]on, then by experiment, and lastly, by Au­thority.

The Hypothesis is this, viz. That 40 stones, and all other sublunary bodies, are made of water, condensed by the power of seeds, which with the assistance of their fermentive Odours, perform these Transmutations upon Matter.

That is, that the matter of all Bodies 41 is originally meer water; which by the power of proper seeds is coagulated, condensed, and brought into various forms, and that these seeds of things do work upon the particles of water, and alter both their texture, and figure; as also, that this action ceaseth not, till the seed hath formed it self a Body, exactly corresponding with the proper Idea, or Picture contained in it. And that the true seeds of all things are invisible Be­ings, [though not incorporial;] this I affirm, and shall endeavour to prove.

But to make this the better to be un­derstood, 42 I shall praemise some generals, [Page 25] and then descend to particular proofs of what I assert.

43 First then, nothing is produced by chance, or accident. And therefore in every Generation, or Production, there must necessarily be presupposed some kind of seed which hath a power, or fa­culty, to alter the Matter, and dispose it to such a Being, and Form, as God and Nature have design'd to produce.

44 Secondly, all seeds (in some degree)▪ are endow'd with Life, and a power of acting: for nothing that is not Vital can promote it self to perfection. And if Bodies are distinguishable from their in­ternal Efficients, and are specificated by them, then must they be allowed to con­tain a seed.

45 These positions will not [p [...]rhaps] be denyed to Animals, nor Vegetables; because their supposed feed is visible. For the seed [or rather, sperm] of per­fect Animals, is an efflorescence of the best parts of the blood [elaborated in the Testicles] and impregnated with Spirits from all parts of the Body; in which resideth the vis Plastica, or Effici­ent; [and this indeed is the real seed, or geniture, though it be invisible] which containeth in it self the Image, or Type [Page 26] of the thing to be made; which it per­forms by a Fermental Odor, or Aura, and by breathing upon those proper juices it finds in a Female Womb; it first coagu­lates them, and then by degrees expli­cates it self, working this Female Mat­ter into a Body exactly corresponding with its own pre-conceived Figure: the grosse body of the Male-seed all this while being but a vehicle, to convey with safety this subtile fermentative breath to its proper place of action; which being done, the body of the sperm is ejected from the Womb, as useless to Genera­tion.

That this is so, hath been proved by 46 the industrious and curious dissection of divers sorts of Beasts, made at several seasons after their Conceptions; and continued till the formation of the foetus; and yet no Vestigiae, or foot-steps of the Male-sperm could be found in the womb. This is asserted by that incomparable Man, Dr. Harvy. de generat. ex Ov [...]. Dr. Harvy; to whom I refer him that desireth further satisfaction in this point.

The sperm of Man, if but for a mo­ment 47 it be exposed to the touch of the ex­ternal Air, becomes dead, and unproli­fick; and that by reason of the subtilty [Page 27] of the spermatick ferment, [it being ve­ry apt to desert the body of the seed.] This is a truth so generally known, that the Virtue of that Lady is justly suspect­ed by all rational Men, who pretended to have Conceived with Child, by at­tracting the seed of a Man which floated in a Bath, wherein she Bathed her self.

48 As to Vegetables; They also take their beginnings, are propagated, and do fru­ctifie, from the like invisible cause; viz. a fermentative Odor, [or Aura] which also contains the Idea of the Plant to be produced.

The body of the Seed, or Grain [which is the Casket that contains this invisible Workman] being committed to the Earth [its proper Womb] is softened by the Nitrosulphurous juice of the soyl; that the Vis Plastica [which is the Effici­ent of the Plant] may, being loosened from its body, be at Liberty to act. Which being done, the body of the seed, or Grain, is destroyed; according to the sacred Writ: [ Except Seed, committed to the ground, dye, it produceth no fruit:] But the Architectonick Spirit being now at Liberty, ferments, by its Odor, the Liquors it finds in the Earth, converting [Page 28] them into a juice, fit to work the Plant out of it, which it by degrees performs. [This Liquor in the Earth, is by Para­celsus, and Helmont, by a Barbarous name, call'd Leffas Terrae; and is the proximate matter of all Vegetables.] For proof of what I seem to have with some boldness asserted in this place; Let any sort of Grain be put for a small time in an Oven, [or any analogous hea [...],] that the external warmth may suscitate and excite this ferment of the Seed to take wing, and desert its body; This Grain, though entire to sight, if it be committed to the Earth, shall never by any Art be brought to produce its like.

As Vegetables, and Animals have their 49 Original from an invisible Seminal Spirit, or breath; so also have Minerals, Metals, and Stones.

To this purpose Dr. Iordan tells us, 50 There is a Seminal Spirit of all Minerals in the Bowels of the Earth, Dr. Iordan of Natural Bathes. Cap. 2. p. 58, 59. which meet­ing with convenient Matter, [what that is, we shall shew in its place] and Ad­juvant Causes, is not idle, but doth pro­ceed to produce Minerals, according to the Nature of it, and the Matter which it meets withal; which matter it works upon as a Ferment, and by its motion [Page 29] procureth an actual heat, as an Instru­ment to further its work; which actual heat is increased by the fermentation of the Matter.

51 The like we see in making of Malt, where the Grains of Barley being moyst'ned with water, the Generative Spirit in them is dilated, and put in Action; and the superfluity of the water being remo­ved [which might choak it] and the Barley laid up in heaps, the Seeds gather heat, which is increased by the contigui­ty of many Grains lying one upon ano­ther. In this work Natures intent is to produce more individuals, according to the Nature of the Seed; and therefore it shoots forth in spires; but the Artist abuses the intention of Nature, and converts it to his ends, that is, to increase the Spirit of his Malt.

52 The like we find in Mineral Substan­ces, where this Spirit, or Ferment, is resident, as in Allom, and Copperas-Mines; which being broken, exposed, and Moystned, will gather an actual heat, and produce much more of these Mine­rals than else the Mine would yield; as Agricola, and Thurniser do affirm, and is proved by common experience. The like is generally observed in Mines, as [Page 30] Agricola, Erastus, Libavius, &c. do avouch out of the daily experience of Mineral Men; who affirm, that in most places they find their Mines so hot, as they can hardly touch them; although it is likely, that where they work for perfect Minerals, the heat, which was in fermentation whilst they were yet in breeding, is now much abated, the Minerals being now grown to their per­fection. And for this heat we need not call for the help of the Sun, which a lit­tle Cloud will take away from us; much more the body of the Earth, and Rocks; nor for subterranean fires. This imbred heat is sufficient, as may appear: also by the Mines of Tinglass, which being dig­ged, and laid in the moyst Air, will become very hot; so Antimony and Sublimate being mixed together, will grow so hot as that they are not to be touched. If this be so in little quantities, it is likely to be much more in great quantities, and huge Rocks. Heat of it self differs not in kind, but only in degree, and there­fore is inclined no more to one Species, than to another; but as it doth attend, and serve a more worthy Superiour, such as this Generative Spirit is. Thus far he.

[Page 31] Moreover, that Minerals, and Me­tals have their proper Seeds, hear fur­ther 53 what a Mystical Chymist, (but a very rational Man) Cosmopolita sayes, Semen Minerale, Nov. Lum. Chym. Tract. 6. p. 319. vel Metallorum, creat na­tura in visceribus terrae; propterea non cre­ditur tale semen esse in rerum natura, quia invisible est. ‘Nature doth Create the Mineral, or Metalline Seed, in the B [...]wels of the Earth; therefore it is not believed, that there is such a Seed in Nature, be­cause it is invisible.’ And the same Au­thor again, thus: Et quam praerogativam vegetabilia prae Metallis habent, ut Deus illis semen inderet, & haec immeritò exclu­deret? Nonne ejusdem dignitatis Metalla apud Deum, cujus & arbores? Hoc pro certo statuatur, nihil sine semine crescere; ubi enim nullum est semen, res est Mortua; that is, ‘And what prerogative have Vege­tables above Metals, that God should put Seed into them, and undeservedly exclude these? Are not Metals of the same dignity with God that Trees are? This may be held for certain, that no­thing doth increase without Seed: for where there is no Seed, that thing is Dead.’

So that it is plain, you see, by the afore-cited Authorities, that Minerals, [Page 32] and Metals have Seed, & that this Seed is invisible; and that it works by the help of its ferment, or as a ferment. That stones grow, common experience teach­eth us; as also the tenth History al­leadged, in the first Section of this pre­sent Essay; and consequently must be endowed with seed, and ferment; so that here is, at least, an analogous way of production to that of Animals, and Vegetables (which we have declared above) and was the thing we intended here to prove.

But before I proceed, that I may be 55 the more clearly understood, I shall de­clare what I understand by the Ferment of the seed. The word Fermentum, which signifieth Leaven, is by [...] some esteem'd to be quasi fervimentum, or a thing made hot; and generally is used to denote, not only a turgescence, and di­latation of the parts of Matter, (as in Leavened Bread, &c.) but also signifieth the working of any sort of Liquor, till it become Maturated, and exalted into a generous, and sprightly Drink. Fer­mentation is thus defined by the Learn­ned Dr. Willis: Fermentatio est motus in­testinus particularum, seu principiorum cujusvis corporis, cum tendentia ad per­fectionem [Page 33] ejusdem Corporis, vel propter mu­tationem in aliud; ‘Fermentation is an in­testine [or intire] motion of the Princi­ples, or particles, of which day Body consists, with an intent to perfect the said Body, or change it into another.’ Fer­ments then are subtile, tenuous Bodies, [which we generally call Spirits; for as to Leaven, Yeast, &c. they are but the cloathings of these Spiritual, and finer Substances; as we before shewed the Grains of Vegetables, and the Sperm of Animals were:] which fine subtile breath (the Ferment) hath an expansive power; by which, being im­mersed in any Matter, or Substance, it desiring to dilate it self, variously agi­tates the small particles of that matter it is joyned to, and making Excursions through all parts of the Subject it is re­sident in, it adhering intimately to every small part of the Matter, doth first by the peculiar motion it hath put them in­to, alter and break the particles into new shapes, and sizes; and then by con­veneing together with them, constitute a new texture of that Matter; and thus a new Concrete is made by the power of the Ferment.

So that, in truth, the Ferment of a [Page 34] Seed, [I mean Natural Ferment] is not any Substance distinct, or separable from the Seed it self; since it is connatural 56 with it, and intimately the same, [and is indemonstrable à priore, as well as the Seed, and may be thus defined.

A Ferment is an Expansive, Elastick, 57 or Springy power of the Seed of any thing; by which motion of its self it also moveth the smallest particles of that Matter in which it is immersed: by which motion also [which is of divers kinds, according to the variety of Seeds] the particles of Matter acquire new shapes, sizes, and postures amongst themselves; and so a new texture of the whole is produced, agreeable to the pe­culiar Nature of the Seed, and corres­pondent to its Idea; [which Idea we shall explain in its place.]

We have likewise declared often, that 58 seeds do operate by Odors, or scents; which we think is not said without cause: for if it be well observed, it will be found, that no seeds do generate; but in the time of their acting upon the Mat­ter there are specifick Odors produced; that is, while they are in Fermentation, and the work incompleat: for, when the Concrete is perfected, the Odor is [Page 35] much abated: [as, not to instance in artificial things, making of Malt, the fermenting of Beer, and Wine, in the Barrel, and the leavening of Dough, &c.] for 'tis observable, that the Grains of Wheat, or other Vegetables, sown in the ground, when their invisible seed begins to ferment, do send forth Odors; so also the Eggs of Birds, on which the Hen hath sat. And that Minerals, and Metals, whilst in their making they do send forth such plenty of stinking Odors, that many times the workmen in Mines are suffocated therewith, no body can be ignorant. Now these Odors are fine and subtile Effluviums, [or small parti­cles of the Matter now put into motion by the power of the seed, Ferment: which having extricated themselves from their Companions, and roving in the Air, do at last strike against those parts of our Noses that are fitted by Nature to be sensible of the touch of such very small Bodies.

59 Odors then are a sign of Fermentation begun, and are nothing but small parti­cles of Matter got loose from their Fel­lows, begun to be alter'd, and specifi­cated by the seed; and therefore are ve­ry various, according to the diversity of [Page 36] seeds, and their Ferments, from whence they proceed.

Having before declared, that all Bo­dies 60 proceed, and are made from Semi­nal Beings; and that the real seeds, and Ferments of things are invisible; and having declared, what I would have un­derstood by a seedy Fermen [...], and Odor; and also having hinted above, that all Bodies are Materially [and Primarily] nothing but water; I shall now endea­vour to prove the same more fully, and clearly; the which I shall do by three sorts of Arguments. The first is groun­ded upon tha [...] Philosophical Axiom; viz. Quaesunt prima in Compositione, sunt ulti­ma in resolutione: Et quae sunt ultima in resolutione, sunt prima in Compositione. ‘That which is first in the Composition, is last in the resolution: And those things which are last in the resolution, the same are first in the Composition.’ The second Ar­gument is grounded upon another axiom commonly received. That is, Nutrimur iisdem quibus constamus. ‘We are Nouri­shed by those things of which we are con­stituted, or made.’ The third argument shall be to shew, and prove a necessity of all Bodies being formed out of wa­ter; because neither the four Elements [Page 37] of the Peripateticks, nor the Tria Prima, or three Principles of the Chymists, can possibly concur to the constituting of Bo­dies, as either the Efficient, or Prima­ry Matter; they being themselves but great disguised Schemes of one and the same Catholick Matter, Water, from whence they were made, and into which they are ultimately to be resolved, and uniformly to be reduced, either by Art, or Nature. All which assertions I hope to prove, both by Experiment, and Reason, and shall likewise endeavour to strengthen by good and sufficient Autho­rities.

61 AS to the first Argument, founded on that Axiom, that All Bodies are made of that Matter into which they are ultimately resolved, and è Contra; This Maxim is agreed upon of all hands, both by the Aristotelians, the Old Chymists, and the New ones; and that almost upon the same ground. For the first supposed all Bodies reducible at last into Fire, Air, Water, and Earth; and therefore [Page 38] held the Quaternary of Elements, [ which, by the way, they could never yet sufficiently prove.] And the Second be­lieved Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury to be the first Principles of all Bodies. And the last sort, the modern Chymists, hold Spirit, Oyl, Salt, Water, and Earth, to be the true Primary Principles of Bodies, for the same reason; viz. because many Concrets are resolvable by fire into the first three, if not into the last five, distinct Substances before na­med.

But that all Bodies are by Art to be 62 brought back, uniformly, into water; hear what that Learned Man, Helmont, saith. Nostra namque operatio Mechanica mihi pa­tefecit, Helm [...]nt in Tract. de Elemen­ta. ss. 11, 12. p. 43. & DeTer­ra. p. 45. ss. 15. omne Corpus [pu [...]a saxum] Lapidem, Gemmam, Silicem, Arenam, Marcasi­tam, argillam, terram, Lapides coctos, vitrum, Calces, Sulphur, &c. Trans­mutari in Salem actualem, aequiponderan­tem suo Co pori, unde factus est: Et quod iste s [...]l aliquoties c [...]hobatus, cum sale cir­culato Paracelsi, suam omnino fixitatem amittat, tandem transmutetur in Liquorem, qui etiam tandem in aquam insipidam tran­sit: Et quod ista aqua aequiponderet sali suo, unde manavit.—Plantam verò, car­nes, ossa, Pisces, &c. quicquid similium [Page 39] est, novi redigere in mera sua Tria, unde post modum aquam insipidam Confeci; Me­tallum autem, propter sui seminis anaticam commistionem, & arena [quellem] diffici­limè in salem reducuntur. Cum igitur arena, sive terra Originalis, tam Arti, quam Naturae resistat, nec queat ullis [unico duntaxat Gehennae artificialis igni excepto] Naturae vel artis, à primaeva sui constantia recedere; sub quo igne artificiali, arena sal [...]it, ac tandem aqua; quia vim ha­bet agendi super sublunaria quaevis abs (que) reactione, &c. ‘For our handy-craft Opera­tion [that is, his Liquor, Alkahest] hath manifested to me, that all Bodies [to wit, the Rocky Stones] the Pebble, the Precious stone, the Flint, Sand, Marca­sits, Clay, Earth, Brick, Metal, Glass, Lime, and Brimstone, &c. may be reduced into a real Salt, equal in weight to its own Body from whence it proceeded: And hat Salt being often cohobated with the cir­culated Salt of Paracelsus, doth altogether lose its fixedness, and is transmuted into a Liquor, which also at length becomes insi­pid water; and that water is of equal weight to the Salt of which it was made.—But Plants, Flesh, Bones, Fish, &c. and every such thing [saith he] I know how to reduce into its three first Principles, [Page 40] from whence afterwards I have made an insipid water: but Metal, by reason of its strict, and exact commixture with its Seed, and the Sand [quellem] are most difficul [...] ­ly reduced into Salt: for Sand, or the Ori­ginal Earth▪ doth resist as well Art, as Nature, neither will by any means [the only artificial [...]ire of Gehenna excepted; that is, the Alkahest] be made to recede from its first-born constancy, &c. [un­der which artificial fire the Sand is made Salt; and at last water] because it hath a power to work upon any sublunary Body, without its re-acting upon it again.’

He likewise tells us, in his Tract, enti­tuled, 63 Co [...]plexionum atque Mistionum fig­mentum. Helm [...]nt. Complex. atque Mi­stion, Fig­ment. p. 88. ss. 27. Novi enim aquam [quam ma­nifestare non Libet, &c. For I know a Water [which it is not sit to discover, mean­ing the Alkahest,] by whose help all Vege­tables are changed into a distillable j [...]ice, which leaveth no feces in the bottom of the glass: which distilled juice, if it be mix­ed with Alkalies, [or fixed Salts] is re­duced totally into insipid and Elementary Water.

And a little further in the same Tract, 64 he tells us: That he took an Oak-Charcoal, and mixing it with an equal weight of the [Page 41] Liquor Alkahest, he put it in a glass, Her­metically Sealed, which being kept in a Balneo for three dayes, it was in that time turned into a couple of Diaphanous Liquors, of different colours, which swam upon each other; which being distilled together [in Sand] by a heat of the second degree, it left the bottom of the glass as clear, as if it had never been used. The two Liquors of the Coal might be distilled with the heat of a Bath, but the dissolving Liquor, [or Menstruum] in that degree of heat would remain at the bottom of the Glass, not im­paired in its weight, or Virtue. And that the aforesaid two Liquors of the Coal, being mixed with a little Chalk, at thrice distilling, did ascend of the same weight as before; but having lost all their distin­guishing qualities, it became undiscernable from Rain-water.

65 The Operations of this Liquor [which you have heard] in reducing all Bodies uniformly into water, is, I think, of very great force to evince, what I have here affirmed, viz. that all Bodies were Originally Water. But after all this stress I lay upon these Expe­riments of He [...]mont'S, it may be objected by some, That they not being possessors of this Liquor, may be allowed to doubt of [Page 42] the truth of what he hath deliver'd con­cerning it. To which I answer, first, that I think it no cogent Argument, to conclude there is no such thing, because many men are not possessors of it; and if this should be admitted, all other Arts and things, that are possessed by any Man [and not known to the common people] would be liable to the same ex­ception; and every Cobler, or Plough­man would conclude the impossibility of the effects produced by most Mathema­tical Auromatons, or Engines, because he either knoweth not, or hath not seen the con [...]rivance of the thing, or else is not able to conceive the reason of its Operation: And if every Man [that knoweth more than the Vulgar] would make it his own case, they would, I suppose, think it an unreasonable and hard way of judging of things.

Secondly, the Man is so consentaneous 66 to himself [...]n his Experiments, that that very thing to me appeareth an Argument of his Truth. And as to his veracity in those things he delivers as matter of fact, [and upon his own knowledge,] I do not find that even his Enemies have de­tected him of Falshood; and I am sure, I have hitherto found him most true, in [Page 43] whatsoever he hath delivered us as his own Experience [though possibly many of those things do not at first sight seem over-probable.] But lest I may seem over-partial, I will give you a Testimo­ny of him [that may be instar omnium] and that shall be from a Man, of whom the World is fully satisfied, not only as to his candid Temper, but also of his ability to judge, both of Men, and things; and the unwillingness of his Nature to encourage falshood: and that is the In­quisitive, and Honourable Mr. Boyl, who saith thus both of him, and the Alkahest.

76 If our Chymists will not reject the solemn, and repeated I estimony of a Person [speak­ing of Helmont] who cannot but be ac­knowledged for one of the greatest Spagirists they can boast of, Scept. Chy­mist. Car­mades Dialogus p. they must not deny that there is to be found in Nature another Agent, able to analyze compound Bodies less violent­ly, and both more genuinely, and more uni­versally than Fire: And for my own part, I have found Helmont so faithful a Writer, even in divers of his improbable Experi­ments, that I think it somewhat harsh to give him the lye, especially to what he delivers upon his own proper Tryal. And I have heard from very credible Eye-witnesses some [Page 44] things, and seen some others my self, which argue so strongly, that a Circulated salt [or a menstruum, such as it may be] may by being abstracted from compound Bodies, whether Minerals, Animals, or Vegetables, leave them more unlocked than a wary Na­turalist would easily believe; that I dare not confidently measure the power of Na­ture, and Art, by that of the Menstruums, and other Instruments, that even eminent Chymists themselves are as yet wont to im­ploy about the Analyzing of Bodies. Thus far he.

Besides, he that had laboured more 68 than thirty years in the fire, and making Experiments, in all probability might attain this secret: since Geber, and ma­ny of the Arabian Philosophers had it before him; as also Basil Valentine, Raymund Lully, and Paracelsus. Nor can I believe so grave and great a man, would in his Old Age, near his Death, impose falshoods and lyes upon the World.

But without the assistance of this Li­quor, 69 this Doctrine may be made out; though by more troublesome, and tedious wayes; as we shall now proceed to shew.

The same worthy man, Helmont, saith, 70 [Page 45] [and I have found it true by experience] Olea & pinguedines, per ignem separata; adjecto pauco sale Alkali, saponis Naturam assumunt, atque in aquam Elementalem abeant. Complex. & Mistion. Elem. sig [...]. p 86 ss 12. [And again, thus:] Omne Al­kali, addita pinguedine, in aqueum Liquo­rem, qui tandem mera & simplex aqua fit, reducitur [ut videre est in sapone, &c.] quoties per adjuncta fixa, semen pinguedi­nis deponit; That is, ‘That fats, and Oyls distilled by fire, a little of an Alkaly, [or fixt salt] being added, do become soap, and at last, may be turned into Elemental Water.— All Alkalies, fats being added, are converted into watry Liquors, which at last is made and reduced into mere simple water [as it is to be seen in soap, &c.] as often as by a fixed adjunct, [such as Chalk] it shall be made to lay aside its seed, and fatness.’

71 And again, Omne Oleum distillatum, in salem est mutabile, & in aquam per ad­juncta. ‘All distilled Oyl is to be chan­ged into Salt, and by adjuncts into Water.’ Also, the best spirit of Wine, which is totally inflamable, if it be joyned with salt of Tartar, will be transmuted into mere water: which salt of Tartar it self, by the help of Oyls [as is above decla­red] will at last be reduced into water.

[Page 46]All Vegetables are reducible by distil­lation into Water, Oyl, and Salt; the water cohobating upon Chalk becomes merely Elemental; the Oyl and Salt may, as is said above, be made to unite into a Saponary Body, which distilled, yield a stinking water, which being oft re-distilled from Chalk [or some such Body] having laid aside its seminal qua­lities, is indiscriminate from common water: The Salt it self [which is ac­counted the most permanent principle] yet by the help of fire, well contrived Vessels, and proper adjuncts, it may be reduced into a Volatil Menstruum, which being put to act upon Bodies, as a dissol­vent, it loseth its saline acrimony, and by repeated operations it is totally con­verted into insipid water.

All Animals upon the face of the 73 Earth are remigrable into water [of which they were formed] And first, as to Snakes, Vipers, Ee [...]s, Froggs, &c. these being perfect Animals, as consisting of Organical parts, as Hearts, Stomacks, Livers, Galls, Eyes, &c. [not to men­tion Worms, and other insects] some of them accounted hot Creatures, and so full of vivacity and life, that several of them will survive after the taking their [Page 47] hearts out of their Bodies some hours, [not to say, dayes;] I say one would lit­tle suspect by their out-side, these Crea­tures should abound with moysture as they do. For, if any of them be put to distillation, you shall perceive them to boyl in their own juice, and to afford an incredible quantity of Phlegmatick Li­quor, which being cohobated upon dry Bodies, as is directed in the reduction of Vegetables, returneth to water; also their Oyls, and fatty substances, being joyned with an Alkaly, and made into a soap, then distilled, they yield a stink­ing water, which cohobated, as the other, doth likewise return into water.

74 All other sorts of living Creatures are, by the help of fire, to be dissected into Oyls, a fixt, and a volatile Salt [though they yield most of the latter] an Empi­reumatical Spirit, and Phlegm: all which by the above-said helps, and the like re­peated Operations, will at last be brought into water.

75 Middle Minerals, and Mineral Salts, by Art are reducible into Corrosive Spirits; which acting upon Bodies, are dispoil'd of their acrimony; and, at last, return to the shape of water.

76 As for Minerals, and Metals; if they [Page 48] be fluxed with Alkalies, they are there­by rob'd of their Sulphurs; to which if you add Oyl, it is made soap, and then to be dealt with as is above directed, by the Example of both Vegetables, and Animals: or else the Sulphurs of Mine­rals, separated from the Alkalizate Salt, may be burnt, and the Fume caught by a Glass-Bell, [as is usual in making Oyl of Sulphur per Campanam] it will be turned into a corrosive Spirit, which will be reduced into water; as I have shew­ed above, other corrosive Spirits may be by acting upon Bodies.

Metalline Mercury, or Quick-Silver, 77 [that peerless body for homogeneity, and likeness of parts] which exceedeth water in weight at least fourteen times, [the parts of it being so forcibly com­pressed by the power of its Seed] may yet totally be reduced into water, in pur­posely contrived Vessels, and a skilfull management of the fire; as Raymund Lully doth witness, and Experience with him.

Nay, Nature her self doth in time 78 [by the help of Putrefaction, and fer­ments residing in the Earth,] reduce into water the bodies of Vegetables, and Animals, whether Fish, or Flesh; also [Page 49] Salts, Ashes, Stones burnt to Lime, &c. witness the dunging of Land by these things. Nay, Metals themselves in time, having past their [...] or prime, degenerate into middle-Minerals, and Salts; and then return to water. So that you see, all Bodies have water for their first Matter; and are by Art and Nature reducible into it again at last.

79 Paracelsus [a Person hardly inferiour to any Man in the knowledge of Metals, Paracel. Liber de Miner. Tract. 1. p. 342. and Minerals] giveth us his Opinion of the production of Metals, and Stones, from water, in these words. Sic ergo Mirabili Consilio Deus constituit, ut prima Materia Naturae esset aqua, mollis, levis, potabilis; Et tamen foetus seu fructus ip­sius est durus; ut Metalla, Lapides, &c. quibus nihil durius est. ‘So therofore God hath ordered, by a wonderful Counsel, that the first Matter of Nature should be water, soft, gentle, potable; and never­theless the off-spring, or fruit of it, is hard; as Metals, and Stones, &c. than which nothing is harder.’

Plato also is of the same judgment with him; Plato Ti­mae. p. Graec. 488. Latin. p. 718. for he tells us. Aquae genera duo sunt praecipua, unum humidum [...], alterum fusile [...]: ‘There are two sorts of Waters, one moyst, the other fusil, or [Page 50] to be melted.’ And presently after, he explaineth what he meaneth by fusil wa­ters. Ex his veró quas aquas fusiles ap­pellavimus, quod ex ten [...]issimis, levissimis­que, fit densissimum, uniforme, splendidum, flavumque, & praetiosissima res est, aurum flo­rescens per petram compactum est: ‘But of these, which we call fusil waters, [or to be melted] Gold flowering through the Rock is compacted; for it is, of a most soft, fine, and tender thing, made most hard, uniform, splendid, and yellow, and is a most precious thing.’

The Seeds of Minerals, and Metals are invisible Beings; [as we have shew­ed, above, the true Seeds of all other things are;] but to make themselves visible Bodies they do thus: Having got­ten themselves sutable Matrices in the Earth, and Rocks, [according to the appointment of God, and Nature] they begin to work upon, and Ferment the water; which it first Transinutes into a Mineral-juice, call'd Bur, or Gur▪ from whence by degrees it formeth Metals. To which purpose I shall give you a te­stimony, or two. The first we bor­row from that Book, Entituled, Arcae Arcani artificiosissimi apertae, beginning thus: Igitur No [...] andum [...] est, &c. Which [Page 51] because the passage is long, we will on­ly give you in English, Theatrum Chym. vol. 6. p. 305. thus: Therefore it is to be Noted, that Nature hath her passages and Veins in the Earth, which doth distill waters, either Salt and Clear, or else turbid. For it is alwayes observable by sight, that in the Pitts, or Groves of Me­tals, sharp, and salt Waters distill down; therefore while these waters do fall down­wards, [for all heavy things are carried downwards] there doth ascend from the Centre of the Earth, Sulphurous Vapours, which do meet them. Wherefore if so be, the waters be saltish, pure, and clear, and the Sulphurous Vapours pure also, and both of them do strictly embrace each other in their meeting, then a pure Metal is pro­duced; but in defect of such purity, [that is, of the Water, and Vapour] then an impure Metal is generated: in Elabo­rating of which Nature spendeth near a thousand years before she is able to bring it to perfection; and this happeneth either by reason of the impurity of the Salt, Mercuri­al Waters, or the impure Sulphurous Va­pours. When these two do embrace each other, shut up close in Rocky places; then by the Operation of Natural heat there doth arise from them a moyst, thick, fat Vapour, which seateth it self where the Air cannot [Page 52] come, [for else it would flye away:] of this Vapour a Mucil [...]ginous, and unctuous Matter is made, which is white like Butter; Mathesius calls▪ it Gur: it will spread like Butter, which I also can shew in my hand, above, and out of the Earth. And the same Author again, thus. The Matter of Metals before it be Coagulated in­to a Metalline form, Arcae Ar­can. p. 318. is like Butter made of the Cream of Milk, which may be clam'd, or spread as Butter, which he [he mean­eth Mathesius] calleth Gur, which I also [saith the Author] have found in the Mines, M [...]tallo­graph. p. 50. where Nature hath produced Lead. And that Industrious Metallurgist, Web­ster, [who hath likewise noted the same passages out of this Author] assureth us, that he hath in his possession some pounds weight of this Metalline Liquor, called Gur.

To which I will also add my own Te­stimony; 82 which is, that about eighteen years past, having made a Visit to a Friend, who dwelt upon the Borders of Derby-shire; and who had at that time newly discover'd a Lead-Mine in his Ground: I remember, that being at the said Mine I saw upon the Work-man's breaking a stone of Lead-Ore, a bright shineing Liquor spurt forth; which in a [Page 53] little while did coagulate, and become solid.

83 And that Worthy Man, Helmont, con­firms what we have related of this Me­talline juice, in these words:

Non rarò nempe contingit, quod Metalla­rius, Helmont in Mogn. Oport. p. 127. in fodinis, saxa diffringens, dehiscat paries, & rimam det, unde tantillum aquae, subalbidae, virescentis, manavit, quod mox concrevit instar saponis liquidi [Bur voco] mutatòque deincepa pallore subvirtdi, flavescit, vel albescit, vel saturatius viri­descit. Sic enim visum est, quod alias intus, absque saxi vulnere, fit; Quia suc­cus ille interno Efficiente perficitur. Est ergo prima seminis Metallici vita in Condo, sive Promptuario loci, homini plane incog­nita: at ubi semen in lucem, Liquore ve­stitum, prodit, Et gas incaepit Sulphur aquae inquinare, vita est seminis media; ul­tima verò, cum jam indurescit: that is, ‘It many times happeneeh, that a Mine-Man, in the Pits, breaking stones, the Wall is opened, and a Chink is made; from whence a little water hath flowed, of a whitish greeness, which presently hath thickned like soft soap. [I call it Bur, saith he, but I suppose it should be written Gur] and by and by the some­what greenish paleness being changed, it [Page 54] groweth yellowish, or whitish, or more fully greenish: So that that is brought to sight, which nevertheless was made within, if the [...]tone had not been broken; because that juice [or Liquor] is brought to perfection by an internal Effici­ent; therefore the first life of the Metal­lick seed is hid in the little store-house, [or Cellar] of the place, altogether unknown unto Man: but when the seed is brought to light, invested with a Li­quor, and the Gas hath begun to defile the Sulphur of the water, it is then the middle life of the seed; but the last life is, when it is now grown hard, [that is, become a true Metal.]’

And again, that this Metalline juice, 84 which he calls Bur, [and other Authors Gur, which is the true proximate Mat­ter of all Metals] was Originally no­thing but water, coagulated by the pow­er of Metalline Seeds; Hear what the same Author sayes: Helmont, in Element. p. 43. In terra nimirum fracescens aqua, semen locale vel insitam acquirit, ideoque vel in Liquorem, [Leffas] ad omnem Flantam, vel insuccum[Bur] Mineralem transit, juxta species, per di­rectionem seminum Electas:

85 But that you may not think, that Lead alone is formed from this Buttery, or Soap-like substance, which we have been speaking of; but also that all other Me­talline, and Mineral bodies are produced from the same; I shall give you an In­stance, or two; Metal. p. 44. Erastus, as I find him quoted by Webster, saith, I have two stones of Iron, one of them of an Ironish colour, the other of the colour of the shell of a ripe Chesnut; altogether soft, and fatty, that may like Butter be wrought with the fingers; from which, notwithstanding, hard, and good Iron was extracted by the fire.

86 Concerning the generating Silver from such a Mineral-Liquor, that Honoura­ble Person, Mr. Boyl, tells us [from Gerrhardus] thus. Scept. Chym. p. 360. Item aqua (aerulea in­venta est Annebergae, aubi Argentum ad­huc erat in primo Ente, quae coagulata, re­ducta in Calcem fixi & boni argenti: ‘Also that at Anneberge a blew water was found, where Silver was yet in its first Being, or Ens, which coagulated, [Page 56] was reduced into the powder, or Calx of fixed and good Silver.’

As for Gold, and Antimony, Para­celsus saith, Paracelsus, in lib. de Ren. & Restor. p. 43, 44, 45 & Chyrurg. Mag. p. 117 143, [...]44. De Renov. p. 45. Rer. Natur. Lib. 8. p. 104. it is to be found in its Ens pri­mum, or first Being, Liquid, and in the form of a Red Liquor, or Water, which afterwards is coagulated and exalted into Gold.

Again, he sayes of the primum Ens lege 87 solis, that it is a fugacious Spirit, as yet consisting in volatility, as an Infant in the Womb of a Woman, and is sometimes like a Liquor, and sometimes it is found like an Alcool, or subtile powder.

'Tis a common known thing, that 88 those Men which bore the Ground to find out Coal-mines, do, when they come near the Mine, bring up in their borer a sort of matter they call Soap­stone, which is like fat Clay, but of a black colour, and will, when new taken out of the Ground, spread like butter, as Gur will do; but in the Air will soon become so hard, that it will not cut with a Knife.

I might here take notice of what Ru­landus 89 hath said of the Medulla Lapidis, which the Germans call Steinmarck; some of which is white, some red, and some of other colours; [Page 57] and most of it in substance like the fore­mentioned Gur: but to avoid being te­dious, I forbear. And of this sort of coagulated water were those Pebbles made, which Peireskius found soft under his feet in the River Rosne; as is related in the tenth History of Petrification, in the first Section of this Dis­course.

90 So that, I think, it is evident, first, by the afore-cited Authorities, which hold that all bodies were made of wa­ter, and seed; and secondly, by the al­leadged Experiments, teaching the Re­duction of all bodies into water again; that the Original of all Concrets, [even those solid ones of Metals, and Stones] is water.

91 And I do not find that very ingenious man, Mr. Boyl, Scept. Chym p. 218. to be against this Opi­nion: for he saith thus; Yet thus much I shall tell you at present, that you need not fear my rejecting this Opinion; since how­ever the Helmontians may in Complement to their Master, pretend it to be a new disco­very, yet though the Arguments be for the most part his, the Opinion it self is very Ancient.

92 I have now done with the first Argu­ment, that is, that all Bodies are made [Page 58] of those things into which they are at last to be resolved, and that I have prov­ed to be water.

I now proceed to the second Argu­ment, 93 viz. that all Bodies are Nourish­ed by that of which they are Constitu­ted.

THat Vegetables are nourished by 94 water, will plainly appear from hence, that no Plants do either grow, or increase without the assistance of water; either by the way of Rain, or Dew, or else by the overflowing of some Spring, or River; for if they be destitute of wa­ter, they dye, and wither.

And it is commonly known, that the 95 tops of Rosemary, Marjoram, Mint, Baume, Penny-ryal, Crows-foot, and many other Plants, will thrive, flourish, and grow to a large Bulk [without being Planted in the Earth,] if they be only put into a Glass with fair water in it; in­to which they will shoot out springy Roots, and from whence they will gather [Page 59] sufficient Nourishment to become large Plants.

96 To confirm which I shall relate a couple of very remarkable passages; the one borrowed from that honourable Phi­losopher, Mr. Boyl; the other from that Learned Naturalist, Helmont.

97 Mr. Boyl tells us, that he caused a certain quantity of Earth to be digged up, Scept. Chy­mist. p. baked in an Oven, and weighed; and then put into an Earthen Pot, in the which he set the seed of a Squash, which grew very fast, [though planted too late, viz. in the Moneth of May] it being watered only with Spring, or Rain-water: in October [by reason of the approaching Winter] he caused it to be taken up, and the weight of it, with its stalk, and leaves, was found to be two pounds, twelve Ounces; and the Earth [in which it grew] being baked as before, it was found to be exactly the same weight.

98 Helmont's Relation is this: He took, Complex. & Mist. fig. p. 88. ss. 30. he saith, two hundred pounds weight of Earth, which was dryed in an Oven, and putting it into an Earthen Pot, he moystened it with Rain-water, and in it he Planted the trunck of a Willow-Tree, which weighed five pounds, [covering [Page 60] the Pot with an Iron cover, which had a hole for the Tree to grow out at,] and at the end of five years, he took up the Tree, and found it to weigh one hundred sixty nine pound, three Ounces; and the Earth being dryed, was of the same weight as at first.

Now if this be throughly consider'd, 99 from what can we possibly suppose, the bulk of the Swash, and this great additi­on of 164. pounds weight to the Tree, did proceed but from meer water; there being nothing else added to either of them? and no doubt, Nature observeth the same course in producing all other Vegetables; whether springing up from their innate Seeds, or transplanted into other soyls: for the Earth is only a Re­ceptacle to receive the seeds of things, [and to sustain the weight of Minerals, Animals, and Vegetables: which Seeds conceive in the water; where they be­get themselves Bodies, and from which all Plants arise; and by the power of the Architectonick Spirit of the seed, fer­menting the particles of water, do pro­ceed the stalks, wood, leaves, flowers, fruit, grain, [or Casket of the real seed] as also the Colours, Odors, Tastes, and all the specificate qualities of the [Page 61] Plant, according to the Idea wrapt up in the bosom of the seed. Animals also are nourished by water; some immedi­ately, others mediately.

100 Immediately, 100 from meer water, as Salmon, Sturgeon, and several other sorts of Fish, in whose stomacks no food, that I know of, was ever yet found. And to confirm this; Rondeletius [an Author of good credit] affirms, that his Wife kept a Fish in a large glass, and fed it with nothing but water [so long] till it grew so big, that it could no longer be contained in the glass; which they were forced to break to get it out.

101 Those living Creatures that are nou­rished immediately by water and Vege­tables, are most sort of Cartel proper for food; so that in these Beasts, which feed upon Corn, Grass, and other Herbs, [which are really but water, once re­moved from its primitive simplicity by the power of Seeds,] water is a second time transmuted, by the Ferment of a Beasts stomack, by which it is changed into Chyle, Blood, Milk, Urine, Flesh, Bones, Fat, Sinews, &c. and all these different one from another, according to the species of the Beasts that feed upon them.

[Page 62]Now these Creatures, and their parts 72 [as the flesh and milk of beasts] serve for food to those Animals that are nou­rished mediately from water; such are Men, and divers Wild beasts, who live upon the flesh, milk, and blood of Cat­tel, and by the Ferments of whose sto­macks these things are again Transmu­ted into another kind of Chyle, blood, flesh, bones, milk, Urine, &c. which juices of our bodies are still but water, disguised by the operation of different feeds, and Ferments; which is quickly discovered by distilling them: for, if our blood be distilled, five or six parts of seven will rise in Phlegm [which is easily reducible into simple water, as we have shewed in the last Section before this.]

Nay, the sperm of Man [by which 102 we propagate our selves▪] is nothing but water [Originally] altered by the several Ferments of the body, and ci [...] ­culated in the seminal Vessels.

Upon this Subject there is much good 103 matter to be found in that ingenious man, Simpson, in his Hydrologia.

It now remains, that we prove the 104 growth, and nourishment of Metals and stones from water: which that we may [Page 63] the better do, I think it necessary, in the first place, to discover, whether they do really grow, and increase or no; for some men believe, that God Created them at first, when he formed the world; but that since they do neither grow, nor increase: which error we shall endeav­our to confute by several good Obser­vations, taken from approved Au­thors.

105 Almost all the Mystical Chymists have handled this point so obscurely, that though they have asserted, that metals and stones do grow and increase, and that they are generated from a seminal prin­ciple; yet have they proved nothing clearly; but left it as a principle to be granted, without any further dis­pute.

106'Tis a known truth in Cornwall, that after all the Tin, that could be found in a Mine, hath been taken out, and the Mine filled up with Earth; yet within thirty years they have opened them again, Nat. Bath. Cap. 11. p. 51, & 52. and found more Tin generated: of which Dr. Iordan doth take notice also, and in the above-cited place he sayes thus: The like hath been observed in Iron, as Gan­dentius Merula Reports of Ilna, an Island in the Adriatick Sea, under the Venetians, [Page 64] where Iron is bred continually, as fast as they can work it; which is confirmed also by Agricola, and Baccius. [...]he like we reade of at Saga in Lygiis, where they dig over their Mines every ten years.

And of Ilna it is remembred by Virgil, who saith, Ilnaque inexhaustis Chaly­bum generosa metallis. John Mathe­sius giveth us Examples of almost all sorts of Minerals, and Metals, which he had observed to grow, and regenerate. The like Examples you may find in Leonar­dus Thurnisserus; In Sarept. Conc. 3. p. II, &c. Alchym. Mag. De Metallis. p. 17, & 19 Erastus affirms, that he did see in St. Joachim's Dale, Silver grow upon a Beam of wood, which was placed in the Pit to support the work; and when it was rotten, the Work-men coming to set new Timber in the place, found the Sil­ver sticking to the Old Beam. Also he re­ports, that in Germany there hath been unripe, and unconcocted silver found in Mines, which the best Workmen affirmed would become Silver in less than thirty years. The like Modestinus, Fucchius, and Mathesius, affirm, of unripe, and liquid Silver; which when the Workmen find, they use to say, we are come too soon. Lex. Al­chym. p. 56.

And Rulandus saith [speaking of Sil­ver 107 that is to be found Naturally purified [Page 65] in the Mine;] Sed hoc axgentum pu [...]um tenuissimis bracteis amplectitur Lapidem; interdum etiam prae se fert speciem Capil­lorum, interdum virgularum, interdum globi fert speciem, quasi filis convoluti candidis, aut rubris; interdum prae se fert speciem arboris, Instrumenti, Montium, Herbarum, & aliarum re [...]um. ‘And this pure Silver doth embrace the Stone with most [...]ine Plates; it sometimes also doth bear the shope of hair, sometimes of little twiggs, sometimes of a Globe, as though wrap'd about with thred, white, or red; sometimes it appeareth in the shape of a Tree, Mountain, Instrument, Herbs, and of other things.’

108 Mr. Boyl tells us from Gerrhardus, thus. In Valle Ioachimacae &c. [saith he] In the Vale of Joachim, Dr. Shre­ter is a witness, that Silver, in the man­ner of Grass, had grown out of the stones of the Mine, as from a Root, the length of a finger; who hath shewed these veins, very pleasant to behold, and admirable, at his own House, and given of them to others.

[Page 66] And to shew you, that Metals do 109 grow even like Vegetables, it is very remarkable what is quoted by webster, out of 'Peter Martyr, Councellour to the Emperour Charles the Fifth, Peter Mar­tyr. D [...]cad. 3. C [...]p. 8. p. 139. [...], p. 48. in these words: They have found by Experience, that the Vein of Gold is a Living Tree, and that the same by all wayes spreadeth, and springeth f [...]om the Root, by the soft pores and passages of the Earth, putteth forth branches even to the uppermost part of the Earth; and ceas [...]th not till it discover it self to the open Air; at which time it sheweth forth certain be [...]utiful colours in the stead of flowers: round stones of Golden Earth, in­stead of fruit, and thin Plates in stead of leaves: Th [...]se are they which are dispersed through the whole Island [he is speaking of Hispaniola] by the course of the Rivers, Eruptions of the Springs out of the Moun­tains, and other falls of the Floods: for they think, such grains are not ingendered where they are gathered, [...]specially on the dry Land, but otherwise in the Rivers. They say, than the root of the Golden Tree extendeth to the Centre of the Earth, and there taketh nourishment of increase; for the de [...]per that they digg, they find the [Page 67] trunck the bigger, as far as they may fol­low it for abundance of water, springing in the Mountains: of the branches of this Tree, they find some as small as a thread, and others as big as a mans [...]inger, according to the largeness, or stre [...]ghtness of the Rifis, and Cl [...]fts; they have sometimes lighted upon whole Caves, sustained, and born up, as it were, by Golden Pillars, and this in the way by which the branches ascend: the which be­ing filled with the substance of the Trunck, creeping from bene [...]th the branch, mak­eth it self way, by which it may pass out. It is oftentimes divided by incoun­tring with some kind of hard stone; yet is it in other Clef [...]s nourished by the ex­halations and Virtue of the Root.

110 To which I might add what Fallopius saith of Sulphur, [viz.] Sunt enim loca, è quibus si hoc Anno Sulphur effos­sum fuerit, intermissa fessione per quadri­ennium, redeunt fossores, & omnia Sul­phure, ut antea, rursus inveniunt plena: ‘For there are places, from whence if this Year the Sulphur be digged out, and for­bearing to dig, by the space of four years, [Page 68] the Mine-men return, and find them all full of Sulphur, as before.’

And that Salt-Petre groweth, and 111 increaseth, our common Salt-Petre­men will justifie; for after they have extracted all the Salt that they can get out of the Earth that yieldeth it, in two or three years after, they work the same Earth [which for that purpose they carefully lay up] over again; and it yields them a considerable quantity of Salt-Petre, as before.

And concerning Table-Salt, Matthias 112 Untzerus produceth many Testimonies from credible Authors, [...] de Sale. Cap. 7. p. 33, 34, & 35. that besides that which is made of Salt-Springs, there are in Spain, the Indies, and di­vers other parts of the World, large Mountains of Salt, which as fast as they can be digg'd, grow again, and are quickly filled with Salt.

And for Lead, [besides what Galen 113 observeth of its increase, both in bulk, and weight, by being kept in a damp Cellar,] [...]occatius Certaldus, as he is [Page 69] cited by Mr. Boyl, saith thus of its growth: Fesularum Mons, &c. Of the Mountain of Fesula, a Village near Florence, that it hath Lead-stones; which if they be digg'd up, yet in a short space of time they will be sup­plied afresh, and generated anew. I might instance in many more particulars, but I think these sufficient.

114 That Stones do grow, and are made since the Creation, every mans Obser­vations will sufficiently acquaint him: And the Histories cited in the first Section of this Discourse do confirm; and that they are nourished by water, is apparent from the Scituation of Rocks in the Sea, the production of Pebbles in the bottom of Rivers, and that both Mountains, and also gravelly places, are never destitute, or unaccompanied of Springs and Rivulets.

115 And Paracelsus, I remember [some­where] giveth us this Experiment, to prove that stones do grow, and are nou­rished by water; viz. that if a Flint, or P [...]bble be put in a glass Vessel, and Rain, [Page 70] or Spring-water put upon it, and distil­led from it, if this be oft [...]n repeated, it will cause the stones to grow so bigg, that at last it will fill up the Glass that contained it.

That Metals, and Minerals are nou­rished 116 by water, is more than ptobable from hence, that no considerable Mines are found without a great conflux of wa­ters; which the Work-men are forced to make drains and Pumps to carry away, that they may work dry.

And there is an Experiment, written 117 by Monsieur De Rochas [a considerable French Author, and Transcribed from him by the Honourable, Mr. Boyl] which I shall here insert. Having [saith he] discerned such great wonders by the Natural Operation of water, I would know what might be done with it by Art, imitating Nature; wherefore I took water which I well knew not to be compounded with any other thing than the Spirit of Life; and with a heat ar­tificial, continual, and proportionate, I prepared it, and disposed it, by graduati­ons [Page 71] of Coagulation, Congelation, and Fixation, untill it was turned into Earth; which Earth produced Animals, Vegeta­bles, and Minerals: [...]he Animals did eat, move of themselves, &c. and by the true Anatomy I made of them, I found they were composed of much Su [...]phur, little Mercury, and less Salt: the Minerals began to grow, and increase, by conver­ting into their own Nature one part of the Earth; they were solid, and heavy; and by this truly demonstrative Science, namely, Chymistry, I [...]ound they were composed of much Salt, little Sulphur, and less Mer­cury.

According to this Experiment, Minerals were Generated out of, and nourished by water.

118 From what hath been related, both in this and the fore-going Section, concern­ing the growth, increase, and Vegeta­bility both of Metals, Minerals, and Stones; as also concerning those Mine­ral, Metalline, and stony juices, cal­led Gur, [or Bur] Soap-coal, and the Medulla Lapidis, &c. I think it will [Page 72] appear, that both Metals, and Stones, are made, do grow, and are nourished, daily, and at this time; and that from water, of which they were at first made, by the power of their Seeds: And this is the reason, that Metals, and Mines are now usually found in those places where for many Years before there were; Nov. L [...]m. [...]hym. Tract 4. p. 314. as both Sandivogius, and Helmont assure us. Inde fit, quod hodie reperiantur Minerae in locis ubi ante mille annos nullae fuerunt: ‘From hence it is come to pass, that Minerals may be found in plac [...]s, where before a thousand years since, there have been none.’ And Helmont, thus: Loca enim quae fodinis Caruêre olim, suo quando­que die, Helm [...]n, In Mag. Oport. p. 127. [...]s. 39. Maturato semine, foenora red­dent, ditioribus non imparia; quia radices, sive fermen [...]a Mineralium, sedent in loco immediat [...], ac in dierum plenitudinem fine fastidio anhelant: quam ubi semen complevit, tum Gas obsidens quam ibidem, semen à lo [...]o suscipit, quod aquae sulphur dein impregnat, aquam condensat, atque sensim aquam Mineralem transplantat: ‘For places which have wanted [or had no] Mines in times past, will in their own [Page 73] time, their Seed being ripened, restore Usury, equal to the richer sort [of Mines] because the Roots, or Mineral Ferments, are seated immediately in the place; and their full time being come, they [pant] or breathe without [weari­ness] or loathing: and when it hath gained a compleat Seed, then the Gas which is seated in the water of that place, receiveth that seed of the place, which af­terwards begets the Sulphur of the water with Child; condenseth the water, and by degrees turneth, or transplants it into a Mineral water.’

119 And, to conclude this Section, I will give you the Judgment of that great Naturalist, Helmont, by way of con­firmation; because I find him exactly to correspond with all that I have hitherto delivered.

12 His words are these, which you shall find in his Imago Fermenti; Helment, Imag. Fer­ment. p. 94. ss. 29, 30, 31. which be­cause they are long, I will only give you their sence in English. And indeed be­cause the Schools have been unacquainted with Ferments, they have also been ignorant, [Page 74] that solid Bodies are framed only of water, and Ferment: for I have taught, that Vegetables, and Grain, and whatsoever Bodies are nourished by them, do proceed only from water: for the Fisher-man ne­ver found any food in the stomack of a Salmon; if therefore the Salmon be made of water only, [even that of Rivers.] he is also nourished by it. So the Stur­geon wants a mouth, and appeareth only with a little hole below in his Throat, whereby the whole fish draweth nothing besides water. Therefore every Fish is nourished, and made of water, if not immediately, yet at least by Seeds, and Ferments, if the water be impregnat therewith. From the Salt Sea every fresh Fish is drawn; therefore the Ferment [of the Fish] turneth Salt into. Lastly, Shell-fish do form to themselves stony shells of water, in stead of Bones; even as also all kind of snails do; and Sea­Salt, which scarce yieldeth to the force of a very strong fire, groweth sweet by the Ferment in Fishes; and their flesh be­cometh volatile: for, at the time of di­stributing the nourishment, it is wholly [Page 75] dissipated, without a residence, or dreg. So also Salt passeth over into its Ori­ginal Element of water; and the Sea, though it receive salt Streams, yet is not every day increased in saltness. So the most unmixed, and most purest water, under the Equinoctial Line becometh ho­ry, and stinketh: strait-way it getteth the colour of a half burnt brick, then it is greenish, then red, and quakesh very remarkably, which afterwards of its own accord returns to it self again: truly this cometh to pass by reason of the con­ceived Ferment of that place, which be­ing consumed, all these appearances cease. So the most pure Fountain-water grow­eth filthy, through the musty Ferment of the Vessel; it conceiveth worms, breedeth Gnats, and is covered with a skin. Fenns putrifie from the bottom, and hence arise Frogs, Shell-fish, Snails, Horse-Ieaches, Herbs, &c. also swim­ing Herbs do cover the water, being contented with drinking only of this putrid water. And even as stones are from Fountains wherein a stony Seed ex­ists; So the Earth stinking with Me­tallick Ferments, doth make out of wa­ter, [Page 76] a Metalline, or Mineral Bu [...]; but the water being in other places shut up in the Earth, if it be nigh the Air, and stirred up with a little heat, it pu­trifieth by continuance, and is no longer water, but the juice Leffas of Plants; by the force of which hory Ferment, a Fower is conferred on the Earth of bud­ding forth Herbs. For that putrifying juice by the prick of a little heat doth ascend in smoak, becomes spungy, and is compassed with a skin, because the ferments therein hid require it. Therefore that putrefaction hath the office of a Ferment, and the Virtue of a Seed, and by degrees it obtaineth some measure of Life, and hasteneth by the Virtue of its Seeds in­to the Nature of Archeuss. Therefore this putrid juice of the Earth, is Leffas: from whence springs every Plant not ha­ving visible seed, which nevertheless bring forth seeds, according to their de­stinations. Therefore there are as many rank, putrid, musty smells, as there are proper savours of things. For Odors are not only the Messengers of Savours, but also their promiscuous Parents. The smoak Leffas being now comprest toge­ther, [Page 77] doth first grow pale, then some­what yellowish, and presently after is of a whitish green colour, and at last fully green. And the power of the several species being unfolded, it gains divers marks, and different colours: in which course it imitates the Example of the water under the Equinoctial Line. Yet in this it differs, that those waters have borrowed too Spiritual and volatile a Ferment from the Stars, and place, without a Corporal hory putrefaction; and therefore through their too frail Seed they presently return into themselves. But Leffas is constrained to finish the Act, [and obey the Power] of the Conceived Seed. Therefore Rain Conceiving a hory Ferment, is made Leffas, and is s [...]ck­ed in by the lustfull Roots: 'Tis expe­rienced also, that within this Kitchin [of the Root] there is a new h [...]ry pu­trefaction produced by the Ferment which is Tenant there; by and by it is brought from thence to the Bark [which is as it were the Liver of the Plant,] where it is inriched with a new Ferment of that part, and is made a Herby, or Woody juice; and at length it being come to [Page 78] Maturity, it is made Wood, an Herb, or becometh Fruit. If the Arm, or Stem of a Tree shall be putrefied un­der the Earth, then the Bark or Rinde becometh d [...]y, and cleaveth assunder, and sendeth forth a smoak by its own Ferment, which in the beginning is spungy, byt at length hardens into a true Root: and so Planted Branches be­come Trees by the abridgment of Art.

Therefore it is now evident, there 121 is no mixture of Elements, and that all Bodies primitively, and materially are made of water, by the help of Seeds, and their Ferments; and that the Seeds being worn out▪ and exhausted by Acting, all Bodies do at length return into their Ancient principle of water: yea, that Ferments do sometimes work more strong­ly than fire, because that fire can turn great stones into Lime, and burn wood into ashes, but there it stops; but notwithstanding, if they shall assume a Ferment in the Earth, they return in­to the juice of Leffas, and at last into simple water. For Stones, and B [...]icks, [Page 79] do of their own accord decline into Salt­petre. Lastly, Glass which is unconqu [...]red by the fire, and uncorrupted by the Air, in a few years putrifieth by continuance [in the Earth] and undergoes the Laws of Nature, &c.

122 Having now gone through the two first Arguments, by which I proposed to prove the Doctrine I have asserted, which Arguments were grounded on two generally received and allowed Ax­ioms, [ viz.] Those things which are the last in the resolving, [or retexing] of a Body, the same are found to be the first in its composition. Secondly, we are nourished by those things of which we are made, [or consist.] And ha­ving, I hope, sufficiently proved by both of them, that Water is the Original Matter, and Seeds the Efficients of all Bodies; I am now come to the third, and last Argument, which was to shew, and prove a necesssity of all Bodies being formed out of water; because neither the four Elements of the Aristotelians, nor the three Principles of the Old Chy­mists, no, not yet the [...]ive of the Mo­dern [Page 80] Chymists, can possibly concur to the constituting of Bodies, as either their Primary Matter, or Efficient; they being themselves but great disguised Schemes of one and the same Catholick Matter, Water, from whence they themselves were made; and into which they are ultimately to be resolved, and uniformly to be reduced.

ANd First for the Chimical Prin­ciples; I have shewed [in the Fourth Section of this Dis­course,] That the Oyls of Va­getables, and their Fermented Spirits, which are their Sulphurs; that the Fats, and Oyles of Animals, which are their Sulphurs, and also the Sulphurs of Mi­nerals, and Mettals, are all of them re­ducible into Water: As are also both Mineral, Animal, and Vegetable Salts. And as to the Mercury of Animals, and Vegetables (improperly enough so cal­led,) they being but of a loose Contex­ture, are easily made to remigrate into water, (as I have taught in the same place:) As also is [though with some­what more reluctancy, because of its strong Compression by its Seed,) true Mettallin Mercury, or Quicksilver, as my own experience hath assured me: Which is also confirmed by Raymundus Lullyus, the ingenious Mr. Boyl, and di­vers others.

[Page 82] 126 All this may be performed two ways, that is, Either by the means prescri­bed in the sorecited pages, or else more so­lemnly, speedily, and universally▪ by the help of that rare. Solve the Alkahest: The manner of whose operating upon Bodies, I have described from the r [...]lati­on of that worthy man Helmont [in the fourth Section.]

127 Now as to the two other Principles added by the Modern Chymists; the one of them, viz. Earth, doth properly belong to the School of the Stagyr [...]t; and therefore I speak to that, when I come to discou [...]se of the four supposed Elements of Bodies.

128 But as to the other, viz. Spirits; they are all of them of one of these two Classes; either Vinous, and made by Fer­mentation; or Saline, and made with­out.

129 Now for the Vinous, they are total­ly inflamable Bodies, and therefore to be Ranked under the Classis of Sulphurs; and may be reduced to water, as I have shewed you above: Other Sulphurs, and Spirit of Wine it self may.

130 The other sort of Spirits, viz. Sa­line, are nothing but Volatlle Salts, diluted [Page 83] with Phlegme or water; and therefore by repeated distillations, and careful recti­fications, will be brought to constitute a Lump or Mass of dry Salt: Wherefore it is not an other Principle, distinct from the former three of the Old Chymists; and by the same handycraft-means may at last be reduced to water, as I have be­fore shewed the three Principles of the Chymists may be.

131 Nor indeed can any of these three Bo­dies, called Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury, pretend to be the principles of all Con­cretes, excxept only Mercury, or Water; for it is proper for Principles, that they be Primary, and not further resolveable into more simple parts: But both Salts, and Sulphurs [as I have made out above] Being further reducible, viz. into Wa­ter; they therefore cannot [whilst such] deserve the Name of Principles.

132 Besides, it is very much questioned by those two great Phylosophers, Helmont, and Boyl, whether the Fire indeed be an adequate and fit instrument to Anatomise Bodies? And whether or no those distinct Schemes, into which the common Chy­mists resolve the matter of Bodies by Fire, [and which they call their three [Page 84] Principles] were indeed really existing, in those Bodies, from which they were Educed▪ [that they were matterially there, no man will deny, they being themselves composed of water?] But whether they were resident in the Con­cr [...]te that yielded them, in the same f [...] ­gures, and Shapes, that the Fire Exhi­bites them to our Sendes, is very dispu­table? And it may easily be imagined, that the Fire acting upon a Body that it can master, [for some it cannot] doth not only put the small parts, of which that Body consisted, and which were before [in some measure] at rest amongst them­selves, into a tumultuous motion; by means of which, they are sent hastily off into the Receiver; but doth also break by forcing them asunder, those small par­ticles of that body into other Shades, Fi­gures, and Sizes: upon which account they do conyene together after new man­ners; and so the Fire may present us with new Bodies, which were not prae-existent in the Concrete, when first exposed to its Action.

But because this point is throughly, and Learnedly handled both by Helmont, and my excellent Friend Mr. Boyl, in his [Page 85] Sc [...]ptical Chymist, I shall spare my self the pains of expatiating upon it; and refer the Inquisitive to those two Authors, for full satisfaction in this point.

133 Only I think it very necessary in this place, to examine the Arguments which are brought by a very learned man, and Eminent Physitian, to evince the real Existence of the Chymical Principles in Bodies, and to prove that they are not products of the Fire. And I the rather take notice of it here; First, because they are not bare ratiocinations of this Learned mans, but experiments; upon which he hath built very much: And Secondly, should I omit to examine these Experiments, [which indeed do seem weighty] they might perhaps be produ­ced against the Doctrine I desend: And some might likewise object, that I had not dealt candidly with the Chymist; in that I had taken no cognisance of the best weapon they have to defend their Cause.

13 This Learned man then intending to prove the real existence of Salin and Sulphurous Principles in Bodies, before the action of the Fire upon them, produces Experiments nevertheless, that are made [Page 86] by the Fire. His sence is this: Dr. Wil­lis de se [...]m. cap 20. p. 10. For the first, [viz. Salt] it is commonly known, that if the Salt be once washed out of the Ashes of any vegetable, if they be again calcined, they will yeild no more Salt. Moreover, if any concrete being distilled, shall yeild a very sharp, and acid Liquor, their Calces [or Ashes] do remain less Salt; and è contra, that is, where the salt is vblat [...]zed, and become a Liquor, and doth ascend by the Alimbec, you shall in vain seek for it in the caput mortuum: That which vindicates the Existence of the Principle of Sulphurs in Vegetables, is this; Take Gua [...]acum, or any other sort of hea­vy wood, in pieces or shavings, and putting it into a Glass-Retort, distill it by degrees; and it will give you, together with a sowet Liquor [which is the Saline Latex] a blackish oyl [which is its sulphury part] in a great quantity. That this was at first in the distilled Body, and not all produced by this [...], appeareth from hence, be­cause if you do proceed another way, by which the Sulphur may be taken from the concrete, b [...]fore it be distilled, the Liquor which cometh forth, will be almost totally deprived of its Oylyness: Wherefore, if you shall pour spirit of Wine upon the Sha­vings [Page 87] of this wood, this menstruum will extract a great quantity of pure Rozin from it, which is the same Sulphury parts; and if afterwards you take these Shavings that are left, and wash them with common water, and being dry, put them in a Re­tort, and distil them [as at first] you shall have but a little Oyl. But that which is more to be wondred at, and which doth more fully confirm this truth, is, that several Bo­dies which have little of Spirit, or Sulphu [...] in them [they being for the most part found amongst Volatils] and which chiefly consist of Salt, Earth, and Water, and are separa­ted into these Elements by distillation, which being again mixed together, doth re­store us the same sort of mixts, marked with the same sort of qualities as before; V. G. if you distil Vitriol in a reverberating Fur­nace, you shall have a Phlegme, almost insi­pid, which is its watry part: Then a very sower Liquor, or rather a [...]luid Salt, and in the bottom remains a Red Earth of a plea­sant purple Colour: These being rightly performed, if the two distilled Liquors be poured back upon the Caput Mo [...]tuum, we shall have the same Vitriol as before, re­vived of the same colour, taste, and al­most of the same weight. The like may be [Page 88] done with Nitre, Sea-salt, Salt of Tar [...]ler, and perhaps, with Alome, and other Mine­ral bodies, which you may proceed withal with the same success▪ so that those con­crets that consist of fixed and stable Ele­ments, may, like Mechanical Engins be taken to pieces, and put together again, without any prejudice. Thus far he.

135 First then, he saith, that if Salt be washed from the Ashes of a vegetable, though the Ashes be afterwards never so much calcined, yet will they yeild no more Salt; and also that those things that yeild a sower Liquor, have little or no fixt Salt in their A [...]hes.

136 The matter of fact I do not deny, but the inference from thence, I suppose I may. For it is no necessary conse­quence, that [...]a thing was really existing in that form, in the body that yeilded it, in the which Art presents us with it, when separated from the said body: As for Example, who ever believed, that a Cole was ever really Existent, [as a Cole] in wood, any otherwise than ma­terially; and it is sufficiently known, that the Cole is a product of the Fire, which hath dissipated some parts, of which the wood consisted and new modified the [Page 89] rest? From which action of the Fire, the new body of the Cole resulted: From which Cole, if it be fluxed with an Al­kalizat-Salt, may be obtained a perfect, true, and totally inflamable Sulphur, no way distinguishable from common Brim­stone, [as I have often proved:] Which Brimstone is a body very different from that of Salt, which the same Cole, if burnt to Ashes, will yeild us in the room of this Brimstone. And if it shall be objected, that this Brimstone is the Oyl of the Wood or▪ Plant, which this Learned man is pleased to call the Sulphury Prin­ciple, and which he afterwards tells us may be obtained [together with an acid Saline Liquor, upon which it swimmeth] by distillation from Guajacum; if this be objected, I desire it may be considered, First, that the Oyl of the wood was be­fore sent off into the Receiver; and that a much greater Stress of Fire is required to burn the wood into a Cole, then is needful to separate all its Oyl from it. And Secondly, that after it hath afforded all the Oyl which the Fire can make of it, yet then at last this Brimstone may be made out of it. And thirdly, that it be taken notice of, that it is not a sufficient [Page 90] ground [nay, that it is a liberty not to be allowed] to give different bodies the same denomination, because they agree in some one quality: as this Oyl, and the Sulphur do in that of Inflammability, when they differ in so many others, as is obvious to every man.

137 And as to that part of the Experi­ment alledged by this Learned man; in the first place, viz. that these Concrets, which yeild in distilling a sower Spirit, which is [saith he] their Salt volatised, and brought into the form of a Liquor; and therefore, as he [...]aith, in vain to be sought for in their Ashes, in which very little will be sound: It proveth no more but this, that according as Bodies are diffe­rently made up, so the Fire acts diversly upon their Matter: As is to be seen in Wax and Clay, the former of which the fire melts, and the last it hardens. Nor doth it appear, that this Saline Li­quor was such, whilst it recided in the Concrete, and before the action of the Fire upon it; any more than it doth, that there is really, and actually residing in the body of Wheat, or Barly, before they be made into Mault, and afterwards Brewed and Fermented, a vinous, and [Page 91] inebriating Spirit: Which when they are so managed we find there is. But if o­therwise these grains of Barly, or Wheat, shall be ground into Flower, and made into Bread, they then become wholesome Food; of which a great quantity may be eate without procuring drunkenness, which their fermented liquors will cause. And yet from this very substance of the Grain, which affordeth two such bodies, as Drink, and Bread; by a different managing of it, may be made a liquor which is so far a Corrosive, that it will draw Tinctures, [which are solutions of the small parts of bodies] from divers Minerals, Mettals, and Stones, and that many times without the help of Exter­nal heat. Nor can it with more Justice be affirmed, that these Salts [whether fixt, or volatile] were really and in that form, existing in the wood, or other Concrete; then it may be said, and be­lieved, that there is actually in Bread­corn, the Flesh, Blood, Bones, Sinews, Hair, Nailes, &c. of a man; because we see, that by the action of a humane stomach, these things are made out of Bread.

And as to what is alledged concerning [Page 92] the Oyl of Guajacum, it yieldeth if it be distilled per se, but if it be in [...]used in Spi­rit of Wine, it will impregnate it with a certain Rozin, or Gum. And the wood after this Extraction, if it be committed to distillation, will not then afford the same quantity of Oyl as before it would have done: That I easily grant, but then it will quite destroy the inference for which this Learned man brings it; viz. That Oyl was in that form a constituant Principle of the mixt. For there is a vast difference betwixt Rozin, and Oyl, the one being a firm body that will admit of pulverisation, the other a fluid, and unctious body. And besides many other specifical differences, [which, not to be tedious, I purposely omit,] The Rozin is a product of Nature, the Oyl, of the Fire. For the Rozin or Gum, is to be seen in the wood before distillation; and is only taken up, and dissolyed in the Spirit of Wine, which being evaporated, it appears again in its own form. But the Oyl is, I grant, substantially, and mate­rially the same with the Rozin; and there­fore, that being for the greatest part, or totally taken away, the Fire produceth either lesse, or no Oyl: Because if the [Page 93] Rozin be left in the wood, when it is committed to the Fire, the Fire doth spread abroad, break, and new alter the texture of the Rozin, and elevating, and making a new combination of its parts; it constitutes that Body which we call Oyl; which is in this case a real and new product of the Fire, and was not before formally Existing in that Body.

138 And it is plain, besides the instan­ces before cited, that by a different man­nagement of one and the same Concrete, I will cause the Fire to Exhibite very dif­ferent substances from it; as for Exam­ple, take any herb, as Wormwood, Mint, &c. and having bruised them, add Yest to them, or by any other means, procure a fermentation in the Matter; and then commit it to distillation, it will afford you an Oyl, and a [...]inous Spirit [which recti­fied, are both of them totally inflamable] but if the same herb be bruised, and suffer­ed to lie upon the Flore some dayes, with­out fermenting, and if it be thus put to distillation, instead of yielding a vinous Spirit, and an Oyl, as the other did; it will afford an urinous or Armoniack Spi­rit; which being carefully rectified, will coagulate totally into a mass of Salt; and [Page 94] that every man knows, is very different both from an Oyl, and a vinous Spirit: For this Salt is not only brittle, but also absolutely uninflamable.

139 And Lastly, as to what this Author instances, concerning Vitriol, Saltpeter, Tarter, and Alome, yeilding of Saline Spirits, which being poured back upon their Caput Mortuums, do redent [...]grate; and return to the same bodies as they were before. The matter of Fact I allow to be true; but withal, must be allowed to say, that it proveth not what he brings it for; nor doth evince, that Salt▪ and Sulphur, are principles in all bodies▪ for 'tis the effect of their seeds, that forms these bodies out of water: For Salts som­times are the products of s [...]eds; as I have proved from the regular figures, into which these Concrete juices do constant­ly shoot; as in Section the Second of this Discourse. So that it is not strange, that the smaller parts of these Saline juices, being by Fire divorced from the grosser, upon their being put together, do hastily run into, and lodge themselves in the cavities of their own bodies, from whence they were forced by the Fire. And to conclude, there are many bodies [Page 95] which the Fire cannot force to confess they are constituted so much as of two of the five modern Chymical Principles; as to instance in Gold, Talk, Silver, &c. and yet by the operation of the Alkahest, even these are at last reducible to water, of which they were made by the power of seed; and the afore-said Oyls, Salts, and Concrete juices, are to be all of them returned to water by the means prescri­bed in the Fourth Section of this Dis­course.

140 And here I must again take notice of two things, First, that this Learned Doctors Experiments are all made by the Fire; which of it self alone I deny to be a proper Agent, to Analize bodies, and to discover to us the truth of those principles of which they are constituted; and that for these reasons, because it doth not work uniformly upon all bodies expo­sed to its action; for, as I have said be­fore, it cannot of it self separate any one of these supposed Principles, from Gold, Talk, Sand, Silver, and many other Con­crets; and yet of some other bodies it will frame, not only Oyles, Salt, Spi­rit, Ashes, [or Earth, as he is pleased to call it] but also a Cole, Brimstone, [Page 96] and at last Glass: which three last, no man I suppose will imagin, were really existing, in those bodies of which they are made; and yet are they made by the same Agent, and from the same Subject, of which the Fire produced Salts, Oyls, Ashes, &c. and therefore upon the same ground, may as justly plead for the pre­rogative of being the constituent princi­ples of bodies.

141 The Second thing I would have considered is this: That those different Shapes and Appearances, into which the Fire hath put the matter of any Concrete▪ viz. Salts, Oyl, Ashes, Spirits, all of them are yet so compound, that they may be yet [...]urther returned and divided into more simple parts; viz. into water, which is indeed the only, and true ma­terial Principle [deservedly so called,] for it is a primary, and simple body, into which at last, all Concrets, [and even the other Four supposed principles of this Learned mans] are reduced both by Art, and Nature; and of which they were made. So that we may truly affirm with the Antient Philosophers, [...] [...]; Pl [...]to. Hipp [...], & An [...]x [...]g. One is many, and ma­ny One.

[Page 97]So that though this Learned Doctor, shewed much witt in building so fair and specious a Philosophical Structure, from these five supposed principles, yet can it be no safe dwelling in it; because the Foundation is unsound.

143 I have been the fuller in discus­sing the Experiments brought by this great man, in favour of his five Chy­mical Printiples; First, because indeed they have a very fair appearance, till they be throughly examined.

And Secondly, I would be very loath to have it thought, I would e [...] ­deavour inconsiderately or upon slight grounds, to diminish the [...]ame this in­genious man hath already gained in the World by his Writings.

And now having examined not only the Tria Prima [or three first Princi­ples of the Old Chymists] but also the five Principles of our Modern Chymi­cal Philosophers; and not being able to allow them the Title of Principles, for the reasons above alleadged; I will likewise examine the Quaternary, or four Elements of the Aristotelians, and see, whether they can plead any better Title to be allowed, and established, the Principles, or Elements, of which all Bodies are made.

145 THe Quadriga, or four Ele­ments of the Peripateticks, hath for a long time gain­ed the priviledge, of be­ing esteemed the constituent Principles of all Concretes: [which therefore are usually stilled compound - Bodies] for they say of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, all sublunary Bodies are made, and from the divers mixtures of these, do arise all generations, corruptions, alterations, and changes, that happen to all sorts of Bodies.

146 And first for the Element of Fire, [placed by Aristotle under the Globe of the Moon, but never yet seen by a­ny man,] certainly it is nothing else but Heat; and that we know is caused by the violent and nimble agitation of the very minute-parts of Matter: And though there be Heat, [and conse­quently a kind of Fire] in the Bodies of Animals, yet this is no radical Prin­ciple [Page 99] but a product of vital Fermen­tation. The like of which we see is produced by the sermentation of Wines in the Barrel, to whose Bung, if the flame of a Candle be held, the subtil vapours of the Wine take flame and burn; which vapours, if they be other­wayes debarred of all vent, they by their brisk motion, cause an intense heat; and sometimes burst the Vessels that con­tain them. And this hapneth not on­ly to Wines, but even to water it self; for it hath been observed in long Voy­ages [which somewhere is also taken notice of by Mr. Boyl] that our Thames water, being kept close stopt, assisted by the motion of the Ship, and its own secret fermentation, a Candle being brought near the vent, upon the o­pening of it, hath set all the Cavity of the Vessel into a flame. There is the like reason for the bursting forth of flame from wett and closely compres­sed Hay; as also from the Action of dissolvents upon Mettallin Bodies, &c. in which action, if the Glasses be stopt, they break with great violence: From the incoercible nature of which, we may conclude, that Fire [if there were [Page 100] such an Element] can never enter, as a constituant Principle, into the Com­position of Bodies; but it is rather, as Helmont stiles it, destructor seminum, the destroyer of Seeds, and is a fitter Instrument to Analize, and take Bo­dies in pieces, by not suffering their parts to be at rest amongst themselves, [to which purpose it is generally em­ployed] than to constitute any. And therefore in this particular, Paracel­sus was grosly mistaken, where he un­de [...]takes to teach us a way to separate the Element of Fire from Bodies, and afterwards pretends to make a new separation of Elements from them again. For, if we will suppose an Element of Fire, yet if that be further reducible, it must of necessity lose both the name and nature of an Element.

147 But Fire is but an Accident, [no distinct substance, or radical Prin­ciple of Bodies;] for Fire, or Heat, as I have said before, doth result from the m [...]tion, which the small parts of Matter are put into by the power of their Seeds, and Ferments. For Fire cannot subsist of it self [as matter can, and doth] but neces [...]arily requireth [Page 101] some other Body, to which it may ad­here, and upon which it may Act: Which Bodies are either of a Vinous nature, as the sermented Spirits of Ve­getables; or their Rozinous, and Brim­stony parts; or else of an unctuous, and fatty nature, as the Grease, and Fatts of Animals; or else of a Bitu­minous substance, as the Sulphurs of Minerals and Mettals are. And that all this is but disguised Water, which hath got new textures by the operati [...]n of Seeds, and Ferments, I hope I have sufficiently evinced before. So that without we will much injure Truth, we must degrade Fire from being an Ele­ment or Principle, in the constituting of Bodies.

148 Nor doth Air enter Bodies, as an Element of which they are compo­sed; though it be not only useful, but absolutely necessary both to Animals, and Vegetables; without which, nei­ther of them live, or grow, and by the means of which, the Circulation and Volatization of the blood in Ani­mals is p [...]omoted: By the help of which, also the motion of every part is performed. It also doth not only [Page 102] afford a convenient help to the Vege­tation of Plants, by its compressing the surface of the water, and so for­cing it to ascend into the stringy Roots and Fibers of Trees and Herbs; but also by acting the part of a Separator, [for it is, contrary to the received o­pinion of the Aristotelians, a very dry and tenious Body,] it, in its passage over the surface of the water, inbibes and takes into its Cavities, store of wa­ter, which it Transports to distant pla­ces [where Springs and Rivers are wanting;] and then being no longer able to suspend it, by reason of its ple­nitude, and weight, it returns it to the Earth, where it proves a fit nourish­ment for Plants, and a proper matter for all sort of Seeds to form themselves Bodies out of.

149 An other use of the Air, is to be a receptacle, to receive vapours as­cending from the water, through the pores of the Earth, where finding ma­ny Cavities, these vapours rove about, till by the cold of the place, or the great extencion of them, the Seminal Principle contained in them, and by which they were specifically distinguished [Page 103] from water, is forced to desert the Bo­dy of the vapour; and so at last it re­turns to the Earth, in the form of the Catholike and universal matter, water.

150 It likewise serveth as a fit Bo­dy for the Stars to glide through, and move in; and also by its Elatery Spring, pressing equally upon all parts of this Terraqueous Globe, it keeps it firm­ly supported in its place; and doth the same Office, which I suppose Zore­astes means by his Prestor.

151 These are some of the Offices, and Uses, that God and Nature hath designed the Expansum, or Firmament, or Etherical Air for, but that Air we live in, and enjoy, is very far estran­ged from the nature of pure Ether, it being filled and defiled, with the Sub­til steames and effluviums of all sorts of Bodies, which are there in a con­stant Flux, by which means particles of matter differently figur'd, [and as yet retaining some slight touch, as I may say, of their seminate natures,] meeting together by their action and reaction upon each other, generate Me­tors; which having spent themselves, return to the bosome of the catholick matter, water.

[Page 104] 152 But before I take leave of this subject, give me leave to take notice of a great mistake in the Aristotelians; who affirm, that Air may be Trans­muted into water; which change was never yet performed, either by Nature or Art. For, if it be to be done, by their own confession it must be perfor­med by the means of compression, or condensation. But compression will not do the feat, as is manifest by winde-Guns; in which the Air is forcibly compressed [into, somtimes the Twen­tyeth part of the space it possessed be­fore;] yet for all that, it is so far from being Transmuted into water, that by the help of this Compression, it hath its Elastick or Springy faculty so far ad­vanced, that it will with as much im­petuosity and vigour throw forth a Bullet, as Gunpowder set on fire would do.

153 Nor will condensation serve the turn. For the moysture which we see affix it self to the walls of Cellars, and Caves, or any other subteranious pla­ces, is not Air Transmuted▪ but the vapours of water lodged in the Cavi­ties of the Air; which being compres­sed [Page 105] by the cold of those places, becoms drops too bigg, and heavy for the Air to keep up; and so falling down, they settle in their pristin shape of water.

154 And as Air is not Transmuta­ble into water, neither is water into Air. For it is manifest in distillations, that though water be converted into very subtile vapours, yet by the touch of the cold Air, it returns again into water as before, and so distils into the Receiver. And I have shewed above, that in natures Circulations, though wa­ter be so distended as to become a most subtile vapour, or Gas, it doth yet constantly at last return, in its own Shape, to its own fountainwater, from whence it sprang.

155 From what hath been said, it will follow, that though we do allow Air to be a very great Body, and a considerable part of the Universe, and also exceeding useful to all Bodies, we cannot yet afford it to be a material Principle, or Element, out of which any sublunary body is Constituted or Made.

156 Lastly, let us examine whether the Earth have any right to be count­ed [Page 106] an Element or Principle, of which Bodies are constituted, For although the Aristotelians [as well as the Chy­mists] pretend to resolve all concretes into their first Principles by Fire; which they think they evince, by the exam­ple of burning wood. For, say they, That which supplies the flame, is Fire. That which sweats forth of the ends of the wood, is water; and that which ascends in smoak, is Air; but that which remaines fixed [ viz. the Ashes] after the Fire hath disbanded the other parts, is Earth. Yet if we examine this ex­periment of theirs, it will be found too Gloss, to make out what they endea­vour to Illustrate by it.

157 For first, the Phlegme of the wood is not a simple water; but con­tains a sower Salt, and doth both need, and will admit of a further division to reduce it to Elementary water.

158 Nor were those parts which are converted into flame, Fire; but Roziny, or [as the Chymists phrase it] Oyly, or Sulphury parts: which I have before shewed to be far from an Elementary simplicity.

Neither is the smoak, which is seen [Page 107] to arise in the conflagration [...] Air. For it will affix it self to the funnel of the Chimny in the form of Soot; after which it may be divided into Water, Oyl, Salt, and Earth, [as they call it.]

159 And the Ashes [which they are pleased to take the liberty to call Earth] every Wash-maid knows, are far enough from being so; since they are yet so compound a Body, that they contain very much of a lixiviate and fixt Salt. So that in reason it cannot be called an Element: [For Elements ought to be pure, and simple Bodies, not capa­ble of a further reduction into different parts.]

160 And here it is necessary to re­member my promise, and to take no­tice, that the modern Chymists, after they have washed the Salt from these Ashes, do not scruple to call it Earth, and allow it the place of one of their five Principles, of which they affirm all Bodies are compounded, and framed. But, as I declared before, so I do now again affirm, that the separating of these parts from Concrets by the force of Fire, is not a true Analisis, or proper way of taking Bodies to pieces; and [Page 108] therefore is no Genuine reduction of them; but a forcing of their parts asunder by the Fire, by which new combinations of the parts of Mat­ter are made; and consequently the products of the Fire, are not to be looked upon as Principles, which were exist­ing in Bodies under that form, in which the Fire presents them us.

161 Besides, were Fire an adequate and proper Agent to dissolve the Tex­ture of Bodies, and to present us with their real Principles, it would act uni­formly upon all Bodies, and exhibit to us the same Schemes of matter, with certainty from all alike; which it doth not do. For [as for example] from Gold, Silver, Talk, Diamonds, Rubies, com­mon Stones, Sand, and many other Bo­dies, who ever separated? not to say the four Elements, or the five Chy­mical Principles, but even any two of them; and yet if we may credit that worthy man Helmont, all these Bodies, by the operation of his Alkahest, are to be reduced into simple water, equal to their own weight. So that this so­luent, must [from the uniformity of its operation] be allowed to be a much [Page 109] more fit instrument to discover what Bodies are composed of, then Fire a­lone can be supposed to be. And if we strictly examine the business, we shall find, that Earth doth not enter any na­tural Body, as a constitutive Principal thereof; but indeed Earth, or Ashes, may help to compose Artificial Bodies, such as Pots, and Glasses.

162 For all sorts of Earths are but various Coagulations of water, diversi­fied by different Seeds, and Ferments, and are as much the products of water, as I have shewed Mineral Salts, mid­dle Minerals, Stones, &c. to be. All which, as Helmont assureth us, are re­ducible to water, by his great Solvent, [the Alkahest] which possibly I have somwhat more reason to affirm, than I am willing to declare.

Earth I confess, to me appeareth to be the first product of the water, and is designed by nature as a firm founda­tion, [or Pedestal] to support the weight of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals, and to afford proper Wombs for the water to deposite its seeds in. For the Earth produceth nothing of its self; but all things by the assistance of wa­ter, [Page 110] impregnated with Seeds; which it depositeth in its bosome.

163 And that the Earth was the first product of the water, is confirmed by the Testimony of Moses, in the first Chapter of Genesis, at the 9th. verse; where describing the Creation of the Earth, he says no more but this: God commanded the water together into one place, and the dry Land appeared.

164 From what hath been said, it is I think, very clearly made out, that Water, and Seeds, are the true and only Principles, of which all Bodies are made, and that neither the Tria Prima of the old Chymists,. nor the five Principles of the Chymists of our Age, no nor yet the four Elements of the Aristotelians, can rationally be al­lowed to be the Principles, or Ele­ments of Bodies. So that as Helmont sayes, ruit totum quaternarium Elemen­torum praetor aquam: The whole Do­ctrine of the four Elements falleth to the ground: Excepting water only.

165 Having now in some measure, made out the truth, or at least proba­bility of these Principles I assumed to defend, both by reason, and experiment; [Page 111] it remains, that according to my pro­mise, I strengthen these assertions by Authority. And shew this is no No­val opinion; but that it was held, and believed by the Antientest Philoso­phers: Such as Moses, Sanchoniathon, Mochus, Orpheus, Thales, Pithagoras, Timaeus, Locrius, Plato, &c. After which I shall make some short exami­nation of the Histories of Petrification, alledged in the first Section of this Dis­course, and so put an End to this Essay.

166 THat Moses held water to be the First and univer­sal Matter, will appear from what he tels us in the First chapter of his Book of the Creation, called Genesis, verse the Se­cond, where he acquaints us, that the first material substance out of which God made this Beautiful and Orderly frame of the World, which from its [Page 112] Beauty the Greeks call [...], was wa­ter. His words are these; And the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters. Where it is to be observed, that the word which our Translation renders moved, is in the Original He­brew [...], Moracephet; which pro­perly signifieth not a bare motion, but such a motion as we call Hovering, or Incubation, as Birds use to do over their Eggs to hatch them. By which expression we have not only an ac­count of the first matter out of which the World was afterwards made; but also of the Efficient, by which this matter was wrought into so great a va­riety of Bodies. For in all probabili­ty, the sence of the Expression is, that at that time, [ viz. in the beginning] God infused into the bosome of the waters, the seeds of all those things, which were afterwards to be made out of the waters, setting them their con­stant Laws, and Rules of acting [and thus was Nature Created, that is, the Order, and Rule of those things were established, which God designed to make:] and by the power of the words, increase and multiply, they had a facul­ty [Page 113] given them, to continue themselves in the same Order, till the world shall be destroyed by Fire, [the great de­stroyer of Seeds;] at which time all Seminal beings shall desert their gross Bodies, and return to their first Foun­tain, and great exemplar God, on whom they have at this time a constant de­pendance. For according to the A­postle, In him and to him, and through him, are all things; and in him we live, move, and have our being.

167 Sanchoniathan, the great Phenician- Philosopher, [whom some Chronolo­gers make contemporary with Gideon] some part of whose Works are yet to be met with in Philo-Biblius, and [...] sebius; and a good account of whose Works we may also find in the wri­tings of that Learned, and Ingenious man, Mr. Gale. This Sanchoniathan I say, exactly corresponds with Moses. For he says, In the beginning there was [...], which in the Phe­nitian Tongue, Court of the Gen­ti [...]s. part [...]. p. 55 is [...], Chauth E­reb; that is, Night or Evening Dark­ness. Then he further sayeth to this purpose; From the commixtion of the Spirit with the Chaos, was produceds [Page 114] Mot, which some call [ [...]] that is mat­ter, or watery moysture: Out of this was produced the whole Seed of the Creation, and the Generation of the whole.

168 Also Mochus, an other Pheni­ [...]ian- Philosopher, who continued the Philosophick History, begun by San­choniathon, [and who is said to have written long before the Tr [...]jan War,] was also of the same opinion, as Bo­chard affirms.

169 And that Thales of Miletus, [who is held the first Philosopher that writ in Greek] taught that the world was made out of water, no body can be ignorant. And that, which San­ch [...]niathan calls Mot, fluid Matter, he calls [...] ▪ water. Tully de Natur. Deorum. lib. 1. cap. 2d. And Tully affirms, that Thales held water to be the begin­ing of things: And that God out of wa­ter framed all things.

170 Orpheus also is of the same judgment, and tells us, [...]; of water, Slime was made. And Apollonius says, [...]. Earth, of Slime was make. And the Scholiasts give a good explication of these words; for they affirm, that the [Page 115] Chaos, of which all things were made, was water, which coagulated it self, and became Slime; and that Slime con­densed, became solid Earth.

171 Thus you see, that Thales's [...], or water; and the [...], and [...], i. e. watery moysture, of Sancho­niathon, and M [...]chus, was believed and held by them to be the first Principle of all things: From which the [...] of Pythagoras, and Plato, differs not; as I will shew by and by.

172 Pherecides [an antient Greek- Philosopher] who was Pythagoras his Master, and who we are told, was one of the first Greeks that held the Im­mortality of the Soul; though he seem to differ from Thales, and Orpheus in some things, yet agreed with them in the main, or the thing taken for gran­ted by them all, viz. That water was the first Matter of all things.

173 Also Pythagoras, the Founder of the Italick Sect of Philosophers, corresponds exactly in Opinion with Moses, concerning the Origin of the World, and its first Matter. For he po­sitively held, that the World was made by God; and by him adorned with an [Page 116] excellent Order, Harmony, and Beau­ty in all its parts; and therefore he was the first that called it [...]. from [...] ▪ to Adorn or Beautisy: Secondly, his [...], or first Matter, was the same with Sanchoniathons [...], or [...]; and Thales and Orpheus their [...], viz. water: Agreeable all of them to Moses, Genesis the first.

Thirdly, Pythagoras, and all the Anti­ent Philosophers before him, held, that the Divine Providence, which they stile [...], did inspire and influence the whole Creation, governing, and directing all things to their proper and peculiar Offi­ces, Functions, and Ends. And this Pro­vidence was by them somtimes stiled [...], the Soul of the World; by which, sayth Seranus, they under­stood nothing else but the Fire, Spirit, or Efficacy, which is universally diffu­sed in the Symmetry of the Universe▪ for the Forming, Nourishing, and Fo­menting all things according to their respective natures: Which Vivifick Principle Plato calls [...], effec­tive Fire; but this they never under­stood, or meant to be a material part of any Body; but is the same which [Page 117] Moses calls. the Spirit of God.

174 And now in the last place, I am come to give you the mind of Pla­to, and his [...]onformity with Moses; His judgment hath always been so [...]e­steemed, that men, to express the Re­verence they had of him, did usually call him the Divine Plato: And in deli­vering his opinion, I shall also at the same time give you that of Timaeus Locrius, that great Philosopher, and Disciple of Pythagoras; from whom Plato borrowed much.

175 First then, Plato tells us that the World was made: For he puts the question whether the World had a beginning, or was made? To which he answers, [...], it was made. Then as to the first matter, of which the World, and all the Bodies in it were made, he says thus, [in his Timae­us] it is [...] ▪ the Genus or Species out of which every thing is composed; and He calls it [...], or first Matter, and is indeed the same with Sanchoniathans [...], Mot, &c. and Thales, and Orpheus's [...]; and all of them the same with Moses his Chaos and Water, as will appear by comparing [Page 118] their descriptions together. Thus first, Moses calls his first matter [...] [...]ohu, without from; which Rabby Kinchi calls [...] [as Fabius tells us] which is the same word that Plato uses to express his first matter by; and differs little, in sound, but less in the sence from the [...] of Sanchoni [...]thon, which Philo Biblius stiles Mot, from the Hebrew, and Phe­nitian [...] Mod, which signifieth Mat­ter: Yea, Plato expresly calls his first Matter [...], somewhat without form; just like Moses his Bohu.

176 And in his Timaus he tells us, that God out of this first matter [ w [...] ­ter] commonly called Cha [...]s [because disordered, and irregular] [...] Beautified, Order­ed, and Figured, or Form'd the Universe; and as Moses says, the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the waters: So Plato affirmeth, that God made the World, [...], that is, by an importunate m [...] ­tion, fluctuating, and not quiescing up­on the matter. And as for Plato's [...], or Soul of the World, we are assured by Ludovieus Vives, Lud. Vi­ [...]s in com super he mean [...] by it the same Spirit of God which [Page 119] Moses says moved upon the waters in the Beginning; and which the Psal­mist calls the breath of his mouth: (Psalm 33. verse 6.) For, according to Platoes Philosophy, [as well as that of Moses] God is the Executive cause, and productive Efficient of all things, and therefore he usually stiles God, [...], the Supream Fabricator, Perfector, and Essentialisor of all things. And as to the manner, how all things were made, he says, [...] ▪ Every thing was essentialised by certain Prolifick, or efformative words, which the Stoicks call [...], a Spermatick, or Seedy word: Which agrees exactly both with Mo­ses his Fiat, and with that of St. Paul; Epistle to the Heb. cap. 11. verse 3. The Worlds were framed by the word of God; that is, Gods Fiat was the Cre­ator of all the Seminal and Prolifick Principles of all things; and those cre­ated Seeds were [...] ▪ the Effici­ents; and [...], or [...], water, was the Matter of which they were all made.

177 These Seminal or Efficient Prin­ciples of things do contain within them­selves [Page 120] certain Pictures or Images of those things which they are to make out of the matter, [ viz. water.] To which purpose let us here what Plato says of his Ideas, Plato Ti­maeus. fol. 49. which is to this ef­fect; There are two sorts of Worlds; one, that hath the form of a Paradigm, or Exemplar, which is an intelligible Subject, and always the same in being: but the second, is the Image of the Exem­plar, which had a beginning, and is vi­sible. By his Intelligible World, Pla­to means the Divine Decrees; which are inherent in the Mind and wisdom of God: and these Original Idea's, he says, do produce a Secondary sort of Idea's [that is, the Seeds of things;] and these he makes to be the more immediate Delineation, or Image of the whole work; somtimes calling them [...] an Exemplar; somtimes [...], an Image: His words run thus; [...]: making use of this Exemplar, he frames the Idea, and Powers; that is, the Seeds of things. So that he makes the first, and Ori­ginal Idea, [which is resident in the Divine Wisdom or Mind of God, and [Page 121] which Divines call the Decrees of God] to be much more Noble than the latter, or secondary Idea, or Seed, and to be the cause of it. And this last Idea and Seed, contains the Picture of the thing to be made; and depends upon the Primary, or Original Idea, and Exemplar, which is seated in God himself.

179 Which Doctrine rightly consi­dered, we have a satisfactory account of the cause, why the last Idea's, viz. the Seeds of things do proceed so regular­ly, constantly and unerringly in the producing their likes. For, if we con­sider, that the Seeds of things do de­pend upon their Paradigmes, and that they are inherent in the Mind of God himself, who is a God of Order; this will appear not so abstruse, as it hath hitherto done.

180 And though we, out of Pride, and self-love to our own Nature, are unwilling to afford any creature, that is not of our Species, the Priviledg of doing any thing by a Principle of rea­son; that is, with a design, tending to­wards the accomplishment of such an End; yet it is certain, that all crea­tures, [Page 122] even those that we count in­animate, do enjoy, upon the account of their Seminal Principles, not on­ly Life, but even reason in some measure: Which, wanting the use of Languages, they do nevertheless plainly declare [to heedful and in­quisitive men] not only by their re­gular, [and consequently designed] working the parts of matter, till they have produced such a distinct sort of Body; but also by those af­fections which wee call Sympathy and Antipathy; and, for want of this knowledg, have hitherto refer­red to occult or hidden causes, the usual Sanctuary of Ignorance; by which Sympathy, and Antipathy of theirs, it is very manifest, they have hatred and love; and have a know­ledg of those things, which are ei­ther pleasing or agreeable too, or else unpleasant or hurtful to their natures. And this is not only to be observed in Beasts, and visible moving Creatures, but also in all o­ther sorts of Creatures, which we very injuriously call Dead, or Ina­nimate.

[Page 123] 181 But to return from whence I digressed, I shall in short say thus much of the [...], or manner how the Ideas and Seeds do work upon Mat­ter, and form themselves Bodies; which they perform on this man­ner: First, by their Fermentative faculty, [or Springy power] they put the Body of the water into a pecu­liar sort of motion, by which they congregate those particles, which are most agreeable to their design, and consequently fittest to adhere, and stick to each other. Secondly, they break the rest into convenient shapes, and Sizes: And Thirdly, by this motion they also put these par­ticles into commodious Postures, and Scituations amongst themselves, and by these means frame them­selves Bodies, exactly corresponden [...] to their own praeconceived Figures.

182 By this declaration of my thoughts, I hope it will plainly ap­pear, that I am no Enemy to that rational way of explicating the Phae­nomena of Nature, used by the A­tomical, Cartesian, or Corpuscularian Philosophers; for certainly, they do [Page 124] give us not only an very ingenious, but also a very true account of the [...], or manner how, matter is, or may be modified; to which, if they would please to add, as some do, the powerful efficacy of Seeds upon Mat­ter, by which indeed all the several [...] ▪ or various shapes of Matter is produced, we might then hope to re­ceive some satisfactory account of that hither to perplexed Subject, the Generation of Natural Bodies: Which Principle if it were recei­ved, and taken into the Philosophy of our Age, I am apt to believe it would silence many Litigations, now daily commenced by men of Parts against each other; and oblige them to love truth more then the desire of being accounted witty Dispu­tants; Truth being so desirous a thing, that Porphyry in the Life of Pythagor as [though a Heathen] tells us; [...] that is, Truth on­ly can make men near to God.

183 Now therefore, though rude and unguided motion, will naturally have some kinds of result upon matter, [Page 125] as we see the springy motion of the Air, or some more subtile Body doth form of the Water, of Rain, and Dew, round Drops, by equally Compressing it; yet be­cause this general kind of motion doth something, we are not from thence to conclude it doth all things. For, this were a Sophisme, fitter to impose upon Fooles or Children, then upon Men of mature reason. Nor can such kind of motion be ever able to forme such bo­dies, as imply a wise Councel, and curious contrivance; as, for Ex­ample [to say nothing of Living Crea­tures] the strong and useful bodyes of Metals, Minerals, and Stones, and the beautiful Branches, Flowers, and Fruits of Blants, are. Wherefore we must in all reason acknowledge and con­fess, that there is an internal Mind, vir­tue, and Idea, contained in the Seeds of things, which workes rationally, [that is, to a Designed end;] by which Principle, the matter is put into a peculiar motion, and usefully guided, till it be changed, and formed into a bo­dy, such as the Idea was designed by God to make, who still governes these Seedy Principals: And therefore in [Page 126] Scripture, we are told, He Giveth is Every Seed, its own Body.

184 Thus then, I hope, I have pro­ved, that I am of the same Judge­ment with the Antientest, and best Philosophers; viz. that there is but two Principles of all things, Efficients, and Matter; Seeds, and Water.

185 And now having cleared the Doctrine proposed; I intend in the last place, to inquire, How those Transmuta­tions of different Bodies into Stone, the Historyes of which you will find set down in the first Section of this discourse, were performed: upon which, I will only Touch, and so Conclude.

186 It is the Opinion of some Men, that the change of Leaves, Mosse, Wood, Leather, and other Substances, into Stone, [wrought by those Petri [...]ying Waters, and Caves, I have mentioned in the first Section of this Essay] are no real Transmutations of those Bodies into Stone, by the Operation of a Petrify­ing Seed; but that they are nothing else, but the opposition of certain small Stony Particles, hid in the Water, to those Bodies immersed in them; and that by this means they become Crusted over [Page 127] with a stony Coat or Bark, and so they become increased both in Bulk, and Weight, by continual addition. But if this were so, then indeed the Leaves, Wood, &c. cast into these Waters, would not be really transchanged into perfect Stony Nature; but only seem­ingly so.

187 Nevertheless, if we look wari­ly into the thing, we shall have Cause to believe, that there is, not only an Ag­gregation of these small Stony particles, and an incrustation upon the outside of those things put into the Water; but e­ven that the smallest Atomes of the Wood, Leather, &c. are really Petri­syed; in so much, that we can discern them to be no other then Stones, not only by our Eyes alone, but by them assisted with the best Microscopes. Nor if they be examined by the Fire, will they make any other Confession: For they will not burn like Wood, but cal­cine like Stones; and though great pei­ces of Wood, and Trees, will not be so soon converted into Stone, as Twiggs, Leaves, or Moss, are; yet by continu­ance of Time, great bulkes of Wood will be Stoni [...]yed totally, both within, [Page 128] and without; so that by these kind of Waters, bodies are not only Crusted over with stone, but the Wood, Leaves, &c. are really and truly changed into Stone. I do not deny, but that there may be an affixing of some stony Corpuscles La­tent in these Waters, which may increase both the bulk and weight of those things Changed by them; but that this is all, that I deny.

188 For, if so, then those Bodies thus changed, would not be altered into a true Stony Nature, per minima, and in their smallest parts, internally, as Ex­perience shews they are; and though the Expl [...]cating, how this Change is Wrought, is somewhat difficult, yet in all probability it is thus.

189 The Saxeous, or Rocky Seed, contained in these Waters, [which is so fine, and subtile a Vapour, that it is Invisible; as I have before shewed all true Seedes are,] doth penetrate those Bodies which come within the Sphere of its Activity; and by reason of its Subtilty, passeth through the pores of the Wood, or other Body, to be changed: by which permeating those Bodies, it doth these four things: First, [Page 129] it Extruds the Globuli Aetherai [as the Cartesians Phrase it] or the Airy Par­ticles Lodged in their pores: Second­ly, it puts the Particles of those Bodies into a new and different motion, from that they were in before; by which meanes they become broken into Fi­gures, and Sizes, and obtain new and convenient Situations. Thirdly it intang­leth and Lodgeth it self intimately a­mongst the smallest parts of those Bo­dies; by which meanes their parts be­ing drawn closer together, they obtain a greater Weight and Solidity: And lastly, it Acts as a Ferment, and by reason of its Contiguity, and Touch with every small part of the matter it doth, as Leaven useth to do, [though mixed with a much greater quantity of Dough, then it self] Convert the whole into its own Nature. So also this Stonifying Seed, by its operating Ferment, doth transchange every parti­cle of the matter it is joyned unto, in­to perfect Stone; according to its Idea or Image, Connatural with it self.

190 As to those Conversions of A­nimals into Stone, related in History, the 13, 15, 16, and 17, of the first [Page 130] Section of this Essay; they also are wrought by the same powerful Operati­ons of a petressent Seed or vapour; and by the same Circumstances, and Contrivances: which sheweth, that the strength and Power of a Petrifying Seed is above, and beyond all other: For, other sorts of Seeds do require, that the subject matter be reduced in­to a sequatious juice, or obedient Li­quor, and Consequently doth require, that the Figure, and Shape of the pre­cedent Concrete be destroyed, or else they cannot Act. But the Petrifying Seed, the Human, or other Living Cre­tures Figure being still intire, without any intervening putrefaction, or disso­lution of the matter, doth transchange [ Totum per Totum] the whole, throughout the whole; that is, as well the Bones, as the Blood, and Skin: So that here is not an incrustation of the Stony matter upon the External parts, [only] but a real change, intrinsically, and throughout, of the Bony, Fleshy, and Sinnewy parts of the Animal into a stony Substance.

191 By the same operations Water it self is converted into Stone, [ viz. [Page 131] by, the power of Petrifying Seeds] as we may see by the 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and Fourteenth History of the first Section: As also doth appear by the Relation of those that have seen those Famous Grots in France, called, Les Caves Goutieres, where the Drops fal­ling from the top of the Cave, doth [even in its falling] coagulate before your eyes into little Stones. Now this Transmutation of Water into Stone, by a Petrescent Seed, is not only much more usual, than the change of other Substances is, but also much Easier: For Water is a Primary, simple, liquid, tremulous Body, consisting of very mi­nute parts, already in Motion, and there­fore readily obeying the Command of all sorts of Seedes.

192 Nature is uniforme in her manner of produceing Bodies, and therefore, as I have demonstrated in the body of this Discourse, as she usually, nay constantly produceth, both Ani­mals, Vegetables, and Mettals, from liquid Principles, viz. Water, so doth she most commonly Stones; which be­fore their becomming such hard Bo­dies, were at sometime in Principiis [Page 132] Solutis, that is, their matter was in a loose, open, and fluid Forme: And, as I have shewed, the Spiritual Seedes of Vigetables, do assimilate, and change Water, into Mint, Rosemary, &c. According to the diverse Ideas, and cha­racters of their peculiar Kindes; so al­so the Stony Seedes, do form them­selves Bodies out of Water; and these of very different Figures, Compaction, and Colours; and this is done some­times suddenly, sometimes slowly, and by length of time: Now, the diffe­rence of compaction, and hardness, that we find in Stones, as also their sudden or slow Coagulation, depends chiefely upon the plenty, or paucity of the stony Seed, or Spirit, in respect to the quantity of the matter to be wrought upon, and changed by it. But the dif­ference of the Figure, is chiefely to be referred to the peculiar Nature of the Seed, and its Idea; [as we see in Chri­stals, and other Stones, which have a determinate Figure:] and sometimes it is to be referred to the vessel, or place, containing the Water, or other Liquor, before its conversion into Stone, And for the Colour, that is also chiefely cau­sed [Page 133] by the operation of the peculiar sort of stony Seed; which in its working upon the Water, hath given it a deter­minate Texture, and superficies; by which it reflects and modifies the Light, after a peculiar manner. But sometimes it is to be referred also to the Waters being impregnated with the Tinctures of some Mineral or Mettallin Bodies, before its coagulation. As Granets con­taine the Tincture of Iron in them; and therefore are drawn by the Load­stone.

But to put it out of all doubt, that Stones were at first Water; [or at least, some Liquid Matter] I will Cite a passage or two out of the Works of my often mentioned, Honourable Friend, Mr. Boyle. Boyl in his Essay of Ferm. p. 281. His words are these: And here I will Confess further, that I have often­times doubted, whether or no not only Con­sistent Bodyes, but some of the most So­lid Ones in the World, may not have been Fluid in the form, either of Steemes, or Liquors, before their Coalition and their Concretion either into Stones, or other Mineral Bodies. And then speaking of the Opinion of some Men, who will have it, that Stones, and Mettals, [were [Page 134] indeed Created at the beginning of the World by God, but that since they] are neither Made, nor do Grow, and increase: He further saies [viz. that they were once in a fluid forme] thus: Of this, besides what we elsewhere deli­ver Concerning it, we shall anon have Occasion to mention some Proofs; and therefore we shall now only mention two or three instances: the first whereof shall be, that we saw, among the rarities of a Person, exceedingly Curious of them, a Stone flat on the outside, on one of whose internal surfaces was most Lively Ingra­ven, the Figure of a small Fish, with all the Finns, Scales, &c. which was affir­med to have been inclosed in the Body of of that Stone, and to have been acciden­tally discovered, when the Stone chan­cing to receive a rude Knock upon its Edge, split a sunder. I Remember also that a while since a House-keeper of mine in the Countrey informed me, that whilest a little before, he Caused in my absence one of my Walls to be repaired; the Ma­sou, I was wont to imploy, Casually breaking a Stone, to make use of it about the Building, found in it [to his Won­der] a peece of Wood, that seemed part [Page 135] of the branch of some Tree, and Conse­quently was afterwards inclosed with that solid Case wherein he found it. This Ex­ample seemes to me a more cogent Proof of the increase of Stones, then some o­thers, that Eminent Naturalists much rely on, for reasons discoursed of in an o­ther place.

193 And again, he tells us in the same place, that He hath seen several large Stones, such as they make Statues of, that when they were sawed, and broken, had Caveties in them, which contained Mettals, and other substan­ces: And I my self have observed peb­bles inclosed in great free Stones. And it is commonly known, that Spiders and Toads have been found upon the breaking of great Stones, inclosed in their innermost substance.

194 And now I have shewed you, how agreeable I am with this Learned Person in this Doctrine concerning the matter, and growth of Stones; I will al­so shew you his Opinion, as to their Effi­cient: for he says; Essay of Ferm. P. 275. I know that not on­ly profest Chymists, but other persons who are deservedly ranked amongst the Modern Philosophers, do with much Confidence [Page 136] entirely aforibe the induration, and e­specially the Lapidescence of Bodies, to a certaine secret internal principal, by some of them called a Forme, and by o­thers a Petrifying Seed, lurking for the most part in some Liquid Vehicle: And for my part, having had the opportunity to be in a place, where I could in a dry Mould, and a very elevated peice of Ground, cause to be digged out several Chri­stalline Bodies, whose smooth sides, and Angles, were as Exquisitly figured, as if they had bin wrought by a skillful Artist a cutting of precious Stones; and ha­ving also had the opportunity to consider di­vers exactly or regularly shaped Stones, and other Minerals, some digged out of the Earth by my Friends, and some yet growing upon Stones, newly Torn from the Rocks, I am very forward to grant that [as I elsewhere intimate] it is a Plastick Principal implanted by the most wise Creator, in certain parcels of mat­ter, that doth produce in such Concreti­ons, as well the hard Consistance, as the determinate Figure. Thus far He; Then which, what more consonant to the Do­ctrine I have asserted in this Discourse?

195 Conclude we then [and I hope [Page 137] at last upon probable Grounds] since we have not only the before cited Au­thorities, both of the best Antient, and Modern Philosophers; and also are taught by the experiments, and Manual Operations laid down in this Discourse, which shew us the reduction of all bodies ultimately into Water; and their Nou­rishment from thence; as also from the inaptitude of at least two of the four Aristotalian Elements [ viz. Fire, and Aire] to concur to the Constitu­ting of Bodies; and likewise from the Compound Nature, of two of the Old Chymical Principles, viz. Sulphur and Salt: and from the same compound Na­ture of four of our moderne Chymists Principles, viz. Oyle, Salt, Spirit, Earth, which all of them are further reducible into Water, and therefore not to be al­lowed for Principles; as I have before demonstrated: Let us then, I say, con­clude in, and acknowledge the truth of the Moysaick, Platonick, and Helmontian Doctrine.

195 That is, that all Bodies consist but of two Parts, or Priniciples, Matter, and Seed; that their Universal Matter is Water: That the Seedes of things do [Page 138] from this Matter, [by the help of Fer­mentation] alter, break, and new com­pose the Particles of which it Consists, till they have formed a Body, Exactly Corresponding to the Images, or Idea's contained in themselves: Also that the true Seedes, of all things, are of a very subtle Nature, and Invisible, and are secundary Idea's and Images; and that they are Connexed to, and depend up­on their Primary Idea's, and Exemplars; which are Inherent and resident in God himself: And that for that reason they Act with Designe, and to a purposed End, which they constantly, and regu­larly Accomplish; and this is somewhat Analogous to reason in them. Lastly, that Nature, or the Law of Kind, is uniforme in its productions thus far, that it makes all Bodies out of Water, by the power of invisible Seedes; so that the Matter of all Bodies is Identically the same. And that they are all of them reducible into the same Matter at Last: But that their Seeds are various, and there­fore produce different Effects upon the same Matter: yet do they all agree in this, viz. That they are all invisible Beings, and all of them have a dependance up­on [Page 139] their Exemplars, which are the De­crees of God, and are constantly inhe­rent in him.