Your Author relating how he dissents from the false Doctrine, as he terms it, of the Schools, concerning the Elements, and their Mixtures, Qualities, Temperaments, Discords, &c. in order to Diseases, is pleased to say as follows:[1] I have sufficiently demonstrated, that there are not four Elements in Nature, and by consequence, if there are onely three, that four cannot go together, or encounter; and that the fruits which Antiquity hath believed to be mixt bodies, and those composed from a concurrence of four elements, are materially of one onely Element; also that those three Elements are naturally cold; nor that native heat is any where in things, except from Light, Life, Motion, and an altering Blas: In like manner, that all actual moisture is of Water, but all virtual moisture from the property of the seeds: Likewise, that dryness is by it self in the Air and Earth, but in Fruits by reason of the Seeds and Coagulations; and that there are not Contraries in Nature. To give you my opinion hereof, first I think it too great a presumption in any man, to feign himself so much above the rest, as to accuse all others of ignorance, and that none but he alone hath the true knowledg of all things as infallible and undeniable, and that so many Learned, Wise and Ingenious Men in so many ages have been blinded with errors; for certainly, no particular Creature in Nature can have any exact or perfect knowledg of Natural things, and therefore opinions cannot be infallible truths, although they may seem probable; for how is it possible that a single finite Creature should know the numberless varieties and hidden actions of Nature? Wherefore your Author cannot say, that he hath demonstrated any thing, which could not be as much contradicted, and perhaps with more reason, then he hath brought proofs and demonstrations: And thus when he speaks of Elements, that there are not four in Nature, and that they cannot go together, or encounter, it may be his opinion; but others have brought as many reasons to the contrary, and I think with more probability; so as it is unnecessary to make a tedious discourse thereof, and therefore I'le refer you to those that have treated of it more learnedly and solidly then I can do. But I perceive your Author is much for Art, and since he can make solid bodies liquid, and liquid bodies solid, he believes that all bodies are composed out of the Element of Water, and that Water therefore is the first Principle of all things; when as Water, in my opinion, is but an Effect, as all other natural Creatures, and therefore cannot be a cause or principle of them. Concerning the Natural coldness of Water, Air, and Earth, it may be, or not be so, for any thing your Author can truly know; but to my sense and reason, it seems probable that there are things naturally hot and moist, and hot and dry, as well as cold and moist, and cold and dry: But all these are but several effects produced by the several actions of Natural Matter, which Natural Matter is the onely Principle of all Natural Effects and Creatures whatever; and this Principle, I am confident your Author can no more prove to be Water, then he can prove that Heat, Light, Life, Motion, and Blas, are not material. Concerning what he saith, That Native Heat is no where in things, except from Light, Life, Motion, and an altering Blas: I believe that motion of life makes not onely heat, but all effects whatsoever; but this native heat is not produced onely from the motions of Particular lives in particular Creatures, but it is made by the motions of Natures life; which life, in all probability, is the self-moving Matter, which no doubt, can and doth make Light and Blas without Heat, and Heat without Light or Blas; Wherefore Light and Blas are not principles of native Heat, no more then native Heat is the principle of Light and Blas. Neither is Water the Principle of Actual moisture, nor the propriety of seeds the Principle of all Virtual moisture; but self-moving Matter is the Principle of all, and makes both actual and virtual moisture, and there is no question but there are many sorts of moistures. As for Dryness, which he says, is by it self in the Air and Earth, and in Fruits by reason of the Seeds and Coagulations: I cannot conceive how any thing can be by it self in Nature, by reason there is nothing alone and single in Nature, but all are inseparable parts of one body: perchance, he means, it is naturally and essentially inherent in Air and Earth; but neither can that be in my reason, because all Creatures and Effects of Nature are Intermixt, and there is as much dryness in other Creatures, as in Air and Earth. Lastly, as for his opinion, That there are no Contraries in Nature; I believe not in the essence or nature of Matter; but sense and reason inform us, that there are Contraries in Natures actions, which are Corporeal motions, which cause mixtures, qualities, degrees, discords, as also harmonious conjunctions and concords, compositions, divisions, and the like effects whatsoever. But though your Author seems to be an enemy to the mixtures of Elements, yet he makes such a mixture of Divinity, and natural Philosophy, that all his Philosophy is nothing but a meer Hotch-potch, spoiling one with the other. And so I will leave it to those that delight in it, resting,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[1]In his Treatise called, A passive deceiving of the Schools of the Humourists.
[IV.]
MADAM,
Water, according to your Authors opinion,[1] is frozen into Snow, Ice, or Hail, not by Cold, but by its own Gas. But since I am not able to conceive what his Gas is, being a term invented by him self, I will briefly declare my own opinion, which is, That Snow, Ice, and Hail, in my judgment, are made in the like manner, as Passions or Colours are made and raised in Man; for a sad discourse, or a cruel object will make a Man pale and cold, and a fearful object, will make him tremble; whereas a wanton and obscene discourse will make some red and hot. But yet these discourses and objects are onely external, occasional, and not immediate efficient causes of such alterations. Also when a Man eats or drinks any thing that is actually hot or cold, or enters into a cold or hot room, bath, or air, he becomes hot or cold by the actions of those external agents that work upon him, or rather whose motions the sensitive motions of his body do pattern out. The like for diseases; for they may be caused either by hearing ill reports, or by taking either hurtful or superfluous food into the Body, or by Infections inwardly or outwardly, and many other ways. Likewise may Colours be made different ways; And so may Snow, Ice, and Hail; for all loose, rare, and porous Bodies are more apt to alter and change then close, solid, and dense bodies; and not onely to change from what they are, but to rechange to what they were. But, Madam, many studious persons study Nature more in her own substance, then in her various actions, which is the cause they arrive to no knowledg of Natures Works; for the same parts of Matter may act or work several ways: Like as a Man, or other animal creature, may put one part of his body into various and several postures, and move it many different ways. Your Author may say, that although several Creatures may be changed to our sight or perception, yet they are not really changed in Nature. I answer, Their Principle, which is a natural matter, of which all Creatures are made, cannot be changed, because it is one, simple, and unalterable in its Nature; but the figures of several Creatures are changed continually by the various motions of this matter; not from being matter, but onely from such or such a figure into another; and those figures which do change, in their room are others produced to keep up the certain kinds of Creatures by a continual successive alteration. And as there are changes of parts, so there are also mixtures of several parts, figures and motions in one and the same Matter; for there are not different kinds in the nature of Matter: But, although Matter is of several degrees, as partly animate and partly inanimate, and the animate Matter is partly rational, and partly sensitive; Nevertheless, in all those degrees it remains the same onely or meer Matter; that is, it is nothing else but Matter, and the onely ground in which all changes are made. And therefore I cannot perceive it to be impossible in Nature, as to your Author it seems, That Water should not be transchangeable into Air; for, that he says, The Air would have increased into a huge bulk, and all Water would have long since failed: It is no consequence, because there is a Mutual transmutation of all figures and parts of Nature, as I declared above; and when one part is transchanged into another, that part is supplied again by the change of another, so that there can be no total mutation of kinds or sorts of figures, but onely a mutual change of the particulars. Neither is it of any consequence, when your Author says, That if Water should once be turned into Air, it would always remain Air, because a returning agent is wanting, which may turn Air again into Water. For he might as well say, a Man cannot go or turn backward, being once gone forward. And although he brings a General Rule, That every thing, as much as in it lies, doth desire to remain in it self; Yet it is impossible to be done, by reason there is no rest in Nature, she being in a perpetual motion, either working to the consistance of a figure, or to the uniting of several parts, or to the dissolving or dividing of several parts, or any other ways. By dissolving, I do not mean annihilating, but such a dissolving of parts as is proper for the altering of such a figure into one or many other figures. But rather then your Author will consent to the transchanging of Water into Air, he will feign several grounds, soils or pavements in the Air, which he calls Peroledes, and so many Flood-gates and Folding-dores, and make the Planets their Key-keepers; which are pretty Fancies, but not able to prove any thing in Natural Philosophy. And so leaving them to their Author, I rest,
Madam,