fome ftrange Paffages which we read in Epictetus and others, concerning the Son of God, and which we doubt not others alfo have obferv'd, were borrow'd from the Chrif tians, as has been the Opinion of fome Learned Men; because 'tis hardly probable the Philofophers would be beholden for these things to thofe whom they fo much defpife, and fo, mortally perfecuted and hated Whence it appears to us more probable, that they had 'em from the antient Arcana of their own Writers. And we cou'd prove fome, Footsteps of a Trinity alfo, and particularly of God the Son, in feveral other Nations, who have had no converfe with the Learned World: But shall only inftance at prefent in the Inhabitants of Ceylon, who, as Knox tells us, in his Account of their Divinity, after the Supreme God, ftil'd in their Language, offa-polla-maupt, the Original and Governour of all things, do believe a Second God, whom they call Bubdow, to whom the Salvation of Souls belongs. But we hope this will fuffice, and we may reft this part of the Argument here, till we fee what we have advanc'd, fairly anfwer'd and if we have, in our Anfwer to the fecond Branch of the firft Objection, prov'd more than we undertook, namely, that the Trinity it felf, as well as the Divinity of a Son of God, was in great measure known to the Learned Heathen World, we hope none will be angry with us, for giving o : ver-measure, and being better than our Word, Queft. Wherefore do Infants that are born in the feventh Month after their Conception commonly live, and thofe that are born in the eighth Month commonly die? Anfw. There are some who attribute the reason hereof to the Order of the feven Planets and altho' we may not give a better reason to the fatisfaction of another, yet we had rather attribute the reason hereof to the perfection of the Septenary Number; which by a certain, fecret, and occult Virtue, accomplishes all things. The Number of 7 is moft perfect, because 'tis compos'd of 2 first perfect Numbers, equal and odd, viz. of 3 and 4: for the Number 2 is compos'd of a repeated Unity; the which not being a Number, is not perfect. As for its occult Virtue, we are of opinion that it operates on all fublunary things, because that the Moon changes its fhape from 7 to 7 days: and befides, it is more manifeft in Man, than in any other thing. For first of all, being born 7 months after his Conception, he may live: and 7 Months after his Birth, his Teeth begin to appear: In 7 Years, he begins to have the Ufe of Reafon; in twice 7 Years he begins to enter into the Age of Puberty, and to be capable of Generation : In thrice feven Years he enters into the Flower of his Age: In four times feven Years he begins to enter into the Age of Virility, and intire Perfection of his natural Strength, Moreover, from : 7 to 7 Years (obferve it when you please) a Man does find ordinarily fome Alteration or Change, either in his Mind or Body, or in his temporal Goods or Fortune, be it in Adverfity or Profperity and this Change is principally remarkable in his Complexion. And above all, the Clymacterical Year is much to be admir'd, which is the 63d Year of the Age of Man, reckon'd to be either 7 times 9, or 9 times 7; in which year he is commonly reduc'd to fome extremity or danger of his Life which the Emperor Auguftus well knowing, did rejoice extremely when he had pafs'd that Year. As then by the Number of 7 and 9, multiply'd the one by the other, we are in danger of Death, fo by the fame Numbers we are happy to prolong our Life. But to conclude this Question, the Lawyers approving Lib.7.D.de in this the Docftatu homi- trine of the Phyficians, have decreed that Children are born in the feventh Month with perfection, and ought to be deem'd legitimate, if peradventure the Father had been abfent. num. Queft. Whether Light be a Corporeal Thing? Anfw. No, but an Accident only; nevertheless heavenly, excellent, and admirable, by means of which we fee the Colours of all the vifible Bodies of the World, and being taken from us, we remain in Darknefs and Horror. That this Light then is not corporeal, it is evident, that it doth in an inftant fcatter and extend it felf throughout all the Univerie, if it be not hinder'd by opacous and dark Bodies, by which hindrance cometh the fhadow; but corporeal things cannot be in this manner diffus'd and fpread in an inftant, because it could not be done but by Penetration of Dimenfions, which Nature abhorreth and cannot fuffer. Or else it must be done by the Ceffion of other Bodies, which cannot be done inftantly and fuddenly. Queft. What is the Caufe of the Generation of Monsters ? Anfw. The Causes are ma ny, viz. The Superabundancy or Infufficiency of the Matter, the Feebleness of the feminal Virtue, the Vice of the Womb, the wandring Imagination of the Female in time of Conception, the Conjunction of two Animals of divers Species, and the like. Queft. How comes it to pass, that we do love Sometimes those whom we never faw? Anfw. This comes to pass but feldom, that we love those whom by reputation we believe to have fome Perfection of Vertue, Knowledge, or Beauty which makes us to esteem them. And our Soul imagining this Perfection to be greater than it is, cannot but be taken and furprized, and cannot but love and honour; nay, commonly much more than after we have feen the Subject: for rare and excellent Perfons are like Tapestries, which feem more beautiful afar off than near. Quest. Why do we commonly fart in Pissing? P4 Anfw. Anfw. Because that while the Bladder is full, the great Gut is ftretch'd, and in discharging the Bladder we hold in our Breath; infomuch that after the Relaxation of the Bladder, in proportion as it doth empty it felf, the Inteftines that are bound and full of Air and Winds, do alfo at the fame time by the fame means flacken and empty themselves. Queft. How is the Dewingender'd? Anfw. It differs from Rain and Snow in this, viz. The matter of the Rain and the Snow are the Attractions of many Days, into the middle Region of Air; which is much inore ample and vaft than the inferiour, in which the Dew is ingender'd from a few Vapours attracted by the Celestial Bodies, in the space of one night; the which for want of Heat cannot afcend very high, but do fall again upon the Nap of Herbs and Leaves of Trees like unto little Pearls; and this is it which is call'd Dew: And this in the Seafons the moft remperate of the Year; for when 'tis very hot there can be no Dew, becaufe that the Matter being heated, it easily afcends on high, or elfe it is ealily diffipated by the Heat. And if the Weather chance to be cold, this Dew is congeal'd and condens'd, and from thence is made that which we call the hoary Froft. Quest. In a place not far from Swicka in Franconia (faith my Author) where Ilay at that time, it happen'd that a Child (which ould fcarcely go or speak) in win ter-time loft it felf in a Wood near unto Swicka, and was conftrain'd to remain in the Wood three Nights and two days; in which time there fell a great Snow, infomuch that the Child was cover'd therewith: but every day there came a Man, and brought it fomething to eat and to drink, and went away again; the third day the Man came and brought Meat, and led the Child from the place where it lay into the Road-way, by which means it got home, and told the Parents plainly what had happen'd. I heard the Child (faith my Author again) relate it fo fignificantly and plainly (which neither before, nor in three years after that time, Spake any word that might be well underflood) as I my self (faith my Author ftill) could have related the fame. Luther's Col. Menf. fol. 371. Tell your humble Servant now, I pray Gentlemen, if you be lieve this to be matter of Fact; if not, tell me fo: whether this Man, that brought the Child Meat and Drink, was an Angel, as Luther thinks, or what he was? Anfw. For those that will admit the Teftimony of Sacred Scripture, it will be eafy, fays Mr. Turner, in his late History of Providence, to fatisfy fuch, that good Angels do exift, and are exercis'd in the Affairs of this lower World ; as in the Cafe of Hagar, Gen. 16. 7, &c. of Abraham, Gen 18. of Lot, Gen. 19. of Jacob, Gen. 31. of Mofes, Exod 3. of Balaam, Gideon, Manoah, Elijah, &c. in the Old Teftament; and in the Cafe. of the Baptift's and our Saviour's Birth, in the New Teftament. They appear'd to the two Maries, Zechariah, and the Shep Shepherds. Acts 10.3. Cornelius is faid to have feen a Vifion evidently, viz. An Angel of God coming to him. More may be obferv'd by Meh of Leifure and Ingenuity, that will take the pains to examine their Concordance, and turn over a few Leaves of the Bible. But for modern Inftances of this nature (and well attefted) we refer you to Mr. Turner's Hiftory of Providence, p. 7. chap. 2. treating of the Appearance of good Angels. Quest. Wherefore do we not fee the Elementary Fire that is above the Air, as well as we can the Material Fire; fince that (according to Philofophers) it is ten times more vaft and ample than the Air, and yet we can see the Stars that are above the Elementary Fire? Anfw. 'Tis because the Elementary Fire is much more fimple and pure than the Air, and without any colour. If then we cannot see the Air, which we fuck in and breathe out, and with which we are environ'd (altho' it be much more grofs and thick, in comparison of the Elementary Fire) how can we then behold, or fee the Elementary Fire it felf? But the reason why we fee our material Fire, is, because it hath a colour, or is colour'd as with Yellow, because of the mixture of terreftrial Exhalations, which do proceed from the matter of which it is nourish'd and entertain'd but the reason why we fee the Stars that are above this Elementary Fire, is, because they are much more luminous and glittering than the Fire, Queft. Wherefore do our Bodies grow more and more hastily in our Infancy, and in the firft Years after our Infancy, than they do in our Youth? Anfw. Because Nature being remote from its Perfection, it makes the more hafte to attain it, and fats all the forces of the natural Heat (which is then more fervent and boiling) to convert most of the Aliment towards the Growth and Increafe of the Body. Quest. Wherefore is it, that having two Eyes, we fee neverthelefs but one Kind, or Image of the Object? Anfw. Even fo for having two Ears, no more than one and the fame Sound is heard; the Original of their Motion being the fame, for, these two Organs make but one Senfe: but yet provident Nature hath been pleas'd that one and the fame Senfe fhould have two Inftruments, to the end that if one fhould be taken from us, the other might fupply the defect thereof. Quest. Why do not Men fir and move their Ears as most other Animals do? the Family of the Flacci in Rome, and we our felves in Glafcony have feen two Men, who have had that Movement in their Ears. Queft. Can we hear under Water? Anfw. Yes, very well, as thofe that are accuftom'd to dive do relate and affirm. And Fifhes themselves will flip away if a great noise be made on, or near the Water. Pliny relates, that there were Fishes (in the Ponds of the Emperor of Rome) that would come forth of the Wa ter, being call'd by an accuftom'd Name. Quest. How can we perceive the Number of the Heavens? An/w. By two principal means: the one is by the Ecliples, Defaults, or obferving of the Stars; for fince that certain Stars do eclipfe, and at certain times hide from us other Stars, 'tis a certain Argument that they are found in our view. And thofe that do eclipfe others, are in fome lower Orb for if they were not fo, they could not hide the other from our Sight. The others Proof is drawn from the Diverfity and Difference of the Motions of the Heavens: For tho' every natural Body proper and peculiar Motion, yet divers Motions are obferv'd in the Heavens, and a greater Number in the inferior Orbs than in the fuperior. 'Tis therefore without question, that the Inferiors do receive this Diverfity of Motions (befides their natural) from the fupe. rior Orbs; and therefore there has a is a neceffity that there be as many Heavens, as there are Diverfity of Motions. Queft. How can we come to know that the Heavens are round? Anfw. We may know this from many Reasons: The firft is, that the Heavens incircling and containing all the other Bodies of the Universe, ought to have the Figure the most capable, which is the Round, Spherick, or Circular. The fecond is, that the Heavens being the moft moveable Bodies of the World, as we may perceive by their continual Motions; this Figure muft alfo be attributed to them, as the most proper for Motion. The third is, that if the Heavens were of any other Figure than Round, they would interfere and batter, or pierce and penetrate, in turning and rolling one into the other or else there would remain a Vacuum, or Emptiness in the Angles, or Extremities of their Bodies, which are Abfurdities against Nature. The fourth is, that if they were of any other Figure than Round, then in the fame Day the Sun, the Moon, and the other Stars (the which being carry'd about by the Rapidity of the first Moveable, do in twenty four hours furround the Universe) would appear at certain hours greater, when their Approaches are nearer the Earth; which things never come to pafs, fo that it must be concluded that the Heavens are round. Queft. Why do Physicians forbid us to fleep on our Back? |