It is now (as I think) sufficiently proved, that Adam had his Metaphysics from Above: our next Service (and perhaps somewhat difficult) is, to give some probable. if not Demonstrative reasons, that they came not alone but had their Physics also to attend them. I know the Scriptures are not positive in this point, and hence the Sects will lug their Consequence of Reprobation. Truly for my part. I desire not [Marginal note: Coloss. 2. 8.] their Hum but their patience: I have though against the Praecept for many years attended

their Philosophie, and if they spend a few hours on my Spermalogie it may cost them some part [Marginal note: Act. 17. 18] of their Justice, but none of their Favours. But that we may come to the thing in hand; I hold it very Necessarie to distinguish Arts, for I have not yet seen any Author, who hath fully considered their difference. The Art I speak of, is truly Physicall in Subject, Method, and Effect But as for Arts publickly professed, and to the Disadvantage of Truth allowed, not one of them is so qualified: for they are meer Knacks and Bables of the Hand, or Braine, having no firm Fundamentals in Nature. These in my opinion Salomon numbers amongst his Vanities, when hee speakes in a certaine [Marginal note: Ecclesiast. 7. 29.] place, That God had made man upright, but hee had sought out many Inventions. Of these Inventions we have a short Catalogue in Genesis, where Moses separates the Corn from the Chaff, the Works of God, from the Whymzies of Man. Thus wee read that Jabal was the [Marginal note: Gen. 4. 20.] Father of such as dwell in Tents, his brother Jubal the father of all such as handle the Harp and Organ, and Tubal-Cain an Instructer of every Artificer in Brasse and Iron. What mischiefes have succeeded this Brasse-and-Iron Cyclops, I need not tell you: if you know not the fates of former Times, you may studie the Actions of your owne, you live in an Age that

can instruct you. Verily, it is worth our observation that these Arts, and their tooles, proceeded not from the Posterity of Seth, in whose Line our Saviour stands, for as wee shall make it appeare hereafter questionlesse they had a better knowledge; But they proceeded from the Seed of Cain, who in Action was a Murtherer, and in the Circumstance of it a fratricide.

To be short, there is no Vanity to the Vanitie of Sciences, I mean those Inventions, and their Professors, which produce nothing true and Natural, but Effects either false, or in their Ends corrupt and Violent. But 'tis no Conquest to tread on Ruines, Cornelius Agrippa, hath already [Marginal note: De vanit. Scient.] layd these Rodomontados in the Dirt, and that so handsomely, they were never since of a general Reputation. Give me an Art then, that is a perfect intire Map of the Creation, that can lead me directly to the Knowledge of the true God, by which I can discover those Universal invisible Essences which are subordinat to him; An Art that is no way subject to Evill, and by which I can attain to all the Secrets and Mysteries in Nature. This is the Art wherein the Physics of Adam, and the Patriarchs consisted, and that this Art was revealed to him, I will undertake to demonstrat by Scriptures, and the Practice of his Posteritie.

This Truth, I am certain, will seem difficult,

if not incredible to most men, the Providence of God being praejudic'd in this point, for they will not allow him to instruct us in Naturall things, but onely in Supernaturals, such as may concerne our Souls, and their Salvation. As for our Bodies he must not praescribe for their Necessities, by teaching us the true Physic, and discovering the Lawes of his Creation; for though he made Nature, yet hee may not tutor us in Natural Sciences: by no means, Aristotle and his Syllogism can doe it much better. Certainly this Opinion is nothing different from that of the Epicure, Deum ad Coeli Cardines obambulare, & nullâ tangi Mortalium curâ, That God takes the Aire I know not in what walkes and Quarters of his Heaven, but thinks not of us Mortals, who are here under his feet. Questionlesse, a most eminent Impietie, to make God as Iertullian said of old, Otiosum, [Marginal note: Apolog. advers.] & inexercitum Neminem in rebus Humanis, An idle, unprofitable No body in this [Marginal note: Gent. Cap. 24.] World, having nothing to doe with our Afaires, as they are Natural, and Humane. Sure these Men are afraid lest his Mercy should diminish his Majestie, they suffer him to trade onely with our immortal parts, not with Corruptible bodies that have most need of his Assistance, they are base Subjects, which he hath turned over to Galen, and the Apothecaries.

Not so my friend: he hath created Physic, and brings it out of the Earth, but the Galenist knowes it not; Hee it is, that pitties our afflictions, he is the good Samaritane that doth not pass by us in our miseries, but poures Oile and Wine into our wounds; This I know very well and I will prove it out of his own Mouth. Did not hee instruct Noah to build an Ark, to pitch it within and without, and this to save life in a Time, when hee himselfe was resolved to destroy it? In a time when the world was acquainted with no Mechanics, but a little Husbandrie, and a few Knacks of Tubal-Cain, and his brethren? But even those Inventions also proceeded from that light which hee planted in man: an Essence perpetually busie, and whose Ambition it is to performe wonders, yet hee seldome produceth any thing of his owne, but what is fantastic, and monstrous. Did he not put his spirit in Bezaleel the son of [Marginal note: Exod. 31.] Uri, and in Aholiab the son of Ahisamach? Did hee not teach them to devise cunning Workes, to work in Gold, in Silver, in Brasse, in Cutting of stones, in setting of them, in Carving of Timber, and in all manner of Workmanship? But to come neerer to our purpose: did hee not informe Moses in the Composition of the Oile, and the Perfume? Did hee not teach him the Symptoms of the Leprosie, and the

Cure thereof? Did he not praescribe a Plaster of Figs for Hezekiah, and to use your owne Term; an Ophthalmic for Tobit? Did not Jesus Christ himself in the Dayes of his Flesh, work most of his Miracles on our bodies, though his great Cure was that of our Soules? Is hee not the same then to day as yesterday? Nay was hee not the same then from the Beginning? Did he care for our Bodies then, and doth he neglect them now? or being seated on the right hand of the Majestic on high, is hee become lass good, because more glorious? God forbid to think so were a sin in Superlatives. Let us then take him for our Praesident, for he [Marginal note: Hebr. 4. 15.] is not (saith St. Paul) such an one which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our Infirmities, but hee is indeed one that looks to our present estate aswell as to our future and is as sensible of our Insirmitie. as hee is Carefull of our Immortaletie. When hee was on Earth, with the Dust of that Earth hee made the Blind to [Marginal note: John 9.] see, and of meer Water he made Wine. These were the visible Elements of his Physic, or rather (so the Notion doth not offend you) of his Magic. But shall I shew you his Librarie, and in that his Three-fold Philosophie? Observe then first, and censure afterwards. Have Salt in your selves, and again, you are the salt of the Earth, and in a third place, salt is good.

This is his mineral Doctrine, will you know his Vegetable? It is in two little Books, a Mustard-seed, and a Lillis. Lastly, he hath his Animal Magic, and truly that's a Scrowle Seal'd up, I know not who may open it. Hee needed [Marginal note: Joh. cap. 2 v. 25.] not that any should beare witnesse of man, for he knew what was in man. And what of all this Blasphemie sayes some splenetic Sophister? Behold I will instruct thee. First of all have Salt in thy self, for it will season thy soule that is infected, and praeserve thy Braines that are putrified with the Dirt of Aristotle. In the second place learn what the Salt of the Earth is, to which the Disciples are compared, and that by a regular, solid speculation. Thirdly come up to Experience, and by a Physicall legitimat practice know in what sense Salt is most good. Fourthly, examine the Lilies by Fire, and the Water of Fire, that thou mayst see their miraculous invisible Treasures, and wherein that speech of Truth is verified, That Salomon in all his Royaltie was not cloathed like one of them. If thou wilt attempt a higher Magic, thou mayst being first seasoned. but in this place it is not my designe to lead Thee to it. Animal and Vegetable Mysteries thou canst never perfectly obtain without the Knowledge of the first mineral secret, namely the Salt of the Earth, which is Salt and no Salt, and the Praeparation

thereof. This Discourse I confesse, is somewhat remote from that I first intended, namely that Philosophie was revealed to Adam, as well as Divinitie, but some Pates are Blocks in their own wayes, and as I told you formerly, will not believe that God dispenseth with any Naturall secrets; This made mee produce these few Instances out of Scripture, as Praeparatives to the Proposition it self, and if hee be any thing ingenious, to the Reader. His Compliance to my Principles I expect not, nay I am so far from it, hee may suspend his Charitie. Let him bee as rigid as Justice can make him, for I wish not to praevaile in any thing but the Truth, and in the Name of Truth, thus I begin.

You have been told formerly, that Cain and Abel were instructed in Matters of Sacrifice by their father Adam, but Cain having murthered his brother Abel, his Priesthood descended to Seth, and this is confirm'd by those Faculties which attended his Posteritie, for Enoch, Lamech, and Noah, were (all of them) Prophets. It troubles you perhaps that I attribute a Priesthood to Abel but I have besides his own practice, Christs Testimonie for it, who accounts [Marginal note: Luke cap. 11. ver. 15 & Math. 23. 35.] the Bloud of Abel amongst that of the persecuted Prophets and Wisemen. Now to conclude that these men had no Knowledge

in Philosophie, because the Seripture doth not mention any use they made of it, is an Argument that denies something, but proves nothing. To shew the vanitie of this Inference, I will give you an Example out of Moses himself. Wee know very well there are no Prophecies of Abraham extant, neither doe wee read any where, that ever hee did Prophesie, but notwithstanding he was a Prophet. For God reproving Abimelech King of Gerar, who had taken Sarah from him supposing she had been his Sister, hath these words; Now therefore restore [Marginal note: Genel. 20. 7.] the Man his Wife, for hee is a Prophet, and hee shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. Hence wee may learn, that the holy Ghost doth not alwayes mention the secret perfections of the Soul, in the public Character of the Person. Truly I should not be so impudent, as to expect your assent to this Doctrine, if the Scriptures were silent in every Text, if I did not find there some infallible steps of Magic, such as may lead me without a Lanthorn to the Archives of the Art it self. I know the Troup, and Tumult of other Affaires are both the Many, and the Maine in the Historie of Moses. But in the whole Current, I meet with some Acts which may not be numbred amongst the fortunes of the Patriarchs, but are performances extraordinarie, and speak their Causes not Common.