Earth, but it hath Earth in it, and even that also is not our Magicall Earth. In a word all the Elements are visible but one, namely the Earth, and when thou hast attained to so much perfection, as to know why God hath placed the Earth in Obscondito, thou hast an Excellent Figure whereby to know God himself, and how he is visible, how invisible. Hermes affirmeth, that in the Beginning the Earth was a Quakemire, or quivering kind of Jelly, it being nothing els but water congealed by the Incubation, and heat of the Divine spirit; Cum adhuc (sayth hee) Terra tremula esset, Lucente sole compacta est. When as yet the Earth was a Quivering, shaking substance, the Sun afterwards shining upon it, did compact it, or make it Solid. The same Author introduceth God, speaking to the Earth, and impregnating her with all sorts of seeds in these words; Cum que manus aquè validas implesset rebus, quae in Naturâ,

Ambiente que erant, & pugnos validè constringens; Sume (inquit) ô Sacra Terra, quae Genitrix omnium es futura, nè ullâ re egena videaris; & manus, quales oportet Deum habere, expandens, demisit Omnia ad rerum Constitutionem necessaria. When God (saith he) had filled his powerfull hands with those things which are in Nature, and in that which compasseth Nature, then shutting them close again, hee said; Receive from me O holy Earth! that art ordained to be the Mother of all, lest thou shouldst want any thing; when presently opening such hands as it becomes a God to have, hee powr'd down All that was Necessary to the Constitution of things. Now the meaning of it is this; The Holy Spirit moving upon the Chaos, which Action some Divines compare to the Incubation of a Hen upon her Eggs, did together with his Heat communicat other manifold Influences to the Matter; For as

wee know the Sun doth not onely dispense heat, but som other secret Influx; so did God also in the Creation, and from him the Sun and all the starrs received what they have, for God himself is a supernaturall Sun, or fire, according to that Oracle of Zoroaster,

Factor, Qui per se operans fabrefecit Mundum, Quaedam ignis Moles erat altera.

Hee did therefore hatch the Matter, and bring out the secret Essences, as a Chick is brought out of the shell, whence that other Position of the same Zoroaster,

Omnia sub uno Igne genita esse.

Neither did he onely generat 'em then, but he also preserves them now, with a perpetuall Efflux of heat and spirit; Hence hee is styl'd in the Oracles,

Pater Hominum que Deûm que Affatim animans Ignem, Lucem, AEthera, Mundos.

This is Advertisement enough: And now Reader, I must tell thee, I have met with some late Attempts on my two former Discourses, but truth is Proof, and I am so far from being overcome, that I am no where understood. When I first ey'd the Libell, and its Addresse to Philalethes, I judg d the Author serious, and that his Design was not to abuse mee, but to informe Himselfe. This Conceit quickly vanish'd, for perusing his forepart, his Eares shot out of his skin, and presented him a perfect Asse. His Observations are one continued κώαξ and the Oyster-Whores read the same Philosophie every day. 'Tis a Scurril, senselesse Piece, and as he well stiles himself, a Chip of a Block-head.

His qualities indeed are transcendent abroad, but they are peers at home: his Malice is equall to his Ignorance. I laugh'd to see the fooles disease: A flux of Gale, which made him still at

the Chops, whiles another held the Presse for him like Porphyries Bason to Aristotles Well. There is somthing in him prodigious: his Excrements run the wrong way, for his mouth stooles, and hee is so farr from man, that hee is the Aggravation to a Beast. These are his parts, and for his person, I turn him over to the Dog-whippers, that hee may be well lash'd, a posteriori, and bear the Errata of his front imprinted in his Rere. I cannot yet find a fitter punishment: For since his Head could learn nothing but Nonsense, by sequel of parts, his Tayle should be taught some sense.

This is all, at this time, and for my present Discourse, I wish it the common fortune of Truth and Honestie, to deserve well, and hear ill. As for Applause, I fish not so much in the Ayre, as to catch it. It is a kind of Popularitie, which makes mee scorn

it, for I defie the Noyse of the Rout, because they observe not the Truth, but the success of it. I doe therefore commit this peece to the world, without any protection but its own worth, and the AEstimat of that Soule that understands it. For the Rest, as I cannot force, so I will not beg their Approbation. I would not bee great by Imposts, nor rich by Briefes. They may be what they will, and I shall be what I am.

Eugen. Phila.