This Art, or rather this Mysterie is to bee considered severall wayes, and that because of its severall Subjects. The Primitive, Original Existence of it is in God himself: for it is nothing els but the practice, or operation of the Divine Spirit working in the matter, uniting

Principles into Compounds, and resolving those Compounds into their Principles. In this Sense wee seek not the Antiquity of it, for it is AEternal, being a Notion of the Divine Wisdome, and Existent before all Time, or the Creation of it. Secondly, we are to Consider it in a Derivative Sense, as it was imparted, and communicated to Man, and this properly was no Birth, or Beginning, but a Discoverie, or Revelation of the Art. From this Time of its Revelation, wee are to measure the Antiquity of it, where it shall be our Task to demonstrat upon what Motives God did reveale it, as also to whom, and when.

The Eye discovers not beyond that stage, wherein it is Conversant, but the Eare receives the Sound a great way off. To give an experieuc'd Testimonie of Actions more Ancient than our selves, is a thing impossible for us, unlesse wee could look into that Glass, where all Occurrences may bee seen, Past, Present, and to Come. I must therefore build my Discourse on the Traditions of those Men, to whom the Word, both Written and Mysticall was intrusted, and these were the Jewes in Generall, but more particularly their Cabalists. It is not my Intention to rest on these Rabbins as Fundamentals, but I will iustifie their Assertions out of Scripture, and intertain my Reader with

Proofes, both Divine and Humane. Finally, I will passe out of Judaea into AEgypt and Graece, where againe I shall meet with these Mysteries, and prove that this Science did stream (as the Chimists say, their Salt-Fountain doth) out of Jurie, and watered the whole Earth.