Imprimatur

I Was concerned in my mind , what to call you , courteous , or kind ; But since the Scene of this our Orb represents men moving so erratically , and varying in that extremity from the Ecliptick of a fixt Judgment , certainly I should have been frustrated in wooing your candour or gentleness ; dayly converse gives me the occasion of observing the variable Fates of Authors Works , which although indited by accurateness it self , and accomplisht with Herculean labours , are oft termed stuffe by some ; and to others again , the works of a Divinity scarce seem to surpass them : But to render Lines harmonical to every Ear is one of the humane Impossibilities ; and no small difficulty to a divine Pen. However all Volumns sail through an Ocean so terrible by Oricanes from Mens Tongues , the more by reason they are tossed to and fro without the conduct of their Pilot , yet it is not this Charybdis of a carping Momus , or that Scylla of a livid Zollus shall prevail to keep these upon the stocks , but rather precipitate them upon a Voyage , with a venture of their whole lading full of Novelties , suspending my thoughts in the interim for a return : Not a recompence of vain glory , nor a reproof relished with contempt , neither being placed in one Scale of a ballance over powers the other containing no more than an empty air ; And should not that be far short of my scope , marked with a single Character of truth , and advancement of Learning , setting aside any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .

The faces of most things appearing yet clouded , many but partly unmask ; as many , although of themselves clear , covered under a vail of dark terms and absurd notions of Philosophers , cannot but spur any sensible Genius to discuss that muddiness of some , and redeem the light of others , in the performing whereof I have here ingaged my self in these Treatises , taking what advantage long time , hard study , and laborious experiments would contribute thereunto . The only Instruments , that I have imployed in the sounding of the natures of beings , are the external senses , assuming nothing , or concluding no inference , without their advice and undoubted assent , whether in Metaphysicks , Theology , or Natural Philosophy . Those terms or notions , that only give a confuse testimony of their being to the understanding , escaping the evidence of external sence , we have declined as rocks , whereon any one might otherwise easily make shipwrack of his sensible knowledge . Wherefore whatever subject insisted upon within these narrow Pages , doth not crave a necessary , evident , plain and demonstrable assent , as being only attempted by external sense , mediately or immediately , my desire is the Reader would apprehend it to be no part of my Book . But to give you a more particular account of my design , I shall first discover to you my intention in annexing Natural Theology : My thoughts fluctuating in a mist , astonisht at the multiplicity of all kinds of bodies moving about me , advised to stear their course to some immoveable , whereupon they might fix themselves , and thence to ponder upon others ; here they certainly concluded one universal immoveable , whereon and whereby all moveables are moved ; because there can be no moveable , but must necessarily have its respect to an immoveable , they being relations , which are constituted at the same time . My next assumption following the chorea of the first , and drawn from the relation interceding between an immoveable and moveable , resolved me , that a Moveable must necessarily be derived from an Immoveable ; whence I was soon confirmed of an universal Creator of the whole Universe : Thence I made a digression into the reason and cause of the creation of all moveables , particularly of my self , and so keeping strait on my Road , behold my steps , markt and digested in the fourth Book of my Philosophy , which by reason of their prius ought to have been ranckt in the front , all men naturally converting their first thoughts thither ; but for orders sake have inserted them elsewhere .

Here I found the camp , whereon Atheism and natural Faith were to encounter each other ; but the former being intrencht within the flesh , to have much the advantage of the latter standing bare upon so slippery a ground , whence it is , that the greatest part of the World , yea , of Christendom render themselves up captives and eternal slaves to the obedience of the devil , in the service of Atheism , engaged in actions of Abomination , Horrour , and Blasphemy . Notwithstanding since the ruines of those lines of Blessedness and Innocency , yet discernable in the souls of all men , are possible to be raised up again , whence they may easily demolish and batter down those strong Bulworks of Pernicion , it is that part of fortification I have endeavoured to delineate , the knowledge whereof is absolutely necessary for Salvation , and is a Key wherewith to unlock the Mysteries of eternal happiness , revealed to us by the holy Scriptures , which being founded upon the greatest and truest reason , must certainly require a gradual ascent to it from natural Theology , being a rational discourse inferring Theorems of Salvation from Humane Reason , subordinate to the highest of the Scriptures . Wherefore all evidence doth direct us to make this our mark or circle , whence we are to run to that blessed Meta of the other . But how preposterous and rash is it for men to slip over this part , and to cast themselves without a bottom into the very depth of divine Theology ? Alas their apprehension is immediately drowned in it ; their understanding amazed at those fathomless pits of reason ; in what different and monstrous acceptions do most Divines attach the genuine sense of Scripture , through ignorance of its precedents , scope , & dependance ? And more than this , each invokes the Holy Ghost for a Witness for to attest those various Interpretations . But what is this , but their heavy dull imaginations hallucinating in the appearance of the Scriptures , like several eyes in apparent objects of the Sky , some framing this , others that likeness of them ? I am not now to be confirmed in my belief , that the worst of Atheism is latent in many supposed Divines , their sinister ends , cheats , and vile secret passions of the flesh betraying their hypocrisie . Certainly , were I put to pick ( out of any Profession ) some that were to surmount all others in wickedness , I should not need long time to ponder upon my Verdict . The cause of this perversity I can state none but presumption in those , who after a twelve-moneths dosing upon Ursin's Cat. or Ames . Medul . do apprehend they should know the whole drift and connection of the Fundamentals of Sacred Writings , which to the same appearing upon a reflection , dishering , and strange in expressions , have soon confounded their small relicts of natural faith into a detestable Atheism , however cloathed with a dissembled time-holiness under their dark habits for to feed their covetousness out of their Benefices . Had these but conferred with their innate Principles of Natural Theology , and arrived to the habit therof before they had applied themselves to the top of inspired Learning , beyond all surmising , the Fundamentals of this latter would have been evidenced to them to be the alone absolute Wisdom , plain Truth , and most certain infallibility . Notwithstanding so universal a neglect of this part , yet I question not , but many may be found so well principled in both , that their undoubted Faith , expressed in their most Holy Life and Actions , will prove a great happiness to their Followers and Hearers in such Leaders and Teachers .

Next touching my Scope in the Metaphysicks , which was principally the substitution of such Theorems in them , as might be demonstrated by sense , and had their sole dependance upon it , in order to a confutation of those absurd Notions purely Logical , ( although sold for real ones , ) that Aristotle proposed in his Metaphysicks ; in the interpretation and ambiguities whereof Schollars do usually consume a whole age in vain , reaping no better fruits thence , than that after seven years study they are enabled to say Formaliter , or Materialiter to every thing .

But lastly , my chiefest design ever since the seventeenth year of my age , when I had just finisht my course in Physick , and taken my last degree , consisted in elaborating such demonstrations in Natural Philosophy , as might serve to unfold the natures of Beings in relation to the Art of Physick , hitherto so uncertain , blind , and unfounded on Art , that I dare confidently assert , that the cure of many ( if not of most ) diseases is rather to be imputed to the strength of bodies , than the application of vulgar Remedies , as the precipitation of Patients to their extream Fate by the ordinary courses of Physick more than to the cruelty of their distempers , setting aside those frequent mistakes in discovering them and their causes ; All which are so much subordinated to Natural Philosophy , that whatever rare Invention in Practice , or infallible distinction of any disease , is deprehended in the Art of Medicine , must be demonstrated by Principles of Physicks . Difficulties of Nature , that formerly seemed so uneasie to be explained , I find very obvious and evident through them ; Many things that have hitherto lain hidden in the Bosome of Nature , and such , as no Philosophy could yet discover , you will meet with here . Besides these you are like to read the quotation of a Book of Souls or Psychelogia , formerly intending its insertion in the Second Part of Philosophy . But since I apprehend my self to be much scanted of my time , and that this Volumn would swell up into too great a mole , I am compelled to omit the publishing of it , although it hath been long since ready for the Press . Before I take my leave of my Reader , I must not forget to crave your permission of using some kind of terms in my Books , which although somewhat alienated from their proper signification , yet can give you a reason of their figurative or tropical acception , such are Catochization , Grove , besides many others . I must also acquit my self to you of my default in such plain and unpolisht Lines , which I have made use of ; Certainly , whoever is acquainted with Philosophy will know , that it is Philosophical so to write ; neither , had I been ingaged in any other Subject , could I have gratified your expectation herein , since it was never my fortune to read two sheets of any English Book in my life , or ever to have had the view of so much as the Title Leaf of an English Grammar . I have also varied in the Orthography both of spelling and pointing from the ordinary , and so the Printer hath varied from me ; My own part herein I can easily protect , and so I may the Printers , since his unacquaintedness with the matter and hand-writing , and the dazling of his eyes , ( which a pair of Spectacles might easily have mended , ) in the smalness of my Letters , hath set him upon the Lee shore of accurateness ; however you may prevent the danger of some mistakes ( although not of all , since I have not the opportunity of so much as casting a superficial eye over half this Volumn , ) by directing your self to the Errata , which you will find set down at the end of each Book . In fine , not to detain you longer in preambles , I shall only commend to you one of Grave Cato's Distichs thus inverted , Non hos collaudes , nec eos culpaveris ipse , Hoc faciant stulti , quos gloria vexat inanis . Condemn thou none , neither give them praise , Let fools do so , who love peoples gaze . And advise you to suspend your Verdict upon these Writings , untill you have perused them twice , and then if disrelishing , dishering , false or contradicting to give your self the trouble of letting me know my errours in the sense of them , which , since my only scope is to promote Learning , to be taught my self , and to excite others to the study of things , that are yet imprisoned in darkness , I shall take for a very friendly office , not valuing the hearing or acknowledging my mistakes ( although attended as usually with some reproof ) provided , that at the same time I may be furnished with better Principles in lieu of mine , or otherwise I shall think it much below me to take notice of such Scripts , intended for nothing more than Libels : Moreover , that my further duty may not prove a regret to me , the answering of such desires in Latine will obliege me to remain ,