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which he has entertained on one side, so I must lessen it on the other, that this man may exactly quadrate with the
original. A fourth and main property which I am to tell him of is Fixation, or the immortality and indefectibility of
the tincture, life or soul of this metallic body. Besides all which I may in the fifth place discourse to him of the
extreme ductability or rarefaction of it; if it might not be too prodigious for his belief; and sixthly, of its medicinal
uses and qualities, which would afford me a great variety of matters to entertain him with.
And thus I shall have in some degree satisfied my Tartarian or my Gothick Philosopher, that the fine Copper of Peru
is not metaphorical or symbolical, as his poor country men, who have never seen it, would persuade him: but that it
is as truly, really and substantially of a metallic nature and consistence, as that which he daily handles for such. And
he now begins to understand how this fine copper, which I otherwise call Gold, is compounded of the same (yet
better graduated) principles, with a more exact proportion than his, and that it is not metaphorically, but really a
metallic substance, more ponderous, and brighter than the other, also of a bitter (though not so deep) Tincture, more
fixed and ductile, and lastly more proper for human bodies, to be used internally or externally, when prepared
according to Art.
So I take my leave of my Philosopher, and go next to my merchant. Here I shall not have so much to do, as with the
former. I need only to mind him in brief of the several properties about which I discoursed my philosopher, and then
declare unto him the great and excellent use thereof in commerce, so as more than four hundred times to answer the
other in common valuation, and often more than five hundred.
Philadelphus: Tis enough, I find you like well the subject that you are upon, but hope it will serve to lead you into
one that is far better. Of all that you have now said, nothing will be found to be in vain, when I shall come to
examine you. The tables may come perhaps to be turned upon yourself. Wherefore let me persuade you to try
thoroughly, whether that be indeed gold, which you believe to be so. But since you have been pleased to satisfy me
as to what I demanded, I am now most ready to satisfy you, as to what was propounded; only I must first premise
two or three things that I may be understood by you. Wherefore be now attentive and consider well what I am about
to say.
Philochrysus: I will be sure Sir, to attend your motion, for I begin to be very jealous, that you have been carrying on
all this while some plot to undermine me. But pray let us hear your premises, and I promise to make the best use of
all the ears and eyes which I have.
Philadelphus: The first thing that I wish then to premise is this, That the Divine Blessing was originally spoken
forth upon the whole Creation of God. Or as some would rather choose to express it - It was outspoken into the
Creation, that is, by a real, vital and essential infusion engrafted into it. So that whatever come out of the hands of
God was good. No evil should ever be derived from the Divine Being, who notwithstanding the supreme liberty of
Will, is necessitated when He acts, to act according to Goodness. No sin nor death, no barrenness or drought, no
weakness or disproportion could at all proceed from him. Wherefore he rejoicing, as it were, in the works of his
hands, pronounced them both severally and universally to be good, yea very good, as considered in their whole
system, and harmonious union with each other.
Philochrysus: I must grant that you say. But I would fain see to what purpose It will serve you.
Philadelphus: You may yet, before we part.
Philochrysus: I cannot deny but that God blessed the whole Creation and that all the works of his hands are good.
Make your best of it.
Philadelphus: The second thing that I have to premise is but as a corollary from the former, and is strengthened by
universal experience. It is this, The Works of the Creation are not Now in the same State, as they were when they
first came out of the hands of God, or as when the Divine Blessing was pronounced upon them, or outspoken onto
them, yet with this limitation, so far as they are within our Sphere or Orb. For experience doth at this day too
sufficiently attest that the creatures, whether they be of the animal, vegetable or mineral kingdom, cannot be all said
to be good, howsoever they be considered, either separately by themselves, or conjunctly in harmony with the rest.
And whatever may be pleaded on their behalf by some acute philosophers and divines, that all the creatures are,
even at this day, good; though not positively, yet relatively, and with respect both to their present constitution and
the constitution of the world in general, it is evident, to me at least, if either the undoubted records of scripture, or
the natural light of reason may judge of the appeal, that all that they can say will, if it prove any thing, certainly
conduce to the very overturning of the positive goodness of the Divine Being,and the introducing in the room
thereof a certain relative, hypothetical and imaginary goodness, and to the building up a very odd and irregular
system of the Universe.
This if it were necessary, I might at large deduce through several particulars, proving the absurdity and
inconsistency of such a supposition, that has been taken up of late by some men of name, and by them too mush
authorised to the dishonour of God, though they might not perhaps design it so, as I am apt both to hope and believe.
But this would lead me out very far and keep me too long from the resolution of the question in hand. However,
Philochrysus, if at any other time you think it worth your while to demand a particular satisfaction as to this point, I
shall be most willing to give it to you.
Philochrysus: I thank you, Philadelphus. At present I am well enough satisfied in this matter; yea so much as I have
often with my self admired, even when bit by a flea, how any could be serious in pleading for the perfection of the
present constitution of the World of Nature, as if it never had been better, or was never to be better; but after it shall
have lasted out such a term, that it must return back again into its primitive state of nothingness; by the most
dreadful dissolution through Fire. This their catastrophe of Our World, I must confess, did never very well please
me; but did always stick.
Philadelphus: Its is then granted by you that the present constitution of this terrestrial world in which we live, is not
so perfect and good as it was originally brought forth by God, and that it may, by the gift of god, recover again its
original constitution.
Philochrysus: It is granted.
Philadelphus: Well! Answer me now this one question. Which do you now think best deserves to be called by this
or that name, that which is most perfect in its kind, and that which comes up most really to the true and original
frame of its nature, or that which falls short of it, and is very Imperfect as to its kind?
As for instance, you take two sheep, or two horses, and of these let one be placed at the right hand and the other at
the left. Suppose now the horse at the right hand to have all the most excellent features and proportions of an horse,
and that at the left to have none of them at all, but to be very mean and despicable. Suppose also the sheep at the
right hand, to be very plump and fat, and to wear a Golden Fleece upon its back, and that at the left to be lean, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
which he has entertained on one side, so I must lessen it on the other, that this man may exactly quadrate with the
original. A fourth and main property which I am to tell him of is Fixation, or the immortality and indefectibility of
the tincture, life or soul of this metallic body. Besides all which I may in the fifth place discourse to him of the
extreme ductability or rarefaction of it; if it might not be too prodigious for his belief; and sixthly, of its medicinal
uses and qualities, which would afford me a great variety of matters to entertain him with.
And thus I shall have in some degree satisfied my Tartarian or my Gothick Philosopher, that the fine Copper of Peru
is not metaphorical or symbolical, as his poor country men, who have never seen it, would persuade him: but that it
is as truly, really and substantially of a metallic nature and consistence, as that which he daily handles for such. And
he now begins to understand how this fine copper, which I otherwise call Gold, is compounded of the same (yet
better graduated) principles, with a more exact proportion than his, and that it is not metaphorically, but really a
metallic substance, more ponderous, and brighter than the other, also of a bitter (though not so deep) Tincture, more
fixed and ductile, and lastly more proper for human bodies, to be used internally or externally, when prepared
according to Art.
So I take my leave of my Philosopher, and go next to my merchant. Here I shall not have so much to do, as with the
former. I need only to mind him in brief of the several properties about which I discoursed my philosopher, and then
declare unto him the great and excellent use thereof in commerce, so as more than four hundred times to answer the
other in common valuation, and often more than five hundred.
Philadelphus: Tis enough, I find you like well the subject that you are upon, but hope it will serve to lead you into
one that is far better. Of all that you have now said, nothing will be found to be in vain, when I shall come to
examine you. The tables may come perhaps to be turned upon yourself. Wherefore let me persuade you to try
thoroughly, whether that be indeed gold, which you believe to be so. But since you have been pleased to satisfy me
as to what I demanded, I am now most ready to satisfy you, as to what was propounded; only I must first premise
two or three things that I may be understood by you. Wherefore be now attentive and consider well what I am about
to say.
Philochrysus: I will be sure Sir, to attend your motion, for I begin to be very jealous, that you have been carrying on
all this while some plot to undermine me. But pray let us hear your premises, and I promise to make the best use of
all the ears and eyes which I have.
Philadelphus: The first thing that I wish then to premise is this, That the Divine Blessing was originally spoken
forth upon the whole Creation of God. Or as some would rather choose to express it - It was outspoken into the
Creation, that is, by a real, vital and essential infusion engrafted into it. So that whatever come out of the hands of
God was good. No evil should ever be derived from the Divine Being, who notwithstanding the supreme liberty of
Will, is necessitated when He acts, to act according to Goodness. No sin nor death, no barrenness or drought, no
weakness or disproportion could at all proceed from him. Wherefore he rejoicing, as it were, in the works of his
hands, pronounced them both severally and universally to be good, yea very good, as considered in their whole
system, and harmonious union with each other.
Philochrysus: I must grant that you say. But I would fain see to what purpose It will serve you.
Philadelphus: You may yet, before we part.
Philochrysus: I cannot deny but that God blessed the whole Creation and that all the works of his hands are good.
Make your best of it.
Philadelphus: The second thing that I have to premise is but as a corollary from the former, and is strengthened by
universal experience. It is this, The Works of the Creation are not Now in the same State, as they were when they
first came out of the hands of God, or as when the Divine Blessing was pronounced upon them, or outspoken onto
them, yet with this limitation, so far as they are within our Sphere or Orb. For experience doth at this day too
sufficiently attest that the creatures, whether they be of the animal, vegetable or mineral kingdom, cannot be all said
to be good, howsoever they be considered, either separately by themselves, or conjunctly in harmony with the rest.
And whatever may be pleaded on their behalf by some acute philosophers and divines, that all the creatures are,
even at this day, good; though not positively, yet relatively, and with respect both to their present constitution and
the constitution of the world in general, it is evident, to me at least, if either the undoubted records of scripture, or
the natural light of reason may judge of the appeal, that all that they can say will, if it prove any thing, certainly
conduce to the very overturning of the positive goodness of the Divine Being,and the introducing in the room
thereof a certain relative, hypothetical and imaginary goodness, and to the building up a very odd and irregular
system of the Universe.
This if it were necessary, I might at large deduce through several particulars, proving the absurdity and
inconsistency of such a supposition, that has been taken up of late by some men of name, and by them too mush
authorised to the dishonour of God, though they might not perhaps design it so, as I am apt both to hope and believe.
But this would lead me out very far and keep me too long from the resolution of the question in hand. However,
Philochrysus, if at any other time you think it worth your while to demand a particular satisfaction as to this point, I
shall be most willing to give it to you.
Philochrysus: I thank you, Philadelphus. At present I am well enough satisfied in this matter; yea so much as I have
often with my self admired, even when bit by a flea, how any could be serious in pleading for the perfection of the
present constitution of the World of Nature, as if it never had been better, or was never to be better; but after it shall
have lasted out such a term, that it must return back again into its primitive state of nothingness; by the most
dreadful dissolution through Fire. This their catastrophe of Our World, I must confess, did never very well please
me; but did always stick.
Philadelphus: Its is then granted by you that the present constitution of this terrestrial world in which we live, is not
so perfect and good as it was originally brought forth by God, and that it may, by the gift of god, recover again its
original constitution.
Philochrysus: It is granted.
Philadelphus: Well! Answer me now this one question. Which do you now think best deserves to be called by this
or that name, that which is most perfect in its kind, and that which comes up most really to the true and original
frame of its nature, or that which falls short of it, and is very Imperfect as to its kind?
As for instance, you take two sheep, or two horses, and of these let one be placed at the right hand and the other at
the left. Suppose now the horse at the right hand to have all the most excellent features and proportions of an horse,
and that at the left to have none of them at all, but to be very mean and despicable. Suppose also the sheep at the
right hand, to be very plump and fat, and to wear a Golden Fleece upon its back, and that at the left to be lean, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]