Doctor Fludds answer vnto M· Foster or, The squeesing of Parson Fosters sponge, ordained by him for the wiping away of the weapon-salue VVherein the sponge-bearers immodest carriage and behauiour towards his bretheren is detected ...

CHAP. II.

Wherein is proued contrary, vnto the Sponge-carriers Tenent, that mans Bones proceed originally from Blood.

The naked Assertion of D. Fludds text.

The Blood is mingled with the Mummy, or Flesh, the Fat, or the Vsnaea, or Mosse of the Bones, which Blood was the beginning and food of them all.

M. Fosters Collection.

These ingredients haue their beginning and aliment from the Blood.

The act of his mundifying Sponge.

Secondly, I deny that Mans Bones haue their beginning * 1.1 and aliment from Blood. For Physicians and Philosophers s•…•…y, that they haue their beginning from the grosser semina∣ryparts, and their aliment from Blood, or Marrow, or both.

Here the Sponge is squeesed.

I wonder that my Confuter, like the Comediant * 1.2 parasi•…•…, sometimes denieth; and againe with the

same breath affirmeth. For first, hee denieth that Bones haue their aliment from Blood; and then he concludes that they haue. Well, wee will passe this staggering error, and come to the point. Mans Bones (saith he) haue their beginning of the grosser seminary parts, ergo, not of Blood. The consequence is erroneous. For if he will, •…•…ucly looke into the nature of the Sperme, he shall finde it to bee no∣thing else originally; but the purest part of Blood, strained from a double kinde of vessell: whereof the purer or internall part issueth from the arteriall vessell; the grosser and externall from the venall vessell. What needs M. Foster to looke on Bauhines Notes, or Galens Opinions, and those of many other differing from them, and so make Ipse dixit his whole strength, when his eyes will teach him, (if he euer knew Anatomy, as perchance his Father did) that the fountaine of sperme is the Blood, of two natures, namely, Arteriall and venall? for the preparing seminary vessels, that alter it, & purifie it, haue their issues and heads out of the great artery, and vena Caua. Which being so, I would faine know of M. Foster, whether hee thinketh that the spearme doth not proceed from the Blood as ori∣ginal thereof, for as much as the vessels, from which it floweth, be full of nothing else but Blood? I care not for ipse dixit, when in euery mans ocular expe∣rience it appeareth the contrary. For some men will haue the substance of the seed to come from the braine; and other some from the subtile parts of the whole body; and some will haue it spring from the purest part of the foure humours, which is

all one to say, that it proceedeth from the Blood, which is composed of the foure humors, though the element of ayre hath the dominion. But most sure it is, that the Blood is his fountaine, and ap∣peareth by ocular demonstration. Which being so, I pray you good M. Foster, what error is it in me to say, that Blood is the beginner of Bones, when your selfe doth confesse, that their immediate being is of sperme, whose immediate existence is of Blood? Againe, we are taught that the •…•…eat of life is in the Blood: if therefore sperme doth bring forth life, it receiueth that gift of life from the Blood.

To conclude: it is euident by this, that the viui∣fying Spirit of the Lord (which is the animater of the foure Windes, from whence the Prophet Eze∣chiel called it to animate the slaine) moueth and o∣perateth radically in the spirituall Blood, and that the sperme is animated and moued by this spiri∣tuall Blood, which is the spermes internum, which Philosophers call semen; in whose Centre the viui∣fying Spirit of the Lord acteth: and then this Spi∣rit in the seed, framed Skin, Flesh, Bones, & Nerues, and giueth them Life, Action, and Motion: all which the patient •…•…ob expresseth thus: Thou hast powred mee out like Milke, (that is, in the forme of sperme) thou hast coagulated mee like Cheese, thou hast endued me with Skin and Flesh, thou hast compacted mee together with Bones and Sinnews, thou hast giuen mee life by thy mercy, and by thy visitation thou hast preserued my spirit; but all this thou hast hidden in thy minde; but I know all this to bee from thee. Whereupon it is eui∣dent, that God operateth all, beginning radically

in the blood: and for this reason the Apostle saith rightly: In him we liue, we moue and haue our being. * 1.3

I conclude therefore; that here againe is all the Sponges validity so squeesed out, as hereafter (I hope) it shall not be able to digest any great mat∣ter; nor yet to bite any longer vpon the Marble Rocke of Truth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Foster.
• * 1.2

  Fludd.
• * 1.3

  Acts 17.