The practise of chymicall, and hermeticall physicke, for the preseruation of health. Written in Latin by Iosephus Quersitanus, Doctor of Phisicke. And translated into English, by Thomas Timme, minister

CHAP. XII. Moses in his Genesis sheweth the three begin∣nings Philosophicall which are in euery thing created.

WE holde by Moses doctrine, that GOD in the beginning made of nothing a Chaos, or Déepe, or Waters, if wée please so to call it. From the which Chaos, Déepe, or waters, animated with the Spirite of God, God as the great workemaister and Creator, sepa∣rated first of all Light from Darkenesse, and this Aethereall Heauen, which wee beholde, as a fifth Essence, or most pure Spirite, or most simple spirituall body. Then hee diuided Waters, from Waters; that is to say, the more subtill, Aiery, and Mercuriall liquor, from the more Thicke, Clam••y, and Oylely, or Sulphurous liquor. After that, he extracted and brought foorth the Sulphur, that to say, the more grosse Waters, from the drye parte, which out of the separation standeth like salte, and as yet standeth by it selfe apart. And yet for all this, those vniuersall partes of the whole Chaos, are not to be separa∣ted, but that stil euery one of them, do retaine in themselues, those thrée beginnings without the which they cannot bée, nor yet ful∣fill their generations. This was the worke of God, that hée might separate the Pure from the Impure: that is to say, that he might reduce the more pure and Ethereal Mercury, the more pure and inextinguible Sulphur, the more pure, and more fixed salte, into shyning and inextinguible Starres and Lights, into a Christalline and Dyamantine substance, or most simple Bodie, which is called Heauen, the highest, and fourth formall Element, and that from the same, the Formes as it were séedes, might be

powred forth into the most grosse elements, to the generation of all things. The which are called the mo•••• grosse elements, be∣cause fr••m them in the diuision of the Chaos, the most pure part is abstracted and conuerted and brought to a heauen, and to the fruites thereof.

All which elements whether it be that most simple fourth, or whether they be those, which are said to be more grosse, forso∣much as they consist of those thrée Hypostaticall beginning, they could neuer be so separated one from the other at the first, nor can now bée so seperated by any Chymist, but that alwayes still that which remaineth is compounded of them thrée. The difference is this, that some are most pure, simple, and most spirituall sub∣stances of the secret parts, and other some, are more grosse and lesse simple, also a third sort, most grosse and material in the high∣est degrée.

Therefore it must be confessed, that the Heauen, albeit it bee most simple, doth consist of those thrée beginnings, but of the most pure and most spirituous, and altogether formall. Where∣by it commeth to passe, that the vertues and powers of Heauen, being wholy spirituall, doe easily without impediment pearcing into the other Elements, powre forth the inferiour Elements the spiritual formes: from whence all mortall bodies doe obtaine the increase both of their vertues, and also of their faculties.

If we will behold the puritie of the Heauen aboue other E∣lements, and the perpetuall constancie thereof, looke then vpon those bright and shining fyers, continually glittering and light, to whom the heauen hath giuen the most pure and extinguible substance of Sulphur, whereof they consist. For such as the hea∣uen is in essence, such and the like fruites hath it brought foorth in substance: out of whose vitall impressions and influences, they procreat & bring forth some likenes of thēselues, in the more grosse Elemēts: but yet according as the matter is more grosse or more thinne, more durable or more constant, or more transitorie.

And the influences of such fyers, are mercuriall spirits: but the light and shyning brightnes, is Sulphur: their fixed Hea∣uens, or Vitriall and Chrystallyne circles, is a salt body: which

circles, are ••••pure, shining and fixed, that a Diamond which partaketh o•• the nature of fixed salt, is not of more puritie, con∣tinuance and perpetuitie than they are.

As touching the Elements of Ayer, the beginnings thereof are more grosse, lesse pure, and lesse spirituall and simple, than the beginnings celestiall, and yet much more perfect, thinne, and pe∣netrating, then are the waterie and terrestriall Mercuries and Sulphurs: and is such, that next to heauen it hath the prehemi∣nence of actiuitie and power, whose forces are to be séene in di∣uers and sundry windes which are mercuriall fruites and the spirits of the ayerie Element: whose sulphurs also are discer∣ned to be pure and bright in burning Comets, which are no per∣petuall fires or sulphurs, which cannot bée put out for degene∣rating from the nature of Celestiall starres and Sulphurs, as from puritie & simplicitie, into a more grosse and impure forme.

Now as concernining Earth which is ayerie, it is so subtill and thinne, that it is very hard to be séene, being diffused throughout the whole Region of the Ayer: which doth not sent it selfe to the eye, but in Mannas, in Dewes, and in Frostes, as in aierie salts. The verie same beginnings of ayer, may also be séene in Meteors: which in it, and out of it▪ are in∣gendered, that is to say, in lightnings, in corruscations, and in thunderings, & in such like. For in that flerie flame which brea∣keth forth is Sulphur: In the windy spirit, & moystnesse is Mer∣cury: and in the thunderbolt or stone of the lightning, is salt fixed.

The fruites also of this nature are Manna celestiall, and hony, which Bées do gather from flowers, wherein there is no other thing but Salt, Sulphur, and Mercurie of the ayer: which by a skilfull workeman are not separated from those without great admiration: yea, the rustick Coridon findeth this by experience to be true, when as he can seperate the matter of the Bées worke, into waxe, which is a matter sulphurus, into hony, which is a Mercurial essence, & into drosse, representing the terrestriall salfe. And thus that superior globe seuered into an ethereall and ayery heauen, hath his thrée beginnings, yet neuerthelesse very diffe∣rent in simplicitis and puritie.