Naturall philosophie reformed by divine light, or, A synopsis of physicks by J.A. Comenius ... ; with a briefe appendix touching the diseases of the body, mind, and soul, with their generall remedies, by the same author.

Of the nature of matter.

TRuly said one; No diligence can be too much in searchingout the beginning of things. for when the principles are rightly set down; an infinite number of conclusions will fol∣low of their own accord, and the science wil encrease it self in infinitum; which the creation of things doth also shew. For God having produced the principles the first day, and wrought them together with most ex∣cellent skil, made afterward so great variety of things to proceed from them, that both

men and Angels may be astonished. There∣fore let us not thinke over much, to frame our thoughts yet of all the principles of the World apart.

Let the following Aphorisms be of the matter.

I The first matter of the World, was a va∣pour or a fume.

For what means that description of Mo∣ses else? when he calls it earth, waters, the deep, darkness, a thing void, and without form? and it appears also by reason. for seeing that the lesser bodies of the World, Clouds, Water, Stones, Metals, and all things growing on the earth are made of vapours coa∣gulated (as shall appeare most evidently hereafter:) why not the whole World also? certainly the matter of the whole can be no∣thing else, but that which is found to be the matter of the parts.

II The first matter of the World, was a Chaos of dispersed Atomes, cohering in no part thereof.

This is proved 1 by reason, for if they had cohered in any sort, they had had form: but they had not; for it was Tohu vabohu, a thing without form and void. 2 by sense, which satisfies, that the Elements are turned unto

Atomes. for what is dust, but earth reduced into Atomes? what is vapour, but water re∣solved into more subtile parts? the air it self, what is it but a most small comminution of drops of water, and unperceiveable by sense? yea, all bodies are found to consist of most extream small parts, as trees, barke, flesh, skins, and membranes, of most slender strings or threds; but bones, stones, metals, of smal dust made up together, into which they may be resolved again. And this shews also, that those threds or haires, are of Atomes, as it were glued together, that when they are dried they may be pouldred. wherefore the whole World is nothing but dust, coagula∣ted with various glutinous matters into such or such a form. 3 by Scripture for the ae∣ternall Wisdom it self testifies, that the be∣ginning of the World was dust. (Prov. 8. v. 26.) out of which foundation many places of Scripture wil be better understood: (as Gen. 3. v. 14.) dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return. For, behold, man was made of the mud of the earth! yet God being angry for sin, threatens something more, then return∣ing to dust, namely utmost resolution, into the very utmost dust, of which the mud of the earth it self was made: and wee see it to

be truly so, that a man is dissolved not one∣ly into earth, but into all the elements, (espe∣cially those that perish by fire) and is at last scattered into very Atomes. Read and under∣stand, what is said (Job 4. v. 19.) Item 19. v. 9. Esay 26. v. 19. Psal. 104. v. 29.) therefore, Democritus erred not altogether, in making Atomes the matter of the World: but hee erred in that hee believed, 1 that they were aeternall, 2 that they went together into forms by adventure, 3 that they cohere of themselves: by reason that he was ignorant of that which the Wisdom of God hath re∣vealed unto us, that the Atomes were con∣glutinated into a mass, by the infusion of the Spirit of life, and began to be distingui∣shed into forms, by the comming in of the light.

III God produced so great a mass of this matter, as might sussice to fill the created A∣bysse.

For with the beginning of the heaven and the earth, that vast space was presently pro∣duced, wherein the heaven and the earth were to be placed, which place Moses cals the Abysse, which no creature can passe through by reason of its depth and vastness. Now the Aphorism tels us, that all this was

filled up with that confused fume, lest wee should imagine any vacuum.

IV The matter is of it self invisible, and therefore dark,

For darkness is seen after the same man∣ner when the eyes are shut, as when they are open; that is, they are not seen at all. and this is it, which Moses says: and darkness was upon the face of the Abysse.

V The matter is of it self without form yet it is apt to be extended, contracted, divided, united, and to receive every form and figure, as wax is to receive every seal.

For we have shewed that all the bodies of the World are made of these Atomes, and are resolved into them, therefore they are nothing else but the matter clothed with se∣verall forms. which the Chymicks demon∣strate to the eye, reducing some dust one while into liquour, another while into a va∣pour, another while into a stone, &c.

VI The matter is aeternall in its duration through all forms, so that nothing of it can pe∣rish.

For in very deed, from the making of the World untill now, not so much as one crum of matter hath perished, nor one increased. for in that bodies are generated, and do pe∣rish

that is nothing else, but a transmutati∣on of forms in the same matter, as when va∣pour is made of water, of that vapour a cloud, of the cloud rain, and of the rain drunk in by the roots of plants an hearb, &c.

VII The principall virtue of the matter of the world is, are indissoluble cohaerence every where, so that it can endure to be discontinued in no part, and a vacant space to be left.

Notwithstanding perhaps this virtue is not from the matter, but from the spirit af∣fused: of which in the Chapter following.

VII From this matter, the whole World is materiall and corporeall, and is so called.

For all the bodies of the World, even the most subtle, and the most lightsome, are nothing but form, partly coagulated, partly refined. Now after what manner it is coagulated or refined, shall appear in that which follows.