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 light.

I THe first light was nothing else but bright∣nesse, or a great flame, sent into the dark matter to make it visible and divisible into form.

For in the primitive language, light and fire are of the same name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whence also comes the Latine word VRO. and verily the light of heaven, doth really both shine and burn, or heat.

II God put into the light a threefold vertue: 1 of spreading it self every way, and illumina∣ting all things. 2 of moving the matter with it being taken hold of, by burning and inflaming. 3. of heating, and thereby rarifying and attenu∣ating the matter.

All these things our fire doth also: be∣cause it is nothing else, but light, kindled in the inferiour matter.

III. But when as that light could not ex∣tend his motion upwards and downwards, (for it would have found a term forthwith) it moved it self, and doth still move in a round: whence came the beginning of dayes.

IV And because the matter rarified above heat being raised by the motion of the light, the grosser par••s of the matter were compelled to fall downward, and to conglobate themselves in the middest of the Vniverse: which was the be∣ginning of the earth and water.

V The light therefore by this its threefold vertue, light, motion, and heat) introduced con∣trariety into the World.

For darknesse was opposite to light; rest, to motion; cold, to heat: whence came other contraries besides, moist and dry, thin and thick, heavy and light, &c. of which c. 4.

VI From the light therefor is the disposition and adorning of the whole World.

For the light is the onely fountain both of visibility, and of motion, and of heat▪ take light out of the World, and all things will return into a Chaos. For if all things lose their colours and their formes, in the night when the Sun is absent; and living crea∣tures and plants die in winter, by reason of the Suns operation being not strong enough, and the earth and the water do nothing but freeze: what do you think would be, if the luminaries of heaven, were quite extinguish∣ed? Therefore all things in the visible World throughout, are, and are made, of the matter, in the spirit, but by the fire or light.