Van Helmont's works containing his most excellent philosophy, physick, chirurgery, anatomy : wherein the philosophy of the schools is examined, their errors refuted, and the whole body of physick reformed and rectified : being a new rise and progresse of philosophy and medicine, for the cure of diseases, and lengthening of life / made English by J.C. ...

CHAP. VI. The Pest divided.

THe Paramire of Paracelsus is totally employed in perswading, that every disease without exception, and by name, the Pestilence, is in its whole species five-fold; to wit, being distinct in its causes, original, properties, and remedies. But the first kind, he calls a Natural Being, originally proceeding from elementated fruits; and this plague, he hath described in his books of the plague and pestilentialness, wherein he is there his own Interpreter. But since it is manifest that the fruits which the Schools have believed to be of mixed Elements, are of water alone (even as I have elsewhere clearly demonstrated concerning the rise of medicine) of necessity also, the doctrine of the Elements, at least for the Pest, now falls to the ground: and then, another predicament of diseases, he calls an Astral or Starry Being, as it were raining down from the starry heaven; and in many books of the Pest, he prosecutes only this kind of Being, others being omitted: and so, seeing he elsewhere confounds the heaven, and the fruits of the heavens, with the Element of fire, an Astral plague shall also again be co-incident with a Natural and Elemental fiery one: and then, a third most general kind of diseases, he calls the Being of poyson; as if there should elsewhere be a certain plague void of a poyson; and as though a plague could have its poyson, without, above, or besides a Natural Being. Thus therefore he distinguisheth, as being fore-stalled by an Idiotism, the stars, against the Being of Nature: But at least, as if a natural, and Astral plague, were not of a poysonsom nature? At length, the fourth kind of diseases, he calls a Spirital Being; to wit, the evil spirit co-operating, together with his bondslaves.

Hitherto also, he refers the execrations, and desperations of men: But first of all, he omits his Faunes, Hobgoblins, Nymphs, Satyrs, &c. unless happily, he will have these to be the companions of Cacodemons: at leastwise, he neglects the chief hinge, to wit, his own phantasie, when as terrour or affrighting fear alone, generates no seldome plague.

And moreover, he supposeth a spirital external Being to be the essential cause of the Pest; to wit, whereby the species are only to be divided: and so, he distinguisheth of two effects diuers in kind, only by external occasional, and accidental causes: For it is cer∣tain, whether the Witch as a Sorceress, should connex a pestiferous contagion unto any one, or that be done by any other means, and by a proper vice of nature; at leastwise, the plague issuing from thence, is on both sides one and the same. Last of all, he calls the fifth kind of diseases, a God-like Being, or that of the faithful, stupidly enough, in not distinguishing God from diseases themselves; even as otherwise, it is a free thing, in no wise to have separated Nature from her own effect. But he hath no where made men∣tion, even in his largest writings, of a Deal or God-like plague. But as to what belongs to my self, I do nor adnit of an Astral Being, although Paracelsus hath made that com∣mon, not only to one of the five; but being unconstant to himself, unto all pestilences universally.

I likewise, in the next place, confound the Being of poyson with the Being of Nature: For if it doth not contain a poyson; neither also, for that cause, the plague. But since the Pest hath a separated birth, and progress distinct from other diseases, being not a little

tyed up unto imaginations and terrours: In this respect, I make every plague to be spiri∣tual: not indeed, therefore to be of a Witch, but to be tributary, and meerly natural to the disturbances of the Arche••s: But if indeed, the Cacodemon or evil spirit co-laboureth for the destruction of man; it shall indeed, be the more fiercely transplanted, and wax cruel; yet there is not (although his Paramire thinks otherwise) need of superstition for this thing, nor is that plague devious from that of nature, because a spirital Being, doth evidently, whether he will or no, always war under Nature. Therefore, I acknow∣ledge two only plagues different in kind; to wit, one which is sent immediately from the hand of the Almighty, by the smiting Angel, for the execution of the hidden judgement of his own Deity: For this, although I acknowledge it to be a pestilence; yet I wholly commit the same unto my Lord, and say with a resigned mind, Let thy will be done, O Lord: For truly, neither do I wish for a remedy, but according to thy own good pleasure. Finally therefore, I will every where touch only at the pestilence of Na∣ture, as a Phylosopher; and I call that, the other plague.