Sect. 12.
He goes on [And further, that that motion, whereby the fire worketh is dilation and contraction of it self alternately, commonly called Scintillation, or glowing, is manifest also by experience.* 1.1] There was never heard the like; did e∣ver any man experimentally find such a motion? or was ever contraction called glowing or sparkling? the motion of fire is either that which is natural to inflame or ignifie the neighbouring body, or, what is in way to it, to heat and warme what is about it, and by that, and that, effect out of it exsiccation to prepare a matter for a form of fire, other motion I acknowledg none in fire; that which he calls contraction, I conceive to be nothing but when the smoak or ambient ayr supplyes it not with a fit matter for a flame, then negatively it cannot break forth in that inflaming act, so far as it did before; but for a positive contraction, and withdrawing it self, I absolutely deny, for every natural Agent doth alwayes work, quoad posse, as much, and as far as it can, with all its force, and there∣fore the fire alwaies dilates, but never contracts, for lack of matter it cannot dilate as far as it did before, but it never contracts: Consider here how little credit is to be given to his words, who cryes, it is evident, it is manifest, to those things which have no semblance of truth, nor doth he give them any probable proof, but only his authority to induce an assent.