Ripley reviv'd, or, An exposition upon Sir George Ripley's hermetico-poetical works containing the plainest and most excellent discoveries of the most hidden secrets of the ancient philosophers, that were ever yet published / written by Eirenæus Philalethes ...

Being to thee nothing deceiveable.

AS then I have chosen Ripley's Method to follow, so will I imitate his Inge∣nuity, and do solemnly profess not to be deceiveable to thee in any thing, though I shall not so unfold the Mysteries, that bare reading shall suffice to shew the un∣veiled Diana.

Know therefore assuredly, that when the Philosophers say, That their Matter is every where, &c. This they speak on∣ly for the blinding of all such who ta∣king the Philosophers meaning according to the bare sound of their words, do reap Trifles instead of Treasures. I shall therefore let you understand that this subject of the Philosophers is considered either in reference to its Matter, or formal Vertue; in reference to the former, it is a concrete of Water, as all other Com∣pounds are; in respect of the latter, it par∣ticipates

of a Celestial Virtue, and that in a high degree in both respects. It is said to be in every place: for the origi∣nal matter, which is Water, passeth equally through the whole Family of Concretes: and for the celestial Influ∣ence, it is so universal that nothing is hid∣den from the heat of it: so that indeed in this sence it is said to be every where. Moreover, the Stone being the System of the great World, doth in some way or other represent every thing which is or can be perceived by man; I mean in re∣ference to some or other operation, co∣lour or quality, and therefore the Wise have described it almost by all things ima∣ginable, for to every thing in some or other circumstance it hath resemblance.