The secret miracles of nature: in four books. Learnedly and moderately treating of generation, and the parts thereof; the soul, and its immortality; of plants and living creatures; of diseases, their symptoms and cures, and many other rarities not treated of by any author extant ... Whereunto is added one book containing philosophical and prudential rules how man shall become excellent in all conditions, whether high or low, and lead his life with health of body and mind / [Levinus Lemnius].

  • Lemnius, Levinus, 1505-1568
Date:
1658
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The secret miracles of nature: in four books. Learnedly and moderately treating of generation, and the parts thereof; the soul, and its immortality; of plants and living creatures; of diseases, their symptoms and cures, and many other rarities not treated of by any author extant ... Whereunto is added one book containing philosophical and prudential rules how man shall become excellent in all conditions, whether high or low, and lead his life with health of body and mind / [Levinus Lemnius]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cations $ if there be any force in plants, as we find by experience fhenlpch there is5 you mud remember they had it from God. For all Mc- from&od. dicaments and hearbs that are applycd to mens bodies, become cffcdlual, not from them (elves, but by the biefFingof Cod, and To they procure feme fafe operation. Wherefore if thou determine to do any thing by the help of hearbs, trufi not fo much to hearbs as unto God. For fo in cu¬ ring of difeafes you fhall come to a happy end with good fuccefle, otherwife all your endeavours are vain $ and the Artiff fails of the event, when there is no thought of God from whom all things have their being and tfft&s, and we do not rely upon him. why kJh Afa Hence it was that ^fa king of Judah, when he was affli&ed Jxjw'iw*lh fharp pains in his feet, and asked no Counfel cf God, zebron. i«. but onely trufted to the Phyficians, found no help by all their fomentations, but died, as the Hificry faith, of the Gowt in his Joynts; God doth not forbid to ufe the Phyfitians afli- ftance, butonely that we fhould not rely on them too much, and not to regard him who makes men whole, and whofe gift P{alm3, jt js tbat all things become effectual. Yet they do fuperftitiouf- ly, and they attempt a thing not far frem Idolauy, who apply hearbs that are confecrated with feme fained prayers, to cure witchcrafts, or go about to conjure aw ay difeafes by them. So they prepare Fern gathered in the Summer Solftice, pulled up in a tempeftuousnight, Rue, Trifoly, Vervain againfi Magicail iropoftures, and thus they gull the rude and ignorant people and dazel their eyes, that they may cheat them of feme moneys, and wipe their nofes of what they have. Yet thofe vain Artifts , never grow rich, H!>arhm& Studious Reader I thought fit to infert thefe things to this argu- ^ went, that fo every man may abftain from Magical inthamments, dmrnnts. and obferve from whom we ought to ask aid again if difeafes too, and how (defpifing heathenifhfuperftition) wc may ufe rea¬ dy and obvious remedies, which God hath given us abundantly of his munificence. CHAP.