Section I, Book 4, chapters 4–5: The divine spirit, condensation and rarefaction, generation and corruption

CHAP. IV. After what manner this Eternall Spirit or Ruach Elohim did frame out the Heavens, and shaped or made the Starrs thereof, by his Act of Condensation and Rarefaction.

IT is the Apostle Peter's assertion that the Heavens and the Earth were of the Wate[…] and by the Waters, by the Word of God. So that the Word, we see, is the Agent as w[…]ll in the Condensation of the invisible waters, into waters that are visible, and then of these visible waters into a visible earth. Thus was the world in generall distinguished into thicker and thinner regions, by that divine Spirit Ruach Elohim, which was carried on the waters. And this is well argued by Hermes, in these words, Distinctis libratisque rebus, quae igneo Spiritu vehebantur, emicuit coelum, septem in circulos: Things being distinguished and ballanced, the which were sustained by a fiery Spirit, the heaven did shine forth into seven circles. Where he signifieth that it was a fiery Spirit, and a little before he calleth it Splendorem Sanctum, the holy Splendor, which sustained and bore up every circle or Sphere of the heavens in his due place. And hereupon the Wiseman: Omnia mensura, numeroque, & pondere, disposuisti seu temperâsti: Thou hast disposed all things in measure, and number, and weight, that is to say, in a distinct measure and proportion, in ponderosity and levity, and in a due and convenient number, namely into seven distinct Spheres, and an infinity of condensed bodies: For although all the heavens be composed of aire and fire, and therfore it is called Aether quasigneus aer; yet by the rule of St. Paul, who teacheth us, that things visible were first of things invisible, we are instructed that both the visible bodies in heaven, and also all visible lights were first of invisible waters, and invisible formall Light, which hath its root in God, the bright eternall Unity of all created numbers; and therefore, as Aristotle saith, that Stellae are densiores partes sui orbis. So I say, that as the Substance of the heavens is invisible by reason of its rarity; in like manner are the starrs visible by reason of their density: For it was Condensation that caused visibility; and Rarefafaction, which is the occasion of invisibility. And yet for all this, it is not concluded with Aristotle, that the starrs are the denser parts of their orbs, but rather Lights which were included in the spirit of the dark shadow of the abysse; which spirit in separating of Light from Darkness, sored upward by vertue of the included Light, and so according unto the proportion of that eternall formall fire, which it retaineth unto this day, as his corner-stone; it is sustained and elevated in its proper place, no otherwise then we see that the artificiall squib according unto the proportion of its artificiall and fading fire, with the ponderosity of its body, is, during the time of the gunpowders force, raised in the aire to a certain height, moving neither lower nor higher, then the form all vigor affordeth it vertue, and there remaineth untill the force of the corruptible and wasting fire be spent; and then it falleth down againe: But the Light of the star carrieth and raiseth up the spirituall body, according unto the proportion of the mounting Light, which soreth as high as its power and the ponderosity of the body will permit, and so it hangeth perpetually at a certain distance from the center; because the fire is of an eternall and incorruptible nature, and will not fade as that artificiall fire of the squib doth. Now as all the illuminating vigors, and animating forces or flames that are imparted unto the universall waters, was bestowed on them by that b[…]ight catholick Spirit or emanation, which was sent forth by God to be carried on the waters, which (as Scripture doth averre) is brighter then the Sun or Starrs. So there is none of all those Lights which are separated or divided in essence from that glorious and glittering Spirit, whose beams were dispersed over all the waters in the abysse, in giving of them life and being. For this reason therefore (because each Light had a diversity in proportion of formall brightness and measure of corpulency) it is, that one celestiall body doth vary in his manner of vertue, motion, and influence from another; but because the extracted quintessence or purer materiall essence of all the Chaos, with the purity of Light, that issued from the creating Spirit, were united into an Angelicall alterity, both of those natures in the figure of one masse, sored up out of the dark abysse into the heaven's center, where they challenged the Royall Phoebaean Throne, and that Sphaericall masse is to this hour termed the Sun of Heaven, which as from the created Fountain of Light enflameth and formally enlightneth all the rest of the Starrs in the heavens above, and the Element and elementated creatures below. So that after the universall contracted Light was effected the fourth day of the Creation, it was ordained to be that capitall Organ of life and vegetation in the starry world, which did send and showre down his influences and fiery spiracles of life, conservation, vegetation, and multiplication upon the sublunary earth and waters.

Thus therefore in few words, you have the reason of that Condensation and Rarefaction, whereby both the invisible heavenly Substance, and visible celestiall bodies were made. And it seemeth not to disagree from the opinions of the learned Theologians, Basil and Damascene, touching the causes of the divine Spirit's action in Condensation and Rarefaction, before the apparition of the Sun in the heavens: Forasmuch as they will have the daie's Rarefaction, or cleare heaven to be occasioned by an emission of Light, ordained by the divine will or act of this Omnipotent Spirit: But they think that the night's Condensation, and the opake or condensed bodie in the heavens are effected by a contraction of Light, which was also caused by the sacred Spirit's volunty. Thus therefore we see out of the confession of certain of the prime Fathers of the Church, what was the cause of the cold condensing Night, and the hot rarifying Day, before the Spirit was congregated into the Tabernacle or quintessentiall substance of the Sun, which was extracted by the Spage[…]ick or separative action of the divine Spirit, out of the huge deformed waters of the abysse. And therefore this also must be the reason of Condensation and Rarefaction unto this day: For as the Spirit in the Sun being far from us, and as it were contracting his beames in regard of us, unto himself, or absenting himself from our Hemisphere, so that the cold waters do incline unto the nature of their mother Chaos, by reason whereof the night and darkness are long, and the light and day but short and faint in heat: So also in that season the common sublunary Element is subject to Condensation and Incr[…]ssation, and therefore is constrained or contracted, into the consistence of Frosts, Snows, Hail, Ice, and Cold showers, &c. Again, when it is neare unto us, it dilateth it self, and by his heat and presence, the cold waters become hot, and the daies are augmented and fortified or made strong in heat; and then the common sublunary Element is apt for dilatation and subtiliation, being easy to be inflamed and set on fire with Lightnings, coruscations, and such like. But I leave the history of the Condensation and Subtiliation of the aethereall Spirit, to descend unto the like acts or conditions in the sublunary Element.

CHAP. V. How the lower waters, or catholick sublunary element, were distinguished, ordered, and shaped out into sundry distinct sphears, which are called particular Elements, and that by the foresaid all-working Spirit, or d[…]vine Word.

SInce that it is most certainly proved already, that the universall substance of the world's machin, was made but of one onely thing, namely, of a matter that was produced out of the potentiall bowells of the dark chaos or abyss, by the spagerick vertue of the divine Word; the which matter Moses tearmed Waters, and Hermes the humid nature, of the which in generall (as both Moses and St. Peter aver) the heavens and the earth were made of old, it must needs follow, that out of this catholick masse of waters, the universall sublunary element was derived, which is commonly termed by the name of Aer, as all that humid substance in the celestiall orbe is called Aether. Now this generall element is by the breath of the divine Spirit R[…]ach Elohim, altered and changed from one shape unto another; for that which is the visible waters, was made first of the aire, which is an invisible water, as again the visible water by condensation is made earth. And this is proved, first, by the words of St. Paul, who saith, Per fidem agnovimus quod semper ita actum sit cum mundo per Verbum, ut ex iis quae videri non poterant fierent ea quae possunt videri: We know by faith, that it hath been ever acted with the world by the word, that those things which can be seen, were effected or made of those things which could not be seen. And again, Solomon saith, that the world was made of a matter that was not seen. But besides these proofs, we are taught by chymicall experience, that earth is nothing else but coagulated water; nor visible water any thing else, but invisible air, reduced by condensation to a visibility; nor fire any thing else, but ratified aire. And, in conclusion, all the sublunary waters were in the beginning, but an invisible, humid, or watry spirit, which we call by a common name, Aire; and consequently the catholick sublunary element was in its originall, nothing else but one aire, being that heaven was made before the seas or the earth, as Moses teacheth us. And therefore by faith we must believe, according unto St. Paul's doctrine, that all visible things, and therefore the seas and the earth, were first made or produced out of things not visible; that is to say, aeriall or heavenly: For it is one universall aire, that filleth the vast cavity or vault of the world, which by reason of its levity, tenuity, or invisibility, is called Heaven; as contrariwise the earth and seas are so termed, because of their gravity, density, and visibility. Since therefore it is evident, that the catholick sublunary aire, is the main materiall ground and substance of that, which the world calleth elements; and that it is altered and changed from one estate into another, by the Word or divine Spirit Ruach Elohim, I mean, by the eternall wisdom; let us consider with our selves, how this potent Spirit doth effect in that one and the same homogeneall invisible, thin water or aire, such Protean trans-mutations, whereby there is an evident rotation made in it, out of one nature into another, which are therefore tearmed distinct elements. We must therefore consider in the first place, that this was that vivifying Spirit, which the Prophet called from the four winds, saying, Veni, Spiritus, a quatuor ventis & insuffla interfectos istos ut reviviscant. And therefore this one Spirit, Ruach Elohim, was the royall commander of the four winds, and by consequence, could contract the aire by his windy organs, and again dilate it at his pleasure; and therefore it was he, and no other, that doth animate the four winds, and agitate the Angels, that are his under-governours of them, to alter and change the invisible aire into visible shapes, when and how be listeth: And first touching his generall act, in ordering the aire into divers shapes; it is said, Deus ventos depromite thesauris. And again, Aer subito cogetur in nubes & ventus transiens fugavit eos. Sapientia aptat pondus aeri, appendit aquas in mensura, ligat densas nubes ut non findantur, facit pluviae statuta, & viam fulge[…]ro tonitruum. God draweth the winds out of his treasury. The air is thickned into clouds, and the wind that passeth-by doth drive them. By wisdom he giveth weight unto the aire, hangeth or ballaenceth the waters in it by proportion and measure, bindeth fast the thick clouds, so that they cleave not, giveth lawes unto the rain, and maketh a way unto the lightnings of the thunders. By which words we may conceive, that the invisible aire is the main subject on which the all-operating Spirit of God worketh, and bringeth forth the fore-named visible effects, and that onely by Condensation or Rarefaction, which is insinuated, by giving weight unto the aire. For by Condensation, he converteth the invisible aire into visible clouds, and then by a profounder degree of thickening, those vaporous clouds are condensed into raine, and the thicker and more unctuous part of the cloud is concreted into a hard stone or earth: So that out of the invisible aire, we see evidently by condensation produced three degrees of visible substance, namely, a vaporous aire, a thick visible water, which is rain, and a dense and ponderous earth, which is the stone called Lapis cerauneus, or Thunder-bolt, ingendred by the Spirit of God in that fight which is made in the conflict, between the liquifying nature of the fire, and congealing disposition of the cold water. Again, on the other side, by rarefaction, the aire is converted into fire, namely, into lightning; and all these receive their severall forms and changes, from the catholick nature of the invisible aire, into those shapes, in which after the alteration they abide. So that you may by this perceive, that all that which the antique Philosophers have termed Elements, are nothing else but a four-fold changing, and mutation of one and the same catholick element, or humid nature, unto the which, according as they in their changes do appear various, have divers and sundry names, namely, of fire, water, and earth, imposed upon them. Now the principal organs, by the which, and in the which, this Spi[…]it moveth and acteth, by a diversity of property, in turning and changing this catholick aeriall subject into a four-fold nature, that is to say, out of one thing into another, are the angelicall winds, which he hath ordained to blow from the four quatrers or angles of the earth, in a diverse property: For as before I told you out of Solomon's doctrine, that this wise spirit was one simple thing in essence, but man fold in property or operation; so doth he, being but one Spirit (for it is said, Veni spiritus à quatuor venus) act after a four-fold manner by his four-fold angelicall winds, in the catholick element of aire; for when he bloweth or breatheth from the North, he contracteth the common element into an earthly body, namely, into frost, snow, hail, and ice: And therefore David saith, Deo emittente sermonem suum in terram, quàm celerr[…]mè excurrit verbum ejus qui edit nivem sicut lanam, pruinam sicut cineres dispergit; dejicit gelu suum tanquam frusta; coram frigore eius quis consistat? Emittens verbum suum liquefacit ista, simulac efflat ventum s[…]um, effluunt aquae. God sending forth his word upon the earth, it runneth swiftly; who bringeth forth the snow like wool, and disperseth the frost like ashes, and casteth down his ice like lumps; who is able to resist against his cold? Sending forth his word, he liquefieth or melteth all these, so soon as he bloweth forth his wind, the waters do flow forth, &c. Out of which speech we may gather, first, that it is but one word or Spirit of God, which both by a northern contraction doth change the sublunary element into an earthly condition, and hard and visible consistence, namely, when he bloweth from the North, (and therefore saith Ab Arcturo egreditur frigus, flatu suo edit Deus fortis glaciem, & latitudinem aquarum coarctat. From the North commeth the cold, the mighty God doth bring forth ice by his breath, and coarcteth or straightneth the latitude of the waters) and also by a southern blast, doth melt and undo those terrestriall effects, which by his northern spirit it did produce and cause.

Secondly, that the subject in which, and on the which it did operate, was the aire, which it did metamorphose and change from a soft, tender, light, volatil, transparent, thin, and invisible substance, into a hard, rough, heavy, fix, opake, thick, and visible masse.

Thirdly, that the word there is taken for the essentiall spirit of the wind in generall, and therefore it is used as well to contract the aire into snow ice, or frost, as to dilate it. Again, the Psalmist saith, Angeli Dei faciunt verbum, &c. Again, when he breatheth from the south, then this generall element becommeth vaporous, airy, humid, and hot, and will easily by the concourse of the northern fortitude, though in never so small a measure, be changed into clouds; for the southern blast is ever apt to undo the effects of the north, and so by their mutuall action, a middle nature of a westerly condition will be produced, namely, water, which is between aire and earth, as the western position is betwixt the south and north. But the southern blast of its own nature is hot and moist, as is the disposition of the catholick element of aire, or else the word being sent from that qua[…]ter, would not have melted and undone the cold and drie effects of the north, as is said. Again, that the breath of the Lord which commeth out of the South, affecteth the catholick element of aire diversly, but spiritually, this Text of Abakkuk doth testifie; God comming from the south, his glory covered the heavens, and the pestilence went before his face, &c. whereby he argueth the invisible effects, namely, the corruption and infection of the aire, which this divine Spirit in his displeasure breatheth forth from the southern quarter of the world.

But when he worketh or operateth in his windy organs of the East, then they imprint upon the generall element a fiery character, and dilateth his substance into the nature and disposition of the fire, and then may it passe under the title of the Element of fire; as we have it confirmed out of many places of the holy Text, Praecepit Dominus (saith Jerom) vento calido & urenti; or, as Tremellius hath it, Paravit Eurum silentem ut percuteret sol caput Jonae, adeò ut aestuaret, & petiit animae suae ut moreretur. The Lord commanded a hot and burning wind, or a still easterly wind, to go out, that the sun might strike upon Jonas his head, that he might be enflamed with heat, insomuch as he did desire in his heart to die. And again, Ventus urens seu Eurus desiccabit fructus ejus, & rami ejus erant marcore contracti. A burning or Easterly wind shall dry up his fruits, and his boughs shall be consumed and wasted. And again, Ventus Eurus aduret spicas. And JEHOVAH saith in his anger, Percussi vos in vento urenti & in aurigine multitudinem hortorum vestrorum. Misi in vos pestem pro ratione Aegypti. I have struck you with a burning winde, and have blasted the multitude of your gardens. I have sent among you the pestilence, after the manner of that of Aegypt. Again, Postquam veniente Euro, vento IEHOV Ae à deserto ascendente exaruerit scaturigo ejus, & siccatus fuerit fons ejus. After that by Eurus, the wind of IEHOVAH comming and arising out of the desert, his spring and fountain was dryed up. And Haggaj, Percussi vos vento urente & grandine, omniae opera manuum vestrarum. I have struck you with a burning winde, & with hail, even all the works of your hands, &c. Whereby it appeareth, that at the blast of these easterly winds, the aire or catholick element becommeth burning and fiery, so that it heateth and enflameth the bodies of the creatures. On the other side, the occidentall winds are found by experience to be opposite in nature and condition unto these; for they convert the hot aire or generall element into cold and naturall visible water, being that they are the procurers of cold raines: So that we may see by this, that the formall act in each Angell of the four corners of the earth, (of which the Apocalyps doth make mention) hath an essentiall vertue imparted unto it from God, according unto his volunty, at the instant of the Angels information; and therefore in that very property, doth the angelicall creature act in the common element, or lower waters, in the which the creating Spirit properly was, when he made it, so that the common element is daily informed anew, and altered, by the formall or essentiall act of the angelicall winde, which bloweth with dominion; insomuch as if the easterly angelicall wind informeth it, then it becommeth a fiery element, for it heateth and drieth by super-excellency: If a southerly, it is changed into that element's nature, which is called aire; and if a westerly spirit hath dominion, it is converted into the temper and proportion of water: Lastly, the Northern blast transmuteth it unto the consistence and disposition of earth.

By this therefore that maine doubt, which hath so long troubled the Peripateticks and hammered in their brains, and yet hath never been rightly resolved by them unto this day, may easily be undone and taken away; namely to find out the essentiall form of the Elements. For by this true Philosophy we find it to be an Angelicall Spiracle, or essentiall blast of wind infused by the Spirit of God diversly, into the aiery or spirituall vessell, to alter and change, according unto his will, the humid passive nature out of one condition into an other: Moreover the Catholick air being diversly so animated, bringeth forth and informeth a new, after the condition of his variety of animations, a multiplicity, and multiformity of Meteors: As for example the Easterly element brings forth children like it self. As are the fiery, and light Meteors, namely Coruscations, Lightnings, Comets, and such like, according unto the nature of such Seminary influences, as shall descend from heaven at that instant. The Southerly, Vapours, Clouds, Lightning, with Thunders, The Westerly, Cold raines, and as it were Snowy resolutions. The Northenly, Frost, Snow, Ice, & Hail.

But I know that this wil be objected against me, What then will you make of the Earth, and Seas? Are not these distinct Elements which have been from the beginning? I answer, that if they listen unto St Peters doctrine, he teacheth that the Earth was of waters, and therefore the waters were before the Earth; and again the heavens were made before the Earth, as Moses sheweth, and therefore the Earth appeareth to be the Foeces or the grosser part of the lower waters, and the visible water the grosser part of the Ayre. For doth not the Apostle Paul tell us in the Text before mentioned, that things visible were first of things invisib[…]e? The change therefore of all things visible or invisible, are effected by the Condensing or contracting faculty, and property in the all-acting spirit: And the reducing of them againe from a visible estate unto an invisible, is caused by the Rarifying or dilating act of the self same Spirit in essence, but differing in property: And therefore as air was changed into water, and water into Earth, by the degrees of Cold; so also is Earth changed insensibly into water, and water into Ayre, by the severall degrees of heat: for if this were not, how is it possible that so many waters falling from the Clouds, should not more and more augment the Seas, and diminish the Ayre? or why should so much Earthen Coals, and whole mountaines of wood, that are burnt not make the earth lesse in Consistence, if there were not an hourly supply, and transmutation of Ayre into water, and from water into Earth; which though this divine nature doth effect, secretly and insensibly, yet by effect it is proved true. For when the the wood and Coal is consumed, we shall find that their terrestriall Corpulency or bodily masse, is almost resolved by fire and heat; into watry smoke and fumish ayre. But the Philosophicall axiom is, that every thing is resolved into his first matter or principle; therefore it is apparent that both the water and aery smoke, which make up the Earthly bulk of a great Oake, or mountaine of pit-Coal, was first of the invisible Ayre: Again, if these were not so, the brimstone, Stones, and dust, which, authority of the Bible and common experience teacheth to descend from heaven, being that they fall in one place or another daily, would increase the Earth more and more. But leaving these speculative proofs, I will descend unto such ocular demonstrations, as I have learned out of mine Experimentall glasse.

The Demonstration.

We find, that from the lower region of the Calender- or Weather-glasse, unto the summity or top of the head, there is nothing but a portion of the common invisible element, namely, the Aire within it: But we shall find even in this little modell of aire, strange mutations or alterations effected, by vertue of the four winds which blow in the open element; for when the hot Easterly wind doth blow, it dilateth and extendeth it self all along the neck of the Glasse, and beateth down the water unto the lowest degree, by reason of its extension, so that it approacheth unto the nature of fire; for fire is said to be nothing else, but aire extreamly dilated, though indeed it is the abundant presence of the bright form which dilateth it so; but if the South-wind bloweth, then it will not be so extreamly dilated, but it will endue the mean nature of aire, and therefore it will draw up the water by certain degrees. But if it happen, that the westerly wind have the sole domininion in the sublunary element, then will the aire in the Glasse grow thicker, and for that reason it draweth or attracteth the water higher. For cold hath a great power in the said air, whose nature is to condense and thicken.

Lastly, if the cold northern winds do govern or dispose of this universall sublunary element, then will the included aire be contracted or coarcted into a very strait room, which is argued in this, namely, because the colder the winde is, the higher will the water be elevated in the Glasse; and therefore it is made manifest, that by how much the more the aire is contracted, by so much the more it is thickened, and consequently it must be made ponderous, considering the proportion of place in which it is; for all the aire which weighed thus much in half a yard of Place, doth weigh at the least even so much in 2 inches of Space, after Contraction.

Thus you see, that in verity there is radically but one catholick sublunary Element, though by the angelicall spirit that bloweth from the four corners of the heavens, it is four-foldly informed and altered, which made the Antients to imagine in their phantasies, four distinct elements of an equall birth and beeing from all beginnings. But you see apparently by this that is said, that this position of the Peripateticks, and other sects, is false, though that it hath gotten an universall name and dominion in this world, among men as well of learning, as of the ignorant, who ground their sayings on the doctrine of the learned of this world, who are corrupted and seduced from the truth, by the Ethnick discipline. I will now expresse unto you in the last place of this book, how all generation and corruption in this world is made; and that the lowest profundity, or terminus ad quem, the motion of corruption tendeth, is but unto the simple element of nature; and then beginneth a new generation from that principle, being four-foldly altered, according unto the nature of the four winds, and therefore when the dead carcasses should live again, the Prophet said, Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and blow on these dead bones, that is inform and vivifie their Spirit with thy breath: for bones were made after a hard Northern and fixt manner, the humours after their proportion; the Westerly and Southerly property, namely flegm and blood; and lastly, the Spirit of life came from that all-vivifying fire, which Hermes calleth Splendorem Sanctum: The holy Splendor.

To conclude, I will demonstrate the mystery of the worlds Creation, by way of an Arithmeticall progression, after this manner.

[Figure]

Here we have the progression in the worlds Creation: where 1. signifieth the Unity which was before all things, which whilst it was in it self, and did not shine forth, conteined its inacting property within its potential Nolunty or Darkness, and therefore was esteemed as nothing, in regard of mans weak capacity, although that in it self, it is all in all. Then the rank 2. sheweth the actuall emanation of the in-created Light, out of the potentiall Unity, at the presence whereof the humid nature did appeare out of the dark abysse 1. 0. in the shape of waters, so that the light and waters as active and passive, are ranked next after Unity thus,

• 0. Light.
• 0. Water.
• 2.

then by the fiery Spirit of eternall love and union, those two opposit natures, are joyned together, into the nature of heaven, by a spirituall union, or composition: the which is termed by the Platonicks, the soul of the world, which the Philosophers have styled by the name of Quinta essentia, the quintessence. For we must understand, that as the 4. Elements were made after the Heavens, so also are the Heavens said to animate the Elements, no otherwise then the soul doth the body: So that this degree of Progression in the Creation standeth thus,

• 0. Light.
• 0. Aire.
• 0. Water.
• 3.

The last scale in the Progression of the worlds Creation is thus,

• 0. Fire.
• 0. Aire.
• 0. Water.
• 0. Earth.

which importeth the four-fold alteration of the catholick Element by the four Winds, which was and is effected by the Word the third day of the Creation, and this was nothing else but the generall sublunary or lower waters.

This therefore was the estate of the world in the Creation, and in this very state doth continue hitherto, and will do till it be refined by the fiery Tryall. All this the wise Hermes, hath, according unto the Tenor of Moses, described unto us exactly in these words: Erat umbra infinita in abysso, aqua insuper & spiritus tenuis intellectualis per divinam potentiam in chaos inerant: floruit autem splendor sanctus, qui sub arena & humidanatur a elementa deduxit; cumque indistincta fuissent, levia postmodum in excelsam regionem provolarunt, gravia sub arena humida resederunt: distinctis libratisque rebus, quae igneo Spiritu vehebantur, emicuit coelum septem in circulos, &c. An infinite shadow or darkness was in the abysse, moreover water and a subtil intellectuall spirit, was by the divine puissance in the Chaos: And a holy brightness or splendor did flourish, the which did reduce the Elements under the heaven, and humid nature, and as they were undistinguished, afterward that portion which was light, did fly and sore up unto the highest region; the weightier part did reside and take its place under the moist heaven. These things being thus distinguished and ballanced, which were susteined by a fiery spirit, the heavens did shine forth in seaven circles, &c. This I say, is the manner of the world's Fabrick, as also of the rotation of one Elementary nature into another; caused partly, by the absence or presence of the Spirit, riding in his chariot or Tabernacle, which is the Sun. Hence therefore proceedeth that alteration by Condensation or Rarefaction, which is observed annually in the world, but especially by the four windy Organs, or Angelicall instruments of this aeriall region, and is effected assidually by changes all the year long, as is justified by the weather-glasse's observation. And we must with diligence-observe, that these members of the worlds Fabrick do endure with incorruptibility alwaies, and shall never alter untill the last PEREAT. But the creatures which are compounded of this generall Element, and are diversly altered or informed, shall pass or begin their generation from the simple Elementary estate, which is in four, quasi à Termino à quo, unto the complement of generation, or compleat composition, namely 8. tanquam ad Terminum ad quem. And again, the corruption or resolution of that generated compound shall have its Terminum à quo, or beginning from the degree of compleat composition 8. and his Terminus ad quem; that is, the complement of resolution shall be in the common or catholick Element, which is aire, four-foldly altered in his simple nature, as shall appeare in this which followeth.