Natural Philosophy

¹ Leaving therefore divine philosophy or natural theology (not divinity or inspired theology, which we reserve for the last of all as the haven and sabbath of all man’s contemplations) we will now proceed to natural philosophy.

Democritus said that the truth of nature lies hidden in certain deep mines and caves.

The alchemists assert that Vulcan is a second nature, and imitates Nature dexterously and compendiously, Nature working through it in time.

This is why:

• natural philosophy should be divided into the mine and the furnace
• natural philosophers should have 2 professions or occupations
  • Some are be pioneers and some smiths
  • Some dig, some refine and hammer.

This will lead to a scholastical division of natural philosophy:

Civil matters has is a wisdom of discourse and a wisdom of direction. So does natural matters.

The operative aspect should include the misapplied and abused name of “natural magic”, which in the true sense is just natural wisdom, or natural prudence. This natural magic is taken from the ancient acception, and purged from vanity and superstition.

There is an intercourse between causes and effects. And so the speculative and operative knowledges have a great connection between themselves.

Yet all true natural philosophy has a double scale or ladder, ascendent and descendent.

• It ascends from experiments to the invention of causes
• It descends from causes to the invention of new experiments

Therefore, these 2 parts must be severally considered and handled.

² Natural science or theory is divided into physic and metaphysic.

I use the word metaphysic in a differing sense from that that is received.

Aristotle made such a difference and contradiction towards all the metaphysic of antiquity. He:

• framed new words of science arbitrarily
• confounded and extinguished all ancient wisdom
  • He never named or mentioned an ancient author or opinion.
  • He merely confuted and reproved to get glory and draw followers and disciples

(3)

Philosophia prima, summary philosophy and metaphysic, has up to now been confounded as one.

It should be 2 distinct things.

For the one I have made as a parent or common ancestor to all knowledge; and the other I have now brought in as a branch or descendant of natural science.

It appeareth likewise that I have assigned to summary philosophy the common principles and axioms which are promiscuous and indifferent to several sciences; I have assigned unto it likewise the inquiry touching the operation or the relative and adventive characters of essences, as quantity, similitude, diversity, possibility, and the rest, with this distinction and provision; that they be handled as they have efficacy in nature, and not logically.

Natural theology has up to now been confused with metaphysic. I have enclosed and bounded it by itself.

This will allow metaphysic to preserve much of the conceit of antiquity.

Physic should contemplate that which is inherent in matter, and therefore transitory.

Metaphysic should contemplate that which is abstracted and fixed.

Physic should handle that which supposeth in nature only a being and moving.

Metaphysic should handle that which supposeth further in nature a reason, understanding, and platform.

But the difference, perspicuously expressed, is most familiar and sensible.

We divided general natural philosophy into:

• the inquiry of causes
• the productions of effects

We likewise subdivide the inquiry of causes:

• physic: inquires and handles the material and efficient causes
• metaphysic: this handles the formal and final causes.

(4) Physic is situated in a midpoint between natural history and metaphysic.

Natural history describes the variety of things.

Physic describes the variable or respective causes.

Metaphysic describes the fixed and constant causes.

Fire is the cause of induration, but respective to clay; fire is the cause of colliquation, but respective to wax.

But fire is no constant cause either of induration or colliquation.

So then the physical causes are but the efficient and the matter.

Physic hats 3 parts:

• 2 parts respect nature united or collected
• 1 part contemplates nature diffused or distributed.

Nature is collected either into one entire total, or else into the same principles or seeds.

So as the first doctrine is touching the contexture or configuration of things, as de mundo, de universitate rerum.

The second is the doctrine concerning the principles or originals of things.

The third is the doctrine concerning all variety and particularity of things; whether it be of the differing substances, or their differing qualities and natures; whereof there needeth no enumeration, this part being but as a gloss or paraphrase that attendeth upon the text of natural history.

Of these three I cannot report any as deficient.

In what truth or perfection they are handled, I make not now any judgment; but they are parts of knowledge not deserted by the labour of man.