To correct and cleanse the blood with fumitory, senna, succory, dandelion, endive, &c.

[Symbol: Virgo] Cure of hypochondriacal or windy melancholy. _3. Memb._

_Subsect. 1_ Phlebotomy, if need require.

Diet, preparatives, averters, cordials, purgers, as before, saving that they must not be so vehement.

Use of pennyroyal, wormwood, centaury sod, which alone hath cured many.

To provoke urine with aniseed, daucus, asarum, &c., and stools, if need be, by clysters and suppositories.

To respect the spleen, stomach, liver, hypochondries.

To use treacle now and then in winter.

To vomit after meals sometimes, if it be inveterate.

_Subsect. 2._ To expel wind.

Inwardly Taken, Simples, Roots, Galanga, gentian, enula, angelica, calamus aromaticus, zedoary, china, condite ginger, &c.

Herbs, Pennyroyal, rue, calamint, bay leaves, and berries, scordium, bethany, lavender, camomile, centaury, wormwood, c.u.min, broom, orange pills.

Spices, Saffron, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, pepper, musk, zedoary with wine, &c.

Seeds, Aniseed, fennel-seed, ammi, cary, c.u.min, nettle, bays, parsley, grana paradisi.

or Compounds, as Dianisum, diagalanga, diaciminum, diacalaminthes, electuarium de baccis lauri, benedicta laxativa, &c. pulvia carminativus, and pulvis descrip. Antidotario Florentine, aromatic.u.m, rosatum, Mithridate.

or Outwardly used, as cupping-gla.s.ses to the hypochonries without scarification, oil of camomile, rue, aniseed, their decoctions, &c.

THE SECOND PARt.i.tION.

THE CURE OF MELANCHOLY.

THE FIRST SECTION, MEMBER, SUBSECTION.

_Unlawful Cures rejected_.

Inveterate Melancholy, howsoever it may seem to be a continuate, inexorable disease, hard to be cured, accompanying them to their graves, most part, as [2789]Monta.n.u.s observes, yet many times it may be helped, even that which is most violent, or at least, according to the same [2790]author, "it may be mitigated and much eased." _Nil desperandum._ It may be hard to cure, but not impossible for him that is most grievously affected, if he but willing to be helped.

Upon this good hope I will proceed, using the same method in the cure, which I have formerly used in the rehearsing of the causes; first general, then particular; and those according to their several species. Of these cures some be lawful, some again unlawful, which though frequent, familiar, and often used, yet justly censured, and to be controverted. As first, whether by these diabolical means, which are commonly practised by the devil and his ministers, sorcerers, witches, magicians, &c., by spells, cabilistical words, charms, characters, images, amulets, ligatures, philters, incantations, &c., this disease and the like may be cured? and if they may, whether it be lawful to make use of them, those magnetical cures, or for our good to seek after such means in any case? The first, whether they can do any such cures, is questioned amongst many writers, some affirming, some denying. Valesius, _cont. med. lib. 5. cap. 6. Malleus Maleficar_, Heurnius, _lib. 3. pract. med. cap. 28._ Caelius _lib. 16. c.

16._ Delrio _Tom. 3._ Wierus _lib. 2. de praestig. daem._ Libanius Lavater _de spect. part. 2. cap. 7._ Holbrenner the Lutheran in Pistorium, Polydore Virg. _l. 1. de prodig._ Tandlerus, Lemnius, (Hippocrates and Avicenna amongst the rest) deny that spirits or devils have any power over us, and refer all with Pomponatius of Padua to natural causes and humours. Of the other opinion are Bodinus _Daemonamantiae, lib. 3, cap. 2._ Arnoldus, Marcellus Empyricus, I. Pistorius, Paracelsus _Apodix. Magic._ Agrippa _lib. 2. de occult. Philos. cap. 36. 69. 71. 72. et l. 3, c. 23, et 10._ Marcilius Ficinus _de vit. coelit. compar. cap. 13. 15. 18. 21. &c._ Galeottus _de promiscua doct. cap. 24._ Jovia.n.u.s Ponta.n.u.s _Tom. 2. Plin.

lib. 28, c. 2._ Strabo, _lib. 15._ Geog. Leo Suavius: Goclenius _de ung.

armar._ Oswoldus Crollius, Ernestus Burgravius, Dr. Flud, &c. Cardan _de subt._ brings many proofs out of Ars Notoria, and Solomon's decayed works, old Hermes, Artefius, Costaben Luca, Picatrix, &c. that such cures may be done. They can make fire it shall not burn, fetch back thieves or stolen goods, show their absent faces in a gla.s.s, make serpents lie still, stanch blood, salve gouts, epilepsies, biting of mad dogs, toothache, melancholy, _et omnia mundi mala_, make men immortal, young again as the [2791]Spanish marquis is said to have done by one of his slaves, and some, which jugglers in [2792]China maintain still (as Tragaltius writes) that they can do by their extraordinary skill in physic, and some of our modern chemists by their strange limbecks, by their spells, philosopher's stones and charms.

[2793]"Many doubt," saith Nicholas Taurellus, "whether the devil can cure such diseases he hath not made, and some flatly deny it, howsoever common experience confirms to our astonishment, that magicians can work such feats, and that the devil without impediment can penetrate through all the parts of our bodies, and cure such maladies by means to us unknown." Daneus in his tract _de Sortiariis_ subscribes to this of Taurellus; Erastus _de lamiis_, maintaineth as much, and so do most divines, out of their excellent knowledge and long experience they can commit [2794]_agentes c.u.m patientibus, colligere semina rerum, eaque materiae applicare_, as Austin infers _de Civ. Dei et de Trinit. lib. 3. cap. 7. et 8._ they can work stupendous and admirable conclusions; we see the effects only, but not the causes of them. Nothing so familiar as to hear of such cures. Sorcerers are too common; cunning men, wizards, and white-witches, as they call them, in every village, which if they be sought unto, will help almost all infirmities of body and mind, _Servatores_ in Latin, and they have commonly St. Catherine's wheel printed in the roof of their mouth, or in some other part about them, _resistunt incantatorum praestigiis_ ([2795]Boissardus writes) _morbos a sagis motos propulsant_ &c., that to doubt of it any longer, [2796]"or not to believe, were to run into that other sceptical extreme of incredulity," saith Taurellus. Leo Suavius in his comment upon Paracelsus seems to make it an art, which ought to be approved; Pistorius and others stiffly maintain the use of charms, words, characters, &c. _Ars vera est, sed pauci artifices reperiuntur_; the art is true, but there be but a few that have skill in it. Marcellius Donatus _lib. 2. de hist, mir.

cap. 1._ proves out of Josephus' eight books of antiquities, that [2797]"Solomon so cured all the diseases of the mind by spells, charms, and drove away devils, and that Eleazer did as much before Vespasian." Langius in his _med. epist._ holds Jupiter Menecrates, that did so many stupendous cures in his time, to have used this art, and that he was no other than a magician. Many famous cures are daily done in this kind, the devil is an expert physician, as G.o.delman calls him, _lib. 1. cap. 18._ and G.o.d permits oftentimes these witches and magicians to produce such effects, as Lavater _cap. 3. lib. 8. part. 3. cap. 1._ Polid. Virg. _lib. 1. de prodigiis_, Delrio and others admit. Such cures may be done, and as Paracels. _Tom. 4.

de morb. ament._ stiffly maintains, [2798]"they cannot otherwise be cured but by spells, seals, and spiritual physic." [2799]Arnoldus, _lib. de sigillis_, sets down the making of them, so doth Rulandus and many others.

_Hoc posito_, they can effect such cures, the main question is, whether it be lawful in a desperate case to crave their help, or ask a wizard's advice. 'Tis a common practice of some men to go first to a witch, and then to a physician, if one cannot the other shall, _Flectere si nequeant superos Acheronta movebunt_. [2800]"It matters not," saith Paracelsus, "whether it be G.o.d or the devil, angels, or unclean spirits cure him, so that he be eased." If a man fall into a ditch, as he prosecutes it, what matter is it whether a friend or an enemy help him out? and if I be troubled with such a malady, what care I whether the devil himself, or any of his ministers by G.o.d's permission, redeem me? He calls a [2801]

magician, G.o.d's minister and his vicar, applying that of _vos estis dii_ profanely to them, for which he is lashed by T. Erastus _part. 1. fol. 45._ And elsewhere he encourageth his patients to have a good faith, [2802] "a strong imagination, and they shall find the effects: let divines say to the contrary what they will." He proves and contends that many diseases cannot otherwise be cured. _Incantatione orti incantatione curari debent_; if they be caused by incantation, [2803]they must be cured by incantation.

Constantinus _lib. 4._ approves of such remedies: Bartolus the lawyer, Peter Aerodius _rerum Judic. lib. 3. t.i.t. 7._ Salicetus G.o.defridus, with others of that sect, allow of them; _modo sint ad sanitatem quae a magis fiunt, secus non_, so they be for the parties good, or not at all. But these men are confuted by Remigius, Bodinus, _daem. lib. 3. cap 2._ G.o.delma.n.u.s _lib. 1. cap. 8_, Wierus, Delrio _lib. 6. quaest. 2. tom. 3.

mag. inquis._ Erastus _de Lamiis_; all our [2804]divines, schoolmen, and such as write cases of conscience are against it, the scripture itself absolutely forbids it as a mortal sin, Levit. cap. xviii. xix. xx. Deut.

xviii. &c. Rom. viii. 19. "Evil is not to be done, that good may come of it." Much better it were for such patients that are so troubled, to endure a little misery in this life, than to hazard their souls' health for ever, and as Delrio counselleth, [2805]"much better die, than be so cured." Some take upon them to expel devils by natural remedies, and magical exorcisms, which they seem to approve out of the practice of the primitive church, as that above cited of Josephus, Eleazer, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Austin.

Eusebius makes mention of such, and magic itself hath been publicly professed in some universities, as of old in Salamanca in Spain, and Krakow in Poland: but condemned anno 1318, by the chancellor and university of [2806]Paris. Our pontifical writers retain many of these adjurations and forms of exorcisms still in the church; besides those in baptism used, they exorcise meats, and such as are possessed, as they hold, in Christ's name.

Read Hieron. Mengus _cap. 3._ Pet. Tyreus, _part. 3. cap. 8._ What exorcisms they prescribe, besides those ordinary means of [2807]"fire suffumigations, lights, cutting the air with swords," _cap. 57._ herbs, odours: of which Tostatus treats, _2. Reg. cap. 16. quaest. 43_, you shall find many vain and frivolous superst.i.tious forms of exorcisms among them, not to be tolerated, or endured.

MEMB. II.

_Lawful Cures, first from G.o.d_.

Being so clearly evinced, as it is, all unlawful cures are to be refused, it remains to treat of such as are to be admitted, and those are commonly such which G.o.d hath appointed, [2808]by virtue of stones, herbs, plants, meats, and the like, which are prepared and applied to our use, by art and industry of physicians, who are the dispensers of such treasures for our good, and to be [2809]"honoured for necessities' sake," G.o.d's intermediate ministers, to whom in our infirmities we are to seek for help. Yet not so that we rely too much, or wholly upon them: _a Jove principium_, we must first begin with [2810]prayer, and then use physic; not one without the other, but both together. To pray alone, and reject ordinary means, is to do like him in Aesop, that when his cart was stalled, lay flat on his back, and cried aloud help Hercules, but that was to little purpose, except as his friend advised him, _rotis tute ipse annitaris_, he whipped his horses withal, and put his shoulder to the wheel. G.o.d works by means, as Christ cured the blind man with clay and spittle: _Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano_. As we must pray for health of body and mind, so we must use our utmost endeavours to preserve and continue it. Some kind of devils are not cast out but by fasting and prayer, and both necessarily required, not one without the other. For all the physic we can use, art, excellent industry, is to no purpose without calling upon G.o.d, _nil juvat immensos Cratero promittere montes_: it is in vain to seek for help, run, ride, except G.o.d bless us.

[2811] ------"non Siculi dapes Dulcem elaborabunt saporem.

Non animum cytheraeve cantus."

[2812] "Non domus et fundus, non aeris acervus et auri Aegroto possunt domino deducere febres."

[2813] "With house, with land, with money, and with gold, The master's fever will not be controll'd."

We must use our prayer and physic both together: and so no doubt but our prayers will be available, and our physic take effect. 'Tis that Hezekiah practised, 2 King. xx. Luke the Evangelist: and which we are enjoined, Coloss. iv. not the patient only, but the physician himself. Hippocrates, a heathen, required this in a good pract.i.tioner, and so did Galen, _lib. de Plat. et Hipp. dog. lib. 9. cap. 15._ and in that tract of his, _an mores sequantur temp. cor. ca. 11._. 'tis a rule which he doth inculcate, [2814]

and many others. Hyperius in his first book _de sacr. script. lect._ speaking of that happiness and good success which all physicians desire and hope for in their cures, [2815]"tells them that it is not to be expected, except with a true faith they call upon G.o.d, and teach their patients to do the like." The council of Lateran, _Canon 22._ decreed they should do so: the fathers of the church have still advised as much: whatsoever thou takest in hand (saith [2816]Gregory) "let G.o.d be of thy counsel, consult with him; that healeth those that are broken in heart, (Psal. cxlvii. 3.) and bindeth up their sores." Otherwise as the prophet Jeremiah, cap. xlvi.

11. denounced to Egypt, In vain shalt thou use many medicines, for thou shalt have no health. It is the same counsel which [2817]Comineus that politic historiographer gives to all Christian princes, upon occasion of that unhappy overthrow of Charles Duke of Burgundy, by means of which he was extremely melancholy, and sick to death: insomuch that neither physic nor persuasion could do him any good, perceiving his preposterous error belike, adviseth all great men in such cases, [2818]"to pray first to G.o.d with all submission and penitency, to confess their sins, and then to use physic." The very same fault it was, which the prophet reprehends in Asa king of Judah, that he relied more on physic than on G.o.d, and by all means would have him to amend it. And 'tis a fit caution to be observed of all other sorts of men. The prophet David was so observant of this precept, that in his greatest misery and vexation of mind, he put this rule first in practice. Psal. lxxvii. 3. "When I am in heaviness, I will think on G.o.d."

Psal. lx.x.xvi. 4. "Comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee I lift up my soul:" and verse 7. "In the day of trouble will I call upon thee, for thou hearest me." Psal. liv. 1. "Save me, O G.o.d, by thy name," &c. Psal.

lx.x.xii. Psal. xx. And 'tis the common practice of all good men, Psal. cvii.

13. "when their heart was humbled with heaviness, they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he delivered them from their distress." And they have found good success in so doing, as David confesseth, Psal. x.x.x. 12. "Thou hast turned my mourning into joy, thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness." Therefore he adviseth all others to do the like, Psal.

x.x.xi. 24. "All ye that trust in the Lord, be strong, and he shall establish your heart." It is reported by [2819]Suidas, speaking of Hezekiah, that there was a great book of old, of King Solomon's writing, which contained medicines for all manner of diseases, and lay open still as they came into the temple: but Hezekiah king of Jerusalem, caused it to be taken away, because it made the people secure, to neglect their duty in calling and relying upon G.o.d, out of a confidence on those remedies. [2820]Minutius that worthy consul of Rome in an oration he made to his soldiers, was much offended with them, and taxed their ignorance, that in their misery called more on him than upon G.o.d. A general fault it is all over the world, and Minutius's speech concerns us all, we rely more on physic, and seek oftener to physicians, than to G.o.d himself. As much faulty are they that prescribe, as they that ask, respecting wholly their gain, and trusting more to their ordinary receipts and medicines many times, than to him that made them. I would wish all patients in this behalf, in the midst of their melancholy, to remember that of Siracides, Ecc. i. 11. and 12. "The fear of the Lord is glory and gladness, and rejoicing. The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth gladness, and joy, and long life:" and all such as prescribe physic, to begin _in nomine Dei_, as [2821]Mesue did, to imitate Laelius a Fonte Eugubinus, that in all his consultations, still concludes with a prayer for the good success of his business; and to remember that of Creto one of their predecessors, _fuge avaritiam, et sine oratione et invocations Dei nihil facias_ avoid covetousness, and do nothing without invocation upon G.o.d.

MEMB. III.

_Whether it be lawful to seek to Saints for Aid in this Disease_.

That we must pray to G.o.d, no man doubts; but whether we should pray to saints in such cases, or whether they can do us any good, it may be lawfully controverted. Whether their images, shrines, relics, consecrated things, holy water, medals, benedictions, those divine amulets, holy exorcisms, and the sign of the cross, be available in this disease? The papists on the one side stiffly maintain how many melancholy, mad, demoniacal persons are daily cured at St. Anthony's Church in Padua, at St.

Vitus' in Germany, by our Lady of Loretto in Italy, our Lady of Sichem in the Low Countries: [2822]_Quae et caecis lumen, aegris salutem, mortuis vitam, claudis gressum reddit, omnes morbos corporis, animi, curat, et in ipsos daemones imperium exercet_; she cures halt, lame, blind, all diseases of body and mind, and commands the devil himself, saith Lipsius.

"twenty-five thousand in a day come thither," [2823]_quis nisi numen in illum loc.u.m sic induxit_; who brought them? _in auribus, in oculis omnium gesta, novae novitia_; new news lately done, our eyes and ears are full of her cures, and who can relate them all? They have a proper saint almost for every peculiar infirmity: for poison, gouts, agues, Petronella: St. Roma.n.u.s for such as are possessed; Valentine for the falling sickness; St. Vitus for madmen, &c. and as of old [2824]Pliny reckons up G.o.ds for all diseases, (_Febri fanum dicalum est_) Lilius Giraldus repeats many of her ceremonies: all affections of the mind were heretofore accounted G.o.ds, [2825]love, and sorrow, virtue, honour, liberty, contumely, impudency, had their temples, tempests, seasons, _Crepitus Ventris, dea Vacuna, dea Cloacina_, there was a G.o.ddess of idleness, a G.o.ddess of the draught, or jakes, Prema, Premunda, Priapus, bawdy G.o.ds, and G.o.ds for all [2826] offices. Varro reckons up 30,000 G.o.ds: Lucian makes Podagra the gout a G.o.ddess, and a.s.signs her priests and ministers: and melancholy comes not behind; for as Austin mentioneth, _lib. 4. de Civit. Dei, cap. 9._ there was of old _Angerona dea_, and she had her chapel and feasts, to whom (saith [2827]Macrobius) they did offer sacrifice yearly, that she might be pacified as well as the rest. 'Tis no new thing, you see this of papists; and in my judgment, that old doting Lipsius might have fitter dedicated his [2828]pen after all his labours, to this our G.o.ddess of melancholy, than to his _Virgo Halensis_, and been her chaplain, it would have become him better: but he, poor man, thought no harm in that which he did, and will not be persuaded but that he doth well, he hath so many patrons, and honourable precedents in the like kind, that justify as much, as eagerly, and more than he there saith of his lady and mistress: read but superst.i.tious Coster and Gretser's Tract _de Cruce_, Laur. Arcturus _Fanteus de Invoc. Sanct._ Bellarmine, Delrio _dis.

mag. tom. 3. l. 6. quaest. 2. sect. 3._ Greg. Tolosa.n.u.s _tom. 2. lib. 8.

cap. 24._ Syntax. Strozius Cicogna _lib. 4. cap. 9._ Tyreus, Hieronymus Mengus, and you shall find infinite examples of cures done in this kind, by holy waters, relics, crosses, exorcisms, amulets, images, consecrated beads, &c. Barradius the Jesuit boldly gives it out, that Christ's countenance, and the Virgin Mary's, would cure melancholy, if one had looked steadfastly on them. P. Morales the Spaniard in his book _de pulch.

Jes. et Mar._ confirms the same out of Carthusia.n.u.s, and I know not whom, that it was a common proverb in those days, for such as were troubled in mind to say, _eamus ad videndum filium Mariae_, let us see the son of Mary, as they now do post to St. Anthony's in Padua, or to St. Hilary's at Poitiers in France. [2829] In a closet of that church, there is at this day St. Hilary's bed to be seen, "to which they bring all the madmen in the country, and after some prayers and other ceremonies, they lay them down there to sleep, and so they recover." It is an ordinary thing in those parts, to send all their madmen to St. Hilary's cradle. They say the like of St. Tubery in [2830] another place. Giraldus Cambrensis _Itin. Camb. c.

1._ tells strange stories of St. Ciricius' staff, that would cure this and all other diseases. Others say as much (as [2831]Hospinian observes) of the three kings of Cologne; their names written in parchment, and hung about a patient's neck, with the sign of the cross, will produce like effects. Read Lippoma.n.u.s, or that golden legend of Jacobus de Voragine, you shall have infinite stories, or those new relations of our [2832]Jesuits in j.a.pan and China, of Mat. Riccius, Acosta, Loyola, Xaverius's life, &c. Jasper Belga, a Jesuit, cured a mad woman by hanging St. John's gospel about her neck, and many such. Holy water did as much in j.a.pan, &c. Nothing so familiar in their works, as such examples.

But we on the other side seek to G.o.d alone. We say with David, Psal. xlvi.

1. "G.o.d is our hope and strength, and help in trouble, ready to be found."

For their catalogue of examples, we make no other answer, but that they are false fictions, or diabolical illusions, counterfeit miracles. We cannot deny but that it is an ordinary thing on St. Anthony's day in Padua, to bring diverse madmen and demoniacal persons to be cured: yet we make a doubt whether such parties be so affected indeed, but prepared by their priests, by certain ointments and drams, to cozen the commonalty, as [2833]

Hildesheim well saith; the like is commonly practised in Bohemia as Mathiolus gives us to understand in his preface to his comment upon Dioscorides. But we need not run so far for examples in this kind, we have a just volume published at home to this purpose. [2834]"A declaration of egregious popish impostures, to withdraw the hearts of religious men under the pretence of casting out of devils, practised by Father Edmunds, alias Weston, a Jesuit, and divers Romish priests, his wicked a.s.sociates," with the several parties' names, confessions, examinations, &c. which were pretended to be possessed. But these are ordinary tricks only to get opinion and money, mere impostures. Aesculapius of old, that counterfeit G.o.d, did as many famous cures; his temple (as [2835]Strabo relates) was daily full of patients, and as many several tables, inscriptions, pendants, donories, &c. to be seen in his church, as at this day our Lady of Loretto's in Italy. It was a custom long since,

------"suspendisse potenti Vestimenta maris deo."[2836] _Hor. Od. 1. lib. 5. Od._

To do the like, in former times they were seduced and deluded as they are now. 'Tis the same devil still, called heretofore Apollo, Mars, Neptune, Venus, Aesculapius, &c. as [2837]Lactantius _lib. 2. de orig. erroris, c.

17._ observes. The same Jupiter and those bad angels are now worshipped and adored by the name of St. Sebastian, Barbara, &c. Christopher and George are come in their places. Our lady succeeds Venus (as they use her in many offices), the rest are otherwise supplied, as [2838]Lavater writes, and so they are deluded. [2839]"And G.o.d often winks at these impostures, because they forsake his word, and betake themselves to the devil, as they do that seek after holy water, crosses," &c. Wierus, _lib. 4. cap. 3._ What can these men plead for themselves more than those heathen G.o.ds, the same cures done by both, the same spirit that seduceth; but read more of the Pagan G.o.d's effects in Austin _de Civitate Dei, l. 10. cap. 6._ and of Aesculapius especially in Cicogna _l. 3. cap. 8._ or put case they could help, why should we rather seek to them, than to Christ himself, since that he so kindly invites us unto him, "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden, and I will ease you," Mat. xi. and we know that there is one G.o.d, "one Mediator between G.o.d and man, Jesus Christ," (1 Tim. ii. 5) "who gave himself a ransom for all men." We know that "we have an [2840] advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ" (1 Joh. ii. 1.) that there is no "other name under heaven, by which we can be saved, but by his," who is always ready to hear us, and sits at the right hand of G.o.d, and from [2841] whom we can have no repulse, _solus vult, solus potest, curat universos tanquam singulos, et [2842]unumquemque nostrum et solum_, we are all as one to him, he cares for us all as one, and why should we then seek to any other but to him.

MEMB. IV.

SUBSECT. I.--_Physician, Patient, Physic_.

Of those diverse gifts which our apostle Paul saith G.o.d hath bestowed on man, this of physic is not the least, but most necessary, and especially conducing to the good of mankind. Next therefore to G.o.d in all our extremities ("for of the most high cometh healing," Ecclus. x.x.xviii. 2.) we must seek to, and rely upon the Physician, [2843]who is _Ma.n.u.s Dei_, saith Hierophilus, and to whom he hath given knowledge, that he might be glorified in his wondrous works. "With such doth he heal men, and take away their pains," Ecclus. x.x.xviii. 6. 7. "when thou hast need of him, let him not go from thee. The hour may come that their enterprises may have good success," ver. 13. It is not therefore to be doubted, that if we seek a physician as we ought, we may be eased of our infirmities, such a one I mean as is sufficient, and worthily so called; for there be many mountebanks, quacksalvers, empirics, in every street almost, and in every village, that take upon them this name, make this n.o.ble and profitable art to be evil spoken of and contemned, by reason of these base and illiterate artificers: but such a physician I speak of, as is approved, learned, skilful, honest, &c., of whose duty Wecker, _Antid. cap. 2._ and _Syntax.

med._ Crato, Julius Alexandrinus _medic._ Heurnius _prax. med. lib. 3. cap.

1._ &c. treat at large. For this particular disease, him that shall take upon him to cure it, [2844]Paracelsus will have to be a magician, a chemist, a philosopher, an astrologer; Thurnesserus, Severinus the Dane, and some other of his followers, require as much: "many of them cannot be cured but by magic." [2845]Paracelsus is so stiff for those chemical medicines, that in his cures he will admit almost of no other physic, deriding in the mean time Hippocrates, Galen, and all their followers: but magic, and all such remedies I have already censured, and shall speak of chemistry [2846]elsewhere. Astrology is required by many famous physicians, by Ficinus, Crato, Fernelius; [2847]doubted of, and exploded by others: I will not take upon me to decide the controversy myself, Johannes Hossurtus, Thomas Boderius, and Maginus in the preface to his mathematical physic, shall determine for me. Many physicians explode astrology in physic (saith he), there is no use of it, _unam artem ac quasi temerarium insectantur, ac gloriam sibi ab ejus imperitia, aucupari_: but I will reprove physicians by physicians, that defend and profess it, Hippocrates, Galen, Avicen. &c., that count them butchers without it, _homicidas medicos Astrologiae ignaros_, &c. Paracelsus goes farther, and will have his physician [2848]predestinated to this man's cure, this malady; and time of cure, the scheme of each geniture inspected, gathering of herbs, of administering astrologically observed; in which Thurnesserus and some iatromathematical professors, are too superst.i.tious in my judgment. [2849]"h.e.l.lebore will help, but not alway, not given by every physician," &c. but these men are too peremptory and self-conceited as I think. But what do I do, interposing in that which is beyond my reach? A blind man cannot judge of colours, nor I peradventure of these things. Only thus much I would require, honesty in every physician, that he be not over-careless or covetous, harpy-like to make a prey of his patient; _Carnificis namque est_ (as [2850]Wecker notes) _inter ipsos cruciatus ingens precium exposcere_, as a hungry chirurgeon often produces and wire-draws his cure, so long as there is any hope of pay, _Non missura cutem, nisi plena cruoris hirudo._ [2851]Many of them, to get a fee, will give physic to every one that comes, when there is no cause, and they do so _irritare silentem morb.u.m_, as [2852]Heurnius complains, stir up a silent disease, as it often falleth out, which by good counsel, good advice alone, might have been happily composed, or by rectification of those six non-natural things otherwise cured. This is _Naturae bellum inferre_, to oppugn nature, and to make a strong body weak.