~) et 
‘ ‘ , S 
” : only 
: is nt 
a 
: » AR Le : 
| 198 | Natural Hiftory ; a 
| 
| 
Sa an Se ee ee 
 Butwe, thatheld firm tothe Works of God, and tothe Senfe, which 
is Gods Lamp, (Lucirna Dei Spiraculum Hominis) w ill enquire with all So. 
| briety and Severity, whether there be to be found in the Foot-fteps of Na- 
‘ture any fuch Tranfmiffion and Influx of Immateriate Virtues ; and What 
the force of Imagination is, cither upon the Body Imaginant, or uj ae 
another Body: Wherein it will be like that labor of Aercules in purging th \ 
Stable of eAugeas, to feparate from Superftitious and Magical Arts and Ob. | 
fervations, any thing that is clean and pure Natural, and not to be eithe | 
contemned or condemned. And although ‘we fhall have occafion to} 
| {peak of this in more places tien one; yet we will now make fome entranc =| 
; thereinto. 7. oa 
| 
’ 
| 901. Meo are tobe admonifhed, thatthey do not withdraw credit teil 
Pi 
Experitn Operations by Tranfmiffion of Spirits and Force of Imagination, | 
ie aa | becaufe the eftedts fail fometimes. For as in Infection and Contagion from | 
cohen Body to Body, (asthe Plague, and the like) it is moft certain, that the In- } 
| tranfmifion | fe€tion is received (many times) by the Body Paffive, but yet is by the | 
robe" Frength and good dilpofition thereof repulfed, and wrought out, before it_ 
| rmagination. be formed into a Difeafe ; fomuchmore in Impreflions from Minde to 
| Minde, orfrom Spirit to Spirit, the Impreflion taketh, but is encountred 
| and ovetcome by the Minde and Spirit, which is Paffive, before it work any 
| manifeft effect : And therefore they work moft upon weak Mindes and 
Spirits; as thofeof Women, Sick Perfons, Superititious and fearful Per_ | 
fons, Children, and young Creatures. . ‘ee 
Nefcio quis teneros oculus mibi fafcinat Agnos : ey * ‘9 4 
| The Poet fpeakethnotof Sheep, butof Lambs. As forthe weaknefs of the 
Experiments 
| Power of them upon Kings and Magiftrates, it may be afcribed (befides the 
main, which is the Protection of God over thofe that execute his place) to 
the weaknefs of the Imagination of the Imaginant ; for,it is hard fora 
Witch ora Sorcerer to put ona belief, that they can hurt fuch perfons, 
Men are tobe admonifhed onthe other fide, that they donot cafily giv | 
laceand creditto thefe operations, becaufethey fucceed many times: For } 
the canfe of this fuccefsis (oft) to be truly afcribed unto the force of Affecti- | 
onand Imagination upon the Body Agent, and then by a fecondary means it | 
may work upon adiverfe Body. As for example, Ifa man carry a Planets Seal | 
or a Ring, or fome part of a Beaft, belicving ftrongly that it will help him to | 
obtainhis Love, or tokeep him from danger of hurtin Fight, or to prevail in | 
aSute, oc. it may make him more a@tive andinduftrious; andagain, more} 
confident and perfifting, then otherwifehe would be. Now the great cffects | 
tharmay come of Induftry and Perfeverance (efpecially in civil bufinefs) who | 
knowethnot? For we fee audacity doth almoft binde and mate the weaker } 
fort of Mindes; and the {tateof Humane AGionsis fo variable; thatto try | 
things oft, and never to give over, doth wonders: Therefore itwerea mee 
fallacy and miftaking toafcribe that to the Force of Imagination upon an-] 
other Body, whichis butthe Force of Imagination upon the proper Body; 
for there is no doubt but that Imagination and ychement Affection \ 
greatly upon the Body of the Imaginant, aswe fhall fhew in due place. 
903. Men are to be admonifhed, that asthey are not tomiftake the ca 
chefe Operations, fo much lefs they are to miftake the Fact or 
and rafbly to take that for done which is not done. _ And therefore, , 
| wers wife Judges haye prefcribed and cautioned, Men may not too raf 
902 
| 
| 
| 
