(i6^5 
and Terraqueous Globe, was made of moft fubtle Parti- 
cles.- 
4« That this way of Philofophizrng did not only pre- 
vail over one or two Provinces 5 but was difFus'd in a 
raanner. thro air Nations, who apply 'd themfelves to the 
fpeculation of Nature, tho efpecially (as 'tis believed) thro 
Vhmhia^ JEgypt, Idum£a and Arabm\ 
Upon a diligent enquiry after that knowledge of Na* = 
ture, in which the Sous oTA^^^^/J formerly xoncurr'd, no^ 
explication of Nature leems to him more favoured, none 
more true and ancient, than that which teaches that all 
concretions made from the beginning, aid all Generati- 
ons afterwards, rife from Minute Corpufcles or AtomSo 
Thefc, he fays, were . tho(e principles of Philofophizing, 
which all natural Philofophers, JEgyptia^s, Ph£mcia7is^ 
Arabians^ Hebrews^ Syrians^ Itidians^ Brittains ^niGreeh^ 
embraced from all Ancient time, and which were us'd as 
Keys for opening the fecretsof^Nature^ till about the year 
of the World ^5500. 
Nov/, he faySj tho the mofl: Ancient Sages, -both before 
and- after tha Flood, had the fame fed timents of th^ na- 
ture of things,- and. laid down the fame- Foundation of 
Philofophizing 5 yet they "gave not the fafne^^names to 
their Principles 3 for fome called the matter of all things 
to be generated, Watcrr^ others either S/i^d or D/ifi, or 
Particles^ or Atoms^ or Monads, as th.^ Pythagoreans* The 
K^ren? Technical word which is given to the principle 
of nacural things is Chink^, which d'^mnQS Sand^ and the 
Arabick word is Hmle or H////, which fignifies the y7r(l 
matter^ and allc3 Sand from haU^ which is to pour forth 
Sand^. whmcQ halon is poured forth. Nov^ trom thefe 
Hebrew and Arabick words the lEgyptlam. Syrians and 
Gw^^i- toolc thei-r word hyle, to denote, the fame, and the 
Phtenicians^ Ilm: both which words alio at firtf fignifed 
minute. Particles fevefd hke Sand. Mofes firll: caird all 
the Matter^ of which the World was made^ Heav'n and 
Earth, 
