_MADAM,_
Your _Author_[1] is inquiring whether some cures of diseases may be
effected by bare co-touchings; and I am of his opinion, they may;
for co-touchings of some exterior objects may cause alterations of
some particular motions in some particular parts of matter, without
either transferring their own motions into those parts, (for that this
is impossible, I have heretofore declared) or without any corporeal
departing from their own parts of matter into them, and alterations may
be produced both in the motions and figures of the affected parts: but
these cures are not so frequent as those that are made by the entring
of medicines into the diseased parts, and either expel the malignant
matter, or rectifie the irregular and disordered motions, or strengthen
the weak, or reduce the straying, or work any other ways according to
the nature and propriety of their own substance, and the disposition of
the distempered parts: Nevertheless, those cures which are performed
exteriously, as to heal inward affects by an outward bare co-touching,
are all made by natural motions in natural substances, and not by
_Non_-beings, substancelesse Ideas, or spiritual Rays; for those that
will cure diseases by _Non_-beings, will effect little or nothing; for
a disease is corporeal or material, and so must the remedies be, there
being no cure made but by a conflict of the remedy with the disease;
and certainly, if a _non_-being fight against a being, or a corporeal
disease, I doubt it will do no great effect; for the being will be too
strong for the _non_-being: Wherefore my constant opinion is, that
all cures whatsoever, are perfected by the power of corporeal motions,
working upon the affected parts either interiously or exteriously,
either by applying external remedies to external wounds, or by curing
internal distempers, either by medicines taken internally, or by bare
external co-touchings. And such a remedy, I suppose, has been that
which your _Author_ speaks of, a stone of a certain Irish-man, which
by a meer external contact hath cured all kinds of diseases, either
by touching outwardly the affected parts, or by licking it but with
the tip of the Tongue, if the disease was Internal: But if the vertue
of the Stone was such, as your _Author_ describes, certainly, what
man soever he was that possessed such a jewel, I say, he was rather
of the nature of the Devil, then of man, that would not divulge it
to the general benefit of all mankind; and I wonder much, that your
_Author_, who otherwise pretends such extraordinary Devotion, Piety,
and Religiousness, as also Charity, _viz._ that all his works he has
written, are for the benefit of his neighbour, and to detect the errors
of the Schools meerly for the good of man, doth yet plead his cause,
saying, That _secrets, as they are most difficultly prepared, so they
ought to remain in secret forever in the possession of the Privy
Councel_, what Privy Counsels he means, I know not; but certainly some
are more difficult to be spoken to, or any thing to be obtained from,
then the preparation of a Physical Arcanum. However, a general good
or benefit ought not to be concealed or kept in privy Councels, but
to be divulged and publickly made known, that all sorts of People, of
what condition, degree, or Nation soever, might partake of the general
blessing and bounty of God. But, _Madam_, you may be sure, that many,
who pretend to know Physical secrets, most commonly know the least, as
being for the most part of the rank of them that deceive the simple
with strange tales which exceed truth; and to make themselves more
authentical, they use to rail at others, and to condemn their skill,
onely to magnifie their own: I say, many, _Madam_, as I have observed,
are of that nature, especially those, that have but a superficial
knowledg in the Art of Physick; for those that are thorowly learned,
and sufficiently practised in it, scorn to do the like; which I wish
may prosper and thrive by their skill. And so I rest,
Madam,
_Your Ladiships_
_humble Servant._
[1] In the _ch._ call'd _Butler_.