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<NAME>Sarah Wingo</NAME>
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<PB REF="1">
<PB N="1" REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>A LETTER TO His Worthy Friend, D.B.M. FROM Dr. <HI>CONNOR,</HI> Member of the <HI>College of Phy&s;icians</HI> &amp; <HI>Royal-Society,</HI> CONCERNING HIS <HI>Medicina Arcana de My&s;tico Corporis Humani Statu:</HI> OR, A <HI>Latin</HI> TREATISE, in which he de&s;igns to Explain the MIRACLES relating to HUMAN BODIES, by the Principles of PHYSICK.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Pre&s;ume you have not forgot a late Di&s;cour&s;e, wherein you and I were engaged in the Defence of <HI>Miracles,</HI> again&s;t the Objections of &s;ome Per&s;ons then pre&s;ent, who pretended they cou'd not conceive either the <HI>Po&s;&s;ibility,</HI> or the <HI>Man|ner</HI> of them.</P>
<P>The&s;e Objections, we looked upon as weak in them|&s;elves, and &s;eeming to imply, That either the Divine Omnipotence cou'd do nothing, but what their Facul|ties were capable to comprehend; or, that there was a nece&s;&s;ity, that, to convince Unbelievers, to confirm &s;ome Important Truth, or to bring about &s;ome other great or weighty End, it were requi&s;ite that God &s;hou'd not only do a <HI>Miracle,</HI> but al&s;o &s;hew them the <HI>Way</HI> and <HI>Manner</HI> how it was performed. We freely owned, That &s;uch Operations as are looked upon as <HI>Miracles,</HI> tho&s;e e&s;pecially recorded in Scripture, cannot be performed by the Stated Laws of Nature, but immediately by a Supream Being, for &s;ome great De&s;ign.</P>
<P>This An&s;wer, as being undeniably true, they cou'd not but admit; and tho' where the Relaters were of an Undoubted Credit and Veracity, they cou'd not but be|lieve tho&s;e Performances were Miraculous and Superna|tural; yet, for their clearer &s;atisfaction, they de&s;ired our further Thoughts concerning the <HI>Manner</HI> of &s;uch Supernatural Effects.</P>
<P>This being above my Sphere, which reaches no fur|ther then <HI>Phy&s;ick,</HI> or Nature in its ordinary Operations; wherein, however, I find matter more than &s;ufficient to employ all my Time and Thoughts, and wherein I plain|ly &s;ee the Exi&s;tence, and can never &s;ufficiently admire the con&s;tant Providence of a Deity; yet being willing to comply with their De&s;ires, I promi&s;ed I wou'd give them what &s;atisfaction I cou'd therein.</P>
<P>This, indeed, was not the fir&s;t time the very &s;ame Difficulties had been propo&s;ed in my hearing; for I had formerly di&s;cour&s;ed with others, both in this and other Countries, upon the &s;ame Subject; and had &s;ome Years ago drawn up a rude Scheme of an E&s;&s;ay towards the clearing of this Point. But if this, or the like occa&s;ion, had not put me upon reviewing this Paper, I might have never given my &s;elf, or any Body el&s;e, the Trouble of Reading it. But having thus, unwarily, engaged my &s;elf, I re&s;olved to revi&s;e this De&s;ign, and to give tho&s;e Per&s;ons a &s;ight of it. This I did accordingly, and af|terwards &s;hewed it to your &s;elf, and to &s;ome other Friends.</P>
<P>They owned the Notions I advanced, and the Ways of Explication I propo&s;ed, were new to them, and might be &s;o to others; and tho' they were not, nor cou'd be convinced, that the&s;e were the very Ways of the Divine Proceedings, in the effecting of &s;uch Opera|tions, yet they &s;eemed inclinable to imagine, that upon the&s;e Principles, Miracles, and the Operations of them, were conceivable by &s;uch as know any thing of the Na|ture and Laws of Motion.</P>
<P>This Communication of my Thoughts, gave occa&s;ion to others to di&s;cour&s;e with me about them, and to de&s;ire that if I did intend to publi&s;h them, I wou'd in the mean time, give them, at lea&s;t, the general Heads of my De|&s;ign.</P>
<P>This I was willing to have been excu&s;ed in, as having not dige&s;ted them into that order I might at la&s;t publi&s;h them in; and was willing to re&s;erve to my &s;elf a Power of making what Additions or Retrenchments I &s;hou'd afterwards think fit to make; but the Plan of the E&s;&s;ay happening not to be fully repre&s;ented, and afterwards being wor&s;e under&s;tood and commented upon; I at la&s;t re&s;olved to draw up the following Account of the Par|ticulars I therein con&s;ider.</P>
<P>I endeavour, <HI>Sir,</HI> to make it no longer a Diffi|culty, to conceive, and make evident by Rea&s;on, and the Principles of Phy&s;ick, I mean the Principles of Na|ture, all the Miracles related in Scripture, concerning Bodies, particularly the Human: I mean, &s;uppo&s;ing tho&s;e Miracles, to be true Matters of Fact, and all Matters of Fact, as well Natural, as Supernatural, to be immedi|ate Effects of a Supream Being, which mu&s;t be granted; it is as ea&s;ie to conceive the Manner how this Infinite Power may be apply'd to Bodies, to work Miracles, as
<PB N="2" REF="3">to produce the common Phoenomena of Nature. By this I hope to convince our <HI>Scepticks</HI> in Religion, the <HI>Dei&s;ts,</HI> who mu&s;t give their A&s;&s;ent, when they have the &s;ame evident Rea&s;on to conceive the Po&s;&s;ibility, and con&s;e|quently to believe the Truth of &s;uch Miracles, that are anthentically deliver'd to us, as they have to conceive that Straw can burn in a flaming Fire.</P>
<P>The Foundation I go upon, is the Structure of the Human Body, which I have often taken to pieces, by Anatomy, and re&s;olved into its E&s;&s;ential Elements, or Mi|nute Particles by Chymi&s;try; for I find it as nece&s;&s;ary to be acquainted with its Fabrick, to give an Account of the Miraculous States it is &s;uppo&s;ed to have been in Su|pernaturally, as it is to explain the Natural Effects com|monly produc'd in it: For want of a &s;ufficient In&s;ight in this Matter, &s;everal Divines of the latter Ages, have gi|ven very gro&s;s Ideas of the Miracles they have pretend|ed to explain; and in &s;everal Places where I have been, I &s;aw them, either through Ignorance, or for Intere&s;t, give out for Miracles, Phoenomen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, that were only &s;urprizing Effects of Natural Cau&s;es; which has given &s;o great an Occa&s;ion to <HI>Sceptici&s;m,</HI> and increate of <HI>De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI></P>
<P>Having laid down for my Ba&s;is, the Structure of the Human body, as far as I cou'd di&s;cover from my Sen&s;es, Anatomy, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e, Micro&s;copes, and Experiments; I pro|ceed to examine, and endeavour to explain the different ways its Natural State is &s;uppos'd to have been Superna|turally alter'd by an infinite Power: For, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ing, that the Human Body is all Matter, and that all this Matter is nothing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> an Union of Particles, with Bulk, Figure, and re&s;pective <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ation, I thought that all the alterati|on that cou'd Sup<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">naturally happen to this Bulk, Figure, or Scituation, would be conceiv'd. But before I enter upon tho&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ce Subjects, I find it fir&s;t nece&s;&s;ary to en|quire into the <HI>Cau&s;e, Nature,</HI> and <HI>Laws of Motion;</HI> becau&s;e Motion is the only true Cau&s;e of all Natural E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="5 letters">s; and the Su&s;pen&s;ions of the Laws of this Motion, are the only Cau&s;es of all Supernatural Effects, or Mira|cles. I conceive the Laws of Motion can be &s;u&s;pended three different ways, and by one or more of tho&s;e Laws of <HI>Su&s;pen&s;ion,</HI> it is as ea&s;ie to &s;olve clearly all Miracles, as it is to explain the mo&s;t evident Effects of Natural Cau&s;es, by the common Laws of Motion.</P>
<P>Though I mention, That all Miracles what&s;oever can be ea&s;ily reduc'd to &s;ome of the three Laws of Su&s;pen&s;ion of Motion, notwith&s;tanding I do not de&s;ign to &s;peak of all &s;orts of Miracles, but of &s;uch only as are mo&s;t in di&s;pute among the I earned: Yet any under&s;tand|ing Man may ea&s;ily make his Application, and re&s;olve all other Supernatural Effects into one or other of 'em. The Heads of my Di&s;cour&s;e, I think fit to lay down here in the &s;ame Order I de&s;ign to treat of 'em. <HI>(viz.)</HI></P>
<P N="1">I. <HI>Of the Nature of a Body, particularly an Organi|cal one, where the Structure and Natural State of the Hu|man Body is explain'd.</HI></P>
<P N="2">II. <HI>How many ways the Natural State of the Human Body, is &s;aid to have been Supernaturally alter'd.</HI></P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>Of the Laws of Motion, and of the three different Su|&s;pen&s;ions of the &s;ame, in order to explain all Miracles.</HI></P>
<P N="4">IV. <HI>How it can be conceived, that Water can be chan|ged into Wine.</HI></P>
<P N="5">V. <HI>How it can be conceiv'd, that a Human Body can <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Invulnerable, Immortal, and can live for ever without <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">, as after the Re&s;urrection.</HI></P>
<P N="6">VI. <HI>How a Human <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ody can be conceived to be in a Fire without <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">.</HI></P>
<P N="7">VII. <HI>How we can conceive that an Army can p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;s through the Sea without Drowning, or walk upon the Water with|out Sinking.</HI></P>
<P N="8">VIII. <HI>How it can be conceived, that a Man can have a Bloody S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eat.</HI></P>
<P N="9">IX. <HI>Of the Different Ways a Human Body can come into the Word; where is given an Account of its Genera|tion by Concour&s;e of Man and Woman.</HI></P>
<P N="10">X. <HI>How are can conceive a Human Body can be form'd o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Woman without a Man, as</HI> Chri&s;t<HI>'s.</HI></P>
<P N="11">XI. <HI>How to conceive a Human Body to be made without Man or Woman, as</HI> Adam<HI>'s.</HI></P>
<P N="12">XII. <HI>How to conceive a Human Body Dead, &s;ome Ages &s;ince, to be brought to Life again, as in the Re&s;urrection.</HI></P>
<P N="13">XIII. <HI>How many ways it cannot be conceiv'd that a Hu|man Body can be Intire and Alive in two Places at the &s;ame time.</HI></P>
<P>Becau&s;e my de&s;ign here is to explain all the Su|pernatural States that our Body is &s;uppo&s;ed to have been put into, and &s;ince its being in two Places at once, is the State the mo&s;t di&s;puted and doubted of; I thought it convenient to examine the Rea&s;ons of tho&s;e that a&s;&s;ert it capable of being in &s;everal Places at once, to &s;ee whether they are reconcileable with our Sen&s;es, and with the Nature and Structure of a Human Body, which is the chief Thing to be con&s;ider'd. I find it im|po&s;&s;ible to c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ive, that a Human Body can be in two Places at the &s;ame time, after the manner they have hi|therto de&s;cri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">'d; &s;ince <HI>the &s;ame Human Body can never be in two Places at o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> with the &s;ame Bulk, and with the &s;ame Quantity of Matter:</HI> Tho' it may be plainly con|ceived, that by a Supream Power, and in a particular manner, my Body, without, the <HI>Spirit,</HI> can be in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ire, and Alive, with the &s;ame Structure, and with the &s;ame number of Organical Parts, tho' not with their u&s;ual <HI>Dimen&s;ions,</HI> in &s;everal Places at the &s;ame time. Yet &s;ince we have no evident Proof, or Experience, that any Hu|man Body has ever been thus multiplied; and becau&s;e from conceiving the Po&s;&s;ibility of it, it is thought, Peo|ple may perhaps hereafter take occa&s;ion to draw &s;eve|ral Con&s;equences, that may be liable to dangerous Con|&s;tructions, and lead into Erroneous Speculations, I am advi&s;ed, and am willing to decline treating of this Sub|ject; having no mind to meddle with <HI>Scripture,</HI> or <HI>Reli|gion,</HI> being not my Province. Wherefore I will en|deavour only to explain tho&s;e Miracles that mo&s;t Peo|ple agree upon, &s;ubmitting my Judgment to greater Capacities. For I have no other de&s;ing in this Book, but to enquire how far we may look into, and confirm <HI>Su|pernatural Effects,</HI> relating to Bodies, by the Principles of <HI>Phy&s;ick.</HI> Yet I do not think my other Occupations will permit me to get this &s;mall Treati&s;e ready for the Pre&s;s, &s;o &s;oon as common Di&s;cour&s;e, and this notice of it, might otherwi&s;e &s;eem to intimate.</P>
<P>I cou'd not, <HI>Sir,</HI> re&s;olve you the la&s;t time we were together, what you asked me about the <HI>Anatomy:</HI> but having thought of it &s;ince, I de&s;ign not to make any more <HI>Demon&s;trations</HI> and <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;cour&s;es</HI> of <HI>Anatomy,</HI> but I intend, this Winter, to try a great many <HI>Chymical,</HI> and <HI>Anatomical</HI> Experiments, to co firm the <HI>Natural Ac|count</HI> I have had the Ocea&s;ion to give of the <HI>Structure, Functions,</HI> and <HI>Operations of the Human Body,</HI> in this City, and in both the Univer&s;ities: Becau&s;e I have a mind to lay a Foundation of Experiments (&s;ince Expe|riments are the only Foundation we can &s;urely build up|on in Phy&s;ick) for my <HI>Occonomia Animalis,</HI> which I hope to be able to publi&s;h in few Years.</P>
<P>As for what we were talking about the <HI>Account of Po|land,</HI> I have put into &s;ome order, the Memoirs I have brought with me out of that Kingdom, and I de&s;ign to publi&s;h &s;oon an <HI>Hi&s;torical Account of the Ancient and Pre|&s;ent State of</HI> Poland; with an Abridgment of the Lives, and of the mo&s;t remarkable Actions of the Kings of that Country, from the Beginning of the Monarchy, to this pre&s;ent Election. I will in&s;ert in it &s;omething relating to the Dutchy of <HI>Curland;</HI> for I do not find that there is any tolerable Account of them hitherto publi&s;hed in our Tongue. But before I expo&s;e any thing to the <HI>Pub|lick Cen&s;ure</HI> of the World, I &s;hall fir&s;t de&s;ire your <HI>Opi|nion;</HI> knowing that your <HI>good Judgment</HI> can ea&s;ily cor|rect the Over&s;ights of</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>London, Bow-&s;treet,</HI> <DATE><HI>Octob.</HI> 22. 1696.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your Faithful Friend, and Servant, <HI>B. C.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<P><HI>London:</HI> Printed for <HI>Sam. Bri&s;coe,</HI> at the Corner of <HI>Ru&s;&s;el-&s;treet, Covent-Garden,</HI> 1696.</P>
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