P R E F A C E

contemplation is carried away to that third heaven A reference to the "Empyrean" or the highest spiritual realm mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:2., the dwelling place of the blessed, and is made happy by beholding your unexplainable glory, and grows rich with spiritual wealth: Illumine, I say, O good GOD, me your servant, though unworthy, with the brightness of your light, so that without the interruption of darkness or the Devil, I may rightly and effectively know you and your creatures, for the love and merits of our Lord JESUS CHRIST your son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

Since, therefore, one must arrive at a knowledge of causes through their effects, our inquiry must begin from the things better known to us, which are of two kinds: namely, matter and form. Moreover, Moses and Saint Peter have left to us the teaching that the matter of all things is water; which we perceive by our senses to be more subtle the higher it ascends, and thicker the more it is inclined toward the center. For the earth, which is the dregs and the thicker and more deformed part of the dark waters, has visible, sensible, and dense water falling back upon its surface. Similarly, that thick and visible water has a thinner and more invisible water floating above it; the more subtle part of which, overflowing higher up, forms the sphere of fire on account of its heat and thinness, which is the portion of the waters of the lower region more subtle than all the rest. And so, without doubt, the watery mass ascends in the same proportion all the way to the summit of the upper heaven in the form of a pyramid, always sharper and thinner toward the top: Whence it is certain that the lowest water is of the same substance as the upper water, which is purely Spirit, but differs from it only in form—which form we shall demonstrate below to be the light created on the first day: inasmuch as by its more abundant presence, waters are made thinner; but by a lesser quantity, they are rendered more thick and dense. Furthermore, that the portion of light contained in the lowest heaven is of the same nature and essence as that of the upper heavens, but differs only on account of its composition; because the density of matter hinders the active disposition of the lower light, and so constricts its rays that it renders them destructive and burning, just as is seen in artificial fire The author refers to man-made fire, like a candle or furnace, as "artificial" compared to celestial light.: These things being known, will it then be impossible, through experiments and conclusions made in water both visible and invisible, and in the fiery light of the lower region of the world, to also investigate the natures of those subtle waters and the most thin light of the upper heavens, since there is no difference between them except in the proportion of corpulence? For we see that a smaller machine performs the same work as a large one, though not in the same proportion: Our thick fire makes images painted on paper move by its power; and in this way also the bright nature of the sun moves its light and ethereal body from the west to the east: Similarly, by the power of artificial fire, [matter] is driven upwards into the heights, and is tossed here and there; so that fire sent from heaven into animated bodies drives them here and there and makes them move: Finally, we perceive the sun itself, by the effect of its light, making denser things subtle; will not the faculty of elemental and artificial fire also perform this same thing? Therefore, through experiments of this kind, and from the action of the heat of the lower thick light upon the water of the same region