The History of the Worthies of England, Part 1 · Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX. Of Writers on the Cannon and Civil Law, Physick, Chemistry, and Chirurgery.
I Sometimes wondered in my self at two things in the Primitive Church, during the time of the Apostles, First, That seing they enjoyed all things in *Acts 4. 32.common, what use they had of Lawyers, seing no Propriety, no Pleading, and such a Communion of all things gave a Writ of Ease to that Profession. And yet I find mention made of*Tit. 3. 13. Zenas the Lawyer, no Scribe of the Law, (as many amongst the Jews) but foreign an Advocate, or Barrister therein.
Secondly, I wondered what use there was of Physicians in the Church, seeing the Apostles miraculously cured all Maladies, and so (in my apprehension) gave a Supersedeas to the Practitioners in that Faculty, and yet I find honourable mention made of*Colos. 4. 14. Luke, the beloved Physician.
But since I have wondred at my wondring thereat; For that Communion of Goods was but t…mporal, for a short continuance, and topical, of a narrow compasse, practised onelyonly in Judea, or thereabouts, whilest the Churches amongst the Gentiles continued their propriety, and particularly at Rome, where Zenas had his Habitation, and had work enough, no doubt, to exercise his Profession, even amongst Christians themselves.
As for the Apostles, they had not alwayes power at their own pleasure to work Mi…acles and cure diseases in all Persons, no, nor allwayes in themselves (witnesse *2 Cor. 1. 8, and 9.sick St. Paul, receiving in himself the Sentence of Death) but as they were directed, for the glory of God, and other occasions: And therefore notwithstanding their miraculous Power, St Luke might have plenty of Practice in his Profession. Not was it probable, that God (the Authour of all Ingenuity) would by the giving of the Gospel utterly extinguish any literal Calling, which formerly had been publickly, lawfully, and needfully professed.
We have in our following Book, given in the List of some Eminent LAVVYERS, Civilians, and Cannonists, who have wrote on that Subject, though we confess them very few in Number, their Profession being lately undeservedly disgraced, though now we congratulate the probability of the Restitution thereof to its former Dignity. Sure I am, in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth, when an Embassadour was sent to Foreign PRINCES, if it were an Affair of grand importance, and more than a mere matter of magni…ent complement, some able Civilian, [as Doctor Hadden, Dale, Fletcher, &c.] was joyned in Commission with the Noble-man, imployed on that Embassie. And as the Iron Doggs bear the burthen of the fuel, while the Brasen-Andirons stand only for state, to entertain the Eyes; so the Negotiating part was loaded on the Civil …, whilest the Pomp-pageantry was discharged at the cost of the Noble-man.
Writers on Physick.
The P…ecept in the Apocrypha hath a Canonical Truth therein, Honour the Physician for necessity sake; and although King Asa justly received little benefit by them, because of his preposterous addressing himself to them, before he went to *2 Chron. 16. 12.God: and the. Woman in the Gospel (troubled with the Issue) reaped lesse ease by *Luke 8. 43.their Endeavours; because God reserved her a Subject for his own Miraculous Cure; yet in all Ages Millions have been cured by their Practice.
The Ancient Bri…tans, who went without Cloathes, may well be presumed to live without Physick; Yet, seing very Beasts know what is good for themselves (the Dear, the Cretan Dictamum, and Toad, his Antidote of plantaine) sure they had some experimental Receipts used amongst them, and left the rest to Nature, and Temperance to cure: The Saxons had those they termed Leaches, or Bloud-letters, but were little skilled in methodical practise. Under the Normans, they began in England, (and would we had ferch'd Physicians onelyonly, and not Diseases from France.) Yet three hundred years since it was no distinct Profession by it self, but practiced by men in Orders, witness *See their several Characters under their Names in our ensuing Book.Nicholas de Fernham, the chief English Physician and Bishop of Durham, Hugh of Evesham, a Physician and Cardinal, Grisant, a Physician and Pope. Yea, the word Physician, appears not in our Statutes, till the days of King Henry the eight, who incorporated their Colledge at London, since which time they have multiplied and flourished in our Nation, but never more, and more learned then in our age, wherein that Art, and especially the Anatomical part thereof is much improved, our Civil Wars perchance occasioning the latter.
We begin our Catalogue at Richardus Anglicus our first Physician, flourishing Anno 1230. and continue to Doctor Harvey, whom I may term Gulielmus Anglicus, such honour he hath done England by his worthy Writings. Thus wishing them all happy success in their Practice, I desire a custome in France, and other forreign parts, naturalized in England, where a Physician is liable to Excommunication, if visiting a Patient thrice before he acquainteth a Priest of his sickness, that so the Medicine for soul and body, may go hand in hand together.
Chimistry.
Chimistry is an ingenious Profession, as which by Art will force somewhat of worth and eminence from the dullest substance, yea the obduras'st, and hardest hearted body, cannot but shed forth a tear of precious liquor, when urged thereunto with its intreaties.
They may be termed Parcel-physicians, every day producing rare experiments, for the curing of many diseas es. bu
I must confess there occurs t few, (and of those few, fewer Modern ones) through the whole series of our Book: Yet may we be said to have extracted the spirits (I mean such as were eminent therein) of this Profession, being confident the judicious Reader, will value one Jem, before many Barly Corns, and one Drop of a true extract, before many Bottles of worthless water.
Chirurgery.
Necessary and ancient their Profession, ever since mans body was subject to enmity and casualty. For, that promise, *John 10. 39.A bone of him shall not be broken, is peculiar to Christ. As for the other, *Psal. 91. 12.To keep them in all their ways, that they dash not their foot against a stone, though it be extended to all Christians, yet it admitteth (as other temporal promises) of many exceptions according to Gods will and pleasure.
It seemeth by the Parable of the good *Luke 11. 34.Samaritan, who bound up the Passengers wounds, pouring in Oil and Wine, that in that age, ordinary persons had a general insight in Chirurgery, for their own and others use. And it is reported to the just praise of the Scotch *Buchanan Rerum Scoticarum lib. 13. sol. 138. pag. 1.Nobility, that anciently they all were very dextrous thereat, particularly it is written of James the fourth King of Scotland, Quod vulnera scientissime tractaret, He was most scilful at the handling of wounds. But we speak of Chirurgery, as it is a particular Mystery, Professed by such as make a Vocation thereof. Of whom we have inserted some (eminent for their Writings or otherwise) amongst Physicians, and that (as we hope) without any offence, seeing the healing of diseases and wounds were anciently one Calling, (as still great the Sympathy betwixt them, many diseases causing wounds, as Ulcers, as wounds occasioning diseases, as feavers,) till in process of time they were seperated, and Chirurgions only consigned to the Manual Operation. Thus wishing unto them, the three Requisits for their practise, an Eagles Eye, a Ladies Hand, ond a Lions Heart, I leave them, and proceed.