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Tranfactions, Num. 253. This is certain, that hi therto it could never be deduced from Philofophi cal Hypotheses, how it is poffible, that Spirits, Salts, Oils, Earth, and Afbes, &c. as has been fhewn in the foregoing Experiments of Van Helmont and Boyle fhould proceed from the fame Water; and which is more, how Water can be proper, by producing fo many various Smells, Tafts, and other Qualities in fach various Kinds of Plants, to caufe each of 'em nevertheless to grow up regularly and orderly, according to its own Nature.

SECT. VI. Convictions from the foregoing
Obfervations.

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Iris neceflary to fhew more fully in this Place, how far the Wisdom of our adorable Creator and Preferver exceeds the Comprehenfion of the greateft Philofophers, who unlefs irrefragable Experience had taught them all this, could never have believed, nor ever have imagined that this could have been proved from their affumed Principles. If the Parts of Water, or those that are mingled with Water, are formed by Chance only, are moved by Chance, and preferv'd by the fame; fince Chance works without any Rule, how could the growth of Plants, that has come to pass, in fo exact an Order in innumerable Places, fo many Ages, with fo much Advantage to thofe that inhabit the Earth, ever be expected, or ever be hoped for again in following Times, if every thing were not, directed and guided by an over-ruling Providence?, I know very well what is ufually affirmed upon, this Occafion; by, fome, about the Figures of, Pores in the Plants themselves; by others, about Fermentation; and by others again, about a PanSpermia, or a Difpofition of the Water, contain

ing in itself the Seeds of all Things. But it would not be difficult to fhew here, that all thefe Hypotheses, and fuch lofty Names, in which there is fo little of Truth, are much too weak in any manner to make manifeft the Ways of GoD in these Matters. And in cafe any one thinks he can deduce thefe Things, of which he is entirely ignorant (as he certainly is, of the manner how Water operates in all fuch Cases) from a natural and unknown Neceffity, one need not prove any farther, that he fpeaks without Foundation, fince there can be no Demonftration of a thing that is entirely unknown.

SEET. VII. An Experiment to fhew that Water is low changed into Earth.

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To fhew this, it is known that the Evapora tion or Exhalation of Water, as alfo the Diftillation thereof, is a continual Work performed in Nature without ceafing; at leaft, in Rivers and Seas, where the heat of the Sun is of any force; which caufes the Matre to afcend in and afapours, terwards lets it fall again in the form of Mifts, Dews, and Rains, and the like; after the fame manner as the Chymifts are wont to produce Evaporations and Diftillations with the help of Fires. Now that Water is hereby changed into Earth, has been experimentally fhewn by Mr. Boyle; of which Sir Ifaac Newton taking notice in his Book of Opticks, p. 319. ufes thefe Words; Water, by repeated Diftillations, is turned into a folid Earth, as Mr. Boyle has difcovered by Experiments: Which is likewife confirmed by that diligent Enquirer, Robert Hook, and others, as may be feen in the PhiloSophical Tranfactions; faying, That all Waters, by frequent Diftillations, are changed into a whitifh and infipid Matter, which cannot be diffolved in Water again.

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SECT. VIII. Other Experiments relating thereto,

As wonderful as this may likewife appear to fome, it may, however, be proved by this Experiment, which gives us the entire Certainty thereof.

I. Because as often as we diftil Water it afways leaves fome Earth behind it, which may render what has been faid before probable to fuch as will not have the Patience to repeat thofe Diftillations fo many times after one another.

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II. It may likewife be inferred from hence, forafmuch as every one knows that the Plants which have been already proved capable of being produced by Water only, are fubject to Putrefaction, and are finally changed certainly for the most part into Earth.

III. This feems likewife to be plain, becaufe the faid Mr. Hook fays in the before-cited place, that Sea-Water, tho cleared as much as poffible from all its Sand, yet being evaporated, does ftill leave fome behind it.

An extraordinary Account whereof was communicated to the Royal Society in England, by Dr. Robert Plot, made upon the Salt-works in Staffordfire, which may be feen in Philofoph. Tranfactions, Numb. 145 where one Mr. Collins, writing about the fame, fays, That the great Quantity of Sand proceeding from all Pickles, whether it be from the Salts of the Springs of the Sea, or from thofe that are diffolved in Common Water, was found

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which was none obferved to be contained in thofe Liquors: Forafmuch as after having been filtrated or ftrained through an eight double Holland Cloth, they did, not leave behind them the leaft Marks of Sand. Which Experiment, at the request of the faid

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Dr. Plot, having been again repeated with great Exactnefs, occafion'd fome farther Speculation, as may be seen in the faid Account.

IV, Now, that Water may likewise be turned into a folid Body by Art, is plain from the Sal Mirabile of Glauber, which, according to his Affertion, will congeal ail Liquids. And I have found Rofe-water changed thereby into fuch a hard and petrified Matter, that being fhaken about the Bottle which contained it, it burft one of the fides thereof. I have not made the Experiment upon other Liquids, having no more of the faid Salt by me; and a new Preparation of it required a little too much Attendance, to meet with the exact degree, whereby the Salt might be reduced to Powder without diffolving, which is however necef fary in this Cafe.

I fhall here add one inftance more, that occurr'd to my late Brother; who having diftill'd a Horfe's Hoof, and first feparated, by Sublimation, all the Volatile Salt from the Liquid Matter, which the Chymifts call the Spirit, was just about throwing away the Remainder that fmell'd ftrongly of Fire, and in which he could difcover no fign of any more Volatile Salt; but however, to fatisfie his Curiofity about the faid Liquid, he thought fit to Diftil it over again in Oven-Afhes, filling the whole Still with Afhes; and putting Fire under it, it yielded a very clear Liquor, which as long as the Joints were ftopt, was as fluid as Water; but upon pouring it from the Recipient into a round and thick Pint Bottle, he found, that as foon as ever it was in it, it was changed into a white, folid, and hard Subftance, like Marble, without the leaft Appearance of any Moisture or Fluidity in it; and this folid Body affumed the perfect Figure of the Glass before it, just as melted Lead is used to

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do of the Mold in which it is Cast: having viewed it many times with Amazement afterwards, whilft it retained the fame Figure and Condition for feveral Months, at laft, and by little and little (the Bottle not having been well ftopt) it returned again to a liquid Subftance, of a Smell exactly like, if not exceeding the strongeft Spirit of Hartshorn or Sal Armoniac,

I thought fit to give an account of this matter here (fince the Chymifts hold that this Liquor, when all the Volatile Salt is as far as poffible feparated from it, to be nothing but a mere Phlegm, or Water, containing perhaps a few Olea ginous Particles in it) to the end, that I might fhew how little Knowledge the greatest Enquirers have yet attained to, of the internal Structure and Difpofition of that which they call (and juftly too, according to all appearance) Water: And after how many Ways it may be proved, that the Water of which we are now fpeaking, is capable of being converted into folid Bodies; to fay nothing here about Ice, which when diffolved, is turned to Water again, and therefore does not feem to have undergone any real Change..

SECT. IX. That living Creatures, Plants, Minerals, and even Metals themfelbes are produced from Water, fbewn Experimentally.

I RECOMMEND it to the Over-weaning Naturalifts, to prove how it may be confiftent with their Hypothefes: glaise Fed: most di pain 97 bsd 10. does I. That from Water not only Plants; and from them, when treated after a Chymical manner, Spirits, Oils, Salts, and a Terreftrial Subftance or Athes are produced, but,

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II. Living

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