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THE
HISTORY
OF
Life and Death.
HISTORY
OF
Life and Death.
The Preface.
IT is an ancient ſaying and complaint, That Life is
ſhort and Art long; wherefore it behoveth us, who
make it our chiefeſt aim to perfect Arts, to take up-
on us the conſideration of Prolonging Mans Life,
G O D, the Author of all Truth and Life, proſper-
ing our Endeavors. For though the Life of Man be
nothing elſe but a maſs and accumulation of ſins and
ſorrows, and they that look for an Eternal Life ſet but
light by a Temporary: Yet the continuation of VVorks of Charity ought
not to be contemned, even by us Christians. Beſides, the beloved Diſciple
of our Lord ſurvived the other Diſciples; and many of the Fathers of the
Church, eſpecially of the holy Monks and Hermits, were long-lived:
VVhich ſhews, that this bleſsing of long life, ſo often promiſed in the Old
Law, had leſs abatement after our Saviours days then other earthly bleſs-
ings had; but to eſteem of this as the chiefeſt good, we are but too
prone. Onely the enquiry is difficult how to attain the ſame; and ſo
much the rather, becauſe it is corrupted with falſe opinions and vain re-
ports: For both thoſe things which the vulgar Phyſitians talk of, Radical
Moiſture and Natural Heat, are but meer Fictions; and the
ſhort and Art long; wherefore it behoveth us, who
make it our chiefeſt aim to perfect Arts, to take up-
on us the conſideration of Prolonging Mans Life,
G O D, the Author of all Truth and Life, proſper-
ing our Endeavors. For though the Life of Man be
nothing elſe but a maſs and accumulation of ſins and
ſorrows, and they that look for an Eternal Life ſet but
light by a Temporary: Yet the continuation of VVorks of Charity ought
not to be contemned, even by us Christians. Beſides, the beloved Diſciple
of our Lord ſurvived the other Diſciples; and many of the Fathers of the
Church, eſpecially of the holy Monks and Hermits, were long-lived:
VVhich ſhews, that this bleſsing of long life, ſo often promiſed in the Old
Law, had leſs abatement after our Saviours days then other earthly bleſs-
ings had; but to eſteem of this as the chiefeſt good, we are but too
prone. Onely the enquiry is difficult how to attain the ſame; and ſo
much the rather, becauſe it is corrupted with falſe opinions and vain re-
ports: For both thoſe things which the vulgar Phyſitians talk of, Radical
Moiſture and Natural Heat, are but meer Fictions; and the