It is most certain that all Nations, even the most barbarous, have in all Ages made use of Medicines, to ease their Pains, to regain or preserve Health, the greatest among earthly Felicities; in the Absence whereof, we cannot relish any of those numerous Enjoyments, which the bountiful Creator hath plentifully bestow'd on us; so that the most sublime ancient Philosophers who excluded all other external Good from being necessary, to the well being of Man, placing Happiness only in the things whereof we cannot be depriv'd; yet out of them they excepted Health, knowing there was so near a Connexion between the Soul and Body, that the one could not be disorder'd in its Functions, but the other would be disturb'd in its Operations. Hence it is that no Part of human Knowledge can be of greater Moment than what directs to Remedies, and Means of Relief under those Infirmities to which the whole Race of Man is Heir to; so that even amongst the wisest, that Science or Art whereby those Defects we call Diseases were repair'd, was always accounted Divine; for that God is the first and chief Physician, hath been the constant Faith of all Ages, and that Physicians were accounted the Sons of Gods, was commendably asserted by _Galen_, and therefore it was truly spoken, that Medicines were the Hand of God, there meriting only such Names, as related to their divine Original; thus a certain Antidote was called [Greek: Isytheo], equal to God, another [Greek: Theodotos], given by God, another divine; several Compositions had the Inscription [Greek: Iera], or Sacred; and 'twas the common Belief among the Heathens, that so great a Knowledge in Physick came by Inspiration: And St. _Austin_ is of the same Opinion in his _Civi. Dei_, who saith, _Corporis Medicina (si altius rerum origines repetas) non invenitur unde ad homines manare potuerit, nisi a Deo_. It cannot be conceived whence Physick should come to Man but from God himself.