A LETTER TO His Worthy Friend, D.B.M. FROM Dr. CONNOR, Member of the College of Physicians & Royal-Society, CONCERNING HIS Medicina Arcana de Mystico Corporis Humani Statu: OR, A Latin TREATISE, in which he designs to Explain the MIRACLES relating to HUMAN BODIES, by the Principles of PHYSIC.  
SIR,  
I Presume you have not forgot a late Discourse, wherein you and I were engaged in the Defence of Miracles, against the Objections of some Persons then present, who pretended they could not conceive either the Possibility, or the Manner of them.  
These Objections, we looked upon as weak in themselves, and seeming to imply, That either the Divine Omnipotence could do nothing, but what their Faculties were capable to comprehend; or, that there was a necessity, that, to convince Unbelievers, to confirm some Important Truth, or to bring about some other great or weighty End, it were requisite that God should not only do a Miracle, but also show them the Way and Manner how it was performed. We freely owned, That such Operations as are looked upon as Miracles, those especially recorded in Scripture, cannot be performed by the Stated Laws of Nature, but immediately by a Supreme Being, for some great Design.  
This Answer, as being undeniably true, they could not but admit; and tho' where the Relaters were of an Undoubted Credit and Veracity, they could not but believe those Performances were Miraculous and Supernatural; yet, for their clearer satisfaction, they desired our further Thoughts concerning the Manner of such Supernatural Effects.  
This being above my Sphere, which reaches no further than Physic, or Nature in its ordinary Operations; wherein, however, I find matter more than sufficient to employ all my Time and Thoughts, and wherein I plainly see the Existence, and can never sufficiently admire the constant Providence of a Deity; yet being willing to comply with their Desires, I promised I would give them what satisfaction I could therein.  
This, indeed, was not the first time the very same Difficulties had been proposed in my hearing; for I had formerly discoursed with others, both in this and other Countries, upon the same Subject; and had some Years ago drawn up a rude Scheme of an Essay towards the clearing of this Point. But if this, or the like occasion, had not put me upon reviewing this Paper, I might have never given myself, or any Body else, the Trouble of Reading it. But having thus, unwarily, engaged myself, I resolved to revise this Design, and to give those Persons a sight of it. This I did accordingly, and afterwards shown it to yourself, and to some other Friends.  
They owned the Notions I advanced, and the Ways of Explication I proposed, were new to them, and might be so to others; and tho' they were not, nor could be convinced, that these were the very Ways of the Divine Proceed, in the effecting of such Operations, yet they seemed inclinable to imagine, that upon these Principles, Miracles, and the Operations of them, were conceivable by such as know any thing of the Nature and Laws of Motion.  
This Communication of my Thoughts, gave occasion to others to discourse with me about them, and to desire that if I did intent to publish them, I would in the mean time, give them, at least, the general Heads of my Design.  
This I was willing to have been excused in, as having not digested them into that order I might at last publish them in; and was willing to reserve to myself a Power of making what Additions or Retrenchments I should afterwards think fit to make; but the Plan of the Essay happening not to be fully represented, and afterwards being worse understood and commented upon; I at last resolved to draw up the following Account of the Particulars I therein consider.  
I endeavour, Sir, to make it no longer a Difficulty, to conceive, and make evident by Reason, and the Principles of Physic, I mean the Principles of Nature, all the Miracles related in Scripture, concerning Bodies, particularly the Human: I mean, supposing those Miracles, to be true Matters of Fact, and all Matters of Fact, as well Natural, as Supernatural, to be immediate Effects of a Supreme Being, which must be granted; it is as easy to conceive the Manner how this Infinite Power may be applied to Bodies, to work Miracles, as to produce the common Phoenomena of Nature. By this I hope to convince our Sceptics in Religion, the Deists, who must give their Assent, when they have the same evident Reason to conceive the Possibility, and consequently to believe the Truth of such Miracles, that are anthentically delivered to us, as they have to conceive that Straw can burn in a flaming Fire.  
The Foundation I go upon, is the Structure of the Human Body, which I have often taken to pieces, by Anatomy, and resolved into its Essential Elements, or Minute Particles by Chemistry; for I find it as necessary to be acquainted with its Fabric, to give an Account of the Miraculous States it is supposed to have been in Supernaturally, as it is to explain the Natural Effects commonly produced in it: For want of a sufficient Insight in this Matter, several Divines of the latter Ages, have given very gross Ideas of the Miracles they have pretended to explain; and in several Places where I have been, I saw them, either through Ignorance, or for Interest, give out for Miracles, Phoenomen●, that were only surprising Effects of Natural Causes; which has given so great an Occasion to Scepticism, and increate of De●s●●.  
Having laid down for my Basis, the Structure of the Human body, as far as I could discover from my Senses, Anatomy, ●i●e, Microscopes, and Experiments; I proceed to examine, and endeavour to explain the different ways its Natural State is supposed to have been Supernaturally altered by an infinite Power: For, ●●●ing, that the Human Body is all Matter, and that all this Matter is nothing 〈◊〉 an Union of Particles, with Bulk, Figure, and respective ●●●ation, I thought that all the alteration that could Supernaturally happen to this Bulk, Figure, or Situation, would be conceived. But before I enter upon those ●●ce Subjects, I find it first necessary to inquire into the Cause, Nature, and Laws of Motion; because Motion is the only true Cause of all Natural E●●●●●s; and the Suspensions of the Laws of this Motion, are the only Causes of all Supernatural Effects, or Miracles. I conceive the Laws of Motion can be suspended three different ways, and by one or more of those Laws of Suspension, it is as easy to solve clearly all Miracles, as it is to explain the most evident Effects of Natural Causes, by the common Laws of Motion.  
Though I mention, That all Miracles whatsoever can be easily reduced to some of the three Laws of Suspension of Motion, notwithstanding I do not design to speak of all sorts of Miracles, but of such only as are most in dispute among the I earned: Yet any understanding Man may easily make his Application, and resolve all other Supernatural Effects into one or other of 'em. The Heads of my Discourse, I think fit to lay down here in the same Order I design to treat of 'em. (viz.)  
I. Of the Nature of a Body, particularly an Organical one, where the Structure and Natural State of the Human Body is explained.  
II. How many ways the Natural State of the Human Body, is said to have been Supernaturally altered.  
III. Of the Laws of Motion, and of the three different Suspensions of the same, in order to explain all Miracles.  
iv How it can be conceived, that Water can be changed into Wine.  
V How it can be conceived, that a Human Body can 〈◊〉 Invulnerable, Immortal, and can live for ever without 〈◊〉, as after the Resurrection.  
VI How a Human ●ody can be conceived to be in a Fire without 〈◊〉.  
VII. How we can conceive that an Army can p●ss through the Sea without Drowning, or walk upon the Water without Sinking.  
VIII. How it can be conceived, that a Man can have a Bloody S●eat.  
IX. Of the Different Ways a Human Body can come into the Word; where is given an Account of its Generation by Concourse of Man and Woman.  
X. How are can conceive a Human Body can be formed o● Woman without a Man, as Christ ' s.  
XI. How to conceive a Human Body to be made without Man or Woman, as Adam ' s.  
XII. How to conceive a Human Body Dead, some Ages since, to be brought to Life again, as in the Resurrection.  
XIII. How many ways it cannot be conceived that a Human Body can be Entire and Alive in two Places at the same time.  
Because my design here is to explain all the Supernatural States that our Body is supposed to have been put into, and since its being in two Places at once, is the State the most disputed and doubted of; I thought it convenient to examine the Reasons of those that assert it capable of being in several Places at once, to see whether they are reconcileable with our Senses, and with the Nature and Structure of a Human Body, which is the chief Thing to be considered. I find it impossible to c●n ●ive, that a Human Body can be in two Places at the same time, after the manner they have hitherto described; since the same Human Body can never be in two Places at o●●● with the same Bulk, and with the same Quantity of Matter: Tho' it may be plainly conceived, that by a Supreme Power, and in a particular manner, my Body, without, the Spirit, can be in●ire, and Alive, with the same Structure, and with the same number of Organical Parts, tho' not with their usual Dimensions, in several Places at the same time. Yet since we have no evident Proof, or Experience, that any Human Body has ever been thus multiplied; and because from conceiving the Possibility of it, it is thought, People may perhaps hereafter take occasion to draw several Consequences, that may be liable to dangerous Constructions, and lead into Erroneous Speculations, I am advised, and am willing to decline treating of this Subject; having no mind to meddle with Scripture, or Religion, being not my Province. Wherefore I will endeavour only to explain those Miracles that most People agree upon, submitting my Judgement to greater Capacities. For I have no other desing in this Book, but to inquire how far we may look into, and confirm Supernatural Effects, relating to Bodies, by the Principles of Physic. Yet I do not think my other Occupations will permit me to get this small Treatise ready for the Press, so soon as common Discourse, and this notice of it, might otherwise seem to intimate.  
I could not, Sir, resolve you the last time we were together, what you asked me about the Anatomy: but having thought of it since, I design not to make any more Demonstrations and discourses of Anatomy, but I intent, this Winter, to try a great many Chemical, and Anatomical Experiments, to co firm the Natural Account I have had the Oceasion to give of the Structure, Functions, and Operations of the Human Body, in this City, and in both the Universities: Because I have a mind to lay a Foundation of Experiments (since Experiments are the only Foundation we can surely build upon in Physic) for my Occonomia Animalis, which I hope to be able to publish in few Years.  
As for what we were talking about the Account of Poland, I have put into some order, the Memoirs I have brought with me out of that Kingdom, and I design to publish soon an Historical Account of the Ancient and Present State of Poland; with an Abridgement of the Lives, and of the most remarkable Actions of the Kings of that Country, from the Beginning of the Monarchy, to this present Election. I will insert in it something relating to the Duchy of Curland; for I do not find that there is any tolerable Account of them hitherto published in our Tongue. But before I expose any thing to the Public Censure of the World, I shall first desire your Opinion; knowing that your good Judgement can easily correct the Oversights of  
London, Bow-street, Octob. 22. 1696. Your Faithful Friend, and Servant, B. C.   

London: Printed for Sam. Briscoe, at the Corner of Russel-street, Covent-Garden, 1696.