N. 3 - 21 aprile 2001 - Giano Bifronte

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John Cook is said to be, in the first page of this book (London,
MDCCXXXIII), the "Author of the Anatomical and Mechanical Essay
on the Animal Oeconomy in one View, Ec.". In G.N. Cantor, "The
theological significance of ethers" (contained in Conceptions of ether -
Studies in the history of ether theories 1740-1900, Edited by G.N.
Cantor and M.J.S. Hodge, Cambridge University Press, 1981) we can
find (pp. 136-137) some information about this work, and its author:
"A more common claim concerning the significance of ether for natural
theology was hat it was the principal secondary cause by which God
governed the normal operations of the universe. For example, for John
Cook, an Essex doctor, the discovery of ether was the key referred to in
the title of his book [...] In this book he claimed that God employed
ether as the immediate cause of all motion:
'AEther is the Rudder of the Universe, or as the Rod, or whatever you
will liken it to, in the Hand of the Almighty, by which he naturally rules
and governs all material created Beings ... Now how beautiful is this
Contrivance in God'. (pp. 284-286)"
We can add since now a further quotation from Cook's book, always
connected with this same point of view (pp. 347-349):
"I will next explain, after what manner these immaterial, thinking
Beings can alter the known and stated Course of Nature , whenever
their supream Lord wills any Thing of that Nature to be effected. [...]
these Miracles, it is also my Opinion, were effected by Means of
natural Instruments [..] as, for Instance, when Iron swam upon the
Surface of the Water, it was a real Miracle to the Beholders, because
not according to the usual, constant, and stated Law of Nature; (and
that I call a Law of Nature, which is always the same, at all Times,
except upon such extraordinary Cases, which I call a Miracle.) Now,
tho' it was a real Miracle to Man beholding it, yet it was none to the
Angel who did it; for he might do this, by supporting, for that Time, the
pulsive Force of the Aether, or by suspending the Cause of Gravity,
whatever be the Cause thereof; and then the Iron would swim,
according to the Law of Nature that would follow upon such a Change".