Preface.

—dering and harmful, so that they might pass away, be cleared from the path, and improved.
For this purpose, GOD, according to His supreme Providenceoriginal: Providenz; divine foresight and care and foresight, has specifically ordained medicinal means.
However, since these [medicinal means] are partly hidden within creationoriginal: Erschöpffung; likely a variant spelling of 'Erschaffung' (creation), or referring to the 'drawing out' of all things from the void, and just as the Tree of Life was planted in the middle of the garden—that is, within a safeguard or enclosure (for the little word Hebrew: Gan (גן), meaning a fenced garden or protected space. Gan or Garden simultaneously implies this)—
and partly because of the forbidden transgression, [the medicines] were displaced by the emergence of the burdensome propertiesoriginal: proprieteten; the inherent qualities, virtues, or natural characteristics of a substance of thistles and thorns.
Therefore, such medicines must not be taken up rashlyoriginal: temerè, but must be obtained in a proper manner, collectedoriginal: colligirt, released from their coveringoriginal: tegumento; the outer shell, husk, or 'clothing' of a substance that hides its essence, and used according to their rightful use.
For otherwise, the Tree of Life—that is, the medicine—would become a tree of death, or stinging thistles and thorns.
In this matter, [the author] has now greatly exerted himself