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exemplary forms, all which must of necessity agree in the execution of the effect, and
vertue of every thing.
There is therefore a wonderfull vertue, and operation in every Hearb [herb] and Stone,
but greater in a Star, beyond which, even from the governing Intelligencies every thing
receiveth, and obtains many things for it self, especially from the Supream Cause, with
whom all things do mutually, and exactly correspond, agreeing in an harmonious consent,
as it were in Hymnes, alwaies praising the highest Maker of all things, as by the three
Children in the fiery furnace were all things called upon to praise God with singings.
Bless ye the Lord all things that grow upon the Earth, and all things which move in the
Waters, all fowls of the Heavens, Beasts, and Cattle, together with the sons of men. There
is therefore no other cause of the necessity of effects, then the connexion [connection] of
all things with the first Cause, and their correspondency with those Divine patterns, and
eternall Idea's, whence every thing hath its determinate, and particular place in the
exemplary world, from whence it lives, and receives its originall being; And every vertue
of Hearbs [herbs], Stones, Metals, Animals, Words, and Speeches, and all things that are
of God, is placed there. Now the first Cause, which is God, although he doth by
Intelligencies, and the Heavens work upon these inferiour things, doth sometimes (these
Mediums being laid aside, or their officiating being suspended) works those things
immediatly by himself, which works then are called Miracles: But whereas secondary
causes, which Plato, and others call handmaids, do by the Command, and appointment of
the first Cause, necessarily act, and are necessitated to produce their effects, if God shall
notwithstanding according to his pleasure so discharge, and suspend them, that they shall
wholly desist from the necessity of that Command, and appointment; then they are called
the greatest Miracles of God. So the fire in the Chaldeans furnace did not burn the
Children: So also the Sun at the Command of Joshua went back from its course the space
of one whole day; so also at the prayer of Hezekiah it went back ten degrees, or hours. So
when Christ was Crucified the Sun was darkened, though at full Moon: And the reasons
these operations can by no rationall discourse, no Magick, or occult, or profound Science
whatsoever be found out, or understood, but are to be learned, and inquired into by
Divine Oracles only.
Chap. xiv. Of the Spirit of the World, what it is, and how by way of
medium it unites occult Vertues to their subjects.
Democritus and Orpheus, and many Pythagorians having most diligently searched into
the vertues of Celestiall things, and natures of inferior things, said, That all things are full
of God, and not without cause: For there is nothing of such transcending vertues, which
being destitute of Divine assistance, is content with the nature of it self. Also they called
those Divine Powers which are diffused in things, Gods: which Zoroaster called Divine
allurements, Synesius Symbolicall inticements, others called them Lives, and some also
Souls, saying, that the vertues of things did depend upon these; because it is the property
of the Soul to be from one matter extended into divers things, about which it operates: So
is a man, who extends his intellect unto intelligible things, and his imagination unto
imaginable things; and this is that which they understood, when they said, viz. That the
Soul of one thing went out, and went into another thing, altering it, and hindering the
operations of it: As the Diamond hinders the operation of the Loadstone, that it cannot
attract Iron. Now seeing the Soul is the first thing that is moveable, and as they say, is
moved of it self; but the body, or the matter is of it self unable, and unfit for motion, and
doth much degenerate from the Soul, therefore they say there is need of a more excellent
Medium, viz. Such a one that may be as it were no body, but as it were a Soul, or as it
were no Soul, but as it were a body, viz. by which the soul may be joyned to the body.
Now they conceive such a medium to be the spirit of the World, viz. that which we call
the quintessence: because it is not from the four Elements, but a certain first thing, having
its being above, and besides them. There is therefore such a kind of spirit required to be,
as it were the medium, whereby Celestiall Souls are joyned to gross bodies, and bestow
upon them wonderfull gifts. This spirit is after the same manner in the body of the world,
as ours is in the body of man. For as the powers of our soul are communicated to the
members of the body by the spirit, so also the Vertue of the Soul of the World is diffused
through all things by the quintessence: For there is nothing found in the whole world, that
hath not a spark of the Vertue thereof. Yet it is more, nay most of all infused into those
things which have received, or taken in most of this spirit: Now this spirit is received or
taken in by the rayes of the Stars, so far forth as things render themselves conformable to
them. By this spirit therefore every occult property is conveyed into Hearbs [herbs],
Stones, Metals, and Animals, through the Sun, Moon, Planets, and through Stars higher
then the Planets. Now this spirit may be more advantageous to us, if any one knew how
to separate it from the Elements: or at least to use those things chiefly, which do most
abound with this spirit. For these things, in which this spirit is less drowned in a body,
and less checked by matter, do more powerfully, and perfectly act, and also more readily
generate their like: for in it are all generative, & seminary Vertues. For which cause the
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