not limit the penetrating action which is between magnetick bodies as I have proved in my precedent Book and will hereafter demonstrate it more at large A Progression in the foresaid Magneticall Demonstration But contrariwise if we shall attempt to apply the Aequinoctiall or Southern place of the division in the Load-stone C unto the pole A in their barks thus the one will fly from the other and be contrary unto the other for in so doing nature will be perverted and the form of the Stone disturbed Therefore this flight from one another or hatred between them ariseth from the evill position or application of natures discording in their genuine order which stir up an intestine war hatred or antipathy between the parts and cause a contrariety or distortion of spirits Application By which it appeareth that the aequinoctiall spirit of the late-living captive being turned northern or Boreal will in no wise accord with the southern nature of the yet-living adopted or borrowed flesh which is possessed by the Master as it did before but proveth antipatheticall and destructive unto it that is it warreth with a contrary property against it being that now it as fast with-draweth the beams of his spirits from the circumference unto the center namely from the flesh lent unto the Master as whilst it lived it did send them after an aequinoctiall manner forth from the center unto the circumference namely from the live fountain in the captive unto the like in the Master III. Demonstration taken from the Load-stone It is evident also that the Needle touched with the Load-stone will aspect the Load-stone at any position whilst the Load-stone is strong and lively but when the Load-stone is dead or that he have lost his vertue by the fire the property of the Needle will also dye A second Experiment confirming the foresaid Proposition Against the time that I was to read my publick Anatomy in the College I had as our custom is a certain body of one that was hanged to be anatomized at my house privately at which time I was sollicited by Mr. Kellet the Apothecary to permit a Gentlewoman who had a Scirrhous tumor in her belly to be touched and stroked with the dead man's hand because experience had taught it to be very efficacious for the abolishing of the like horrid protuberation in others as they averred The Gentlewoman with her husband and brother came unto my house and as they desired things were effected Within a while after the Apothecary with the Gentlewomans husband came to give me thanks for that courtesie assuring me that it had done his wife good and taken away the tumorous swelling Now this doth shew how the contact of this northern Mummy in the dead mans hand did cause the southerly growing and vegetating tumour which did more and more send out its beams from the center to the circumference to decrease and diminish and caused it to rot and moulder away by the centrall continuation or union of the northern spirit in the dead with that which did vegetate unnaturally in the living and that at a far distance A third Experiment to expresse the self-same effect It is evident and often approved by common people that if Warts be rubbed with a piece of fresh beef and the said beef be conveyed into a field and buried under the earth that as the beef wasteth and rotteth in the earth so will the warts languish and pine away In like manner it hath been oft observed that if a piece of bacon be rubbed on warts and afterwards be nailed on a post against the Sun as the bacon doth waste and diminish so also will the warts fade and waste away Also a dead bodies hand touching warts they will dye Whereby is evidently proved that as things are sympathetically maintained in their being that is to say in their increase or vegetation so also by an antipatheticall aspect or spirituall continuity between two remote natures after a corporall contact is made between them whereof the one is Boreall the other Southern or Aequinoctiall the one which touched will cause it to fade and vanish after the nature of the toucher So that as the northern property is an enemy unto life and southern heat so by his contact it causeth unnaturally-growing things to fade away by a like property in changing the vegetating nature of the thing touched into his decreasing contracting and mortifying nature The experimentall Glass doth teach us that the action of cold is quite contrary unto that of heat in one and the same spirit And Scripture tells us if we will not stand unto experience that the self-same word in his southern property doth undo and destroy the snow and ice which it did make in his northern condition CHAP. IV. How certain excrementitious parts taken from the inform member of the Animal and transplanted into a vegetable or growing tree hath a spirituall relation or continuity with the spirit of the sick and impotent member and consequently of the sick creature I will for the better method's cause express in the frontispice of this Chapter a Proposition as I have done in the precedent The Proposition THe magneticall force of the spirituall Mummy doth dwell and act even in the excrementitious or superfluous excrescences of any member of mans body after that they are separated from it and transplanted into some convenient magneticall vegetable or plant so that by a secret emanation from them or application unto the beam of the member from whence they were cut or derived and consequently by a continued spirituall relation which is had between them and the body or mâ—mber from whence they were extracted they are able by the magneticall plants assistance whose vegetable nature they borrow and indue to operate vegetatively upon the same defective dolorous decayed limbe or member at an unlimited distance The first Experimentall History My Mathematicall Master excellent for his knowledg in the art of Ingeniery remaining with the Cardinall St. George at Rome did assure me that if any one had a withered or consumed member as a dried arm leg or foot or such like which Physitians call An Aâ—rcphy of the limbs and if he did cut from that member be it foot or arme the nails hair and scrapings of the skin and shall pierce a Willow tree with an anger or wimble unto the pith and after that shall thrust in those pared nails cut hair c. into the hole and stop the hole close with a peg or pin made of the same wood observing withall that this action must be effected when the Moon is increasing and the good Planets in such multiplying Signs as is Gemini and Saturn who is a great drier be depressed the limbe so wasted shall by little and little re-vegetate again even as the Tree in which the excrements are closed shall daily increase grow and flourish Also he did aver unto me that I should find the self-same effect if I did put those excrements
said ordained by God for vivification and spiritual and seminal generation's cause that is to say for the nutrition of the vital and internal generative Spirits no otherwise then the liver is accustomed to suck and draw the chylous juice of the gross nutriment for the engendring and fosâ—ering of the naturall spirits which are ordained for vegetation or encreasing of the bodily parts Again after that nature hath received and drawn-in into her well-adorned and subtilly adapted still-house or laboratory I mean the heart this aereal Spirit with his concealed or occult treasure she beginneth in it to anatomise and sift or search the bowels of of this attracted aire and separating the celestiall nature or true vitall treasure of the invisible fire of life from the grosser and most inutil portion of the aire it reserveth onely the purest which is nothing but a subtile volatile salt adapted to serve as a vehicle for the divine fire of life or true vivifying Spirit in the aethereal and quintessentiall nature and then as for the selected Spirits of life she encloseth them in her large arteriall store-house called Aorta or Arteria magna the great Artery sending immediatly the more superfluous fuligions and inutil part of the aire back again the way it came by exspiration And this expulsive action is effected by the contraction of the transverse fibres of the heart and the relaxation of the straight for by this means the heart is also contracted or compressed which action of motion is called by Physitians Systole And we must understand that for the better preservation of this golden treasure of life within his arterial treasure house God in nature hath so ordered that there is a triple valve or gate like three half-moons to close it in and to keep it securely for the bodies necessity lest it should fly away by the passage it came in and therefore this three-leaved gate is fashioned after such a manner that it doth open within and is closed without so that what gets into the great Artery cannot return back again as in like manner at the mouth of the venal artery there is a double gate compacted of two valves and they do open without and shut within so that fresh aire may easily enter but the treasure included after the expulsion of the fuliginous vehicle or superfluous aire may be retained Now will I 'm few words expresse unto you the action of this heavenly Spirit After it is thus included in the arteriall trunk it is certain that it doth dilate it self through the branches or divided channells thereof over all the body For by those branches called Charotides a refined portion of it doth ascend unto the brain by those smal conduicts I say the super-celestiall part of this Chymicall extraction forasmuch as it is in dignity the most super-excellent of all the fountain of life doth challenge unto his seat and possession the noblest and loftiest region of this micro-cosmicall palace and as it were his Emperiall heaven for hither soareth the mentall beam in his rationall vehicle electing this place for its chief tabernacle or coelum coelorum yet so that the beames of his power are reflected unto every branch of his divided Arterial cabinet For this reason therefore all Physitians as well Ethnick as Christian have concluded that the voluntary humane action hath his seat in the brain being the region of the animal virtue or faculty whereas the other two actions of man namely the vitall in the heart and naturall in the liver seem to be subject unto this being that they are actiones involuntariae unvoluntary actions and this is the reason that the Brain is the seat of reason and understanding Then in the second rank that portion of the introducted Spirit which in the forge of man's nature is framed out and found fit for the action of life is convayed into those branches of the great Artery which are called Cervicales Humerariae and those which assigne life unto the region of the Chest or breast where it doth indue and take on it that impression of spirituall vivacity which belongeth unto those parts as also the Coronariae do assume unto them the internal or ideal shape of spirits belonging unto the heart and so forward touching the other Arteriall branches and their contained heavenly treasure So that this invisible spirit lurking and as it were swimming in the thin substance of the airy spirit doth not onely expanse and dilate it self to the vivifying of each member in the body but also by a contraction of it self into a spermatick cloud the which happeneth in the act of copulation through a certain magnetick virtue animated by divine love this spirit is miraculously convayed into two preparing arteriall spermatick vessells from every member but especially from the three principalls and there this celestiall Spirit full of divine fire after the Image of the radicall Archetype in whom all things were first spiritually and ideally delineated before they were in the regard of man even as the Prophet David did glory in that he had wholly received the image of the Temple described by the hand of God which afterward was put in act containeth the invisible of that humane body which shortly was to be inacted and really to be delineated and brought forth unto man's sight that is to say it did ideally possesse the shape of the inward or spiritual man as also the image of the externall or corporall man being compacted of the four Elements proceedeth from the visible sperm which issued from the two venall spermatick vessells But that this is so we have it plainly as I imagine confirmed by these words of Holy-Writ Tu possides renes meos ex quo obtegebar in utero matris meae non celata est vis mea tibi ex quo factus sum in abdito artificiosè confectus velut in imis partibus terrae Massam meam vident oculi tui in libro tuo omnia membra mea sunt scripta ex quibus diebus for mabantur cum nullum ex iis extaret Thou dost possesse my reines from the time that I was covered in my mothers womb My strength is not hid unto thee from the time that I was made and was artificially shaped as it were in the lower parts of the earth Thine eyes do behold the masse whereof I was made and all my members were described and delineated in the dayes that they were shaped or informed when none of them did visibly exist And to this purpose it is said else-where Spiritus Dei fecit me spiraculum omnipotentis vivificavit me The Spirit of the Lord made me and the breath of the Omnipotent did vivifie me That is First he reduced me into a mass of seed and afterwards did make it alive by his breathing into it And the wise-man Ut ignoras quae sit via spiritus quomodo ossa pinganturin ventre praegnantis sic nescis opera Die quia est fabricator
minerall be divided into parts the spirituall nature of these parts do alwaies tend unto Unity although these parts be divided far from one another which is an Argument that they are no continued thing in spirits and therefore one part doth directly co-operate and send out actuall beams of sympatheticall identity unto another though the bodily divided parts be absent or distant in space from one another A Demonstration to confirm this This is sufficiently proved by the ocular Demonstrations recited for the confirmation of the first member but more especially by the second Demonstration of the eighth Chapter of this present Book where I have shewed you that if a long Load-stone be divided in the middle between the two Poles that is to say about the aequinoctial line and each of these divided parts be put to flote in his small vessell or bark on the still water The influentiall spirit which is one in essence and continued between them doth desire and covet to unite the divided minerall bodies whose limbs are by a wound or Solution of continuity separated and to reduce them into the naturall estate they were in at the first and for that cause B and C whereof the one is Meridionall namely B and the other Septentrionall to wit C which were at the first continuated parts but now divided are by that unseparable Spirit which giveth life unto both the parts reunited sucked and drawn together and reduced unto the estate of their pristine continuity that is of two stones they are made one so that the portion of spirit in C draweth and attracteth the bodily B unto it and the proportion of spirit in B sucketh and inticeth C unto it For we must note that the unity of spirit doth evermore desire and effect the unity of the body in which it dwelleth for the quintessentiall or formall spirit delighteth not in the variable disposition of the airy spirit and therefore coveteth to inhabit the close specificall house or pallace which it did possesse immediatly after his discent from his celestiall starry parents This is the reason that one specifick spirit is most easy yea and rejoyceth to communicate with his like but especially one and the same spirit must needs act with and never be absent from the other and therfore when the frozen Northern and as it were congealed nature is incited and stirred up by the aequinoctiall or Southern property if it be rightly adopted and the Southern Iron 's property is touched with the Magneticall North-pole of the other they will effect attraction the better and to this purpose speaketh this Problem Problem If Magneticall bodies be divided or any part broken off from the whole each part so broken off will have his North and South And therefore each particle of Iron or of the Load stone being divided from the whole will have a Northern property and a Southern which doth manifestly confirm unto wise men's capacities that the spirit of every Specifick yea of every individuall hath a Northern and a Southern condition and consequently an attractive and dilative property and not only the spirit of the whole but also of every particular of it if it may be spoken being that the formall spirit is in all and in every part Application Yee may therefore perceive by this how possible and fezible it is that the spirit in the dead blood or weapon being transferred and as it were transplanted at a far distance in the Ointment as having a Balsome not differing from the animall nature but especially in respect of the vegetable Salt of the Uzneas in the which altogether lurke spirits which by the present application of the Southern lively and warm spirits in the wounded man guided unto it by the spirits transported or transplanted bood doth re-vivify and co-operate with the same spirit not onely in the stanching of the flowing blood but also in the healing and consolidating of the wound as shall be shewed you more amply hereafter The third Member of the Proposition is confiâ—med by these proofs Thirdly that it is not the animal's externall blood but the internall in the externall which being separated from his fountain and transplanted on another unctuous stock doth operate Magnetically from the stock on which it is planted unto the fountain or spring from whence it floweth And it is maintained thus A Demonstration to confirm this first Problem It is not any corporeall thing which floweth from the Load-stone or which penetrateth into Iron or that is poured or extracted out of the Iron being awaked by the Load-stone's power but one Load-stone disposeth another by an originall or primary Form and the Load-stone doth revoke and disposeth the Iron which is familiar unto his nature together with it self unto a formed vigour for which reason the Iron runs unto the Load-stone and doth greedily conform it self unto it each forces or vigours symphoniacally provoking Application Therefore it is a formall spirit or subtle celestiall influence which doth operate mutually from the wounded body unto the transported or transplanted blood and not the body or the blood or the aire or the oyntment in which the transported blood or bloody spirits are contained so that the excited spirits in the oyntment do apply their regard unto the beams of the exciter the north spiracle unto the southern and so a union is made between the spirits of the oyntment with the adopted blood and those of the wounded body And as we see that by the concourse in the macrocosmicall aire of the north-wind and the south both spirits are united into one form and are magnetically with their airy vehicle contracted into a clowd which containeth in it a formall fire or lightning and a watry body So the two emanations do cause a contracted aery spirit in the place of their concourse or application which doth in his contraction attract the balsamick spirit which the oyntment doth send forth even as we see in the Weather-glass that the contracted aire sucketh up with it the masse of the water and yet the aire so contracted is not for all that visible But this is further confirmed by this Problem 2 Problem Iron is allured and drawn onely by the immateriall act of form that is to say by an incorporeall proceeding the which doth act and is conceived in the iron subject as in a continuate homogeneall body And this is the reason that Iron is moved and drawn unto the Load-stone without being impedited or hindred by the interposition of dense and well-compacted bodies between them And again Iron draweth to it the Load-stone it self and the concourse unto unity is moved by a mutuall consent and vigour the which concourse is vulgarly termed Attraction Application Here we see that reference which is between the Magnet and the Mine out of which that spirit which doth animate the Magnet is drawn As for example In the forementioned Chapter the spirit of the microcosmicall Mummy is in the excrementitious
sanctus quem mittet Pater ille vos docebit omnia suggeret vobis omnia quaecunque dixero vobis The holy Spirit which my Father sendeth even he shall teach you all things whatsoever I shall say unto you Now that this spirit is that eternall wisdome which effecteth and exciteth this Rhetoricall and Oratoricall function the scriptures testifie in other places Sapientia saith Solomon aperuit os mutorum linguas infantum fecit diserias Wisdome hath opened the mouth of the dumb and hath made the tongues of children eloquent And the Sonne of Syrach Sapiens aperiet os suum in oratione The wiseman will open his mouth in an oration And again Tanquam imbres mittet eloquia Sapientia Sapientis et in oratione confitebitur Domino The wisdome of the wiseman will send forth her eloquence like a showre and in his oration or speech will confesse to the Lord. I could expresse many other examples out of holy Writ to confirme this more amply namely that all Rhetoricall eloquence is from this good spirit of wisdome but for brevities cause I will passe them over that I may proceed unto the Mechanick Arts and prove unto you that their inventions did originally proceed from the doctrine of this good Spirit though fouly commaculated by the succession of time through the scarrs of Envy and Ignorance As concerning Mechanick arts we find that the invention and shaping forth or making of Garments was derived from the instruction of this spirit Loquêris cunctis Sapientibus corde saith Jehovah to Moses quos replevi spiritu Sapientiae ut faciant vestes Aaron in quibus Sanctificatus ministret mihi Thou shalt speak unto all the wise in heart whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdome to make habilements for Aaron in the which he being sanctified may minister unto me Also all the inventions of Goldsmiths works and of the Jewellers artifice and Carpenters with the Sculpters of wood did proceed from this fountaine of knowledge and therefore Jehova saith unto Moses Ecce vocavi Beseleel implevi eum cum spiritu Dei sapientia intelligentia et Scientia in omni opere ad excogitandum quicquid fabrefieri potest ex auro argento aere marmore et Gemmis diversitate Lignorum Dedique eâ— socium Ooliab in corde omnis eruditi posui Sapientiam ut faciant cuncta quae praecepi tibi Behold I have called Beseleel and I have filled him with the spirit of God with wisdome understanding and Science in every work to invent and find out every thing that may be fashioned out of Gold Silver and Brasse of Marble pretious stones and variety of woods and I have given him for a companion Ooliab and in the heart of every wiseman I have infused wisdome that they may effect what I have commanded them By which words it is evident that the beginning of every true Mechanick Art is this spirit of God in whose only power it is to teach a man all things but this is confirmed else where more plainly Moses said unto the children of Israel Ecce vocaverit dominus Beseleel implevitque eum spiritu Dei Sapientia et intelligentia et Scientia et omni Doctrina ad excogitandum faciendum opus in auro argento aere ferro sculpendisque lapidibus opere carpentario Quicquid fabrè adinveniri potest dedit in corde ejus Ooliab quoque Ambos erudivit sapientia ut facian opera Abietarii Polymitarii ac Plumarii de hyacintho purpura coccoque bis tincto bysso texant omnia c. Behold the Lord hath called Beseleel and hath filled him with the Spirit of God with wisdom with understanding and with science or knowledge and with all manner of doctrine or skill to invent and make work in gold in silver in brasse and iron and in graving of stones and in the carpenters work of carving Whatsoever can be invented in workmanship hath he put into his heart and into that of Ooliab his companion He hath instructed both of them by wisdom to do the works belonging unto the Carpentâ—â—s art and unto embroidery and weaving and needle-work in blew silk and in purple and in scarlet and in fine linnex even to do all manner of works and subtle inventions c. Moreover by wisdom Noa fuit in Arcae structura instructus Noah was instructed in the building of the Arke And therefore the text hath it Sanavit Sapientia terram per contemptibile lignum justum gubernans Wisdom restored the earth guiding the just man by a contemptible peece of word By it the Art of Musick was revealed unto Juball For the words are Jubal fuit Pater Canentium Citharâ Organo He was the Father or beginner of playing on the Harpe and Organ And Jubal-Cain was the Inventor of iron and brass works For it is said Ipse fuit malleator faber in cuncta opera aeris ferri He was a Smith or hammerman being cunning in all works of brass and Iron Again Ada Jubal was Father of them who dwelled in Tents and Prince of Shepheards To conclude there is no true Mechanick work but had its originall from this Spirit in whom only and in nothing else is the gift of teaching all things I come now to the morall and politick Arts which do arise from this radicall Spirit All Morall Discipline also hath her root and beginning from this holy Spirit of Discipline as by the whole file of Scriptures we are taught And it was the essentiall voice of this Spirit which did teach the Christian world by the mouth of Christ Jesus to embrace and follow goodnesse and to eschew evill I will not say much therefore touching this point but will only in few words speak unto our purpose with the Wisemans mouth Sapientiâ servat semitas justitiae vias sanctorum custodiens Wisdome doth observe the paths of Justice keeping the ways of the Saints Per eam intelliges justitiam judicium aequitatem omnem semitam bonam si intraverit cor tuum consilium custodiet te Prudentia servabit te Per eam eruêris à viamala Te custodiet à muliere ex tranea By wisdome Saith Salomon thou shalt understand justice and judgement equity and every good and straight way If she shall enter into thy heart she will save and preserve thee with prudency By her thou shalt be drawn from the evill way she will preserve thee from the strange woman Also Sapientiae docet temperantiam prudentiam justitiam fortitudinem quibus utilius nihil in vita hominibus Wisdome teacheth temperance prudence justice fortitude than the which nothing is more profitable unto the life of man In another place Sapientiae est consilium aequitas prudentia fortitudo Counsell justice prudence and fortidtue is of wisdome Where is expressed the four Cardinall-vertues which are the pillars of
vaine by nature who are ignorant of God and cannot understand him that truly is by such good creatures of his which they behold nor yet can acknowledge the workman by the consideration of his works It well behoveth therefore each Christian to be wary in his reading the Ethnick Philosophy and to consider seriously before he wade too far in it or give too much credit unto it the sayings of the two foresaid Sacred Philosophers which followed the rules of the true Wisdome And again let him call to minde the precepts which the first of them I mean St. Paul did impart unto the worldy Philosophers of Athens when he espied that they did adore and worship strange and unknown Gods and how he taught them a new Philosophy and new Wisdome namely Jesus Christ which was strange doctrine unto them And therefore they said Let us heare what this babler will say that bringeth in this strange doctrine of Christ. Whereby it appeareth that the true Wisdome never sounded into their eares or dived into their hearts Let him I say observe that it was at this kind of bastard Philosophers with their Philosophy that the Apostle pointeth where he saith in the place above cited Let no man deceive you in subtility and swasibility of speech Beware of Philosophy and vaine Fâ—llacy which are according unto the traditions of men and according unto the Elements or rudiments of this world and not after Christ c. In which words he distinguisheth the false Philosophy or wisdome from the true Sapience and he seemeth to intimate that the false Philosophy is but vaine Fallacy framed after the manner of men of this world namely as at Athens it was taught that is to say with vain Fallacie subtilties and seeming more in appearance and probability then it was indeed And for that reason it filled men fuller of doubts by inquiries made through misty and foggy passages then if they had gone the plain and simple way of teaching to wit after the true image of the reall and essentiall Philosophy or rather Sophia or Wisdome which as the Wiseman telleth us is Spiritus intelligentiae Sanctus unicus simplex modestus dâ—sertus suavis perspicuus amans bonum humanus benignus stabilis certus omnem habens virtutem amicos Dei constituens in animas sanctas se transferens The holy spirit of Wisdome is unique and simple in his essence modest eloquent sweet plaine and open without ambâ—guity Loving that which is good humane benigne stable sure comprehending in it selfe all vertue and an introductor of man unto the friendship of God by transferring it self into the souls of pious and godly men Lo here we see that in condition this description of the good and true Wisdome doth exactly agree with that Wisdome whose character is described by St. James as is said before For he termeth it modest benigne peacefull suasible without envy or emulation Again as St. James saith that it is from above namely from the Father of Light So also doth Salomon express her pedigree thus Sapientia saith he est vapor virtutis Dei emanatio quaedam seu fluxus claritatis omnipotentis Dei sinceri candor seu splendor lucis aeternae speculum sine macula Majestatis Dei imago bonitatis illius Wisdome is the vapor of the vertue of God and a certaine emanation or flux of the sincere shining forth of the Omnipotent God and the brightness of the eternall light and a mirrour without spot of the Majesty of God and the image of his goodness By the which definition it is evidently discerned First that it is that Wisdome which is from above next that it is not the vaine wisdome of this world which is nothing else but a plaine fiction or empty shadow in regard of this which is only truth lastly this wisdome bringeth good fruit with it for it imparteth unto men essentiall vertue and power to act as well naturally as miraculously and therefore the Apostle saith Signa Apostolatûs mei facta sunt super vos in omni potentia in signis prodigiis virtutibus The signes of mine Apostleship are upon you in all patience in signes prodigies and virtues And again Qui tribuit vobis Spiritum operatur virtutes seu miracula in vobis Who bestoweth upon you the Spirit who worketh also virtues or miracles among you Lo here our Christian Philosophers may see how this Wisdome bringeth forth power and vertue which St. James in the before-cited place doth call good fruits for he saith that Wisdome which is from above is full of good fruits But Paul seemeth to call the Ethnick Philosophy vaine fallacy and therefore if it be vaine then it is void of good fruit and consequently there is no true fructifying Philosophy nor truly fructifyed Philosopher but that which is grounded on that true and eternal Wisdome Jesus Besides all this the true Wisdom is peaceable not ambiguous nor apt to be cavilled with or contentiously to be disputed of neither needeth it an infinity of distinctions and quiddities framed out of mans braine which rather leadeth the disciple by the multiplicity thereof into ignorance then it doth elucidate the brightness of naked truth But the false Philosophy is so full of distinctions subtil and sophisticall evasions so subject to cavills and disputations and so contentiously composed and in fine so difficill and in effect so fruitless that instead of the true and essentiall graine we find but chaff instead of truth we gather but words instead of essentiall reality we collect scarce a type or shadow of Verity in lieu of sincerity we find but vanity and in conclusion is more in appearance overmasked over for the most part with a seeming probability then indeed really to be discerned and for this cause the Apostle saith Praedicatio mea non est in persuasivis humanae sapientiae verbis sed in ostensione spiritus virtutis My preaching is not in the perswasive words of humane wisdome but by the manifestation of the Spirit and of power For this reason therefore we find in the one of the two kinds of wisdome the fruits of power vertue and miracles such as the true and divine Philosophers did produce by the Omnipotent Corner-stone I mean the true Wisdome in times past and made them manifest unto the world Whereas the other can do nothing indeed but produce cavillings dispute contentions and fallacies the fruits whereof in the conclusion is naught else but vanity It is not I but the Spirit of truth that assureth you thus much And yet now even in this later age of the world in which Satan the prince of this world which is darkness hath the upper hand this terrene wisdome or vaine Philosophy which is dawbed over with dark ignorance hath the dominion or upper hand and so by that means Christ which is the true Wisdome is daily crucified among some Christian Philosophers and buried in darkness through
the mysty and ambiguous clouds of that cavilling brabling heathenish Philosophy which they so adore and follow with their Master Aristotle as if he were another Jesus rained down from heaven to open unto mankind the treasures of the true wisdome But maâ—k a while I beseech you how the Apostle doth describe these wrangling Philosophers with their Sophisticall Philosophy and with what characters and colours he doth justly describe them Si quis aliter docet non acquiescit sanis sermonibus Domini nostri Jesu Christi saith he ei quae secundum pietatem est Doctrinae superbus est nihil sciens sed languens circa quaestiones pugnas verborum ex quibus oriuntur iuvidiae contentiones blasphemiae suspiciones mala conflictationes hominum mente corruptorum qui veritate privati sunt existimantium quaestum esse pietatem If any man teach otherwise and consenteth not unto the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and unto the doctrine which is according unto Godlinesse he is puffed up and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and contention of words whereof cometh envy strife rayling evil surmises froward disputations of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth which think that gaine is Godlinesse From such saith St. Paul unto Timothy Seperate thy self I could hartily wish that each Christian Peripatetick who spendeth his time in disputes and cavills after the Aristotelian manner and attempteth to draw out the endless bottome of truth or dive into the bowells or labyrinths of verity by subtle evasions I meane by an infinity of distinctions which doe rather distract then attract man unto the true wisdome which is but plaine and simple unity I could wish them I say to ponder this with patience and seriously to call to mind that in the Church of God and habitations or kingdoms of the true Sophia or if they please Philosophia there is no such custome as the Apostle teacheth us for this mixtion of multiform humane wisdome with the wisdome of God hath been the occasion of so many dissentions and discords as have sprung up among the Philosophers of this world whereupon every kind of this false Philosophy hath by stiffe cavillations and disputations maintained her Sect. This also hath been the occasion of errours in the Church of God as well among Christians as Turkes and Jewes For amongst us Christians it hath been the root of many Schisms and Heresies which have risen up in the re-search of one onely true God which is the eternall Unity And hereupon Convenientibus vobis in Ecclesia saith St. Paul si quis videtur esse contentiosus nos talem consuetudinem in Ecclesia non habemus If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome in the Church of God To conclude there are so many waies of deception in this our Christian world by reason of these Aristotelicall evasions and Protean Peripateticall distinctions and sophistications that the self-same thing may by them like a nose of waxe be turned and changed or altered in outward appearance which way a man list and so plain simple truth is abused and the silly man seduced The Apostle doth notably decypher or paint forth this kind of Aenigmaticall Philosophers of our Age which like glorious Thrasoes are puffed up in their own conceipts and think very well of themselves though they approach not neare the mark or Summum bonum which wise men do ayme at in these colours In novissinis diebus saith he instabunt tempora periculosa c. Erunt homines seipsos amantes cupidi elati superbâ— c. Semper dâ—scentes nunquam ad scientiam veritatis pervenientes quemadmodum autem Jamnes Mambres restiterunt Moysi ita hi resistuunt veritati homines corrupti mente reprobi circa fidem ultra non proficient insipientia enim eorum erit manifesta omnibus sicut illorum fuit Tu autem assequuntus es meam Doctrinam In the last daies shall come perilous times for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters high-minded and proud c. alwaies learning and never attaining unto the knowledge of the truth And as Jamnes and Mambres did resist Moses so do these withstand the truth being men corrupt in minde and reprobate concerning the faith But these shall prevail no longer for their foolishnesse shall be made manifest unto all men as theirs also was But thou hast fully known my doctrine c. Now his doctrine was concerning the true Philosophy whose foundation was Jesus Christ or the true wisdom and corner-stone which sustaineth all and is all in all and filleth all and acteth or operateth all in all which is contrary unto the tenour of the Ethnick doctrine seeing that it maketh an infinity of essentiall Agents in this world as Daemons Stars Elements Meteors Fire Water Cold Heat Man Beast Plant Minerall and such like the which they will have as subalternate essentiall Agents to act and operate of themselves not understanding that there is but one catholick and indivisible Agent in many mansions which doth operate by and in an infinity of organicall vehicles all in all and over all And this doctrine of theirs hath so infected our Christian Philosophers which are of their sect that they distinguish of Gods Beeing saying That he is present vertualiter and not substantialiter or essentialiter As who should say that Gods vertue can be without his essence or divided from his divinity which is indivisible and so they dream of some accidents to be in God which are distinguished from his essence Or else they distinguish and say that he operateth all principaliter and mediate as he is the first cause But say they there are an infinity of secundary causes which act and operate of themselves But I wonder if that were true how God can be said to fill all things and operate all in all if he be onely the first efficient cause and not the generall cause of all action in this world by his blessed Spirit which he sent out into the world to do the will of him that sent it as well in heaven as in earth What needs more words when the Apostle in plain tearms decideth this controversie in the Text before mentioned Etsi sunt saith he qui dicuntur Dij sive in coelo sive in terra siquidem sunt dij multi domini multi nobis tamen est unus Deus Pater ex quo omnia nos in â—llo unus Dominus Jesus Christus per quem omnia nos per ipsum Sed non in omnibus est haec scientia Though there be that are called Gods as well in heaven as on earth as there are many gods and many lords yet unto us there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him But every man hath not that knowledge By
seeing that in him we live move and have our being as Paul saith we should by consequence and that without all question dispute or brabling-quarrels know and understand in our selves that summum bonum which truly-wise men seek after and with Tantalus his appetite do so fervently affect Doth not the Philosophy of Christ teach us that Regnum Dei sit intra nos The Kingdome of God is within us Et quod sit in nobis omnium mirabâ—lium operator And that the worker of all marvails is within us Et quod sumus Tempâ—a Dei Spiritùs Sancti And that we are the Temples of God and the Holy Ghost and that we are the members of Christ c. Which being so why should we be at strife disputes and brables about difficulties or ambiguities of questions or why should our riper senses be battered in peeces by foolish distinctions in which are the inventions of humane or diabolicall wisdome on set purpose to immerge and drown us deeper in the abysse of multitude or profundity of ignorance when the only indeavour of truth is to conduct us through those clouds of errors in which the foolish wisdome of this world hath involved our understandings unto the fountain of Unity and Concord which is the eternall Wisdome the spirituall Christ Jesus Thus we see how contrary the Greekish wisdome is unto that of the Apostle's for as much as the Greekish Philosophy is contentious litigious full of disputes brables and emulations for which reason it is pronounced by St. James to be terrene animall diabolicall and not from above whereas contrarywise that Philosophy which is grounded on the true wisdome which is from above must be first pure then peaceable gentle easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without judging envy or hypocrisy For this cause therefore our Christian Philosopher Paul admonisheth his Schollar Timothy to eschew all profane and vaine babling and opposition of Sciences falsly so called which whilst some profess they have erred concerning the Faith All such Christians as have their Anchor-hold too firmly fastned on Aristotles Philosophy should seriously ponder this that our eminent Master St. Paul seemeth to advertise them with such fervency that the observation of this Ethnick Philosophy which consisteth in contentions questions vaine bablings and opposition of Sciences which seeme such but are not so indeed though they are called so falsely is the occasion that well-intending Christians have been deceived and have erred concerning the Faith in the true Wisdome and only verity Jesus Christ. Again saith the Apostle James The wisdome which contradicteth the Truth is not from above but terrene animal diabolicall Now I am assured that all good Christians will maintain that the fountain of Truth and Verity is the holy Bible What will our Christian followers of Aristotle say if I will prove evidently that Aristotle's doctrine doth erre from the maine grounds of holy Writ which is the treasure of Verity and consequently from that wisdome which is the Father of Light It is a common phrase among our lip-learned Sophisters to say when any contradiction is found between some axioms of Greekish Philosophy and the sacred Assertion Oh this is true in Philosophy but in Scripture it is found otherwise I say to these that if there be found any contradiction between the points of the one and that of the other there is a foul error and falshood or contradiction in the one or other and therefore the one of the two must needs issue from a terrene and diabolicall or mundan and human wisdome Now judge each good Christian whether we should rather stick unto Gods Word which is the only Truth or the affirmation of Aristotle which deriveth his wisdome from the father of lyes I mean the mundan wisdom which is for that reason termed of the Apostle diabolicall or devilish Others say that men are so deeply conversant in the secrets of nature or naturall Philolosophy that they are become Athiests and will acknowledg no God They must needs understand of the Ethnick Philosophy and not point at that of Jesus Christ for that leadeth and directeth the understanding spirit of man even unto the Throne and Majesty of the true God and perswades him to forsake the multitude of this naughty world to betake and contract it self unto that blessed union from whence his bright Spirit was originally derived A third sort of men seem to repine and storm that any man should presume to mingle naturall Philosophy with Divinity or should dare or attempt to draw any axioms or Authorities out of Scriptures to prove or maintain the Principles or causes of Philosophy averring boldly but erroniously that the Bible doth onely teach unto man what belongeth unto Salvation that is to say how we should feare God and behave our selves unto our neighbours As who should say that the holy Scriptures had indited any thing in vain And yet it is plainly found in them that all the treasure of wisdome and science doth lie hid in Christ. And it is said in another place A me discetis omnia Ye shall learn all things of me And again Spiritus Sanctus vos docebit omnia The holy Spirit will teach you all things Are we not likewise taught that all men are vain that do not know the Creator by the creatures which he hath made and the invisible God by the visible things which he hath created Besides all this man shall find therein most lively described the three principles whereby God made all things namely the dark Abysse or Chaos which they call first-matter the second matter which they term water and the first Act or light which they call their form Also the true manner of generation of Meteors of condensation and rarefaction of generation and corruption of action and passion and of all things else which can be imagined in that kind of learning which the Aristotelians call naturall is rightly and not Sophistically expressed in this true Philosophy as also every other kind either Morall or Politick with all other Sciences both liberall and Mechanick as is already prooved What was all this I say vainly set down and expressed by the Saints of God which were in their inditings or writings guided by the Holy Spirit of Truth No verily but rather we may excuse these zealous accusers without true understanding and say that they meant of intermingling the false Aristotelian wisdom with that of the Spirit of God which is onely truth for would these persons but rightly understand that Philosophia in his originall sense importeth sophiam or wisdom they would acknowledge and confesse that the true and essentiall philosophy or sophia is nothing else but the sacred wisdom or holy spirit of discipline which is the ground of not onely that which animal men of this world tearm Naturall Philosophy but also of the whole subject of Theology So that if we consider the case rightly we shall plainly perceive
in natura causae proferri pâ—ssiâ—t tamen prodest videre quousque humanaratio progredi pâ—ssit Sacrae quidem literae dicut Deum ventos producere de thesauris suis unâ—â— ipsorum â—latus and 〈◊〉 sed unde venâ—um aut quo vadunt nescimus Although the whole disputation concerning the Winds as also touching the other 〈◊〉 be full of the marvells of God of the cause whereof there can be rendâ—ed no sufficient reason in nature yet it will be necessary to enquire into the cause of them so far as 〈◊〉 reason wilâ— permâ—t The holy Scriptures say that God doth produce the winds out of his treasury from whence we hear the noise of their breath but aâ—e ignorant of the place from whence they come and whither they will Again on the other side Margarita Philosophia a work I say that hath been highly esteemed of the Peripateticks themselves by reason of the Aristotelicall suck or sap that it containeth besides an epitomy of many other Arts after a strict search made into the nature of Thunder in the Physicks of her Master Aristotle and being put as it were to a nonplus through the want of skill which it observed in her Master to reveal such a secret which none is able really to effect but by the true wisdom for by it Solomon confessed That he knew the force or power of the winds and mutations of the elements And Job That it is the divine wisdom which giveth weight unto the aire and ordaineâ—h statutes unto the rain and maketh way unto the lightnings of the thunders That Philosophy I say so much respected of the Peripateticks is found in conclusion to utter these words Quidam philosophorum saith it considerantes mirabilem fulminis operationem ipsum non opus naturae sed summ Dei effectum immediatum arbitrati sunt Some of the philosophers considerâ—ng the marvellous operation of the lightning and thunder did imagine it to be no work of nature but the immediate effect of the highest God Again touching the beginning and originall of Fountains Johannes Velcurius who hath spent much time and labour in the Peripatetick doctrine and writ a Commentary upon Aristotles physicks groweth somewhat cold in his confidence which he had in his Master's doctrine concerning the true cause of fountaines which issue out of the earth Non consentiunt plane saith he Sacrae literae cum Physicis de ortu fontium et fluminum quae ex mari per varios alveos meatusque fluere ac ad suos fontes restuere Ecclesiastes 1. testatuâ— dicens Omnia flumina intrant in mare mare non redundat ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant Coeterum Aristoteles et Physici Peripatetici dicunt materiam istorum esse pariter vaporem resolutum in aquam liquefactum à frigore calore simul intra terram The holy scriptures do not consent with the Naturalists concerning the originall of fountains and rivers which do come out of the Sea through divers Channells or passages and flow or runne againe into their fountaines as Ecclesiastes 1. dâ—th testifie saying all Rivers do go into the Sea and the Sea is not the fuller And they return again unto the place from whence they came that they might flow from thence again But Aristotle and his Peripatetick Schollars affirm that the matter or substance of them is a vapour resolved into water and melted or liquified by cold and heat together wâ—thin the earth Thus judicious Reader you may discern out of the confession of Aristotle's own pupills how contradictory and opposite is the mind of their Master in his philosophy unto the wisdom of holy Writ and therefore mark the sentence that the Apostle pronounceth against it The wisdom saith he which contradâ—cteth the truth is not from above nameâ—y from the Father of light but terrene animal and diabolicall And the other Apostle speaketh thus If any man preach otherwise then that ye have received let him be accursed Now that this Prince of Peripateticks is most erroneous and averse unto the opinion of the holy Scriptures touching the generation or primary cause of Meteors I will most lively and at large demonstrate unto you in the last Book of this present Treatise where I will prove him a deceiver of the Christian world by such prestigious things as seem probable but in verity and by effect will prove nothing else in respect of the fruits which the true wisdom doth bring forth but deceit vain fallacy and an apparent kind of jugling which being rightly pondered it may seem very strange to such judicious persons as are unpartiall that the Christian world should be deluded thus long yea and in these latter daies with such Peripateticall figments and fables and be so addicted unto Aristotle's idle shadowes since that in conclusion they appear without true substance and reality Nay it may seem strange indeed unto every wise or understanding man that such as are devoted unto Christian zeal should all this while forsake the main fountain of wisdom and verity to seek of Pagans and Gentiles arts science and understanding as did the Agarens of whom the Prophet maketh mention and those which were in Theman who for that errour of theirs never attained unto the knowledge of true wisdom Of this main folly of Christians in future ages and of these our latter ages me-thinks the Apostle doth seem to prophesy in these words Erit tempus cum sanam doctrinam non sustinebunt sed ad sua desideria coacervaebunt sibi magistros prurientes auribus à veritate quidem auditum averient ad fabulas autem convertentur The time will come that they will not endure wholsome doctrine but having their ears itching after their own lusts get them a company of teachers or masters and shall turn their ears from the truth and shall be given unto fables Where he understandeth by a company of masters all erroneous teachers and especially the sputious Philosophers namely of the Epicureall Stoicall and Peripateticall doctrine which as they are framed out after the imaginations traditions and inventions of men and according unto the elements of this world and not after the true wisdom which is Christ Jesus are esteemed as foolishnesse vanity and fabulous before God and his Saints And therefore the Apostle in the foresaid speech doth point at such Christians in future ages as will leave the true wisdom or doctrine of Christ the Prophets and the Apostles and betake themselves to false Masters and such Philosophy which contradicteth the truth Again the said excellent and sacred Philosopher foretelleth that there will be many in future ages so puffed up in their own conceipts that they will contemn and scorn all counsell be it never so good if it be any way dissonant from their grounded opinion His words are these In novâ—ssimis diebus saith he instabunt tempora periculosa erunt homines seipsos amantes
cupidi elati superbi c. semper discentes nunquam ad veritaâ—em pervenientes Quemadmodum autem Jamnes Mambres restiterunt Mâ—yâ—â— ita hi resistunt veritati homines corrupti mente reprobi circa fidem ultrà non proficient In the last daies shall come perilous times for men will be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud c. ever learning and never attaining unto the truth And as IJamnes and Mambâ—es withstoâ—d Moses so do these resist the verity men of a corrupt mind and reprobates concerning the faith Out of which words we gather first That some men in these latter daies will be so wedded unto their own learning and conceipted in the worldly philosophy or science which they have been brought up in that whatsoeveâ— truâ—h it self shall proffer unto them that is opposite unto their intentions it will be scornfully rejected Secondly he seemeth to expresse the insufficiency of that learning or philosophy which they embrace in saying that they are semper discenteâ— sed nunquam ad veritatem vel perfectionem pervenientes Ever learning but never attainâ—â—g unto that high vertue and power at which the truly wise have aimed by Ethnick philosophy Thirdly it appeareth that he meaneth the mundane philosophists by the example which he maketh of Jamnes and Mambres who being worldly Sages or bred up in the human wisdom did resist that truth which Moses being instructed in the divine Philosophy did so stoutly maintain And lastly he seemeth to intimate that such as adhere so much unto the spurious wisdom are thereby corrupted in their imaginations and allured to erre concerning the faith and profit nothing And therefore it will be no marvell though I shall find this mine admonition rejected and repined at by many though perchance more acceptable unto such as are vertuously inclined unto the truth and are apt yea and sufficient in their purer discretions to distinguish and separate the errours of Aristotle from the infallible verity of sacred Writ and to carry their judgments so justly and sincerely that the All-hallowed honour of the one do not suffer any detriment or indignity by the paganish and unsanctified axioms or assertions of the other CHAP. VI. Here One great God IEHOVAH seemeth to call the false wisdome or Wisemen and Philosophers of this world unto an Account for their erroneous Doctrine touching the causes and manner of the Creation of the world and the Generation of the Meteors thereof I Have expressed unto you in the precedent Chapter that the great Master of the Peripatetick doctrine is not for nought termed by the Greeks themselves Cacodaemon or an evill spirit being that by his inventions he hath deceived the world and seduced it from the right path of Wisdome and directed it unto that way which leadeth and guideth unto assured error and ignorance and that by the painted mask of sophisticated reasons besmeared over with a false and outward shew of probability only faining those things to be accidentall and caused at hap-hazzard which in verity are from above that is to say essentially produced by the increated Spirit 's power which operateth all in all For according unto his doctrine the Earth the Stats the Elements were eternall and not created and he covereth this his false assertion with appearing naturall inventions framed out of his own brain saying ex 〈◊〉 nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made He giveth also a humane reason of life motion and limits or borders the Seas and faineth causes after his fancie of the generation and corruption of things And speaketh of a first matter and a form after his manner though he knoweth not essentially what they are He telleth us unreasonably the reason of the snow frost and ice hail rain clouds and mists saying that they are adventitiously caused of vapours which are drawn up by the heat of the Sun and Stars out of the earth and waters into the middle region of the Aire and are there condensed into those substances by the accidentall coldness of the place He inventeth and bringeth forth some sleight proofs to maintain his imaginations averring that the wind is made or caused by chance namely through the exalting or subliming of hot and dry exhalations out of the earth by vertue of the forementioned Agents the which exhalations after they approach the middle region of the Aire are repercussed and beaten down again And then in their motions downward they meeting with other exhalations which ascend are forced to move collaterally He presumeth to know the hidden causes of the Lightnings and Thunders making them to proceed also accidentally namely from a concourse of vapours mixed with exhalations and an infinite of such like frivolous inventions he hath erected All which he hath vailed over with his smooth words and subtill shews of externall or superficiall probabilities only instead of the reall and centrall visage of Truth But the God of Heaven and Earth which is the Author of all these things and doth mystically fashion them by his eternall power and calleth them out of his Treasury when and where he list seemeth to deride this inventor of lies with his obsequious followers in these very words which he spake unto Job Who is this saith JEHOVA out of the whirl-wind unto this bold abuser of his Works that darkneth the counsell of my Words without knowledg Gird up now thy loines like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding Who hath laid the measures thereof or who hath stretched the line over it whereupon are the foundations of them set or who layed the corner-stone thereof What were they eternall and without all beginning as thou vainly surmisest Who shut up the Sea with doores when it issued and came foorth as out of a wombe Have the gates of death been opened unto thee And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death that thou assignest a reason so confidently of corruption and generation according unto thine imagination Hast thou entred into the Treasury of the Snow or hast thou seen the Treasuries of the Hail which I have hid against the time of trouble that thou after thy fancy darest to forge fain or assigne unto them such accidentall principles By what way is the Light parted which scattereth the East wind upon the Earth what is it by a hot and dry exhalation attracted on high by the Son and Stars and afterward repelled downward laterally as thou hast published Who hath divided the spouts of the raine or the way for the lightnings of the Thunders And who is the father of the raine or who hath begotten the drops of dew must the created Sun and Stars be the Actors and Authors in this business as thou dost erroniously imagine Out of whose wombe came the Ice who hath engendred the frost of the heaven Is it the
coldness of the middle region of the Aire as thou seemest to averre Canst thou restrain the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his time canst thou also guide Arcturus with his sons Knowest thou the course of heaven or canst thou set the rule thereof upon the earth And why not For thou professest by thy Peripatetick Philosophy to understand the causes of everything and he that truly knoweth the mysteries of things can do wonders For by that means my servant Josuah made the Sun to stand still And for the religious Hezekias his sake my Spirit did cause the Sun to move backward Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds that the abundance of water may cover thee Canst thou send the Lightnings that they may walk and say unto thee Lo here we are If the grounds and principles which thou hast invented be essentiall and substantiall all this and more maist thou effect For such of the Elect into whom my Spirit of Wisdome who hath assigned true principles unto the essentially wise hath inspired this knowledg are able to effect all these things as my servant Elias after a long drought caused the clouds to moisten the dry earth and my Prophets Moses and Samuel dâ—d by the power which I did assigne them produce Thunder and Lightnings unto the terror of their enemies Dost thou know who hath put wâ—sdome in the reins or who hath given the heart understanding And darest thou being led by the frivolous effects of thy inventions which are grounded on the Elements of this world and not upon my Spirit which is the true Wisdome ascribe my works who am the sole Creator of all things unto the creatures Is this to learn to strive with the Almighty he that reproveth God let him answer unto it Thus seemeth our great God to speak unto Aristotle and such like Philosophers of this world who being too much elated in their own conceits presume thus over-boldly on their terrene and animal wisdom and would check and contradict the vertuous actions of God by their phantasticall surmises I could wish therefore that these mundane Philosophers would turn from this their worldly wisdom and humiliate themselves before the onely Creator of heaven and earth and answer with the patient Job in this manner Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth I know that thou canst do all things I have spoken the things I understood not even things too wonderfull for me I have heard of thee by report but now mine eyes behold thee in thy creatures And for this cause I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes acknowledging that there is no true wisdom but that which is from thee who art the Father of light by the vertue whereof thou workest all these wonders And therefore we confesse that the wisâ—om of this world is meer foolishnesse and such as wholly addict themselves unto it are deceived forasmuch as they do neglect the divine wisdom Christ Jesus in whom all the treasures of science and sapience are hid Thus have you briefly understood the duplicity of wisdom and by consequence the bi-forked or contrary nature of philosophy that is in this world and how all good Christians contrary unto the custom of this our age ought to leave and forsake the one and with fervency and zeal to love and embrace the other And now in this Book following I purpose to set down those Mosaicall principles on which our sacred Philosophy hath erected the whole bulk or substance of her fabrick The third Book of the first Section touching the essentiall Principles of the Mosaicall Philosophy The Argument of this third Book IN this present Book the Author teacheth in a generality the true and essentiall principles of the divine Philosophy and in particular he expresseth how various and differing the Ethnick Philosophers have been in their opinions concerning the beginnings of all things where he proveth that the wisest amongst those Pagan Naturalists did steal and derive their main grounds or principles from the true and sacred Philosopher Moses whose Philosophy was originally delineated by the finger of God forasmuch as the fiery characters thereof were stamped out or engraven in the dark Hyle by the eternall Wisdom or divine Word And sheweth that although the foresaid pagan philosophers did usurp the Mosaicall principles unâ—o themselves and the better to maske their theft did assigne unto them new Titles yet because they were not able to dive into the centrall understanding of them nor conceive or apprehend rightly the mystery of the everlasting Word they erected upon their principles or foundations but a vain and worldly wisdom carved out not from the essentiall Rock of truth nor relying on Christ the onely corner-stone but framed after a human invention and shaped out according unto the elements of this world much like a Castle of straw or stubble which though it be planted on a Rock yet it is subject to mutation and is easily shaken and tottered at every blast of winde In conclusion here our Author doth set down what the true Mosaicall principles are namely Darknesse Water and Light Then that all plenitude and vacuity in the world doth consist in the presence or absence of the formall principle which is Light And lastly he sheweth how the two apparent active properties namely Cold and Heat do issue from the two fore-said fountaines of Darknesse and Light as the two passive natures Moysture and Drought do challenge their originall from the said active CHAP. I. Wherein is set down the uncertainty of the antient Grecian and Arabian Philosophers in their opinions touching the principles or beginnings of all things IT is an evident Argument that the Ethnick philosophers were not well setled upon the grounds of their philosophy but did waver in their imaginations touching the true principles of nature being that among each sect of them there was maintained and upheld a variety yea and sometimes a plaine contrariety of opinions concerning them as for example Thales Milesius who was inrowled amongst the number of the wise men of Greece had his opinion that Water was the beginning of all things But Anaximenes and his disciples affirmed that an infinite aire was the first cause or originall of every existence And for this reason also Anaximander did esteem this catholick aire to be God Again on the other side Zoroaster will have all things to take their beginning from Fire and light as also the Pythagoreans say that there is one universall Fire in and over all things in this world And verily each of these opinions if they be duely considered will be found to approach and have a near relation unto the Mosaicall truth for a divine fire or light issuing forth of darknesse or the dark abysse did suddainly by its bright presence reveal and make manifest the hidden and
ociosaque ad nihil respiciens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Nihil dicitur in quo statu Aleph tenebrosum dictitatur When the divine sapience was retracted in the abysse of darknesse resting still and quiet and respecting nothing it was esteemed as nothing and in that eâ—tate it was called dark Aleph In this contracted or rather sequestred or private estate therefore of the divine unity it operateth according unto this its negative pâ—operty or condition by his essentiall agent Cold which is proved therefore not to be an accident as the vain doctrine of the Peripateticks would perswade us being it is apparent unto each wise-man that no accidentall qualities are in or can be from God being that the divine Nature is meerly a simple essentiall and formall purity existing in himself and of himself and therefore he being but one essence is able to produce out of himself what essentiall property he pleaseth And for this reason the divine wisdom is said to be spiritus unicus multiplex one simple spirit in essence but manifold in respect of his essentiall properties Now that this essentiall property or nature of Cold is the formall instrument or instrumentall vertue whereby God doth operate in his hidden and potentiall estate for the resistance of heat and action or motion and for the deformity and destroying of that which he in his patent nature did effect by his Heat or active property it is made evident by effect for what the spirit of wisdom in its patent nature did operate by its hot spirit or blast from the south or easterly winde namely in subtiliating and raâ—ifying of the waters into thin aire making that which was gross subtle and making that which was opake and dark diaphan and invisible the self-same spirit again enduing his latent and cold property doth deform and undo For in blowing or breathing from the North the same thin and ratified aire is made thick dense and visible which was through raâ—ifaction made invisible and that which by dissipating of parts was made transparent light and diaphan is now by the Northern properties contractive vertue reduced into an opake or dark substance and no way perspicuous That which was active movable and lively by an addition of heat is now become stupid still and deadly by the invasion of cold That which was light and of no sensible weight is framed into an heavy and ponderous body or consistence as we see when the aire by the northern blast is turned into snow hail ice frost c. Now that it is but one and the same spirit in essence which bloweth from the four winds the Prophet Ezekiel doth testifie when he said Veni spiritus à quatuor veniis insuffla interfectos istos Come O Spirit from the four winds and breathe upon these slain persons c. Whereby he argueth that it is but one spirit though it endueth at his pleasure a four-fold property And now to confirm all this which is said to be true do but mark the words of the royall Psalmist Jehovah emittit nives sicut lanam pruinam sicut cineres dispergit deâ—icit gelu tanquam frusta coram frigore ejus quis conâ—istat Emittens verbum liquefacit ista simul ac efflat ventum suum effluunt aquae God sendeth forth the snow as wooll and scattereth the frost like ashes casteth out the ice like as gobbits who is able to withstand his cold He sending forth his word liquefieth all these northern effects So soon as he bloweth or breatheth forth his wind the waters do flow again that is the snow frost and ice do melt and are turned into water Out of which words we may observe many notable things namely first that God in his hidden or latent property doth by his essentiall action of cold contract unto the center those things which were before dilated towards the circumference Secondly that the property of cold is attributed or ascribed unto God in his northern action and therefore it is said Who is able to resist his cold For which reason it is evident that it is an essentiall vertue in the divine puissance Thirdly That it must be the act of unity in his dark hidden and privative property both because it darkeneth things that are diaphan transparent and light and then because it depriveth of life and motion that which did act move and live through essentiall heat And lastly because it is an utter enemy unto the action of heat which at tendeth on the revealed emanating and vivifying divinity Fourthly that the effects of cold are undone by the act of the revealed nature of God which is the word for the Text saith He sendeth out his word and resolveth or melteth all these namely the snow frost and ice Fifthly that all this is effected by one and the same spirit in essence but of divers and opposite conditions to perform the will of the Father which sendeth it forth Again that the cold property of the winde is the essentiall depriving vertue or stupifying and contracting act of God it appeareth by this of Job Deus fortis edit glacâ—em flatu suo flante Deo concrescit gelu The strong God bringeth forth the ice by his breath God blowing the ice is ingendered I conclude therefore that cold is the essentiall act of the divine puissance or eternall sapience shrowding it self in its mantle of darkness and therefore doth manifest the divine volunty in that estate of his by the effects namely in that it draweth from the circumference unto the center and therefore is the occasion of congregating of things as well hetero-as homo-geniall and by consequence the onely essentiall agent or efficient cause of inspissation contraction constriction fixation immobility ponderosity rest obteneration or darkness of mortification privation stupefaction and such like In the contrary divine property namely in this spirit's patent manifest and positive nature or as he is termed light Aleph wherein he moveth or sendeth out his emanation from the center towards the circumference and revealing himself upon the dark face of the Abysse maketh the invisible non Ens or potentiall Nihil to appeare in Act being first animated by his bright presence in the form of waters He is said by the Wiseman to be omnibus mobilibus mobilior ubique penetrans seu attingens propter munditiam ejus The most agile and movable of all movable things piercing through all things by reason of his purity So that as the other privative or Northern property did produce rest and vacancy from operation by attraction or contraction from the circumference unto the center so in this his positive or Southern and Orient property by dilating himself or sending out his active beam brightness or emanation from the center towards the circumference he doth beget and procreate motion being accompanied by the essentiall Act of Heat or calidity which operateth continually upon the effects of cold in resisting dissolving and
gunpowders force raised in the aire to a certain height moving neither lower nor higher then the form all vigor affordeth it vertue and there remaineth untill the force of the corruptible and wasting fire be spent and then it falleth down againe But the Light of the star carrieth and raiseth up the spirituall body according unto the proportion of the mounting Light which soreth as high as its power and the ponderosity of the body will permit and so it hangeth perpetually at a certain distance from the center because the fire is of an eternall and incorruptible nature and will not fade as that artificiall fire of the squib doth Now as all the illuminating vigors and animating forces or flames that are imparted unto the universall waters was bestowed on them by that bâ—ight catholick Spirit or emanation which was sent forth by God to be carried on the waters which as Scripture doth averre is brighter then the Sun or Starrs So there is none of all those Lights which are separated or divided in essence from that glorious and glittering Spirit whose beams were dispersed over all the waters in the abysse in giving of them life and being For this reason therefore because each Light had a diversity in proportion of formall brightness and measure of corpulency it is that one celestiall body doth vary in his manner of vertue motion and influence from another but because the extracted quintessence or purer materiall essence of all the Chaos with the purity of Light that issued from the creating Spirit were united into an Angelicall alterity both of those natures in the figure of one masse sored up out of the dark abysse into the heaven's center where they challenged the Royall Phoebaean Throne and that Sphaericall masse is to this hour termed the Sun of Heaven which as from the created Fountain of Light enflameth and formally enlightneth all the rest of the Starrs in the heavens above and the Element and elementated creatures below So that after the universall contracted Light was effected the fourth day of the Creation it was ordained to be that capitall Organ of life and vegetation in the starry world which did send and showre down his influences and fiery spiracles of life conservation vegetation and multiplication upon the sublunary earth and waters Thus therefore in few words you have the reason of that Condensation and Rarefaction whereby both the invisible heavenly Substance and visible celestiall bodies were made And it seemeth not to disagree from the opinions of the learned Theologians Basil and Damascene touching the causes of the divine Spirit 's action in Condensation and Rarefaction before the apparition of the Sun in the heavens Forasmuch as they will have the daie's Rarefaction or cleare heaven to be occasioned by an emission of Light ordained by the divine will or act of this Omnipotent Spirit But they think that the night's Condensation and the opake or condensed bodie in the heavens are effected by a contraction of Light which was also caused by the sacred Spirit 's volunty Thus therefore we see out of the confession of certain of the prime Fathers of the Church what was the cause of the cold condensing Night and the hot rarifying Day before the Spirit was congregated into the Tabernacle or quintessentiall substance of the Sun which was extracted by the Spageâ—ick or separative action of the divine Spirit out of the huge deformed waters of the abysse And therefore this also must be the reason of Condensation and Rarefaction unto this day For as the Spirit in the Sun being far from us and as it were contracting his beames in regard of us unto himself or absenting himself from our Hemisphere so that the cold waters do incline unto the nature of their mother Chaos by reason whereof the night and darkness are long and the light and day but short and faint in heat So also in that season the common sublunary Element is subject to Condensation and Incrâ—ssation and therefore is constrained or contracted into the consistence of Frosts Snows Hail Ice and Cold showers c. Again when it is neare unto us it dilateth it self and by his heat and presence the cold waters become hot and the daies are augmented and fortified or made strong in heat and then the common sublunary Element is apt for dilatation and subtiliation being easy to be inflamed and set on fire with Lightnings coruscations and such like But I leave the history of the Condensation and Subtiliation of the aethereall Spirit to descend unto the like acts or conditions in the sublunary Element CHAP. V. How the lower waters or catholick sublunary element were distinguished ordered and shaped out into sundry distinct sphears which are called particular Elements and that by the foresaid all-working Spirit or dâ—vine Word SInce that it is most certainly proved already that the universall substance of the world's machin was made but of one onely thing namely of a matter that was produced out of the potentiall bowells of the dark chaos or abyss by the spagerick vertue of the divine Word the which matter Moses tearmed Waters and Hermes the humid nature of the which in generall as both Moses and St. Peter aver the heavens and the earth were made of old it must needs follow that out of this catholick masse of waters the universall sublunary element was derived which is commonly termed by the name of Aer as all that humid substance in the celestiall orbe is called Aether Now this generall element is by the breath of the divine Spirit Râ—ach Elohim altered and changed from one shape unto another for that which is the visible waters was made first of the aire which is an invisible water as again the visible water by condensation is made earth And this is proved first by the words of St. Paul who saith Per fidem agnovimus quod semper ita actum sit cum mundo per Verbum ut ex iis quae videri non poterant fierent ea quae possunt videri We know by faith that it hath been ever acted with the world by the word that those things which can be seen were effected or made of those things which could not be seen And again Solomon saith that the world was made of a matter that was not seen But besides these proofs we are taught by chymicall experience that earth is nothing else but coagulated water nor visible water any thing else but invisible air reduced by condensation to a visibility nor fire any thing else but ratified aire And in conclusion all the sublunary waters were in the beginning but an invisible humid or watry spirit which we call by a common name Aire and consequently the catholick sublunary element was in its originall nothing else but one aire being that heaven was made before the seas or the earth as Moses teacheth us And therefore by faith we must believe according unto St. Paul's doctrine that all
flourish the which did reduce the Elements under the heaven and humid nature and as they were undistinguished afterward that portion which was light did fly and sore up unto the highest region the weightier part did reside and take its place under the moist heaven These things being thus distinguished and ballanced which were susteined by a fiery spirit the heavens did shine forth in seaven circles c. This I say is the manner of the world's Fabrick as also of the rotation of one Elementary nature into another caused partly by the absence or presence of the Spirit riding in his chariot or Tabernacle which is the Sun Hence therefore proceedeth that alteration by Condensation or Rarefaction which is observed annually in the world but especially by the four windy Organs or Angelicall instruments of this aeriall region and is effected assidually by changes all the year long as is justified by the weather-glasse's observation And we must with diligence-observe that these members of the worlds Fabrick do endure with incorruptibility alwaies and shall never alter untill the last PEREAT But the creatures which are compounded of this generall Element and are diversly altered or informed shall pass or begin their generation from the simple Elementary estate which is in four quasi à Termino à quo unto the complement of generation or compleat composition namely 8. tanquam ad Terminum ad quem And again the corruption or resolution of that generated compound shall have its Terminum à quo or beginning from the degree of compleat composition 8. and his Terminus ad quem that is the complement of resolution shall be in the common or catholick Element which is aire four-foldly altered in his simple nature as shall appeare in this which followeth CHAP. VI. The true Mystery of Generation and Corruption also a touch of Re-generation or Resurrection is afer the doctrine of holy Scripture herein Expressed AS we have plainly though in few words expressed unto you a dark privative Principle namely that which seemed before all beginnings to be without form and therefore mortifieth and depriveth of life and is as it were out of all existence in regard of our capacity by reason that the active vivifying light doth not shine forth but is hidden in the center So also have we manifested unto you another Spirituall Principle which is Light now shining forth of Darkness and this is that only which informeth vivifieth and animateth all things with life I told you that all was but one essentiall Unity For the three Divine Person was but one and the same in essence and therefore that Light was unto him as Darkness and consequently that he was the beginning of all beginnings that is to say he is as well the principle of Privation and Corruption as of Position and Generation whereof the one is the Act unto life namely the in-created Light and the other is the passive of life or death and that is the waters forasmuch as they were derived out of Darkness and therefore by reason of their Darkness they participate in their passion as well of the privative as of the positive principle and for that reason the Actor in both extreames is God which is Unity who by the withdrawing of his vivifying Spirit from the creature causeth death and privation and consequently leaveth nothing in it but the characters of corruption and ruine Contrariwise by continuing his incorruptible Spirit in the creature it remaineth by the presence thereof without corruption Also after that God doth withdraw his Spirit from the creature then the creature dieth if he sendeth again his Spirit of life into the creature it reviveth and riseth again This was the reason in one sense of the Resurrection of our Saviour who for that cause was termed Primaevus resurrectionis à mortuis The first that risse again from death unto eternall life And in another sense it was the cause that Elias raised from the dead the child of the widdow and that the bones of Elizeus caused the murthered Amalikite to rise again as also that Christ caused Lazarus to revive when he was dead as shall be shewed hereafter I will therefore express unto you out of Scriptures first that God to whom the act of privation is as familiar as that of position if we only consider the watery or passive composition forasmuch as it participateth of both extreames is the only Actor as well unto death and corruption as to life and generation And then secondly I will briefly prove unto you the manner how the self-same Unity in essence operateth thus contrarily in the watry or bodily Subject of all things Touching the first Scriptures say It is God that woundeth and striketh and it is he that cureth And again they say in the Person of God I kill and I make alive again In another place Thou hast power of life and death in thine hand Thou bringest unto the grave and reducest back again And the Son of Syrath Vita Mors bonum malum à Deo sunt Life and death good and evilâ— a e from God Now for the second namely to shew how the Lord operateth by one and the same Spirit to life death and resurrection we may easily gather it if we will consider with our selves that it was the all-inaâ—ting Spirit of wisdom which first did inform the world with life and being and did give life unto each creature and doth preserve it from death and corruption so long as it abideth and operateth vivifyingly in the said creatures And therefore it is said Deo serviat omnis creatura quia dâ—xisti jaâ—â—ae sunt mâ—â—sti spiritum creatae sunt Let every creature serve God for thou spakest and they were made thou didst send thy Spirit and they were created Again Deus non aâ—quo indigens that â—mnibus viâ—am inspirationem omnia God not wanting the aid of any giveth or bestoweth on al creatures life and inspiration or breath and all things In another place Deus dat flatum populo qâ—i est super terram spiritum calcanâ—bus eam And it was for this reason that the Psalmist saith Vita adest benevolenti IEHOVAE Life is present through the benignity of God Vitae restaurator est IEHOVA God is the restorer of life Vitae meae fontes omnes à Deo All the fountaines of my life are from God Vitae proâ—ongatâ—o est benignitas IEHOVAE The prolonging of lifâ—â—s through the benignity of IEHOVA Whereupon it is apparent that the presence of the vivifying Spirit of God is the cause of life multiplication and preservation And therefore Job said Viâ—tatio tua conservaâ— spiritum meum â—hy visitation pâ—â—serveth my spirit As contrariwise the absence of the same spirit lesse or more is the occasion of sicknesse death destruction or corruption And therefore it is said Deâ—s malos reliâ—quit abscondit faciem suam ab impiis ut obveniant
iis mala muâ—â—â— angustiae God for saketh the wicked and hideth his face from such as are impious thaâ— evill and necessiâ—y may encumber them But the speciall causes of life death and resurrection are expressed in these words of the Prophet David before mentioned O Lord how glorious are thy works in wisdom thou hast made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the wide sea and innumerable creeping things therein Thou givâ—st unto them and they gather it thou openest thine hand and they are filled with good things but if thou hide thy face they are troubled if thou takest away their breath they die and return unto dust Again if thou sendest out thy Spirit they are re-created and revive and thou renewest the face of the earth c. Psa. 104.20 Lo here the essentiall reason and centrall manner of Generation and Corruption is exactly described and set forth by the Psalmise namely that by the presence and benigne action of the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord life is continued and contrariwise by the absence or departing or by taking of it away from the creature it dieth and corrupteth for so long as the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord acteth and worketh in the creature it is not possible it should die or corrupt but when it departeth death and corruption must needs follow also when it abideth in the body but resteth from his action or as it were withdraweth his active beams from the circumference unto the center which the Prophet tearmeth The hiding of God's face then is the creature troubled which is as much to say as it is sick but if it be totally taken away then the creature is forced for want of it to expire and die To conclude if it return and shineth forth again unto the creature then it reviveth again as it did unto Lazarâ—s and unto the Widow's child which the Prophet raised Whereby it is apparent how death is nothing else but the absence of the essentiall form and consequently it is made evident that the vivificating form is immediately from God and not that imaginary one which the Peripateticks have groped after and I prove it evidently out of these places though the precedent Text doth expresse it plainly enough Non permanebit saith the Lord Spiritus meus in homine in aeternum quia caro est eruntque Dies ejus centum viginti annorum My Spirit shall not remain perpetually in man because he is flesh and his daies shall be a hundred years and twenty Whereby is argued that it is the Spirit of God which maketh man to live and that by the absence thereof death must needs ensue But because the curious will scarce approve of this translation of Jerom saying that the nature of the Hebrew Text is otherwise taken I will maintain and confirm it by the like and of the same condition in Job Si Deus apponens ad hominem animam suam Spiritum aut flatum ejus ad se reciperet vel traheret deficeret expiraret omnis care simul homo in cinerem râ—verteretur If God setting his minde upon man should receive or draw unto himself his spirit or breath of lifâ— all flesh would fail and die and man also together with him would return unto ashes So that we see it is the Spirit of God which giveth life not onely unto man but also to every other creature And that it is meant by the reall vivifying Spirit of God which giveth life unto man expresly we have it confirmed thus by Job in another place Spiritus Dei saith Job fecit me inspiratio Omnipotentis vivificavit me The Spirit of God made me and the inspiration of the Almighty hath vivified me or given me life And therefore it followeth that if the presence of this Spirit doth cause generation life and preservation of necessity the absence of it must cause corruption death and destruction for when the Spirit of the Lord is removed from the bodily masse of the creature it leaveth it deformed and as it were another chaos or terra inanis vacua being that it is destitute of the Spirit of life which did make it to act and exist in its specifick nature And forasmuch as this incorruptible Spirit doth preserve the corporeall masse from corruption by his incorruptible vertue and power it followeth therefore that when the Spirit is departed or absolutely contracted in it self without any externall act the masse must of necessity forthwith die and return unto a privative nothing Now the difference between the resurrection from death or rather deadly sleep unto a temporall life for the words of Christ were touching Lazarus that he was not dead but slept and that which is an eternall life is this for as there is nothing that hindereth death more than the presence of the incorruptible Spirit so also is there nothing which hindereth the perpetuity of living more then a corruptible body or a body subject unto death or corruption and therefore that body must die that it may put off corruption and endue incorruption namely by purification and separation of the corruptible additaments which is effected by a loosning of the tie of the alterable elements and a freeing of the spirituall part of the corporall composition from its long captivity that it may become pure and clean which being done then by the union of the incorruptible Spirit with it all will be made spirituall so that according unto the doctrine of St. Paul That which is sowed will not be quickened except it die And that which thou sowest is not the body that shall be but God giveth it a body at his pleasure And therefore as the body is sown in corruption so it riseth in incorruption as it is sown a naturall or elementary body so it is raised a heavenly and spirituall body So that the body must die that it may put off corruption that is the corruptible portion of the impure element that it being made spirituall may abide with the Spirit of life for evermore For this reason he affirmeth that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God because in their elementary nature they are subject unto corruption and therefore cannot inherit the land of incorruption but it is the pure spirit of the blood and flesh which rise after they have deposed their grosse tabernacle unto incorruption being animated by the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord which onely causeth a temporall life in the naturall or compacted elementary masse and an eternall one unto the spirituall and refined body which is contrary in condition unto the naturall body as the Apostle doth justifie for by purification it is changed from an elementary body unto a heavenly and spirituall one Do we not see after the same example how the very grain of wheat is so exalted in vertue after it hath endured corruption and hath been freed from the grosse elementary tie that it
mover in the winds is the essentiall inspiration or breath proceeding immediatly from God Afflatu narium tuarum coacervatae sunt aquae flavisti vento tuo operuit eos mare The waters were gathered together in a heap by the breath of thy nostrils Thou didst blow with thy wind and the Sea did cover them And Job Flante Deo concrescit gelu When God bloweth from the North the yce is made Also that the winds are Divinely animated with a perfect life and intelligence it is made evident by the four Angels which are president over the four winds and that universall Spirit which was called from the four winds to breathe life into the dead carcasses of which we will speak forthwith And yet for all this the Ethnick Prince of our Philosophers will not blush forsooth to say that the winde is a some-thing meerly accidentall and that it hath his motion onely from externall principles and not from that centrall and internall agent which is the actor and operator of and in all things and consequently it could not blow or breathe where it listeth nor yet to hear the voice of the Lord when it was commanded to come from the four winds He according unto his fancy saith that this his figment is extracted out of the earth when Scriptures say that it is the most lively and agil creature of God which he bringeth out of the heavens that are his treasure-house for in this both the Prophets Jeremy and David do consent But in this member of his definition he concludeth that the laterall motion of the winde is caused through that resistance and impediment which is made by such exhalations as ascend O poor argument of so mighty a Philosopher as if such a ventall motion as that is from the north unto the south and so forth could be so certain and direct in his course being guided by so uncertain an agent as is an accidentall striving and contention made between ascending and descending fumes I beseech you tell me my quaint Peripateticks what manner of exhalation did rise out of the earth and shoulder or shove and resist one another in that emission of Spirit which happened when the Prophet said A quatuor ventis adveni Spiritus Come from the four winds O spirit me-thinks that I see the Christian pages or disciples of Aristotle to be clean mute and destitute of tongues to answer and if they should say that it was a miraculous winde and not a naturall I answer that I know no more efficient causes in nature or out of nature but onely one and therefore it is said in the production of Meteors namely in the common course of this world nature God bloweth from the north God produceth by his breath frost snow ice God thundereth from heaven God melteth the thick clouds into rain God sends lightning from his throne and coles of fire out of his mouth God maketh the dark clouds his hiding place God commeth from the south in thunder The voice of the Lord maketh the cedars of mount Libanus to stoop and the hinds to miscarry of their young ones God is a consuming fire Who can stand or resist the cold of God and so forth in many places more as well of the new as old Testament And to conclude that God operateth all in all and that he vivifieth all c. But our Peripateticall Philosophers come with their School-tricks and idle distinctions and say 'T is true indeed that he is causa efficiens principalls but there are many secondary and subalternate causes in nature which do act of themselves I say Plain dealing is a jewell and truth being one simple essence hateth double dealing let us imitate her in plainnesse and simplicity in understanding which we cannot attain unto unlesse we abstract our minds from the subtle multiplicity of worldly Philosophy and vain fallacy of which St. Paul biddeth us to beware for in multitude lurketh an infinity of errours but in unity consisteth that unique verity which is true wisdom Why then should we distract mens thoughts from the simple sense of Scripture by a multiplicity of distinctions which seem to wrest it like a nose of wax a hundred waies Scriptures say Of him by him and in him are all things The holy spirit of wisdom filleth the world The incorruptible Spirit is in all things Christ filleth every thing He vivifieth all things He operateth all in all He giveth life and inspiration and all things All things are from the Father by our Lord Jesus Christ. All things are in Christ and by Christ as well visible as invisible and he in all things He beareth and sustaineth all things by the word of his vertue God is the Father of all who is above all and in all And an infinite of other testimonies of Scriptures which confirm the divine essence to be all in all and to act all things universally without exception And yet our Peripateticks will perswade us that the creatures actions are divided from the act of God so that they do and can act of themselves through an active vertue given unto them by God but not now of God which assertion of theirs were it true indeed I will shew you how great an absurdity will follow namely that there must consequently be a division made in the divine essence which axiom true divinity will never admit for Athanasius his Creed doth teach us that it is sancta individua Trinitas the holy and undivided Trinity and therefore what act the creature hath received is not divided from the Giver neither is there any such need being the Giver of that formall vertue is by reason of that gift ever present and not divided from the gift and consequently acteth all in all and that immediately And for that cause it is rightly said by the divine Philosopher Hermes to be the center of all things whose circumference is every where so that it is in all but not as a part of any thing but as a composer of all parts and a container of them Wherefore let it suffice our Peripateticks that the creatures are onely organicall causes in which one onely catholick Spirit worketh and operateth according unto the variety of his property which is annexed unto his will and therefore he onely worketh in them and by them according unto his will and that immediately and absolutely and this is that which the Apostle intendeth when he saith Deus operatur omnia in omnibus God worketh all in all But to return unto my purpose How deaf and surd had this invocation of the wise Solomon been if the essence and life of the winds had been no other then that which is set forth by Aristotle Evigila saith he Aquilo veni Auster perflahortum meum Awake north-wind and come thou O south-wind and blow upon my garden To conclude if the winds had been procreated after Aristotle's invention or imagination whence cometh it that each winde is
which is that God doth draw or call his angelicall winds out of his treasury to effect his will we have it confirmed from the pens of the Prophets David and Jeremy Depromit say they ventos è the sauris suis. Lastly touching the use of the winds or the finall cause why they were created or sent forth Scriptures do largely inform us Ventus facit mandatum Dei saith Baruch The wind doth the commandement of God And the Psalmist Spiritus procellarum facit verbum ejus The spirit of the storms effect his word And again Angeli Dei valid ssimi robore efficientes verbum placitum suum The angels of the Lord which are strong in power do effect his word and will And again He maketh the angels lightnings or coruscations his ministers And Job saith Fulgura nunquid mittes ibunt revertentia tibi dicent Adsumus Wilt thou not send forth thy lightnings and they will go their waies and returning back again they will say We are here Where he meaneth of those Angels which reveal their occult beauty for in this regard God is also termed a consuming fire Moreover he affirmeth in another place that the wind the whirlwind the ice frost clouds and the lightnings are ready at his command whatsoever the will of the Creator is that they shall do they are prepared to perform either upon the superficies of the earth or for to punish and afflict the wicked or to shew mercy unto the righteous To conclude I have expressed in the precedent definition first what is the materiall cause of the winde namely an airy substance of a mean consistency Then I told you that the eternall form or essentiall act thereof was the bright aspiration or spiracle of the Almighty which did by his presence animate agitate and move the materiall aire Thirdly that the place wherein the winds are kept and reserved untill it pleaseth the Creator of them to employ and make use of them was the heavens or aire which is the cabinet of his treasures And lastly that the use and end of them was to accomplish the will of their Creator when he did command them and that either in their outward and airly estate without revealing their centrall and formall fire namely when the winds do blow but are invisible or else by emitting of their internall and essentiall light as when they appeare and move in the form of Lightnings or coruscations and this is proved evidently by the above-mentioned place of the royall David For these reasons therefore and upon these grounds we have framed out these Definitions of the wind which follow The Wind is an invisible aire or spirit which is vivified and animated by the divine Light which issueth from the face of JEHOVA as a breath out of his nostrills to perform and accomplish his will and pleasure as well in Heaven above as on the earth and waters beneath Or after this manner The Wind is a certain Angelicall Spirit or subtill aire which is inspired or animated by the fiery Spirit of JEHOVA appearing sometimes visibly in the form of Lightning and sometimes being invisible and occult as when it is onely heard and not seen and is ordained and sent forth by him from some corner of the earth to effect and accomplish his will either in his positive and benign property or privative and destructive disposition Or thus The Wind is an invisible or occult Spirit indued with a siery soul or form from above and inspired by God in an Angelicall manner the which is carried this way and that way according unto the pleasure of him which inspired it being moved or wafted on invisible wings and carrying sometime their Creator on their airy plumes to effect his will and pleasure For it is said IEHOVA ascendit super Cherubin volavit seu lapsus est super pennas venti God ascended upon the Cherubin and did flie or glide upon the wings of the wind Now the Cherubin is an airy Angell as the Seraphin is a fiery Spirit or Intelligence Or else in this form The Wind is a certain Angelicall creature being made and produced by JEHOVA of aire as being his matter agitated and Light being his internall and essentiall form the which being derived or extracted out of his heavenly Treasury is sent out this way or that way either to plague and punish or to solace and recreate the creature Or thus The Wind is an Angelicall Spirit cloathed with aire which moveth occultly and invisibly this way and that way according unto the secret will of him that created it whose voice although it be heard yet is the place from whence it came or the mark whither it tendeth unknown of mortall men Spiritus saith St. John ubi vult spirat vocemejus audit homo sed nescit unde veniat aut quo vadat The Spirit or wind bloweth where it will and man heareth the voice of it but knoweth not from whence it commeth or whither it will Again Scriptures do affirm elsewhere that the way of God and the place whither he intendeth is unknown unto mortall men Or after this manner more briefly and that according unto the mind of our Saviouâ— The Wind is a Spirit that bloweth where it will whose voice although it be heard yet is the mark at which it aimeth unknown and the place uncertain from whence it cometh Or thus according unto the words of David above mentioned the Angelicall winds as well apparent as occult are described after this manner The Winds are the Angels of the Lord strong in power which effect the Word of God and listen unto his voice and his flaming Ministers which accomplish his pleasure Angeli Dei validissimi robore saith David efficientes Verbum ejus ausculâ—antes vociejus efficientes placitum ejus The Angels of the Lord strong in power effecting his word listning unto his voice accomplishing of his pleasure And in the Psalm following Qui facis Angelos tuos ventos ministros tuos flammam urenâ—em Who dost make thy Angels winds and thy Ministers flaming fires By this therefore each wise man may observe how opposit the false Ethnick Philosophy and doctrine which is grounded upon the wisdome of this world is unto this true Philosophy or wisdome which is extracted out from the Fountain of Truth Hereupon therefore it may appeare unto wise men how impossible it is for a Christian Philosopher who doth firmly adhere unto Aristotle's documents to be radicaâ—ly conversant in the true Catholick Faith ye cannot saith our Saviviour faithfully serve two Masters And for this reason St. Paul as is shewed before doth admonish us to beware of Philosophy and vain Fallacie which is grounded upon the traditions of men and Elements of this world and not upon Christ in whom is all the plenitude of Divinity corporally who is the head of dominations and potestates and consequently the life and animator of all Angelicall Spirits
Wherefore we may conclude that this false Aristoteticall Philosophy is the chiefest organ of the Devill to distract worldly men from the true knowledg of God Forasmuch as partly by the sophisticated craft thereof and partly by other vain temptations he seeketh to withdraw the good intentions of Christian men from the true Symphony and Sympathy which ought to be between God and his creatures and to allure him unto his own false discordant and antipatheticall Harmony For it is proved that this Spurious and mundane Philosophy is opposit and contradictory in all things unto the true wisdome which descendeth from the Father of Light as St. James teacheth us and therfore it is terrene animall and diabolicall For which cause it should be eschewed rather of all wise Christians then any way followed and observed with such fervency and supeâ—stitious devotion Being it is the main cause that men even of this our Age howsoever partakers of the divine mentall beame being altogether forgetfull of his excellent and thrice noble beginning and divine race forasmuch as they are masked or guilded over with the prestigiously appearing light of privative ignorance become so rude and unskilfull not onely in the true Arts but also lame in the Rudiments of Theosophy insomuch that they neither understand God truly by and in his Works as he ought to be known nor yet can conceive rightly the mystery of his creatures whose Corner-stone is the brightnesse of the all-animating and informing Word But I will make use of my Experimentall instrument to prove a great deal of this which I have uttered by an ocular demonstration or eye-witness CHAP. IV. Here the Author doth ocularly demonstrate the reason of the Animall South wind 's beginning NOw because all this which is said may by some seeming Aristotelian Christians appear fabulous as either not believing or else imagining that things are not understood rightly which are spoken in Scriptures for some such there are and that learned appearing Christians of this Nation I thing it necessary to prove all this which is related unto you by an ocular demonstration produced from our Experimentall Instrument commonly termed the Weather or Calender-Glass Into the which practicall discourse before we enter I would wish each Reader to remember diligently what hath hitherto been said and to give an attentive eare unto this Preamble which I will set before it You ought seriously to remember and consider that the catholick informing Light by which the Spirit of the Lord that was carried upon the universall waters imparting unto them the Spirit of life did inform illuminate and animate the catholick matter of the world was by the consent of most of the antient Fathers in Theology said to be the fourth day contracted into the body of the Sun and for that reason it is said Gloriae Domini plenum est opus Solis omnia illustrantis The work of the Sun which inlightneth all things is full of the glory of the Lord. Hereupon also it may be understood quod Deus induitur lumine quasi vestimento God is cloathed with Light as with a vestiment And in another place the which interpretation we have maintained to be good in the precedent Book of this discourse Posuit Deus tabernaculum suum in sole He put his tabernacle in the sun Whereby it is evident that it was the pleasure of God the Creator of all things that this vessell should be rich and abundant in his Spirit that from it being placed in the center heart diapason or perfect point of the world it might by its vertuous harmony and life order and govern the animall course and temporall disposition of generable and corruptible things on the earth in the seas and catholick sublunary element namely the universall aire which as it is the vehicle of life in every sublunary thing so also it is necessary to consider that the aire is animated and inspired by it as the higher angelicall natures receive their light and being from the Creator before whose face they are alwaies present I do not say that the Sun giveth life but the increated vertue in the Sun which hath elected the palace of the Sun for his treasure-house or cabinet of his vertue And therefore it is said that Sol est gloriae Domini seu virtutis essentiae divinae plenus The sun is full of the glory and divine vertue of the Lord. And again it is tearmed Vas admirabile opus Exceâ—si An admirable vessell the work of the most High Now that this divine vertue in the Sun doth guide the aire and make it a generall angelicall spirit or winde that is an aire animated by divinity which is apt to move according to the motion of the mover we are taught by these words of Solomon Sol lustrans universa in ciâ—cuitu pergit Spiritus in circulos suâ—s revertitur The Sun illuminating all the world the spirit or aire wheeleth about with it and returneth his circuit Arguing thereby that the Sun by his presence doth animate make mobil and agil by subtiliation and quickening of spirits that aire which was quiet and still Now I would not that any man should mistake me and think that I mean that the whole Spirit of the Lord is included in the Sun for as I said Christ was by Scripture reported to be rich and full of the Spirit So God imparted unto the Sun abundance of his illuminating positive generative and vivifying vertue and yet neverthelesse he filleth all things but not after one manner neither in one and the same property or proportion for according unto that common course which he hath ordained for the disposition or ordering of the annuall or yearly temper where the Sun or his actuall tabernacle is more or lesse absent or far removed there is the potentia divina or the cold privative Spirit of God more or lesse in operation for there it acteth universally As for example When the Sun is absent and under the earth it causeth darknesse coldnesse dulnesse of aire and a grosse spissitude to be present As for example When the Sun is beyond the Aequinoctiall in moving toward the Tropick of Caprâ—corn cold frost snow ice short daies thick clowdy and rainy aire is present and southerly winds are most frequent for then the privative property of God hath dominion over the northern hemisphear whereupon the plants herbs and trees are naked and having their spirits and humours congealed appear as dead the earth forsaketh his viridity and like a steril and barren widow beginneth to mourn But as soon as the sunny Chariot with his Princely Lord doth approach unto our hemisphear and enter into this northern world by the fiery and iron or martiall gate of Aries which is in the Spring-time then these almost dead creatures being before as it were mortified by the cruell cold of northern privation begin to revive the nights grow short the cold diminisheth the congealed and fixâ—d spirits in the
plants relent liquifie and become animated and fluent the birds rejoyce and are quickened and the dull and senslesse aire is by little and little refreshed and taketh flight into the southern regions for reasons I will shew you in my demonstrative positions immediately following And yet for all the absence of the bright and inacting Spirit in the Sun it followeth but that one and the self-same Spirit which filleth all may alter his privative property when and where he list for we see oftentimes quite contrary unto the common constitution of the year that by it thunders and lightnings are effected in the midst and hardest of the winters and the winds which are most active namely the east and south blow beyond expectation all which is effected by him at his pleasure who operateth all in all how and by what means and where and when he list This therefore being well pondered I enter into the state of this my demonstration The demonstration or proof how the annuall winds are moved by the vivifying spirit which is in the Sun I have told you that the whole effect of the divine action in the humid nature of this inferiour world did consist in Congelation and Rarefaction and that the first was caused by the privative and northern act of Gods Spirit which doth operate by cold and the other by his positive operation which is guided by heat Now as these two have their dominion or depression by the presence or absence of the Sun so also is the universall aire more cold spisse opake and sluggish or stupid when the Sun is farthest off and again more hot subtle bright transparent agil and active when the Sun is nearest Mark therefore the properties of the aire included in the glazen vessell of the Calender-Instrument and remember that it is but one and the same Spirit in essence that worketh as well privativly as positivly for it was one and the same Spirit which was called by the Prophet from the north and south for the Text saith Veni spiritus à quatuor ventis c. wherefore this Spirit is it that governeth the universall sublunary aire as well privatively as positively And although this Spirit be most plentifully in the Sun yet it being neverthelesse every where is able at all times and in every place to expresse himself in both properties I come therefore unto the point or mark In the first Chapter of the first Book of this present Section I have most clearly demonstrated unto you that the aire included in the Weather-glasse hath in every respect a relation unto the aire or catholick element of the great world where also it is proved that the aeriall humid nature doth as exactly fill every place of the vaulted world where the earth or water are not lest any vacuity should be found in the cavity thereof no otherwise than the dilated aire in the head and neck of the Weather-glasse doth fill the cavity thereof and therefore as the aire included in the glasse doth work by dilatation at the presence of the Sun namely in the Summer-season when the externall aire is heaâ—ed so also and after the self-same manner will the aire of this northern hemisphear be dilated when the Sun is present yea and the nearer the Sun is and the more perpendicular his beams are the greater will the generall aire 's rarefaction be and consequently of that particular aire which is in the glasse On the other side when the Sun is absent from the Boreall hemisphear namely when it moveth beyond the Aequinoctiall then will the common aire in that hemisphear wax cold and be contracted and condensed and consequently the particular aire in the glasse will be contracted after the same proportion which may easily be measured or conceived by the degrees of ascent of the water in the glasse as the rarefaction may be collected by the descent thereof This therefore being well conceived or understood and that the cause of this rarefaction is the presence of this divine act in the sunny tabernacle and that the reason of the condensation is the absence or remotenesse of the said act or operating and emanating Spirit and consequently the presence of the divine puissance which is darknesse for as we said the absence of heat is the presence of cold which is the essentiall worker in the divine puissance and again the presence of heat is the absence of cold So also the absence of positive light conceiveth privative darknesse and the absence of privative darknesse imparteth the presence of positive light We may easily hereupon collect the reason of the annuall winds and perceive what their externall is and how that aire is animated by the vivifying Spirit which is sent out from the Sun Consider therefore that when the Sun is present with us the Summer is created by his presence the aire is calefacted by the bright beams of his Spirit and by calefaction is rarified and by reason of rarefaction of parts requireth a larger place for his existency As for example We put two pound of Vitreol into a Retort and fasten the nose thereof unto a huge Recipient or Receiver stopping the joynts fast that the spirits do no way expire We force out the Spirit from the Retort into the Receiver and we find it tried by experience that part of the Vitreol being dilated into spirits those spirits finding the ample Receiver not sufficient to contain them do violently break the Receiver into an infinity of pieces Whereby it is made plain that a thing which is condensed will occupy but a small place but when it is dilated it will require a very large continent for his existence All this is argued plainly by our experimentall Instrument for when the Sun is present the aire included is forthwith dilated more or lesse according unto the vigour of the solar spirits and winds that blow but when it is dilated it requireth by so much the more a larger place to be contained in by how much the more it is dilated or â—arified and that is proved thus namely because the water is thrust down by so many degrees lower by how many the aire excelleth in rarity So that it is evident that the onely reason why the water is precipitated more and more downwards is because being by degrees subtiliated it maketh it self a larger room to abide in Now that I have shewed you thus much mark that when the Sun commeth newly into an hemisphear where winter did reigne or had dominion and therefore the cold did incrass and thicken the aire as for example when it passeth from us into the southern hemisphear to convert the winter estate of that part into summer it doth forthwith begin to attenuate the aire of that part of the world and that aire so rarified being animated and as it were revived by the operating beams of the Suns bright spirit becommeth light-winged or feathered wherefore it flyeth away from the south and seeketh a larger place for
the better gather and understand the truth of this business and find out whether Aristotle be a true or a false Prophet in this his description Let us here consider what the Book or Bible of verity shall teach us concerning the Generation of a cloud and how the members or clauses of this our definition do agree with the intention of it which that we may more distinctly and with the exacter method effect we purpose in this place to compare their minds and senses together that each person though but meanly literated may easily judge and determine of the case as truly it standeth In the precedent Definition he maketh the efficient and procreating cause the heat or act of the Sun saying that by the attractive vertue thereof the vapour which is the matter or substance of the clowd is drawn out of the earth and water and sublimed into the middle region of the aire averring also that partly by the motion of the Sun and partly by the winds it is moved this way and that way Again he surmiseth that the cause of the contraction or condensation of the vapour into the consistence of a cloud is the coldness of the middle region of the aire So that unto the consistence of the clowd he faineth that two Agents quite contrary in nature and condition unto one another do concur and meet together namely the heat of the Sun and coldness of the middle region of the aire but he assigneth no internall cause of motion unto the clowd esteeming it as a thing dead and without an active spirit For this cause therefore there do offer themselves unto each wise-man's consideration sundry doubts in this Definition to be throughly resolved and determined of before he will be able rightly to judge the verity thereof namely first whether the heat of the Sun do draw and attract vapours out of the earth and waters into the middle region of the aire for the composing and shaping out of a clowdy Meteor Secondly whether the coldness of the middle region of the aire be the occasion of the condensation or thickning of a thin vaporous substance into the consistence of a well compacted clowd Thirdly whether the clowds be only moved by externall efficient Agents namely by the winds and Sun as being destitute of any internall active principle or centrall Agent or else if it be moved and animated by an internall Spirit Unto either of these three questions or doubts I purpose here to answer in order as they are proposed Unto the first Objection therefore I say That it is a most false and erroneous Tenent of the Peripateticks that the Sun Starrs or fire do draw unto them any vapours or exhalations For it is proved by experience that they rather expell and dissipate from them such things as are rarified by them than draw and allure them unto them neither is it true as most men falsly dream and surmise that the Sun draweth fumes upward or that the fire sucketh the vaporous substance of the attenuated water unto it but their office is to rarify and subtiliate the waters and to reduce the moister part of the earth into vapour And then it is naturally incident unto those light Substances of their own inclinations to ascend and mount upwards without any other externall agent But all this we have plainly demonstrated by our experimentall Instrument For if you set your hand upon the bolts head or round glasse on the top the aire will dilate it self and presently fly away from the rarifying agent that dilateth it and therefore much less will that agent suck or draw it unto it self By which it is evident that whereas it seemed in the eies of worldly wise-men that because a vapour or fume ascendeth upwards therfore that motion from the Earth must needs proceed from the attractive vertue of the Summer heat now in the conclusion it is proved to be stark false and erroneous being that the nature of Heat and Light are clean contrary unto the attraction forasmuch as they expell by dilatation and do dissipate and enlarge which is contrary unto the condition of attraction gathering together and condensation which are the properties of cold as is mainfested by our experimentall Machin But now to prove that Aristotle's grounds are most extravagant unto the Truth who affirmeth that the clowds are made of a vapour drawn or elevated up into the middle region of the aire we must understand that the Opinion of the holy Scriptures is flatly adverse and contrary unto this clause or member of his definition or description being that first it is easily to be gathered by this Text of St. Paul That we ought to believe by Faith that things visible were first made of such things which were not seen and therefore it is neither the visible earth nor water that can be the Originall of the clowds but rather the invisible aire And this is also maintained by divers plain Testimonies of Scriptures Deus sapienti◠su◠aptat pondus aëri appendit aquas in mensura Ligat eas in densis nubibus facit pluviae statuta viam fulgetro tonitruum God by his Spirit of Wisdome doth give a weight and proportion unto the aire and hangeth or ballanceth the waters by measure tieth them in the thick clowds giveth laws unto the rain and assigneth a way unto the Lightning of the Thunder In which speech the wise and patient Job doth seem to confirm First that God is the Father and Head from whence this work and all other doth radically proceed and the eternall efficient instrument by which he acteth is his Spirit of Wisdome which also accordeth with this of the Apostle Nobis est unus Deus Pater à quo omnia unus Dominus Jesus Christus per quem omnia To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and one onely Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things Secondly That the aire is the main Subject as well of the watery as fiery Meteors for by thickning or condensing of it it giveth a consistence unto the clowds and such-like Meteors which are easily afterward resolved into water and rain and then by attenuating it extreamly it becometh lightning Not that I say that the act of Lightning is of the Substance of the aire but is rather an admirable Light clothed with the aire as with a vestiment And in the very same sense the Text saith Indutus lumine quasi vestimento He is endued with light as with a vestiment And again the wise Philosopher In lumine numen in numine lumen So that the thinner the aire is the hotter it is and consequently the richer in coelestiall fire whose centrall act is divinity Now that the aire is the substance or materiall subject of the watry Meteors the precedent Text beareth it in these words God by his Wisdom assigneth or setteth by proportion a weight unto the aire that is he thickeneth it into clowds
and windy Angels as the Seraphins are fiery Spirits and so moveth upon the wings of the wind or aire which his Angelicall Cherubin doth animate So that in and by the windy Organ he is said to blow when and where he list It is I say the Eternall Spirit of Wisdome which is in brightness and vertue more noble then the Sun of Heaven as Solomon testifieth For as much as it also giveth life and splendor unto the Sun And therefore it is said to excell the Sun in brightness which is the onely efficient cause or formall and essentiall Agent in this business and consequently neither the Sun or any other of the created host of Heaven It is I say again the all-creating Spirit and not the created which is the generall act and onely formall mover in the Meteors whom his Angelicall Ministers which do ever stand before this Lord of all the earth that I may speak with the Prophet Zachary are ready to assist as Organs or instrumentall causes to execute his will It is I say the essentiall wind or Spirit which bloweth from the center of the cloud and moveth or inciteth his spirituall created Organs according unto his will For by it his Spirit also moveth in the Angels and winds causing them to effect his Command according unto David's assertion Wherefore we may see by this which is said how incongruous is this opinion of the Ethnick Peripatetick unto the Truth and how far it derogateth from the right of God's Word and consequently what an errour it is in our Christian Philosophers to follow and imitate his learning with such a devotion and fervency as if they were Theodidacti taught by God himself when in verity his doctrine doth rather disswade Christians from the knowledg of him in his works then instruct them therein being it perswadeth them that things are effected both in heaven above and in the earth and in the waters beneath by vain waies and accidentally that is to say meerly by naturall causes onely and so would blemish the honour and reputation of Him who in verity is all in all and operateth all in all and that not by constraint as the vain Peripatetick imagineth but according unto his Will as it is proved before CHAP. VI. The true and essentiall Definition or rather description of a Cloud is set forth in this Chapter WEll then will they reply Let us understand how you can better define or describe the nature of a clowd according unto that holy Philosophy and true Wisdom which you seem to profess To the which I answer that I am willing and that after a divers manner though agreeing in one unity of Essence A clowd is the revealing and making manifest of the invisible mundan spirit which is hidden in the treasury of God namely the heavens by the centrall operation of the divine wisdom and his windy ministers being incited thereunto by the will of God into a vaporous heap or clowdy substance which the said spirit of wisdom erecteth for his secret place or vehicle to move in and for the effecting of his will as well in heaven above as in the earth and waters beneath Or after this manner A clowd is the reducing of the invisible aire into a visible thick and gloomy consistence which is by the will of God effected through the concurrence or meeting together of opposite or transversall winds for the accomplishment of his secret will and pleasure Or else thus A clowd is a certain visible condensed heap of aire the which the Spirit of wisdom being expansed every wheâ—e doth make and compose as it were of nothing that is to say of an airy invisible somewhat which it extracteth out of his mysticall treasury to do and effect the will of God as well in heaven as in earth In which definitions or rather descriptions the materiall substance seemeth to be a coagulated mist or condensed masse or heap of aire the formall cause is set out in the shape and form of the clowd the efficient cause or centrall agent is the essentiall act of the divine wisdom who employeth and exciteth his windy ministers to work externally by the way of compression We have also the magazine or treasury out of which the substance of the winds is produced namely the heavens or aire which is termed Arca Dei thesauraria The chist or cabinet of Gods treasures To conclude the finall cause is manifested in this that the clowd is ordained to bring forth the effects as well of Gods clemency and benignity as of his severity and anger Now for the defence of the first part of these descriptions we find it thus written Deus sapientia suâ apt at pondus aeri appendit aquas in mensura facit pluviae statuta viam fulgetro tonitruum c. God doth by his wisdom proportionate the weight of the aire and hangeth the waters or clowds in measure assigneth lawes unto the rain and maketh a way unto the lightnings of the thunder That is to say according unto the will and ordination of the divine Spirit the aire or substance of heaven is changed from a lighter or thinner estate or weight unto a heavier or thicker the degrees of which mutation are expressed in the words following for first it was aire then clowds then rain or vulgar water Also the Text doth seem to make the lightnings internall or formall light of the clowd which is not revealed but by the violation or ruption of the compound and ablation of darkness Again it is said by Job as is already related Aer condensabitur in nubes ventus transiens fugabit eas The aire will be thickned into clowds And touching the clowds of snow Congregatio spiritus aspergit nivem The aire being gathered together doth scatter the snow on the earth Touching the efficient cause it appeareth to be God or the eternall Wisdom and therefore in the precedent Text it is said Deus sapientia sua aptat pondus aeri appendit aquas vel nubes in mensura God by his wisdom hangeth or ballanceth the waters or clowds in measure And again Nubibus densis obtegit Deus coelos God covereth the heavens with thick clowds But all this is sufficiently expressed before As for the finall cause set down in the foresaid definitions it is confirmed by Scriptures in this fashion Pro irrigatione fatigat Deus den sam nubem dispergit lucem nubis suae quodcunque praecipit illis faciendum in terra sive ad flagellum sive ad faciendam beneficentiam efficiet ut presiò sit God wearieth the thick clowd for the watering of the earth and he disperseth every where the light of his clowd whatsoever he commandeth them to be done upon the earth whether it be for a scourge or else in favour and benignity he maketh them to be ready to accomplish it And Baruch saith When God commandeth the clowds that they passe over the whole earth they
suae God doth weary the thick clowds and disperseth abroad the light of his clowds for the watering of the earth Whereby it appeareth that God doth ordinarily gather together the clowds and maketh them his organicall instruments to utter his voice unto mortall men for the prospering of the annuall fruits upon the earth And therefore thus in another place Si consideraret homo extensiones densarum nubium fragores in tugurio illius exteâ—dâ—t super illud lucem suam cum his judicaturus est populum daturus cibum abunde Also in another place all this is more plainly expressed where it is said Vide arcum benedic eum qui fecit illum valde specio sus est in splendore suo gyravit coelum in circuiâ—u gloriae ejus manus Excelsi aptaverunt illum imperio suo accelerat nivem accelerat coruscationes emittere judicii sui Propterea aperti sunt thesauri evolarunt nebulae sicut aves in magnitudine sua posuit nubes confracti sunt lapides grandinis in conspectu ejus movebantur montes in voluntate sua spiravit Notus Vox tonitruum ejus reverberavit terram tempestas Aquilonis congregatio spiritus aspergit nivem c. Behold the rainbow and blesse him that made it it is wondrous beautifull in his brightnesse it did compasse the heaven in the circle of his glory the hands of him that is on high made it By his command he hastens the snow and maketh speed to send foâ—th the lightnings of his judgment Therefore are the treasurâ—es opened and the clowds fly forth like birds He placed the clowds in his greatnesse and the stones of the hail are broken In his sight the mountains did move and according to his will the south-winde hath blown and the voice of his thunder have reverberated the earth The tempest of the north and the congregation of spirits doth spread abroad or besprinkle the snow c. In this speech of the son of Syrach the Lord of lords is proved to be the sole essentiall and efficient cause of all meteors namely of the rainbow the snow the lightnings the clowds the hail the thunder the winds and tempests as also it sheweth that the matter of them is the aire Wherefore he saith in the conclusion The congregation of spirit doth spread abroad the snow Lastly it telleth us that the hands or Spirit of God are not idle in the effecting of such works as Aristotle termeth natural and therefore operateth not only primarily but also secundarily yea and catholically in and over all things as well in their generation as preservation and corruption To the last clause of his definition wherein he seemeth to aver that the lightnings move downward because the stuff of it is of a terrestriall compacted nature I answer that this reason is over weak considering the Gigantean author that alledged it for it may in the self-same manner be inferred that the Gun-powder which is of a far grosser stuff then is that of the lightnings must therefore strike downwards and yet we see by experience it riseth in spight of a mean resistance by its naturall inclination upward as we may perceive by places that are undermined and squibs which are violently carried upward I come therefore unto such true definitions of lightning and thunder as are maintained and allowed by the Book of Verity CHAP. XII How the lightning and the thunder oughtrightly to be described by the true Philosopher and that seriously according unto the tenour of holy Writ SInce therefore it hath been made manifest in the precedent Chapter that Aristotle hath utterly erred in his conceit touching as well the materiall as essentiall and formall cause of the lightnings let me gather as near as my weak capacity will give me leave what should be the true nature and originall essentiall cause of the lightnings according unto the harmonicall consent of holy Scriptures Lightning is a certain fiery aire or spirit animated by the brightness of JEHOVA and extracted out of his treasury which is the heavens or catholick aire to do and execute his will for the good or detriment of the creature Or else in this manner Lightning is a shining brightnesse proceeding out of the clowds being the pavilion of JEHOVA and is sent from the throne of God even down unto the earth covering the surface of the seas But if we would describe the lightning with all his accidents and consequently expresse the whole essence of the thunder which is a mixed nature we may effect it thus out of the testimony of the holy Bible Lightning is a fire burning from the face or presence of JEHOVA at the sight or contact of whose brightnesse the clowds do pass away and the Almighty doth thunder and utter his voice from heaven and sendeth forth his arrowes for the destruction of the wicked Or thus Lightning is a fire proceeding from JEHOVA being sent out of his dark tabernacle from above at the sight whereof the waters or clowds as being terrified and the abysse as it were troubled do haste away in which turmoil the voice of his thunder moveth circularly and the fiery or kindled coals are sent forth as arrowes sent out from a well bent bow to effect his will as well for benediction as for vengeance both in heaven and earth Or in this sort Lightning or coruscation is a clear and pure light in the clowds above the which the winde that passeth by doth purifie c. By the first of these descriptions the manifest materiall cause of the lightning is expressed to be a fiery aire the place out of which it is drawn is the treasure-house of God or the heavens Also the formall cause is expressed in that it is set down to be a fiery spirit or aire the efficient cause I said according unto the truths testimony to be the will or word of God on which dependeth that spirit of wisdom by which God operateth all things Lastly the finall cause is also noted forasmuch as it is said That it was created to do the will of him that ordained it either for the pain or pleasure of mortall men All which is evidently confirmed out of the places of Scripture mentioned before The second definition is confirmed out of the Revelation which saith Fulgura procedunt à throno Lightnings proceed from the throne Again he is said Fulgurare lumine suo desuper cardâ—nâ—sque maâ—is operire To lighten with his brightness from above and to cover with it the corners of the Sea And again prae fulgore in conspectu ejus nubes transierunt The clowds did move by reason of the Lightning and brightness which was in his sight or presence And again ignis ab ore ejus evolavit Fire flew out of his mouth And again Ab ore ejus velut taedae praeeuntes quasi halitus ejus carbones accenderent flamma â—x ore ejus prodicret From
Lightnings into rain and bringeth the wind out of his Treasury Or in this manner Thunder is the multitude of the sound of waters or the voice of the clowds being effected by the coruscations and Lightnings of the Almighty Or thus Thunder is a sound of the multitude of waters being troubled fearing and bâ—aying at the bright aspect or presence of JEHOVA In which description the materiall Organ of the voice is the clowds or waters being as it were afraid and troubled at the emission of the Lightnings whereupon they give a loud voice or sound by reason of that penetrative power which the bright and shining or fiery presence of JEHOVAH who is the worker of wonders doth effect Whereupon the royall David as is said prae fulgore in conspectu ejus nubes transierunt grando carbones ignis intonuit de coelo Dominus At the brightnesse of his presence the clowds did move or pass their way hail and coales of fire the Lord did thunder from heaven And again Viderunt te aquae Deus timuâ—runt turbatae sunt abyssi multitudo sonitus aquarum vocem dedeâ—unt nubes vix tonitrui tui in rota The waters have seen thee O God and were afraid and the abysse was troubled a multitude of the sound of the waters the clouds ecchoed forth a voice the noise of the thunders wheeled about c. Also the formall cause is explicated in that it was made by a great noise and Lightnings The efficient cause seemeth to be the Lightnings from God or rather the fiery aspect of God animating the Lightnings and directing them unto a determinated mark So that it appeareth that the Lightnings are as it were the Instruments of God in his Wrath no otherwise then a sword is the instrument of the man that striketh when we say that it is this or that man which did strike and not the sword And for this cause I say with the Apostle that as it is onely God who is the sole Actour in things So also is he the Father of the Thunders who sendeth out his Lightnings as arrows from his throne Lastly I say that the finall cause expressed in them is to accomplish the divine will of the Creator To conclude it may be defined thus Thunder is the voice speech or eloquence of the Almighty or a sound going out of the mouth of JEHOVA which is directed under the whole heavens with light dispersed over the face of the earth after the which there followeth a loud noise or rumbling or God thundereth with the voice of his excellency the which when it is heard is not found Audite saith Job cum tremore vocem seu loquelam vel eloq â—um abore ejus egrediens quod sub â—oto-coelo dirigit lucem super terminos vel oraâ— terrae Post eum rugit sonitus tonat voce excellentiae suae non investigatur cum audita fuerit vox ejus Hear with trembling he directeth the voice speech or eloquence proceeding from his mouth under the whole heavens and his light over the ends of the earth After him roareth a sound he thundereth with the voice of his excellency the which when it is heard is not found To conclude it is most apparent by this which is already said that the opinion of the Peripateticks as well Christian as Ethnick is most inconsiderate and erroneous in averring that the lightnings are hot and dry exhalations extracted out of the earth and elevated on high even unto the middle region of the aire by the attractive vertue of the Sun and that they being included into a clowd and kindled partly by the collision or knocking together of other clowds and partly by the coldness of the place do by the eruption of their flames cause the thunders I would have every wise Christian to observe duely by what hath already been said whether the mystery of a tempest and whirl-wind do consist and stand upon a thing of so small moment and poor esteem as Aristotle would make us believe or if it arise not out of a far more profound and inscrutable abysse or profundity seeing that the lightnings are reported by truth it self to be such fiery lights of God as issue or proceed from his throne and the thunders are justly termed the voice word and eloquence of JEHOVA And for this reason JEHOVA reprehending the boldness of these kind of worldly Philosophers which presume so far to censure his inscrutable actions or to dive into the depth of his mysteries touching the essentiall causes of these meteors without the warrant and assistance of Gods Spirit and falsly to make the world believe that his hidden and abstruse secrets are effected after their vain imaginations which vanish in the conclusion and become as nothing because indeed they are grounded on nothing else but foolish and self-conceited phantasies and vanities seemeth to utter unto them these speeches Auribus percipite considerate mirabilia Dei fortis Nosti cum disponat Deus de illis cum splendeat lux nubis suae Nosti-ne de libramentis densae nubis mirabilia Dei perfecti scientiis Quaenam est via qua in partes dissilit lux Cujus utero egressa est glacies Aut pruinam coeli quis genuit Quanam via itur ubi habitat lux tenebrarum ubi est locus Perceive with your ears and consider the marvellous works of the strong God Dost thou know when God disposeth of them when the light of his clowd doth shine forth Dost thou understand the marvails of God who is perfect in sciences touching the ballancing and pondering of the thick clowds Which is the way in which the lightnings do skip forth being divided into parts Out of whose womb doth the ice proceed or who hath begotten the frost of heaven Which is the way that directeth oâ— leadeth unto the habitation of lâ—ght and which is the seat of darknesse This saith JEHOVA I say the strong God in checking of the vain-glorious wise-men of this world for their presumption and especially he pointeth at the bold Peripateticks who presumptuously profess that they of themselves without the teaching of the true wisdom do know all these things And yet the wisest amongst men speaketh thus Animadverti totum opus Dei non posse hominem ass qui illud opus quod sit sub sole quam laboriose homo quaerat non tamen assecutum esse quinetiam si cogitet sapientissimus cognoscere non tamen posse assâ—qui I observed every work of God that man is not able to attain unto that work which is under the sun how laboriously soever he seeketh Yea verily if the wisest man thinketh to know it he will not be able to attain unto it By which words Solomon pointeth at the insufficiency of man in himself that is to say without the conduct of the spirit of wisdom to attain unto the knowledge of Gods mysteries which also he doth seem to intimate in these
sent out from the Fountain of life to inact and vivify all things Which increated Spirit of life is indivisible in essence and therefore as it doth actually from his immense fountain of life send down or breathe forth the influences of life after the manner of an infinity of beams from one Sun unto an infinite sort of creatures to inform them and make them live So are those beams of life thus sent out no less continuated and indivisible from that fountain or spiritual and indivisible Son of life then the visible beams can be divided from the visible Sun Neither was it sufficient for Adam to have indued a Microcosmicall body namely a masse of earth for his materiall had not this exalted formall essence sent by God into the world as not divided from divinity added a lively force and activity by breathing his Spirit of life into him And therefore Hermes spake not amiss when he said that the world was the Image of God and man the image of the world being that as God created and vivifyed the watery Spirit of the world by adding unto it his creating Spirit of life so that Spirit of life which is all one in essence with the Father being sent into the world and filling the Spirit of the world doth vivify multiply and preserve not onely man but also every other animal vegetable and minerall that is in the world This being therefore in the first place to be considered I proceed thus The variety of the Species upon the earth did radically proceed from the very act of creation when the word Fiat was spoken and immediatly the will of the speaker was accomplished by his Son which by the way of emanation was sent into the world to do the will of his Father And there are some that will not shrink to say that all the Species or kinds of creatures were expressed in and by the 22. Hebrew letters not those externall ones which are vulgarly painted out with Ink or Art which are but shadows but the fiery formall and bright spirituall letters which were ingraven on the face or superficies of the dark hyles by the fiery word of the eternall Speaker in the beginning and therefore they are tearmed originally Elementa quasi Hylementa or Elements as engraven in the forehead of the dark abysse or Hyle and by reason of the essence of that divine Word which received the mystery of the Typicall creation and did trace it out after the Archetypicall patern and delineated it in characters of formall fire the language which was framed out of it was called Lingua Sancta a language I say much spoken of by the learned Rabbies of our age but little known or understood by them and yet of an infinite importance for the true enucleation as well of sacred Mysteries as of all true Cabalisticall abstrusities But to proceed According to the tenor of the divine Word and his formall characters the effects whereof passed unalterable into the world each species or kind was framed and again every individuall of each kind was made divers and distinct from others as well in shape and proportion as condition and and property Now as I said that this Spirit of the Lord did effect the will of his Father in creating every thing thus differently being in it self but one and the same essence So also did it and doth still continue and keep every one of these Species or kinds by multiplication or generation in their successive estates and preserveth every individuall during the time of his being as well by an elementary as aethereall kind of nutriment which according to his spirituality doth descend as it were from heaven to nourish the spirits of each individuall according unto his kind For you must understand that as the catholick soul of the world is generall unto all So is the aire made the chest or closet of his golden treasury or spiritual food which while it swimmeth occultly like a golden vapour showred down from heaven in the aire filling and replenishing all So whilst it is yet in the open aire it is as apt to sustain and multiply the life of a serpent a sheep a fish or a foul an oake a herb or such like as of a man For so soon as the magnetick power or virtue of the creature which causeth every minute a refection from this heavanly Nectar hath drawn in a portion of this catholick Spirit or nature it leaveth his catholick or generall nature and worketh specifically that is to say according unto the individuall nature of that kind which receiveth it that is to say it converteth it self being in a dog into his nature in a whale into his nature in a man into his in an oake or myrtill into his in wheat into the proper nature of wheat and so in all other kinds and consequently it is the cause that every creatures spirit is nourished and sustained it it self For this was the Creator's Ordinance that by what spirit the creature was first created in his kind by the same it should be maintained preserved and multiplied Hence it was that the Philosopher breaketh forth into this speech Est in aere occulius vitae cibus The hidden aliment of life is in the aire Whereby he means that quint essentiall food which we receive from the generall Spirit of life in the world which by the appointment of God hangeth ready and in every part of the aire to strive for the spirituall food of life unto every elementary creature the main virtue whereof consisteth in the eternall vivifying Word and Spirit of all things and therefore the Text saith Deus dat vitam inspirationem omnia God giveth life and inspiration and all things And again Visitatio tua conservat spiritum meum Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit Vita adest benevolentiâ IEHOVAE Life is present by the benevolence of IEHOVA Vitae fons penes Deum est The fountain of life is with God Vitae prolongatio benignitas ejus The prolonging of life is the benignity of God Quem visitavit Deus salute sua fruetur bono Whom God doth visit with his salutiserous nature he shall be partaker of goodnesse Deo dante creaturis colligunt aperiente manum suam saâ—iantur bono abscondente faciem suam conturbantur recipiente spiritum corrum exspirant emittente spiritum suum recreantur God giving unto the creatures food they receive it when he openeth his hand they are filled with all goodnesse If he hide away his face or abstain from giving them their daily spirituall bread they are troubled and wiâ—l be sick if he take away from them their spirit they exspire and die but if he send forth again his Spirit they are recreated and refreshed again We are taught also by Christ in our Pater-noster to pray for our daily bread and it is called there Panem super-substantialem the super-substantiall bread as Jerom interpreteth it And our Saviour meaning of
excellently-bright throne of Eternity All this in effect we may collect from the Fathers of the Church for St. Dionys. saith That an Angell is the image of God and the shining forth of his hidden light a mirrour pure and most bright without spot without wemm and withâ—ut defiling And for this cause he calleth the Angels Algamatha that is mâ—st clear Mirrâ—rs receâ—ving the light of God arguing theâ—eby that they are the images of the catholick Emanation from whence they spring For Scriptures say that the Spirit of wisdom is the brighâ—nesse of the eternall light a glasse or mâ—rroâ— of the maâ—esty of God wâ—thout â—pot and the image of his Goodnesse And Bartholâ—mâ—w saith That an Angell taketh his hidden light from God by influence and sendeth it forth unto those Angells whiâ—h are of a lower order or condition And Austin and Damascens say that Angeâ—ls are intellectuall lights receiving their light from the first light Again Baâ—tholâ—mâ—w saith that they are called Gold by reason of the beams which they send forth Also they are called Fiery Rivers by reason of the bright influences which they receive and send forth to those of a lower region Also St. Dennis saith that the higher Ordeâ—s receive most plentiously the light of God which afterward they impart by influence unto such Spirits as are lower And this Law is observed in the Oâ—der of Angels namely that some be the first and some the second and some the last For this cause therefore the SERAPHINS are Angels so called because they are said to burn and be set on fire by reason of their immediate presence befâ—re the face of God But letting all these testimonies passe we are instructed by many places of Scripture that Angels are bright â—â—ning lights that they are above in the third heaven attending on the Throne that there are seven which are Presidents in heaven as there are seven Candlesticks which import the seven Planets and that there is one great Angeâ— that is head or master over them all which held the seven stars in his hand And that there are four Angels which have dominion over the four winds who have power to hurt the earth and the seas And that they are commanded and over-ruled by one great Angel who beareth the soveraâ—gn seal of preservation And that there is a Prince of daâ—knesse who is that great opposite spirit which hath dominion in the aire And that there are as well deadly as hurtfull Principalities Potestates and Governours in this world which are adverse unto Gods creatures as good Angels or Angels of light which are friends unto them To conclude the multiplicable fruit or seeds we compare unto the stars of heaven and the leaves unto the creatures below which have their natures and mutations from those internall or spirituall organicall agents So that we may see that Eternity giveth life unto eviality and eviality unto tempâ—rality And as we see that in the eternall world the First Person addeth a beeing unto the Second and the Third proceedeth from them both so the aeviall or Emperiall Angells poure down the influences of life into the Olympicall or heavenly ones and the Olympicall or starry spirits do send them down on the Elementary In the same manner the Emperiall Spirits are the soul or life unto the Starry or Aetheriall heaven which animateth by his influences the Elementary and the earth is animated by them all Thus therefore we see that God operateth by his divine organs variously all in all which being well understood in the first place we may boldly conclude that also all the peculiar angelicall lights do proceed from one and the self-same catholick Emanation aâ—d consequently we find that the diversity and opposition of their natures proceed from the multiplicity of properties which is in that generall emanation proceeding from the throne oâ— God or Unity before all beginnings And this is the reason that this eternall creating Spirit of wisdom is tearmed by Solomon Unicus multâ—plex One and manifold One I say in regard of his essence and manifold in regard of the multiplicity of its properties by which it worketh variously and sometimes by opposition in the world But all this is excellently expressed by the learned Cabalisticall Rabbies in the description of their Numericall or Sephiroticall Tree You must therefore understand that as the mysticall Theologians did observe but ten speciall names or attributes which were ascribed unto God in the Hebrew Bible a proprietate so they did perceive that each of these did import a diverse operation to be effected so that the Hebrewes did call upon this or that Name of God mentioned in the holy Text according unto the nature of the severall necessity they had of Gods assistance And though they collected by the word of God that as the Divinity or Godhead is but one internall immutable essence and therefore hath but one onely essentiall title to be expressed by namely Tetragrammaton or Jehova which is his unseparable name forasmuch as it is appropriated unto him onely for it includeth as Rabbi Moses the Aegyptian hath it and argueth by a pure signification the substance of the Creator without any respect or participation that it hath unto the creature yet neverthelesse they found that the other names ascribed unto him in Scripture do note or signify God as he participateth with his creatures or as he hath relation unto things that are created and consequently are known by the effect of his works As touching his essentiall name it was had amongst the Hebrewes or Jewes in that high esteem and reverence that it was never uttered but in the Sanctuary and that by such Priests as were consecrated and made holy onely unto the Lord and then it was pronounced in that Benediction which the High Priest uttered in the day of fasting For this reason that name was had in that honourable regard that it was never rashly spoken or uttered because as the said Rabbi Moses saith denotat Deum esse fuisse super omnem essentiam quatenus antequam ullares esset existeret Iâ— importeth that God is and was above any essence forasmuch as he did exist before that any thing was existent in the world And this was that pretious Name of God which Moses was so desirous of him to hear and know when he received from him this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc est nomen meum in aeternum IEHOVA is my everlasting name Which name is so pure and simple that it cannot be articulated or compounded or truly expressed by mans voice As for the other denominations appropriated unto God they do not expresse him according unto his Essence but onely in respect of his works as is said namely as he appeareth all in all and existeth in all things We must understand therefore for our better instruction that seeing the Divine Nature is and operateth in all created things as also without them for he is the
unity and consequently of sympathy namely by making the catholick child of darknesse like it self and therefore to make two to compassionate each other But contrariwise that of darknesse is evermore enclined to make duality of unity and to breed discord by violating the bands of concord and so to procreate a new antipathy and hatred thereby to destroy the fruits of love So that the spirit which light hath redeemed out of the dark Chaos is the intermediate subject betwixt both the extreams that is to say between light and darkness and therefore is the passive subject ordained by the Creator to endure the impressions of each opposite extream whereupon it becommeth sometimes the subject of sympathy namely when it is obedient unto union and light and sometimes of antipathy to wit when it rebelleth against that light Thus do we see the true subject of all passion in the soul of the world and this was the onely reason why the Philosopher Heraclitus avowed with such confidence That all things were composed of strife and friendship and Empedocles That the soul was made of amity and enmity I will now therefore expresse unto you that concordant order which that eternall love who shined out from the Father of light and love hath put and placed in each region of this world to distinguish the two different natures from one another by placing between them an intermediate subject which doth agree with each extream And first I will speak of the orders in the universall spirit of the world and lastly of every particular vivified and inacted spirit as well in the intellectuall or emperiall as vitall or aetheriall and naturall or elementary heaven and that in order We must place the two opposite principles in this world in the two extreams of the semidiameter thereof and first we imagine the seat of the God of light or of the divine act to consist in the convexity of the higher and purer Orbe of the Angells or Emperiall Heaven I speak unto the vulgars understanding that is in the circumference of the vawted world and then we deem the throne of darknesse or the divine puissance to be in the center thereof as the furthest place from its opposite in nature which is light Here you may see the two principles of concord and discord of love and hatred and consequently of sympathy and antipathy of the effects whereof all the Scripture and each member of Philosophy is full The catholick matter which was originally extracted out of darkness namely the waters which was made the materiall substance of which the heavens and the earth were framed by the divine word doth occupy all that space which the world containeth was by the celestiall Alâ—himy or spagerick vertue of the divine illuminating emanation divided according unto the contrary and discordant natures of the said two principles into the upper waters and the lower waters whereof the first or higher waters were good and obedient unto the bright Divinity and were converted into a fiery nature being thereupon tearmed the Emperiall nature for their obedience unto the bright emanation were full of intellectual fire and angelicall light And therefore this portion of the waters was ordained for the seat of the good Angells The lower waters contrariwise as being fecall gross impure and therefore more rebellious unto light and obedient by participation unto darknesse were placed next unto their dark beginning namely the earth and did possess all that space between the starry heaven and the earth which is called Elementary and for this cause is subject to all changes of generation and corruption And this was ordained to be the seat of Satan and his angels which is for that cause called the Prince of this world the Prince of the aire and his prime subjects are called Principalities Potentates and Governours of this world Lo here the two extreams in the created nature from the upper whereof a generall sympathy and love or a Symphoniacall consent of things is made and effected in this world by the other namely the lower an universall Antipatheticall jar is by turns effected and intruded into the Symphoniacall accord of things in the lower world namely when the severe Attributes of God do rain down into the starry world influences of a contrary nature which afterward by their emissions unto the lower world give liberty and power unto the bad Angells to work their destructive and Antipatheticall effects on certain creatures thereof As for example the attribute ELOHIM doth send down into the starre or Planet of Saturn the fruits of his chill and frozen effects whereby the spirits of that Sphere are corroborated the which again do pour down their Boreall or Northern nature unto the spirits which are their Substitutes in the Elementary world to wit those which have power to harm by the Northern winds Hereupon Archangelus Cabalista Hoc nomen EL quod nos Deum habemus interpretatu omnia fovet omnibus succurrit summa pietate clementia id quod est illi proprium ideo illi gratia attribuitur At per ipsum nomen ELOHIM veniunt severa punitiones strages Angeli ei inservientes dicuntur BEN-ELOHIM i. e. filii ELOHIM ELOHIM ergo terrorem significat pavorem Hinc locus Aquilonaris ei assignatur à quo procedit omne malum This name or attribute EL which is by interpretation God doth foster or nourish all things and assisteth every creature by his piety and clemency which is appropriated unto him But by the name or Attribute ELOHIM come severe punishments and Straâ—agems and the Angells which are his Ministers to effect his will are called BEN-ELOHIM that is to say the sons of ELOHIM ELOHIM therefore signifieth terror and fear And for this cause the Northern quarter of the world from whence cometh all evill is assigned unto this property c. By this therefore we may discern how the spirits which are dispensatours as well of salutary as malevolent and destructive influences are in the mass of the lower Elementary waters whereby man and the other creatures of God may be either preserved or destroyed To conclude that middle spirit in the world called the Firmament which divideth both the extreamly-differing waters from one another and is that intermediate spirit of the world which doth equally participate and behold each extreme is the Centrall mansion of that eternall Spirit which emitteth his beams from his stately Solar or sunny palace even unto the Center of darkness and extendeth his emanation even unto the seat of Light which is his root for his brightness is emitted from the attribute ELOAH by the beautifull or glorious port or gate TIPHERETH which importeth grace beauty and pulchritude by the Angelicall order of the Virtues into that purified pallace of the Sun So that by his emanating presence he penetrateth every where and filleth all things by his presence and vivifieth all things by his Virtue and is the Father of life
out of order and in a destructive war with one another were it not for the presence of this Lord of misrule Thus as you see will Dyscracy and Antipathy reigne by their turnes in the neather region of the world when the tye of the elements are loose Thus will friendship be quickly changed into hatred when JEHOVA is pleased to send forth his altering winds and to corroborate and animate by his influence from above the ministers of his wrath here below against the sublunary creature Now come I to prove that all sympatheticall and antipatheticall effects do proceed from the secret and occult actions of the ministring spirits of this world That there is a mighty difference amongst the Angels no man of wisdom can deny for though all Angels were at the first united unto the divine Unity yet by reason of the rebellion and ambition of Lucifer that knot of union was broke and then the waters were divided from the waters that the good Angels might be separated and distinguished from the bad by the interposition of the firmament as a Diaphragma or middle bar between each of their habitations So that the dark Angels were enclosed in the lower or dark fecall and dreggy waters and the light Angels were lodged in the higher waters which were illuminated and dignified by a super-celestiall light and glory Thus you may see that the very Angells of heaven forasmuch as they are created of aire or the humid spirit of the world which is their externall and the bright emanation from Unity which is their internall are subject by reason of their materiall subâ—tance which participates of both extreams unto affections or passions as well sympatheticall as antipatheticall and consequently they aâ—e able by reason of their contrary pâ—operties to produce both sympatheticall and antipatheticall accidents in the spirits of the elementary creatures As for examples sake we will compare the catholick sympathy and antipathy which is in the soul of the great world unto that peculiar soul or spirit which is in man being that every particular was framed out of the universall We ought therefore to understand that the whole essenâ—e of the soul or spirit of man though it be invisible extendeth and manifesteth it self by her vertues and faculties for by her irascibility it contemneth and hateth and by her concupiscibility it doth covet and desire and by her rationability she distinguisheth and discerneth between them both And verily the whole effect of the souls essence consisteth in these three powers whereof the first is compared to the action of the lower waters which is apt to jar and disagree and is the region of Lâ—tigâ—um or the Prince of darkness The second is referred unto the nature of the firmament which is the region of life and salutary love and the last unto the angelicall and intellectuall heaven which doth discern between things that belong unto the lower heavens or regions of the world Whereupon it appeareth that from her rationall property every sense belonging unto the soul of man doth proceed as from the other two every affection motion or passion of the minde doth arise and spring Now there are known to be four affections of the soul whereof two do proceed from her concupiscible power namely Joy and Hope for at that which we love we rejoyce and are glad or we hope for and expect that which shall rejoyce us or make us glad and the two other issue from her irascible faculty or vertue namely Grief or Dolour and Fear for now we grieve at that which we hate or we fear that which would make us grieve or be dolorously affected And verily we shall after a due inquisition find that these four affections of the Microcosmicall soul are not onely the beginnings and common matter or subject of all morall vices or vertues but also the originalls of Metaphysicall or occult and Physicall or elementary and apparent sympathy and antipathy as well in the little as in the great world and every creature thereof For I would not have you ignorant that being the soul in man is derived from the vivifying emanation dwelling in the words spirituall vehicle it must follow that that soul in the great world must needs have in it the faculties which the little worlds soul hath for Quod facit tale est magis tale But these faculties in the soul of man were derived from the great world and the eternal soul that vivified it Wherefore it followeth that there is a rationability a concupiscibility and an irascibility in the soul of the great world though not made manifest unto us First because that it hath attributes of irascibility and displeasure for from his Attribute ELOHIM Gibbor he sendeth down by the port Geburah the fiery beams of his displeasure by his Archangell Samael into the globe or sphear of Mars who is for that cause President of the irascible faculty of the greater world wherefore his influences do cause wrath and angry effects in the aire and earth as thunder lightnings comets and other wrangling accidents which as Scriptures tell us are the arguments of Gods wrath and vengeance also war famine and pestilence and augmenteth the angry nature and spirit of men and beasts And again Gods Attribute IEHOVA Sabaoth poureth down the beams of concupiscibility by the Arch-angell Anael upon the globe of Venus according to Philosophers and Astronomers who for that reason being moved thereto by experience and observation have made this star the president and rectrix of the concupiscible faculty As the Attribute EL doth pour out the beams of reason justice and religion yea and naturall vegetation and life into the sphear of Jupiter But principally this naturall faculty is rained into the soul of the world by the Attribute IAH through his port Sapientia or Wisdom The second reason is because the great world hath an intellectuall or rationall heaven and a concupiscible property manifested in every creature and an irascible which is apparent also by reason of hatred and horrour which appeareth between one thing and another Also that there is an irascible quality in the elements that deadly hatred which is betwixt the fire and water and the aire and earth doth manifest That also there is a love and concupiscence between things it is evident because one nature rejoyceth in his like and therefore by a naturall inclination every thing doth move and convert it self unto his like by all possibility but especially it is most inclinable unto it self So we see that fire doth naturally affect and move unto fire water unto water and earth unto earth But above all the vivifying spirit of every living thing which is celestiall and therefore exceedeth the place of the elements doth with fervency affect and thirst after his like and is rejoyced at the presence and concurrency thereof And for this cause this passion of what creature soever will be the more truly sympatheticall and the sympathy between things will be so much the
greater and of more force by how much the nearer the spirits of the things either present or dispersed are in nature and consanguinity to one another As for example If that both be of one minier or thing in number also like specifick individualls though they differ in number as the Uznea fat or blood of one man do sympathise with another ad distans the Load-stone of one Mine may affect harmonically the Iron of another ad distans And I told you before the true reason thereof as well radicall as immediate namely because both the natures belong unto one divine influence or proceed from angelicall beams or an emanation sent forth from one and the same star as well fixed namely of the firmament or eighth sphear as erratick and planetary For I told you that there is not one animal or vegetable or mineral upon the earth or in the seas which hath not a peculiar star that poureth out upon him his proper influence as well to produce and generate its like and to continue it in succession as to preserve and maintain it in essence Now each angelicall nature hath his appropriated beams from the radicall emanation of some divine Attribute which conveyeth it to his destinated or starry store-house and from the Olympick spirits of that star it is sent down unto such spirits in the elements as are their inferiour ministers which operate according unto the self-same nature in each specifick and every individuall there As for example The stars in the Ram or Aries of the Zodiack have chiefest influence over such like cattle on the earth and the Scorpion over the like creeping things thereof the Crab over such like creatures of the sea for we finde by experience that if the Crab be taken when the Sun and Moon do joyne together according unto the Longitude or degree of the Aequinoctiall in which the great star of the celestiall Crab's claw is found it is of mighty vertue and power against poyson and if it be collected or taken at another time it will have but small effect Again we must note that each fixt star or constellation of the Zodiack hath his proper Planet whose peculiar House he is which concurreth in the fortification and alteration of that influence For the diversity of application of other Planets unto it doth cause a variety of operation even in the same animals sperm or plants seed and mettles secret spirit And yet howsoever they do more or less agree and sympathize in nature as the beams of each Planet so applying unto one another will give them leave for if the concurrence be between friendly Planets and of one and the same triplicity namely where their Houses are of friendly elements then the sympathy will be the stronger And thus much Agrippa doth seem to intimate in these words In rebus proprietates occultas non ab elementali natura sed caelitus in sitas sensibus nostris occultas rationi vix denique notas quae quidem à vita spirituque mundi per ipsos stellarum radios proficiscuntur quae à nobis non aliter quam experientia conjecturis indagarâ— possunâ— Scire ergo debes quod unaquaeqâ—e res movet ad suum simile incâ—inat aa seipsum secundum totum posse suum The occult properties in things which are not grafted in them by an Elementary nature but descend from heaven are hidden from our sâ—nses and scarcely known unto our reason Forasmuch as they are derived from the life and spirit of the world by the beams of â—he starrs the which cannot be otherwise scanned and found out by us than by experience and that conjecturally or by ghesse You must therefore know that every thing doth move unto his like and by all the means possible dâ—th incâ—ine unto it self c. Whereby he argueth that the catholick Angelicall spirit which vivifieth the world in whose Diviner part cosisteth the Sephiroticall power or Virtue of all the Divine Attributes in which also as Ezekiel testifieth is contained the virtues of the four wind is the main actor who by his severall subdivided emissions of diversly conditioned beams doth operate in and by his starry Organs all these occult and hidden effects below which cannot fall into the Sphere or capacity of a common man's understanding though by effect we find it to be thus and thus So that there is not a particular beam that is emitted from it which hath not a secret disposed act no otherwise varying from one another than by ocular experience we find the effects of them to differ For whatsoever was originally decreed in the secret Counsell of the Archetype is effected from a generality unto many Specialities and from each Speciality unto an infinit number of individuall particularities So that the aeviall or Angelicall effect is the image of the eternall Idea and the temporall world is the similitude of the aeviall and again in the temporall or typicall world every stellar shape is the likenesse or paterne of the Angelicall Idea and again the Elementary things are the shadows of the spirituall shapes or Images in heaven Wherefore as God sendeth out his Emanation which is his Image unto the Angelicall world in a diversity of fashions and multiplicity of respects So the Angelicall spirits do send out their severall different Lights unto each other namely every order unto his inferior and every upper Sphere unto the Spheres which are below them and so from the starrs whiâ—h also apply their lights unto one another by severall aspects infusing them in and upon the creatures by degrees downward even unto the very Center of the earth which creatures after the manner of their pattern do also shine forth unto one another by beams which are either Sympathetical and harmonious or Antipathetical and discordant to each other neither ought we to doubt that there are such agreeing and disagreeing beams here below seeing that in the fountain of Unity from whence all things do flow we observe an opposition of properties namely a privative Nolunty and a positive Volunty Nor yet ought we to deem otherwise then that the passive spirituall matter of the world's soul is the substject by which the Divine Virtue worketh and in which it stirreth up as well loving and positive or good and Sympatheticall passions by pouring out plentifully his positive and vivifying beams of life adding delight and joyes with a completion of the spirituall created matter 's appetite So that it forgetteth the rooted nature which its dark Parents or Mother Chaos and the Divine Puissance did in her nativity bestow upon it and is converted into a child of Light by adoption and therefore in this case it doth Sympathize with those golden showers of charitable and vivifying Light which are sent down from the benigne attributes of God and begins to hate and dread and lothe or eschew all such privative influences as are poured down from the severe insalutary and destructive attributes no otherwise then
being too wary and listning overmuch unto the Proverb Noli alium sâ—perâ— Câ—imbe not too 〈◊〉 have their regard more pronely namely upon the earth and her effects onely and of this ranck is Fracastorius who searching after the reason and beginning of this attracting faculty doth imagine that the Hyperboreall mountaines which abound with rocks of this nature do draw these Iron-natured subâ—â—cts unto them And this his figment seemeth so plausible unto divers persons of learning that they follow it as well in their Astronomicall writings as Geographicall tables or descriptions of the world and Sea-cards or maps which if it were tâ—ue they would easily draw unto them all such Ships as pass in the Northern Seas Olaus Magnus and some other that follow his traditions say that the attâ—active force cometh from some northern Islands which abound in that Magnetick subject But leaving their fancy unto the empty wind I pâ—oceed unto others Lucretius Caâ—us a poet of the Epicurean Sect dreameth that the attraction of Iron is caused of an effluxion of atoms For saith he according unto the Epicures opinions as most subtill atoms do emanate and â—â—ow out from every thing even so do atoms â—lie out of the Iron as Magneticall seeds by a certain coition of it with the Load stone into the interposed place or space that is between them and that by the union or complication of both bodies the iron is drawn c. Unto this sense also do Aphrodiseus Joannes Costâ—us Plutarch yea and Thomas Aquinas incline when indeed they ought to know that no attraction is made by emission from the Center unto the Circumference that is by dilatation but rather by sucking in and contracting from the Circumference unto the Center and therefore the emission of atomicall seeds out of the Iron can be no reason of its Union with or moving to the stone But it must be the Load-stone that must draw the beams or spirits out of the Iron For it appeareth that the Iron doth not draw it self unto the Load-stone but is drawn unto it Thales and Anaxagoras think that the Load-stone hath life in it because it attracteth a substance like it self as lively creatures do Lucâ—etiuâ— and Orpheus think there is that Sympathy between the Magnet and the Iron which is between the male and female and in this they erre not much Averroes Scaliger and the Cardinal Cusanus would have Iron to move unto the Load-stone as unto his originall Mattix Galen thinketh that it draweth by his substantiall form And now I must come unto the opinion of my renowned Fellow or Collegue D. William Gilbert for his Magnetick skill and deep search as well contemplative as experimentall touching this Subject His mind is that this attractive virtue in the Load-stone doth spring from formall actions or originall and primary Virtues or vigours For he concludeth that the Magnetick force proceedeth from a particular or singular form differing from that formall and specifick cause in mixt bodies mentioned by the Peripateticks but saith he it is a certain form which is the proper entity and existence of the starry Globes and their homogeniall incorrupted parts which he calleth the Primarie radicall and astreall Form namely such a one as is in the Sun the Moon and other celestiall Stars And he averreth that after a like manner there is one in the earth which is that true Magneticall Puissance which is called the first act or vigor And this he saith is not derived from the whole heaven affirming that it is procreated by Sympathy through influence or occult qualities neither is it from any peculiar starre For it hath its Magneticall virtue from the earth c. This is my learned quondam Fellow-Collegue his opinion whose pains and industry in the research of this Subject's practicall conclusions as I cannot but commend and extol So on the contrary side reason will not permit me to consent unto this his speculative foundation or root of the Load-stone's virtue in all For who can believe that the earth it self much less the particulars thereof can have any Virtue radically from it self when it is evident that as well the earth as the heavens came radically out of the waters And therefore as the heaven was before the earth it must needs follow that the formall Virtue of the earth did totally descend from heaven and consequently the earth had no such property from it self But of this hereafter more at large Among the Ethnick Philosophers Plato and of the Christians Scaliger and Fernelius do think that the cause of this Attraction is Divine and from above but how and after what manner they express not And therefore though in a generality they have spoken the truth yet in these common words they seem to expresse they know not what In particular I will conclude with the last opinion which is the most idle and insufficient of all the rest and therefore is worthy to be made the last and most unworthy part namely the tayl or excrement of them Franciscus Rucus maketh a great doubt concerning the wonderfull property in the Load-stone and because forsooth the pitch of his capacity can attain no higher then unto Superficiall things and such as are subject unto sense therefore he judgeth all effects beyond his reach to be Cacomagicall and consequently he maketh a doubt whether the cause of these actions in the Load-stone be not an impostury or subtill slight of the Cacodemons or evill spirits And yet this man is more to be born withall then such as do boldly averre that the act and wonderfull effects of the Weapon Salve is cacomagicall For he speaketh not absolutely as they do who without any farther doubting do seem to attribute all hidden effects unto the Divell and so deprive God of his due but onely this man maketh a doubt whether it be so or no. CHAP. II. In this Chapter the Author's Opinion touching the originall intermediate and immediate Action or Virtue of the Load-stone is enucleated and set down at large I Am sure you do remember how in my precedent discourse I have demonstrated that God in a generality doth operate all and in all and then after what manner the self-same Unity in the Divine essence is manifested in its property according unto the multiplicity of his sacred Volunty which is therefore proved to be manifold because the particular effects of his actions which are not put in execution but by his Volunty are infinite in Variety And for this cause I shewed unto you that there are attributed unto one and the same sacred essence Ten severall denominations or Attributes whereof some send out emanations of dilatation and extension by the which the waters were expansed and spread abroad by subtiliation and shaped into bright clear and transparent heavens and of such kind of influences are those which are emitted and infused into the world by HOCHMA through JAH or by the Spirit of Wisdome and those which spring forth from ELOAH
which he draweth or attracteth from the circumference unto the center and so congealeth inspissateth and hardeneth soft spirits by contraction and coarctation of those parts which before were porous and dilated But some will perchance reply and say How is it likely that the emanation or emission of spirits from the port of Binah under the Attribute of ELOHIM or the streaming forth of the breath or blasts from Boreas and his two collateralls can harden by contraction or suck and draw in spirits from the circumference unto the center when their emissions are straight from the north southward and make no reflexion whereby any such motion à circumferentia ad centrum should be made I answer That this is effected after a wonderfull fashion and worthy to be pondered by the choisest wits We must consider therefore in the first place that the property of the Attribute ELOHIM was before all beginning ordained to indue the negative or contractive nature of the eternall Unity's Nolunty namely of darkness for when God will not shew the light of his countenance he reflecteth his light in himself that is he withdraweth it from the circumference to the center and leaveth onely darkness unto the creatures This property of God is antipatheticall unto such parts of the world as also unto all such creatures as have their life from a naturall heat which heat had its beginning from Gods benevolent emanation that is from the act of unity by an emission or dilatation from the center unto the circumference I mean from unity into multitude It followeth therefore that though the emission of winds from the north be streight yet their essentiall property proceeding immediately from Gods angelicall organ is contractive and attracting from the circumference unto the center seeing that it is an emission which by the divine Spirits emanation and action in the nature of ELOHIM is cold dry coagulative or congealing and apt to rest and is therefore antipatheticall and oppugnant unto the disposition of the air forasmuch as it is hot and moist and consequently is animated by the dilative action which the catholick spirit sendeth or breatheth out of the celestiall Sun and other vivifying stars as are Jupiter and Venus And for this cause it followeth that when the Boreall spirits are sent forth into the aire it must needs succeed that at the antipatheticall contract of these cold spirits the naturall heat or life of the aire flyeth or with-draweth it self from its circumference unto its center and so partly by that contractive motion in it self caused per antiperistasin or by reason of the antipatheticall occurrence or meeting of his contrary and partly by mingling of a new terrestriall form it is congealed and falleth to the earth as if it were dead because unmovable in the form of snow hail frost and ice In like manner we see that the aery life in other creatures whose formall beeing consisteth of Gods dilating property is forced to fly from the circumference unto the center leaving the externall parts chil cold and apt to a deadly congelation or lethall repose which we observe not onely in animal creatures but also in vegetables seeing that their blood as I may tearm it or vitall suck is congealed by the winter and northern cold and is as it were liveless untill by the vivifying and dilative sorce of the ensuing Vernall or Springly and Australl vertue it is resolved and melted again and the severe tye or icy knot of the northern nature undone For this reason therefore you may discern that there is but one catholick element which is partly subject and obnoxious unto the privative and dark contracting and consequently attracting property of Gods Spirit and partly capable to endue his positive and light dilating disposition and that this common subject is the spirit or aire of the sublunary world which by lesse inspissation or contraction caused by the west winds is made water and by more compression and constriction caused by the northern and winter blasts becommeth snowy or icy earth And contrariwise by lesse dilatation and subtiliation is made aery or vaporous caused by the spring season and south wind and by a greater rarefaction and exaltation it is made fire by the dominion of such spirits as are sent out from the east and summers heat and both these main two-fold divided properties belong unto one and the same Spirit as is before related Verily this common demonstration can deceive no man being that the very unreasonable creatures are moved by a naturall inclination either to sympathize and rejoyce with the clemency and comfort of the one property or to fly from or eschew the severer assaults of the other which do antipathize with their nature But to our main business It is manifest by that which is already said that the northern breath is contractive attractive inspissative and apt to darkness immobility and rest and that the south-winde or rather the winde from the Aequinoctiall is contrary in nature unto it as being ready to undo all that the north winde did effect namely to dissolve the congealed aire which was made snow frost hail ice into water and water into aire to make transparent that which was dark and render thin that which was before thick And therefore between these properties there is no more sympathy then I have shewed you to be between the Load-stones Aequinoctiall and the Pole And again that both these opposite natures proceed and spring from one and the same divine and catholick spirit which operateth all in all every where and consequently as well in earth as in heaven this testimony of the true Philosophy doth manifestly confirm and import Deo emittente sermonem suum in terram quam celerrimè excurrit qui nives emittit sicut lanam pruâ—nam quasi cineres dispergit dejicit gelu tanquam frusta coram frigore ejus quis consistat Emittit verbum suum liquefacit ista simul ac efflat ventum suum effluunt aquae God sendeth forth his word it runneth forth most swiftly upon the earth who produceth snow like wool and spreadeth abroad the frost like ashes and casteth down the ice as it were pieces Who is able to resist against his cold He sendeth forth his word and melteth or dissolveth all these so soon as he breatheth forth his wind or Spirit the congealed waters begin to flow and move Whereby it appeareth that the Word or Spirit of God congealeth by one property and dissolveth by another and consequently as God is all one in essence so it is one and the same Spirit that effecteth these four-fold alterations in one catholick spirit of the world which are by the Ancients called distinct Elements because they cuold never as yet throughly determine what was the essentiall form of the Elements But if they had well considered the four Elements of the which they spake so much and as it should seem understood essentially but little or had they well conceived that
stones and mineralls without the help of which naturall things neither they nor their devill which revealed unto them their secret vertues could effect or accomplish their desires And for this purpose as Ovid telleth the story she searched the lofty tops of Ata to find out herbs for her purposes Many operate their feats by the vertuous property of stones which the devill doth deliver unto them though they themselves know neither the starry influence that giveth the force nor yet how they should be prepared for the operations of such strange effects As for example There was a witch in Scotland who at her arreignment did confess that by the property of a stone which was taken from her she could discover any thing namely if a thing were true it would sweat and if it were false it would not sweat and also it would reveal other things unto her by changing colours And again when they desired to see some conclusions from her she said that if they would let her have her stone she would shew them some But they fearing that she would escape by that means durst not let her have it but did burn her at the Queens Ferry in Scoâ—land Some are instructed by him to take a metal and to prepare it under his proper constellation and to grave on it the characters of the star and Angells belonging unto it at suâ—h a time as the star is most potent in heaven and well encountred by other Planets And then they find these plates to be of a strange effect in many Magical executions What And because the devill knoweth the virtue and properties of these naturall things and can instruct his minsters in the evill usage of them therefore doth it follow that Adam and Solomon and the wise Magitians of the East and many other good and godly persons do not know their virtues their times of collection and their manner of application in goodness yea and if they see a just cause in a contrary sense and that without the transgression of the bounds of naturall and lawfull Magick whose true subject is the Spirit of Wisdom which is the Basis or foundation of true Naturall Philosophy What make we of the means which Moses used when he by dispersing of ashes brought the botch over all Aegypt But some will say that this was supernaturally done Let them but look into the occult Secrets in the nature of other animals vegetables and mineralls and they shall find as great mysteries as these contained naturally in them all suspition of commerce with the devill being set apart Was the reverend Father Albertus Magnus a Cacomagician because he reciteth the abstruce occult and mysticall virtues of Animals Plants and Stones The like did Hermes Plato and many other profound Philosophers Or must these be the pupills of the devill because they know the times and houres of their collection and manner of preparation though they kept that secret unto themselves No verily for they had it from tradition namely from the mysticall and profound Philophers or naturall Wisemen such as Solomon Hermes and the wise men called Magi or naturall Magicians of the East which revealed them unto the worthy by succession from one Age unto another Was it not a wondrous propery in Gyges his ring that cold make him by the naturall property that it had to walk invisible And yet forsooth the blind buzards of our Age such I say as Mr. â—oster and his Complices are will have all these miraculous effects in the creatures to proceed from the devill and so deprive the Omnipotent Spirit of God and his Nature of their right when Solomon in plain terms confesseth that all the knowledg of the secret times of Election of the mysticall natures in the stars of the occult virtues and properties of Man Beasts Plants and Roots and all things else known or unknown proceed from the Spirit of God and therefore he concludeth in these words Omnium enim opifex me docuit Sapientia For wisdom the worker or maker of all things taught me In which words he inferreth first That the Spirit of Wisdom teacheth and discovereth unto man the abstruce mysteries of Naturall Philosophy which consisteth in the knowledg and discovery of naturall virtues as well above as beneath And secondly That it is the same Spirit that made those virtues in every specifick thing namely in the starrs above and in the animal vegetable and minerall kingdoms beneath Which being so what can the devill being but a reasonable creature as well as man do in the creating of these essentiall virtues by which he worketh his feats more then man Or why should we attribute that unto him which doth rightly belong unto the all-creating and acting Spirit in the internall creature If man please he may attribute the wickednesse of the action unto the devill which instigateth man to evill and teacheth him the means to effect his bad intent that verily doth of right belong unto the devill For he was created for a destroyer as the Prophet Isaias testifieth to us and to effect it he maketh use of God's naturall creatures for he used the fire of God from heaven to destroy Job's cattle and the corrupt aire to kill with the Plague or Pestilence the Israelites for David's sins Neither was it ever observed that he could do ought against man of himself saving onely in temptation but he operaâ—eth to destroy or make sick by such naturall antipathising means as God hath framed for a directer usage although also unto some of his veneficall schollers he is pleased to show and reveal a counter-poyson by which they may by a stronger sympatheticall operation drown or extinguish such antipatheticall effects as they have imposed upon man's externall spirit when they are moved either for fear of punishment or for gain or foâ— compassion to do it which is the reason that some witches can undo those afflicting maladies which they themselves or other witches have laid on persons but alwaies they must operate by a reall and manifest naturall Substance as are Powders Ointments Herbs and such like As for example Claudaea Fellea Joan Banno and Nicola Piscatrix with all their Society in Lorraine confessed the 9. of May 1581. that they had delivered unto them by the devill subtill powders of three natures the which were distinguished in colour For said they that of a black colour killeth being strewed on meat or rubbed on the body or sprinkled on the apparell and that of an ashen or reddish colour causeth diseases but the white Powder did cure those diseases And Odella Boncuriana being arraigned the 18. of January 1586. saith that it was the manner of the witches of his faction to strew a poysoned powder in the way where they should pass on whom they would work mischief And Francis Perine confessed the 4. of November 1588. that an herb was given her by the devill to be laid in the way that Riberianus who did beat her for stealing some
though not so subtilly and spiritually as the Elementary or airy Northern Mummy doth from the lively or Southern natured man I could tell you of many vegetables which have a Magnetick property to suck and draw unto them being applied unto the soles of the feet or pulses of the wrists or armes for divers Aguish distempers But that I should in so doing prove perchance too tedious unto you and therefore I will proceed unto the second degree of the Magneticall virtue in the Mummy which is to draw or suck unto it his like not by contact or touch onely but ad distans and that by a spirituall attraction in the aire and at an unknown longitude as shall better appeare in these Chapters following CHAP. III. How by relation of Naturall things unto one another they do after that a corporall contact or touch is maâ—e betwixt them operate wonderfully and that by a Magneticall concent or Spirituall continuity both after a contact or touch is made in the curing of maladies or wasting his like by a mutuall operation at an unknown distance I Will proceed as I began from a generall proposition unto diversities of experiences the which afterwards I will prove feisible and possible by divers Demonstrative relations The Proposition It is possible that two Mummyes of opposite condition that is to say the one being of a deadly Boreall condition and the other of a lively and Southern or aequinoctiall property may after a corporall contact made betwixt them operate from one to another a far distance by a spirituall relation which is continued between them as well antipathetically as sympathetically Experiment to confirm the same An Italian Lord by an accident had his nose cut off and by the counsel of his Physician made a wound in one of his slaves armes and clapped his mutâ—lated nose unto it and so continued it untill a perfect union was made betwixt the flesh of the slave and his Master Afterwards a gobbit of the slaves flesh which cleaved to the nose was cut out and formed into the shape of a nose The servant's wound was healed up and for his painfull service during this exploit was manumitted or freed and with store of money in his purse went unto Naples which was above a hundred miles from the place where his Master remained whose adopted flesh on his nose prospered and did nourish from the veins so long as the man which was made free did live It came to pass that the manumitted person did die at Naples and thereupon immediatly the adopted flesh unto the Master's nose did decay and begun to gangrenate insomuch that if he had not cuâ— it off it would have marred all the rest and killed him This relation is known to be so true and certain that to this day it is famous over all Italy and in every man's mouth of that Country and testified by some German Writers and maintained as well by some Scotch as English men which have been in that Country By this History therefore we may seâ— that so long as the two bodies which made contact were of one disposition namely Southern or aequinoctiall they though being in body far remote from one another did operate spiritually and were present in spirit that is they did concur together with the aspect of their sympatheticall beams and the flesh was spiritually vivified from the slave 's lively fountain even as the grain of Wheat hath 〈◊〉 nourishment and viviâ—ieth by the application of the Sun's beams unto it but when the Southern or aequinoctiall or lively property of the bondman's spirit was changed into a deadly Northern and cold disposition then the vivifying spirit did â—â—ase to apply any more unto the adopted flesh and in liew of it the deadly Northern spirit did suck or draw away that which the Southern had bestowed upon it no otherwise then the Northern Frost in the world killeth and draweth out the life of the grain or seed or plant or herb by his contractive and Boreall property And for this cause the Gangrene which is a Northern diseaâ—e did take the borrowed portion of flesh on the nose Here therefore we see how the same spirit altered from a Southern or aequinoctiall unto a Northern condition operateth by a contrary and unnaturall and depriving means and that secretly and a far off I. A Corollary Demonstration taken from the Macrocosmâ— We see in the Wether-glass of which I spoke before that between the bolts-head and the place of the water to wit in the whole pipe of the Mattras there is an invisible airy spirit which though it be not seen of it self yet doth it operate visibly in effect Foâ— if the externall aire be very hot then it dilateth the aire included in the bolts-head whereby the water at the other end is observed to sinck down though no ocular Agent may be found but by intellectuall eies we may discern that it is done through the virtue and lively Emanation of Sulphurous Light in the aire by the secret emission of whose beams the aire is rareâ—â—ed and by rarefaction beateth the water downward and contrariwise by Northern cold the water is lift up through the contraction of the emitted Spirits So that we may discern how lively Emanations and consequently acting and vivifying spirits are sent forth from the lively and Microcosmicall fountain unto the creatures which are apt to animate and vivify but if the fountain become cold and icie in liew of a Southern acting addition of life it induceth a moâ—tifying and privative substraction and that as you may perceive in the Wether-glass by a spirituall concurrence or rather an invisible and insensible continuity which is between both extreams as you may easily see it demonstrated in the Wether-glass II. A Demonstration derived from the Load-stone's property If we shall take an ovall Load-stone namely and shall divide it in the middle namely in the aequinoctial about B C and then shal expose the part A B into his little vessel to flote on the water and also put the oâ—her half C D in another little boat or vessel in the same water we shall find that these two halves B C being of one aequinoctiall nature will desire to be joyned again together and to be reduced into the same continuity it was before and for that reason the spirit which is continued between them though the body be divided being invisibly united unto both divided portions doth direct them both and by an actuall emanation out of each of them attract suck and agglutinate as it were each of them in their naturall position as they were before Application By this therefore the continuation of spirits betwixt the flesh of the forementioned captive at Naples and that which the master borrowed remaining elsewhere is evidently argued and confirmed And though it may be alleaged that the Load-stone doth not draw without his orbe yet I say that though men do guess at the sensible attraction of weights yet can they
do concur and meet with a sympathetical embracing 4. Problem The naturall union of Magneticall Spirits is when the condition is made by contrary parts as by the pole North or South Application So the Northern blood or the spirits in the transported blood that are congealed and have assumed a Northern property will easily concur with spirits of a Southern or aequinoctial nature namely with the spirits of the lively fountain from whence they come being that like doth naturally covet his like especially when it is compassed about by the cold and crude aire and so constrained to contract it self with its airy vehicle from his cold adversary for spirits that are derived from the aequinoctial do eschew by a naturall instinct even as the airy nature doth the chill disposition of the earth and therefore being fled or contracted into the Center it draws unto it the lively beams of the Southern blood This is the reason in the Macrocosm that when the North-wind bloweth strongly and the South wind not so strongly the aire is often times condensed into a cloud by the contraction of the fiery formal and aequinoctial or astrall beams in the aire so condensed which by reason of the outward cold do fly from the air's Circumference unto the Center Insomuch that for this reason often times it is seen that it breaketh out into Lightnings and Coruscations This contraction also in the included aire when the externall aire is cold is easily discerned in effect by the Wether-glass namely when the water is drawn up and the included aire contracted or coarcted into a narrow room The ninth Member of the Proposition with his Proofs The ninth member of the Proposition is that the strong attractive faculties of every Magnet is of a Northern condition or Boreal property and consequently hath his chief attractive faculty from the pole-star And therefore after the manner of the Load-stone it draweth from the Circumference unto the Center Again all things coveted or beloved forasmuch as they are formal do participare of the aequinoctiall faculty which emitteth beams by dilatation from the Center and therefore their union by application maketh a mixtion of temper which is between the Northern-pole and the aequinoctial that is partly attractive and partly dilative as is mans vitall spirit which acteth in Systole and Diastole or contraction and dilatation even such is the Act of Magneticall coition Certain Problematical Demonstrations to confirm this Member First I will prove unto you demonstratively and that by a relation made unto the Load-stone that the most vigorous Magneticall attraction is from the North-pole and consequently that by the blood's induing of a Northern and congelative faculty it must needs become most attractive and contractive of his like as we see that the movable and thin expansed aire becometh thick Snow when the North wind doth blow or ice or frost or hail 1. Problem The North-pole is alwaies the most vigorous and strong pole to all Magneticall purposes if he have the quantiry the South hath Application Therefore the bloody spirit induing the natute of the North is most efficacious to operate upon the Southern nature Magnetically or attractively 2 Problem The Loadstone draweth the Iron more strongly from the North-pole than any point else of the said Stone Application This confirmeth the fore-said Problem To conclude the Magneticall attraction of the Northern blood is the cause of planting the light of more spirits in the unctuous Magnet whereby it is made stronger in his operation 3. Problem The Loadstone hath his points that is to say his true poles in the which do abide his greatest virtue And for this cause it doth not attract the Iron with equal force from every part and also the Magneticall Subject doth not move or flow unto every part of the Magnet 4 Problem The parts that are nearest the North-pole are the strongest in attraction and the parts that are remote are observed to be the weaker and more infirm in their drawing virtue Demonstration Now that the greatest attractive virtue is from the North I demonstrate it many waies And first If we shall hang up a long piece of Iron by a threed as is said before the Northen part of the world will attract unto it the end of it So that it will stand directly North and South Secondly if a wier of four or five inches in length be thrust through a cork and touched by the Load-stone and the cork be put into the water the Northern-Star will suck the end of the Iron unto it Thirdly if a long Iron be forged North and South and so be laid to cool in the same situation it will be animated and indued with the virtue of the Pole and move in the aire being hung up by a threed or put into a boat on the water and it will be drawn by the North and have as it were a coition with the North-star Fourthly if a long piece of clay newly burnt doth cool North and South it will then receive a Magneticall power from the earth and pole Fiftly set two Load-stones with their poles of one denomination namely the North-pole or South-pole of each at each end of a piece of clay while it cooleth and both ends will be of one nature Sixtly put a piece of clay of a long form into the fire and afterwards let it cool North and South and it will receive a polar virtue After that burn it again in the fire and let that end which cooled first North cool now South and it will be changed into the nature of the South and the other into the nature of the North. Application By the first therefore of these Problems and experiments it is apparent that the fountain of vigorous attraction is from the pole because that the property of Northern cold is to attract and therefore the bloody Spirit induing the nature of the North becommeth Magneticall as well as that of clay or Iron I will come now therefore to demonstrate the effect that this Northern spirit and the Southern do make by their mutuall concourse and union as we see that the Northern and Southern-pole by their intermediate concourse do produce an aequinoctial nature which is vernall and temperate that is to say hot and moist as is the living blood So that a Media natura or mean nature which participates of both extreams is produced between the confluence of their aspect or application which receiveth from the one and communicateth with the other My magneticall proofs are these 5 Problem Two magneticall bodies being joyned together at their poles those two poles that touch together have the nature of the Aequator or equinoctiall and will not excite or hold a needle thus touching Application The northern or contracted bloody spirit joyning by application with the southern equinoctiall or lively or dilated one will endue by this conjunction an equinoctiall nature which will have relation unto each
proportion by reason of a part thereof which was exhaled the day before therefore to hinder all vacuity in the operation there is sucked up out of the pot of water C. into the leaden pipe just as much water as there wanted aire or as did correspond unto the aire exhaled Again when the Sun riseth the next day the aire in the ball and pipe will be rarified and then by dilating it self will repell the water to his former place the which was mounted into the pipe And so this alteration in condensation and rarefaction will ever hold in the same manner more or lesse according as the Sun is nearer or farther off from us or according unto the coldnesse or heat of the Wind that bloweth in the element The self same also will happen to the aire included in the second glasse for the globe or ball in the top of the glasse which is the bowl of the Matras or bolts head is full of air and is exactly in every respect referred unto the ball of lead as the streight Pipe which ascendeth out of the water and is joyned to the head is exactly compared unto the crooked pipe of the first so that if the leaden ball be erected upwards and the crooked pipe be made streight to ascend perpendicularly out of the pot of water unto the leaden sphear then will there be no difference betwixt the shape or figure of the first second Machin or Instrument so that each man may discern that the condition and usage of them both are all one in effect CHAP. III. Here the fabrick of this Organ or Instrument properly termed the Weather-glasse with the preparation of the Matras or Glasse commonly called a Bolts-head and the adaption of the Orifiace or Nose thereof into a small vessell of water is expressed Where also their opinions are confuted which deem and affirm that the water is sucked up into the neck of the Matras by heat FIrst we must observe that this our experimentall Instrument is composed of three parts where of two of them are more essentiall and proper unto the nature of the Engin or Machin namely the Matras or Bolts-head and the small vessell of water into the which the nose or orifice of the Matras after it is prepared ought to enter and the other is more accidentall as being onely ordained to sustain the glasse firmly in his perpendicular position and to adorn and set forth the Machin Touching the Matras or Bolts-head it is a round or ovall glasse with a long and narrow neck whose orifice or mouth and nose ought to bee proportionable unâ—o the rest of the neck and it must be prepared after a two-fold manner for first of all the long neck of it being put perpendicularly into the small vessell being full of water so that it do touch the bottom of the vessell we ought to measure from the superficies or top of the water and begin our division into degrees still ascending upwards till we come unto the very ball be it round or ovall And whereas the common sort of this kind of Weather-glasses hath his first degree beginning downward marked with the figne of 1. and so ascendeth upward to the round ball according unto the naturall Arithmeticall progression thus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. I for a better method's cause do alter the order in numeration and dividing of the neck or pipe of the Matras in the middle between the head of it and the superficies of the water I mark the place of the division with the figure 1. and so count my degrees downward and upward unto 7. after this manner 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. which I affect for reasons that I will expresse unto you hereafter So that the matter will be ordered thus As for the small vessell of water you see it here also described with the proportion of the pipe of the Matras that descendeth into the bottome of it which is so farre from division as it entreth into the water Now when you have thus divided the neck of your Matras into parts you must prepare and order it after this manner to make it magneticall and attractive by cold and expulsive or dilatative by heat you must therefore take the orifice of the Bolts head in your hand and hold forth the head thereof or the round which is above it against the fire till it be very hot for the heat of the fire will rarifie and dilate the Ayre in the glasse and cause by that meanes a good portion of it to flye out of the glasse's orifice and so it will remaine in that estate so long as the glasse is in the degree of heat at which time if you suddenly put the nose of the pipe into the water you shall perceive that as the bolts head doth keel or waxe cold so also will the water by little and little mount upwards into the neck of the glasse And we must note the hotter the glasse is made and the colder the externall ayre will be found as that present the higher and by so many more degrees will the water ascend into the neck And the reason hereof is because that as heat doth rarifie the aire so the greater the heat is the more excellent will the degree of rarifaction be Contrariwise as cold doth condense and thicken so the greater the cold is the stronger will the condensation be and therefore after that the included aire is much rarified by an intense externall heat It followeth that as the heat doth by little and little fade so the cold will by little and little prevail and have dominion and consequently the included rarified aire must needs by little little be condensed but because there wanteth sufficient matter or corpulency in the aire for the cold to work on being that a part of it was spent and evaporated by rarifaction It followeth that as the succeeding cold doth condense contract the aire so the aire by contraction of it self must also attract and suck up into it so much water out of the vessell as there wanteth air to satisfie the contractive appetite of the cold for the interposition of the water between the externall aire and the internall or included aire will not permit the internall to suck or draw into it the externall to supply her want for the satisfaction of the externall cold's lust and therefore the water is forced to asscend in lieu of the externall aire And this is the mystery of the Instrument and the manner of his fabricle whereby it plainly appeareth that they have been deceived which have deemed that the heat was the occasion of the attraction of the water upwards being that each man may be an eye-witnesse that it is heat that driveth it downwards and contrariwise that cold is the cause of his mounting And whereas some Sophisticators to make the matter the more strange have given out that it is a
secret peculiar included spirit which worketh the feat and to make men to give credit to their tales they have dyed the common water in the vessell with Vardegrease or such like stuffe I must give you to understand that all their prattle is but deceit and that plain dealing is a jewell As for the accidentall part of this Machin being it is framed and composed in a diverse fashion I will not graphically delineate or draw it out unto your view being that the pictures will be chargeable and the matter being done will serve you but to little purpose CHAP. IV. Wherein are Expressed the sundry properties with the usage of this demonstrative Instrument I Divide as well the property as the use of this Instrument into two kinds whereof I call the one generall and I make the other more peculiar As for the generall property of it by the one it contracteth and condenseth namely when the included aire is animated by the externall cold and by the other it dilateth and rarifieth to wit if the included spirit be excited by any externall heat And therefore through his constrictive nature or action which is made evident by the contraction of the aire we may easily discern the universall reason of the inspissation and condensation of things that wâ—re thin And again by his dilatation we may scan or decipher the cause of rarifaction of such things as were thick For by the speculation we shall find that there is nothing in the whole Empire of Nature which can be rarified and made subtle except it be by the action of light or fire whether it be visible or invisible and the essentiall effect of that action is light And on the contrary part nothing can be condensed or inspissared where darknesse hath not dominion forasmuch as darknesse is the essentiall root of cold which is the immoderate act or in condensation The particular properties with the uses thereof are manifold for first The nature of it is to discover the temper of the externall aire or catholick element in heat and cold for the higher that the water doth climbe in the neck or pipe of the Matras it argueth that the firmer stronger is the dominion of cold in the aire so that by this means we may daily judge of the increase or decrease of cold in the aire and by consequence we may guesse at the proportion of heat in the sublunary spirit of the world by the descent of the water Ceâ—tain Experiments worthy of observaâ—ion and approved by many of this City touching this Experimentall Glasse If the water in the pipe of the glasse which before was highly mounted doth fall on the sodaine by some degrees it will be an undoubted signe that raine will immediately ensue If the water in the space of one night doth descend it is also a signe that raine will come not long after If the South or East wind do blow immediately after a North or Westerlie wind the water will fall by certaine degrees but if the North wind or cold Westerlie wind do blow after a Southerne or Easterlie wind then will the water be forth with exalted If the water doth attaine unto the figure 1. it argueth that the Ayre is in a moderation between heat and cold as when the Sunne is in the vernall Equinoctiall or as the naturall temper of the Spring useth to be But if the water mount higher then it argueth that the disposition of the Ayre is by so many degrees more of Northen or Boreall nature as the water is mounted towards the bolts head for you must conceive that the degrees from 1. unto the uppermost 7. are belonging unto the winter Hemisphere and therefore are the degrees which note the augmentation of cold So that if the water do mount up unto 2. in the Northern or higher part it is an argument that cold hath dominion over heat in the externall Ayre only by one degree If it mount unto the 3. of the same Hemisphere it doth foretell a slight frost but if it ascend unto 4. or 5. it pretendeth a hard and solid frost if it come unto 6. and 7. it argueth great ice but if it mount yet higher it sheweth that a hard Ice is likely to surprize and cover the whole river of Thames On the other side if the water descend from 1. unto 2. of the lower ranck of degrees which importeth the Summer or hot Hemisphere then it argueth heat hath gotten dominion over cold by one degree But if it descend unto 3. or 4. it importeth a greater distemper of the Ayre in heat if it descendeth unto 5. or 6. it demonstrateth the ayre to be exceeding hot but if the water be beaten downe unto the lower figure of 7. it sheweth that extreame and Sultry heat causing Coruscations and lightnings hath dominion in the Aire So that we may discerne how great a reference or relation there is between the externall ayre or universall sublunary Element and the Ayre included in the instrument But I will in better termes expresse the Consanguinity and Sympatheticall relation which is between the one and the other in this subsequent Chapter CHAP. V. Here it is proved evidently notwithstanding any objection which may be made to the contrary that not only this experimentall Organ hath a relation unto the great world but also the spirit included in this little modell doth resemble and imitate the action of that which is included in the great or macrocosmicall Machin BUt before I will proceed in any further comparison between the spirit contained in the small modell with the properties of the agents and patients in it and this of the great world I do think it to be necessary first to answer unto a certain doubt or objection that may be made the which unlesse it be resolved and taken away such a relation or comparison may appear unto the ignorant either improper or altogether impossible I know therefore that not a few will object and say that no convenient comparison can be made between this our small artificiall Machin and that naturall fabrick or organ of the world forasmuch as the spirit in our Glasse is every where inclosed and strictly included in his vessell and therefore may easily be incited by force to move according unto the regular figure or fashion of the glasse But the case is far otherwise in the spirit which is contained in the vast cavity of the world for in it the aire or spirit doth use at every impulsion to move freely this way and that way as we are instructed by daily experience in the blowing of the winds from each quarter of the world Unto this I answer That it is the self same reason of motion and relation from a thicker or denser nature unto a thinner and in like manner from a thinner or rarer unto a thicker or denser in a small subject that is in a greater so that the like respects be had and that by an equall weight
they are both found in the self-same â—errestriall vein therefore they both are observed so lovingly to entertain and hug one another For experience telleth us that the feminine Load-stone above all measure embraceth as a luxurious harlot the masculine Iron and not the Iron the Load-stone as Averroes Scaliger and Cusanus the Cardinall have erroneously surmised affirming that the Iron moveth unto the Load-stone as unto his beginning and matrix from whence it came for by that reason the North Pole in the Iron should move of it self more swiftly unto the Pole-starr which is the fountain of both their Centrall influences than the Magnet all which is by experience proved quite contrary Now to confirm the infinity of the extension of these Centrall beams in two like bodies unto one another let us first be capable of some Theory that we may afterward the better descend unto Practice Radius saith Alkindus quia centro stellae ad centrum terrae procedit fortissimus esse probatur in operationis suae specie The beam which proceedeth from the Center of the star unto the Center of the earth iâ— proved to be most strong in the kind of his operation Whereby he signifieth at what an incommensurable distance the occult starry beam or beamy influence worketh with and in his image on the earth for he saith elsewhere Liquet quòd Radii stellares diversa constituunt individua in hoc mundo It is manifest that the starry beams do make and ingender dâ—vers individuall creatures in this world Again for the Centrall starrs or starry influences of the lower bodies and their beam's extension he speaketh thus Mundus Elementarius est exemplum mundi Syderei ita ut quaelibet res in eo contentia ipsius speciem contineat Manifestum est quòd omnis res hujus mundi radios faciat suo more ad instar Sydeâ—um alioqâ—i figuram mundi Syderei ad plenum non haberet sed hoc in aliquâ—bus sensu manifestatur ignis enim radios caloris ad loca proxima transmittit terra radios algoris Hoc igitur pro vero assumentes dicimus quod omne quod actualem habet existentiam in mundo elementorum radios emittit in omnem partem qui totum mundum elementarem replent suo modo Praeterea distantia unius rei ab alia facâ—â— dâ—fferentiam in effectu radiorum in rebus hujus mundi The Elementary world is the image or patern of the starry world so that every thing that this world containeth in it doth comprehend the form or likness of the starry world It is evident that every thing in this world doth â—mit his beams after his manner even as the starrs of heaven do for else it would not fully assume the figure of the starry world but this is made manifest in some things unto sense For the fire doth send forth the beams of his heat unto the bordering places and also the earth the Emanations of his cold We affirm therefore for a certainty that every thing which hath an actuall existence in this elementary world doth emit or send forth his beams unto every part the which do fill the elementary world after their fashion Moreover the distance of one thing from an other maketh a difference in the effect of the beams in things of this world Whereby he maketh it plain first That there is nothing in the lower world but hath his like in the starry world whose beams and influences it receiveth And again that as the said star in heaven doth dart forth his beams even unto the very center of the earth and therefore hath so large a sphear of activity that it searcheth every place of the vawted world Even so and after the same manner those starry â—â—intills or beamy sparks which it sendeth down into his subject creature being that it is all one in essence with its fountain and therefore continued with it and indivisible searcheth in like manner each angle or corner of the sublunary region yea it penetrateth even unto the very celestiall fountain from whence it is derived as shall be more clearly demonstrated hereafter being that every portion or small part of a large Load-stone hath his poles and circles as well as the whole It is made therefore apparent by this that the action of each elementary thing is effected as well by disjunction of their bodies that is to say ad distans as when they are joyned together by a mutuall contact of one another but the action of elementary things when they are separated from one another is performed by a fit application and infusion of their beamy influences unto each other which would hardly be believed by reason of the occultness of the action did not experience guide us by the observation of the Load-stones attraction of Iron unto it at a distance Also we observe that the images of things are seen afar off in Mirrors or Opticall glasses and it was no small artifice of the Pythagoreans and some other of our Christian Philosophers to express their minds unto fâ—iends being in far countries by reflexion made through prepared Maâ—hematiâ—â—â— glasses in the circle or compass of the Moon But forsooth our externall Philosophers which will onely be guided by their sense do dream of a certain limited sphear of activity and do ascribe bounds unto the action of this mysticall nature as they please or according unto their exterior sense's observation As for example Because the Load-stone draweth the Iron but at half the distance of a table Ergo they think and conclude that the vivifying act of his vertue penetrateth or extendeth it self no farther than at that distance in the aire and consequently being led by their corporall eye-sight they limit after this externall and visible action the Load stones spirituall extension But if they would duely close their corporall eyes in this inquisition and look as true Philosophers ought in the re-search of so abstruse an action with the aspect of their mentall intellect they would find that the extension of the beamy spirit in the Load-stone doth equalize that of his proper celestiall star being that they are both of one essence as also is the like spirit in the Iron and every scintill or spark of fire hath the properties of the whole as is said of the Load-stone But there are many things which may hinder the evident effect in the Load-stone namely the ponderosity of the body of the Iron and therefore it will not draw it beyond the circle of his sensible emanation and another thing is the dispersing and dilating of the union of beams in the Load-stone for the beams after they are emitted are the more dispersed the farther they pass as it appeareth by this demonstâ—ation A the Load-stone B D the basis of his emitted beams which doth aptly terminate and adapt it self unto the Iron B D so that nothing is lost but all the force is upon the Iron for which cause it attracteth its
spirits forcibly because vis unita est fortior But when the Iron is planted at a further distance namely in C the greatest portion of the basis of the spirituall triangular-emission passeth by the Iron without any streight encounter and so his effect or vertue is made too weak to draw so ponderous a thing at so far a distance But because his celestiall star doth meet and embrace his emissions and doth fortifie them therefore it is evident that the pole-star doth act in the Load-stone to stir up and animate his like vigour in it and the Load-stone being so vivified doth correspond unto the action of the star penetrating by all one sympatheticall and symphoniacall consent even to the center of his fountain which is easily effected being they are all of one essence Do we not perceive this by an externall apprehension to be true when we observe the northern pole of the Load-stone in a kind of naturall duty to regard and behold with a stedfast constancy the pole-star which is so far off from the body of the Load-stone though near and conjoyned in the beamy affection of one essentiall spirit That this is so we may perceive by the needle touched Do we not gather by Astronomicall practise that the distance of these two bodies I mean the celestiall star and the terrestriall stone is so great as there cannot be esteemed a greater extension in our regard namely seeing that the space is between the starry heaven or eighth sphear in which the pole-star is and the earth And yet we find them to concur and meet in aspect and to operate and sympathize with each other What! and must this abstruse spirits action be limited by any phantasticall and imaginary sphear of activity figured out by persons little skilled and too too superficiall in the occult treasure and arcane or centrall actions of God in nature In like manner there must needs be a sympatheticall concurrence of occult beamy light betwixt the Iron and the Load-stone because they have both centrall stars or beamy influences of one nature and from one and the same fountaine whose occult emanations pass God knoweth at how far a distance although the effects do accidentally appear unto our sense no more than the celestiall influences which descend from heaven upon the Minerals Vegetables and Animals Nevertheless if we will believe the relations of History we are told by Serapio O aus Magnus and the Moors that as well in the Indies as towards the northern pole there are Rocks of this Stone which suck and draw ships unto them at a far distance and pull the iron nailes out of them which is a cause as they say that they fasten together the plancks and boards of their boats and ships with wooden pins And again what shall we say unto the opinion of Fracastoâ—ius a learned Physitian and a well grounded Philosopher who blusheth not after a tedious enquiry made by him in the Load-stones secret disposition to conclude that the reason why the Load-stone directeth his pole unto the north is because that in that angle of the terrestriall world there are mountaines of Load-stone which do draw Iron unto it Verily it is a great distance that this magnetick Rock is able to operate upon the Iron if that were true namely from the Aequinoctiall unto the frozen point of the North-pole for unto the Aequinoctiall line the Mariners make use of the Needle to find out what altitude they are in And although some do think this strange yet for all that many learned men seen as well in Geography and composing of Sea-Maps as delineating the description of the world do firmly adhere unto this opinion Whereby we see that wise and learned men do confirm that the limited sphear of activity ascribed unto the Load-stone by the Peripatetick Philosophers and Christian School-men of his sect is vain and frivolous But to come and ascend from the Minerall unto the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms we observe that there is an admirable relation between the fixed stars and the planets and by the same reason also between plant and plant yea and between the plant and the mineral and between the animal and the plant As for example Touching thâ— sympatheticall relation we find in the first place that the beams of the herb and flower Heliotropium and that of Succory do sympathetically meet and joyne themselves and embrace lovingly the beams and influences of the Sun for they are observed to turn and winde about even in the most clowdy day at the diurnall motion of him And contrariwise in the night time by reason of his absence they contract their flowers as being enemies unto the dark and cold night as Mizaldus affirmeth Also the Oynion as Plutarch doth testifie waxeth green and groweth when the Moon decreaseth and again it withereth when she encreaseth There is also a great sympatheticall reference between the Crab and Oyster and the Moon for when the Moon encreaseth they encrease in their succe or juice again when she decreaseth they also do decrease in their substance Moreover touching the eradiation of one plant unto another it is noted that the Rue otherwise tearmed Herbâ—gâ—ace doth entertain with exceeding great friendship the Fig-tree insomuch that it never groweth or prospereth better than under that tree and that there is a notable sympathy betwixt their natures it is evident because they smell and taste much alike Also if the Myrtle be planted near the Pomgranat-tree it maketh him more fertill and fruitfull and it self more odoriferous and each of them rejoyce at one anothers presence and society and indeed both of them agree in a nature being cold dry and astringent Moreover to express the exceeding sympatheticall relation which is between the Vegetable nature and the Mineral let us but mark diligently the occult property of the Hazel-tree For if at certain times there be forked twigs cut from it and each twig of the forked branch be held in each hand so that the forked place where they joyne stand directly upward and as it were perpendicularly And with this kind of posture of the stick the party that holdeth it pass over a mountain that hath in its bowells some riâ—h minerall or mettalline veine when as the man walketh right over the place of the mine the perpendicular twist will forcibly and that whether the bearer will or no bow downward towards the earth but if there be no mine or veine it will not move That this is true my self can witness and more than a thousand which have seen the effect and will justifie thus much for even among us certain Germaines performed the like fear in the Silver-mines at Wales and in Germany it is a thing commonly exercsied in those mountains of Saxony and Hungary where there are mines of Silver and Gold Besides lest my assertion should be of little faith among the incredulous I would have them know that George Agricola and Munster do avow
of man be mingled with venomous things and so be suffered to rot or else be mingled with the Mummies of infirm or infected persons or with the poysonsome menstrues of a woman and then a herb be planted or the magnet so imbibed and be conserved in a continuall vegetation it may be a cause that the disease should be of continuance Also if one give the herb or fruit which savoureth of a sick man's Mummy unto a beast that is of a stronger nature then the sick then the beast will be infected with that disease and the sick will be free From this experiment many egregious abuses may and would be effected by wicked men if this manner of diverting the creatures vertue from good to bad were known unto them for by it they may disseminate agues and the pestilence over a whole Country for the plant will suck out the spirituall Mummy of such persons as are infected with such venomous diseases by reason of its vegetating activity Also if the spirituall Mummy be extracted by means of this microcosmicall Magnet out of a body infected with the Leprosie and be applyed or any way administred inwardly unto another that is healthfull and sound it will infect the sound person and free the infected as it hath been proved by some 2 Proposition The antipatheticall Mummy of the sick may be extracted and infected or infused into another that is sound A demonstrative Example This is confirmed by the precedent proofs and is further maintained thus If one do sow seeds or herbs pertaining unto the three principal members in the Mummy of a dead carcase or in the Mummy extracted out of a sick or infected person and the fruit of these vegetables be given or administred unto man or beast then the disease will be transplanted upon the said man or beast By this means also naughty men may infect and poyson But because these mischiefs are horrible to a religious spirit I dare not farther express the effects of antipathy in spirits which may be brought to pass by the abusing of Gods blessings I will therefore enter into another kind of antipatheticall practice which shall rather tend unto the conservation of man then the destruction of it 3 Proposition If two lively fleshes that are wounded be applied to each other they will sympathize and be united assimilated and made one continued flesh so that as the one prospereth the other will do the like also conditionally that the party from whom the added flesh is borrowed continue in his lively and vegetable disposition but if the animal tree from which the graff was taken I mean the body out of which the flesh was lent or cut do wither or die that is doth leave to vegetate and act then will that borrowed flesh also be at jarr and discord with the flesh of the borrower that liveth and vegetateth and consequently antipa hy will spring out from that union which was sympatheticall before so that except the dying flesh be amputated or taken off from the lively flesh upon the which it was grafted or transplanted it will cause the living flesh also to gangrenate and corrupt with it self An experiment to confirm this This is well proved and maintained by that experiment in Italy before mentioned for when a certain noble personage had lost his nose by a wound and had by the Physitians advice made a wound in one of his slaves armes and clapped it unto his wounded nose and so the flesh of the one was bound fast unto the flesh of the other continuing after that manner untill by a sympatheticall agglutination and union both fleshes became one flesh Then a gobbit of the slave's flesh was cut out of the arm and was framed into the shape of a nose on the Noble-man and the slave was manumitted with mony in his purse for his paines It befell thaâ— on a certain time after the slave did die and though he departed this life being far distant from his master yet the borrowed flesh on the masters nose withered and gangrenated insomuch that the antipathy between these two fleshes though united into one substance became so great that if immediately that dead flesh had not been cut off it would have corrupted and destroyed the rest A Problematicall Demonstration from the Load-stone One Load-stone doth draw another in his naturall position but being unnaturally ordered it driveth away or resisteth the other The demonstration of this Problem hath been expressed as well by a Load-stone divided in Boats as by two Irons swimming on corks 2 Problem If a plant be cut off as for example a willow-wand and if it be regularly planted or grafted on the same stick it will grow but if irregularly it will die For the proof of this Problem look the 2 Proposition of the 5 Chapter in the Application unto the Vegetable The Application So if the spirits of the two fleshes be unnaturally disposed unto one another and turned from their sympatheticall union unto an antipatheticall duality or disunion or discord in natures then will it after unequall jars follow a generall corruption for as is said before Corruptum corrumpentis naturam facillime induit 4 Probâ—em If a spiritual Mummy be corrupted by some alien or strange infectious nature yet in respect of the naturall Mummy of the sound and wholsom body which is so infected the sound and wholsom Mummy of a body not infected will magnetically attact it though not so affectionately but more slowly by reason of the union or adhering of the strange venom unto it which causeth a mixtion of antipathy with that of sympathy and the reason of that slowness in the repelling of the antipatheticall insult is because the sound and homogeniall Mummy doth partly by his concupiscible act attract unto it his sympatheticall like and partly expell his contaminating unlike by his irascible property But for that this antipatheticall unlike cleaveth so fast unto his infected like therefore it happeneth that the expulsive resistance is but slow and so the sound spirituall Mummy becommeth as well corrupted and infected as the other and by that means Sympathy is turned into Antipathy An Experiment to confirm this There are many proofs to maintain this for when a corrupted spirituall Mummy is carried in the aire from one infected with a pestilent Feavour or small Pox the Mummy so infected doth unite it self being homogeniall unto the sound man's spirit and in that regard the one embraceth the other but the sound Mummiall spirit perceiving and tasting of the heterogeniall or infected nature which adhereth unto his like doth slowly expell or resist it by reason that it doth covet his like and therefore sympathetically attracteth and again hateth his unlike and therefore antipathetically expelleth which is for that reason but slowly performed and this is the cause that the expulsive crisis is not made suddenly after the poysonsome infection is received neither will sweats or fluxes or eruption of blood out of the nose which
are arguments of the resistance and expulsive faculty of contagious antipathy suddenly appear and this is effected sometimes by the sound spirits conquest and sometimes by the vain attempt thereof 1. A Problematicall Demonstration derived from the Load-stone When a small piece of Iron is put into a small Boat with materialls of another loading to float upon the water and a Load-stone be placed in another vessell on the same water near one another the coition which will be made betwixt these two magneticall bodies will be depraved weak and unnaturall because the Magnet affecteth and draweth unto it most strongly his like or best-beloved when she is not laded or mixed with materialls of a contrary nature and consequently not agreeing in sympathy with it An Application To conclude A Mummy which hath an antipatheticall infection joyned unto it and applieth in conjunction unto a sound or strong and wholsome Mummy is like as if a portion of the stone called Theamides which is antipatheticall unto that of the Magnet foâ— it â—â—pelleth Iron or the Magnet it self as the Magnet doth attract them unto it were joyned in a little bark unto the Magnet or a piece of Iron also placed in it and that bark or boat so burthened were applyed unto a stronger Magnet in another bark in a bason of water the strong Magnet or Load-stone would partly attract his like namely the Magnet or Iron and partly resist and expell his enemy and so by reason of his attraction his expulsion would be the flower Therefore also the magneticall Philosophers hold this for a Maxim 2 Problem The coition or union betwixt two magneticall bodies is more quick and nimble than the flight or divorce from one another for experience teacheth that magneticall bodies are more sluggishly repelled then they are allured or drawn unto one another and the reason is because there is some antipatheticall invasion which causeth that hatred and maketh that irascible resistance between the homogeneall spirit of the Mummy and the heterogeniall poyson or infection in it for we ought to consider that magnetick bodies do covet sympatheticall union 5 Proposition Two Mummies of divers bodies whereof the one is sound and the other infected though in their first coition they seem to agree by reason of that homogeniall respect which is between them being in their purity but of one and the same essence yet for that the one is infected and for that cause hath endued a heterogeniall disposition contrary unto the essence of them both for that reason I say the second Mummy endeavoureth to be divorced from them both And this is proved thus by this problematicall Demonstration drawn out of the Load-stone's property 3 Problem If you shall set two small wiers on the poles of a Load-stone these wiers will be observed to adhere at the lower ends together upon the point of the pole but at their tops they will be at discord and averse unto one another at their upper ends so that they will be observed to make a fork as if one end did eschew and fly from the company and society of the other THE CONCLUSION I Could judicious Reader have made a whole Volume of experimentall Propositions with their problematicall proofs touching the infinite abyss of Symâ—heticall and Antipatheticall effects in the three Kingdoms namely Animal â—â—getable and Mineral both mutually between each species or kind as from the â—â—dividualls of one kind unto another But it is not my intention to express my â—ore bold and setled opinions touching the true Philosophy and his appendixes 〈◊〉 a larger English phrase considering the roughness and harshnesse of my pen 〈◊〉 reason of my defect and the insufficiency in the polished nature thereof Again know that filed words and phrases are but superficiall flashes and flying shaâ—owes of a wealthy and rich subject the which as they are Proteus-like changable â—nto an infinity of colours so also are mens fancies and judgments as variable beâ—ng the Proverb is So many men so many minds I do imagine and my minde giveth â—â—e that although I be never so curious in my inditing or laborious in the phrase â—f mine expression yet will my best endeavours appear faulty in the curious eyeâ—â—ght of some men though perchance acceptable enough unto others I esteem it â—ufficient therefore that I dare be hardy and bold in the fundamentall subject of the essentiall Philosophy being that it hath Truth it self to maintain and defend it without any adornation made by the gilded tresses of superficiall speeches or verball explication and therefore as veritas non quaerit angulos so also she needeth not the expression of eloquent words and refined sentences or phrases to illustrate it and make it more perspicuous in the eyes of wise and learned men being that it is not unknown unto them that she doth conquer all for she is the bright splendour or emanation which springeth from the omnipotent and eternall fountain she enlighteneth all she acteth essentially in all and over all and revealeth her self in effect to all and therefore she is so manifest in all her works that she needeth not any golden-tongued Oratour nor smooth and methodicall Rhetorician or lip-learned Philosopher to do her honour in the expression of her excellency and recording the perfection of her graces revealed unto all the world though the unworthy worldlings will not acknowledge or receive her with reverence as they ought to do but rather hide her perpetually by their best endeavours with the vail of obscure ignorance and thereby do not desist to persecute and crucifie daily that spirituall Christ which is the onely verity true wisdom corner-stone and essentiall subject of the true Philosophy whose Name be blessed for ever and ever who onely hath made the heavens and the earth and every thing therein and sustaineth and preserveth them by the vivification of his Spirit which operateth all in all and reigneth in power and glory with the Father for ever and ever Who will defend his servants from the oppression of evill-minded men and stand as a shield of defence to preserve the proclaimer of his truth from the Serpentine tongues of malitious back-biters and the venomous carpings of the Cynicall and Satyricall Momus It is he that saith unto the adorer of his truth Ego dabo vobis os sapientiam cui non poterant resistere contradicere omnes adversarii vestri And therefore I will say as the Prophet David did In alarum tuarum umbra canam I will sing the truth under the shadow of thy wings O Lord in thee do I put my trust keep and preserve me from mine enemies for thy mercie 's sake AMEN FINIS Wisd. 13.1 Rom. 1.20 Gen. 28.12 Ezek. 1.16 1 Cor. 12.11 1 Tim. 6.13 Ephes. 4.10 Wisd. 12.1 Joh. 1. Acts 17.25 Ephes. 4.6 Rom. 11.36 Judith 16.17 Isa. 42.5 Psal. 104.25 Colos. 1.16 Colos. 3.11 Heb. 1.3 Colos. 2.3 Job 28.25 Psal. 17 18. Job 38.1 Psal. 147.4 Job 37.10 1 Cor. 1.22