It adviseth that a Man busie not himself about the going forth of the Soul nor take care how it shall go out of the Body but remit the Businesse of its dissolution to the Course of Nature for Anxiety and Solicitude about the Solution of the Body and the Eduction of the Soul out of it draws away the Soul from better Cogitations and busieth it in such cares that the Soul cannot be perfectly purifyed for if Death come upon us at such time as we are busied about this Dissolution the Soul goeth forth not quite free but retaining something of a passionate Life Passion the Chaldaean defines A Mans sollicitous thinking of Death for we ought not to think of any thing but of the more Excellent Illuminations neither concerning these ought we to be sollicitous but resigning our selves to the Angelical and Diviner powers which raise us up and shutting up all the Organs of Sense in the Body and in the Soul also without Distractive cares and sollicitudes We must follow God who calls us Some interpret this Oracle more simply Bring it not out lest it go forth having something that is Anticipate not thy natural Death although thou be wholly given up to Philosophy for as yet thou hast not a compleat Expiation So that if the Soul passe out of the Body by that way of Educting it will go forth retaining something of mortal Life for if we Men are â—n the Body as in a Prison as Plato saith certainly no Man can kill himself but must expect till God shall send a Necessity Subject not to thy Mind the vast measures of the Earth For the plant of Truth is not upon the Earth Nor measure the measures of the Sun gathering together Canons He is moved by the Eternal will of the Father not for thy sake Let alone the swift course of the Moon she runs ever by the impulse of Necessity The progression of the Stars was not brought forth for thy sake The aetherial broad-footed Flight of Birds is not veracious And the Dissections of Entrails and Victims all these are toyes The supports of gainful Cheats Fly thou those If thou intend to open the sacred Paradise of piety Where Virtue Wisdome and Equity are assembled The Chaldaean withdraws the Disciple from all Graecian Wisdome and teacheth him to adhere only to God Subject not saith he to thy Mind the vast Measures of the Earth for the plant of Truth is not upon Earth that is Enquire not sollicitously the vast measures of the Earth a Geographers use to do measuring the Earth for the seed of Truth is not in the Earth Nor measure the Measures of the Sun gathering together Canons He is moved by the aeternal will of the Father not for thy sake That is Busie not thy self about the Motion and Doctrine of the Stars for they move not for thy sake but are perpâ—tually moved according to the Will of God Let aloâ—e the swift course of the Moon she runs ever by the impulse of Necessity That is enquire not anxiously the rolling motion of the Moon for she runs not for thy sake but is impelled by a greater Necâ—ssity The Progression of the Stars was not brought forth for tâ—y sake that is the Leaders of the fixed Stars and the Planets received not 〈◊〉 Essence for thy sake The aetherial broad-footed flight of Birds is not veracious that is the Art concerning Birds flying in the Air called Augury observing their Flight Noâ—es and Pâ—aâ—ching is not true By broad-feet he means the walking or pace of the Foot in respect of the Extension of the Toes in the skin And the Dissections oâ— Entrails and Victims all these are toyes that is the Art of Sacrificing which enquireth after future Events as well by Victims as by inspection into the Entrails of sacrificed Beasts are meerly toyes The supports of gainfull cheats fly thou those that is fraudulent Acquisitions of gain If thou intend to open the sacred Paradise of Piety where Virtue Wisdome and Equity are assembled Thou saith he who art under my Discipline enquire not curiously after these things if thou would'st that the sacred Paradise of piety be open to thee The sacred Paradise of piety according to the Chaldaeans is not that which the Book of Moses describes but the Meadow of sublimest Contemplations in which there are several Trees of Virtues and the Wood or Trunk of Knowledge of Good and Evil that is Dijudicative prudence which distinguisheth Good from Evil likewise the Tree of Life that is the Plant of Divine Illumination which bringeth forth to the Soul the Fruit of a more holy and better Life In this Paradise therefore grow Vertue Wisdome and Aequity Vertue is one in General but hath many Species Wisdome comprehendeth within it self all the Vertues which the Divine Mind pronounceth as only unspeakable Seek thou the way of the Soul whence or by what Order Having served the Body to the same order from which thou didst flow Thou mayst rise up again joyning Action to sacred speech That is seek the Origine of the Soul from whence it was produced and served the Body and how Men cherishing and raising it up by the Exercise of Divine Rites may reduce it to the place whence it came Uniting Action to sacred Reason is to be understood thus Sacred Reason or Discourse in us is the Intellectual Life or rather the supreme faculty of the Soul which the Oracle elsewhere styles the flower of the Mind but this sacred Reason cannot by its own guidance aspire to the more sublime Institution and to the comprehension of Divinity the work of Piety leads it by the hand to God by assistance of Illuminations from thence but the Chaldaean by the Telestick Science perfects or initiates the Soul by the power of Materials here on Earth To this sacred Reason saith he when thou hast united Action that is joyn'd the Work of Initiation to the sacred Reason or better faculty of the Soul Our Theologist Gregory raiseth the Soul to the more Divine things by reason and Contemplation by Reason which is in us the best and most intellectual faculty by Contemplation which is an illumination comming from above But Plato affirms that we may comprehend the â—ngenerate Essence by reason and Intellect But the Chaldaean saith that there is no other Means for us to arrive at God but by strengthning the Vehiculum of the Soul by material Rites for it supposeth that the Soul is purifyed by Stones and Herbs and Charmes and is rendred expedit for Assent Stoop not down for a precipice lies below on the Earth Drawing through the Ladder which hath seaven steps beneath which Is the throne of Necessity The Oracle adviseth the Soul which is next to God that she adhere onely to him with her whole mind and bend not downwards for there is a great Prâ—cipice betwixt God and the Earth which draweth Souls down the Ladder which hath seven Steps The Ladder of seven steps signifies the Orbs
replenished with the more excellent Life and Illumination and exists as it were out of herself then the Oracle saith to her boast of Harmony that is Glory in the obscure and intelligible Harmony by which thou art tied together in Arithmetical and Musical Proportions for under this intelligible Harmony even the mortal and compounded Body is composed having it's compositions derived from thence Let the immortal depth of the Soul be predominant but all thy Eyes Extend upward The depth of the Soul is her threefold powers the intellectual the intelligent the opiniative Her Eyes are the threefold cognoscitive operations of these for the Eye is the Symbol of Knowledg as Life is of Appetite Open therefore saith he the immortal Depth of the Soul and extend thy cognoscitive Powers upwards and even thy own self to use our own Expression transfer to the Lord. Defile not the Spirit nor deep not a Superficies The Chaldaeans cloath the Soul with two Garments one they call Spiritual woven for it by the sensible World the other Luciform tenuious and intangible which is here termed Superficies Defile not saith he the spiritual Garment of thy Soul with impurity neither cause it 's Superficies to grow deep by certain material Additions but preserve both in their own Natures one pure the other undipt Seek Paradise The Chaldaick Paradise is the whole Chorus of Divine powers about the Father and the fiery Beauties of the creative fountains The opening thereof by piety is the Participation of the Goods The flaming Sword is the implacable power which withsâ—ands those that approach it unworthily to such persons it is shut for they are not capable of it's felicity To the Pious it is open to this place tend all the Theurgick Vertues This Vessel the Beasts of the Earth shall inhabit The Vessel is the compounded mixture of the Soul the Beasts of the Earth are the Daemons which rove about the Earth our life therefore being ful of passions shall be inhabited by such Beaâ—s for such kinds are essentiated in passions and have a material Seat and Order Wherefore such as are addicted to passions are glued to them by assimulation for they attract what is like them having a motive-faculty from the passions If thou extend the fiery mind to the work of Piety Thou shalt preserve the fluxible Body That is If thou extend thy illuminated Mind upwards and the Work of fire to the Works of Piety the Works of Piety with the Chaldaeans are the Methods of rites thou shalt not only render the Soul unvanquishable by Passions but shalt also preserve thy Body â—he more healthfull for this Ordinarily is the effect of Divine illuminations viz. to consume the matter of the Body and to esâ—ablish health that it be not seized either by passion or diseases Certainly out of the cavities of the Earth spring terrestrial Dogs Which shew no true signe to mortal Man The speech is of material Daemons These he calls Dogs for that they are Executioners of souls Terrestrial for that they fall from Heaven and are rolled about the Earth These saith he being removed far from the Beatitude of Divine Life and destitute of Intellectual Contemplation cannot praesignifie Futures whence all that they say or show is false and not solid for they know Beings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their Out-sides but that which knoweth figures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particularly useth Notions indivisible and not figured For the Father perfected all things and delivered them over to the second Mind which all Nations of men call the first The first Father of the Triad having made the Universal Frame deliver'd it over to the Mind which Mind the whole Race of Mankind being Ignorant of the Paternal Excellency call the first God but our Doctrine holds the contrary viz. that the first Mind the Son of the Great Father made and perfected every Creature for the Father in the Book of Moses declareth to the Son the Idaea of the Production of Creatures but the Son himself is the Maker of the Work The furies are Stranglers of Men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reductive Angels reduce Souls to them drawing them from general things but the Furies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the Tormentors of the Natures which are dispersed and envious of human Souls entangle them in material Passions and as it were strangle them and not only Torture such as are full of passions but even those that are converted towards the immaterial Essence for these also coming into matter and into generation stand in need of such purification for we see many Persons even of those who live holily and purely fall into unexpected Miseries The Paternal mind hath implanted Symbols in Souls As the Mosaick Book saith that Man was formed after the Image of God so the Chaldaean saith that the Maker and Father of the World sowed Symbols of his Essence in the Souls thereof For out of the paternal Seed not only Souls but all superiour Orders sprung But in Incorporeal substances there is one kind of signs viz. Incorporeal and Individual In the World there are other signs and Symbols the unspeakable properties of God which are far more Excellent then the Vertues themselves The Souls of those who quit the Body violently are most pure Whosoever shall take this saying rightly will find that it contradicts not our Doctrine for the Crowned Martyrs who in time of persecution leave their Bodies by a violent End purifie and perfect their Souls but this is not that which the Chaldaean means He praiseth all violent Death because the Soul which leaveth the Body with trouble abhorrs this Life and hateth conversation with the Body and rejoycing flyeth up to the things above but those Souls which forsake this Life their Bodies being naturally dissolved by sicknesse do regret it's propension and inclination to the Body Because the Soul being a bright fire by the power of the Father Remains immortal and is Mistresse of Life And possesseth many Completions of the cavities of the World The Soul being an immaterial and incorporeal fire exempt from all compounds and from the material Body is immortal for nothing material or dark is commixed with her neither is she compounded â—o as that she may be resolved into those things of which she consists but she is the Mistresse of Life enlightning the Dead with Life she hath the Complements of many Recesses that is susceptive of the Government of Matter for she is enabâ—ed according to her different Vertues to dwell in different Zones of the World The Father infuseth not fear but instead of perswasion That is the Divine Nature is not stern and full of indignation but sweet and calm whence it doth not cause fear in the Natures subjected to it but attracts all things by perswasion and graciousnesse for if it were formidable and minacious every Order of Beings would have been dissolved None of them being able to endure his Power And this Doctrine is in part esteemed
Amongst the Persians saithc Porphyrius those wise persons who were employ'd about the Divinity and served him were called Magi this is the signification of Magus in their Dialect And Apuleius Magus in the Persian Language signifieth the same as Priest in ours Hesychius A worshipper of God and a Theologist and a Priest is by the Persians stiled Magus Some conceive they were so termed by Zoroaster at their first Institution Suidas Zoroaster the Perso-Mede who first began the name of Magi celebrious amongst them Others derive the word from Mog a sirname of Zoroaster or from g Mije Gush one that hath short ears affirming that Zoroaster was such The Author of the Arabick History relates that theh Religion of the Persians being before Zoroaster's time divided into many Sects he reformed it i Agathias that he changed their old form of Sacred Rites and introduced many new Opinions and was the Author and introducer of Magical Religion among the Persians The Magi delivered their Learning successively in their Families from one age to another whence after the succession of many ages at this present saith Ammianus Marcellinus a multitude sprung from one and the same race is dedicated to the Rites and worship of the Gods For increasing by degrees they grew at last to the largeness and name of a compleat Nation dwelling in Towns not fortify'd with any walls and being permitted to use their own Laws they were honoured in respect of their Religion The Country of the Magi in Persia is mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus who takes notice of three wonderful Mountains in it And m Solinus mentions as belonging to them the City Pasagarda n Suidas and o Cedrenus call them Magussaeans and affirm that they were called Magog by those of their own Country So great was the esteem which the Magi had among the Persians thatp Cicero saith the Kings of Persia before they undertook the government were alwayes initiated in the sacred Mysteries of the Magi which Plato describes thus At fourteen years old they whom they call the Royal Paedagogues take charge of the youth These are four men chosen out of the most excellent of the Persians in the prime of their age The most wise the most just the most temperate and the most valiant The first of these teacheth him the Magick of Zoroaster the son of Horomases this is the service of the Gods and teacheth him also the Royal Institutions Dion Chrysostome saith that the Magi were admitted to the Kings Counsels and were assessors with him in Iudicature as being well acquainted with the natures of things and knowing after what manner the Gods are to be served All publick affairs saithr Agathias were managed by their direction and advice They adjudged rewards or punishments Dion elsewhere relates that Cambyses upon his expedition into Aegypt resigned the Government of the Persians into the hands of the Magi. s Constantius Manasses styles them the Guardians of the Royal Palaces and Pliny speaking of Magick saith it grew up at last to so great height that even at this day it is exceeding prevalent with many Nations and in the East it beareth sway over the King of Kings King of Kings was the proper Title of the Persian Monarch CHAP. II. The Sects Discipline and Manners of the Magi. EUbulus who wrote the History of Mythra in many Volumes affirms that amongst the Persians tâ—ere were three kind of Magi the first who were the most Learned and Eloquent of them did eat no other food but Meal and Oil. Thus Eubulus cited by S. Hierome More of the distinction of the Magi into three Sects wâ— mâ—â—t not elsewhere but probably it had reference as amongst the Chaldaeans to their several studies of which hereafter Dinon and Aristotle or rather the Author of the Treatise of Magick cited by Laertius relate of the Magâ— that they renounce rich attire and to wear Gold Their rayment is white upon occasion their beds the ground their food nothing but herbs cheese and bread instead of a staff they carry a caâ—e in the top whereof they put their cheese which as occasion served they did eat They had one in their Society chief amongst them called by c Sozomene the Prince of the Maâ—i Their chief employment was Religious worship they being conceived to be the only persons wâ—ose prayers the Gods would hear They made discourses concerning Iustice and esteemed it impious to burn the bodies of the dead and lawful to â—y with a mother or a daughter as Solion in his 23. Book Herodotus saith they differ as from otâ—ers so from the Aegyptian Priests in this that these polluâ—e themselves with the death of nothing but their sacrifices whereas the Magi with their oâ—n hands kill any thing except a man and a dog yea they esteem it a great exploiâ— if they have kill'd very many Ants or Serpenâ—s or other creeping or flying things THE SECOND PART The Doctrine of the Persians THat which is delivered to us of the Persian Doctrine and Opinions is so little and so imperfect as it will not easily admit of being knit together by any Method yet in regard of the near affinity their Learning is conceived to have had with the Chaldaeans we shall observe the same course in collecting and digesting the few remains of it First to allege what concerns their Theology and Physick Next Their Arts of Divination Thirdly Their Religious worship and Rites particularly termed Magick and lastly to give a Catalogue of all their Gods CHAP. I. Theologie and Physick THat the Persian Magi were not unacquainted with Theology and Physick is confirmed by Suidas Magi saith he among the Persians are Philosophers and lovers of God Laertius affirms they discoursed concerning the substance and generation of the Gods andc Dion Chrysostome that they were skilful in Natures Zoroaster the Magus in his sacred collection of Physicks saith expressely thus God hath the head of a Hawk he is the first incorruptible aeternal unbegotten indivisible most like himself the Charioteer of every good one that cannot be bribed the best of things good the wisest of things wise Moreover he is the Father of Equity and Iustice self-taught natural and perfect and wise and the sole Inventor of sacred Nature Plutarch relates of Zoroaster that he divided all things into three kinds Over the first kind he conceived Horomazes to be president the same whom the Oracles call the Father Over the last Arimanes Over the middle kind Mithra whom the Oracles call the second Mind And that Horomazes made himself three times as big as the Sun who in the Persian language is called Cyrus Mithra made himself twice as big as the Sun who was next to Horomazes To which these Platonick assertions are correspondent That all things are about the King of all and that all things are for him That he is the cause of all good things The second is employed about