similitude Let us imagine to our selves saith he two Sphears one consisting of many Bodies these two to be of equal bigness but place one together with the Center and put the other into it you will see the whole World existing in place moved in immoveable Light which World according to it's whole self is immoveable that it may imitate Place but is moved as to it's parts that herein it may have less than Place CHAP. XIV The Aethereal Worlds AFter the Empyraeum the Oracle names the Aether Fire Aether Worlds confirm'd by Psellus and the Anonymous Summarist who assert that next the Empyraeum are the three Aetherial Worlds but of these three they mention only two and those misapplied to the Material Worlds The Sphear of fixed Stars and the Planetary Sphear The third perhaps implied though not exprest might be the Aether which is betwixt the Empyreum and the Sphear of fixed Stars The Aether is a fire as it 's name implies less subtile than the Empyreum for the Empyraeum penetrates through the Aether yet is the Aether it self so subtile that it penetrates through the material World The second Aetherial World is the Sphear of fixed Stars which are the more compacted or condensed parts of the Aetherial fire as Patricius ingeniously interprets this Oracle He compacted a great number of inerratick Stars Forcing or pressing fire to fire The third Aetherial World is that of the Planetary Orb which contains the Sun Moon and five Planets styled by the Oracles Erratick animals and Fire He constituted a heptad of Erratick animals and again He constituted them six the seventh was that of the Sun Mingling fire in them CHAP. XV. The Material Worlds THe last and lowest are the Material Worlds which Psellus and the other Summarist assert to be three meaning doubtless the Air Earth and Water for so the Oracle ranks them Placing the Earth in the middle but the Water in the bosom of the Earth The Air above them This is that last order of Worlds of which the Chaldaick summary saith It is called terrestrial and the hater of light it is the region beneath the Moon and comprehends within it self matter which they call the bottome By which words it appears upon what ground the Chaldaeans asserted only these Sublunary Worlds to consist of Matter but the Empyreal and Aetherial to be Immaterial though Corporeal for Matter they understand to be the hater of Light Darknesse and the Bottom of a nature quite different from the Empyreum and Aether whose very substance is Light it self yet it is actuated by their vivificative fire which penetrates quite through it even to the Center as we shewed formerly Concerning the Earth Diodorus Siculus saith they held Opinions peculiar to themselves asserting that it is in Figure like a Boat and hollow for which as likewise for other things concerning the World they abound with probable Arguments Psellus adds that they sometimes call this sublunary Region Hades CHAP. XVI Of Material Daemons OF Daemons as we said they asserted two kinds some good others ill the good light the ill dark The former are those whom Hostanes calls the Ministers and Messengers of God dwelling in his presence But these he describes as Terrestial wandring up and down and enemies of Mankind Of the First we have treated already of the Latter Psellus in his discourse upon this subject gives a large accompt from one Marcus of Mesopotamia who having been of this Religion and well acquainted with their Institutions was afterwards converted to Christianity what he relates as well from the Doctrine it self as from the place sufficiently appears to be of the Chaldaick Tradition It is to this effect These Daemons are of many kinds and various sorts both as to their Figures and Bodies insomuch that the Air is full of them as well that which is above us as that which is round about us The Earth likewise is full and the Sea and the most retired cavities and depths There are six general kinds of these Daemons The first named Leliurius which signifies Fiery This kind dwelleth in the Air that is above us for from the places next about the Moon as being Sacred all kinds of Daemons as being prophane are expelled The second kind is that which wandreth in the Air contiguous to us and is by many peculiarly called Aërial The third Terrestial The fourth Watery and Marine The fifth Subteraneous The sixt Lucifugous and hardly sensible All these kind of Daemors are haters of God and enemies of Man Moreover of these ill Daemons some are worse than others Aquatile and Subterranâ—ous and Lucifugous are extremely malicious and pernicions for these do not hurt Souls by phantasms and delusions but by assault like the most savage beasts accelerate the destruction of men The Watery drown those who are sailing upon the water The Subterraneous and Lucifugous insinuating into the entrails cause Epilepsies and Frenzy The Aërial and Terrestial circumvent Men by art and subtilty and deceive the minds of Men and draw them to absurd and illegal passions They effect these things not as having dominion over us and carrying us as their slaves whithersoever they please but by suggestion for applying themselves to the Fantastick spirit which is within us they themselves being spirits also they instill discourses of affections and plâ—asures not by voyce verberating the Air but by whisper insinuating their discourse Nor is it impâ—ssible that they should speak without voice if we consider that he who speaks being a far off is forced to use a greater sound being neer he speakes softly into the ear of the Hearer and if he could get into the spirit of the Soul he would not need any sound but what discourse soever he pleaseth would by a way without sound arrive there where it is to be received which they say is likewise in Souls when they are out of the body for they discourse with one another without noise After this manner the Daemons converse with us privately so as we are not sensible which way the war comes upon us Neither can this be doubted if we observe what happens to the Air. For when the Sun shineth it assumeth several colours and forms transmitting them to other things as we may see in Looking-glasses In like manner the Daemons assuming figures and colours and whatsoever forms they please transmit them into our animal Spirit and by that meanes afford us much businesse suggesting counsels representing figures resuscitating the remembrance of pleasures exciting the images of passions as well when we sleep as when we wake and sometimes titillating the genital parts inflame us with frantick and unlawful desires especially if they take co-operating with them the hot humidities which are in us The rest of the Daemons know nothing that is subtile nor how to breed disturbance yet are they hurtfull and abominable hurting in the same manner as the spirit or vapour in Charon's Cave For as that is reported to kill
Forcing fire to fire To be carried by a Settlement which hath not Error He constituted them six casting into the midd'st The fire of the Sun Suspending their Disorder in well-ordered Lones For the Goddesse brings forth the great Sun and the bright Moon O Aether Son Spirit Guides of the Moon and of the Air And of the solar Circles and of the Monethly clashings And of the Aerial Recesses The Melody of the Aether and of the Passages of the Sun and Moon and of the Air And the wide Air and the Lunar Course and the Pole of the Sun Collecting it and receiving the Melody of the Aether And of the Sun and of the Moon and of all that are contained in the Air. Fire the Derivation of fire and the Dispenser of fire His Hair pointed is seen by his native Light Hence comes Saturn The Sun Assessor beholding the pure Pole And the Aetherial Course and the vast Motion of the Moon And the Aerial fluxions And the great Sun and the bright Moon TIME THe Mundane God Aeternal Infinite Young and Old of a Spiral form And another fountainous who guides the Empyraeal Heaven SOUL BODY MAN IT behooves thee to hasten to the light and to the beams of the Father From whence was sent to Thee a Soul cloathed with much Mind These things the Father conceived and so the mortal was animated For the paternal mind sowed Symbols in souls Replenishing the Soul with profound Love For the Father of Gods and Men placed the Mind in the Soul And in the Body he established You. For all Divine things are Incorporeal But bodies are bound in them for your sakes Incorporeals not being able to contain the bodies By reason of the Corporeal Nature in which you are concentrated And they are in God attracting strong flames Descending from the Father from which descending the Soul Crops of Empyreal fruits the soul-nourishing flower And therefore conceiving the Words of the Father They avoid the audacious wing of fatal Destiny And though you see this Soul manumitted Yet the Father sends another to make up the Number Certainly these are superlatively blessed above all Souls they are sent forth from Heaven to Earth And those rich Souls which have unexpressible fates As many of them O King as proceed from shining Thee or from Jove Himself under the strong power of his thread Let the Immortal Depth of thy Soul be predominant but all thy eyes Extend upward Stoop not down to the dark World Beneath which continually lies a faithlesse Depth and Hades Dark all over squallid delighting in Images unintelligible Praecipitious Craggy a Depth alwayes Rolling Alwayes espousing an Opacous idle breathlesse Body And the Light-hating World and the winding currents By which many things are swallowed up Seek Paradise Seek thou the way of the Soul whence or by what Order Having served the Body to the same place from which thou didst flow Thou mayst rise up again joyâ—ing Action to sacred speech Stoop not down for a precipice lies below on the Earth Drawing through the Ladder which hath seven steps beneath which Is the Throne of Necessity Enlarge not thou thy Destiny The soul of Men will in a manner clasp God to her self Having nothing mortal she is wholly inebriated from God For she boasts Harmony in which the mortal Body exists If thou extend the fiery Mind To the work of piety thou shalt preserve the fluxible body There is a room for the Image also in the Circumlucid place Every way to the unfashioned Soul stretch the rains of fire The fire-glowing Cogitation hath the first rank For the Mortal approaching to the fire shall have Light from God For to the slow Mortal the Gods are swift The Furies are stranglers of Men. The bourgeons even of ill matter are profitable and good Let hope nourish thee in the fiery Angelical Region But the paternal Mind accepts not her will Untill she go out of Oblivion and pronounce a Word Inserting the remembrance of the pure paternal Symbol To these he gave the docible Character of Life to be comprehended Those that were asleep he made fruitful by his own strength Defile not the Spirit nor deepen a Superficies Leave not the Drosse of matter on a Praecipice Bring her not forth lest going forth she have something The souls of those who quit the Body violently are most pure The unguirders of the Soul which give her breathing are easie to be loosed In the side of sinister Hecate there is a fountain of Virtue Which remains entire within not omitting her Virginity O Man the machine of boldest Nature Subject not to thy Mind the vast measures of the Earth For the plant of Truth is not upon 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 wide flight of Birds is not veracious And the Dissections of Entrails and Victims all these are toyes The supports of gainfull cheats fly thou these If thou intend to open the sacred Paradise of Piety Where Virtue Wisdome and Aequity are assembled For thy Vessel the Beasts of the Earth shall inhabit These the Earth bewails even to their Children DAEMONS RITES NAture perswades that there are pure Daemons The bourgeons even of ill matter are profitable and good But these things I revolve in the recluse Temples of my mind Extending the like fire sparklingly into the spacious Air Or fire unfigured a voice issuing forth Or fire abundant whizzing and winding about the Earth But also to see a Horse more glittering than Light Or a Boy on thy shoulders riding on a Horse Fiery or adorned with Gold or devested Or shooting and standing on thy shoulders If thou speak often to me thou shalt see absolutely that which is spoken For then neither appears the Coelestial concave Bulk Nor do the Stars shine the Light of the Moon is cover'd The Earth stands not still but all things appear Thunder Invoke not the self-conspicuous Image of Nature For thou must not behold these before thy Body be initiated When soothing souls they alwayes seduce them from these Mysteries Certainly out of the cavities of the Earth spring Terrestrial Dogs Which show no true signe to mortal Man Labour about the Hecatick Strophalus Never change barbarous Names For there are Names in every Nation given from God Which have an unspeakable power in Rites When thou seest a sacred fire without form Shining flashingly through the Depths of the World Hear the voice of Fire PLETHO HIS EXPOSITION Of the more obscure passages in these Oracles 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 againe joyning action to sacred speech THe Magi that are followers of
Zoroaster as also many others hold that the Human Soul is immortal and descended from above to serve the mortal Body that is to operate therein for a certain time and to Animate and Adorn it to her power and then returns to the place from which she came And whereas there are many Mansions there for the Soul one wholly-bright another wholly-dark others betwixt both partly-bright partly-dark The Soul being descended from that which is wholly-bright into the Body if she perform her Office well runs back into the same place but if not well she retires into worse Mansions according to the things which she hath done in Life The Oracle therefore sayeth Seek thou the Souls path or the way by which the Soul flowed into thee or by what course viz of Life having performed thy charge toward the Body thou mayst Mount up to the same place from which thou didst flow down viz. the same Track of the Soul joyning action to sacred speech By sacred speech he understands that which concerns Divine Worship by action Divine Rites The Oracle therefore sayeth that to this Exaltation of the Soul both speech concerning Divine Worship Prayers and Religious Rites Sacrifices are requisite Stoop not down for a praecipice lies below on the Earth Drawing through the Ladder which hath seven steps beneath which Is the â—hrone of Necessity He calls the Descention into wickednesse and misery a Precipice the Terrestrial and Mortal Body the Earth for by the Earth he understands mortal Nature as by the fire frequently the Divine by the place with seven Wayes he means Fate dependant on the Planets beneath which there is seated a certain dire and unalterable Necessity The Oracle therefore adviseth that thou stoop not down towards the mortal Body which being Subject only to the Fatâ— which proceeds from the Planets may be reckon'd amongst those things which are at our Arbitrement for thou wilt be unhappy if thou stoop down wholly to the Body and unfortunate and continually failing of thy Desires in regard of the Necessity which is annex'd to the Body For thy Vessel the Beasts of the Earth shall inhabit The Vessel of thy Soul that is this mortal Body shall be inhabited by Worms and other vile Creatures Enlarge not Thou thy Destiny Endeavour not to encrease thy Fate or to do more then is given thee in charge for thou wilt not be able For nothing proceeds from the paternal principality imperfect For from the paternal Power which is that of the supream God nothing proceedeth imperfect so as thou thy self mightest compleat it for all things proceeding from thence are perfect as appears in that they tend to the perfection of the Universe But the Paternal Mind accepts not her will Untill she go out of Oblivion and pronounce a Word Inserting the remembrance of the pure paternal Symbol The Paternal Mind viz. the Second God and ready Maker of the Soul admits not her Will or Desire untill she come out of the Oblivion which she contracted by Connexion with the Body and untill she speak a certain Word or conceive in her thoughts a certain Speech calling to remembrance the paternal Divine Symbol or Watch-word this is the pursuit of the good which the Soul calling to remembrance hereby becomes most acceptable to Her Maker It behooves thee to hasten to the Light and to the beams of the Father From whence there was sent to thee a Soul endued with much mind The Light and splendour of the Father is that Mansion of the Soul which is circumlucid from whence the Soul array'd with much of mind was sent hither wherefore We must hasten to return to the same Light These the Earth bewails even to their Children Those who hasten not to the Light from which their Soul was sent to them the Earth or mortal Nature bewails for that they being sent hither to Adorn her not only not adorn her but also blemish themselves by Living wickedly moreover the Wickednesse of the Parents is transmâ—tted to the Children corrupted by them through ill Education The unguirders of the Soul which give her breathing are easie to be loosed The Reasons which expell the Soul from Wickednesse and give her breathing are easie to be untied and the Oblivion which keeps them in is easily put off In the side of the sinister bed there is a fountain of Virtue Which remains entire within not emitting her Virginity In the left side of thy Bed there is the Power or Fountain of Virtue residing wholly within and never casting off her Virginity or Nature void of Passion for there is alwayes in us the power of Virtue without passion which cannot be put off although her Energy or Activity may be interrupted he saith the power of Virtue is placed on the left side because her Activity is seated on the right by the Bed is meant the seat of the Soul subject to her several Habits The soul of Man will in a manner clasp God to her self Having nothing mortal she is wholly inebriated from God For she boasts Harmony in which the mortal Body consists The human Soul will in a manner clasp God and joyn him strictly to her self who is her continual Defence by resembling him as much as she can possibly having nothing mortal within her she is wholly drench'd in Divinity or replenished with Divine goods for though she is fetter'd to this mortal Body yet she glories in the Harmony or Union in which the mortal Body exists that is she is not ashamed of it but thinks well of her self for it as being a Cause and affording to the Universe that As Mortals are united with immortals in Man so the Universe is adorned with one Harmony 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 second God who first before all other things proceeded from the Father and supream God these Oracles call all along The power of the Father and his intellectual Power and the paternal Mind He sayeth therefore that the Soul procreated by this power of the Father is a bright fire that is a Divine and Intellectual Essence and persisteth immortal through the Divinity of its Essence and is Mistresse of Life viz. of her self possessing Life which cannot be taken away from her for how can we be said to be Masters of such things as may be taken from us seeing the use of them is only allowed us but of those things which cannot be taken from us We are absolute Masters The Soul according to her own Eternity possesseth many Rooms in the Receptacles of the World or divers places in the World which according as she hath led her Life past is allotted to every One Seek Paradise The circumlucid Mansion of the Soul Defile not the Spirit nor deepen a Superficies The Followers of Pythagoras and Plato conceive the Soul to be a Substance not wholly separate from all
Body nor wholly inseparate but partly separate partly inseparate separable potentially but ever inseparate actually For they assert three kinds of Forms One wholly separate from matter the Supercelestial Intelligences another wholly inseparable from matter having a Substance not subsistent by it self but dependant on matter together with which Matter which is somtime dissolved by reason of its nature subject to Mutation this kind of Soul is dissolved also and perisheth this kind they hold to be wholly irrational Betwixt these they place a middle kind the rational Soul differing from the Supercelestiall Intelligences for that it alwayes co-exists which Matter and from the irrational kind for that it is not dependant on matter but on the contrary matter it is dependant on it and it hath a proper substance potentially subsistent by it self it is also indivisible as well as the supercelestial Intelligences and performing some works in some manner allyed to theirs being it self also busied in the knowledge and contemplation of beings even unto the Supreme God and for this reason is incorruptible This kind of Soul is alwayes co-existent with an Aetherial Body as it 's Vehiculum which she by continual approximation maketh also immortal neither is this her Vehiculum inanimate in it selfe but is it self animated with the other species of the Soul the irrational which the Wise call the Image of the rational Soul adorned with Fantasie and Sense which seeth and hears it self whole through whole and is furnished with all the Senses and with all the rest of the irrational faculties of the Soul Thus by the principal faculty of this Body Phantasie the rational Soul is continually joyned to such a Body and by such a Body sometimes the humane Soul is joyned with a Mortal Body by a certain affinity of Nature the whole being infolded in the whole enlivening Spirit of the Embryon This Vehiculum it selfe being of the nature of a Spirit The Daemons Souls differ not much from the humane onely they are more noble and use more noble Vehicles Moreover they cannot be mingled with corruptible Nature Likewise the Souls of the Starres are much better than the Daemons and use better Vehicules are Bodies splendid by reason of the greatnesse of the operative faculty These Doctrines concerning the Soul the Magi followers of Zoroastres seem to have used long before Defile not this kind of Spirit of the Soul sayeth the Oracle noâ— deepen it being a superficies He calls it Superficies not as if it had not a triple Dimension for it is a Body but to signifie its extraordinary rarity nor make it become grosse by accession of more matter to its Bulk for this Spirit of the Soul becomes grosse if it declines too much towards the mortal Body There is a room for the Image also in the circumlucid place He calls the Image of the Soul that part which being it self voyd of irrational is joyned to the rational part and depends upon the Vehicle thereof now he saith that this kind of Image hath a part in the circumlucid Region for the Soul never layeth down the Vehicle adherent to her Leave not the drosse of matter on a Precipice He calls the mortal Body the Drosse of matter and exhorteth that We neglect it not being ill affected but take care of it whilst it is in this life to preserve it in Health as much as possible and that it may be pure and in all things else correspond with the Soul Carry not forth lest going forth she have something Carry not forth meaning the Soul out of the mortal Body lest by going forth thou incurre some danger implying as much as to carry her forth beyond the lawes of Nature If thou extend the fiery mind to the work of Piety thou shalt preserve the fluxible Body Extending up thy divine Mind to the Exercise of Piety or to religious Rites and thou shalt preserve the mortal Body more sound by performing these Rites Certainly out of the cavities of the Earth spring terrestrial Dogs Which show no true signe to mortal Man Sometimes to many initiated Persons there appear whilst they are sacrificing some Apparitions in the shape of Doggs and several other figures Now the Oracle saith that these issue out of the Receptacles of the Earth that is out of the terrestial and mortal Body and the irrational Passions planted in it which are not yet sufficiently adorned with Reason these are Apparitions of the passions of the Soul in performing divine Rites meer appearances having no substance and therefore not signifying any thing true Nature perswadeth that Daemons are pure The bourgeons even of ill matter are profitable and good Nature or natural Reason perswadeth that Daemons are Sacred and that all things proceeding from God who is in himself good are beneficial and the very bloomings of ill Matter or the forms dependant upon Matter are such also he calls Matter ill not as to it's substance for how can the substance be bad the bloomings whereof are beneficial and good but for that it is ranked last among the substances and is the least participant of good which littlenesse of good is here exprest by the Word ill now the Oracle meanes that if the bloomings of ill matter viz. of the last of substances are good much more are the Daemons such who are in an excellent Rank as partakeing of rational Nature and being not mixed with mortal Nature The furies are Stranglers of Men. The furies or the Vindictive Daemons clasp Men close or restrain and drive them from Vice and excite them to Vertue Let the immortal depth of the Soul be praedominant but all thy Eyes Extend quite upward Let the divine depth of thy Soul governe and lift thou all thy Eyes or all thy knowing faculties Upward O Man the machine of boldest Nature He calls Man the Machine of boldest Nature because he attempts great things If thou speak often to me thou shalt see absolutely that which is spoken For there neither appears the caelestial concave bulk Nor do the Stars shine the light of the Moon is covered The Earth stands not still but all things appear Thunder The Oracle speakes as from God to an initiated Person If thou often speak to me or call me thou shaâ—t see that which thou speakest viz. Me whom thou callest every where for then thou shalt perceive nothing but Thunder all about fire gliding up and down all over the World Call not on the self-conspicuous image of Nature Seek not to behold the self-seeing Image of Nature viz. of the Nature of God which is not visible to our Eyes but those things which appear to initiated Persons as Thunder Lightning and all else whatsoever are only Symbols or Signes not the Nature of God Every way to the unfashioned Soul stretch out the reins of fire Draw unto thy selfe every way the reines of fire which appear to thee when thou art sacrâ—ficing with a sincere Soul viz. a simple and not of various habits When
bright throughout the Soul is seated in the circumlucid region From thence this kind of Soul is often sent down to Earth upon several occasions either by reason of the flagging of its wings so they term the dâ—viation from its original perfection or in obedience to the will of the Father This Soul is alwayes coexistent with an Aetherial body as its Vehiculum which she by continual approximation maketh also immortal Neither is this her Vehiculum inanimate in it self but is it self animated with the other species of the Soul the Irrational which the Wise call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the Rational Soul adorn'd with Phantasy and Sense which seeth and heareth it self whole through whole and is furnish'd with all the Senses and with all the rest of the Irrational facultâ—es of the Soul Thus by the principal faculty of this body Phantasy the Rational Soul is continually joyned to such a body and by such a body sometimes the Humane Soul is joyned with a Mortal body by a certain affinity of nature the whole being infolded in the whole enlivening Spirit of the Embryon this Vehiculum it self being of the nature of a Spirit The Image of the Soul viz. that part which being it self voyd of Irrational is joyned to the Rational part and depends upon the vehicle thereof hath a part in the circumlucid region for the Soul never layeth down the vehicle adherent to her The Soul being sent down from the mansion wholly-bright to serve the mortal body that is to operate therein for a certain time and to animate and adorn it to her power and being inabled according to her several Virtues do dwell in several Zones of the world if she perform her office well goes back to the same place but if not well she retires to the worst mansions according to the things she hath done in this life Thus the Chaldeans restore Souls to their first condition according to the measure of their several purifications in all the Regions of the World some also they conceive to be caried beyond the World CHAP. XI The Supramundane Light ALl these aeviternal and incorporeal Beings are seated in the Supramundane Light which it self also is incorporeal placed immediately above the highest Corporeal World and from thence extending upwards to infinite Proclus cited by Simplicius on this Oracle of Zoroaster Abundantly animating Light Fire Aether Worlds saith This Light is above all the seven Worlds as a Monad before or above the Triad of the Empyraeal Aetherial and Material Worlds adding that this primary Light is the Image of the Paternal Depth and is therefore supramundane because the Paternal Depth is supramundane And again this Light saith he being the supramundane Sun sends forth Fountains of Light and the Mystick Discourses tell us that it's generality is among supramundane Things for there is the Solar World and the Universal Light as the Chaldaick Oracles assert And again the Centers of the whole World as one seem to be fix'd in this for if the Oracles fixed the Centers of the material World above it self in the Aether proportionably ascending We shall affirm that the Centers of the highest of the Worlds are seated in this Light Is not this first Light the Image of the Paternal Depth and for that reason supramundane also because that is so CHAP. XII Of things Temporal or Corruptible and Corporeal THe third and last kind of things according to Zoroaster is Corruptible or Temporal which as it began in time so shall it likewise in time be dissolved The President over these is Arimanes Under this third kind are comprehended the Corporeal Worlds the Empyreal immediately below the Supramundane light the Aetherial next the Empyreal and the Material the lowest of all as the Oracle ranks them Abundantly animating Light Fire Aether Worlds These corporeal Worlds are seven Orac. For the Father formed seven firmaments of Worlds Including Heaven in a round figure He fixed a great company of inerratick stars He constituted a Heptad of Erratick animals Placing the Earth in the middle but the Water in the bosome of the Earth The Air above these Psellus explaining how they are seven saith They affirm that there are seven corporeal Worlds one Empyreal and first then three Aethereal and lastly three Material the fixed Circle the Erratick and the Sublunary Region But this enumeration seems to fall short for he mentions but two Aethereal Worlds the Orb of fixed Stars and the Planetary Orb and one Material the Sublunary Region as the Learned Patricius observes who therefore reckons the seaven thus One Empyreal three Aetherial the Fixed Orb the Planetary Orb the Orb of the Moon and three Elementary the Aërial the Watry and the Terrestrial But perhaps it will better suit with the Oracle which includes the Moon within the Planetary Orb and placeth the Water under the Earth as also with Psellus who calls the last three Worlds Material to dispose them thus Corporeal Worlds seven One Empyreal World Three Aetherial Worlds The Supreme Aether next the Empyreum The Sphear of fixed Stars The Planetary Orb Three Material Sublunary Worlds The Air The Earth The Water Neither can it seem strange that the three last only should be called Material for the Chaldaeans conceiving matter to be a dark substance or rather Darkness it self the Empyreal and Aetherial Worlds which as we shall shew consist only of Light or Fire cannot in their sense be said to be Material though Corporeal The Empyreal or First of these saith Psellus they attributed to the Mind the Aetherial to the Soul the Material to Nature CHAP. XIII The Empyreal World THe First of the Corporeal Worlds is the Empyreal by Empyreum the Chaldaeans understand not as the Christian Theologists the Seat of God and the Blessed Spirits which is rather analogous to the Supreme Light of the Chaldaeans but the outmost Sphear of the Corporeal World It is round in figure according to the Oracle Inclosing Heaven in a round figure It is also a solid Orb or Firmament for the same Oracles call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It consists of fire whence named the Empyreal or as the Oracles the fiery World which fire being immediately next the Incorporeal supramundane Light is the rarest and subtilest of Bodies and by reason of this Subtilty penetrates into the Aether which is the next World below it and by Mediation of the Aether through all the Material World This may be evinced more particularly saith Proclus from the Divine Tradition meaning the Zoroastrian Oracles for the Empyreum penetrates through the Aether and the Aether throâ—gh the Material World and though all the Intellectual â—etrads and Hebdomads have a Fountainous Order and consequently an Empyreal President nevertheless they are contained in the Worlds since the Empyreal passeth through all the Worlds Neverthelesse the Empyreum it self is fix'd and immoveable as Simplicius further explicating the Chaldaick Doctrine acknowledgeth by this
whatsoever approacheth it whether Beast Man or Bird in like manner these Daemons destroy those upon whom they chance to fall overthrowing their Souls and Bodies and their natural habits and sometimes by fire or water or precipice they destroy not men only but some irrational creatures The Daemonâ— assault Irrational creatures not out of hate or as wishing them ill but out of the love they have of their Animal heat For dwelling in the most remote cavities which are extremely cold and dry they contract much coldnesse wherewith being afflicted they affect the humid and animal heat and to enjoy it they insinuate themselves into Irrational creatures and go into Baths and Pits for they hate the heat of Fire and of the Sun because it burns and dryeth up But they most delight in the heat of Animals as being temperate and mixt with moisture especially that of men being best tempered into which insinuating themselves they cause infinite disturbance stopping up the pores in which the Animal spirit is inherent and streightning and compressing the spirit by reason of the grossnesse of the bodies with which they are indued Whence it happeneth that the bodies are disordered and their principal faculties distemper'd and their motions become dull and heavy Now if the insinuating Daemon be one of the Subterraneous kind he distorteth the possessed Person and speaketh by him making use of the Spirit of the patient as if it were his own Organ But if any of tâ—ose who are called Lucifugous get privately into a Man he causeth relaxation of the limbs and stoppeth the voice and maketh the possessed Person in all respects like one that is dead For this being the last kind of Daemons is more Earthly and extremely cold and dry and into whomsoever it insinuates it hebetates and makes dull all the faculties of his Soul And because it is Irrational voyd of all Intelâ—ectual contemplation and is guided by Irrational phantasie like the more savage kind of beasts hence it comes to passe that it standâ— not in awe of menaces and for that reason most persons aptly call it Dumb and Deaf nor can they who are possessed withit by any other meanes be freed from it but by the Divine favour obtained by Fasting and Prayer That Physicians endeavour to perswade us that these Passions proceed not from Daemons but from Humours and Spirits ill affected and therefore go about to cure them not by Incantations and Expiations but by Medicines and Diet is nothing strange since they know nothing beyond Sense and are wholly addicted to study the Body And perhaps not without reason are some things ascribed to ill-affected Humours as Lethargies Melancholies Frenzies which they take away and cure either by evacuating the Humours or by replenishing the Body if it be Empty or by outward applications But as for Enthusiasms ragings and unclean Spirits with which whosoever is possessed is not able to act any thing neither by Intellect Speech Phantasie nor Sense or else there is some other thing that moves them unknown to the Person possessed which sometimes foretelleth Future events How can we call thâ—se the Motions of depraved Matter Not kind of Daemon is in it's own Nature Male or Female for such affections are only proper to Compounds but the Bodies of Daemons are simple and being very ductile and flexible are ready to take any Figure As we see the Clouds represent sometimes Men somtimes Bears sometimes Dragons or any other Fâ—gures so is it with the Daemoniack Bodies Now the Clouds appear in various Figures according as they are driven by exteriour blasts or winds but in Daemons who can passe as they please into any Bodyes and sometimes contract sometimes extend themselves like wormes on the Earth being of a soft and tractable Nature not only the Bulk is changed but the Figure and Colour and that several wayes for the Daemoniack body being by Nature capable of all these as it is apt to recede it is changed into several forms as it is Aërial it is susceptible of all sorts of Colours like Air but the Air is coloured by something extrinsecal The Daemoniack Body from it's intrinsecal Phantastick Power and energy produceth the forms of colours in it self as we sometimes look Pale sometimes Red according as the Soul is affected either with Fear or Anger The like we must imagine of Daemons for from within they send forth several kinds of colours into their Bodies Thus theâ—r Bodies being changed into what Figure and assuming what Colour they please they sometimes appear in the shape of a Man sometimes of a Woman of a Lion of a Leopard of a wild Boar sometimes in the figure of a Bottle and sometimes like a little Dog fawning upon us Into all these forms they change themselves but keep none of them constantly for the figure is not solid but immediately is dissipated as when we pour somthing coloured into Water or draw a figure in the Air. In like manner is it with Daemons their Colour Figure and Form presently vanish But all Daemons have not the same power and will there is much inequality amongst them as to these Some there are Irrational as amongst Compound Animals for as of them Man participating of Intellect and Reason hath also a larger Phantasie extending also to all â—ensibles as wel in the Heavens as on Earth and under the Earth but Horses Oxen and the like have a narrower and more particular Phantasie yet such as extends to the knowledg of the Creatures that feed with them their Mangers and their Masters lastly Flies Gnats and Worms have it extremely contracted and incoherent for they know neither the hole out of which they came nor whither they go nor whither they ought to go they have only one Phantasie which is that of aliment In like manner there are different kâ—nds of Daemons Of these some are Fiery others Aërial these have a various Phantasie which is capable of extending to any thing maginable The Subterraneous and Lucifugous are not of this Nature whence it comes to passe that they make not use of many Figures as neither having variety of Phantasms nor a Body apt for action and transformation But the watery and Terrestial being of middle kind between these are capable of taking many forms but keep themselves constantly to that in which they delight They which live in humid places transform themselves into the shapes of Birds and Women whence termed by the Greeks Naiades and Nereides and Dryades in the Feminine gender But such as are conversant in dry places have also dry Bodies such as the Onosceles are said to be These transform themselves into Men sometimes into Dogs Lions and the like Animals which are of a Masculine dâ—sposition The Bodies of Daemons are capable of being struck and are pained thereby though they are not compounds for Sense is not only proper to compounds That thing in Man which feeleth is neither the Bone nor the Nerve but the Spirit which is in
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