Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	part_n	soul_n	20,019	5	5.7069	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11620	The tillage of light· Or, A true discouerie of the philosophicall elixir, commonly called the philosophers stone Seruing, to enrich all true, noble and generous spirits, as will aduenture some few labors in the tillage of such a light, as is worthy the best obseruance of the most wise. By Patrick Scot, Esquire.	Scot, Patrick.	1623 (1623)	STC 21862; ESTC S116882	23,614	62

other things our vnderstanding finde greater difficultie to finde them by resemblance then by contraries It is more hard to discerne white vpon white then blacke vpon white and there is greater wisedome to distinguish good from good then euill from euill because in the confusion of things those that most resemble are least knowne one from an other but in the commixture of diuers things either in quality or substance they are instantly discouered But let vs not trust that one thing may be hote and cold drye and moyst in one posture for two contraries can neuer subsist in one degree therefore if wee know not euery circumstance and gradation of this great worke wee shall neuer bring it to perfection for as diuine prouidence by nature made all things in true number and proportion so euery defect in that number and proportion is imperfect and wrongeth both the first and second cause Wee must then consider wisely of the meanes whereby this worke is compleat and when they are purified in the third degree the purer the meanes bee the neerer to perfection they are and retaines such a part of the vertue of this Art that without their ayde the principall may not giue influence to the finall end neither the effluence answere the expectation of the principall cause As the Soule is tyed to the Body by meanes of a vitall naturall and animall spirit so as long as these meanes keepe the body aliue so long will the soule dwell with the body but when nature or accident take away the meanes the subtile pure immortall soule retyreth from the grosse body to immortalitie for which shee was created According to this say the Phylosophers their Elixar hath corpus animam spiritum all which must haue meanes agreeable to their kinde and must be searched by wisedome least by ignorance or misgouernement the Diuine worke bee quite marred Thus hath my Plough shortly gone through the large field of the Phylosophicall Elixar which by allusion to most pure mettalls is said to conuert and multiply other vnrefined mettals hauing the seed of Gold into pure Gold but as you sowe you shall reape if you sowe sparingly you shall reape sparingly if you sowe darkenesse you shall reape confusion and if you sowe light you shall reape ioy Aurum ab aquilone veniet that is pure ayre of wholesome doctrine duely and seasonably sowen bringeth foorth millions but as this seed is sowen by them who haue their mindes long exercised in vertue so is it increased in none but in those that haue their mindes capable of so holy an impression Threshing winnowing grinding are necessary vses for Wheate yet belong not to the Bakers Craft but sifting mixing and gouernment of fire are workes of greater skill if Reason and holinesse bee the beginning of euery action doubtlesse the visible things will separat from the inuisible that is water and earth from fire and aire for things are corporall because they shall be spirituall which the wheele of the great worke will make manifest when time the Steward and dispensator of euery thing shall one day bring euery thought vpon the Stage But to returne to Philosophy if wee will giue her the due praises which shee deserueth wee shall finde that her refyning of vs in vertue is to a more pure substance then of thrice purified gold if wee would from vice extract vertue quintessence content and true reputation from pouerty and contempt Conuert exile into our natiue Country bonds into liberty want into wealth or would wee multiply some few short earthly crosses into Caelestiall permanent ioyes all these can Philosophy doe Philosophy can make Codrus better content then Cresus Diogenes contemne great Alexanders conquests braue banished Rutilius prefer solitarinesse to the greatnesse and magnificence of his City and affirme that by purchasing the friendship of Philosophy hee hath liued no longer then hee was banished Magnanimous Philosophy will encourage Aristarchus to doe more then all these by teaching him brused in a morter to cry out triumphantly Stampe on you hurt but the case of Arstiarchus but his mind you cannot touch It is Philosophy that in aduersity as steele from flint draweth from vs that sparke of diuine fire left in our soules which kindleth vertue and makes it appeare in its owne colour What other thing shall I call Philosophy then the light of this life Mistres of our affections Tut●ix of our felicity and the vpright couragious gouernment of our selues in all our actions by the rule of reason or may I not name her a stryuing and contention of the soule to repaire the weake mortality of the body by participation of eternall light vnto whose fruition shee draweth vs so much as she can imploying art and industry to procure vs glory and fame for a quiet minde heare and for a happy and glorious hereafter This diuine Philosophy begetteth such pleasure in our soule whilest wee are imployed about braue and generous actions specially when Constancy wrestleth with prosperity or aduersity the habit thereof commeth to such a sweetnesse that none but such as haue tasted it can expresse What greater contentment can come to the soule then the testimonie that Conscience beareth vnto vertue how with vndaunted courage she hath withstood aduerse fortune and hath not yeelded to the Cyrcean cups of honour riches or pleasures then are our ioyes compleat then doth glorie and spendor shine about vs and giue vs preheminence amongst men if it were onely as a torch to lighten vs to faire and glorious actions for if wee owe vnto posterity the most part of our best actions what more earnest wishes should we haue then our liues may be sacrifized to publike good These sweats and labours for generall benefit affoord vs meanes to enrich others by imitation and make our selues illustrious by the commendation of vertue But when we yeeld our selues captiues to the bondage of pleasures then steele we the darts that pearce our owne breasts Base Telegonus begotten on Circe killed his owne Father Vlisses Venus retribution of Helena to Paris for his golden ball was the blazing star that foretold his ruine and the ouerthrow of many worthy Troians beside in one word Great Alexander bewayling the inchantments of effeminat softnesse named the Persian Dames dolores oculorum or bad salues for sore eyes Egesias the Cirenian was so powerfull in a publike Philosophicall discourse of the immortallity of the soule that most of his Auditors hastened their deaths with their owne hands if these Heathen who had onely the gloomy light of nature were so sinisterly zealous to haue the reward of vertue by preuenting nature with vntimely death what ill lucke is it that we who haue the Oracles of eternall truth are so carelesse prodigall of our short time that we doe not freely enioy the happinesse of true diuine light which onely sheweth generous spirits worthy to be the master-peece of that soueraigne worke-master their Creator I can giue no other reason then quos

losse of their labors Therefore since words without deeds are weake proofes I reiect such authoritie as Apochryphall and am so farre from beleeuing such fairded suggestions that if the Phylosophers positions were literally to bee vnderstood I should neuer hold them other then like Mathematicall demonstrations wherein by many fayre propositions is prooued much whereof no Artificer can make vse vpon Wood or Stone I should not much wrong the Philosophers if I should iouially coniecture that the punctuall setting downe a seeming reall Elixar was to exercise curious spirits least they should precipitate themselues vpon the more dangerous Rockes of higher forbidden Mysteries or become altogether idle for although the more wee looke vpon the Sunne the more our eyes are dazelled and our sight worse yet are our mindes fraughted with such peruerse curiositie that they ayme at things aboue our reach On the other side Oli●dant vitia Idlenesse is the cursed mother of many wicked brood and is the tares which the enuious sowe when wee sleepe It is obserued for future posteritie that whilest the Romanes had warre with Carthage and enemies in Affricke they knew not what vice meant in Rome Idlenesse is that Laconish mother Schoole-master and Burreawe that bringeth foorth teacheth and hangeth vp Theeues or what shall I call her but the infected ayre that ingendreth caterpillers which consume the sweete of other mens sweat If it were strictly obserued that none should eate but such as labour in their owne calling I thinke moe should die of hunger then of sickenesse but it is pitie that such Drones or Domitian flees should eate vp the Hony of the painefull or swarme in the Courts dedicate to Vertue Euery man ought to haue a sweating Browe to beget the necessities of life or a working Braine to aduance the publique good the most Blessed alloweth of no Cyphers in his Arithmatique Paradise was as well a Shop to exercise Adams hands with labour as it was a Garden to feede his Senses with delight To this purpose in the discouery of Curiositie and Idlenesse the minde of man is fitly compared to a Clocke composed of many wheeles admitting euery day change and alteration sometimes it goeth too fast sometimes too slowe when it is idle it is alwayes subiect to rust but skilfully wrought neatly kept carefully winded vp and orderly set to a right houre then in action it sheweth faire and goeth right If wee would haue our mindes goe in right temper wee must propose vnto our selues those Rules that may conduct and auayle vs most in the right carriage of all our actions although sometimes the successe bee thwarted and concurre not alwayes with our desires yet wee must be still in action Many skilfull Pylots haue suffered Shipwracke that were well acquainted with the Art and experience of Nauigation and others lesse seene therein haue ouerpast many dangerous Voyages yet were it folly to inferre that without Arte Experience Card or Astrolobe wee should trie the dangers of Nauigation But whither goe I my purpose was to speake somewhat of the true elixar and to prooue that the text of Philosophers that writ vpon it or the Commentaries and Orthodoxe exposition of those places are either strained or altogether mistaken which shall be cleered by that which followeth Hermes Isindarius in codice omnis veritatis the great Rosary the pandects of Mary the Prophetise as some name her Morien Auicen Balzane Abugazall Bengedide his brother Abumazar Hali Calib Esid Serapien Thomas in breuilogs Michaell Scot in his breuiary Hemas in his retractions Aros the Arabian King and learned Philosopher and the most part of all the Philosophers hold foure chiefe tenents of this Elixar First the Mercurie is taken to be the chiefe matter to worke vpon Secondly they hold that much punding and beating of the matter inculcat by Tere Tere Tere atque iterum Tere ne te tedeat quickneth and refineth the spirits and vertue thereof and maketh the matter fit for the worke Thirdly they maintaine that fixing of Volatile is the Magisterum or master peece of that worke Lastly they say when the red colour is espoused or conioyned to the white the worke is perfected A superficiall censure might take these literally and conclude that preparing sifting ponding of the matter putting of it in fit vessels luting and calcination sometimes feeding of that sulphurious furie with soft sometimes with more hot fire might in the end bring fourth some Salamander but let vs not bee deceiued with such excursory suruey and consider iudiciously what Aristotle in his light of lights Avulfanes in his Pandects Daniell in his retracts Euclides in his Philosophicall meteours and almost all the Philosophers workes affirme in these words our Mercury is not common Mercurie our gold signified by the red colour is not common gold neither our siluer signified by the white colour vulgar siluer they are quicke the other dead they sperituall the other corporall what then is the Philosophers Mercury but wisdome the childe of heauen and the glory of the earth the pounding and mixing of the matter is the beating downe and qualifying of our affections in the morter of a wise heart the feeding of it with more or lesse fire is the timely pressing and relaxing of our corrupt will the fixation of volatile is the reduction of our inconstant running wits to the solidity of true wisedome Lastly the Redde colour ioyned to the white which crownes the worke giues vs to vnderstand that perseuerance in vertue will gaine vs the garland of victorie ouer all foraigne incumbrances and subdue our vnruly domesticke affections which vnlesse they be ouercome pounded qualified sublimat fixed to a pure Syndon-like white are euer ready to debord from the precinct of reason to a soule-killing liberty We may see then as a picture drawne by a skilfull workeman should haue relation to al the parts it imitateth so the pounding feeding fixing and perfecting of the Elixar onely fitly resemble the inconstancy and ebulition of our affections which are ready to breake out and mar the glorious perfection of light vnto which Philosophy intendeth to bring vs if the most powerfull spirit of sanctification by transmutation doe not Captiuate the powers and faculties of our soule Let vs goe a little further in the seuerall operations circumstances and qualities of the Philosophicall elixar and wee shall finde that neither of them may be fitly adapted to any thing else then to mans formation in vertue All ancient and moderne Philosophers agree that by the true mixture of heate and cold moist and dry wee attaine to the knowledge of the qualities of things engendred thereby as hard soft heauy light rough smoothe that in the elementall Commixtion the seuerall elements as water earth fire and ayre are to bee graduate in the degrees That although earth be most vile yet is it most apt for mulplication and generation is the onely fixed element whose multiplication is no lesse admirable then that of fire whereof one