the Chapter going before Now Isaas was born of this seed which some write with six elements agreeable to the promise couched in six words Otherwise it may signifie those six places he dwelt in Canaan Ægypt Gerar Beersheba Sodome and the Caue wherein he was buried for the graue in many places of the Bible is called An house or dwelling by a metaphor much vsed among the Hebrews Besides these there are proper Names belonging to God which either diuided into Numbers by parting of their clements or without Numbers haue secret and mysticall significations Which beeing seuen in number Septenarius nusmerus est omnium aliorum perfectisimus As touching the signification of these words see more in Lemnius exhor ad vitam optim insh cap. 59. according to the septenarie perfection it is admirable to tell what they signifie in the Hebrew Tongue The first is Eloth signifying GOD. The second Eloi as much as to say My God The third El which if it be pronounced with a thin aspiration it signifieth God if with a sharp one that is strong or valiant The fourth is Adonai signifying Lord. The fift Sabbath that is Lord of the Sabbath some others interpret it Lord of vertues The sixt Saddai that is apt or potent The seuenth Am which is a name ineffable according to that spoken to Moses I am that I am or My Name is from one generation to another The Greeks call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wanting vowels or syllables The Samaritanes called him Iube The erth fiddib 2. cap. 29. not knowing the force and etymologie of that word as you may reade in Nicetas from whom I haue borrowed this interpretation Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek is not without his numerall application For whether you will haue him called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Hee that is signifying his essence or Bonus because it is the proper appellation of God saith Denuis or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by his course or ambite hee containeth all things both in heauen and earth or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is God is called A consuming fire in Scripture because he consumeth the tents of the wicked from burning making all a quadruple Etymon it cannot be but that vnspeakable mysteries are contained vnder these appellations Now the words Good just holy being but his attributes represent his nature well but not his essence which to speak truely is ineffable To call him Lord King and so forth signifieth his habite to things opposite because his power stretcheth from foure denominations Hee is Lord vnto those who are subject to his dominion King to others who are vnder his gouernment Creator of all things created Pastor ouer those whom he feedeth Wee will come now to the Apocalypse to see what secret Numbers wee can finde there There is no place of the old and new Testament that affordeth such plenty The first Number is α and ω representing the duall number Chap. 1. ver 3. which I haue vnfolded in our fourth chapter Seuen Churches of Afia are not without a mystery Verse 11. which some will haue to be an Antitype of our Protestant Churches Helvetia Swizerland Geneva France Flandirs Scotland England how truely according to historical narration let others indifferently consider For my part I dare not contradict them seeing the spirits of former Prophets according as hath been fore-prophecied must be subject to those later And in prophecying we finde it true as well as in other learning which One saith Semper deprehendit posterior atas quod non vidit prior Seuen Candlesticks signifie seuen Churches 13 By those seuen Starres 16 are vnderstood 7 famous Doctors of the Primitiue Church C. 3. v. 1. Seuen Spirits represent those seuen distinctions of gifts abounding in those seuen Churches mentioned before By tenne daies C. 2. v. 10. are mystically vnderstood ten yeers and those ten yeers make a type of the ten-yeers persecution vnder Traian the Emperor C. 3. v. 12 By the word Hierusalem is meant a twofold Hierufalem One in this life when the Church of God shall come to his perfection and purity anon after the fall of Antichrist the other an heauenly Hierusalem where the soules shall rest symbolizing two Sabbaths mentioned in our fourth Chapter C. 4. v. 3 By the Iasper stone Sardine and Rain-bowe are represented the three Persons of the Trinity The Iasper signifieth the Father Sardine the Sonne Rain-bowe the holy Ghost Foure beasts signifie foure ages of men wherein the Gospell shall be preached 8 others apply them to foure principall teachers in God's Church C. 7. v. 1. By foure Augels are meant these 4 Contention ambition heresie warre 〈◊〉 which are foure messengers sent from God to punish the earth And all these proceed from foure corners of the earth that is Contention from the East ambition from the West heresie from the South war from the North. What could be more contentious than the Eastern or Greeke Church What more ambitious than the Roman who hath enricht herselfe with the spoils of other Churches As touching the South parts it could not be but much heresie preutiled there seeing Pelagius the Monk came from thence Concerning the North it hath euer been a Pronetb Ab Aquilome awnemalum By those Numbers of Tribes C. 7. v. 4. is meant not onely the calling of the Iewes but of the Gentiles C. 8. v. 10. By the great Starre which fell from heauen is meant Arrâ—us who with his bitter heresie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath corrupted the Fountains that is the pure and incorrupted water of God's Word By the second Star is vnderstood the Pope or Mahomer which you will Those two Witnesseâ— signifie the two Testaments In that it is said C. 11 v. 3 V. 18 The Gentiles were angry wee may finde the Papall malice truely represented furiously enraging against two worthy instruments of God's Church Iohn Husse and Ieroms of Prague for maintaining the doctrine of Christ C. 12. v. 7 By Michael and his Angels is meant Constantane the Emperor and his Christian Army by the Dragon Maxentius Maxemiâ—ius Litinius and others sighting against him The beast that riseth out of the sea is the Bishop of Rome his seuen heads and ten horns signifie those 7 hilâ— about Rome his power and principality being defended with ten mighty Kings of the earth As touching the word Lateinos reade our third demonstration prouing that the Bishop of Rome is Antichrist C. 14. v. 19 By those 1600 furlongs some vnderstand the whole Region of England burning with persecution in Queen Maries time for 1600 furlongs make 200 English miles C. 17. v. 9 Seuen Kings signifie so many kindes of Romish Gouerners successiuely succeeding one another Vnder those ten horns ten Kings are figured which shall fight against the Beast answerable to the other teâ—ne which took his part By Babylon is signified
THE SECRETS Of NVMBERS According to Theologicall Arithmeticall Geometricall and Harmonicall Computation Drawne for the better part out of those Ancients as well Neoteriques Pleasing to read profitable to vnderstand opening themselues to the capacities of both Learned and Vnlearned Being no other than a key to lead a man to any doctrinall knowledge whatsoeuer By WILLIAM INGPEN Gent. Wisd 11.17 The Lord hath ordred all things in measure number and waight Cognitio â—oâ—um altissimarum est prima sapientia LONDON Printed by HVMFREY LOVVNS for IOHN PARKER Anno Domini 1624. Author pro suo libro in laudem NVMERORVM PRincipium rerum numerus perfectio sinis Is sapiens doctè qui numerare potest Coelum scrutatur terram metitur auerni Inquirit lasebras ambit oceanum I modo parue liber numerorum nubila pande Innumeros olim quae latuere viros Nec clausa accedunt quin omnibus obuia prostant Quae nunquam scriptis docta fuere prius Saepius ergo legas mysteria magna docentur Seu Sacra exoptes Ethnica siue magis In Zoilum Haec qui non calles ne turpibus excipe sannis Est stolidi ignotos carpere velle libros Si ve◠ò dubitas quasi non sum vera loquutus Adsis soluentur scrupea tota tibi FRANCISCVS NEALE EQVES AVRATVS * ⎠* Fama tui illustris praecellens nominis istud Rebus in aduersis robur constantia virtus Appellant steriles nostras Francisce camconas Nostra patrocinio protegas monumenta tuique Conserues nomen millena in saecula vatis Inuidus allatret nae quisquam murmure Momus Sibilet aut anguis sinuoso corpore serpens Carmina sic incults foras audaciùs ibunt Vnum sic mea musa tuum implorabit asylum Solis vt aspicimus lucem surgentis Eôs Naturam ingenium candorem abs indole noui Es patri similis tribus his sunt caetera matris Accedunt aliae coniunctae nomine dotes Laudant quas multi sed pauci imitantur vt omnes Egregios equites inter ceu stella coruscas HONOR coniux eius Hiccine Relligionis amor non dignus honore est Ore Deum celebrans confessio viua fidésque Nomine cum vestro cuÌ„que omine non quadrat aptè Opergas seruire Deo heröina pudica Relligio has tibi donet opes scandas vt olympum Nullus vel Phydias melius vel pingat Apelles Est speculo nullo facies formosior vlla Aurea quam tua tepietas quà m candor adornant Lux solis calida est non est nisi lucida-luna Est Venus in speculo magè fulgida quà m Venus ipsa TO THE RIGHT WORTHY AND WORSHIPFVLL Knight Sr FRANCIS NEALE one of his M aties Iustices of peace in the County of South * ⎠* TO whom may I better dedicate this Booke of Numbers then to your selfe who haue bin trained vp in the Art of numbring euen from your infancie I speake it to your deserued prayse and commendation Many go beyond you in the theorick but few or none in the practick I could wish that some men could not Arithmetize and Merchandize so well as they doe Who whiles they number their wealth their wit their learning their offices their dignities their cattel their lands their rents their monies the better part of their life vanisheth away This is a fruitlesse and carelesse kinde of numbring It is said that the Athenians notable speculatiues but bad practiques had money to number onely What doe men nou-a-daies but continually hoord vp Gods blessings to number them And yet when they haue made their totall account they can neuer attaine to the Art of true Numbring To weane therefore the world in what I may from so sordidous and preposterous a kinde of Arithmetick I haue compiled this worke treating of The Secrets of Numbers contrary to the practice of our common Arithmeticians as the two Zones are distant the one from the other Wishing them that among so many Theologicall Arithmeticall Geometricall and Harmonicall numbers heere set downe they would thinke on one more excellent which is To number their daies Which to doe in one word is no otherwise then to take something from the pleasures of the world which they haue greedily pursued by way of subtraction and to adde so much to godly endeuours neglected by them by way of multiplication For the time is short wee spend in vertue but long which wee consume in vice There is no Arithmetick comparable to this Wherefore Pythagoras reducing all things into Number making his triplicity of perfection in the end concluded thus Si recta ratione vixeris male acta dolendo et bene acta gaudendo deosque oraueris vt opus tuum perficiant tum exuto corpore profectus in aetherem eris immortalis Deus I doe perswade my selfe that after you haue read this booke at vacant hours you will bee a better Pythagorean than euer you were Or at least by turning ouer Gods Booke as many times you doe you will not forget this one lesson Recordare nouissima tua et in aeternum non peccabis Pythagoras in all his life-time for all his numbring learned not this lesson but Salomon wiser then he did For that some things heere may be aboue your capacity and require more then a Delian swimmer for the searching of their bottome I would not haue you blame me altogether For as in other tractates I haue laboured to instruct the vnlearned onely so in this I haue done my best endeuour to satisfie both the learned and vnlearned with equall contentment Wee must consider we liue in a world of learning and it is in reading of bookes as it is in banquetting Not onely grosse and simple viands but the most dainty and delicate are called for though they be something sharp distasting to the stomach I doe not doubt but vpon conference had with you I shall be able to breake the shell that the kernell of many abstruse and symbolicall mysteries neuer brought to light before shall bee farre more pleasing vnto you which according to our small skill I shall alwaies willingly endeuour to performe To him who is that infinite Number Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity according to Athanasius Symbole I commend you and yours Your louing and most affectionate kinsman W. I. TO THE CHRISTIAN and well-disposed Reader COurteous Reader I haue not collected selected these Numbers to infatuate or captiuate thy iudgement neither is it my meaning to drawe thee into a Labyrinth by any strange or new-fangled opinion beeing not ignorant how that an itching pruriginous kinde of scribbling diuing into the innermost secrets of forbidden Theology hath marred the whole Christian world I wonder that learned men doe not blush for shame to blaze abroad to the common view such monstrous and impious paradoxes Some haue crept-out of late masking themselues vnder the colourable title of Religion and that with publique authority But to speake truly such manner of mis-begotten labours raking new and
produced vnder the doubleterme of a punct Beeing therefore of small force and efficacie his extendure cannot be so large as others be First wee will beginne with the two Tables of Moses of whom Austen writeth in this manner What disputations what letters drawne from Philosophers Fpistol 3. ad volusia what Lawes of Cities are to be compared to those two precepts of charitie wherein Christ said that all the Lawe and Prophets did consist Heer are morall logicall and politicall counsels to be learned Pythagoras rule taught his schollers consisteth of two to learne how to speak and to knowe how to hold ones peace The soule is composed of a twofold essence The one according to Pythagoras called indiuiduous which Plato calleth intelligible the other diuiduous which he calleth sensitiue There bee two parts in man animall and rationall the one sited in the heart the other in the head according to Plato's diuision There bee two senses in mans body interne and externe The one appertaineth to the soule and hath reason for his guide the other goeth through all the parts of the body ruling the things without the body whereof the sight and hearing is principall There be two principall affections called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure and griefe contrary to the doting of the Stoickes who will haue them proceede from opinion not from nature There be two vnderstandings in vs the one agent the other patient By that part which is counted immortall is signified the agent by the other the passible intellect There are two principall notices of things giuen vs from God whence all philosophy as from a fountain hath his beginning The one called Ana in the Hebrew Tongue whereby from the instinct of nature wee discerne good from euill which the Doctors of the Church call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other whereby wee know truth from falsitie called Conscientia The Art of Physick is diuided into two parts Theorique and practick Astrologie consisteth of two naturall and coniecturall Arithmetick is composed of two Numbers Par and Impar spoken of before Musick is either naturall or artificiall Artificiall is composed of two Arithmick and metrick There is a twofold life actiue and contemplatiue By the one is figured Lea by the other Rachel There be two astrologicall motions touching those wandring Starres the one from the West to the East the other from the East to the West of the first Glo be Libel contra astrologor iudicia which is the first and swiftest of all according to Trapezontius Historie containeth two kindes of narrations Those that be fabulous others that are serious Others diuide it into that which is manifest that which is hidden Fabularie consisteth of two sorts either to shew a man pleasure as encomicall arguments or by way of exhortation to deterre men from vice to vertue The one feigneth an argument as in Esopes Fables or expresseth truth vnder obscenous speeches or by certaine poeticall figments or perchance couereth it vnder some vaile or moralization as antient philosophers did That which is serious either it is geographicall temporall chronicall naturall annuall politicall and so forth There be two Sabbaths contrary to the opinion of some Rabbins who expounding these words in Ezechiel Sabbata meadedi eis vnder the plurall Number Cap. 20. ◠12. will haue euery kinde of rest mentioned in the law taken for a Sabbath The one is a Sabbath of rest the other a Sabbath of Sabbaths when cuery soule dislodged from his Tabernacle of sinne shall possesse his true and proper countrie giuen him as an inheritance which is the last and most glorious Iubilie By the first may bee signified the graue or the time that the soule of man is separated from the body There are two principal Cōmandements giuen vs from God wherin the whole Decalogue consisteth mentioned in our other Chapter To loue God and our neighbour as our selfe There are two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of our Lord. Popish Arithmetick hath found out others contrary to Christs institution There are two Secrets among those Cabalists One that is a simple Secret the other a Secret Cui non est simile called the Secret of Secrets The one is compounded of Art knowledge wisdome affection power habit of the minde and so forth The other from extasie voyce inspiration vision and whatsoeuer is giuen vs from aboue All the elements in the eight bodies of heauen according to Iamblicus after an heauenly manner are found two times retrograde from their procession according to the opinion of Picus they are twice enumerated Theologie is contemplatiue and practiue Saint Bartholomew alleadged by a Thalmudist diuides it into little great As the Hebrewes hold there be two worlds so Phylo will haue two Temples belonging to God One is this world wherein his holy Word is our chiefest Bishop the first begotten The other is our rationall soule whose Priest is the true man of God What can bee more plaine diuine miraculous saith one then for the highest Bishop of the Temple which is the world to become the diuine Word the first begotten The world to be the Temple of God The first-begotten which is his Word begotten from all eternitie to be the hie-Priest of this Temple which is our soule There is a twofold halite of the earth one moist resembling the water the other drie compared to the fire That which wee call Fatuus ignis is diuided into two precedent or subsequent The one is called Castor the other Pollux Man resembleth God in two respects In that hee is made according to Gods owne Image in that hee hath a rationall soule So that it is truly said by one Non reperitur aliquid in homine in quo non fulgegeat aliquid diuinitatis nec quicquam est in Deo quod ipsum etiam non representetur in homine There are two natures in Christ cōtrarie to the heresie of those Monothelites There be two letters mentioned in the Apocalypse wherein Christ hath shewed vnto vs all his diuinitie α and ω. And he hath done it for these reasons following For as α is the beginning of Greeke elements ω the end and terme so is he the beginning because no man went afore him and the end without end because no end shall follow him He is the beginning also of all things from whom all things proceed and for whom all things were made he is the end vnto which all things tend and in whom all things shall haue their abiding There are two Adams the one earthly cap. 3. v. 12. the other celestiall according to that saying in Genesis Ecce Adam sicut vnus ex nobis Hee sayd not one like vnto you speaking vnto the Angels according to some Rabbines exposition but like vnto vs making the second Person in Trinity For in the Angels there is a Number or alteritie which you will In vs which is meant by Christ the second Adam there is infinite vnity eternall simple absolute And yet
thirty foure But in this computation which cannot be done without exact Numbring we must obserue one singular Note How that the Euangelists attributing the space of Christs death to the Ablatiue sense will not haue whole dayes meant heereby but part of whole dayes By this wee may learne how needfull the vse of Numbers is to the right vnderstanding of diuers passages in Scripture whether they be doctrinall or historicall Now in Chronologie or iust supputation of yeeres that is to knowe how long those antient Kings mentioned in Scripture did raigne there is nothing so needfull as the Art of Numbring And if you marke it well in all their seuerall Raignes or Regiments no Number occurreth so often as the fortith Number as though God had appointed vnder this Number the whole race or period of their kingly succession to haue beene concluded and determinated As for example Moses gouerned forty yeeres Othoniel 40 Barac and Debora 40 Gedeon 40 the Philistins interregnum consisted of 40. Saul Dauid raigned as many which I haue collected from the computation of Canus I.o. Theo. lib. 11 cap. 5. who hath joyned Theology and Chronologie together the best of any Popish Writer that I knowe The Rabbines in their Thalmud speak much touching those forty two diuine letters such as had them in venerable estimation Lemnius holdeth that men children are perfectly formed in their mothers belly in the space of 30 dayes but women in 42 or 45 Lib. de Mira. natura 4 cap. 23. but what they signifie and to what vse they serue I could neuer yet learne from them It is holden by those learned searchers of naturall Phylosophy confirmed by many famous Physicians that the whole Fabrick of mans body in the space of forty fiue dayes is perfectly and absolutely framed in Embrio or the mothers belly Epimenides slept for the space of fifty yeeres This Number must needs bee vertuous and famous for that it representeth those fifty gates of intelligences mentioned before For according to those Rabbines notable for their Symbolicall doctrine there was nothing before the creation but God and his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his onely wisdome gotten from all eternity So that the gate of the first creation being shut from Moses notwithstanding he sought out the Law by the other nine and forty Iâ—sue did inquire it by one lesse Salomon by two who as Rabbi Akib expoundeth labored aboue measure to reduce the same but could not Hence saith Rabbi Iacob Cohu our antient Fathers walked through many waies that in the and they might put their feet in these admirable steppes of wisdome deliuered them by Zadkiel to Abraham our Father I dare not wade too far among those Iewish Doctors lest I should wander out of my way For they are mysteries and I beleeue if Sphinges interpreter were here he would scarce vnfold them Now besides the enquirie of these fifty gates and thirty two paths The yeere of mans age 63 hath euer been accounted perilous because that wher euerie 7 9 yeere meet together they make seuen nines or nine seuens being 63 in the whole and therefore it is called of the Philosophers Climactericus In which yeer and in 70 ther haue died the most famous men of the world Christ when he was here on earth had his 72 Disciples they were very curious in searching out the Number of Gods name called Tetragrammaton which if it bee well expounded say they will arise to fifty two according to the Number of Angells And this Number they slick not to call The colledge of letters The fiue and fiftith Number hath his excellencie in this in that according to Callippus and other antient Astronomers their calculation all the Planets with their Spheres either retrograde or Stationarie containe iust the quantity of this Number The last Number that I meane to speake of is the seuenty two famous for so many yeeres together from the translation of the Bible out of the Hebrew into the Greeke Language by those seuenty two interpreters by commandement of Ptolomy the Ægyptian Emperour beeing a worke that could not haue beene done with the helpe of man if the holy Ghost whose interpreters no doubt they were had not seconded them beyond their owne expectation Of these and their diuers celles appointed them with certaine questions propounded before the Emperour you may reade in Aristoas a Greeke Author though I am not ignorant how that Vines vpon what warrant I know not hath laboured to empeach his credit by counting him for a counterfeit as elsewhere I haue noted CHAP. XIIII Happy vnhappy Numbers ITearm them happy or fortunate which either in their syllables or elements exclusiue or their sense inclusiue bring some notable or joyfull tidings either present or future or otherwise beeing as vttered by God's owne mouth or by his Prophets haue been esteemed holy venerable of hie account vntill this day In Genesis we finde it written Ipse conteret caput Serpentis referred to the seed of the woman and not to the woman herself as some Popish Interpreters will haue it This was sure an happy promise made representing the quaternary Number being vttered in so many words For Christ which was the seed of the woman hath plaid the Conquerer foure manner of waies By freeing vs from originall sinne wherein Adam and Eue both were first polluted by breaking the snares of Satan who had tempted them by triumphing ouer the power of hell by trampling death and his sting vnder his feet This quadruple blessing beeing a pledge of his promise made to our first parents could not chuse but bee acceptable to them and their posterity The Angell Gabriel for the confirmation of this promise in his salutation vnto the Virgin Marie spake two words more powerfull more ponderous more remarkable in their few elements than of euery man can be well vnderstood What are those Aue Maria containing the binarie Number euery letter almost including within it some secret mysterie Which no man doth better expound than that antient Father Irenaeus in this similitude As Eue was seduced by an Angelicall Speech hee meaneth Lib. 5. cap. vlt. the temptation of that Serpent whereby she might flee from GOD hauing preuaricated his Word so this Eue by the Angels salutation was euangelized whereby she might bear Christ being obedient to the Word And as the one was tempted to forsake GOD so the other was perswaded to obey GOD that one Virgin might be the others Aduocate And as mankinde was subiect to death by the means of a Virgin so it was restored again by a Virgin the virginall inobedience of the one beeing equally poized with the virginall obedience of the other Now Irenaeus hath not onely alluded to the Angels salutation by calling her Blessed but vnto the bare elements aswell typically to be vnderstood wherein this message was deliuered for Aue by inuersion of the letters is Eua. As then the first Euâ— by preuaricating God's