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
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
something Intelligible which it behooves thee to understand with the flower of the Mind For if thou enclinest thy Mind thou shalt understand this also Yet understanding something of it thou shalt not understand this wholly for it is a Power Of Circumlucid Strength glittering with Intellectual Sections Raies But it behooves not to consider this Intelligible with Vehemence of Intellection But with the ample flame of the ample Mind which measureth all things Except this Intelligible but it behooves to understand this For if thou enclinest thy Mind thou shalt understand this also Not fixedly but having a pure turning Eye thou must Extend the empty Mind of thy Soul towards the Intelligible That thou mayst learn the Intelligible for it exists beyond the Mind But every Mind understands this God for the Mind is not Without the Intelligible neither is the Intelligible without the Mind To the Intellectual Presters of the Intellectual fire all things By yielding are subservient to the perswasive Counsel of the Father And to understand and alwayes to remain in a restlesse Whirling Fountains and Principles to turn and alwayes to remain in a restlesse Whirling But insinuating into Worlds the Venerable Name in a sleeplesse Whirling By reason of the terrible menace of the Father Under two Minds the Life-generating fountain of Souls is contained And the Maker who self-operating framed the World Who sprung first out of the Mind Cloathing fire with fire binding them together to mingle The fountainous Craters preserves the flower of his own fire He glittereth with Intellectual Sections and filled all things with Love Like swarms they are carried being broken About the Bodies of the World That things unfashioned may be fashioned What the Mind speaks it speaks by understanding Power is with them Mind is from Her JYNGES IDAEA'S PRINCIPLES THese being many ascend into the lucid Worlds Springing into them and in which there are three Tops Beneath them lies the chief of Immaterialls Principles which have understood the intelligible Works of the Father Disclosed them in sensible Works as in Bodies Being as it were the Ferry-men betwixt the Father and Matter And producing manifest Images of unmanifest things And inscribing unmanifest things in the manifest frame of the World The Mind of the Father made a jarring Noise understanding by Vigorous Counsel Omniform Idaea's and flying out of one fountain They sprung forth for from the Father was the Counsel and End By which they are connected to the Father by alternate Life from several Vehicles But they were divided being by intellectual fire distributed Into other Intellectuals for the King did set before the multiform World An Intellectual incorruptible Pattern this Print through the World he promoting of whose form According to which the World appeared Beautified with all kind of Idaea's of which there is one fountain Out of which come rushing forth others undistributed Being broken about the Bodies of the World which through the vast Recesses Like swarms are carried round about every Way Intellectual Notions from the paternal fountain cropping the flower of fire In the Point of sleeplesse time of this primigenious Idea The first self-budding fountain of the Father budded Intelligent Jynges do themselves also understand from the father By unspeakable Councels being moved so as to understand HECATE SYNOCHES TELETARCHS FOr out of Him spring all Implacable Thunders and the Prester-receiving cavities Of the Intirely-lucid strength of Father-begotten Hecate And He who beguirds viz. the flower of fire and the strong Spirit of the Poles fiery above He gave to his Presters that they should guard the Tops Mingling the power of his own strength in the Synoches Oh how the World hath Intellectual guides inflexible Because she is the Operatrix because she is the Dispensatrix of Life-giving fire Because also it fills the Life producing bosome of Hecate And instills in the Synoches the enliving strength Of potent fire But they are Gardians of the Works of the Father For he disguises himself possessing To be cloathed with the Print of the Images The Teletarchs are comprehended with the Synoches To these Intellectual Presters of Intellectual fire All things are subservient But as many as serve the Material Synoches Having put on the compleatly-armed Vigour of resounding Light With triple strength fortifying the Soul and the Mind To put into the Mind the Symbol of Variety And not to walk dispersedly on the Empyraeal Channels But stiffely These frame indivisibles and sensibles And Corporiformes and things destin'd to matter SOUL NATURE FOr the Soule being a bright fire by the power of the Father Remaines Immortall and is Mistris of Life And possesseth many Complections of the Cavities of the World For it is in Imitation of the Mind but that which is born hath something of the Body The Channels being intermix'd she performs the Works of incorruptible Fire Next the paternal Conceptions I the Soul dwell Warm heating all things for he did put The Mind in the Soul the Soul in the dull Body Of us the Father of Gods and Men imposed Abundantly animating Light Fire Aether Worlds For natural Works co-exist with the Intellectual Light of the Father for the Soul which adorn'd the great Heaven and adorning with the Father But her Horns are fixed above But about the shoulders of the Goddesse immense Nature is exalted Again indefatigable Nature commands the Worlds and Works That Heaven drawing an Eternal Course may run And the swift Sun might come about the Center as he useth Look not into the fatal Name of this Nature THE WORLD THe Maker who Operating by himself framed the World And there was another Bulk of fire By it self operating all things that the Body of the World might be perfected That the World might be manifest and not seem Membranous The whole World of Fire and Water and Earth And all-nourishing Aether The unexpressible and expressible Watch-words of the World One Life by another from the distributed Channels Passing from above to the opposite Part Through the Center of the Earth and another fifth Middle Fiery Channel where it descends to the material Channels Life-bringing fire Stirring himself up with the goad of resounding Light Another fountainous which guides the Empyraeal World The Center from which all Lines which way soever are equal For the paternal Mind sowed Symbols through the World For the Center of every one is carried betwixt the Fathers For it is in Imitation of the Mind but that which is born hath something of the Body HEAVEN FOr the Father congregated seven Firmaments of the World Circumscribing Heaven in a round figure He fixed a great Company of inerratick Stars And he constituted a Septenary of erratick Animals Placing Earth in the middle and the Water in the middle of the Earth The Air above these He fixed a great Company of inerratick Stars To be carried not by laborious and troublesome Tension But by a settlement which hath not Error He fixed a great Company of inerratick Stars
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
thou seest a sacred fire without form Shining flashingly through the depths of the World Hear the voice of Fire When thou be holdest the divine fire voyd of figure brightly gliding up and down the World and graciously smiling listen to this Voice as bringing a most perfect Praescence The Paternal mind hath implanted Symbols in Souls The Paternal Mind viz. the sedulous Maker of the Substance of the Soul hath ingrafted Symbols or the Images of Intelligibles in Souls by which every Soul possesseth in her self the reasons of beings Learn the Intelligible for as much as it exists beyond thy Mind Learn the Intelligible because it exists beyond thy Mind viz. actually for though the Images of intellectual things are planted in thee by the Maker of All yet they are but potentially in thy Soul but it behooves thee to have actually the knowledge of the Intelligible There is a certain Intelligible which it behooves thee to comprehend with the flower of thy Mind The Supream God who is perfectly One is not conceived after the same manner as other things but by the flower of the Mind that is the Supream and singular Part of our understanding For the Father perfected all things and delivered them over to the Second Mind which the Nations of Men call the First The Father perfected All things viz. the Intelligible Speâ—ies for they are absolute and perfect and delivered them over to the second God next him to rule and guide them whence if anything be brought forth by this God and formed after the likenesse of Him and the other intelligible Substance it proceeds from the Supream Father This other God Men esteem the First that is they who think him the Maker of the World to whom there is none Superiour Intelligent Iynges do themselves also understand from the Father By unspeakable counsels being mooved so as to understand He calls Iynges the Intellectual Species which are conceived by the Father they themselves also being conceptive and exciting conceptions or Notions by unspeakable or unutterable Counsells by Motion here is understood Intellection not transition but simply the habitude to Notions so as unspeakable Counsels is as much as 〈◊〉 for speaking consists in Motion the meaning is this that these Species are immoveable and have a habitude to Notions not transiently as the Soul Oh how the World hath intellectual Guides inflexible The most excellent of the Intelligible Species and of those which are brought down by the Immortals in this Heaven he calls the Intellectual Guides of the World the Coryphaeus of whom he conceives to be a God which is the second from the Father The Oracle saying that the World hath inflexible Guides meanes that it is incorruptible The Father hath snatched away himself Neither hath he shut up his own fire in his Intellectual power The Father hath made himself exempt from all others not including himself neither in his own Intellectuall Power not in the second God who is next him or limiting his own Fire his own Divinity for it is absolutely ungenerate and it self existing by it self so that his Divinity is exempt from all others neither is it communicable to any other although it be loved of all That he communicates not himself is not out of envy but only by reason of the inpossibility of the thing The Father infuseth not fear but perswasion The Father makes no impression of fear but infuseth perswasion or love for He being extreamly good is not the cause of ill to any so as to be dreadful but is the cause of all good to all whence he is loved of all These Oracles of Zoroaster many Eminent Persons have confirmed by following the like opinions especially the Pythagoreans and Platonists PSELLUS HIS EXPOSITION of the Oracles There is a room for the Image also in the Circumlucid place IMages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Philosophers are those things which are connatural to things more Excellent then themselves and are worse then they as the Mind is connatural to God and the rational Soul to the Mind and Nature to the rational Soul and the Body to Nature and Matter to the Body The Image of God is the Mind of the Mind the ratâ—onal Soul of the rational Soul the Irrational of the Irrational Nature of Nature the Body of the Body Matter Here the Chaldaick Oracle calleth the irrational Soul the Image of the rational for it is connatural to it in Man and yet worse then it It sayeth moreover that there is a part assigned to the Image in the circumlucid Region that is to say the irrational Soul which is the Image of the rational Soul being purified by Vertues in this Life after the Dissolution of the human Life ascends to the place above the Moon and receives its Lot in the Circumlucid place that is which shineth on every side and is splendid throughout for the Place beneath the Moon is circumnebulous that is dark on every side but the Lunary partly Lucid and partly Dark that is one half bright the other half dark but the place above the Moon is circumlucid or bright throughout Now the Oracle saith that the circumlucid Place is not design'd only for the rational Soul but for its Image also or the irrational Soul is destin'd to the circumlucid place when as it cometh out of the Body bright and pure for the Graecian Doctrine asserting the irrational Soul to be immortal also exalts it up to the Elements under the Moon but the Chaldaick Oracle it being pure and unanimous with the rational Soul seats it in this circumlucid Region above the Moon These are the Doctrines of the Chaldâ—ans Leâ—ve not the Dregs of matter on a precipice By the Dregs of Matter the Oracle understands the Body of Man consisting of the four Elements it speaks to the Disciple by way of Instruction and Exhortation thus Not only raise up thy Soul to God and procure that it may rise above the Confusion of Life but if it be possible leave not the Body wherewith thou art cloathed and which is dregs of Maâ—ter that is a thing neglected and rejected the sport of Matter in the inferiour World for this Place the Oracle calls a Praecipice Our Soul being dartâ—d down hither from Heaven as from a sublime place It exhorteth therefore that we refine the Body which he understands by the Dregs of Matter by Divine fire or that being stripped we raise it up to the Aether or that we be Exalted by God to a place Immaterial and Incorporeal or Corporeal but Aetherial or Caelestial which Elias the This bite attained and before him Enoch being Translated from this Life into a more Divine Condition not leaving the dregs of Matter or their Body in a precipice the Precipice is as we said the Terrestrial Region Bring not forth lest going forth she have something This Oracle is recited by Plotinus in his Book of the Eduction of the irrational Soul it is an Excellent and Transcendent Exhortation
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
of the seven Planets if therefore the Soul decline she is carried to the Earth through the seven Orbs but that passage through the seven Circles leads her as by so many steps to the Throne of Necessity whither when the Soul arriveth she is necessitated to suffer the terrestial World Never change barbarous names That is There are certain Names amongst all Nations delivered to them by God which have an unspeakable Power in Divine â—ites change not these into the Greek Dialâ—ct as Seraphim and Cherubin and Michael and Gabriel These in the Hebrew Dialect have an unspeakable Efficacy in divine Rites but changed into Greek Names are in effectual The world hath intellectual guides inflexible The Chaldaeans assert Powers in the World and call them Cosmogogi guides of the World for that they guide the World by provident Motions These Powers the Oracles call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sustainers as sustaining the whole World Unmoveable implies their settled Power sustentive their Gaurdianship these Powers they design only by the Cause and Immobility of the Worlds There are also other Powers amilicte unplacable as being firm and not to be converted towards these inferiour things and cause that Souls be never allured with Affections Labour about the Hecatine Strophalus The Hecatine Strophalus is a golden Ball in the midst whereof is a Saphire they fold about it a leather Thong it is beset all over with Characters thus whipping it about they made their Invocations these they use to call Iynges whether it be round or Triangular or any other Figure and whilst they are doing thus they make insignificant or brutish Cries and lash the Air with their whips The Oracle adviseth to the performance of these Rites or such a Motion of the Strophalus as having an expressible Power It is called Hecatine as being dedicated to Hecate Hecate is a Goddesse amongst the Chaldaeans having at her right side the Fountain of Vertues 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 covered The Earth stands not still but all things appear Thunder The Lion is one of the twelf Signes of the Zodiack and is called the House of the Sun whose Fountain or the cause of his Lion-formed Constellation the Chaldaeans calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now He saith That amidst the Sacred Rites thou call this Fountain by its Name thou shalt see nothing else in Heaven but the apparition of a Lion neither will the Concave Bulk or the Circumference of Heaven appear to thee neither shall the Stars shine even the Moon herself shall be covered and all things shall be shaken but this Lion having Fountain takes not away the Essence of those but their own praedominating Existence hides their view Every way to the unfashioned Soul extend the reins of fire The Oracle calls the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without form and figure or most simple and most pure Rains of fire of such a Soul are the expeditious activity of the Theurgick life which raiseth up the fiery Mind to the Divine Light therefore by stretching the rains of fire to the inform Soul he means endeavour that all the faculties consisting both in the Intellect Cogitatâ—on Opinion may receive Divine illuminations sutable to themselves This is the meaning of stretch the rains of fire but Nature useth to fail and busie it self in the second or worse life Oh Man the Machine of boldest nature Man is called a Machine as being framed by God with unspeakable Art the Oracle likewise calleth him audacious Nature as being busied about excellent things sometimes measuring the Course of the Starrs sometimes enquiring into the Orders of the supernatural Powers contemplating also the things which are far above the Celestial Orb and extending to discourse something of God For these endeavours of the Mind in Disquisition proceed from an audacious Nature he calls it boldness not by Way of Reproach but to express the forwardness of Nature In the side of the sinister Hecate is a fountain of much Vertue which remains intire within not emitting her Virginity The Chaldaeans esteem Hecate a Goddess seated in the middle rank and possessing as it were the Center of all the Powers in her right parts they place the Fountain of Souls in her left the Fountain of goods or of Vertues and they say that the Fountain of Souls is prompt to Propagations but the Fountain of Vertues continues within the Bounds of it's own Essence and is as a Virgin uncorrupted this Settledness and Immobility it receives from the power of the Amilicti the Implacables is girt with a Virgin-Zone When thou seest a sacred fire without form Shining flashingly through the depths of the whole World Hear the voice of fire The Oracle speaks of a Divine Light seen by many Men and adviseth That if any one see such a Light in some figure and form he apply not his Mind to it nor esteem the Voice proceeding from thence to be true but if he see this without any figure or form he shall not be deceived and whatsoever Question he shall propose the Answer will be most true he call this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrosanct for that it is seen with a beauty by Sacred Persons and glides up and down pleasantly and graciously through the Depths of the World Invoke not the self-conspicuous Image of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-iâ—spection is when the initiated person or he who performs Divine Rites seeth the Divine Lights but if he who orders the Rites seeth an Apparition this in respect of the initiated person is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superinspection The Image which is evocated at Sacred Rites must be intelligible and wholly separate from bodies but the form or Image of Nature is not every way intelligible for Nature is for the most part an Administrative faculty Call not saith he in the Rites the self-conspicuous Image of Nature for it will bring thee nothing along with it but onely a crowd of the four Natural Elements Nature perswades that Daemons are pure The bourgeons even of ill matter are profitable and good Not that Nature her self perswades this but that being called before her presence there floweth in a great Company of Daemons and many Daemonious forms of several shapes appear raised up out of all the Elements compounded and shaped from all the parts of the Lunar Course and many times appearing pleasant gracious they make shew of an apparition of some good to the initiated person The Soul of Man will in a manner clasp God to her self Having nothing mortal she is wholly inebriated from God For she boastâ— harmony in which the mortal body exists He saith that the Soul forceth for that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine fire into herself through immortality and purity for then she is wâ—olly inebriated that is she is
Astrology those by other Arts which two last Diodorus speaking of the Learned Chaldeans comprehends under the common name of Astrologers the other two under that of Natural Philosophers and Priests for he saith they imitated the Aegyptian Priests Naturalists and Astrologers In treating therefore of the Chaldaick Doctrine we shall first lay down their Theology and Physick the proper study of the Hhartumim Next their Astrology and other Arts of Diâ—iâ—ation practis'd by the Chasdim and Mecashphim thirdly their â—heurgy and Lastly their Gods Which contemplation and rites were peculiar to the Ashaphim SECT I. Theology and Physick THe Chaldaick Doctrine in the first place considers all Beings as well Divine as Natural the contemplation of the first is Theology of the latter Physick Zoroaster divided all things into three kinds the first Eternal the second had a beginning in time but shall have no end the third Mortal the two first belong to Theology The Subject of Theology saith Eusebius speaking doubtlesse of the followers of Zoroaster They divided into four kinds The first is God the Father and King next him there followeth a multitude of other Gods in the third place they rank Daemons in the fourth Heroes or according to others Angels Daemons and Souls The third or mortal kind is the Subject of Physick It comprehends all things material which they divide into seven Worlds one Empyreal three Aetherial three Corporeal CHAP. I. Of the Eternal Being God THe first kind of things according to Zoroaster is Eternal the Supreme God In the first place saith Eusebius they conceive that God the Father and King ought to be ranked This the Delphian Oracle cited by Porphyrius confirms Chaldes and Iews wise only worshipping Purely a self-begoâ—â—en God and King This is that principle of which the Author of the Chaldaick Summary saith They conceive there is one principle of all things and declares that it is one and good God as Pythagoras learnt of the Magi who term him Oromasdes in his Body resembles Light in his Soul Truth That God according to the Chaldaick opinion is Light besides the testimony of Eusebius may be inferred from the Oracles of Zoroaster wherein are frequently mentioned the light beams and splendor of the Father In the same sense they likewise termed God a Fire for Ur in Chaldee signifying both Light and Fire they took Light and Fire promiscuously as amongst many others Plato doth when he saith that God began to compound the whole body of the World out of fire and earth by which fire he afterwards professeth to mean the Sun whom he stiles the brightest and whitest of things as if light and fire brightness and whiteness were all one this is Manifest from the Zoroastraean Oracles also wherein he is sometimes called simply fire sometimes the paternal fire the one fire the first fire above Upon this ground doubtlesse was the worship of Fire instituted by the Antient Chaldaeans and from them derived to the Persians of which hereafter when we shall come to speak of their Gods and Relâ—gious Rites CHAP. II. The emanation of Light or Fire from God GOd being as we have shewn an Intellectual Light or Fire did not as the Oracle saith shut up his own fire within his intellectual power but communicated it to all Creatures first and immediately to the first Mind as the same Oracles assert and to all other aeviternal and incorporeal Beings under which notion are comprehended a multitude of God's Angels good Daemons and the Souls of Men The next emanation is the supramundane light an incorporeal infinite luminous space in which the Intellectual Beings reside The supramundane light kindles the first corporeal World the Empyreum or fiery Heaven which being immedâ—ately beneath the incorporeal light is the highâ—st brightâ—st and rarest of bodâ—es The Empyreum diffuseth it self through the Aeâ—â—â—r which is the next body below it a fire lesse refin'd than the Empyreum But that it is fire the more condens'd parts thereof the Sun anâ— Starâ— suâ—â—â—ently evince from the Aether this fire is transmitted to the material or sublunary world for though the matter whereof it consistâ— be not light but darknesse as are also the material or bad Daemons yet this vivificative fire actuates and gives life to all it's parts insinuating diffusing it self and penetrating even to the very Center passing from above saith the Oracle to the opposite part through the Center of the Earth We shall describe this more fully when we treat of the particulars CHAP. III. Of things aeviternal and incorporeal THe Second or middle kind of Things according to Zoroaster is that which is begun in time but is without end commonly termed aeviternal To this belong that multitude of Gods which Eusebius saith they asserted next after God the Father and King and the Souls of Men Psellus and the other Summarist of the Chaldaick Doctrine name them in this order Intelligâ—bles Intelligibles and Intellectuals Intellectuals Fountains Hyperarchii or Principles Unzoned Gods Zoned Gods Angels Daemons Souls All these they conceive to be light except the ill Daemons which are dark Over this middle kind Zoroaster held Mithra to preside whom the Oracles saith Psellus call the Mind This is emploied about secondary things CHAP. IV. The First Order IN the first place are three Orders one Intelligible another Intelligible and Intellectual the third Intellectual The first order which is of Intelligibles seems to be as the Learned Paâ—ricius conjectures for Psellus gives only a bare account not an exposition of these things that which is only understood This is the highest Order The second or middle Order is of Intelligibles and Intellectuals that is those which are understood and understand also as Zoroaster There are Intelligibles and Intellectuals which understanding are understood The third is of Intellectuals which only understand as being Intellect either essentially or by participation By which distinction we may conceive that the highest Order is above Intellect being understood by the middle sort of Minds The middle Order participates of the Superiour but consists of Minds which understand both the superiour and themselves also The last Order seems to be of Minds whose office is to understand not only themselves but superiours and inferiours also Of the first of which Orders the Anonymus Author of the Summary of the Chaldaick Doctrine thus Then viz. next the one good they worship a certain paternal Depth consisting of three Triads each Triad hath a Father a Power and a Mind Psellus somewhat more fully Next the One they assert the paternal Depth compleated by three Triads each of the Triads having a Father first then a Power middle and a Mind the third amongst them which Mind shutteth up the Triad within itself these they call also Intelligibles This Triple Triad seems to be the same with the Triad mention'd in the Oracles of Zoroaster What Psellus terms Father he calls Father also The Father perfected all
fountain of Sense and fountainous Iudgment and the fountain of Perspectives and the fountain of Characters which walketh on unknown Marks and the fountainous Tops of Apollo Osyris Hermes they assert material fountains of Centers and Elements and a Zone of Dreams and a fountainous Soul Next the fountains saith Psellus are the Hyperarchii The Anonymus more fully Next the fountains they say are the Principalities for the fountains are more principle then the principles Both these names of Fountains and Principles are used by Dionysius Areopagita frequently even in the third Triad he puts the name of Principles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Principalities after whom the Arch-angels Of the Animal-productive Principles continues the Anonymus the top is called Hecate the middle principiative Soul the bottom princiative Virtue This seems to be that Hecate whom Psellus saith they held to be the fountain of Angels and of Daemons and of Souls and of Natures The same which the Oracle means saying On the left side of Hecate is the fountain of virtue for the Chaldaeans as Psellus saith esteem Hecate a Goddesse seated in the middle rank and possessing as it were the Center of all the Powers in her right parts they place the fountain of Souls in her left the fountain of goods or of Virtues Moreover they say the fountain of Souls is prompt to propagations but the fountain of Virtues continueth within the bounds of its own Essence and is as a Virgin incorrupted which setlednesse and immobility it receives from the power of the Amilicti and is guirt with a Virgin Zone What Psellus here calls the fountain of Souls and the fountain of Virtues is the same which the Anonymus styles principiative Soul and principiative Virtue CHAP. VIII Unzoned Gods and Zoned Gods NExt the Hyperarchii according to Psellus are the Azoni Unzoned Gods there are amongst them saith the Anonymus summarist unzoned Hecates as the Chaldaick the Triecdotis Comas and Ecclustick The unzoned Gods are Sarapis and Bacchus and the Chain of Osyris and of Apollo continued series of Geniusses connected in the manner of a chain they are called unzoned for that they use their power freely without restriction in the Zones and are enthroned above the conspicuous Deities These conspicuous Deities are the Heavens and the Planets perhaps of the same kind as the Intelligences which the Peripateticks asserted Movers of the Sphears and whereas he saith they live in Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the same Attribute which Dionysius gives the third of the second Hierarchy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Zoned Gods are next These are they which have confinement to particular Zones and are rouled freely about the Zones of Heaven and have the Office of governing the World for they hold there is a Zoned kind of Deity which inhabits the parts of the sensible World and guirdeth or circleth the Regions about the material Place acccording to several distributions The same Office Dionysius seems to assigne to the second and third Hierarchies These Azoni and Zonaei are mentioned also by Damascius Thiâ— saith he sendeth out of her self the fountain of all things and the fountainous chain but That sendeth out of her self the fountainous chain of particulars and passeth on to Principles and Arch-angels and Azoni and Zonaei as the Law is of the procession of the renownd particular Fountains And by Proclus The sacred names of the Gods delivered according to their mystical interpretation as those which are celebrated by the Assyrians Zonaei and Azoni and Fountains and Amilicti and Synoches by which they interpret the Orders of the Gods CHAP. IX Angels and Immaterial Daemons NExt the Zonaei are the Angels Arnobius saith of Hosthanes one of the Persian Magi who received their Learning from the Chaldaeans that he knew the Angels Ministers and Messengers of God the true God did wait on his Majesty and tremble as afraid at the Beck and Countenance of the Lord the Zoroastrian Oracles mention reductive Angels which reduce Souls to them drawing them from several things The next are Daemons Of these the Chaldaeans hold some to be good others bad The good they conceive to bâ— Light the bad Darknesse That there are good Daemons natural reason tells us Oracle Nature perswades that there are pure Daemons The bourgeons even of ill matter are beneficial and good Nature or natural reason saith Pletho perswades that the Daemons are holy and that all things proceeding from God who is good in himself are beneficial if the bloomings of ill matter viz. of last substances are good much more are the Daemons such who are in a more excellent rank as partaking of Rational nature and being mixed with Mortal nature CHAP. X. Souls NExt to Daemons Psellus in his Epitome of the Chaldaick Doctrine placeth Souls the last of eviternal beings Of Forms the Magi and from them the Pythagoreans and Platonists assert three kinds One wholly separate from matter the supercelâ—stial Intelligences An other inseparable from matter having a substance not subsisting by it self but dependent on matter together with which matter which is sometimes dissolved by reason of it's nature subject to mutation this kind of Soul is dissolved also and perisheth This they hold to be wholly Irrational Betwixt these they place a middle kind a Rational Soul differing from the Supercelestial Intelligences for that it alwayes coexists with matter and from the Irrational kind for that it is not dependent on matter but on the contrary matter is dependent on it and it hath a proper substance potentially subsistent by it self It is also indivisible as well as the Supercelestial Intelligences performing some works in some manner ally'd 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 Soul is an Immaterial and Incorporeal Fire exempt from all compounds and from the material body it is consequently Immortal for nothing material or dark is commixed with her neither is she compounded so as that she may be resolved into those things of which she consists This Soul hath a self-generate and self-animate essence for it is not moved by another for if according to the Oracle it is a portion of the Divine fire and a Lucid fire and Paternal notion is is an immaterial and self-subsistent form for such is every Divine Nature and the Soul is part thereof Of humane Souls they allege two fountainous causes the Paternal Mind and the Fountainous Soul the particular Soul according to them proceeds from the Fountainous by the will of the Father Now whereas there are several mansions one wholly bright another wholly dark others betwixt both partly brâ—ght partly dark the place beneath the Moon is circumnebulous daâ—k on every side the Lunary partly lucid and partly dark one half bright the other dark the place above the Moon circumlucid or
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
belong to those Stars every Tree being dedicated to some Star and planted to it's Name and worshipped for this or that reason because the Spiritual Vertues of the Stars are infused into that Tree so that after the manner of Prophecy they discourse to Men and speak to them also in Dreams The word Teraphim in the Sacred Scripture amongst other significations is sometimes taken for these Images whence Onkelos the Chaldee paraphrast renders it Tsilmenaia with which the Syriack version agrees The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying by all these Interpretations that they were endewed with the gift of praediction which is no more than the Text it self confirms for Ezekiel saith of the King of Babylon using Divination that he consulted the Teraphim Of this kind are those Teraphim conceived to be which Rachel stole from her father Laban for he calls them his Gods the Coptiâ—k version renders it the greatest of his Gods R. D. Kimchi conceives they were made by Astrologers to foretell things to come and that they were Images whose figures we know not by which the Antients were informed of future events they being in some manner like the Oracles which often spake by the mouth of the Devil R. Eliezer that they were statues made in the figure of men under certain constellations whose influences which they were capable of receiving caused them to speak at some set hours and give an answer to whatsoever was demanded of them Aben Ezra that they were made after the shapes of Men to the end they might be capable of Celestial influence and in the same manner interprets he the Teraphim placed by Michol in David's bed Adding that the reason why Rachel took them away was not to take her father off from Idolatry for if it were so why then did she take them along with her and not rather hide them in the way neer his house But by reason that her father was skilful in Astrology she feared lest by consulting those Images and the Stars he should know which way Jacob was gone And S. Augustine that Laban saith why hast thou stoln my Gods it is perhaps in as much as he had said be divined I divined the Lord blessed me because of thee for so the more antient Expositors interpret the word nichashti and the Jews understand that place of prescience divination or conjecture as Mr. Selden observes Philo Iudaeus speaking of the Teraphim of Micah fancies that Micah made of fine Gold and Silver three Images of young Ladds and three Calves and one Lion one Dragon and one Dove so that if any had a Mind to know any secret concerning his Wife he was to have recourse to the Image of the Dove which answered his Demands if concerning his Children he went to the Boys if concerning Riches to the Eagle if concerning Power and Strength to the Lion if it anything concerned Sons and Daughters he went then to the Calves and if about the length of Years and Dayes he was to consult the Image of the Dragon This how light soever shews that he also understood the Teraphim to be prophetical CHAP. V. Theurgick Magick THe other part of the Chaldaick Magick is Theurgick to which perhaps Plato more particularly alluded when he defind the Magick of Zoroaster the service of the Gods This they called also the Method of Rites the Works of Piety and as renderd by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Telestick Science and Telesiurgick In what it did consist may be gathered from what Suidas saith of the two Iulians Iulian saith he the Chaldaean a Philosopher father of Julian sirnamed the Theurgick He wrote of Daemons four Books they treat of Preservatives of every part of Mans Body of which kind are the Chaldaick Telesiurgicks And again Iulian son of the afore-mention'd lived under Marcus Antonius the Emperour he also wrote Theurgick Initiatory Oracles in Verse and all other secrets of the Science Thus the Telestick Science was conceived to procure a conversation with Daemons by certain Rites and Ceremonies and to initiate or perfect the Soul by the power of materials here on Earth for the supreme faculty of the Soul cannot by it's own guidance aspire to the sublimest institution and to the comprehension of Divinity but the Work of Piety leads it by the hand to God by illumination from thence Plato indeed holds that we may comprehend the ungenerate Essence by Reason and Intellect but the Chaldaean asserts that there is no other means for us to arrive at God but by strentghning the Vehicle of the soul by material Rites for he supposeth that the soul is purified by stones and herbs and charms and is rendred expedito for ascent It is likewise beneficial to the Body as well as to the Soul for if a man shall give his mind to these he shall not only render his soul unvanquishable by passions but shall also preserve his body the better in health for the usual effect of Divine illuminations is to consume the matter of the Body and to establish Nature by health that we be not seised either by Passions or Diseases CHAP. VI. Theurgick Rites BY Theurgick or Telestick Rites they conceived that they could procure a communication with the good Daemons and expulsion or averruncation of the bad The chief of these Rites was Sacrifice concerning which there is a remarkable passage in Iamblichus who delivers the Chaldaick opinion thus The Gods give those things that are truly good to such as are purified by sacrifices with whom also they converse and by their communication drive away wickedness and passion far from them and by their brightness chace from thence the dark Spirit for the evill Spirits when the light of the Gods cometh in fly away as shadows at the light of the Sun neither are they able any longer to disturb the pious sacrificer who is free from all wickedness perversness and passion but such as are pernicious and behave themselves insolently in opposition to sacred Rites and Orders these by reason of the imbecillity of their action and want of power are not able to attain to the Gods but because of certain pollutions are driven away from the Gods and associated with ill Daemons by whose bad breath they are inspired and depart thence most wicked profane and dissolute unlike the Gods in desire but in all things resembling the bad Daemons with whom they converse daily There men therefore being full of passion and wickedness by the affinity that is betwixt them draw the evil Spirits to them by whom being quickly possest they are again excited to all iniquity one assisting and strengthning the other like a Circle whose beginning and end meet Several other Rites they used also which they conceived to be prevalent in evocation of these Daemons They are allured saith Gregorius Nicephoras out of the Air and Earth
true amongst us for God is a Light and a fire consuming the Wicked The Menaces and affrightings of God are the Intermission of the Divine Goodnesse towards us by reason of our ill management of our Affairs The Father hath snatched away himself Neither hath he shut up his own fire in his Intellectual fire The meaning of which Oracle is this The God of all things who is also termed Father hath made himself incomprehensible not only to the first and second Natures and to our Souls but even to his own Power for the Father saith he hath snatch'd himself away from every Nature But this Doctrine is not Orthodox for with us the Father is known in the Son as the Son in the Father and the Son is the Definition of the Father and the Divine supernatural World For the Intelligible is something which it behooves thee to comprehend with the flower of the Mind The Soul hath a power correspondent to every thing that is conceivable by the Mind As to sensibles Sense to cogitables Cogitation to intelligibles Mind Now the Chaldaean saith that although God is an Intelligible yet he is not Comprehensible by the Mind but only by the flower of the Mind The flower of the Mind is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singular power of the Soul Since therefore God is properly One endeavour not to comprehend him by the Mind but by the singular power for that which is first One can only be apprehended by that which is one in us and not either by cogitation or Mind The unguirders of the Soul which give her breathing are easie to be loosed Lest any One should say I would free my Soul from my Body but I cannot the Oracle tells us that the powers which thrust the Soul out of the natural Body and give her breathing as it were from the toyle and trouble of the Body are easily loosed that is these faculties are free and not restrained by any Nature and able to set the Body at Liberty generously from corporeal Bonds 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 Seeing that the Soul hath not it's Being from Seed neither consists of corporeal mixtures but had its Essence from God above therefore she ought to turn towards Him and to make her return to the Divine Light for she came down cloathed with much Mind that is she was furnished by the Maker and Father with many Remembrances of the Divine sayings when she came hither whence she should endeavour to return by the same Remembrances All things are produced out of one Fire This is a true Doctrine conformable to our Religion for all Beings as well intelligible as sensible received their Essence from God above and are converted to God alone those which have being only Essentially those which have being and Life Essentially and Vitally those which have being and Life and Mind Essentially and Vitally and Intellectually From One therefore all things came and to One is their return This Oracle is not to be condemned but is full of our Doctrine What the Mind speaks it speaks by Intellection When saith he thou shalt hear an articulate Voice Thundering from above out of Heaven think not that the Angel or God who sends forth that Voice did articulate it after our manner enunciatively but that He according to his own Nature conceived it only inarticulately but thou according to thy own Impotence hearest the Not on syllabically and enuntiatively For as God heareth our Voice not vocally so Man receiveth the Notions of God vocally every one according to the operation of his Nature These the Earth bewails even to their Children It is meant of Atheists that God extends his Vengeance even to their Posterity for the Oracle to express the torments which they shall receive under the Earth saith It howles beneath for them that is the Place under the Earth bellows to them and roareth like a Lion Whence Proclus also saith The Composition of Souls that are of Affinity with one another is of like Nature and those which are not yet loosed from the Bands of Nature are entangled and detained by like passions These therefore must fulfil all punishments and since by natural Affinity they are infected with Pollutions must again be cleansed from them Enlarge not thy Destiny The wisest of the Greeks call Nature or rather the Completion of the Illuminatâ—ons which the Nature of Beings receiveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fate Providence is an Immediate Beneficence from God But Fate is that which governs all our Affairs by the concatenation of Beings We are subjects to Providence when we act Intellectually to Fate when corporeally Encrease not therefore saith he thy Fate noâ— endeavour to surmount it but commit thy self wholly to the Government of God For nothing proceeds from the paternal principality imperfect The Father saith he produceth all things perfect and self-sufficient according to their Order but the Imbecillity and Remission of the things produced sometimes causeth a Defect and Imperfection but the Father calleth back again that Defect to Perfection and converts it to it Self-sufficience Like this is that which Iames the Brother of our Lord pronounceth in the beginning of his Epistle Every perfect guift cometh down from above from the Father of Lights For nothing proceeds Imperfect from the Perfect and especially when we chance to be ready to receive that which is primarily distilled from him But the Paternal Mind accepts her not untill she come forth The Paternal Mind doth not admit the Impulsions of the desires of the Soul before she hath excluded the forgetfulness of the riches which she received from the most bountiful Father and called back to her Memory the sacred Watch-words which she received from him and pronounce the good speech imprinting in her remembrance the Symbols of the Father who begot her For the Soul consists of sacred Words and divine Symbols of which those proceed from the sacred Species these from the divine Monads and We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Images of the sacred Essences but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statues of the unknown Symbols Moreover we must know that every Soul differs from another Soul specifically and that there are as several species of Souls as there are Souls When thou seest the terrestrial Daemon approach sacrifice the stone Mnizuris using invocation The Daemons that are near the Earth are by nature lying as being farre off from the Divine knowledge and filled with dark matter Now if you would have any true discourse from these prepare an Altar and sacrifice the stone Mnisuris this stone hath the power of evocating the other greater Daemon who invisibly approaching to the material Daemon will pronounce the true solution of demands which he transmits to the demandant The Oracle joyneth the evocative Name with the sacrificing of the stone The Chaldaean asserts some Daemons good others ill but our