thereof Otherwise we can hardly explain this matter because of his Inscrutable Majesty That therefore the Celestial Bodies are Animate is hence rightly concluded For it were absurd to deny a Life and Soul to be in Heaven and the Stars the which Inspire both Life and Soul even in the vilest of these Inferiour Bodies They give Life unto Plants which grow without Natural Seed as we see in the Mountains and Places untill'd So likewise to the Earth For if a Lump be taken out of the Bowels thereof and for some time exposed to the Rays of the Sun it yieldeth Grass or some Herbs oftentimes the twiggs of little Trees The Stars also bestow Life upon Animals not generated by Copulation Nor can we be so stupid as to imagine that Plants Trees c. are of a Nobler Condition than the Celestial Bodies This manifest perpetual Operation cannot come but from a Pure and Cleansed Body These things I suppose are sufficient to prove the World hath a Soul placed in Heaven as in the most Noble Part thereof But perhaps you desire it may be further Proved that these Celestial Souls are Rational and participate of the Divine Mind The Matter is not obscure For if the World as Plato saith be the best effect that could be of goodness it self That is of GOD for we Germans so express it because Got sounds nothing else with us than Gut if we rightly enquire the Reason of the Idiom it must certainly participate not only of Life Sense and Reason but also of Intelligence The Soul is the Perfection of the Body And that Body most Perfect which hath the Perfectest Soul Wherefore if the Celestial Bodies be most Perfect they must of necessity enjoy the most Perfect Souls The Heavens therefore do Participate of the Intellect and Mind Which very thing the Platonicks plainly approve by Musical Concords For seeing that Musical Concord is as it were Living Rational and Efficaâ—ious what Resemblance hath it unto Life it self how Pleasing is it to the Mind and even Ravisheth the whole Man And which is more the Mind and all things else are made by the Soul By her they are preserved by her they are moved And therefore Plato did not amiss when he Described the Soul to be she that made preserved and moved all Natural things especially by Musical Numbers and Proportion constituted I say by Numbers not Mathematical as some Calumniate but by Ideal and Metaphysical Proportions of Numbers This Harmony consisteth altogether in Motion because that by an Aërial Nature posited in Motion it moveth the Body By a Purified Air it stirs up the Aërial Spirit the Chain of Soul and Body By affect it at once disposeth the Sense and Affection By signification it Operates upon the Mind Lastly through this Motion of the subtil Air it penetrates vehemently It floweth sweetly through the Contemplation And by its conform Quality poureth out it self with a wonderful Pleasure By its Nature as well Spiritual as Material it at once Ravisheth and Claimeth all that is Man Wherefore let us seriously consider how the Sounds of most sweet Musick elevate and as it were double and treble our Minds And in like sort judge the Melody of the Celestial Bodies who now by a slower but anon by a swifter Motion produce a tone that is Grave or Acute Whereunto agree in these Sublunaries Gravity and Levity Cold and Heat Moisture and Dryness of Elements So likewise Matter and Form in the Gâ—neration of things Meekness and Magnanimity Temperance and Fortitude in Humane Affairs Seeing therefore that Motion is â—very where Free in its own Nature it might easily prevaricate and wander unless it were Ruled by the Intellect and Mind The which we cannot further enquire of in this Place according to the Exigence of the Matter Besides it is absurd for us to have Reasons of our own works For the Celestial Souls and so the Soul of the Universe have no Reasons of theirs of whose Spirit even we our selves are generated and live continually If the Lesser World enjoy an Intelligent Soul such also enjoys the Greater But we will cease to prosecute this any further concluding that the World is a System of Celâ—stial and Terrestrial Bodies constant in Order Number and Measure but Living Animate Intellectual Whence we safely gather that the Soul of the World is a certain singular Life filling all things vivifying all things producing and connecting all things that it may accomplish and preserve one Fabrick of the whole World and be as a Monochord sounding out by the three-fold kinds of Creatures Intellectual Celestial and Corruptible at one Blast one only Life The Mystery of Unity is but known of a few Now can we here pass by the Authority both of the Holy Scriptures and also of the most approved Philosophers Deut. 4.19 Thou shalt not Worship the Sun Moon and Stars which God hath Distributed to all Nations under Heaven Deut. 28.12 God shall open unto thee his good Treasure the Heaven c. Deut. 33.13 Concerning Joseph Thy Blessing shall be of the Precious things of the Sun and of the Precious things of the Moon But above all let us consider those thingâ— which are in Levit. 26.19 I will make saith God your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass The same is repeated Deut. 28.23 And also in Hosea 2.21 And I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Israel Therefore we hereby see that God doth set the Root of Worldly Benedictions in Heaven as it were in the Soul of the Universe so that the Beginning of Blessings is from Heaven as the Beginning of Motion from our Soul which are of themselves perspicuous enough To this also belongs that in Job 38.33 Knowest thou the Course of Heaven or canst thou dispose the Rule thereof in the Earth The Rule of Heaven proceeds through Terrestrial and all Inferiour things as the Rule of an Emperour or King throughout his Empire and Kingdom As therefore a King is the Soul of his Kingdom so the Heaven and the Stars are the Soul of the World Likewise that of Job 26.13 His spirit hath garnished the Heavens Psal. 33.16 By the Word of the Lord the Heavens were made and by the spirit of his Mouth the whole Army thereof In whatsoever Body the Spirit of God dwelleth and shineth that Body without doubt shall be Animate and Intellectual Psal. 19. God hath set his Tabernacle in the Sun One Day telleth another and one Night teacheth another knowledge There is no Speech nor Language in those Heavens yet understandeth he their Voice Their Line is gone forth through all the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun Psal. 89.5 O Lord even the Hâ—avens shall confess thy wonderful Works John 3. Our Saviour saith to Nicodemus I have told you
and Movable Vertue also and Action is partly Individual and Immovable so far forth as it agrees with Divine things stedfastly worketh And partly Divisible in some Respects both because it is manifold and also for that it declineth to a manifold and Divisible Body And Movable because it worketh Temporally Where we term it Intellectual we mean the Angelical Intellects which are properly Perfect and Indivisible according to Place in their Government of the Spheres And Immutable in respect of time the Natural Life and Form Corporeal being Opposite thereunto Divisible and Mutable That even these Angelical Intellects be in the Body of the World Necessity requires it because the Body of the World is through Life made fit for the Intellect Therefore look how it is in regard of Life and the like it is in respect of the Intellect And as it hath not only a Natural lying hid in the Matter of the World but an Animal also that is A Soul existing in it self So hath it not only an Intellectual Quality infused in the Soul but also an Intellectual substance therein remaining For certain Qualities are very where reduced to certain Substances As a Vital Quality to a Vital Substance so also an Intellectual Quality to an Intellectual Substance But as touching these things we shall explain our self more at large The whole Body of the World is a certain Body composed of all the Four Elements the Members or Parts whereof are the Bodies of all Living Creatures For the small Body of every Animal is a Part of the Worlds Body Neither is it composed of the whole Element of Fire Air Water or Earth but of some parts of these Elements By how much therefore the Whole is more Perfect than a Part thereof by so much is the Body of the World more Perfect than the Body of any one Living Creature Hence were it absurd to think that an Imperfect Body should have a Soul But that it neither hath a Soul nor can live Perfect None will be so mad as to say the Part Liveth and not the Whole Therefore the whole Body of the World Liveth whilst the Bodies of the Animals therein Live which are the Parts thereof And now seeing there must needs be One Soul of the whole World we will in the next place enquire in what part thereof this Soul may Reside whence she distributes her Spirit through all things and preserves the same so distributed She fixeth not her Seat and Pavilions in Bodies subject to variety of Change and manifold Corruption as are the Elements and Elementary Bodies Wherefore seeing that in Heaven there is no Corruption of Bodies there certainly is her Place of Residence And although those Elements also may be in Heaven but most Purely or Spiritually Yet is it manifest that the Element of Fire hath therein Dominion Even as here in this Inferiour Part of the World where the Soveraignty of the Elements remains in the Power of Fire And this we are sensible of in our own Bodies But much more if we do but consider how the Fire by no means Puâ—rifieth nor is any way Corrupted notwithstanding it often Corrupteth other Bodies where it gets Preheminency Moreover Nature affords it Earth Water and Air as a certain Subject Matter whereon to Exercise its Power The Air it self as also the Earth with the Water surrounding it whence we are Nourish'd and draw our Breath is indeed so Affected of the Fire about it that sometimes Heat doth therein predominate otherwhiles it is so Extenuated that for want of Heat it leaves its own Quality and is forsaken of Cold. In like manner we see such Impressions conveyed from the Fire above us upon the Earth and Water that sometimes the Nature and Quality thereof is capable of some Excess otherwhiles of Defect the Celestial Fire it self remaining Entire Wherefore seeing the Soul of the World hath its Residence in Heaven of Necessity it must live in a Fiery Substance For Heaven is a Fiery Essence but withall most Temperate Pure Lucid and Incorruptible Nor shall they trouble us who deny the Fiery Heaven in regard the Motion of the Heavens is Circular the Fires Motion Perpendicular For because our Fire is Peregrine and Impure therefore it tends directly upwards and by a kind of Veneration Covets the Place of the Proper and Natural Fire yet is it not to be supposed such a Fiery Hot Heaven as that 't is Burning or Heating By how much less Fire is mingled with strange Matter by so much the less it Burneth The which is seen in the Flaming of the Purer sort of Oyl but especially of Oyl Artificiously Extracted from Gold The which true Alchymists do Witness and as these Mortal Eyes of mine have sometimes tryed Therefore seeing there is not any Matter in Heaven estranged from the Celestial no Adustion no Heat is made there We see no Adustion in Comets running through the Celestial Spheres but only some Illustration for that doubtless the Matter thereof much participateth of the Nature of the Celestial Bodies But TYCHO-BRAHE A Dane A Noble-Man An Astronomer and a most incomparable Philosopher of this Age shall anon more plainly unfold to us this matter far different from the Madded Nursery of Peripateticks and that not without the Infallible Curiosity both of Observations and Demonstrations Now because some Matter Opposed is Heated and Burnt by the Rays of the Sun contracted by a Glass that is a sudden generation of Heat and Fire increasing by the Flagration of the Collected Rays in the Glass and applyed to fit Matter which are of another Disputation Some will have the Matter of Heaven to be Aërial But for that Light is a Property of Fire enlightning even the Air it self in my Judgment we do better in supposing it to consist of a Fiery Matter Besides Heaven is next to the Divine Seat and God himself Yet not so as that God is not every where God is called The Father of Light with whom there is no Change by whom the Light may be Extinguished or Diminished Neither an over-shadowing of Change whereby sometimes he either is turn'd into Night or suffereth an Eclipse GOD is Light in which there is no Darkness that is Form wherein there is nothing Inform Beauty in which there is nothing of Deformity As therefore GOD is Light Invisible Infinite the Truth it self the cause of every truth and of all things So the Light of Heaven is the splendour or rather the shadow of Heaven Visible Finite the cause of visible things For the whole Universe receiveth Light and Life from Heaven Moses Aaron Nadab Abihu and 70 of the Elders of Israel saw the God of Israel and under his Feet as it were a work of Saphire stone and as the very Heaven when it is clear c. Exod. 24.10 Whence we shall not speak absurdly if we say that GOD shineth upon us by his Light from Heaven and the Sun as a Candle shineth through Glass and Windows made
of Earthly things and you believe not how would you believe if I should tell you of Heavenly things As if he had said I now propound the Comparison of the Generation of Earthly things to Spiritual which are obvious to you all and yet you believe not much less therefore would you believe if I should dispute of Heavenly things which are not so obvious to your senses Christ is called by the Prophet The Sun of Righteousness How far we might hence Philosophize concerning the Sun and Celestial Fires can hardly be expressed Very notable is that place of Gen. 37. in the Dream of Joseph who saw himself Worshipped of the Sun the Moon and eleven Stars therefore his Father Jacob expounding this Dream Magickly saith Shall I and thy Mother and thy Brethren come and Worship thee Therefore that Holy Father knew that he had the Sun instead of his Father the Moon instead of his Mother in the World and Worldly Generations and 12 Stars for Joseph was as the 12 th Star in that he was the 12 th of the Brethren to stand in stead of the 12 begotten Sons You may understand by those 12 Stars of Heaven the twelve Signs constituting the 12 Moneths by 12 Conjunctions of the Sun and Moon in them by whose Congresses the Year is compleated and its Annual Generations finished There are other things to be seen among the Cabalists notwithstanding we have perspicuously enough enucleated the present matter We write not these things to vain Men that is such as are Ignorant and Proud but to the truly Honest and Ingenious who constantly love the Knowledge of God and his Works and such as have Learned That Divinity is True Philosophy and True Philosophy Divinity to wit Mystically which is that we may yet be more plain By the Workmanship of the Heavens and the Earth touching which all approved Philosophy teacheth and the Inscrutable System thereof to know God himself as in a Glass that he is the most Wise Ineffable and Eternal Goodness The other Authority is that of the Great Philosophers Plato Aristotle Pythagoras Orpheus Trismegistus Theophrastus Avicenne and the like But we will here follow Plato especially a Philosopher most full of Piety and the knowledge of God and his Interpreter the never to be too much Praised Marsil Ficinus of Florence than whom whether Italy ever afforded a greater I shall not easily determine If any man doubt saith Theophrastus the Periâ—atetick whether the Heavens live or not let him not be accounted a Philosopher And he that denies Heaven to be Animate so as that the Mover of it is not the Form thereof destroys the Foundations of Philosophy Neither are the most Noble Poets to be Despised of us M. Manilius in his Proem WHen every species of the glittering Sphere The Stars returning Ranked did appear In their own Seats and by the Fates Decree Each had restor'd its Formal Potency Experience framed Art by various Use Example Guiding where it was Abstruse And though at a vast distance plainly saw The Stars All-Ruling by a Tacit Law The whole World Mov'd by REASON Alternate The same Manilius Cap. 2. GOD and the Vertue of the Divine Soul Do by a Tacit Law and Sacred Course Inspire Turn Round Guide Govern and Controul This Immense Structure of the Universe And all its Natural Parts which Framed be In Different shapes of Air Fire Earth and Sea Lucan also HE that sustains the Earth Pois'd up with Air Is a Great Part of Jove And Boetius THou in consenting Parts disposed hast Th' All-moving Soul ' midst threefold Nature plac'd Which cut in Parts that run a different Race Into it self returns and doth embrace The highest Mind and Heaven doth wheel about With like Proportion And Virgil not the last of the most Excellent Philosophers 6. Aen. By Mr. J.O. AT first the Heaven and Earth the liquid Plain The Moons Bright Globe and Stars Titanian A spirit fed within spread through the whole And with the huge heap mix'd infus'd a scrowl Hence Man and Beasts and Birds derive their strain And Monsters-floating in the Marbled Main These Seeds have Fiery Vigour and a Birth Of Heavenly Race but clogg'd with heavy Earth But enough of the Soul of the World And now seeing it is manifest the World hath a Soul it will be no less apparent That the same World shall consist also of a Spirit which is called the Spirit of the Universe Where the Soul is there also is the Spirit The Soul groans in the Spirit the Intelligence in the Soul The Spirit also of the Universe is the vigour of Divine vertues dilated through all things whose continual Excitation resides in the Soul of the World and the Celestial Bodies Democritus Pythagoras Orpheus and such others called these Vertues Gods Zoroaster Divine Allurements Synecius Symbolical Inticements But some called them Lives others also Souls Nor that indeed undeservedly For seeing the Soul is the Primum Mobile and truly of its own accord or by it self movable but the Body or Matter of it self Ineffectual for Motion and much degenerating from the Soul Therefore we have need of some more Excellent Medium that is to say such a Medium that may be as it were not a Body but yet as if it were a Soul Or as no Soul and yet as it were a Body whereby the Soul may be united to the Body For such a Medium is the Spirit of the Universe it self which otherwise we call the Fifth Essence because it is not wholly subsisting of the Four Elements but a certain Fifth over and beside them Therefore such a Spirit is necessarily requisite as a Medium by whose Intervening the Celestial Soul may be in a Grosser Body And this Spirit is of such a Form in the Body of the World as is ours in the Humane Body Because that as the Powers of our Soule are by the Spirit communicated to the Members So the vertue of the Soul of the World is dilated by that Fifth Essence throughout all things So that nothing can be found in the whole World which wants a vivifying spark thereof Through this Spirit every occult Propriety is propagated unto Herbs Stones Metals and to all living Creatures by the Sun and Moon by the Planets and other Stars of the Eighth Orb. And those things that contain a more plentiful and excellent Spirit of that Nature shall perfect a more manifest and swifter Operation in our Bodies if so be it be duly separated from the Body and Feces for the Feces profit nothing yea they plainly Impede and oppress the Penetrating vertue of the Spirit And indeed all Physicians should have a special Regard that they Artificially segregate the Medicinal vertues of things from the Body and the Elementated Impurities thereof and not so Foolishly hasten to their Patients the Medicines and Feces together But the most part either wholly omit that Labour or account it in a manner Dishonest Leaving that separating Art to
things she hopeth and sustaineth all things Charity Buildeth up knowledge puffeth up Charity is greater then Prophesies Sciences Tongues Prophesies shall be abolished Tongues shall be Silent Sciences Perish Charity remaineth for ever He that remaineth in Charity remaineth in GOD and GOD in him Now we must know there is a Two-fold Man One Astral External or Carnal which is called Animal nor perceiveth he the things which are of the Vivifying Spirit The other Spiritual or Internal busied in Renewing the Corrupted Image of God Rom. 7. In like manner there shall be a Two-fold Wisdom One Worldly or Astral the Wisdom of Arts Sciences Dignities Possessions and of Curruptible things wherein the Gentiles are alone Busied Mat. 6. The other Celestial consisting in the knowledge of GOD in the consideration of his Ineffable Mercy in the desire of Eternal Happiness This Wisdom acknowledges no other Governour than the Holy Spirit Operating by the Word of GOD That the Heavens and Celestial Influences Both which may be joyned in a Man that pleaseth GOD. But in whom the Celestial Wisdom Reigneth that other is only a Hand-maid she seeks for nothing at all but the Glory of GOD and the welfare of her Neighbour which indeed is as much as is granted in this Life to the Elect or those whom the Father hath given unto Christ. Now where the Astral Reigneth suppose that alone There are Dogs and Swine unto whom we are forbidden to cast Pearls or that which is Holy Lastly where the Celestial and Astral do Conjunctly Rule that is when we endeavour to serve Two Masters There is true Hyprocrisie very displeasing unto GOD. No Man can serve Two Masters Such were the Pharisees in the time of Christ whose Righteousness if ours exceed not we shall not enter into the Kingdom of God Christ himself hath spoken it It was but requisite that we a little touched upon those things lest Ignorant Detractors who are either far out of the way or abhor this True manner of Philosophizing should take occasion to mingle Holy things with Profane or Profane with Holy whilst perhaps they might take upon them to Disprove these Realities Furthermore as hitherto we have Treated of the Soul and Spirit of the Universe and of the Sydereal Governour in Man So now we may possibly be informed concerning Four Senses in the Universe accommodating themselves to the Four-fold Vertue or Power of the Soul of the World There are Four Elements which contribute Matter to the Body of the World And there are also Four Powers in the Soul of the World The first is the Intellect of it self Immovable the Mover or Governour of the Sphere Instituted by the Author of all things Governing the Spheres The second is the Soul of the Sphere A Mover indeed that is Movable yet so of it self The third a certain Intelligence excellently placed in this Soul by GOD and the superiour Intellect The fourth is Nature that is to say A Seminary and Vital vertue every way infus'd into the Matter by the Soul The Intellect and Soul are indeed Substances But the Intelligence and Nature are Qualities Those of the Soul these of the Matter The Four Images of these are the Four Elements For Fire resembles the Intellect Earth the Water Air the Intelligence And lastly Water the Soul And as there are three things proper to Fire three things also opposite to Earth and that the Mediums agree with Mediums by a certain Proportion so there are three things proper to the Intellect and their Opposites are proper to Nature The Mediums also to the Mediums For the Intellect is Individual Uniform Eternal Nature Dividual Multiform Temporal The Soul amongst these Mediums looks indeed through the Intelligence more participating of the Intellect it self than of Nature But through the Animal Power the rather agrees with Nature than the Intellect Wherefore it is called partly Individual partly Dividual Partly also Uniform and partly Multiform Again partly Eternal and partly Temporal From Substance Vertue Action Fire Subtile Acute Movable Air Subtile Obtuse Movable Water Gross Obtuse Movable Earth Gross Obtuse Immovable The Intellect Individual Uniform Eternal The Soul by the Intelligence Individual Uniform Eternal The Soul by the Animal Power Dividual Multiform Temporal By Nature Dividual Multiform Temporal Hence also are the Four Lives Delivered and Believed of Plato The Life of Saturn admiring in the Intellect Heaven the Father thereof that is God the Father of Heaven The Jovial in the â—ntelligence declining to Action yet Movable The Venereal in the Animal Vertue yet Affecting Matter And the Dionysiacal as if Drunk in Nature that is of a Drench'd or Drown'd Matter And by a like Reason there are Four Senses in the Universe The First in the Soul of the World Commune I say and one Sense That is a certain Imaginary Vertue so accompanying its Intelligence and touching the Particular Forms of things as the Intelligence doth the Universal Touching I say Intrinsecally and therefore it wants no Instruments neither proceeds or suffers it any where without The second is in the Souls of the Spheres and Stars Commune indeed and Impatible also but proceeding without The third in Particular Souls distributed through all the Instruments beyond Common strength and spreading it self without but ending in the Judgment The Fourth and last Sense is according to the Pythagoreans allowed to Plants yea a certain Image of Sense and that indeed Stupid having no Judgment of Quality but Posited only in the Passion of some Pleasure or Grief The First Sense represents the Intellect The Second the Intelligence The Third the Animal Vertue and the Fourth the Natural Wherein we must remember that the Matter of the World doth not otherwise enter the Soul than by Nature nor otherwise the Intelligence than by the Soul nor otherwise the Intellect than by the Intelligence Even as it receiveth Water by the Earth by the Water Air and by the Air Fire But at length to come to our Matter we must know that the Lines of the Hands are not otherwise produced giving GOD in the first place His Due than from the Imagination of the Greater World thus or so Affected in the Generation of Man yet performing its Authority and Office by the Stars It is hardly perceptible to our Humane Wit how such an Operation should be made in our Hands by Lines shadowing out the Fate of every Man This Imagination of the Soul of the World is otherwise called Predestination Science Fate And she it is that performs her Power in the Conception and Birth by the Influence of that Star which then predominateth in the Heavens and thence poureth out that Peculiar Genius upon every Man If many Stars be to do the Work the proper and accustomed Signatures are by them distributed and Engraven Fortunate or Infortunate according to the Affection of the Planets and other Stars in their respective Signs and Quarters of Heaven Those Conjunctions and other Aspects of the Planets which but
the Miâ—â—ries a Man suffereth in his whole life-time Now for that all these are Enemies to Life therefore are they contained under the onely consideration of an Enemy in the 12. house which is truly callâ—d the valley of miseries and immediately followeth in this Triplicity according to the Motion of the Aequator 3. The last Affliction inhabiting the 8. House is the Death of man himsâ—lf which is an End of this Temporal and the Beginning of an Eternal Life wherefore according to the second motion or the motion of the Planets which is from West to East there is an entrance made from the 8. house into the 9. which is the house of Life in God whereby man is given to understand that he is to pass by the second motion of the Soul which is attributed to the mind or reason as the first and rapt mâ—tion is to the Body or sensitive appetite from a Tâ—mporary Death unto a Life in God which is Eternal Therefore in these Triplicities that which is First in the order of nature or dignity possesseth alway the more noble houses viz. the Angular That which is second succedent houses according to the motion of the Aequator And that which is last Cadent which are also succedent according to the motion of the Ecliptick or Planets Now I beseech you what is he will suppose this Division of the 12 Coelâ—stial houses by Triplicities appearing in this so excellent a consent and in such wonderful order to be in any wise feigned or casual Or whether by chance such consents are wont to be in things so abstruse and intermixed Or if altogether fictitious whether therefore altogethâ—r wanting a Natural Foundation which before I have plainly proved to be false and now made that most orderly consâ—nt of the Houses themselvâ—s manifest Therefore is this Division Natural and ordâ—ined by great wisdom as comprehending at least generically all worldly things that can possibly be enquired of or concerning Man forasmuch as the knowledge of Contraries is the same and that an â—ffirmative or negative may be sought of any thing belonging to any house For example Seeing Man by the force of natural light knoweth that there is one God who made and governeth the world and therefore to be worshipped and Loved above all as the Trine Aspect made from the first house the cause of all inclinations to the 9. which is the house of Religiâ—n by the first principles of nature insinuateth from the Stars and Planets or their Aspâ—cts râ—sident in the 1. and especially in the 9. may judgment bâ— given whether the native shall be inclinced to the woâ—ship oâ— God and to Râ—ligion or the contrary And so câ—â—câ—â—niâ—g other things of this nature In like manner conjecture is made from the 7. house whether he shall lead a married or a single life From the 5. whether he be fruitful and to have issue or the contrary and so of the rest of the other houses Moreover this light of the Triplicities doth very clearly distinguish the things which belong to every House per se and manifests their Errors who judge from the purpose by inconvenient or Repugnant Houses For example In a manner all Astrologers do suppose but â—rroneously that health and sickness belong to the 7. and 6. Houses per se whereas indeed they depend upon the Temperament which is the Seat of Life and therefore ought judgment to be given concerning them from the First House per se but the judgment deduced from other Houses is only per accidens that is as you shall find the Malevolent Planets or their Beams upon which the horoscope falls by Direction or which shall come by Direction to the horoscope it self or to the opposition or Square thereof during the Life of the Native And therefore if Saturn or Mars shall at the Moment of his Birth be found in the 2. or 6. House from these Houses shall judgment be given per accidens of a Saturnine or Martial disease to happen when the horoscope comes by Direction to Saturn or Mars in the 2. Or when Saturn or Mars shall come by Direction to the opposite of the horoscope in the 7. Therefore judgment per se is always referred to the horoscope The like of other Houses which Ptolomy especially seems highly to pervert but would have said otherwise had he known this Cabal of the Houses which so perfectly distinguisheth the proper house of evâ—ry thing Much more might be said concerning these Triplicities conducing to the natural light of Praedictions which here I omit presuming I shall abundantly satisfie as well the Friends as Enemies of Astrology if from the Doctrine proposed I do give a full and clear Answer to the beforementioned importunate Questions put to Astrologers concerning these houses Therefore to the first Question I say that heaven is divided into 12 Houses and no more because every one of the 4 Cardinal parts of heaven which govern the beginning vigour Declination and Death of things do by a Trine Aspect behold two other Caelestial parts which be of its own Nature whence shall arise three places out of each of the 4. Cardinal of the same nature for three times 4. doth make neither more nor less than 12. To the second I say that the first House is called the House of Life because a man is said first to Rise upon this Scene of the world when first he draws the Breath of this Life and therefore seeing that the first breathing of this Life is the beginning thereof it must be placed in the East as the beginning of every other Physical thing To the third I answer that it matters not as to the instituting of Caelestial Influxes or Praedictions what number any House be called by whether 2.3 or 4. provided heaven be divided as before into four Triplicities and the nature of the Houses not changed Yet the Physical order of the Houses is from the East to the South into the West agreeable to the Motion of the first and most universal Physical cause according to whose parts succeeding one another by that motion are the principal Estates or Ages of all generable things contained according to their succession before related in the Equator the principal Circle of the first cause and so Physically the House of Enemies is the second in order the House of Friends the third the House of Magistracy the fourth and so forth But mystically or Analogically the Numerical order begins from the East by the North Angle to the West the reason whereof is this There are two Motions in the heavens the first is of the first Moveable termed the Rapt-motion the second of the Planets who notwithstanding the Rapt-motion by which they are wheel'd about inviolably observe the Laws of their own Moderate motion ordained to the contrary of the former There are also two Motions in Man who is called the Microcosine one of the sensitive Appetite which is the Motion of man in as much as he is
as may both Purge the Body from all Filthy Humours and likewise comfort the Principal Members strengthen the Vital Spirit and Native Heat which are of another Quality The Scorpion as also the Serpent deduced from Heaven I speak with Virgil preserves him safe that carries it about him from Fevers Poyson and Pestilence These are Secrets In the same Year of your Age the Mid-heaven coming to the Trine Sinister of Saturn presages Goods to ensue by means of the Dead Ancient Possessions the Gift of some Aged Man The 42 d. and 43 d. Year of your Age will be Honourable and Prosperous Because the Mid-heaven comes to the Virgins Spike and Venus her self to the Body of Jupiter By this means they bring some Notable-good in the Increase of Dignities and Wealth and that by the occasion of a certain Great Personage You shall observe the 14 th day of July 1602. and then the 11. and 16 of August Also the 3 d. of September In the following Year 1603. the 22. and 23. of January the 7 and 8 of June Here the Profection of the Sun succeeds the Trine Sinister of Jupiter There the Mid-heaven shall come to Venus her self In the 45 th Year of your Age the Mid-heaven coming to the Opposition of Jupiter will intercept or subvert the Friendship of some Great Lord At which time take heed how you Manage your Affairs with Noble-Men c. In the same Year upon the Sun 's receding to the Trine of Mars you shall fall into the Friendship of some Martially disposed Person not without some Advantage Use his Benevolence and Friendliness prosperously In the 48 th Year of your Age Anno 1608. The Horoscope coming to the Trine dexter of Jupiter gives you a most Thriving Constitution of the Body and makes you Conversant with Great Men whereby Great Good is to be expected Of the same Nature is the subsequent Direction to wit the Sun to a Proper Sextile in the Terms of Venus falling out in the 49 th Year of your Age in the Year of Christ 1609. In this Year the Part of Fortune coming to the Antiscia of Mars will add unto your Expences occasioned by the means of Kindred and Journeys Beware also of some Thieveries of your Servants or Messengers In the 45 th Year of your Age Anno 1614. The Sun coming to the Sextile Sinister of Mercury and the Dexter of Saturn shall enlarge your Authority and Esteem with or by the Learned For seeing you are unweariedly carried by a certain Natural Violence both to the Scienâ—es of Mighty things and also to the knowledge of Hidden Secrets I easily fore-see What a one how great a one you shall suddenly be Go on Couragiously that you may Act things Answerable to your Ingenuity that you may advance and further your Fortune The 57 and 59 Years of your Age will be very Honourable and the most Acceptable of any You shall therein find a Signal Increase of your Possessions Renown Dignities and Authority For then Venus will come to her Proper Sextile The Mid-heaven to the Trine Dexter of Venus And the Sun to the Body of Jupiter The Profection of the Mid-heaven to the Sextile of Venus falls out in the Year of Christ 1617. the 14 and 15 of January Old Style But the Profection of the Sun to the Trine of Mercury and the Body of Saturn will happen about the Verâ—al Equinox There are also Fortunate Profections in the Year 1618. about the Winter Solstice Also Jan. 21. c. Saturn is in the second Degree of Gemini Adverse the Mid-heaven whereby he shall in some sort endeavour to protract an Event by the means of some Mans Death In the 60 th Year of your Age Anno 1620. The Horoscope coming to the 26 Degree of Sagittary the Contiguous Terms of Saturn and Mars shall occasion a Feverish Disease which will easily be removed by the help of a Physician Or if the yearly Medicines and Evacuations were not as is requisite forborn contrary to Custom it could hardly be that any Disease should trouble you The Profection of the Horoscope and the Sun are removed from the Society of the Malevolent Planets The Transite of Mars in Taurus by the Point opposed unto the Horoscope shall happen the 15 of April then in Leo by the Point in Square thereunto the 22 23 and 24 of August which are more to be observed In the 61 Year of your Age Anno 1621. The Progress of the Part of Fortune to the Body of the Sun shall multiply your Treasure by the Rewards of Kings and some other Great Personages The like for your Honours In the 63 Year the Mid-heaven coming to the Southern Lance of Libra favours you with no mean Dignities In the 64 Year the Horoscope arriving at the end of Sagittary threatens you with a Disease attended especially with Lassitudes of the Body Filthiness of Defluxions and with Pains in the Feet above all other Signs are Interficient The which I have often-times found to be true But because that here Venus most Powerfully beholds this Place by an approaching Sextile Aspect I boldly Affirm Humane Providence assisting You shall not Dye this Year In the 65 Year of your Age Anno 1625. The Part of Fortune coming to the Body of Mercury and the Trine of Saturn confers upon you a Large Inheritance or fair Possessions by the means of some Deceased For Saturn being so Fortunate it is impossible this Direction should be Fruitless So in the Year 1627. The Sun coming to the Trine of the Mid-heaven will again occasion all manner of Good to befall you In the 70 Year of your Age Anno 1630. The Sun coming to the Sextile Sinister of Venus The Horoscope also to the Sextile Dexter of Venus point out â— most Honourable time in Dignities Possessions and Renown in all manner of Benefits The same almost is discern'd by the Progression of the Part of Fortune to the Sextile Dexter of Jupiter falling out in the 72 Year of your Life for that also Presages Kingly Rewards from Foreign Countreys But enough and more than enough concerning this your most Fortunate Geniture Farewell In the Year 1593. A BRIEF DISCOURSE OF The Soul of the WORLD AND The Vniversal Spirit thereof THE World is a System of Celestial and Terrestrial Bodies constant in Order Number and Measure but Living Animate Intellectual The former Part of the Definition is clear from the Holy Scriptures The latter is Proved of Plato and that by manifest Reasons Where we say A Living System we intend a certain Natural Life diffused through the Bodies of the World extended and movably Acting together with the Body of the World Where we call it An Animate System we mean the substance of the Soul of the World whose Essence indeed is both Indivisible and Immutable like the Intellect yet it may in some sort be termed Divisible and Movable because it is the Proper Fountain of some Powers that are declining to Divisible
the Diseased Body Nevertheless these Men make too huge a Progress in Philosophy they shall often dispute against Astronomy it self not knowing indeed that they can nothing say or Dispute without that Syderial Spirit communicated to them as also to every Man yet more or less from above by the Heavens and the Stars Truly the Lote which shutteth its Leaves before Sun Rise but when he Ascendeth openeth them by degrees will be accounted more Just and Charitable towards the Celestial Princes then these so Rational Men. And so we believe shall the Cock who applauds the Rising Sun as it were with a Hymn from his Inferiour Rousts But these are from the matter We formerly told you There can nothing be found in this Lower World that wants a vivifying Spark of this Spirit but yet to know under what Star and in which Sign of the Zodiaque every thing Perceiveth its Spirit This is the Work here the Labour is Nevertheless there hath so much of this nature been Manifested to us by sedulous and skilfull Men as is sufficient for Humane Ingenuity and Pains to find out greater things Gold hath in it the Spirit of the Sun and therefore is in value the most precious of all Metals It also nourisheth every Spirit of all things Growing So that the Sun possesseth the vertues of all the Stars No marvel then the Spirit of Gold skilfully extracted or separated from the elementated or Metallique Body should extirpate all Diseases of the Body The reason is manifest by Astronomy it self But that there is Gold of the Solar Spirit to omit other Reasons the purifyed sign thereof sufficiently testifies where you shall find Incense Burning with perpetual Fire which thing true Alchymists know very well and there yet remains such a thing to be found in some Sepulchres that hath continued its Ardour and Fire for more then 100 years Even as the Sun enjoys Perpetual Light The same Metall is not unfitly called the Terrene Chaos because if the Spirit of the Universe residing in it should at a set time be reduced to a competent Form with the Body plainly produces the same or even greater things then that Essence of the Sun so earnestly sought for by Covetous Persons So also to other Metalls there in a Proper and Perpetual Seed plot in Heaven The like for Trees Plants Stones c. If therefore any thing growing nourisheth in it an Astral Spirit we account the Incensive matter of the Generative and Seminary vertue much more such and indeed more Perfect in Man himself Those Philosophers who know not any such thing in Man can pronounce nothing certain as touching the Ingenuity of Man his Inclinations Antipathy Sympathy of the Magnetique vertue and operation and such other things as are hitherto appertaining Whence it is they so Foolishly and Filthily heap up Reasons of Philosophizing which are no better then Volatile Air. We must not forget that there is a twofold Spirit in Man One infused from the Heavens and Stars at the time of Generation the other Inspired by GOD This was the breathing-hole of Life in Adam and that indeed Perfect but afterwards Lost. The First Man was made of the Slime of the Earth that is of the Greater World of the Sydereal Creatures and Elements whence he received a certain Astral Soul resembling the Soul of the World The Object whereof is The Universal World and the things contained therein that is Worldly Wisdom generally comprehending all manner of Arts and Sciences within it self some such thing was Anciently called in Man the Proper Genius or Demon of every one He is not wholly Ignorant of the Natural Law that is of the Divine Will commanding and approving the Good but Abominating and Condemning the Evil done unto us because the World was the First Image of God and Man himself the next Example of any thing Possessing the Reason of the Word And although Man have Free-will yet so it is in him that what an one soever the Predestination of the Mundane Soul made him such an one also every Man would and desireth to Die by a natural instinct Thus we more plainly conceive how Man is subject to the Stars Hence likewise we will not deny but that very many Diseases and consequently the term of Life proceed especially in a flourishing Age from the Stars touching which we have elsewhere produced manifest Reasons and a manifest Experience in Examples Hereunto belongs the whole Genethliaque Part of Astrology Theophrastus Paracelsus hath most Plentifully and Learnedly explained the Foundations of this very Matter in his Volume of Wise Philosophy There was another Breathing Hole Placed by God in Adam beyond this Rational Spirit and operating Soul deducing its Original and Branches from the Stars which was the Breathing Hole of Life in which regard he was said to be the Image of GOD. The Beauty of this Image was lost by the Fall of our First Parents a very small spark thereof surviving in us But may be reduced to its pristine Condition by a Regeneration in Christ. This Spark Christ being Mediator shall grow into a Flame of Celestial Wisdom It is the proper spirit of those that Believe in Christ Joh. 7. Rejecting Despising Deriding all those Worldly things not as that they are the Works of GOD for they testifie of GOD what he is but in that they are Corruptible unstable and draw a Man from the presence of GOD and from Eternal Joy in him This Wisdom is that sorrow with the Flesh and its Concupiscences at last overcoming Christ being Conquerour Of this is that vulgar saying Sapiens Dominabitur Astris A wise Man shall Rule the Stars By this very Rule we are led from the Love of Corruptible things and brought into the Love of Eternal By this we take the Cross of Christ upon our Shoulders and Follow him that is we shall hereby Purge out the Old Leaven crucifying our Flesh with Evil Affections and Concupiscences studying to learn abundantly the Fruits of a Christian Spirit without Hypocrisy as Charity Faith Peace Joy Liberality Meekness Temperance Gal. 5. In a word This Celestical Spirit is no other thing then Faith triumphing through Charity without which none shall Prevail before GOD although as it is in 1 Cor. 13. He should speak with the Tongues of Angels and had all Faith so that he could Remove Mountains out of their Places although he had all Sciences and knew all Mysteries though he should give his Body to be Burnt and were full of Prophesie GOD is CHARITY we were Created and Redeemed of Charity in Charity and by Charity Charity Preserves in us the Command of GOD. Charity is the Bond of Perfection Col. 3. Charity is Long suffering and Bountiful she Envieth not she maketh no Tumults she is not puft up she doth nothing whereof she is ashamed she seeketh not her own she Provoketh not she thinketh no Evil she rejoyceth not at Iniquity but the Truth she beareth all things she believeth all