Lumen de Lumine, part 5 of 5

The Prester of Zoroaster.

IT is a Miracle to consider, how the Earth, which is a Body of inexpressible weight and Heavinesse, can be supported in the Ayr a fleeting yeelding substance, and thorough which even froth and Feathers will sink, and make their way. I hope there is no man so mad as to think it is poys'd there by some Geometricall Knack, for that were Artificiall, but the work of God is Vital, and Natural. Certainly if the Animation of the world be denied, there must needs follow a precipitation of this Element by its own Corpulency and Gravity. We see that our own Bodies are supported by that Essence, by which they are actuated and animated, but when when that Essence leaves them, they fall to the ground, till the spirit returns at the Resurrection. I conclude then that the Earth hath in her a Fire-soule, a most powerfull strong spirit, that bears her up, as the spirit of Man bears up man. To this agrees Raymund Lullie in the seventy sixth Chapter of his Theorie. Tota Terra plena est Intelligentia ad operationem Naturae inclinata, quae Intelligentia movetur à natura superiore: Ita quod natura Intellectiva inferior assimilatur naturae Superiori. The whole Earth (saith he) is full of Intelligence, inclined to the Discipline or Operation of Nature, which Intelligence is moved by the Superior Nature: so that the Inferior Intelligence is like to the Superior. This spirit or Intelligence is the [non-Latin script], a Notion of the admirable Zoroaester, as I find him render'd by Julian the Chaldaean. It comes from [non-Latin script] uro, and signifies Lightning, or a certaine burning Turbo, or whirl-wind, but in the sense of our Chaldee it is the Fire-spirit of Life. It is an Influence of the Almighty God, and it comes from Terra Viventium, namely the second person, whom the Cabalists style the Supernaturall East. For as the Natural Light of the Sun is first manifested to us in the East, so the Supernatural Light was first manifested in the second person, for he is Principium Alterationis, the Beginning of the wayes of God, or the first Manifestation of his Father's Light in the Supernatural Generation. From this Terra Viventium, or Land of the Living comes all Life or spirit, according to that position of the M[…]kubalim:

Omnis anima bona est anima nova, veniens ab Oriente.

Every good soule is a new soule, comming from the East: that is from [non-Latin script] Cocmah, or the second Sephiroth, which is the Son of God.

Now for the better understanding of this Descent of the soule, wee must refer our selves to another placet of the Cabalists, and this is it.

Animae à Tertio Lumine ad Quartam Diem, inde ad Quintam descendunt: inde exeuntes, Corporis Noctem subintrant.

The souls (say they) descend from the Third Light to the fourth Day. thence to the fifth, whence they passe out, and enter the Night of the Body, To understand this Maxime, you must know there are three supreme Lights or Sephiroths, which the Cabalist cals, Sedes una, in quâ sedet Sanctus, Sanctus Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. This third Light from whence the souls descend, is [non-Latin script] Binah, the last of the three sephiroths, and it signifies the Holy Ghost. Now that you may know in what sense this Descent proceeds from that Blessed spirit, I will somewhat inlarge my Discourse, for the Cabalists are very obscure in the point. Spirare (say the Jews) Spiritus Sancti proprium est, to Breath is the proprietie of the Holy Ghost. Now we read that God breathed into Adam the Breath of Life, and he became a living soule. Here you must understand that the third Person is the last of the three, not that there is any Inequality in them, but it is so in order of Operation, for he applies first to the Creature, and therefore works last. The meaning of it is this: The Holy Ghost could not breath a soule into Adam, but he must either receive it, or have it of himself. Now the truth is he receives it, and what hee receives, that hee breaths into Nature. Hence this most holy spirit is styl'd by the Cabalists Fluvius egrediens è Paradiso, because he breaths as a River streames. He is call'd also Mater Filiorum, because by this Breathing he is as it were delivered of those souls, which have been conceived Ideally in the second Person. Now that the Holy Ghost receives all things from the second Person, is confirmed by Christ himself. When the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but what soever he shall heare, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorifie me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath, are mine; Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine. Here wee plainly see, there is a certaine subsequent order or Method in the operations of the blessed Trinity, for Christ tels us, that he receives from his Father, and the Holy Ghost receives from Him. Againe that all things are conceived Ideally (or as we commonly expresse it) created by the second person, is confirmed by the word of God. The World was made by him (saith the Scripture) and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. This may suffice for such as Love the Truth, and as for that which the Cabalist speaks of the fourth and fifth Dayes, it suits not with my present designe, and therefore I must wave it. It is clear then that Terra viventium, or the Eternall Fire-Earth buds and sprouts, hath her fierie spirituall Flowers, which we call soules, as this natural Earth hath her natural Vegetables. In this mysterious sense is the Prester defin'd in the Oracles [non-Latin script], the Flower of thin Fire. But that we may come at last to the thing intended, I think it not amisse to instruct you by this Manuduction. You know that no Artificer can build, but the Earth must be the Foundation to his Building, for without this Ground-work. his Brick and Mortar cannot stand. In the Creation when God did build, there was no such place to build upon. I aske then where did he rest his Matter, and upon what? Certainly he built, and founded Nature upon his own Supernaturall Center. He is in her, and thorough her, and with his eternall spirit doth he support Heaven and Earth, as our bodies are supported with our spirits. This is confirmed by that oracle of the Apostle, Omnia portat verbo virtutis suae, He bears up all things with the word of his power; from this power is he justly styl'd [non-Latin script]: The infinitly powerfull, and the Allpowerfull power-making power. I say then that Fire and spirit are the Pillars of Nature; the props on which her whole Fabric rests, and without which it could not stand one minute. This Fire or Prester is the Throne of the Quintessentiall Light, from whence he dilates himself to Generation, as we see in the effussion of the Sun-beams in the great world. In this Dilatation of the Light consists the joy or pleasure of the passive spirit, and in its Contraction his Melancholie or sorrow. We see in the great Body of Nature, that in Turbulent weather when the Sun is shut up, and clouded, the Aire is thick and dull, and our own spirits by secret Compassion with the spirit of the Aire are dull too. On the contrary in clear strong Sun-shines the Aire is Quick and Thin, and the spirits of all Animals are of the same rarified, active Temper. It is plaine then that our joyes and sorrows proceed from the Dilatation and Contraction of our inward Quintessentiall Light. This is apparent in despayring Lovers, who are subject to a certain violent, extraordinary panting of the Heart, a timorous trembling pulse which proceeds from the Apprehension and Feare of the spirit in relation to his Miscarriage. Notwithstanding he desires to be dilated, as it appears by his pulse or Sallie, wherein he doth discharge himself; but his Despaire checks him againe, and brings him to a suddain Retreat, or Contraction. Hence it comes to passe that we are subject to sighs. which are occasion'd by the suddain pause of the spirit: for when hee stops, the Breath stops, but when he looseth himself to an outward Motion, we deliver two or three Breaths that have been formerly omitted, in one long E[…]piration, and this we call a sigh. This […]sion hath carried many brave men to very […] Extremities. It is originally occasion'd […] the spirit of the Mistris, or affected […]irty: for her spirit ferments or leavens the […]t of the Lover, so that it desires an union […] far as Nature will permit. This makes us […]sent even smiles and frowns, like Fortunes […]nd Misfortunes; Our Thoughts are never […]t Home according to that well-grounded Observation, Anima est ubi amat, non ubi […]t: the soule dwels not where she lives, out where she loves. We are imploy'd in a […]erpetuall Contemplation of the absent Beau[…]; Our very Joyes and Woes are in her power: […]he can set us to what Humor she will, as […]ampian was alter'd by the Music of his Mistris.

When to her Lu[…]e Corinna sings,
Her Voice inlives the Leaden strings:
But when of sorrows she doth speak,
Even with her sighes the strings doe break.
And as her Lure doth Live or Die,
Lea'd by her Passions: So doe I.

This, and many more miraculous sympa[…]hies proceed from the Attractive nature of the Prester: it is a spirit that can wonders, and now let us see if there bee any possibility to come at him. Suppose then wee should dilapidat or discompose some Artificiall Building, stone by stone: There is no question but we should come at last to the Earth whereupon it is founded. It is just so in Magic: if we open any Natural Body, and separat all the parts thereof one from another, we shall come at last to the Prester, which is the Candle, and secret Light of God. Wee shall know the hidden Intelligence, and see that inexpressible Face, which gives the outward Figure to the Body. This is the S[…]lagism we should look after, for he that […]ath once past the Aquaster, enters the Fire-world, and sees what is both Invisible and Incredible to the common Man. He shall discover to the Eye the miraculous Conspiracy that is between the Prester and the Sun. Hee shall know the secret Love of Heaven and Earth, and the sense of that deep Cabalism, Non est planta hic inferiùs cui non est stella in Firmamento superiùs, & ferit eam stella, & dicit ei Cresce. There is not an Herb here below, but he hath a star in Heaven above and the star strikes him with her Beame. and sayes to him, Grow. He shall know, how the Fire-spirit hath his Root in the Spirituall FireEarth, and receives from it a secret Influx upon which he feeds, as Herbs feed on that Juice and Liquor, which they receive at their Roots from this Common Earth. This is it, which our Saviour tels us, Man lives not by Bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the Mouth of God. He meant not by Inke and P[…]pyr or the dead Letter: it is a Mystery, and St. Paul hath partly expounded it. He tels the Athenians, that God made Man, to the end, That he should seek the Lord, if happily he might feel after him and find him. Here is a strange Expression, you will say, that a Man should feel after God, or seek Him with his Hands. But he goes on, and tels you where you shall find him. He is not far (saith he) from every one of us; for in Him we live, and move, aud have our Being. For the better understanding of this place, I wish you to read Paracelsus his Philosophia ad Athenienses, a glorious Incomparable Discourse, but you will shortly find it in English. Againe: He that enters the Center, shall know why all Influx of fire descends against the Nature of fire, and comes from Heaven downwards: Hee shall know also why the same fire having found a Body, ascends againe towards Heaven, and gows upwards.

To conclude: I say the grand Supreame Mysterie of Magic, is to multiplie the Prester, and place him in the moyst serene AEther, which God hath purposely created to qualifie the fire. For I would have thee know, that this spirit may be so chaf'd, and that in the most temperat Bodies, as to undoe thee upon a suddain. This thou mayst guesse thy selfe by the [non-Latin script], or thundering Gold, as the Chymist cals it. Place him then as God hath plac'd the stars, in the condens'd AEther of his Chaos, for there he will shine, not burne, he will be vital and Calm, not furious and Choleric. This secret I confesse, transcends the Common processe, and I dare tell thee no more of it. It must remaine then as a Light in a Dark place, but how it may be discovered, doe thou Consider.

The Green salt.

IT is a Tincture of the Saphiric Mine, and to define'it substantially, it is the Aire of our little Invisible Fire-world. It produceth two noble effects, youth, and Hope; wheresoever it appears, it is an infallible sign of life, as you see in the springtime, when all things are Green. The sight of it is cheerfull, and refreshing beyond all imagination. It comes out of the Heavenly Earth, for the Saphir doth spermatize, & injects her Tinctures into the AEther, where they are carried, and manifested to the Eye. This Saphir is equall of her self to the whole Compound, for she is threefold, or hath in her three severall essences. I have seen them all, not in Ayrie imaginarie suppositions but really with my bodily eyes. And here we have Apollodorous his Mathematical Problem resolved: namely that Pythagoras should sacrifice a hundred Oxen, when hee found out. [non-Latin script], That the Subtendent of a right angl'd Triangle was equivalent to those parts which contain'd it, &c.

The Diapasm, or Magicall Perfume.

IT is compounded of the Saphiric Earth and the AEther. If it be brought to its full Exaltation, it will shine like the Day-star in her fresh Easterne Glories. It hath a fascinating attractive facultie, for if you expose it to the open Ayre, it will draw to it Birds and Beasts, &c.

The Regeneration, Ascent, and Glorification.

I Have now sufficiently, and fully discovered the principles of our Chaos, In the next place I will shew you how you are to use them. You must unite them to a new life, and they will be regenerated by Water and the Spirit. These two are in all things, they are placed there by God himself, according to that speech of Trismegistus, Vnumquodque habet in se[…]semen su[…] Regenerationis. Proceed then patiently, but not manually. The work is performed by an invisible Artist, for there is a secret Incubation of the Spirit of God upon Nature you must only see that the outward Heat failes not, but with the subject it self you have no more to doe, than the Mother hath with the Child that is in her womb. The two former principles performe all, the Spirit makes use of the Water to purge and wash his Body, and hee will bring it at last to a Celestiall, immortall Constitution. Doe not you think this Impossible. Remember that in the Incarnation of Christ Jesus the Quaternarius or four Elements as men call them, were united to their eternall Unitie and Ternarius Three and Foure make Seven: This S[…]ptenarie is the true S[…]b[…]th, the Rest of God into which the Creature shall enter. This is the best and greatest Man[…]duction that I can give you. In a word. Salvation it self is nothing else but transmutation. Behold (saith the Apostle) […] shew you a MYSTERIE: we shall not all die, but we shall be all CHANGED, in a Moment, in the twinckling of an Eye, at the sound of the last Trumpt. God of his great Mercy prepare us for it[…] That from hard stubborn Flints of this world we may prove […]soliths and Jaspers in the new eternall foundation. That we may ascend from this present distressed Church which is in Captivity with her Children, to the free Jerusalem from above, which is the Mother of us all.

The Descent, and Metempsychosis.

THere is in the world a scribling, ill-disposed Generation: they write only to gaine an Opinion of Knowledge, and this by amazing their Readers with whimzies and Fansies of their own. These commonly call themselves Chimists, and abuse the great Mysterie of Nature with the Name and Non-sense of Lapis Chemicus. I find not one of them, but hath mistaken this Descent for the Ascent or Fermentation. I think it Necessary therefore to informe the Reader there is a two fold Fermentation, a spirituall and a Bodily one. The spirituall Fermentation is performed by multiplying the Tinctures, which is not done with common Gold and Silver, for they are not Tinctures, but grose compacted Bodies, The Gold and Silver of the Philosophers are a soule and spirit: they are living Ferments and principles of Bodies, but the two common Metals whether you take them in their grose Composition, or after a Philosophicall preparation, are no way pertinent to our purpose. The Bodily Fermentation, is that which I properly call the Descent, and now we will speak of it. When thou hast made the stone, or Magicall Medicine, it is a liquid fierie, spirituall substance, shining like the Sun. In this Complexion if you would project, you could hardly find the just proportion, the vertue of the Medicine is so intensive and powerfull. The Philosophers therefore took one part of their stone, and did cast it upon ten parts of pure molten gold. This single small graine did bring all to the gold a bloudie powder, and on the contrary the grosse Body of the gold did abate the spirituall strength of the projected graine. This Descent or Incorporation some wise Authors have call'd a Bodily Fermentation, but the Philosophers did not use common Gold to make their stone as some scriblers have written, they us'd it only to qualifie the intensive power of it, when it is made, that they might the more easily find what Quantitie of base Metall, they should project upon. By this means they reduc'd their Medicine to a dust, and this dust is the Arabian-Elixir. This Elixir the Philosophers could carry about them, but the Medicine it self not so, for it is such a subtill moyst Fire, there is nothing but glasse that will hold it. Now for their Metempsychosis, it hath indeed occasion'd many Errors concerning the soule, but Pythagoras applied it only to the secret performances of Magic. It signifies their last Transmutation, which is done with the Elixir, or Qualified Medicine. Take therefore one part of it, cast it on a Millenarie proportion of Quick-silver, and it will be all pure gold, that shall passe the Test Royall without any Diminution.

Now Reader I have done, and for a farewell I will give thee a most noble, secret, sacred truth. The Chaos it self in the very first Analysis is threefold, the S[…]p[…]ir of the Chaos is likewise threefold. Here thou hast six parts, which is the Pythagoricall Senarius or Numerus Conjugii. In these six the Influx of the Met[…]physicall Vnitie is sole Monarch, and makes up the seventh Number, or Sabaoth, in which at last by the Assistance of God the Body shall rest. Againe, every one of these six parts is two fold, and these Duplicities are Contrarieties. Here then thou hast twelve, six against six in a desperat Division, and the Vnitie of peace amongst them. These Duplicities consist of contrary Natures; One part is good, one bad: one corrupt, one incorrupt: and in the Termes of Zoroaster, one rationall, one irrationall. These bad, corrupt, irrational […]eds are the Tares and sequels of the Cur[…]. Now Reader I have unriddl'd for thee the grand mysterious problem of the […]abalist. Septem par[…]bus (saith hee) insunt Duo […]ernari[…] & in Medio stat u[…]um. Duodecim stunt in Bello: Tres Amic[…], Tres mimici: Tres Viri vivisic[…]nt, Tres etiam occidunt: & Deus Rex fidelis ex suae Sanctitatis Atrio dominatur Omnibus. Vnus super Tres, & Tres super Septem, & Septem super Duodecim, & sunt omnes stipati, Alius cum Alio.

This and no other is the truth of that Science, which I have prosecuted a long time with frequent and serious indeavours. It is my firme decreed Resolution to write no more of it, and if any will abuse what is written, let him. He cannot so injure me, but I am already satisfied: I have to my Reward a Light that will not leave me.

Nescit SOL Comitis non memor esse Sui.

I will now cloze up all with the Doxologie of a most excellent, renowned Philocryphus.

Soli Deo Laus, & Potentia!
Amen in MERCURIO, qui pedibus licet carens decurrit
AQ[…]A, et metallicè universaliter operatur.

FINIS.

APHORISMI MAGICI EUGENIANI.

Veritas Prima est Haec:
Haec etiam Ultima.

1. ANte Qmnia Punctum extitit: non [non-Latin script], aut Mathematicum, sed Diffusivum. Monas erat Explicite: Implicite Myrias. Lux erat, erat & Nox: Principium, & Finis Principii: Omnia, & Nihil: Est, & Non.

2. Commovit se Monas in Dyade: & per Triadem egressae sunt Facies Luminis secundi.

3. Exivit Ignis simplex, increatus: & sub Aquis induit se Tegumento Ignis multiplicis, Creati.

4. Respexit ad Fontem superiorem: & Inferiorem deducto Typo, Triplici vultu sigillavit.

5. Creavit unum unitas: & in Tria distinxit Trinitas. Est & Quaternarius, Nexus & Medium Reductionis.

6. Ex visibilibus primùm effulsit Aqua: Faemina Incubantis Ignis, & Figurabilium gravida Mater.

7. Porosa erat Interius, & Corticibus varia: Cujus venter habuit Coelos convolutos, & Astra indiscreta.

8. Separator Artifex divisit hanc in amplas Regiones: & apparente Faetu, disparuit Mater.

9. Peperit tamen Mater Filios Lucidos, Influentes in Terram Chai.

10. Hi generant Matrem in Novissimis: Cujus Fons cantat in Luco miraculoso.

11. Sapientiae Condus est Hic: esto qui potes, Promus.

12. Pater est Totius Creati: & ex Filio Creato per vivam Filii Analysin, Pater generatur. Habes summum Generantis Circuli Mysterium: Filii Filius est, qui Filii Pater fuit.

Soli Deo Gloria.