Section I, Book 2, chapter 3: Of true and false wisdom and philosophy (part 1 of 2)

CHAP. III.

In this Chapter it is proved, that the true Sophia or wisdom, is the ground of all Arts: and therefore it being revealed or discovered unto man, he may be taught and instructed by it, as by the onely wise and essentiall School-mistress, in all science and knowledge.

IN Christo (saith the Apostle) sunt omnes the sauri sapientiae & scientiae absconditi, All the treasures of wisdom and science are hid in Christ. And Solomon, Sapientiam dat Dominus, ex ore ejus prudentia & scientia: The Lord giveth wisdom, and from his mouth is prudency and knowledge. And Ecclesiasticus, Thesaurabit super virum scientiam & intellectum justitiae: Wisdom will treasure up in man science, and the understanding of justice. And again, Ego doctrinam quasi prophetiam effundam & relinquam illam quaerentibus sapientiam: I will powre forth doctrine or learning as prophesie, and I will leav it upon such as seek wisdom. And the incarnated Word, or Christ Jesus, said, Spiritus sanctus vos docebit omnia; The holy Spirit will teach you all things. And again, Cum venerit ille Spiritus veritatis docebit vos omnem veritatem: When that Spirit of truth shall come, it will teach you all truth. Esdras tasted of that materiall wisdom, in the form of a fiery drink; and he was so full of sapience, that he indited books of science and wisdom, for the space of forty daies together, which his Scribes did register, as he uttered it by word of mouth. And Solomon saith, Sapientiam optavi, & data est mihi, invocavi & venit in me spiritus sapientis: I wished for wisdom, and understanding was given me; I invocated, and the spirit of wisdom came into me. But lest the captious of this world should say, that these words of Solomon were meant in another sense, than in the conceiving of such sciences, as are comprehended under Philosophy, called Naturall; I wish them for their better direction, to listen unto Solomon, who doth in this case sufficiently interpret himself, and that to the simplest mans capacity in this sense; Spiritus sapientis mihi datus est, ut cognoscerem constitutionem mundi & vim elementorum, principium, finem, mediumque temporum, solstitiorum mutationes, & varietates temporum seu tempestaium, anni circuitus, & stellarum situs, naturas animantium, & animos seu iras bestiarum, ventorum seu spirituum vim, & cogitationes hominum, differentias plantarum & radicum facultates, etiam cognovi quaecunque sunt occulta & manifesta; omnium enim artifex me docuit Sapientia: By the spirit of wisdom I came to know certainly, how the world was made, and the power of the elements, and the beginning, end, and middle of times, the changing of the Solstices, the variety of times and tempests, the compasse or revolution of the year, the scituation of the Starrs, the natures of living creatures, the dispositions and angry conditions of beasts the strength of the winds or spirits, the cogitations of men, the differences of plants, and the faculties of roots. Also I knew both what was hid and manifest, for wisdom, the work-mistresse of all things, did teach me. Out of which words we gather, that by the revelation of this divine spirit, he attained to the knowledge of all things. For since wisdom is the center, root, or corner-stone of all things, how should the center be known, and not the circumference? being the circumference of all things is nothing else, but what it pleaseth the center to make it. And for this reason, this divine spirit is termed rightly of the wise Philosopher Hermes, The center of every thing, whose circumference is no where, but yet it comprehendeth all circumferences that are. We may therefore collect out of the foresaid speech of Solomon, that wisdom discovered unto him; First, all the abstruse mysteries, which do concern the making of the world, as she did unto Moses. Secondly, the nature and power of the Elements, with the hidden act, and miraculous generation of the Meteors, framed out of an elementary stuffe, and of their wondrous properties. Thirdly, the reason and manner how the winds are produced, with the Astronomicall division of the year, the scituation of the starrs in heaven, and their Astrologicall natures. Fourthly, the necessaries belonging unto the art of Physick; for he saith, that wisdom taught him the nature of all living creatures, the conditions of beasts, the differences of plants, and the faculties of roots, &c. Fifthly, the secrets of all things occult, and therefore of the Angels, yea, and of God himself, by consequence; and in this is the mystery of Theology comprehended. But I wil prove this progression more particularly, beginning with Theology.

Touching Theology, which is derived of [non-Latin script], Deus, or God; and [non-Latin script], that is, sermo, or speech; quasi sermo de Deo, the speech or teaching of God: Solomon saith, that Spiritus sapientiae transsert se ipsum in animas sanctas, & amicos Dei, & prophetas constituit. Neminem enim diligit Deus nisi eum qui cum sapientia habitat: The spirit of wisdom doth transfer it self into holy mens spirits, and maketh them friends of God, and prophets. For God loveth no man that dwel[…]eth not with wisdom. And again, Sapientiam suis emittit Deus è sanctis coe[…]is, à throno (inquam) gloriae suae mittit illam homini, ut praesens versetur secum in labore ut cognoscat quid gratum sit apud ipsum; illa enim novit omnia. G[…]d sendeth wisdom out of his holy heavens, from the throne (I say) of his glory doth he send her unto man, that it may be conversant and present with him in his labour, that he may know what is acceptable unto him; for she understandeth all things. And in another place, Except God had given wisdom, and had sent his holy Spirit from the highest places, what man could have known the counsell of God? After this manner were the waies of such as lived on the earth corrected, and men were taught the things which were pleasing unto God. For this reason therefore Wisdom saith, Ego illuminabo omnes sperantes in Domino, I will illuminate all that trust in the Lord. Ego sum liber vitae, testamentum alt[…]ssimi, & agnitio veritatis: I am the book of life, the testament of the most high, and the acknowledgment of the truth. And Solomon, Sapientiae concupiscentia conducit ad regnum perpetuum: The desire of wisdom doth conduct unto the eternall Kingdom. And again, Sapientia doctrix est disciplinae Dei, & electrix operum illius: Wisdom is the misiress of the discipline of God, and she that maketh choice of his works. And in another place he saith, Per sapientiam habebo immortalitatem, I shall obtain immortality by wisdom. It would be tedious to reckon up the confirmation of the Theologicall doctrine, which is declared and made manifest by this Spirit; for verily, it was this very Spirit in the fleshly Christ and his Apostles, which made their corporall or bodily organs, I mean their tongues, to speak, and their hands and pens to indite, all that Theologicall wisdom and doctrine which the new Testment hath registred. And it was this Spirit that spake in the old Testament, by the mouths of the Patriarks and Prophets, the essentiall marrow of Divinity; and therefore let us look back upon them, as being the literall fountain of Theology, under whose typicall or graphicall instruction, the hidden spirit doth lurk, and may by the mysticall Theology easily be extracted. I will proceed unto the next, which belongeth unto the Aeviall world.

In ipso (saith the forementioned place of St. Paul) condita sunt universa in coelis, sive Throni, sive Dominationes, sive principatus, sive potestates: In him are all things in heaven made, whether they be Thrones, Dominations, or Principalities, or Potestates. And again elsewhere, In Christo inhabitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter, qui est caput omnis Principatus & Potestatis: In Christ doth inhabit all the plenitude of the divinity co[…]porally, who is the head of all Principalities and Potestates, and in another place, Ch[…]istus constituitur ad dextram Dei in coelestibus & supra omnem Principatum & Potestatem & Virtutem & Dominationem, &c. Christ is placed at the right hand of God, in heaven; above all Principality, Potestates, Virtues, and Dominations, &c. By which places, and many other authorities out of holy Writ, (which for brevity sake we omit at this time,) it is proved that there is no secret mystery comprehended among the Society of Angels, either touching their creation, essence, properties or denominations, but will be lively expressed by this superexcellent Spirit, which only is able to disclose all in all, because he is all in all, and that in every thing, I descend unto the next Step, which is Astronomy.

Touching the essential nature of Astronomy, it seemeth to consist on the Basis or Foundation of this eternal Spirit, and therefore the wise son of Syrach said: Sapientia in coelis fecit ut oriretur lumen indeficiens; Wisdome made a never-failing light to arise in the heavens: And it should appear, according unto this Kingly Prophet's phrase, that this Spirit did put his Tabernacle in the Sun: howsoever some men are pleased by the corruption of the Text, to interpret that place in another sense, and that little to the purpose; for the said Spirit speaking in her own person saith: Ego sapientia gyrum coeli circuivi sola: I wisdome did compass about the heavens alone, that is, in her sunny-Tabernacle; and again David saith, God in his wisdome doth number and count the stars, and calleth them by their names, whose wisdome is innumerable. Whereby it is apparent, that if in his wisdome or by this Spirit, the stars were numbred and had their proper names: it followeth that their vertues, courses and properties, must be best known unto him, who hath created, ordained and doth maintain them in the estate they are in: For David affirmeth, that every vertue of heaven doth proceed from the Spirit of the Lord: and Esdras, Stellae fundatae sunt in Verbo Dei, qui & novit numerum stellarum: The stars have their foundation in the Word of God, who knoweth the number of them: In this respect also, the Prophet Baruch hath it, Stellae dederunt lumen in custodiis suis, & laetatae sunt ad jussum Dei: The stars gave light in their watches, and d[…]d rejoice at the Commandement of God: Hereupon it came to pass, that when this Spirit did fight for Josuah, he made the Sun stand still at his pleasure: He turned the Sun from light unto darkness at the passion of Christ: By it the stars in troops were stirred up to fight in their order by the[…]r influences against Sisera: So that it is easy to discern, that as the heavens and stars were first framed, and animated by this Spirit to serve as Organs, to administer unto the natural Fabrick of this world, so also beyond the common course of the macrocosmicall nature, they may by the self-same Spirit that commandeth them, and acteth in them as the soul doth within the body, operate, what, when, and how it lists; and be diverted from the usual order to effect his will, as well by altering the motion of his body, as action of his light and influentiall Spirit. Again touching the fixt stars, Job speaketh thus in the person of this Spirit, Canst thou restrain the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazaroth in their time? Canst thou guide Arcturus with his Sons? Knowest thou the course of the heavens, or canst thou set the rule thereof upon the Earth? &c. As who should say, that no man is able to know the courses of the stars, or to discern the powers or vertue of their influences, save only this divine Spirit, and that man unto whom it shall reveal the true Art and rules of Astronomy or Astrology: And therefore Salomon doth glory, in that he knew the course of the year, and dispositions of the stars, and the change of the Solstices by wisdome. Per Sapientiam, (saith he) novi Solstitiorum mutationes, & anni cursum, & dispositiones stellarum, &c. If therefore the Astronomer wanteth this true Astrologicall foundation, all will be faulty and fabulous, as by the vulgar Astronomy, which is for the most part erronious and uncertain it appeareth: I proceed now downwards unto the Meteorologicall region, to see how this Omnipotent Spirit worketh in the catholick sublunary Element, for the producing of Meteors in divers shapes and natures.

As for the Act of this Eternal Actor or Operator in the ayre, water, and earth, for the production of Meteors, it is most evidently expressed in plain terms by holy Writ. Saith Job: Deus sapientia sua aptat pondus aëri & appendit aquas in mensura, facit pluviae statuta, & viam fulgetro tonitruum: God by his Wisdome doth adapt a waight or pondero sity unto the ayre, and hangeth up the waters in measure, and giveth bounds or maketh a Law for the rain, and prepareth a way for the lightings of the Thunders: In which words, he sheweth that this one Spirit of Wisdome, in whom is the power as well of contraction or condensation, as of dilatation or ratifaction, can, at his pleasure, make the aire more thick and ponderous, by condensation, and so reduce it into a cloud; or by rarifying it into a more thin and subtile consistence, render it in the form of lightning; and evermore the aire so altered, receiveth his shape or figure from the Alterer, according to the will of him who ordaineth all things. And thus the clouds, the lightenings, the thunder, the comets, the frost, hayl, snow, and ice are created daily by this operating Spirit: But we have all this confirmed and acknowledged by many places of Scriptures: Sapientiâ Dei eruperunt abyssi & nubes rore concrescunt, saith Salomon: By the Wisdome of God, the Abysse was broke open, and the clouds were turned into dew or raine: Again, Ego sapientia sicut nebula texi omnem terram: I Wisdome like a mist did cover the whose earth, saith the son of Syrach, in the person of this Spirit, And again: Ego in altissimis habitavi & Thronus meus est columna nubis: I (saith Wisdome) did dwell in the highest places, and my throne was a pillar of clouds. Deus nubes effecit sapientia, saith Job: God made the clouds by his Wisdome. This Spirit maketh the clouds to asscend, it causeth the lightnings with the ra[…]n, and it bringeth forth the wind out of his Treasury, saith David: And again: Verbo suo quam celerrimè excurrente, & sermone suo in terra emisso, edit Deus nivem sicut lanam, & pruinam sicut cineres dispergit: coram frigore ejus quis consistat? God by his Word passing most swiftly, and by his Voice, being sent out upon the Earth, doth bring forth snow like wool, and spreadeth abroad the frost like ashes: Who is able to consist before his cold? There are many thousands of other places, which I can produce out of the book of Verity, to prove that all Meteorology is founded on this Spirit. But because I will speak of this point more at large in my last Book of this present Treatise, where I do express the true History of the Meteors, and open the errors and falsities of the Aristotelian Meteorology, I will only conclude with this confession, of the wisest Philosopher Salomon: Novi (saith he) virtutes elementorum, & varietates temporum sive tempestatum, & ventorum, seu spirituum vires, nam omnium artifex me docuit sapientia. I know the power of the Elements, and the varieties of times and tempests, and strength of the winds, for Wisdome the work-mistress, of all things taught them me. Whereby it is evident, that shee who was the maker of the Meteors, and was by Consequence the most skilfull and best acquainted with their natures, did instruct him in them. I will now speak a word or two of Physick.

Concerning the excellent Art of Phy[…]ck, or Medecine, the Wiseman saith: A Deo est omnis medela, From God cometh every kind of healing or curing, which being so, it is certaine that the only Actor in healing and curing, is immediatly from this all-working Spirit, and therefore the Kingly Prophet hath it, He sendeth his Word and healeth them, and delivereth them from their graves. And Salomon: But the teeth of the venemous dragons could not overcome thy children, for thy Word came to help them, and healed them, even thy Word, O Lord, which healeth all things: for thou hast the power of life and death, &c. Mark well, Even thy Word (saith the Text) which healeth all things: Now this divine Word, is the root and fountain of this eternal Spirit of Wisdome: and therefore the Basis or foundation of healing is in him, and consequently from him all the mystery of healing doth proceed, which also agreeth with this of the Apostle, There are divers gifts, but one and the same Spirit; there are divers operations, but God is the same, which worketh all in all: but unto one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdome, and unto an other the gift of healing: Now that this Omnipotent and all-operating Spirit is that Wisdom which giveth life and health to every creature, it is made manifest by many places of the book of Verity, saith the Wiseman: Sapientia custodiet salutem: Wisdome will preserve health: In Sapientiae dextra est longitudo dierum: In the right-hand of wisdome is the length of daies: Est lignum vitae omnibus qui apprehenderunt eam: Shee is the tree of Life, unto all them which can possess[…] her: where it is meant as well of body as of soul, as it did appear, by those cures which Christ and the Apostles did effect, by the means of this Spirit, upon the earth: Sapientiam qui invenerit, inveniet vitam & hauriet salutem à D[…]mino: He that hath found wisdome, shall find life, and shall draw or attract health from the Lord. And in another place, Ipsa hos qui se observant a doloribus liberavit: wisdome preserved such from dolours as observed her. And again, Sapientia sanati sunt quicunque placuerint tibi, ô Domine, à principio: They were healed, O Lord whosoever have pleased thee, from the beginning: Yea verily, each prudent Reader ought seriously to understand that there is not an animal, vegetable, or minerall, but hath and receiveth immediatly his curative act from this Spirit. And therefore the foresaid Son Syrach saith: Altissimus de terra creavit medecinam, & vir prudens non abhorrebit illam: The most high hath created medicine of the earth, and the W[…]se man will not despise it; whereby we may discern, first that the trees, herbs, roots and mineralls, being of springs of the earth, were ordained by God to be the means of curing and healing of men, and then that the gift or act which is imparted unto them, is from this Spirit of wisdome, forasmuch as it is said, to be in all things, and to operate all in all in them, though after a divers manner, as the Apostle doth affirme, confirming in this the Wisemans saying, before recited: Verbum tuum sanans omnia: Thy word which healeth all things: And therefore he inferred, Non herba nec ma[…]egma[…]e, sed verbo tuo sanante omnia: not by herb or plaister, but by thy word which healeth all things: If the Word therefore heal all things then nothing can cure but the Word or the spirit of wisdome, whose Fountain is the Word, as is proved before: But seeing this incorruptible Spirit of God is in all things, and since it is the most active and movable thing in this world, and since by his purity he penetrateth through all, and acteth in all, What should hinder me or any good Christian else to say, that he acteth all in all, in and by this word of himself, and by himself, and that immediatly; and therefore not any Creature of it self, or by it self, as the Peripatetick doctrine doth most erroniously, and, to the seducing of true Christian hearts from their Creatour, publish unto the World, alluring them thereby to derogate from God who is all in all, by arrogating ab[…]olute authority unto the Creature, in making and ordaining so many essentiall distinct subalternate agents, which must (forsooth) operate per se: as the Sun, the Stars, the winds, the Elements, and the compounded creatures, as well imperfectly as perfectly mixed? Verily in so doing, they make the world believe, that the Organ doth act per se, essentially, and not this hidden and centrall word, or incorruptible Spirit, existing in every thing, which is the fountaine or foundation of the true [non-Latin script] or wisdome, and the main mark or Summum bonum, which the true Philosopher or Lover of wisdome doth ayme at: Therefore doth Salomon, the Prophets and Christ, with his sanctified followers, exhort all men to be Amatores verae Sapientiae, Lovers of this wisedome; in whom is all Act, as well intellectuall condescending unto the sublimation of mans knowledg, as more materiall, namely operating to vivification, vegetation, and multiplication. But of this more at large in another place. I will return unto my purpose, and conclude this brief discourse upon the true Physick, with Salomons confession, who sayeth: Per sapientiam novi na turas animalium, & was bestiarum, & differentias virgultorum, & virtutesradicum; imò quae sunt occulta et manifesta, mihi patefecit omnium artifex Sapientia: By wisdome I knew the natures of living creatures, the raging conditions of Beasts, the d[…]fferences of plants, and the vertues of roots; yea, all the mysteries of creatures, as well occult as manifest, were revealed unto me by wisdome, which is the worker of all things: Whereby he argueth that wisdome, even that heavenly Spirit, which did bestow on herbs, animals, and minerals, their virtues as well hidden and secret, as apparent and evident, even that eternall Word which is all in all, and operateth or acteth all in all, and therefore can only teach and instruct by an externall revelation, what he internally doth, and by what vertue he operateth in each creature; and although Ethnick Philosophers and Physitians, have by practicall effects, or sensuall observations, and demonstrations à posteriori, found out the occult properties in plants, as for example, of the Piony to cure the falling-sickness, of Herniaria to respect the rupture, of Tussilago to be proper for the Lungs, of Euphragia to be good for the eie-sight, of Thecilea and Viscus quercinus to prevaile against the falling-sickness, &c. In animals, of the Toad to stanch blood; of the Alsaeus hoof, and also the Frog, to cure the falling-sickness; of the Scorpion, chiefly to cure the bitings of the Scorpion, &c. yet because they are ignorant of the centrall grounds of Sympathy and Antipathy, which consisteth in the Volunty or Nolunty of one and the same Spirit, they can give no other reason for such hidden things, but only that they are ab occulta proprietate, of a hidden property. And in fine, can say no more but that they are talia, quia talia: and so we receive from these learned Doctours, nothing else but Ignotum per ignotius, A thing unknown by a more unknown: To conclude, it is certain that Salomon learn'd so much of the nature of Planets and other creatures, by the discovery of this Spirit, that it was said of him, that he was instructed by this his Schoolmistriss, in the vertues of all vegetables, beginning even from the lowly Hysop, and so mounting unto the lofty Cedars of Libanus. Having then in few words expressed unto you the power of this Spirit, in her documents of Physick or Medicine, and proved that shee is the Basis or ground of every sanative property in the world, I will shew you in the next rank, her act and vertue in the essentiall Musick.