Section II, Book 1, chapter 1: God, the soul of the world, and the spirits of all things

THE SECOND SECTION OF THIS TREATISE WHEREIN The reall History and fundamentall grounds of Sympathy, or concupiscible Attraction and Coition, and consequently of all Magneticall sorts of curing: As also of Antipathy or odible expulsion, and therefore of each malady or annoyance, are proved by infallible reasons, maintained by the assertions of the wisest Philosophers and Cabalists, justified by the inviolable Testimonies of Holy Scriptures.

And lastly, verified and confirmed by sundry Magneticall Experiments.

Gemina fecit Deus omnia, quorum alterum contrarium est alteri; nec quicquam factum est quod mancum est,

Syrach. 42.25.

Omnia duplicia, unum contra unum, & non fecit quicquam deesse,

Eccles. 42. vers. 25.

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LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Moseley, at the Prince's Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1659.

The Second Section of this TREATISE. The First Book.

CHAP. I. In this Chapter it is demonstrated, that God is that pure and catholick Unity, the which includeth and comprehendeth in it self all multiplicity.

AS there is no man, be he never so highly exalted in the sphear of Mathematicall perfection, or profoundly dived into the mysticall bowells of the abstrusest Arithmetick, that can with the quick eye-sight of his ripest understanding, observe or discry any thing, either by order or antiquity, to challenge justly unto its self a place or ran[…]k before Unity, (and for this reason, the wisest Philosophers do ingenuously confesse, that it is the onely principle or root of all number and multitude) so also ought each person of judgment to acknowledge, that this radicall Identity, as it is considered in its pure and absolute nature and condition, cannot be limited by any quantitative dimension, nor yet included or comprehended by any member, nor divided into distinct portions, nor yet defined by any substantiall quiddity or entity. And hereupon it hath been judiciously concluded by wise men, that Unity is the most antique and radicall principle of all others, forasmuch as it comprehendeth in it self all substances, quantities, and qualities, no otherwise than the Geometricall prick or point, being considered in its naked simplicity, is observed to be indivisible, and scarcely to be perceived; yea verily, and as it were nothing to be determined: and yet nevertheless, the prick or point is evidently known to be the infallible beginning not onely of every Geometricall line, but also of all other continuated Mathematicall dimensions whatsoever, seeing that it comprehendeth all magnitudes, and is not comprehended of any.

These two principles of all dimensions whatsoever, since that they in order, rank, and antiquity, do precede and excell all others, did the expert Mathematicians invent, after the typicall imitation or image of the most internall, centrall, and abstruse point of Divinity, or divinest and brightest Unity, remaining in that very estate in which it stood before the creation of the world, namely, when it reserved it self within it self, and remained occult and hidden from all potentiall creatures, which it was pleased afterward, by the revealing of it self, or emission of its vivifying light, to inact and make manifest for its abode in its simple and absolute nature of unity, without having any respect or consideration to things which it would create: So that in this manner of this Unitie's being and existence, it could not be esteemed for God: forasmuch as hitherto it had not produced any creature, by the which it might be adored or acknowledged for God; neither could it rightly be stiled or termed a Father: For it did not appear to have thought on any Son or issue, either Archetypicall and ideall, or typicall and mundane; neither could it be reputed for the Summum bonum, or highe[…]t goodness; being that the defo[…]med matter or dark Chaos, or rather Hyle did not as yet taste of that his bright and all-inacting blessing, which was concealed and hidden in its potentiall darkness and obscurity, which was therefore void of all form; neither could it be intitled fair, forasmuch as it did not hitherto impart his beauty, for the decoration or inacting of any creature; no[…] could it rightly be said to be eternity, being that in this manner of his occultation within its self, it seemed unto humane capacity not to exist at all, and consequently not to have any reference or commerce with either eternity, or aeviality, or temporality: moreover it could not assume or challenge unto it self the name of principle, because it had no relation as yet unto any thing that did spring or issue from any beginning. To conclude, the nature of this simple Monadicall existence, was before all created, so occult and obs[…]ure, unto mortalls apprehension, & in its order and antiquity so unknown; yea and so inscrutable, and incomprehensible in its essence, that it could not any way be con[…]luded to be either substance, or quantity, or quality, but rather was conceived to be a certain transcendent entity or existence, reserved onely in its self, and consisting of it self; not having any principle root or beginning to spring from, and exist by, but onely from, and of it self, in whose Divine Puissance as in a place without end or limits, all things which are now explicitly apparent, were then complicitly contained, although in regard of our capacity, they were esteemed nothing. And for this cause, such persons as were conversant in the Laws of the true Wisdome, have inacted in their never dying Registers, that this mysticall infinity, when it was thus bewrapped in the gloomy clew, or profound abysse of darknesse, and remained as it were vacant, or resting in its self, without any action, or (as they say) having regard or respect unto nothing, was therefore termed in Hebrew [Hebrew]: that is to say, Nihil, Non finis, Non Ens, and, in plain English, Nothing at all in our imagination, because the tenuity and poverty of man's capacity and ingeny in the regard of Divine things is such, that it is accustomed to judge and imagine that not to be or exist at all, which appeareth not manifestly unto the sight: For this reason therefore the wisest persons in the abstruse and hidden Caball, have termed this originall Unity in his secret disposition Aleph tenebrosum, or the obscure and dark Aleph, the which Hebrew letter is received among the Jews and Cabalisticall Rabbi's for the figure of one in Arithmetick, and by consequence it is Hieroglyphically taken for God, as he is understood to be that absolute Monady or Unity, which onely was in it self, and did abide and rest in it self, without any action of emanation, which afterward he did use when he was pleased to operate in Creation; and therefore the wise Philosopher Hermes (not disagreeing in this from the Holy Scripture) saith, Monas ante mundi exordium sibi ipsi & non aliis reluxit. Unity or Identity d[…]d shine onely to it self, and in it self, and not to any thing else. And in another place: Erat umbra infinita in abysso, agua insuper, & Spiritus tenuis intellectualis per divinam potentiam in Chaos inerant: There was an infinite shadow upon the face of the abysse, and moreover, water and a thin intellectuall spirit were in the Chaos through the divine puissance. And Moses to confirm this saying of that wise Philosopher: T[…]nebrae erant super faciem abyssi. By this therefore may wise men discern and contemplate, though a far off, what the Potentia, or puissance div[…]ne was, before any creature did explicitly appeare out of darkness; as also they may easily gather, what is the true principle and foundation of Darkness, namely the enclosing or retaining of the actuall beams or light of immortall life, and being in this bright fundamentall unity, in the which is no darkness; so that the Originall darkness can be reputed for nothing else, but the absence of the radicall Unitie's bright emanation, which is the fountain of all action; neither can that Divine vivifying and creating Light be present, when the will of that simple and absolute essence in Unity is not minded to send forth unto deformity, the treasure of its informing beams. And hereupon it followeth of necessity, that darkness was upon the face of the abysse, and that the earth was void and without form, before the Divine Essence did shine forth; and that darkness was made the tabernacle of rest, and repose, because where the Divine act or sacred emanation is absent, all things are onely potentiall, and consequently without actuall verity, being as it were stark dead, and without life or motion; and that the property of coldness and stupidity had dominion during that privative estate, because that heat is ingendred by motion onely, and motion hath its beginning from Light, and all brightness doth flow from this Unity, which is termed the Father and Fountain of all Light: wherefore it followeth, that if this Divine Essence retain it self in it self, then the dark Chaos reserved onely in the Divine Puissance, or Potentia Divina, must be deprived of motion: and that it is inclined to inspissation and condensation, by reason of his congealing and cold property, which doth thicken and make gross, by contraction: and that it is the fountain of all privation, and an enemy unto the creatures life and being, because it is contrary to act, motion, and heat, which are the hand-maids of the Divine emanation, and consequently it is the fountain of death, deformity, and non-entity. To conclude, as Light is the originall of life, position, act, motion, and, in a word, of the Volunty of God in his revealed Nature: so also is this primordiall darkness, the head and well-spring of death, privation, rest, or vacancy; and in brief, of the Divine essence's Nolunty. And hereupon the Scriptures do justify, that when God doth send forth his salutiferous beams, and manifest unto his creatures the light of his countenance, they are refreshed with goodness and life; when he in part doth hide his face, and withdraweth his lively and vivifying beams from them, they grow sick and their spirits are troubled: but if he totally withdraw his aspect of life from them, they do immediatly expire and breath their last. Whereupon also Moses: Deus malos relinquit, & abscondit faciem suam ab iis ut obveniant iis mala multa: God forsaketh the wicked, an […]hideth his face from them that much mischief may befall them. And David, Quousque abscondis vultum tuum a me? Exhilara me vultu tuo: visitatio tua conservat Spiritum meum: How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? make me glad with thy countenance: thy visitation doth conserve my spirit, &c. Whereby it appeareth that this Divine Essence, observeth as well after his creation of the world, as before it, both the action of his Nolunty, and his Volunty: in the first whereof, he withdraweth or withholdeth that vertue of life from the creature, which is the act of privation, in the last he giveth life and preservation to it: For by this his dilatative property he created the world, and all things therein.