Section II, Book 1, chapter 4: God, the soul of the world, and the spirits of all things (part 2 of 3)

But that I may the better expresse unto you by a Philosophicall Demonstration, the Angelicall nature of this supream intelligence, called Mitattron, and consequently of the soul of the world; I would have you in the first place, to know the true manner how the Philosophers do demonstrate the harmony of the world, and his spirit. The Platonick's Heptachord, the which he did invent, and adapt for the demonstrating of the soul of the world, did consist of seven strings, or proportions, partly even, and partly odd, namely 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9.27. The which proportions, although Porphyrie and Proclus have drawn forth in one line; nevertheless it appeareth unto me, that Adrastus and Calcidius have more fitly expressed, and adapted it unto the sides of a Pyramis, or Triangle in this manner.

[Figure]

In the summity or top whereof, namely where both lines meet in one point, the figure of 1. is expressed with Unity, because it participates both on the side with the materiall existence, and on the other it hath a commerce with the formal emanation, it is apparent that this point or Unity from whence both these different lines, or streames do issue, in the fountain as well of matter as form, and therefore it is as well Synesius's as other Theosophers opinion, (not disagreeing in this point from Holy Scripture) That Deus sit omne quod est; quippe à quo, per quem, & in quo sunt omnia. Quod sit mas & faemina, vel, ut Mercurius Trismegistus ait, utriusquae sexûs faecund[…]ssimus; quod sit potentia, & actus, quod sit forma & quod sit materia. Imo vere nihil est quod ipse non existit: God (say they) is every thing that existeth; being that, from him, by him, and in him are all things. He is male and female, (as Synesius saith) or, as Mercurius Trismegistus will have it, He is most abundant in each sex: He is puissance and act, and finally, he is form and he is matter. And verily they conclude, that there is nothing which he is not. All which seem not to differ from Holy Testimony, which is, that God is all, and in all, and above all: and that in him are all things, and in his Spirit and Word all things consist, &c. The six other figures which do correspond unto one another, from the materiall side unto the formall, namely the even numbers, that regard directly the odd, namely the materiall number 2. regards the formall 3; the 4. the 9; and the 8. the 27. do most lively expresse the generall kinds of all creatures, with their harmony. And in the first place, it deciphereth the Symphoniacall Degrees of the Soul of the world, as shall be told hereafter: For first, after the example of the Archetype from 1. issued 2. which is termed by the Pythagoreans, the confusion of Unities, and therfore it is the radicall or incipient imperfect number, which is in respect of his confusedness and imperfection in the same relation unto Unity, from whence it sprung, as the bright eternall Unity is unto the dark Chaos, which is, rudis indi gestaque moles, a rude or confused and indigested heap: And it is rightly tearmed Imperfect, because that the eternall emanation which is all perfection, had not as yet made it perfect: and for this reason also, the watery matter that issued out of it, is of it self imperfect, no otherwise then the number of 2. is esteemed in regard of that of 3. because all perfection consisteth of 3. tearmes, namely a beginning, a middle, and an end. So that if you take one of the Unities of 2. for the beginning, and another for the middle, then there wants an end. If you put an Unity for the beginning and an other for the end, then you have two extreams, but no mean or middle, and therefore it is this way also imperfect: Or if you place one Unity for a mean and the other for an end, here also you have imperfection, because there wants a beginning. In like manner, if Unity had not emitted his actuall emanatiom as a bright Unity of life, the 2. or deformed matter of the Chaos had stood in his duall, confused, or imperfect estate; that is, without the form, or shape of any perfect thing, I mean a plain Nihil or Aliquid in potentia & non actu: Something in puissance and not in act. So that matter (I say) before it was informed by the Unity of Light (which maketh the third Unity) was Vacuum & inane, Vacuity and inanity, because it wanted the presence of the informing Unity, or actuall emanation, to endue it with the title of goodnesse: for after the bright emanation was made, then vacuity was changed into plenitude; puissance into act; darkness into light; and a deformed matter, into well formed, and vivified waters, and, in a word, imperfection into perfection. And thereupon it was said, that God saw that it was good, that is, it was replenished with his virtuous Essence, who was all good and onely goodnesse. By this reason therefore, namely by the addition of the formall Unity, the manner of confusion and of imperfection, which is the materiall duality, that doth Symbolize with the Chaos, which is the mother of matter, perfection is brought into the world, which by animating the purest and subtiler waters, doth unite the mentall Light with the heavenly Spirit, in an Angelicall essence, which doth afterwards animate and inform all things. And this formall Union is Symbolically expressed, by the figure 3. which for this cause is termed, the first number of perfection, and the number of the Soul or the radicall number of form in the course of nature: henceforth therefore it cometh, that the Platonists and Pythagoreans do expresse matter, which is imperfect in it self, by eaven or imperfect numbers, and according as in the Achetypicall world, defigned by 1, 2, 3. in form of the sacred Trinity, there appeareth to be three Ideall dimensions in one divine nature, or eternall essence, which present in their manner of progression a Root, a Square, and a Cube, which import a supream soul, a spirit and body of the world, Ideally painted out in the Archetype and that these three seem to be raised out of one 1. or Unity (for multiplying 1. by the root 1. doth produce 1. and its self which makes 2. or a simple Ideal square, and multiplying it again by 1. there riseth but 2. and 1. which make 3. or a Cube, which argueth the perfection of the Ideal world, which was in God, if we take the two radical compounded numbers for roots, we shall produce after this pattern the created or exemplar world, namely we shall find out three dimensions; to wit, longitude, latitude, and profundity of the matter, by the inquiry or searching out of the Root, Square, and Cube of matter, the root of matter therefore was 2. for though the supream unity had multiplied or dilated it self in 2. arguing its first-born issue, yet because the holy Spirit of Illumination shined not forth, all was dark quoad nos: wherefore we must imagin, that the multiplication of matter in the world, is nothing but variety of penetration of formall light into the watery abysse, or materiall multitude: For the thicker matter is, the nearer she appeareth unto her root 2. or the dark Chaos. Again, the thinner it is made by the opulency of the formall emanation's bright presence, the nearer it appeareth unto the root of formall Unity This mystery (I say) being rightly understood, all science even in the abstrusest Philosophy, may easily be decyphered. The root of matter therefore which is 2. imports the dark Chaos, the root of form which is 3. imports that the root 2. or the dark waters, is animated by the formall or bright emanation of Unity or 1. and so the first 2. was accomplished, and the soul of the world created, namely by the Angelicall emanation. And thus was the Cabalists M[…] tu[…]tron o[…] An[…]ma mundi first produced, which, according unto their traditions, is said to be the first creature that was created, agreeing with that of Ecclesiasticus: Prior omnium creata est Sap entia. D[…]us […] Sanc[…]o: Wisdom was created before all things. God created her in the Holy Spirit, &c. And in and by this Angelical creation, all other Angels were also made, and therefore it is said: Christus est Imago Dei invisibilis, Primogenitus emnis […]ca[…]rae, in quo ed[…]ta sunt un[…]v[…] sa[…] coelis & in […]ra visibilia, & invi[…]bilia, sive Th[…]ni, sive Dominat ones, sive Potesta[…]es, omnia per ipsum, & in ipso […]mnia sunt, & ipse ante omnes, & omnia in ipso constant. Christ is the Image of the invisible God; being b[…]ough[…] before any creature, in whom all things, as well visible, as invisible are ma[…]e, both in heaven and earth, whether they be Thrones, or Dominations, or Potestats, all are made by him, and in him, and he was before any thing, and all consist in him. Loe here is evidently described the true vivifying Spirit, which not onely made all, and is all that he made, being that all are in him, doing the will of his Father in all that he hath made, whom the Hebrew Rabbies call Mitattro[…], or Donum Dei, and the Prophet, Magniconcilii Angelum, the Angel of the great councell: Et vocabitur n[…]m[…]n ejus (saith the Prophet) magni concilii Ange[…]us: And his name shall be called, The Angel of the great councel, &c. Thus by the multiplying of 3 in it self, we have the created formall square, which imports the nine Orders of the Angels, which vary according to the multiplicity of properties: by which the effluxion or emanation, that is sent out from this infinite fountain of light, doth operate diversly in the world, according unto the will of the Father of lights, which sent it forth. And the formall square 9, being joyned with the materiall square 4, doth animate the heavens, which by inspissation or multiplication are made corporall or cubicall; so that all bodies are made of those thin substances, by multiplying of each square in his root, whereupon the cubicall form wil be 27, and that of matter 8, which argue every elementated or compound matter: and as the more the matter is multiplied in it self, the darker and thicker will it be; so the more that light is multiplied in it, the lighter, thinner, and more spirituall will the creature be. Insomuch that the formall root, and square, and cube import the essence and souls of creatures, as well super-celestiall, as celestiall and elementall, which are more or less dignified with form; for according unto these multiplications in form, the more will the creatures be exalted in excellency. You see now how far, and by what proportions, as well spirituall as materiall, the Platonick harmony of the world extends it self, and may observe, that where this harmonious proportion between form and matter is not, there must needs be as well spirituall as corporall dissention, or discord, and consequently antipathy. We see also, that the root of life is fixed in the angelicall composition, which is of simple, light, & pure spiritual matter, so that the eternal sapience, or essential soul, is the act of the Angels; the aevial angelicall spirit is the act or essential life of the starrs, or heavenly influence; and the starry influence is the soul and life of the winds, the spirituall emanation from the winds do fourfoldly inform the catholick sublunary element, or lower waters; the element doth animate the meteorologicall impressions, and of these are the compound creatures compacted, which draw from the divine fountain of them all, being one spirit in essence, but multiform in regard of the variety of organs, by which it worketh variously in the world. So that it appeareth, that God animated immediately the Emperiall heaven, or the intellectuall spirit, which is the seat of Angells, and this we compare to the root; the emperiall heaven animates the stars, or aethe[…]iall region, which we refer to the square; and the starry heaven is, as it were, the male, or multiplyer and vivifier of the elementary region, and his creatures, which we compare unto the cube. Verily, not onely the abstruse Cabalists, but also the profoundest Philosophers, have made an everlasting memory of this perfect and formall root, or ternary number, with his triple dimension; I mean not that which is taken for a mercatory number, or such an one as the vulgar Arithmeticians do use in their Algorism, but as it is a spirituall and essentiall character of numeration, proceeding from a certain circular revolution and square, and cubick multiplication: And therefore the Learned have founded on this subject their formall and mysticall Arithmet[…]ck and Geometry, which are not exercised about common and vulgar subjects, but wholly employed about the profound meditations of the true Cab[…]le, naturall Magick, and essentiall Alchimy, which because the ignorant vulgar people do rashly condemn under those titles, are otherwise tearmed by the mysticall, with the name of the science, Elementary, Celestiall, and Supermundane, as well because it entreateth of separated Intelligences and substances, (as some do style them) as also because it is the worthiest of all others to be understood, as being conversant about the knowledge of the Creator; for the greatest perfection in which man may most glory, is, to artain unto the true knowledge of God, which also the Prophet doth testifie in these words, Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, no[…] the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches; but let him that will glory, vaunt and glory, in that he knoweth and understandeth me. And verily these are the three mysticall sciences, which are by wise men appropriated unto the knowledge of the three worlds; I mean, the Intelligible, the Celestiall, and Elementary, represented, according unto the Cabalists by these three Letters of the name [Hebrew] Adam. Also the three parts of man, termed the little world, to wit, the Intellect, the Soul, and Body, which is subject to alteration and corruption, as also the elementary part. Upon this foundation also, the Rabbi Zoar said, That there are three things which correspond unto one another in this ternary dimension, forasmuch as they are framed or formed after the pattern of the Archetype, and radicall Idea, namely, the Tabernacle of God which Moses erected, the Temple of Solomon, and mans Body, according unto the three manner of numbers which were applyed unto them, namely, the vocall or operative, which is the extract of the measure unto the elementary world; the formall, which is extract from the vocall unto the celestiall; and the rationall or divine, which is extracted out of the formall unto the intellectuall. I will make all this plain by the reall description of the Tabernacle: This Tabernacle did symbolize with the three worlds in his parts, for the former of them was uncovered, and was exposed unto the winde, rain, hail, snow, and all other impressions, which are ingendered in the sublunary world, with perpetuall alterations and changes; and unto this part, the common sort of people, as also the beasts, in an assiduall vicissitude of life and death, did resort, by reason of the continuall sacrifices which were slain and offered in this place. And therefore this region importing the cube of matter, is rightly referred unto the elementary world, which is composed of the grosser waters, as of a substance fluid and unstable; and for this reason it is properly called, the world of darkness, wherefore the Evangelist in one place styleth the devill, the Prince of darknesse; and in another place, the Prince of this world. This region also hath his relation unto the body of man.

The second part of the Tabernacle, which was burnished over with gold, and illuminated with a Candlestick of seven lights, doth decypher out the starry heaven, and his seven erratick lights of Planets; and this heaven, as it is in the middle betwixt two extreams, namely, between the bright fountain of the formall or emperiall heaven, and the obscure and dark abysse of matter, or elementary world; so also it doth participate of the two extreams, namely, of water and fire: And for this reason the heaven is called of the Hebrewes [Hebrew], A[…]amaiim, of [Hebrew] esch, fire, and [Hebrew] maym, water; in Greek Aether, quasi igneus aer. But the warry body or matter of it is therefore incorruptible, because her appetite is so fulfilled by the affluence of the formall nectar from above, that it desireth not any alteration; and touching her activity and motion, it hath it from that eternall emanation, which is said by Solomon to be the most movab[…]e of all things; and, in verity, it is the first catholick mover, who is said to be the President of the primum mobile, at whose act, all the inferiour intelligences do move about their rouling and twinckling fires, no otherwise than at the motion of a centrall wheel, many externall wheels do move and have their life. Thus we may see, first, why this region of the world is tearmed Heaven, or sphear of equality, namely, by reason of his mixtion in equall proportions, of form and matter; also, why it is called the sphear of the soul of the world, by reason that it is composed of the pure spirit of the waters, which is female and passive, and the bright fire or act of eternity; for the mentall divinity doth by and through this humid nature, which is his vehicle, act and shew forth his vivifying and emanating property, in and by this spirituall organ; and therefore doth all life consist, ex cali[…]o essentiali, & humido radicali; of essentiall heat, as the masculine or active; and radicall moisture, as the female or passive. This region therefore is referred unto the vitall soul in man, and hath relation unto the square, as well of form as matter, which is in the midst between the cube and the root.