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

The third part of the Tabernacle was the Sanctum sanctorum, and doth represent the super-celestiall, or intelligible soul, or emperiall spirit, forasmuch as his substance is almost light and fire and it is thought to be the seat of the Angells, which are the ministers of their great Prince the Lord of light: And this is argued by the presence of the two Cherubins, or fiery Angells, which with their wings do shadow the propitiatory. This heaven hath his relation unto the intellect in man, which the Hebrews call Nessaniah, and the Greeks [Greek], the Latins Mens, or the mentall beam, which hath the dominion in mans soul. So that we may discern, that in the great world, the angelicall heaven being most formall and fiery, is as it were the soul of the aetheriall heaven, for by it, and from it, this region receiveth his life's motion and being; as also by the like proportion the celestiall or aetheriall heaven is the soul or agent of the elementary region. For by means of the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, which dart down their beams and influences upon the earth, as arrowes against a butt, the earth, and water, and all things therein, do act, and live, and generate, and multiply; so that the heavens are esteemed by all Philosophers to be the Male, and the earth and other elements the Females, between the which, all generations are made in and upon the earth, and in the sea; for the earthly body cannot operate without a heavenly touch, yea, even man himself requireth for his generation the heavenly act and aid: and therefore Aristotle concludeth, that sol & homo generat hominem, the sun and man doth ingender a man. Again, all Philosophers in generall agree in this, namely, that superiora agunt in inferiora, more maris in foeminam; the superior bodies do operate upon the inferiors, as the man upon the woman. And the Maxim of all such Cabalists, as are conversant in the mysticall Theology, averr, that omnes res inferiores sunt representativae superiorum; & sicut fit inferius, sic agitur superius; All inferiour things are representours or images of the superiours; and such as the inferiours are, such also are the superiours. And in verity, a notable person, and well seen in this abstruce learning, doth aver, that the aeviall or angelicall heaven, is framed after the pattern of the eternall and ideall world, and the temporall elementary heaven or region, is the image of the celestiall or aetheriall; so that the images and the actions of the darker world, have their ideall shapes in and from the lighter and starry world; and the starry world's shapes and actions were first delineated in the intellectuall or angelicall one, and they again proceed originally from the radicall pattern without beginning in the Archetype.

I conclude therefore, that both Theology and the mysticall Philosophy do consent, that God is well pleased with the holy ternary, which is the first odd number in the Arithmeticall progression; for we Christians honour a Trinity of Persons in one Deity; and Aristotle saith, That we are instructed by a naturall kind of instinct or habit, to honour God after the number of three; and he speaketh in this but reason, being that in the ideall world there was three properties extracted out of one unity, after whose example the reall world was afterward made; so that the Trinity in Divinity was the root of all the worlds formall composition. For by the root 3, the intellectuall or angelicall world was deciphered; by the square 9, the celestiall world; and by the cube 27, the elementary, as by the Platonick learning we may gather. But as for the Cabalisticall Rabbies, they consider the quantitative proportions of this Ternary after another manner; for as the cube of three consists of three 9, so they take these three 9, & order them in this ternary position, 999, which makes nine hundred ninety and nine. So that after the rule of Algorism, the first 9 towards the right hand is a simple digital number, which because of its simplicity, formality, and essentiality, is attributed by them unto the nine orders of Angells, which belong unto the intelligible world. The middle 9, importing so many Tens, doth seem to partake one way of form or simplicity, and on the other hand of matter, and therefore they allot it unto the nine orbes or sphears of the starry heaven. The third 9, which is the place of Hundreds, importeth a deeper and more materiall composition, belonging unto the elementary world, all which do at the last terminate in Man, who is as it were a passage after the figure of unity from them unto celestiall things, and from thence unto intellectuall. To conclude, unity, in whom the Philosophers Leucippe did place the soveraign good and happinesse, being added unto the three novenaries, will make a compleat thousand, which is the cube often, and the end of all numbers, according to the Hebraick calculation. Also the square of 3, which is 9, by addition of Aleph, which is 1, produceth a Denary, or the number of 10, beyond the which, as Aristotle averreth, no man hath ever found any number. After the foresaid type therefore or image, the antient Law did make a partition of the fruits and goods proceeding from the earth, ordaining the centenary number, as being more material and grosse, unto the Laicks and pro[…]ane persons; the tenths it ordained & allotted to the Church-men, Priests or Levites; but the unity or denary it reserved for Gods portion, who (as is proved before) being all, is nevertheless but one; even as from the trunck of a Tree do issue many branches, and from those branches again many sprigs, and yet are all continuated and undevided from that one trunck, from which they have their life and being; or as from one body of the Sun, an infinity of beams do spring, not separated from the essence of that Sun. But to return unto our purpose. The said Cabalists have adapted and fitted the name of their great Angell, which they take for the soul of the world, unto this very triple ternary, or formall proportion, namely, 999. arguing thereby his radicall, his square, and his cubicall extention, or emission of his divine form unto the profundity of matter, and consequently that he is A[…]pha and Omega, the vivifier of all, and present in all, and through all: For the Letters of the name Mitattron sar hapanim, which signifieth the Prince of Faces, which is taken for the soul of the world, after the calculation of the Hebrewes amount unto 999. and therefore this name, with Letters befitting, do import this number, and yet neverthelesse with this consideration, that the etymology of the word by interpretation may import donum Dei, or the gift of God; for what greater gift could God impart unto his potentiall creatures, and in generall unto the great world, then his eternall Spirit of wisdom, or his onely Begotten, to make them of somewhat nothing, and to take away all deformity and nullity from the water, and to shape out of them a Heaven and an Earth, and to figure out in them all the creatures thereof, and to preserve them in existence, essence, and lively being? This was therefore indeed the true catholick donum Dei, or gift of God, whose incorruptible nature is in all things, and filleth all things; and as it is the most movable of all things, so it operateth all in all, according to the will of him that sent him. And therefore in regard of the office, and as he was an emissive Spirit, so was he not unworthily named by them, the great or catholick Angell, had not Scriptures in plain tearms seemed to intimate so much.

I could also demonstrate, that the world, and his soul, or life, was shaped after the image of the Archetype in this manner: From 1, which was all light, in whom is no darknesse, did 2 issue, which was quoad nos, darknesse, or the dark Chaos, so called, because unity did not as yet shine forth to inform them. Betwixt these two extreams is 3 interposed, as a peaceable or charitable unity, between meer light and darknesse, or the Spirit of divine love, who resting in the midst between these two principles, uniteth the divine formall fire with the humid materiall nature, or spirit of darknesse, making a union of two opposite natures, so that both natures do remain in one sympatheticall concordance; and therefore this formall ternary is called, Ligamentum elementorum litem & amicitiam conco[…]diae vinculis connect[…]ns; The ligament of the elements, tying together hatred and love with the bands of concord. I expresse them thus.

This excellent harmony of the soul of the world, is else-where most fitly expressed by me, by two equall Piramidicall shapes, whereof the one is formall, the other materiall; the basis of the formall is the immediate act of God, or the infinite and onely bright Unity, and it importeth the emanation of the creating and informing Spirit, so that his Cone doth penetrate unto the very center of the dark earth or abysse: And contrariwise, the basis of the materiall or watry Pyramis, is in the earth or center of darknesse, and the Cone ascendeth unto the center of the basis of the formal Pyramis, in this manner.

[Figure]

Now where the intersection is made between the two principal concurrences, I have framed a piece of a circle, which circle, because the portions of the formall Pyramis, and materiall, are there equall, we therefore with the Platonists do call Sphaeram aequalitatis, or the Sphear of equality; or, as they in another respect tearm it, the orbe or sphear of the soul of the world, which is just in the midst of the starry heaven, called for that reason Aether, quasi igneus aer, a fiery aire, as who should say, an equall portion of the spirit of the waters, and of the formall fire descending from God or Unity, (as I have expressed before). And therefore as we placed in the precedent demonstration the 3 in the center or middle of the line, between the divine illuminating unity 1, and the dark Chaos, or deformed duality 2; so in the world was the spirituall body of the visible Sun of this typicall world placed, in which the invisible and increated Sun of the Archetypicall world did put his Tabernacle: and for this cause it is rightly tearmed of the Platonists, the sphear of the soul. And verily by effect we find, that all vivification doth potently spring from the solar or Sunny influence: and as for the excellent beauty of the creature, as also in respect of the vivifying act thereof, it is an evident argument, that it aboundeth with the blessed sparks or vivifying beams of divinity. Again, that it is the bright organ, by which he that vivifieth all things, doth impart and pour forth the showre of his benignity, or divine Nectar of life, continuall experience teacheth, even the meanest plowman. Now that this most excellent and perfect concord of life doth remain principally in the midst of the line, drawn from unity, or the fountain of form, to the earth or duality, which is the fountain of matter, I prove it thus by the accords of Musick: The perfectest consonance in Musick is Diapason, and of all the other symphoniacall accords, it approacheth nearest unto the sacred Unity in Divinity, for it is half unison, and therefore it is rightly compared unto the blessed emanation of life which came from unity; and for that reason it is rightly tearmed the Idea or image of a unison: And as the unison like one essence in Divinity, doth comprehend three Persons, importing the three accords in the Archetypicall harmony. So also the Diapason comprehendeth in it the two other accords besides it self, namely, Diapente, and D[…]atessaron. Now that this most perfect consonant of Diapason is planted in the midst of a unison, and doth, as it were, beget in it self two perfect chords, or Diapasons, which be contained within it self, I prove it thus: Take a Lute or Bandora, and strike any of the strings open, and then stop that same string exactly in the middle of it, and each half will sound a Diapason unto that open unison; so that the unison which is made by the striking of the whole string open, will be divided into two Diapasons or most perfect consonants unto the whole; which is an evident argument, that the perfection of the Diapason is in the seat of the Sun, and consequently, that the formall and lively accord of all the world, is no otherwise in that centrall or middle place, then the heart, which is the seat of life, is in man: And yet by the beams of the Sun, this life of the world is made catholick, and filleth all, no otherwise than the vitall blood doth universally expanse it self in the Microcosm, by the channells of the arteries. But I fear I have followed this point too far, to prove and maintain the soul of this world; wherefore I leave it, to come directly unto the point, being that in my Mosaicall Philosophy, to wit, in the fourth book thereof, I have fully proved and maintained that Translation of Jerom to be right, namely, Posuit tabernaculum suum in sole, he put his tabernacle in the Sun. I will proceed therefore unto the second opinion of the Philosophers.

The ancient Philosopher Democritus, Orpheus, with the Pythagoreans, do judge that all things are full of gods; and again, all these gods they referre unto one Jupiter: where, by gods, they […]ntend the divine virtues, infused into things, which Zoroaster called divinos illices; Synesius the Bishop, Symbolicas illecebras; others tearm them lines; others sorts, on which the virtue of things do depend. They erre not much in this saying, onely in appearing to divide the Godhead into diversities of gods: but they seem to excuse themselves of that error, in saying, that all those gods had relation unto one Jupiter, and so by that word [relation] they preserve the continuity and indivisibility in the Soul. They agree therefore with Scriptures, in that their meaning is, that this divine essence is in all things: For as Scriptures acknowledg, that the catholick Spirit of Wisdome is one simple Spirit; and yet it is tearmed by Solomon, multiplex or manifold in respect of his multiplicity of action, or property in creatures which it animateth: for it is said to fill the universe. And the incorruptible Spirit of God to be in all things, and to give life and motion unto all: forasmuch as it is omni re mobilior, more movab[…]e and sprightfull then any thing, and being but one thing, it is able to do all things, it being permanent in it felf, and therefore doth animate all, being that it is in all and every where. For this reason also the Poets say: Omnia Jovis plena, that all are full of Jupiter. That is to say, the essentiall beams of this Eternall Jupiter or JEHOVA are in every particular place of the world, making things to live and exist, by a different property. And for this reason, they conclude that omnia diis plena (as is said) all things are full of gods. I come unto the third.

The Platonists, and all those Philosophers which partake with them, differ in nothing from Orpheus, Democritus, and the rest, saving, that those call that the Soul of the world, which the other tearm Jupiter, and the Gods which possesse all things, they nominate peculiar souls or mentall beames, which depend and have a continuated relation unto the Anima mundi: as the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord, that filleth each particuler is not discontinued from that humid fountain which filleth the universe.

It is evident therefore, by this which is already said, that all the subsequent opinions of the Philosophers, touching the Anima mund[…], may be fully confirmed and maintained by the self same reasons, and therefore I will say no more touching this point, at this instant.

I conclude therefore thus, that seeing the Soul of the world hath for his internall act, the bright emanation of the eternall Unity, and the subtile catholick created Spirit for its humid Vehicle or materiall Organ, which is its externall, in which, and by which, it operareth in all, and over all. We must acknowledg that there is a kind of contrariety in the very catholick Soul; for else, would not action and passion be in the created Soul (which is so called, because it is made of alterity, that is of two, namely of a creared passive, which is an off-spring of the dark Chaos, and therefore apt to move unto darknesse, by a naturall inclination; and of an increated active which seeketh to Deify this Spirit, if it do adhere or incline unto it, and to exalt its light. Hence cometh it, that, by reason of this Spirit's divers inclination, there are good or bad passions ingendred, not onely in the heavens and earth of the great world, and their creatures, as well celestiall and elementary, as animall, vegetable, and minerall; but also in the little world, which is man, as shall be expressed in the first Chapter of the next Book. But first, I deem it most fit, to open unto you the true mystery, how the peculiar Soul of the little world, and then how all other Souls, as well animal, vegetable, and mineral, do proceed and spring from, and afterwards are preserved and multiplied by, this catholick Soul of the world: which is a doubt, not fully decided by the best Philosophers, even unto this very day. And therefore ought this discourse of ours, not to be slighted, or lightly regarded, even of the learnedest of this our Age.