Section II, Book 1, chapter 5: God, the soul of the world, and the spirits of all things (part 1 of 2)

CHAP. V.

How all particular Souls are said to spring forth or proceed, and then afterwards to have their preservation and multiplication, from this generall Anima mundi, or Soul of the world: and first to begin with that of the mo[…] noble, which is of the little world or Man.

HErmes (called also for another reason Mercurius Trismegistus) said rightly, that the world was made after the similitude or Type of God, and therefore as the one is tearmed Archetypus, so also the other is said to be Typus: For this reason therefore in another place he saith: Scio mundum à Deo, atque in Deo, hominem vero a mundo & in mundo consistere, principium autem comprehensioque omnium Deus: I know (saith he) that the world is from God, and in God, and that man is of the world, and in the world: But God is the beginning and the comprehension of all things. And again, he speaketh thus else where, in a generality: Deus est Cosmi Pater, cosmus vero eorum, quae in Cosmo; & cosmus quidem Dei filius, & jure Cosmus appellatus est, quia omnia veritate generationis exornat, necnon indesinenti vitae operatione, perpetua necessitatis celeritate elementorum commistione ordine genitorum. Cosmus quaecunque ab ipsa origine suscepit, à Deo perpetuò servat: God is the Father of the world, the world is the father of them that are in the world, and the world is the off-spring of God, and it is rightly called Cosmus, because it adorneth with verity every kind of generation, and also with a never ceasing operation of life, and a perpetuall celerity of necessity in the commixtion of the Elements, which by order are brought forth, &c. In all this he varieth not from Scriptures: For that in the beginning, God is said to have made the world of a matter without a form, and to have adorned his humid nature or the heavens with his vivifying Spirit, which filleth and operateth all in all, (as I have told you before) and that from the breath of the self-same Spirit of life, all the creatures of the world are animated, and from the substantiall Elements in the world they receive their matter. So that as God by the pouring forth of his bright vivifying and all-acting Spirit, did make the humid and passive nature of the world to operate, and that so animated Spirit which is mixed, secundum totum & in qualibet ejus parte, in all and every part, with his increated Animatour, is rightly called the Soul of all the Universe; So we ought to make no question at all, but that every particular Soul in this vaulted machin of the world, doth depend and is procreated, preserved, and multiplied from that catholick Soul, because it is an axiom infallible among Philosophers, that the whole doth comprehend each part, and again, each particular hath his existence and being from the whole. But the world's catholick materiall Spirit is inacted and preserved by the catholick Eternall Spirit, sent out from the Fountain of life, to inact and vivify all things, Which increated Spirit of life is indivisible in essence, and therefore as it doth actually from his immense fountain of life, send down or breathe forth the influences of life, after the manner of an infinity of beams, from one Sun, unto an infinite sort of creatures, to inform them and make them live: So are those beams of life, thus sent out, no less continuated and indivisible, from that fountain or spiritual and indivisible Son of life, then the visible beams can be divided from the visible Sun: Neither was it sufficient for Adam to have indued a Microcosmicall body, namely a masse of earth for his materiall, had not this exalted formall essence, sent by God into the world, as not divided from divinity, added a lively force and activity, by breathing his Spirit of life into him. And therefore Hermes spake not amiss, when he said that the world was the Image of God, and man the image of the world: being that as God created and vivifyed the watery Spirit of the world, by adding unto it his creating Spirit of life, so that Spirit of life (which is all one in essence with the Father) being sent into the world, and filling the Spirit of the world doth vivify, multiply, and preserve, not onely man, but also every other animal, vegetable, and minerall, that is in the world. This being therefore in the first place to be considered, I proceed thus.

The variety of the Species upon the earth, did radically proceed from the very act of creation, when the word Fiat was spoken, and immediatly the will of the speaker was accomplished by his Son, which, by the way of emanation, was sent into the world to do the will of his Father. And there are some that will not shrink to say, that all the Species or kinds of creatures, were expressed in and by the 22. Hebrew letters, not those externall ones which are vulgarly painted out with Ink or Art, which are but shadows; but the fiery formall and bright spirituall letters which were ingraven on the face or superficies of the dark hyles, by the fiery word of the eternall Speaker in the beginning, and therefore they are tearmed originally Elementa quasi Hylementa, or Elements; as engraven in the forehead of the dark abysse or Hyle, and by reason of the essence of that divine Word, which received the mystery of the Typicall creation, and did trace it out after the Archetypicall patern, and delineated it in characters of formall fire the language which was framed out of it was called Lingua Sancta, a language (I say) much spoken of by the learned Rabbies of our age, but little known or understood by them, and yet of an infinite importance, for the true enucleation as well of sacred Mysteries, as of all true Cabalisticall abstrusities. But to proceed: According to the tenor of the divine Word, and his formall characters, the effects whereof passed unalterable into the world, each species or kind was framed; and again, every individuall of each kind was made divers, and distinct from others as well in shape and proportion, as condition and and property. Now, as I said, that this Spirit of the Lord did effect the will of his Father, in creating every thing thus differently, being in it self but one and the same essence; So also did it, and doth still continue and keep every one of these Species or kinds by multiplication or generation, in their successive estates, and preserveth every individuall, during the time of his being, as well by an elementary as aethereall kind of nutriment, which according to his spirituality doth descend, as it were from heaven, to nourish the spirits of each individuall, according unto his kind. For you must understand, that as the catholick soul of the world is generall unto all; So is the aire made the chest or closet of his golden treasury or spiritual food, which while it swimmeth occultly like a golden vapour, showred down from heaven in the aire, filling and replenishing all: So, whilst it is yet in the open aire, it is as apt to sustain and multiply the life of a serpent, a sheep, a fish, or a foul, an oake, a herb, or such like, as of a man: For so soon as the magnetick power or virtue of the creature, which causeth every minute a refection from this heavanly Nectar, hath drawn in a portion of this catholick Spirit or nature, it leaveth his catholick or generall nature, and worketh specifically; that is to say, according unto the individuall nature of that kind which receiveth it; that is to say, it converteth it self, being in a dog into his nature; in a whale into his nature; in a man into his, in an oake or myrtill into his; in wheat into the proper nature of wheat, and so in all other kinds, and consequently it is the cause that every creatures spirit is nourished and sustained it it self: For this was the Creator's Ordinance, that by what spirit the creature was first created in his kind, by the same it should be maintained, preserved, and multiplied. Hence it was, that the Philosopher breaketh forth into this speech: Est in aere occulius vitae cibus: The hidden aliment of life is in the aire. Whereby he means, that quint essentiall food, which we receive from the generall Spirit of life in the world, which by the appointment of God, hangeth ready, and in every part of the aire, to strive for the spirituall food of life unto every elementary creature, the main virtue whereof consisteth in the eternall vivifying Word and Spirit of all things: and therefore the Text saith: Deus dat vitam & inspirationem & omnia: God giveth life and inspiration and all things. And again, Visitatio tua conservat spiritum meum: Thy visitation doth preserve my spirit. Vita adest benevolentiâ IEHOVAE, Life is present by the benevolence of IEHOVA. Vitae fons penes Deum est, The fountain of life is with God, Vitae prolongatio benignitas ejus, The prolonging of life is the benignity of God. Quem visitavit Deus salute sua, fruetur bono, Whom God doth visit with his salutiserous nature, he shall be partaker of goodnesse. Deo dante creaturis, colligunt; aperiente manum suam sa[…]iantur bono, abscondente faciem suam conturbantur, recipiente spiritum corrum exspirant, emittente spiritum suum recreantur. God giving unto the creatures food, they receive it; when he openeth his hand, they are filled with all goodnesse. If he hide away his face, or abstain from giving them their daily spirituall bread, they are troubled, and wi[…]l be sick; if he take away from them their spirit, they exspire and die; but if he send forth again his Spirit, they are recreated and refreshed again. We are taught also by Christ in our Pater-noster, to pray for our daily bread, and it is called there, Panem super-substantialem, the super-substantiall bread, as Jerom interpreteth it. And our Saviour, meaning of this spirituall bread, saith, Pater noster dat nobis de coelo panem verum, panis enim verus est, qui de coelo descend[…]t, & dat vitam mundo. Our father giveth us true bread from heaven; for it is the true bread which descendeth from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. But I know it wil be alledged against me, that the bread here mention'd is meant of spiritual bread, & not that which nourisheth corporally. I grant, that, in a true sort, they speak not amisse, for this bread or food is spirituall, and therefore it is reserved in the heart & arteries of the creature, and is nothing in it self but pure life. Doth not our Saviour say, Non solo pane vivit homo, sed omni verbo quod procedit ab ore Dei; Man liveth not onely by bread, but by every word that commeth from the mouth of God. And these words were understood by Moses of that Manna, by which the Israelites were nourished in the desert: And the Apostle calleth the food wherewith they were nourished, The spirituall Rock, which was Christ. And therefore that spirituall Rock said, Ego sum panis vitae, &c. I am the bread of life which descend from heaven. In this word therefore is life onely, and in no food else; and it is this in the aliment which nourisheth, and not the creature alone; for in the word onely was life. And for this reason it was said, Et vidit quod omnia quae creavit essent bona; that is to say, not vacua aut inania, void and empty; but full of Gods essentiall being, which is onely God; for it was he who by his presence made the creature good participative, or by participation. I will tell you what some of the Ethnick Philosophers say touching this point, who, in verity, (and the more is the pitty) had a greater insight into the divine mysteries of God in nature, then some of this our age, who entitle themselves Christians, and yet indeed are steril in the true grounds of a true Christian, being apter to judge and condemn the old Philosophers, and adiudge them for reprobates, and reserved (as they say) for damnation, and that onely for not bearing the name of a Christian, then to observe the beam which is in their own eye, which maketh them so blind as to judge rashly of their brethren, when indeed the judgment concerning that point belongeth unto God onely: They forget the Apostles saying, which averreth, that all men are of Gods generation. But to the purpose. This is the reason that the Philosopher Zeno did call the vitall soul in a man, Ignem naturalem; and Prometheus tearmeth it, Ignem coelestem homines vita ditantem, The celestiall fire that enricheth man with life. And because this Prometheus did obtain the full possession of it, the Poets feign, that he is punished by Jupiter's command, for stealing of this celestiall fire. And Hermes calleth it, The fire of the word, which adhereth unto the humid nature of the world. And Zoroaster and Heraclitus do say, that it is that invisible fire, of which all generation and multiplication is made. Being therefore that the never-dying fire of life is in the animall creature, it is necessary, that for the conservation and multiplication thereof, it be nourished by its like in the aire every moment, or by the vehicle of the aire, lest it should vanish, and the creature should perish. And this is that the Philosopher Pa[…]menides seemeth to intimate, where he saith, Natura sua natura l[…]etat[…], Nature is rejoyced in his like nature. For this very cause, the fiery vertue of the life having her position in the center of the heart of the creature, doth with comfort and delight draw and suck into it, by a certain magneticall power and faculty, his like out of the aire by inspiration; for (as I told you) this hidden food, or aliment of life, is in the aire. This is the reason therefore, that a certain Author, who was very profoundly seen in the mysteries of nature, breaketh out into this speech, O Natura co[…]es[…]is veritatis, natur[…]s Dei multiplicans! O thou heavenly Nature of truth, which dost multiply the natures of God! And again, O natura fortis, natura vincens & superans, du[…]sque naturas gaude[…]e faciens; O stout nature, nature that dost conquer and overcome, and makest her natures to rejoyce. By which he doth intimate, that by the help and visitation of this celestiall nature, the vitall spirits, and flames included in them, do increase and multiply; for by the vertue hereof, not onely the life, but the fruites of generation, are produced infinitely. We infer by this which is already said, that the elementary aire is full of the influences of life, vegetation, and of the formall seeds of multiplication, forasmuch as it is a treasure-house, which aboundeth with divine beams, and heavenly gifts. Neither doth this our assertion onely touch the animal Kingdom of composition, but also that of the vegetables; for by this spirit they do vegetate, by this they do multiply into infinity, and, in conclusion, by this they exist and have their beeing: For in mine own ocular experience I am witnesse, and, if need be, I can quickly demonstrate, that in the vegetable is a pure volatil salt, which is nothing but the essentiall aire of the specifick, which is wheat or bread; this volatil salt is an unctuous liquor, as white and clear as crystall; this is inwardly neverthelesse full of vegetating fire, by which the species is multiplied in infinitum: for it is a magneticall vertue, by which it draweth and sucketh abundantly his life from the aire, and sunne beams, which is the principal treasure-house of life, forasmuch as in it the eternall emanation of life did plant his Tabernacle, (as in the fourth Book of my Mosaicall Philosophy I have plainly demonstrated). I have seen this volatil saltpeter of this vegetable, being freed from his elementary bands, and being in his unctuous nature in form of a liquor, I perceived him so desirous of the beams of life, which lurked in the aire, and were darted from the sun, that in the space of three houres, it became from a white crystaline colour unto a bloody ruby: whereby I was easily taught the reason of formall multiplication, as well in animals as in vegetables; for by this reason, a grain of Wheat is multiplyed unto a million. Again, no true Philosopher can be ignorant, that the salt-peter of every thing, which is but aire, by vertue of that mysticall spirit which dwelleth in it, doth attract aire as well as the celestiall form, unto it, being the form cannot be inspired but by the means of his airy vehicle; and by this very means also, the quantity of the airy substance, as well as the formall quality, is augmented, which maketh as well vegetation as multiplication. By the strong magneticall attraction of the celestiall tincture, which hovereth in the aire, or volatil salt, which is of the substance and nature of blood in the animals, it is easie to know, how blood in the animals body is transmuted from a white chylous substance into a rubicund and ruddy blood. By reason of his vegetation and multiplication in substance, it is an easie matter to guesse the manner of augmentation and vegetation, and also of the quantitative multiplication, by way of generation, of the animal: For verily, I have observed so worthy an experiment in this vegetative salt in the Wheat, of which the blood of man by eating of bread is full, that we need not to make any doubt, but that it is the onely substance of vegetation, as well in the animall as vegetable: For on a day, when I had cast away the faeces, or superfluous part of the substauce, out of which I did draw the salt liquor, into a large Pipkin, and covered it with a thin plate of iron, within three weeks or a months space, I found it to have struck up out of the pot quite through the plate of iron, and to make above a thousand blades like an iron-coloured saffron to grow up out of the superficies of it, which argueth the admirable vegetative property that it hath in it. But letting this suffice to expresse the occult puissance of this secret fire of God in nature, in all vegetables, mineralls, and other animals, I will now convert the file of my speech onely unto that wondrous act and operation, which this admirable Spirit effecteth in the little world or man.

The spirit of life was by God so inspired into man, that he was made a living creature, no otherwise then when Elohim Ruach was breathed on the waters, they were animated and vivified, and became a great world, which the Platonists for that reason called, Magnum animal, A great living creature. But as the world was made after the image of God, before man was made, and afterwards man by the same Spirit in the world, was framed by the Word, after the pattern of that Spirit of life, and the substance of the waters, which were in the great world. Therefore we must conceive, that man hath the vivifying means of his sustentation, preservation, and multiplication, by generation from the soul of the world, and his elements. Wherefore Hermes doth not unadvisedly expresse the descent and ingression of the worlds vivifying spirit into man, after this manner, A er est in corpore, anima in aere, m[…]ns in an[…]ma, in mente verbum; Verbum verò est eorum pater. The aire is in the body, the soul or life is in the aire, the mentall Spirit is in the soul, the Word is in the mentall Spirit; and the Word is the Father of them all. And he concludeth in that place: Quod Verbum sit imago Dei, mens verbi, anima mentis, aer animae, & corpus aëris: That the Word is the Image of God, the mental beam the image of the word, the vitall Soul the image of the mental beam, the aire of the vitall Soul, and the body of the aire. Whereby we may discern, the admirabletie, which every portion of each dignity in the great world hath unto other, in the composition of the little world; and therefore it is made evident, that the purest portion of elementary matter is aire, the purest sublimity of the aire is the vitall form, in which is the mentall beam, and in it is the Word which is God; and we must observe that by mentem, or the mentall Spirit, is meant the vivifying Spirit of Wisdom, which filleth all things, whose fountain, as Ecclesiasticus doth teach us, is the Word of God: as if I with Hermes should say, the bright and eternall Spirit of life in the quintessentiall Spirit, maketh the Soul, the Soul in the aire is conducted into the body, where it operateth the effects of vivification, and internall multiplication of the Species, and therefore he saith in another place: Anima hominis in hunc vehitur modum: Mens in ratione, ratio in anima, anima in spiritu, & spiritus in corpore: Spiritus per venas arteriasque sanguinemque diffusus, animal undique ciet. The Soul of man is carried into his body after this manner. The mental beam is the reasonable spirit, the reasonable spirit is in the Soul or ethereall spirit, the Soul or ethereall spirit is in the airy spirit, and the airy spirit is in the body, which moveth through the veins and arteries, and being dispersed over all the blood, doth agitate and move the body on every side. We must therefore imagine, that the aire which is drawn into our heart by inspiration, is full of that divine treasure of life, the which residing in the heart of man, sucketh and draweth his life into it, by a magnetick force and virtue: For nature coveteth and rejoyceth at the presence of its like, as is said. And again, that the heart is the precious store-house of the active treasure of life, we may collect out of this speech of Solomon: Cor tuum custodi supra on[…]nem observationem, quia ab eo procedunt actiones vitae: Gard with the best diligence and keep charily thy heart, seeing that from it proceed all the actions of life. The nature and instruments by which the Spirit attracteth magnetically, and expelleth after attraction, that of the humid vehicle of aire, which is inutil and superfluous, in this: