Section II, Book 2, member 1, chapter 5: Mysticall irradiations (part 2 of 2)

Now come I to prove, that all sympatheticall and antipatheticall effects, do proceed from the secret and occult actions of the ministring spirits of this world. That there is a mighty difference amongst the Angels, no man of wisdom can deny; for though all Angels were at the first united unto the divine Unity, yet by reason of the rebellion and ambition of Lucifer, that knot of union was broke; and then the waters were divided from the waters, that the good Angels might be separated and distinguished from the bad, by the interposition of the firmament, as a Diaphragma or middle bar, between each of their habitations: So that the dark Angels were enclosed in the lower, or dark, fecall, and dreggy waters; and the light Angels were lodged in the higher waters, which were illuminated and dignified by a super-celestiall light and glory.

Thus you may see, that the very Angells of heaven, forasmuch as they are created of aire, or the humid spirit of the world, (which is their externall) and the bright emanation from Unity, (which is their internall) are subject, by reason of their materiall sub[…]tance, which participates of both extreams, unto affections or passions, as well sympatheticall as antipatheticall; and consequently they a[…]e able by reason of their contrary p[…]operties, to produce both sympatheticall and antipatheticall accidents, in the spirits of the elementary creatures: As for examples sake, we will compare the catholick sympathy and antipathy, which is in the soul of the great world, unto that peculiar soul or spirit which is in man, being that every particular was framed out of the universall. We ought therefore to understand, that the whole essen[…]e of the soul or spirit of man, though it be invisible, extendeth and manifesteth it self by her vertues and faculties; for by her irascibility it contemneth and hateth, and by her concupiscibility it doth covet and desire, and by her rationability she distinguisheth and discerneth between them both. And verily, the whole effect of the souls essence consisteth in these three powers, whereof the first is compared to the action of the lower waters, which is apt to jar and disagree, and is the region of L[…]tig[…]um, or the Prince of darkness. The second is referred unto the nature of the firmament, which is the region of life and salutary love; and the last unto the angelicall and intellectuall heaven, which doth discern between things that belong unto the lower heavens, or regions of the world. Whereupon it appeareth, that from her rationall property, every sense belonging unto the soul of man doth proceed; as, from the other two, every affection, motion, or passion of the minde, doth arise and spring. Now there are known to be four affections of the soul, whereof two do proceed from her concupiscible power, namely, Joy and Hope, (for at that which we love, we rejoyce and are glad; or, we hope for and expect, that which shall rejoyce us or make us glad) and the two other issue from her irascible faculty or vertue, namely, Grief or Dolour, and Fear; for now we grieve at that which we hate, or we fear that which would make us grieve, or be dolorously affected. And verily, we shall, after a due inquisition, find, that these four affections of the Microcosmicall soul, are not onely the beginnings, and common matter or subject of all morall vices or vertues, but also the originalls of Metaphysicall or occult, and Physicall or elementary, and apparent sympathy and antipathy, as well in the little as in the great world, and every creature thereof. For I would not have you ignorant, that being the soul in man is derived from the vivifying emanation, dwelling in the words spirituall vehicle, it must follow, that that soul in the great world must needs have in it the faculties, which the little worlds soul hath; for, Quod facit tale, est magis tale. But these faculties in the soul of man were derived from the great world, and the eternal soul that vivified it. Wherefore it followeth, that there is a rationability, a concupiscibility, and an irascibility in the soul of the great world, though not made manifest unto us: First, because that it hath attributes of irascibility and displeasure; for from his Attribute ELOHIM Gibbor, he sendeth down by the port Geburah, the fiery beams of his displeasure, by his Archangell Samael, into the globe or sphear of Mars, who is for that cause President of the irascible faculty of the greater world; wherefore his influences do cause wrath and angry effects in the aire and earth, as thunder, lightnings, comets, and other wrangling accidents, which (as Scriptures tell us) are the arguments of Gods wrath and vengeance; also war, famine, and pestilence; and augmenteth the angry nature and spirit of men and beasts. And again, Gods Attribute IEHOVA Sabaoth poureth down the beams of concupiscibility, by the Arch-angell Anael, upon the globe of Venus, according to Philosophers and Astronomers, who for that reason, being moved thereto by experience and observation, have made this star the president and rectrix of the concupiscible faculty: As the Attribute EL doth pour out the beams of reason, justice, and religion, yea, and naturall vegetation and life, into the sphear of Jupiter. But principally this naturall faculty is rained into the soul of the world, by the Attribute IAH, through his port Sapientia or Wisdom. The second reason is, because the great world hath an intellectuall or rationall heaven, and a concupiscible property manifested in every creature; and an irascible, which is apparent also by reason of hatred and horrour, which appeareth between one thing and another. Also, that there is an irascible quality in the elements, that deadly hatred which is betwixt the fire and water, and the aire and earth, doth manifest. That also there is a love and concupiscence between things, it is evident, because one nature rejoyceth in his like; and therefore by a naturall inclination, every thing doth move and convert it self unto his like, by all possibility; but especially it is most inclinable unto it self. So we see, that fire doth naturally affect and move unto fire, water unto water, and earth unto earth. But above all, the vivifying spirit of every living thing, which is celestiall, and therefore exceedeth the place of the elements, doth with fervency affect and thirst after his like, and is rejoyced at the presence and concurrency thereof. And for this cause, this passion of what creature soever, will be the more truly sympatheticall; and the sympathy between things will be so much the greater, and of more force, by how much the nearer the spirits of the things, either present or dispersed, are in nature and consanguinity to one another. As for example, If that both be of one minier or thing, in number; also like specifick individualls, though they differ in number, as the Uznea, fat, or blood of one man do sympathise with another, ad distans; the Load-stone of one Mine may affect harmonically the Iron of another, ad distans: And I told you before the true reason thereof, as well radicall as immediate, namely, because both the natures belong unto one divine influence, or proceed from angelicall beams or an emanation, sent forth from one and the same star, as well fixed, namely, of the firmament, or eighth sphear, as erratick and planetary. For I told you, that there is not one animal, or vegetable, or mineral upon the earth, or in the seas, which hath not a peculiar star, that poureth out upon him his proper influence, as well to produce and generate its like, and to continue it in succession, as to preserve and maintain it in essence. Now each angelicall nature hath his appropriated beams, from the radicall emanation of some divine Attribute, which conveyeth it to his destinated or starry store-house; and from the Olympick spirits of that star, it is sent down unto such spirits in the elements, as are their inferiour ministers, which operate according unto the self-same nature in each specifick, and every individuall there. As for example, The stars in the Ram or Aries of the Zodiack, have chiefest influence over such like cattle on the earth; and the Scorpion over the like creeping things thereof: the Crab, over such like creatures of the sea; for we finde by experience, that if the Crab be taken when the Sun and Moon do joyne together, according unto the Longitude or degree of the Aequinoctiall, in which the great star of the celestiall Crab's claw is found, it is of mighty vertue and power against poyson; and if it be collected or taken at another time, it will have but small effect. Again, we must note, that each fixt star, or constellation of the Zodiack, hath his proper Planet, whose peculiar House he is, which concurreth in the fortification and alteration of that influence. For the diversity of application of other Planets unto it, doth cause a variety of operation, even in the same animals sperm, or plants, seed, and mettles secret spirit. And yet howsoever, they do more or less agree and sympathize in nature, as the beams of each Planet, so applying unto one another, will give them leave; for if the concurrence be between friendly Planets, and of one and the same triplicity, namely, where their Houses are of friendly elements, then the sympathy will be the stronger. And thus much Agrippa doth seem to intimate in these words, In rebus proprietates occultas non ab elementali natura, sed caelitus in sitas, sensibus nostris occultas, rationi vix denique notas, quae quidem à vita spirituque mundi, per ipsos stellarum radios proficiscuntur, quae à nobis non aliter quam experientia, & conjecturis indagar[…] possun[…]. Scire ergo debes quod unaquaeq[…]e res movet ad suum simile & inc[…]inat aa seipsum secundum totum posse suum: The occult properties in things, which are not grafted in them by an Elementary nature, but descend from heaven, are hidden from our s[…]nses, and scarcely known unto our reason: Forasmuch as they are derived from the life and spirit of the world, by the beams of […]he starrs, the which cannot be otherwise scanned and found out by us, than by experience, and that conjecturally or by ghesse. You must therefore know, that every thing doth move unto his like, and by all the means possible d[…]th inc[…]ine unto it self, &c. Whereby he argueth that the catholick Angelicall spirit, which vivifieth the world, in whose Diviner part cosisteth the Sephiroticall power or Virtue of all the Divine Attributes, in which also (as Ezekiel testifieth,) is contained the virtues of the four wind, is the main actor, who by his severall subdivided emissions, of diversly conditioned beams, doth operate in and by his starry Organs, all these occult and hidden effects below, which cannot fall into the Sphere or capacity of a common man's understanding, though by effect we find it to be thus and thus; So that there is not a particular beam, that is emitted from it, which hath not a secret disposed act, no otherwise varying from one another than, by ocular experience, we find the effects of them to differ: For whatsoever was originally decreed in the secret Counsell of the Archetype, is effected from a generality unto many Specialities, and from each Speciality unto an infinit number of individuall particularities; So that the aeviall or Angelicall effect, is the image of the eternall Idea, and the temporall world, is the similitude of the aeviall; and again, in the temporall or typicall world, every stellar shape is the likenesse or paterne of the Angelicall Idea; and again, the Elementary things are the shadows of the spirituall shapes or Images in heaven: Wherefore as God sendeth out his Emanation, which is his Image, unto the Angelicall world, in a diversity of fashions, and multiplicity of respects; So the Angelicall spirits do send out their severall different Lights unto each other, namely every order unto his inferior, and every upper Sphere unto the Spheres which are below them, and so from the starrs, whi[…]h also apply their lights unto one another by severall aspects, infusing them in and upon the creatures by degrees downward, even unto the very Center of the earth: which creatures after the manner of their pattern do also shine forth unto one another by beams, which are either Sympathetical and harmonious or Antipathetical and discordant to each other; neither ought we to doubt, that there are such agreeing and disagreeing beams here below, seeing that in the fountain of Unity from whence all things do flow, we observe an opposition of properties, namely a privative Nolunty, and a positive Volunty; Nor yet ought we to deem otherwise, then that the passive spirituall matter of the world's soul, is the substject by which the Divine Virtue worketh, and in which it stirreth up as well loving and positive, or good and Sympatheticall passions, by pouring out plentifully his positive and vivifying beams of life, adding delight and joyes with a completion of the spirituall created matter's appetite; So that it forgetteth the rooted nature which its dark Parents or Mother Chaos, and the Divine Puissance did in her nativity bestow upon it, and is converted into a child of Light, by adoption; and therefore in this case, it doth Sympathize with those golden showers of charitable and vivifying Light, which are sent down from the benigne attributes of God, and begins to hate, and dread, and lothe or eschew, all such privative influences, as are poured down from the severe, insalutary and destructive attributes; no otherwise then Light flieth from darkness, and being delighted at the presence of more light, and life, avoideth and hateth the presence of his contrary, namely of death, and evill. Hence therefore it cometh, that the children of Light, which are grafted unto this catholick illuminated spirit, do flie, as from a pestilence the children of darknesse and their works. And the reason is, because this humid created spirit, finding now the pleasure, volunty, and felicity of its illuminated estate, is affraid least the privative beams of darkness, or the dismall Emanations of God's wrath, should dimm their light, and obscure the brightness of life; that is to say, lest they should turn their Sympathizing passions of joy and gladness, into the Antipathizing storms of sadness and mourning, by sucking or contracting the beauteous Emanations of joy, love, and gladness, from the Circumference into the Center of the Spirit, and so deprive it of that salutary and sprightfull irradiation of love and life, by hiding of God's face, which he did emit from the Center to the Circumference of the creature, to recreate and rejoyce it. According unto that of Moses: God forsakes the wicked and hideth his face from them, that much evill may befall them: Or unto that of David: God hiding his face from the wicked they are troub[…]ed, receiving their spirit they expire: That is, vexation and privative passions befall them: which may also be understood of the catholick Microcosmicall wordl's spirit, as of the Microcosmicall and other creatures, all which have their beeing from the Macrocosmicall Spirit: For when the Divine nature, which animateth the Sun of heaven, was displeased at the Passion of our Saviour, it did Centrally withdraw his beam[…]s from it, and it lost its beauty, and became dark, against the common course of nature; So that the pleasant Sympathy which it produced by its presence unto the creatures beneath, and in the heavens above, was quite changed into Antipathy for a while. This therefore was a privative passion in the heart of the great world, or as a man may say, a Syncope or swooning of the world, when ELOAH did abstain for that season, to pour forth his influence of beauty by the port of TIPHERETH: Also that palpable darkness which happened in Egypt, was a privative passion, caused by the hiding away of God's face, or by the contracting the beams of light within himself. Such privative passions also are menaced unto the Sun, Moon, and Starrs, towards the latter end of the world: For if the world was made by the sending forth of God's bright Emanation (for by the Spirit of the Lord the heavens were adorned, as Job telleth us) it followeth, that by taking it away, all will return again unto darkness, and plain nothing or deformity, even as it was before. But this producing of good and Sympatheticall passions, by emitting of light from the Center to the Circumference; and again, the effects of Antipatheticall passions, which do oppose the concord and Sympathy of life, is excellently described and painted forth, by the due examination of the vital action in man: For as there are noted to be in generall, two severall active Virtues in man's spirit; whereof the one is voluntary, which is the Prince over the other, and commandeth and moveth the inferior actions, even as the Divine Angell Mitattron doth in the Primum mobile of the great world, which is referred unto the Volunty, and moveth by it the celestiall orbs, and Elementary world; so in the Microcosmicall Fabrick, the first mover is that Divine mentall beam which is the head of man's soul; and the other kind is involuntary, because it is commanded and ruleth after the will of the intellectuall or rationall beam, no otherwise then all the lower Orbs are constrained to move, after the will of the mover in the Primum mobile; So the vitall action in man, is one of those branches, which is involuntary, and no otherwise subject unto the Volunty of the mental beam, then the starry heaven; (which is the seat of life, forasmuch as the Sun which is the heart of the world, hath his residence there) is commanded by the Emperyall Spirit.

Now as we find, that according unto the will of the Divine essence poured out into the heavens, and consequently here below, as well joyfull and compassionate effects do spring from the positive and dilative property of Unity, to recreate and stir up volupty and pleasure in the creature; as also trist and sad effluxions, proceeding from the contractive Virtue, whereby God hideth the face of his benignity from the creatures, and thereupon as well concupiscible as odible or irascible passions are caused in the world: Even so we find it manifested, as well by experience, as by the observation of the learnedest in Physick and Philosophy; that the vitall action, which is over-ruled according unto the mind of the superior Volunty, either is opened or enlarged by the dilative property of the first movers will, and thereby openeth the cabinet of the heart, to produce in the vitall spirit those good passions, which Sympathize with life and light, namely gladness, hope, confidence, love, miserecord, and affability; or it is contracted, and thereby gathereth together also the spirits in the heart, whereby is engendred in the vitall spirit such bad privative passions, as do antipathise with those good ones, which rejoyce and comfort the life, and these passions are termed Antipatheticall, because they are wholly contrary unto the nature of those which are good; of which number, proceeding from the hearts contraction, are sadness, care, dispaire, fear, hatred, anger, furor, bashfullness, and so forth; So that as by the former, the spirit by dilatation did look up unto the Fountain of Light, and did rejoyce to see the volupties and pleasure thereof; So by the later, the spirit was forced by contraction, to be deprived from the vision of light, and to look p[…]onely downward into the abysse of darkness, and to participate with the dark passions thereof. And by this decifering and opening therefore of the two opposit passions, in the little world, we may easily collect the reason and manner of them in the great world, being that as eadem sit ratio parcis & totius; so also the passions of the great world, may easily be considered by those of the little world. As for example, The Load-stone is in comparison of its mother earth, even as man is to the whole world; wherefore Man is called the Son of the world by He[…]mes, as Cardanus, Bap. Porta, D. Gilbert, and others, have made the Load-stone the child or son of the earth. We find, I say, in the Load-stone, all the passions, as well sympatheticall as antipatheticall, which do affect his mother earth; for it hath his Poles with the earth, and it escheweth all in conformity with the earth, it flyeth from that which is contrary unto its nature. And again, doth sympathise with that which is its like, it hath its Aequinoctialls, Colures, Meridians, and Tropi[…]ks, as the earth hath; and, in conclusion, it argueth not onely a sense in motion, but a kind of reason in its action, namely, its refusing that which is contrary unto it, or embracing and desiring that, which is agreeing and conformable unto its harmony, as shall be more at large expressed, as well in the second part of this present Book, as in the magneticall experiences, which shall be set down in the third or last Book of this Treatise.

To conclude, how this mentall beam receiveth the behests or influxions, of benignity or severity from above, is expressed in my precedent discourse, namely, by permitting of bad spirits of darkness to reigne and have dominion, or helping the good spirits to execute their offices of joy and delight. Lo, here is contained the sum of all mysticall and hidden sympathy or antipathy in the world, which some do therefore, by reason of the profundity and difficulty in the inquisition thereof, justly attribute unto the secret act and operation of an angelicall power, which is a middle vertue betwixt God and the creature. And for this reason (as is said before) an Angell is defined to be, Tanquam inter Deum & Naturam virtus media, à qua fiunt operationes in rebus quas vel natura eoram non faceret, non vel sic faceret: quas ali[…] provenire dicunt à proprietate occulta, & alii quia tale; As it were a mean vertue between God and nature, by the which certain operations are effected in things, which their nature (that is, their elementary form) would not produce, at the leastwise would not so effect, as that which is said to happen or come to passe by an occult property, and, as others will, Quiatale, Because it is so.

How this is demonstrated by Harmony, what Sympathy and Antipathy is.

IT is a divers proportion or disproportion of matter, or mundane spirit, guided by one and the same eternall soul. Veni spiritus à quatuor ventis. Demonstrated by a Pipe, whose notes vary according unto proportion, in spirit or aire, moved by one and the self-same blast, whose proportions, when they disproportionably meet, do jar; but when they proportionably meet, accord and agree. All spirits in creatures are proportioned by more or lesse aire, all in spirit of life, moving and acting; and according unto the proportions in concord or discord, they agree or disagree: as the weights of Pythagoras his hammer, in bodies proportionate or disproportionate. Also two strings being as one stretched up, give concording or discording sounds, according to their greatnesse or shortness. As for example, in this case of aire in a pipe.

[Figure]

The creatures quality doth good or evill, not the devill, but the devill by it: Ergo, Diabolicall, and to be abhorred.