Book III, chapters 52–56: Lots and oracles; cleanness, abstinence, penitence and alms

CHAP. LII. Of Lots and marks possessing the sure power of Oracles.

THere are also certain Lots having a divine power of Oracles, and as it were Indexes of divine judgement, being before sought for by earnest prayer, and sometimes commanded by God himself to be done, as is read in Leviticus concerning a goat to be offered to the Lord, and of the scape goat; and in the book of Numbers of the rods of the Tribes of Israel. Now both Moses and Joshua did by Lots in the presence of the Lord divide the lands, and inheritances to the tribes of Israel according to the command of God. The Apostles of Christ, prayers going-before, did by lot choose Matthias into the place of Judas the traitor. Jonas the Prophet when he flying from the presence of God did sail to Tharsus, a dangerous storm being raised, was by lot found out by the Mariners to be the cause of the danger, and being cast into the sea, the tempest seased. Caesar reports of M. Valerius Procillus, being taken by his enemies, concerning whom it was consulted whether he should be presently burnt, or reserved to another time, that by lot he escaped safe. There was formerly at Bura, a Town of Achaia, an oracle of Hercules constituted by a chest bord, where he that went to consult of any thing, after he had prayed, cast four dice, the cast of which the Prophet observing, did find written in the chestboard what should come to pass: Now all such dice were made of the bones of sacrifices. Now this you must know, that the Ancients were not wont upon every slight cause to cast lots, but either upon necessity, or for some advantagious end, and that not but with great devotion, reverence, expiations, fasting, purity, prayers, invocations, vowes, sacrifices, consecrations, and such like sacred mysteries of religion. For these sacred ordinances were wont to go before our works, especially to procure the divine good will, and pleasure, and the presence of the divine spirits, by whose dispensation the lot being directed, we may receive a true judgement of the things sought for. Every one therefore that works by lots, must go about it with a mind well disposed, not troubled, nor distracted, and with a strong desire, firm deliberation, and constant intention of knowing that which shall be desired. Moreover he must, being qualified with purity, chastity, and holiness towards God, and the celestials, with an undoubted hope, firm faith, and sacred orations, invocate them, that he may be made worthy of receiving the divine spirits, and knowing the divine pleasure; for if thou shalt be qualified, they will discover to thee most great secrets by vertue of lots, and thou shalt become a true Prophet, and able to speak truth concerning things past, present, and to come, of which thou shalt be demanded. Now what we have spoken here concerning lots, is also to be observed in the auguries of all discernings, viz when with fear, yet with a firm expectation we prefix to our souls for the sake of prophecying some certain works, or require a sign, as Eleasar Abrahams countryman, & Gideon Judge in Israel are read to have done. There was once at Pharis a City of Achaia in the midle of the market a statue of Mercury, where he that went to receive any omen, did, frankincense being fumed, and candles being lighted, which were set before it, and that country coin being offered on the right hand of the statue, whisper into the right ear of the statue whatsoever he would demand, and presently his ears being stopped with both his hands, did make hast away from the market place, which when he was past, did presently, his ears being opened, observe the first voice he did hear from any man for a certain Oracle given to him. Although therefore these kinds of lots seem to the ignorant to be casuall, or fortuitous, and to have nothing of reason in them, yet they are disposed by God, and the higher vertues by certain reasons, neither they do fall beside the intention of him that moderates them. Was not the lot in choosing Saul to be King of Israel, thought to fall upon him casually, and fortuitously? Yet he was before appointed by the Lord to be King, and annointed by the Prophet Samuel. And God that appointed him King, disposed of the Lot that it should fall upon him. And thus much of these.

CHAP. LIII. How he that will receive Oracles must dispose himself.

WHosoever therefore being desirous to come to the Supream state of the soul, goeth to receive oracles, must go to them being chastly and devoutly disposed, being pure and clean go to them, so that his soul be polluted with no filthiness, and free from all guilt. He must also so purifie his mind and body as much as he may from all diseases, and passions, and all irrationall conditions, which adhere to it as rust to iron, by rightly composing and disposing those things which belong to the tranquillity of the mind; for by this means he shall receive the truer and more efficacious Oracles. Now by what things the mind is purged, and reduced into a divine purity, we must learn by Religion, and wisdom. For neither wisdom without Religion, nor Religion without wisdom is to be approved off. For wisdom (as saith Solomon) is the tree of life to them that lay hold on it. And Lucretius saith that it is the intention of God, or the breathings of God, where he sings.

Most famous Memmius! this that God is he,
The prince of life, who reason, which all we
Call wisdom, first found out and who by art
The life from troubles, darkness set apart
And freed, and unto light, and peace reduc'd.

He also understandeth that to be a divine illustration, whence Democritus thinketh that there are no men wise but they that are struck with some divine phrensie, as was Menos that Cretensian, whom they report learned all things of Jupiter, whence he had frequent converse with God in the mount Ida: so also the Athenians report that Melosagora Eleusinus was taught by the Nymphs; so also we read, that Hesiod when he was a Shepherd in Beotia, and kept his flock neer the mountain Helicon, had some pens given him by the Muses, which having received, he presently became a Poet, which to become so sodainly was not of man, but by a divine inspiration; for God conveying himself into holy souls, makes men Prophets, and workers of miracles, being powerfull in work and speech, as Plato and Mercurius affirm, and also Xistus the Pythagorian, saying that such a man is the temple of God, and that God is his guest: to whom assents our Paul, calling man the temple of God; and in another place speaking of himself, I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me; for he is our power, without which (as he saith) we can do nothing; which also Aristotle confesseth in his Meteors and Ethicks, saying, that there is no vertue whether naturall or morall but by God; and in his secrets he saith that a good and sound intellect can do nothing in the secrets of nature without the influence of divine vertue. Now we receive this influence then only, when we do acquit our selves from burdensome impediments, and from carnall and Terrene occupations, and from all externall agitation; neither can a blear or impure eye behold things too light, neither can he receive divine things who is ignorant of the purifying of his mind. Now we must come to this purity of mind by degrees, neither can any one that is initiated newly unto those mysteries presently comprehend all cleer things, but his mind must be accustomed by degrees, untill the intellect becomes more enlightened, and applying it self to divine light be mixed with it. A humane soul therefore when it shall be rightly purged, and expiated, doth then, being loosed from all impurity, break forth with a liberall motion, and ascends upwards, receives divine things, instructs it self, when happily it seems to be instructed from elsswhere; neither doth it then need any remembrance, or demonstration by reason of the industry of it self, as by its mind which is the head and the pilot of the soul, it doth, imitating by its own nature the angels, attain to what it desires, not by succession or time, but in a moment. For David when he had not learning, was of a Shepherd made a Prophet, and most expert of divine things. Solomon in the dream of one night, was filled with the knowledge of all things above and below. So Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other Prophets, and Apostles were taught. For the soul (which is the common opinion of the Pythogorians, and Platonists) can by way of purification, without any other study, or searching only by an easie, and adventitious collating on these intelligibles received from above, acquire the perfect knowledge of all things knowable. It can also by an extrinsecall expiation attain to this, as to understand all things Invisibly by its substantiall form. For the mind is purged, and expiated by cleansing, by abstinence, by penitency, by almes: and then also do thereunto conduce certain sacred institutions, as shall afterward be discovered. For the soul is to be cured by the study of Religions, and indeed these which are commonly called occult, that being restored to its soundness, confirmed by truth, and fortified by divine graces, may not fear any rising shakings.

CHAP. LIV. Of cleanness, and how to be observed.

VVE must therefore first observe cleanness in food, in works, in affections, and to put away all filthiness, and perturbations of the mind, and whatsoever sense or spirit that offends, and whatsoever things are in mind unlike to the heavens, not only if they be in mind and spirit, but also if they be in the body, or about the body: for such an externall cleanness is beleeved not to help a little to the purity of the mind. For this cause the Pythagorian Philosophers being taken with the desire of Oracles, divine praises being celebrated, did wash themselves in a river as in a bath, & did put on white rayment and linen; for they did account wooll a prophane clothing being the excrements of beasts, and they did inhabit in a pure chamber, and altogether unspotted. In like manner the Bragmanni the wise men of the Indians were wont to wash themselves naked in a fountain, which is called Dirce in Beotia, their heads being first annointed with amber drops, and odours fit for that purpose; then after they were according to custome sufficiently clean, they were to go forth about noon, clothed in white linen, with a white attire having rings on their fingers and staves in their hands. In like manner amongst the Gymnosophists it was a custom to wash themselves thrice in a day, and twice in the night in cold water, before they entred into the holy places. They did also every day use linen garments every day newly washed. We read also of the manner of this kind of washing in Hesiod in his books of works and dayes, where he sings,

None dare with hands unwashed unto Jove
Wine pour forth, nor unto the gods above;
For then they do refuse for to be heard,
Though being pray'd unto—

And elswhere

When wicked men the rivers do passe by
With hands unwash'd, then are the gods angry
With them, and them afflict—

Hence in Virgil, Aeneas thus speaks to his father,

O Father, take the houshold gods, and hold
Them in thy sacred hands; to be so bold
As them to handle after so great fights
I dare not till that wash'd in streams most bright.

It was also a custome amongst the Gentiles, when they were wont to perform any holy services to the gods, to cleanse their bodies by washing; and when they were to contend with the infernall gods, sprinkling only did suffice. Hence in Virgil, Dido, when she did perform any solemnities to the gods, saith,

Cause that my sister Ann (my nurse most dear:)
Come, and my body wash with water clear.

And in another place where Aeneas is brought in amongst the infernals bringing a bough to Proserpina, he sing thus,

The passage doth Aeneas keep, and wash
His body with fresh water—

Also when he relates of Misenus to be buried, he sings,

His friends he thrice did wash with water new,
And with an Olive branch, wett in the dew,
He did them sprinkle—

Now man being made thus clean becomes celestiall, and spirituall, and is fitted for the sight of and union with God, whilest he ministers to God with a clean body, and pure mind, and delights in the cleanness of all things, as inwards, skin garments, houses, utensils, oblations, gifts, and sacrifices; the cleanness of all which even purifies the air, and attracts the most pure influence of celestiall, and divine things, and allures the pure ministers of God, and good Demons: although sometimes impure spirits, and ill Demons, as the apes of the good Demons, take upon them this kind of cleanness, that either they may be adored, or may deceive: therefore first of all we must observe that the mind be pure, and the heart pure, and then the impure powers cannot ascend.

CHAP. LV. Of abstinence, fastings, chastity, solitariness, the tranquillity and ascent of the mind.

ABstinence also doth commonly fortifie, and defend the observers thereof against vices, and evil Demons, and makes the mind an unpolluted temple of God, uniting it to God. For nothing doth more conduce to health, and temperance of the complexion, then not to heap together superfluities, and not to exceed the bounds of necessary food. Neither is nutriment to be taken that is too strong for nature, but rather let nature be stronger then the meat, as some affirm of Christ, that he took meat in that proportoin that it should not breed any excrement of the third concoction. Many others also taking meat sparingly, enjoyed thereby health and agility of body, as Moses, and Elias, who fasted fortie dayes: whence his face shined, and he lifted up, could easily guide his body as if it were a spirit. For Magicians, and Philosophers affirm that our spirit is not as a terrene thing, or body nourished by nutriment received through certain organs by the concoction of meat, and drink, but draws in their aliment like sponges through the whole body, viz. from the thin vapours penetrating the body on all sides. Therefore they that desire to have this spirit pure, and potent, let them use dryet meats, and extenuate this gross body with fastings, and they make it easily penetrable, and least by the weight thereof, the spirit should either become thick, or be suffocated, let them preserve the body clean by lotions, frictions, exercises, and clothings, and corroborate their spirits by lights, and fumes, and bring it to a pure and thin finess. We must therefore in taking of meats be pure, and abstinent, as the Pythagorian Philosophers, who keeping a holy and sober table, did protract their life in all temperance. The temperance therefore of life and complexion, because thereby no superfluous humour is bred, which may dull the phantasie, makes, that our soul oftentimes dreaming, and sometimes watching, is alwayes subjected to the superiour influences. Moreover the Pythagorians, if any one doth by abstinence moderate prudently every motion of the mind, and body, promise perpetuall health of both, and long life. So the Bragmani did admit none to their colledge, but those that were abstinent from wine, from flesh, and vices, saying that none could understand God, but they that emulate him by a divine conversation: which also Phraotes in Philostrates taught the lower Indians. Moreover we must abstain from all those things which infect either the mind, or spirit, as from covetousness, and envy, which are handmaids to injustice (as Hermes saith) enforcing the mind and the hand to evil practices; also from idleness, and luxury; for the soul being suffocated with the body, and lust, cannot foresee any celestiall thing. Wherefore the priests of the Athenians who are called in Greek Hierophantae (as Hierom reports) that they might live more chastly in their sacred employments, and might follow their divine affairs without lust, were wont to castrate themselves by drinking of hemlock. Moreover the chastity of a mind devoted to God doth make our mind (as Orpheus teacheth Museus in the hymne of all the gods) a perpetuall temple of God. Also we must abstain from all multitude and variety of senses, affections, imaginations, opinions, and such like passions, which hurt the mind and pervert the judgement of reason, as we manifestly see in the lascivious, the envious, and ambitious. Wherefore Cicero (in his Tusculans questions) cals these passions the sicknesses of the mind, and the pestiferous diseases thereof. But Horace calls them furies or madness, where he sings, Girles have a thousand furies, so have boyes.

The same also seems to be of opinion that all men are fools in something. Whence it is read in Ecclesiasticus, there are an infinite number of fools. Therefore the Stoicks deny that passions are incident to a wise man; I say such passions, which follow the sensitive apprehension: for rational, and mental passions, they yeld a wise man may have. This opinion did Boetius seem to be of, where he sings that some passions are to be laid aside in the inquisition of truth, in these verses,

If truth thou wouldst discover with cleer sight,
And walk in the right path, then from thee quit
Joy, fear, grief, hope expell; for where these raign,
The mind is dark and bound—

We must therefore acquit and avert our minds from all multitudes, and such like passions, that we may attain to the simple truth; which indeed many Philosophers are said to have attained to in the solitude of a long time. For the mind by solitude being loosed from all care of humane affaires is at leasure, and prepared to receive the gifts of the celestial dieties. So Moses the law-giver to the Hebrews, and the greatest of prophets, and learned in all the knowledge of the Caldeans and Aegyptians, when he would abstract himself from senses, went into the vast wildernesses of Ethiopia, where all humane affaires being laid aside, he applied his mind to the sole contemplation of divine things, in which thing he so pleased the omnipotent God, that he suffered him to see him face to face, and also gave him a wondrous power of miracles, as sacred writ testifies of him. So Zoroastes the father and prince of the Magicians, is said to attain to the knowledge of all naturall and divine things by the solitude of twenty years, when he wrot, and did very strange things concerning all the art of divining, and soothsaying. The like things do the writings of Orpheus to Museus declare him to have done in the deserts of Thracia. So we read that Epimenides of Crete, because learned by a very long sleep, for they say that he slept fifty years, i. e. to have lay hid so long; Fythagoras also in like manner to have layen hid ten years, and Heraclitus, and Democritus for the same cause were delighted with solitariness. For by how much the more we have the animal and the humane life, by so much the more we live like angels, and God, to which being conjoyned, and brought into a better condition, we have power over all things, ruling over all. Now how our mind is to be separated from an animal life, and from all multitude, and to be erected, untill it ascend to that very one, good, true, and perfect, through each degree of things knowable, and knowledges, Proclus teacheth in his Commentaries upon Alcibiades, shewing how that first sensible things are to be shunned, that we may pass to an incorporeal essence, where we must exceed the order of souls yet multiplied by divers rules, habitudes, and various proportions, many bonds, and a manifold variety of forces, and to strive after an intellect, and intelligible kingdome, and to contemplate how far better these are then souls. Moreover we must bear an intellectual multitude, although united, and individuall, and come to the superintellectual and essential unity, absolute from all multitude, and the very fountain of good, and truth. In like manner we must avoid all knowledge that doth any waies distract, and deceive, that we may obtain the most simple truth. The multitude therefore of affections, senses, imaginations, and opinions is to be left, which in it self is as different, as some things are contrary to others in any subject; and we must ascend to sciences, in which although there be a various maltitude, yet there is no contrariety. For all are knit one to the other, and do serve one the other, under one the other, untill they come to one, presupposed by all, and supposing none beyond it; to which all the rest must be referred: yet that is not the highest top of knowledges, but above it is a pure intellect. Therefore all composition, division, and various discourse being laid aside, let us, ascending to the intellectual life, and simple sight, behold the intelligible essence with individual and simple precepts, that we may attain to the highest being of the soul, by which we are one, and under which our multitude is united. Therefore let us attain to the first unity, from whom there is a union in all things, through that one which is as the flower of our essence: which then at length we attain to, when avoyding all multitude we do arise into our very unity, are made one, and act uniformely.

CHAP. LVI. Of Penitency, and Almes.

NOw the greatest part of purgations is a voluntary penitency for faults for (as saith Seneca in Thyeste) he whom it grieves that he hath offended, is in a manner innocent. This brings to us the greatest expiation, whilest it opposeth afflictings to delights, and purgeth out of the soul a stupid joyfulness, and gives a certain peculiar power, reducing us to the things above. Penitency therefore is not only a mortification of vices, but a spiritual Martyrdome of the soul; which with the sword of the spirit is on all sides mortified; Now the sword of the spirit is the word of God; whence Jeremiah the Prophet saith, and also Paul, writing to the Ephesians, Cursed is he that with-holdeth his sword from blood; and the Psalmist sings; A sword is in their lips. Therefore our cogitations, affections of our mind, and all evils that proceed from our heart and mouth, must be uttered to the priest in confession, that he may according to the word of God judge those things; and according to the power granted to him by God, penitency being joyned with it, may purifie, & purge them, & direct them to that which is good, neither is there found in religion for the expiating hainous offences a stronger Sacrament. Hence the Gods themselves (Ovid in Pontus being witnes)

Do often ease the pains, restore the lights
Which were caught away, when that mortall wights
They see repenting of their sins—

There is as yet another Sacrament of expiation, viz. Almsgiving, of which as I remember I have read very little in Philosophers, but the very truth taught us that, saying, Give ye almes, and all things shall be clean to you; and in Eclesiasticus it is read; as water extinguisheth fire, so almes doth sin; and Daniel taught the King of Babylon, that he should redeem his sin by almes; and the Angel Raphael testifieth to Tobias; because alms frees from death, and is that which purgeth sins, and make us find eternal life. Hence Christ commanded us to pray to the Father, Forgive as we forgive others, give us as we give to others; of which he said in another place, ye shall receive an hundred fold, and shall possess eternal life. He shall when he comes to judge the quick and the dead, upbraid the wicked above all things for their neglect of almes and works of mercy, when he shall say, I was hungry, and thirsty, and ye gave me neither meat, nor drink; and in another place he speaks of the poor; what ye have done to any one of them ye have done to me. Which Homer also seems to be sensible of, when he brings in a yong man wooing Antinoe, saying these words, Antinoe how plausibly hast thou slain a poor beggar! he shall destroy thee if God be in heaven, for the Gods themselves being likened to strangers, and guests, go out into the whole world, overturning Cities, and beholding the injaries, and wickednesse of men.