Book III, chapters 6–10: The knowledge of God, the Trinity and the divine emanations

CHAP. VI. How by these guides the soul of man ascendeth up into the Divine nature, and is made a worker of Miracles.

THerefore Our mind being pure and divine, inflamed with a religious love, adorned with hope, directed by faith, placed in the hight and top of the humane soul, doth attract the truth, and sudainly comprehend it & beholdeth all the stations, grounds, causes and sciences of things both natural and immortal in the divine truth it self as it were in a certain glass of Eternity. Hence it comes to pass that we, though Natural, know those things which are above nature, and understand all things below, and as it were by divine Oracles receive the knowledg not only of those things which are, but also of those that are past and to come, presently, and many years hence; Moreover not only in Sciences, Arts and Oracles the Understanding challengeth to it self this divine vertue, but also receiveth this miraculous power in certain things by command to be changed: Hence it comes to pass that though we are framed a natural body, yet we sometimes praedominate over nature, and cause such wonderfull, sodain and difficult operations, as that the evil spirits obey us, the stars are disordered, the heavenly powers compelled, the Elements made obedient; so levout men and those elevated by these Theologicall vertues, command the Elements, drive away Fogs, raise the winds, cause rain, cure diseases, raise the dead, all which things to have been done amongst diverse Nations, Poets and Historians doing and relate: and that these things may be done, all the famousest Philosophers, and Theologians do confirme; so the prophets, Apostles, and the rest, were famous by the wonderfull power of God; therefore we must know, that as by the influx of the first agent, is produced oftentimes something without the cooperation of the middle causes, so also by the work of Religion alone, may something be done without the application of naturall and Celestiall vertues; but no man can work by pure Religion alone, unless he be made totally intellectuall; But whosoever, without the mixture of other powers, worketh by Religion alone, if he shall persevere long in the work, is swallowed up by the Divine power and cannot live long: But whosoever shall attempt this and not be purified, doth bring upon himself judgement, and is delivered to the evil spirit, to be devoured.

CHAP. VII. That the knowledge of the true God is necessary for a Magician, and what the old Magicians and Philosophers have thought conceruing God.

SEeing that the being and operation of all things, depend on the most high God Creator of all things, from thence also on the other divine powers, to whom also is granted a power of fashioning and creating, not principally indeed, but instrumentally by vertue of the first Creator (for the beginning of every thing is the first cause, but what is produced by the second causes, is much more produced by the first, which is the producer of the second causes; which therefore we call secondary gods) It is necessary therefore that every Magitian know that very God, which is the first cause, and Creator of all things; And also the other gods, or divine powers (which we call the second causes) and not to be ignorant, with what adoration, reverence, holy rites conformable to the condition of every one, they are to be worshipped: Whosoever therefore invocates the gods, and doth not confer on them their due honor, rightly distribute to them what belongs to them, shall neither enjoy their presence, nor any successefull effect from them. As in Harmony, if one string be broken, the whole musick jars, and sometimes incurs the hazard of punishment, as it is written of the Assyrians, whom Salmanasar planted in Samaria, because they knew not the customes of the God of the Land, the Lord did send Lyons amongst them, who slew them, because they were ignorant of the rights of the god of the Land. Now therefore let us see, what the old Magicians and Philosophers thought concerning God; for we read that Nicocreonte, a tyrant of Cyprus, long since asking, who was the greatest God, the Serapian Oracle answered him, That he was to be accounted the greatest God, whose head was the Heavens, the Seas his Belly, the Earth his feet, his ears placed in the sky, his eyes the light of the glorious Sun; not much unlike to this, Orphens sang in these verses,

The Heaven's Joves Royall Palace, he's King,
Fountain vertue and God of every thing;
He is Omnipotent, and in his breast
Earth, water, fire and aire do take their rest.
Both night and day, true wisdom with sweet Love,
Are all contain'd in this vast bulk of Jove.
His neck and glorious head if you would see,
Behold the Heavens high, and majesty;
The glorious rayes of Stars do represent
His golden locks, and's heads adornament.

And elsewhere,

Bright Phebus and the Moon, are the two eyes
Of this great Jove by which all things he spies;
His head which predicts All, is plac'd i'th skie,
From which no noise can whisper secretly.
It pierceth all; his body vast extends,
Both far and wide, and knows no bounds nor ends.
The spacious Air's his breast, his wings the wind,
By which he flies far swifter then the mind.
His belly is our mother earth, who swels
Into huge mountains, whom the Ocean fils
And circles; his feet are the rocks and stones
Which of this Globe are the foundations.
This Jove, under the earth conceals all things,
And from the depth into the light them brings.

Therefore they thought the whole world to be Jupiter, and truly he hath produced the soul of this world, which containeth the world in it self. Hence Sophocles saith, in truth there is but one onely God, who hath made this heaven and this spacious earth; and Euripides saith, Behold the most high, who every where embraceth in his Arms the immensurable heaven and earth; believe that he is Jupiter, account him God; and Ennius the Poet sings,

Behold this bright sublime shining, whom all
Call Jove—

Therefore the whole world is Jupiter, as Porphyry saith, a creature made of all creatures, and a God constituted of all gods; but Jupiter is, so far as we can understand, from whence all things are produced, creating all things by his wisdom. Hence Orpheus sings concerning the Holy word;

There is one God, who all things hath created,
Preserves, and over all is elevated.
He only by our mind is comprehended,
And to poor mortals He ne'r ill intended.
Besides whom, there no other is—

And a little after,

He himself is the beginning middle and end, as the ancient Prophets have taught us, to whom God long since delivered these things in two tables; and he calleth him in the same verse the only great Creator, and immortall. Zoroastes likewise in his sacred History of the Persians defineth God thus, God is the first of all those things which suffer neither decay nor corruption, unbegot, never dying, without parts, and most like himself, The author and promoter of all good things, the father of all, most bountifull and wise, the sacred light of justice, the absolutest perfection of nature, the contriver, and wisedom thereof. Apuleius also describs him to be a King, the cause, foundation and original beginning of all nature, the supreme begetter of spirits, eternal, the preserver of living creatures, a Father with propagation, not to be comprehended by time, place or any other circumstance, and therefore imaginable to a few, utterable to none; from hence therefore Euripides commanded the highest God to be cal'd Jupiter, through whose head Orpheus sang all things came into this light, but the other powers he supposeth to be subservient, viz. which are without God, and separated from him, and are by the Philosophers called the Ministers or Angels of God, and separated intelligences; therefore they say Religious worship to be due to this most high Jupiter and to him only, but to the other Divine powers not to be due unless for his sake.

CHAP. VIII. What the Ancient Philosophers have thought concerning the Divine Trinity.

AUstine and Prophyry testifie, that the Platonists held three persons in God, the first of which, they call the father of the world; the second they call the Son and the first mind, and so he is named by Macrobius. The third, the spirit or soul of the world, which Virgil also from Plato's opinion calleth a spirit, when he sings,

Within the Spirit nourisheth, the mind
Diffus'd through th' whole doth in its kind
The lump both act, and agitate—

Plotinus and Philo deliver, that the Son of God, viz. the first mind or Divine intellect floweth from God the Father, even as a word from the speaker or as light from light; from hence it is that he is called both the word and speech, and splendor of God the Father; for the Divine mind by it self, with one only and uninterrupted act understandeth the chiefest good without any vicissitude, or mediate knowledge; he generateth in himself an Issue and Son, who is the full Intelligence, compleat image of himself, and the perfect pattern of the world, whom our John and Mercurius name the word or speech; Plato the Son of God the Father; Orpheus, Pallas born from Jupiters brain, that is, wisdom: This is the most absolute image of God the Father, yet by a certain relation, or some intrinsecall absolute thing, as it were begot and distinguished from the Father, who saith in Ecclesiasticus, I have proceeded from the mouth of the most high, I am the first begot before all creatures: Jamblichus testifieth this Son to be One and the same God with the Father in Essence, namely calling God, both the Father and Son of himself. Also Mercurius Trismegistus in Asclepius mentioneth the Son of God in diverse places; for he saith my God and Father begat a Mind a work diverse from himself; And elsewhere, unity begets unity, and reflecteth his flagrant love on himself; and in Pimander (where he seemeth to prophesie of the Covenant of grace to come, and of the mystery of regeneration) saith, the author of Regeneration is the Son of God, the man by the will of the one only God, and also that God is most replenished with the fruitfulness of both sexes. In like manner the Indian Philosophers affirm, the World to be an Animal, partly Masculine, and partly Feminine; and Orpheus also calleth Nature or the Jove of this world, both the male and female thereof, and that the gods partake of both Sexes. Hence is it, that in his Hymnes he thus salutes Minerva, You are indeed both man and woman; and Apuleius in his book of the world, out of the Divinity of Orpheus produceth this verse of Jupiter,

Jove is both male and female, immortall.

And Virgil speaking of Venus saith,

I descend, and the God guiding—

And elsewhere, understanding Juno or Alecto, he saith

Neither was God absent from her praying.

And Tibullus sings,

I who prophaned have the Dieties
Of Venus great—

And it is reported that the people of Cacenia wonderfully adored the God Moon. From this compleat intelligence of supream fecundity his love is produced, binding the intelligence with the mind. And by so much the more, by how much it is infinitely more intimate to it self, than other off-springs to their parents. This is the third person, viz. the holy spirit. Jamblichus also brings the oracles of the Chaldeans placing a fatherly power in God, and an Emanation of the intellect from the Father, and a fiery love proceeding from Father and Son, and the same to be God. Hence we read in Plutarch, that the Gentiles described God to be an intellectuall and fiery spirit, having no form, but transforming himself into whatsoever he pleaseth, equalizing himself to all things; and we read in Deuteronomy, Our God is a consuming fire; of whom also Zoroastes saith, all things were begot of fire alone; so also Heraclitus the Ephesian teacheth; Hence Divine Plato hath placed Gods habitation in fire, namely understanding the unspeakable splendor of God in himself, and love about himself; and we read in Homer, The Heavens to be the Kingdom of Jupiter when he sings,

Jove darkning clouds and reigning in the skie,

And the same elsewhere.

The lot of Jove the Heaven is i'th' aire,
He sits—

But Aether is derived according to the Greek Grammer, from Aetho, which signifies to Burn, and Aer spiritus quass Aethaer, that is, a burning spirit; And therefore Orpheus calleth the Heaven Pyripnon, that is a fiery breathing place; therefore the Father, the Son, and the aimable spirit, which is also fiery, are by the Divines called three Persons; Whom Orpheus also in his adjurations invocateth with these words, Heaven I admire thee, thou wise work of the great God; I adjure thee, O thou word of the Father, which he first spake when he established the whole world by his wisdom. Hesiode also confesseth the same things under the names of Jupiter Minerva and Bule in his Theogony, declaring the twofold birth of Jupiter in these words: The first daughter called Tritonia with gray eyes, having equal power with the Father, & prudent Bule, that is counsel, which Orpheus in the forenamed verses pronounceth plurally, because of his twofold Emanation, for he proceedeth both from Jupiter and Minerva. And Austin himself in his fourth Book De Civit. Dei doth testifie that Porphyry the Platonist placed three Persons in God; the first he cals the father of the universe, the second, the first mind, and Macrobius the Son, the third the soul of the world, which Virgil according to Plato's opinion, calleth a spirit, saying, the spirit within maintains. Therefore it is God, as Paul saith, from whom, in whom, by whom are all things: for from the father as from a fountain flow all things, but in the Son as in a pool all things are placed in their Ideas, and by the Holy Ghost are all things manifested, and every thing distributed to his proper degrees.

CHAP. IX. What the true and most Orthodox faith is concerning God and the most holy Trinity.

THe Catholik Doctors and faithfull people of God, have decreed, that we ought thus to believe and profess that there is one only true God, increate, infinite, omnipotent, eternal Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three persons, coeternall and coequall, of one most simple Essence, substance and nature. This is the Catholike faith, this is the Orthodox Religion, this is the Christian truth, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance The Father begat the Son from all eternity and gave him his substance, and nevertheless retained it himself. The Son also by being begot, received the substance of the Father, but assumed not the proper Person of the Father; for the Father translated it not into the Son; for they are both of one and the same substance, but of diverse persons. This Son also although he be coeternall with the Father, and begot of the substance of the Father before the world, yet notwithstanding was born into the world out of the substance of a Virgin, and his name was called Jesus, perfect God, perfect man, of a reasonable soul and humane flesh, who in all things was man, sin excepted. Therefore it is necessary, that we beleeve, that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, is God and man, one person, two natures, God begot before the world without a mother, man born into the world, without a father, from a pure Virgin, both before and after his birth; he suffered on the Cross, and dyed, but on the Cross restored life, and destroyed death by his death; he was buried and descended into hell, but brought forth the souls of the Fathers from hell, and rose again by his own power; the third day he ascended into the Heavens, & sent his spirit the Comforter, & shall come to Judge the quick and the dead; and at his coming all men shall rise again in their flesh, and shall give an account of their workss; this the true faith, concerning which if any man doubt, and not firmely believe, he is far from the hope of eternall life and salvation.

CHAP. X. Of Divine emanations, which the Hebrews call Numerations, others attributes: The gentiles gods and Dieties; and of the ten Sephiroths and ten most sacred names of God which rule them, and the interpretation of them.

GOD himself, though he be Trinity in persons, yet is but one only simple Essence; notwithstanding we doubt not but that there are in him many Divine powers, which as beams flow from him, which the Philosophers of the Gentiles cal gods, the Hebrew masters numerations, we name Attributes; as wisdom which Orpheus cals Pallas; understanding, which he Mercury; The conception of the Form, which he Saturn; The Productive power, which he Neptune; the secret nature of things, which he Juno; Love which he Venus; pure life, which he the Sun or Apollo. The matter of the whole world, he calleth Pan; the soul, as it ingendereth things below, contemplateth things above, and retracteth its self into it self, he honored with three names, viz. Maris, Neptune and Ocean, and more of this kind, of which he sings elsewhere,

Plato and Jupiter, and Phebus, are one;
But why do we speak twice? Gods one alone.

And of the same Valerius Soranus sang,

Omnipotent Jove the God and King of Kings,
The Father of the gods, One, yet all things.

Therefore the most prudent Theologians of the Gentiles did worship the One God, under diverse names and powers, ye[…] diverse sexes; whom as Pliny saith, Fraile and weak mortality hath digested unto more, being mindfull of his one frailty, that every man might worship that portion which he especially wanteth; so those who had need of faith invocated Jupiter; they that wanted providence, Apollo; wisdom, Minerva; and so as they wanted other things, they invocated other powers. Hence arose that great variety of Dieties, by reason of the many and diverse distribution of graces; but God is one, from whom all things. Therefore Apuleius in his book De mundo to Faustin saith, Whereas there is but one God and one power, yet he is named by diverse names for the multitude of species, by whose variety he is made of many shapes; and Marcus Varro in his book of the worship of God, saith, As all souls are reduced to the one soul of the world or universe, so are all the gods referred to Jupiter, who is the same God, worshipped under diverse names. Therefore it is meet to know the sensible proprieties, and perfectly to intellectualize them by the way of more secret Analogy; whosoever understandeth truly the Hymnes of Orpheus and the old Magicians, shall find that they differ not from the Cabalisticall secrets and Orthodox traditions; for whom Orpheus cals Curets and unpolluted gods, Dionysius names Powers; the Cabalists appropriate them to the numeration Pahad, that is to the Divine fear: so that which is […]nsoph in the Cabala, Orpheus calleth Might; and Typhon is the […]ame with Orpheus, as Zamael in the Cabala; but the Mecubales of the Hebrews, the most learned in Divine things, have received the ten principal names of God, as certain Divine […]owers, or as it were members of God, which by ten numerations which they call Sephiroth as it were vestiments, Instruments or examplars of the Archetype, have an influence on all things created, through the high things, even to the lowest, yet […]y a certain order; for first and immediately they have influence on the nine orders of Angels, and quire of blessed souls, […]d by them into the Celestiall Spheres, Planets and men, by […]e which Sephiroh everything then receiveth power and ver[…]e; The first of these is the name Eheia, the name of the Divine […]ssence; his numeration is called Cether, which is interpreted a Crown or Diadem, and signifieth the most simple Essence of the Divinity, and it is called that which the eye seeth not, and is attributed to God the Father, and hath his influence by the order of Seraphin[…], or as the Hebrews call them Haioth Hacadosch, that is creatures of holiness, and then by the primum mobile, bestows the gift of being to all things, filling the whole Universe both through the circumference and center, whose particular intelligence is called Merattron, that is, the prince of faces, whose duty it is to bring others to the face of the prince; and by him the Lord spake to Moses. The second name is Iod or Tetragrammaton joyned with Iod; his numeration is Hochma, that is wisdom, and signifieth the Divinity full of Idea's, and the first begotten; and is attributed to the Son, and hath his influence by the order of Cherubins, or that the Hebrews call Orphanim, that is, forms or wheels; and from thence into the starry Heaven, where he fabricateth so many figures as he hath Ideas in himself, and distinguisheth the very Chaos of the creatures, by a particular Intelligence called Raziell, who was the ruler of Adam. The thid name is called Tetrogrammaton Elohim; his numeration is named Prina, unprovidence and understanding, and signifies remission, quietness, the Jubilee, penitentiall conversion, a great Trumpet redemption of the world, and the life of the world to come it is attributed to the Holy Spirit, and hath his influence by th[…] order of the thrones, or which the Hebrews call Aralim, that […] great Angels mighty and strong, and from thence by the sphere of Saturn administreth form to the unsettled matter, who particular intelligence is Zaphchiel, the ruler of Noah, and […] nother intelligence named Iophiel the ruler of Sem; and the are three supream and highest numerations as it were seats […] the Divine persons, by whose commands all things are ma[…] but are executed by the other seven, which are therefore call[…] the numerations framing. Therefore the fourth name is […] whose numeration is Hesed, which is Clemence or goodne[…] and signifieth grace, mercy, piety, magnificence, the scep[…] and right hand, and hath his influx by the order of the Dominations, which the Hebrews call Hasmalim, and so thro[…] the sphere of Jupiter fashioning the Images of bodyes, bestowing clemency and pacifying justice on all; his particular intelligence is Zadkiell the ruler of Abraham: The first name is Elohim Gibor. that is, the mighty God, punishing the sins of the wicked; and his numeration is called Geburach, which is to say, power, gravity, fortitude, security, judgement, punishing by slaughter and war: and it is applyed to the Tribunall of God, The girdle, the sword and left hand of God; it is also called Pachad, which is fear and hath his influence throw the order of powers which the Hebrews call Seraphim, and from thence through the sphere of Mars, to whom belongs fortitude, war, affliction, it draweth forth the Elements; and his particular intelligence is Camael, the ruler of Samson; The sixt name is Eloha, or a name of four letters, joyned with Vaudahat, his numeration is Tiphereth, that is apparel, beauty, glory, pleasure, and signifieth the tree of life, and hath his influence through the order of vertues, which the Hebrews call Malahim, that is Angels into the spere of the Sun, giving brightness and life to it, and from thence producing mettals; his particular intelligence is Raphael, who was the Ruler of Isaac […]d Toby the younger, and the Angel Peliel, ruler of Jacob. […]he seventh name is Tetragrammaton Sabaoth, or Adonai Sabaoth, that is the God of hosts; and his numeration is Nezah, that triumph and victory; the right Columne is applyed to it, and signifies the eternity and justice of a revenging God; it hath […] influence through the order of principalities, whom the hebrews call Elohim, that is Gods, into the sphere of Venus, […]es zeal and love of righteousness, and produceth vege[…]les; his Intelligence is Haniel and the Angel Cerviel, the […]e[…] of David; The eighth is called also Elohim Sabaoth, which is also interpreted the God of Hoasts, not of war and […]ice, but of piety and agreement; for this name signifi[…] both, and precedeth his Army; the numeration of this […]alled Hod, which is interpreted both praise, confession, ho[…] and famousness. The left column is attributed to it; it hath influence through the order of the Archangels, which the hebrews call Ben Elohim, that is the sons of God, into the sphere of Mercury, and gives elegancy and consonancy of speech and produceth living creatures; his intelligence is Michael, who was the ruler of Salomon; The ninth name is called Sadai, that is Omnipotent, satisfying all, and Elhai, which is the living God; his numeration is Iesod, that is foundation, and signifieth a good understanding, a Covenant, redemption and rest, and hath his influence through the order of Angels, whom the Hebrews name Cherubim, into the sphere of the Moon, causing the increase and decrease of all things, and taketh care of the genijl, and keepers of men, and distributeth them; his intelligence is Gabriel, who was the keeper of Joseph, Josuah, and Daniel; The tenth name is Adonai Melech, that is Lord and King; his numeration is Malchuth, that is, Kingdom and Empire, & signifieth a Church, Temple of God, and a Gate, and hath his influence through the order of Animastick, viz. of blessed souls, which by the Hebrews is called Issim, that is Nobles Lords and Princes; they are inferior to the Hierarchies, and have their influence on the sons of men, and give knowledge and the wonderfull understanding of things, also industry and prophesie; and the soul of Messiah is president amongst them or (as others say) the intelligence Metattron, which is called the first Creature, or the soul of the world, and was the rule of Moses.