F ire is the purest, and most worthy Element of all, full of unctuous corrosivenesse adhering to it, penetrating, digesting, corroding, and wonderfully adhering, without, visible, but within invisible, and most fixed; it is hot, dry, and tempered with Aire. Its substance is the purest of all, and its essence was first of all elevated in the Creation with the throne of divine Majesty, when the Waters of the Heavens were established, as we have said in the Element of Water: out of the lesse pure part of its substance the Angells were created; out of that which was lesse pure then that, being mixed with the purest Aire, were the Sun, Moon and Stars created. That which is lesse pure then that is raised up to terminate, and hold up the Heavens: but the impure, and unctuous part of it[Pg 100] is left, and included in the Center of the Earth by the wise, and great Creator, for to continue the operation of motion, and this wee call Hell. All these Fires are indeed divided, but they have a Naturall sympathy one towards another.
This Element is of all the most quiet, and like unto a charriot, when it is drawed, it runs, when it is not drawed, it stands still. It is also in all things undiscernibly. In it are the reasons of life, and understanding, which are distributed in the first infusion of Mans life, and these are called the rational soule, by which alone Man differs from other Creatures, and is like to God. This soule is of that most pure Elementary Fire, infused by God into the vitall spirit, by reason of which Man after the Creation of all things was created into a particular World, or Microcosme. In this subject God the Creator of all things put his seal, and Majesty, as in the purest, and quietest subject, which is governed by the will, and infinite wisdome of God alone. Wherefore God abhors all impurity, nothing that is filthy compounded, or blemished may come neer him, therefore no mortall man can see God, nor come to him naturally: for that Fire which is in the circumference of the Divinity, in which is carryed the Seale and Majesty of the Most High, is so intense, that no eye can penetrate it: for Fire will not suffer any thing that is compounded to come neer to it: for Fire is the death, and separation of any thing that is compounded. Wee have said that it is the most quiet subject (for so it is) or else it would follow (which so much as to thinke were absurd) that God could not rest; for it is of most quiet silence,[Pg 101] more then any mans mind can imagine. Thou hast an example of this in the Flint, in which there is Fire, and yet is not perceived, neither doth appear, untill it be stirred up by motion, and kindled in it that it may appear: so the Fire in which is placed the sacred Majesty of our Creator, is not moved, unlesse it be stirred up by the proper will of the most High, and so is carryed where his holy Will is. There is made by the Will of the supream Maker of all things a most vehement, and terrible motion. Thou hast an Example of this, when any Monarch of this world sits in his pompe, What a quietnesse there is about him? What silence? and although some one of his Court doth more, the motion is only of some one, or other particular man, which is not regarded. But when the Lord himself moves, there is an universall stirre, and motion, then all that attend on him, move with him. What then? when that supream Monarch, the King of Kings, and Maker of all things (after whose example the Princes of the world are established in the earth) doth move in his own person of Majesty? What a stirre? What trembling, when the whole guard of his heavenly Army move about him? But some one may ask, How doe wee know these things, since heavenly things are hid from Mans understanding? To whom wee answer, that they are manifest to all Philosophers; yea the incomprehensible wisdome of God hath inspired into them, that all things are created after the example of Nature, and that Nature hath its bounds from those secret things, and accordingly works; and that nothing is done on the earth, but according to the example of the heavenly Monarchy, which is managed by[Pg 102] the divers offices of Angells. So also there is nothing brought forth, or generated, but what is done naturally. All humane inventions, yea and Arts, which either are, or shall bee, proceed not otherwise then from Naturall principles. The most High Creator was willing to manifest all Naturall things unto man, wherefore hee shewed to us that Celestiall things themselves were naturally made, by which his absolute, and incomprehensible power, and wisdome might be so much the better known; all which things the Philosophers in the light of Nature, as in a Looking-glasse, have the cleer sight of. For which cause they esteemed highly of this Art, viz. not so much out of covetousnesse for Gold, or Silver, but for knowledge sake, not only of all Naturall things, but also of the power of the Creator, and they were willing to speak of these things sparingly, and only figuratively, lest divine mysteries by which Nature is illustrated, should be discovered to the unworthy, which thou, if thou knowest how to know thy selfe, and art not of a stiffe neck, maist easily comprehend; who art created after the likenesse of the great world, yea after the image of God. Thou hast in thy body the Anatomy of the whole world, thou hast in stead of the Firmament the quintessence of the foure Elements, extracted out of the Chaos of Sperms, into a matrix, and into a skin, which doth compasse it round, thou hast most pure blood in stead of Fire, in the vitall spirit whereof is placed the seat of the soule (which is in stead of the King;) thou hast a heart in stead of the earth; where the Centrall Fire continually works; and preserves the fabrick of this Microcosm in its being; thou hast thy mouth in stead of the[Pg 103] Articke pole; and thy belly in stead of the Antarticke, and all thy members answer to some Celestialls: of which in our booke of Harmony wee shall treat more fully, viz. in the Chapter of Astronomy, where we have wrote how that Astronomy is easy, naturall, how the aspects of Planets, and Stars are efficacious, and why Prognostication is given of Raine, and other events, which would bee too tedious to reckon up here, and all these are linked together, and performed in a naturall manner, onely God doth some things extraordinary. Because the Ancients omitted it, we are willing to shew it to him that is diligently studious of this secret, that the incomprehensible power of the most High God, may so much the more cleerly come home to his heart, and that hee may love, and adore him the more zealously. Let therefore the Searcher of this sacred science know, that the soule in a man the lesser world, or Microcosme substituting the place of its Center, is the King, and is placed in the vitall spirit, in the purest bloud. That governes the mind, and the mind the body: when the soule conceives any thing, the mind knows all things, and all the members understand the mind, and obey the mind, and are desirous to fulfill the will thereof. For the body knows nothing, whatsoever strength, or motion is in the body, is caused by the mind; the body is to the mind, as instruments are to the Artificer; Now the soule, by which man differs from other Animalls, operates in the body, but it hath a greater operation out of the body, because out of the body it absolutely reigns, and by these things it differs from other Animalls, who have only the mind, not the soule of the Deity. So also God, the Maker of all[Pg 104] things, our Lord, and our God, works in this world those things, which are necessary for the world; and in these hee is included in the world; whence wee beleeve that God is every where. But hee is excluded the body of the world by his infinite wisdome, by which hee workes out of the world, and imagines much higher things, then the body of the world is able to conceive, and those things are beyond Nature, being the secrets of God alone. You have the soul for an example, which out of the body imagines many most profound things, and in this it is like unto God, who out of the world works beyond Nature; although the soule to God bee as it were a candle lighted to the light at Noonday: for the soul imagines, but executes not but in the mind; but God doth effect all things the same moment when hee imagines them; as the soul imagines any thing to be done at Rome, or elsewhere in the twinckling of an eye, but only in the mind; but God doth all such things essentially, who is omnipotent. God therefore is not included in the world, but as the soul in the body; he hath his absolute power separated from the world, so also the soul of any body hath its absolute power separated from the body, to doe other things then the body can conceive; it hath a very great power therefore upon the body, if it pleaseth, or otherwise our Philosophy were in vain. By these therefore learn to know God, and thou shalt know in which the Creator differs from the Creature. Thou thy selfe shalt be able to conceive greater things, when as now thou hast the gate opened by us. But lest this Treatise should grow too big, let us returne to our purpose.
[Pg 105]
Wee said before that the Element of Fire is the most quiet of all, and that it is stirred up by motion, which stirring up wise men knew. It is necessary that a Philosopher know the generation, and corruption of all things, to whom not only the Creation of the Heavens is manifest, but also the co............