CHAPTER III.

Of the three parts of Man; Spirit, Soul and Body, from whence every one is taken, and how one is in the other.

THE parts of the Universe, of which the whole man is made, are three; — the World of Eternity, the Evial World, and the World of Time. The parts of man are three, Spirit, Soul and Body; and these three parts spring and are taken from these three parts of the whole Universe.

The Spirit of man comes from the Spirit of God, and participates with Eternity and Ævo (AEvo).

The Soul in man is extracted from the soul of the World, and participates with Ævo (AEvo) and Time.

The Body of Man is formed and composed from the body of the World, as elements, and participates with Time only.

The Body extracted from the elements, and constituted into this form, is the House, the Tabernacle, the seat of the Soul, and resident chiefly in the heart.

The Soul of Man extracted from the Soul of the world, and delivered over to the heart, is the habitation of the Divine Spirit, and hath the Divine Spirit in itself.

So one exists in the other, and dwells in the other, abides in the other, and operates in the other.

The Spirit in the Soul, and by the Soul.

The Soul in the Body, and by the Body.

The Body in and by external subjects.

Everything which is without is as that which is within, but the internal always excels the external in essence, virtue, and operation.

For by how much any thing is more inward, by so much the more it is more noble, potent and capacious.

Great virtue is in the Body, if it be excited.

Greater in the Soul of the firmament, if it be excited.

Greatest in the Divine Spirit, if it be excited.

By excitation all things are laid open, which are hidden and placed in Ignorance. For both Divine and Natural Wisdom sleep in us, and each light shines in darkness, and without excitation, man wants the having.

Great and excellent is the knowledge of the human body, extracted from the elements, and disposed into this form.

Greater and more excellent is the knowledge of the Soul, taken from the firmament, and inserted into the body.

Greatest and most excellent is the knowledge of the Spirit inspired from the Mouth of God into the first man, and by the mysteries of  multiplication equally communicated to every one of us.

Wherefore is the knowledge of the human body great? By reason of its wonderful composition, that is, because all the four Elements are essentially composed in it. And moreover I say, the essence, nature, and propriety of all the Creatures of the whole invisible world which are in the earth, water, air and fire, are incorporated and situate in man. But seeing all things generally are conjoined and included into one skin, they are not altogether and at once discovered, nor can be revealed, but at least come forth and are known in specie, as they are drawn forth and excited.

Wherefore is the knowledge of the Soul which is in the heart of Man greater? Because the whole firmament, with all the essences, nature, virtue, propriety, inclination, operation and effect of all the Stars is therein conjoined and complicated, so as there is nothing in the whole power of the Spirit of the firmament or Soul of the World, which the soul of man also hath not in himself, and in the exaltation of itself, can give it of itself.

Yea, the whole Light of Nature is in the soul of the Microcosm, which is the wisdom and power and vigour of all things of the whole world throughout all the elements and things procreated of the elements. For she is the Astrological Spirit, containing in herself all kind of sciences, magic, Cabalistic, astronomic, with all their species, chemistry, medicine, Physic, all arts, tongues, all workmanships and all studies existent throughout the whole shop of Nature.

But because all these things are collected in one, and generally comprehended in the soul, they do not all lie open, or can they be in act together, although they are in power; but are let out and produced one species after another.

Wheresoever, therefore, these kinds of divers sciences flourish and are exercised amongst men, there shines the Light of Nature, and the soul of the Microcosm is in her exaltation, that is, the firmament of the Microcosm is in its ascendants.

But why is the knowledge of the Spirit of God greatest in us? Because He from Whom we receive this Spirit is greatest and most eminent above all. For in this same Spirit all the divine wisdom and power from whence that saving knowledge flows forth, that is, Theology, treating of supernatural, celestial and divine things, and is conversant in the Magnalia and mysteries of God placed above Nature, and tends even to the inexhausted and unspeakable profundity of the Deity, in which profundity, the very original matter, cause and end of all the works of God, and of  things acted in time from the beginning of the creation even to the end of the consummation of the world, eternally and essentially lay hid. For all things came forth from Him; all things were made by Him, and all things consist in Him.

By how much anything is most inward, by so much it is more noble and excellent. This visible world is a body compacted of fire, air, water and earth, which is without, and hath in itself the spirit of Nature which is the soul of the world, which is within, to which soul this external body belongeth; because it is inhabited, possessed and governed by it. Hence the  soul of the world is more noble than the body.

This soul of the world hath in it the Spirit of God, which comprehendeth and possesseth it. For nothing is beyond God or the Spirit of God. Hence the Spirit is more noble than the soul. The more noble always exists in the more ignoble, and internals prevail over externals, as in essence as in power. So our external body is indeed great in its stature and quantity, and a wonderful creature.

Yet the soul dwelling in the body is far greater, and more wonderful, not in corporeal quantity, but in essence, virtue and power.

But the Spirit is the greatest of all, not in the lump or corporeal quantity, but in essence, virtue and power; and therefore most wonderful.

There is nothing greater than that in which are all things. And there is nothing less than that which is in all smallest things Therefore let us observe this rule well:

By how much anything is more inward and more hidden from the external senses, by so much the more it is more worthy, noble and potent in its essence, nature and propriety.

Which we will demonstrate by examples. There is not any house built for itself, but for the inhabitant. Now the edifice is an external thing, and the inhabitant an internal thing. The house is for the guest, and not the guest for the house. Therefore the inhabitant is far more noble, worthy and excellent in his essence than every edifice, although sumptuous. For what is the house profitable, the guest being absent?

So garments are made and prepared for the body, that it might be and walk in them. Garments are external things; the body is internal. Therefore the body in its essence is far more noble and worthy than all garments, although precious. For, what need is there of garments, if they are wanting that which should put them on? Therefore garments are for the body, and not the body for garments.

So the body, raiment, house and habitation is a certain external thing to the soul, but the soul is internal.

And the body is for the soul, and not the soul for the body. Therefore the soul in her essence is a far more noble and worthy creature than the body, although most comely and most excellently proportioned. For, what availeth the body, the soul being wanting? It is but a carcase.

So the Soul, made and created for an habitation of the Divine Spirit, is external; but the Spirit is internal. And the soul is for the Spirit, and not the Spirit for the soul. Therefore the Spirit of God is found far more noble and excellent, and worthy in His original essence, virtue, nature, power and propriety.

So God is and abides the most inward, chief, great, potent, noble and worthy above all things; and contains all things in Himself, and He Himself is contained of none.

Everything that is most Inward is most precious and most noble. — Moreover, by how much anything is more inward, by so much it is more nigh and near to us, but also so much the harder to be found and known. Because of the too much aversion and alienation of our soul from divine and heavenly things; and by reason of the too much tenacity and adherency of our love to the creatures of the world.

And on the contrary; — by how much anything is more exterior, by so much the more it is remote from us, and by so much the more strange. For example sake; — the Spirit of the Lord truly is and inhabiteth in my soul, whose seat is in the captula of my heart: But, seeing every inhabitant is within, and its habitation without, it followeth; that the Spirit of the Lord is more near to me than I am to myself. And so it most evidently appears; —That the Kingdom of God is not to be sought without us, here or there, but within us; — witness Christ himself who saith (Luke xvii), being asked of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come: The kingdom of God shall not come with observation; neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there; for behold the kingdom of God is within you. And the Apostle Paul (Rom. xiv), The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the holy Spirit. For by these he which doth service to Christ is accepted of God and approved by men.

The soul is and dwells in the heart, and the heart is in my body, therefore the soul is more near to me than the body.

My body is clothed with garments: hence the body is nearer to me than garments, and the soul nearer to me than the body: and the Spirit nearer than the soul: and therefore more noble, more worthy, and of more moment.

And because it is true, — that every internal is more noble and more worthy than his external, in which it is and dwells; that even all of us do witness, nilling or willing, knowing or not knowing. For behold, if we are in danger of life by fire, by water, by pestilence, or wars, etc., these being imminent upon us, then indeed in the first place, we leave behind us all our edifices, as well sumptuous as vile, with our external goods: and with a few things, if there be any we can carry with us, we betake ourselves to flight; so that the body being clad, might be preserved safe and unhurt, with the life and soul. By which very thing we testify, that the internals are more desirable than externals. For who would be so foolish that he would neglect, lose and destroy his body for the retaining of his edifices and external goods, when, the body being lost and destroyed, edifices and external goods are much more lost and destroyed. Furthermore, danger pressing, and necessity and straights urging us, and overwhelming us, with John the Disciple of Christ, we even leave and cast off our garments, with which we are covered, and whatsoever else is abounding to us of our substance, and naked and poor we commit ourselves to flight, that the body only with the life and soul may be preserved, and kept safe and sure. Do we not by this very thing point out and show that internals are better and greater than externals? — seeing that the body and life are internal, but vestments external. And who would be of so perverse a mind that he should embrace vestments with greater love than the body and life, and would in that mind persist in danger, that he would retain and keep his garments although he were compelled to lose and to destroy his body and life?

Moreover, in persecutions for the name of Christ, or for the truth, putting our body and life in danger, we even leave these and give them up to our enemies, to tyrants, etc., with patience, like the Lamb of God, whom all sheep imitate, only that the soul may be kept entire, strong, safe and uncorrupt, in the faith and knowledge of God and truth. Do we not signify by this, that internals prevail over externals? — because the soul is internal, the body external; and who would be of so foolish a mind, that he had rather neglect and lose his soul, with faith in God, and knowledge of the truth, only that he might keep his external mortal body, and temporal life? For faith and the knowledge of the truth being destroyed and lost, the body with the temporal life is of no moment.

Finally, in extreme torments, anguish and infernal dolours (DISTRESS) of our conscience for sins committed, even with David we leave and execrate (ABHOR) the very soul itself, and we bring to nought, and empty ourselves of all the solace both of God and the creatures, and we are left unto ourselves, crying out with the Son of God, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" So that God only, and alone, might be, and remain in us, unhurt, unviolated, just and perfect in all things that He doth with us, both sweet and bitter. So, by adverse things, we are always reduced to internals, and make a regression to ourselves, and unto God which is in us. Do we not therefore after this manner testify the truth of this rule: — that every internal is more noble and more worthy than his exterior?

Wherefore, seeing there is nothing in us so near and intimate as God is, it follows that any other thing is not to be so esteemed, sought and loved as God alone, Who hath put and hid in us, the most excellent Treasure of His divine Wisdom, Light, Life, Truth, and Virtue, taken from His own Self, and hath commanded to ask Him, seek, and knock in the hidden place of our heart, in Spirit, and in Truth, having given a testimony, that the kingdom of God, first of all, to be sought, is not here or there without us, but is to be found most inward in us, as a Treasure hid in a Field.

From all these things it clearly appears to me that God is not at all more remote or nearer to me in this life whilst I am in this world, and in this mortal body, than He will to me be in life eternal. But I have and feel my God equally now present and intimate to me, even as I shall have Him in the other world, in a new body. For He is in me and I in Him, whether I am in a mortal body in this world, or without this body in that world. This alone makes the difference, that this thing even hitherto is hidden: but then it shall be manifest and open.

But that I am not so nigh and near to Him as He is to me, this is not to be imputed to Him, but to my aversion, who do not sabbathize in my God Who is with me, that is, who by running up and down with my unquiet and vagabond soul through the creatures, am more delighted to be and to be busied in my proper will out of my internal Country; and I suffer that ever hissing Serpent to creep on to the creatures in the multifarious concupiscence and delectation of the flesh, of the eyes, and pride of life, or self-love: neither am I less frequent in the various discourse of my thoughts, ever and anon, day and night, ascending out of my heart, now desiring this, now that, speculating, willing, nilling, now this, now that; where, moreover I weary and burden myself with all kind of care, and vex myself with various affections. All of which things are the Astrological operation and revolution of the internal stars in our soul.

But if I could Theologize my Astrology, that is, if I could desist sometimes from all these things, and study to be at rest in my God Who dwells with me, that is, if I could accustom my mind to quiet and spiritual tranquillity, that it should cease to wander in the variety of thoughts, cares, and affections, that it might be at leisure from the external things and creatures of this world, and chiefly from the love of myself; that I might wholly die, and as it were be annihilated in my self, that I could come into a loathing and oblivion, not alone of all the things of the whole world placed without me, and of mundane friendship, which I have with men, but also into a plenary dereliction of myself, that is, of my will, of mine — if there be any — wisdom, knowledge, science, art, industry, prudence; of mine — if there be any — dignity, praise, honour, authority, estimation in the world amongst men; of mine — if there be any — office, state, degree, order; and, in brief, into an absolute forgetfulness of all my negotiations and occupations, and of myself as well within as without, which is nothing else than to Theologize Astrology.

Then, at length should I begin: more and more to see and know the most present habitation of God in me, and so I should taste and eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of Paradise, which Paradise I myself am, as a Guest with whom God is, and ought to be, and I in like manner with God.

This, I say, should be the exercise of my soul, the Theologization of Astrology, and a regression from Externals to Internals; from Nature to Grace; from the Creature to God; from the friendship of the world, to the friendship of God; from the tree of Death, to the Tree of Life; from terrene things to Celestial.

So should I go again to my first original, from whence I went forth, by arrogating to myself a liberty of willing, desiring, coveting, thinking, speaking and doing what pleased me, God in the meantime being neglected, without Whom I ought not to do any thing.

Whatsoever therefore we have from the Light of Nature, all this with most humble self-denial once in the week is to be laid down at the feet of the best and greatest God, whether it be magic, or cabalistic, or astronomic, or chemic, or medicinal, or physical science. Also liberal arts, and mechanic work, and whatsoever study, office, state, order, dignity, kind of life, also wealth, riches, houses, and all kind of natural gifts. All these appertain to this our Astrology, and ought so to be Theologised, by the exercise of sanctifying the Sabbath, which is an universal forgetfulness of all things and of ourselves, and the rest to our soul from all disquiet, in a sacred silence, a cessation from all will, thought, desire, affection, discourse, operation, etc., as well within as without. And this is that only and principle cause of the Sabbaths being divinely commanded to Man: —to wit,
that man should not eat death and perish to himself by the eating of the forbidden Tree.

To eat is to be delighted in himself, and in the creatures, rather than in the Creator Himself.
Rom. I. I. Cor. 2. I. John 2. Matt. 6. Gen. 2. Exod. 20.

To kiss himself in the gift received, neglecting the Giver.

To love the world, and things which are in the world, neglecting God.

To serve Mammon, neglecting God.

To use all things after his pleasure and will, despising the Law of the Lord. Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not eat, thou shalt not desire to turn from God to the creatures; and to thyself; to commit whoredom with the creatures; to depend on thyself and on things created: to languish in love of terrene things, and temporal good things, setting God aside; which may be described a thousand ways.

Hence the Doctrine of Christ, who came from above, and brings celestial and divine wisdom from the Light of Grace, sounds altogether contrary, to wit: —

That a man ought to be converted into a child, and to have so much of the knowledge of good and evil to live in him, as he had when he was but a child, or infant newly born.

I say the Doctrine of Christ commands a man to eat of the Tree of Life, to live by the inspiration of the internal Godhead, which is, —

To fall off again from the creatures, and from himself to God.

To adhere to God, Mammon being left.

To be united with God, the love of the creatures being left.

To believe in God, to offer and give up himself to God, to pray - "Thy will be done."

To put off the old Man, and to put on the new Man.

To fly evil and adhere to good, which in like Sort may be explicated by a thousand manners of speaking and phrases from the very writings of the Apostles.

But in what manner all and singular kinds of sciences, and natural gifts, and those vain studies, actions, businesses and differences of men, etc., arise from the Light of Nature, or the Stars; and in what order they are referred to the Seven Governors of the world and how a man ought to use them; also how every one of us ought to Theologize his own Astrology flourishing in himself, and to erect to himself a new Nativity, from the heaven of the new Creature, and to institute and assume a new kind of life; and chiefly, what is the solid and the most certain cause of all the holy Sabbath, that is, after what manner a man ought to labour six days and on the seventh day to sanctify the Sabbath rightly; — all these things are most evidently set forth and propounded in the following chapters of this book.