Chapter I: Part 1

A
DISCOVRSE
OF
FIRE and SALT,
DISCOVERING
Many secret Mysteries,
AS WELL
PHILOSOPHICALL,
AS
THEOLOGICALL.

_London_, Printed by _Richard Cotes_, 1649.

To his worthy friend Captaine
_Thomas Falconbridge_.

/Sir/,

I Have been informed of your zeal and forwardnesse in advancing Learning and Truth, two commendable vertues, for a man of your merit and profession. And meeting with a subject composed by a _French_ Authour, I present the Translation to your favourable acceptance: It is of forraign birth, though swadled up in an English habit: It hath done much good abroad, and I am confident it will do the like here, if supported with your approbation: It had not seen the Presse here, had I not been assured of the candor and integrity of the Authour. I repose confidence of acceptation, because the Translator hath been of your long acquaintance, and was lately sensible of your propensity and assistance, when he came in your way: If this may find grace with you, you will engage him to make further inquisition into this most sacred and secret mystery, and to rest,

_SIR_,
_Your most affectionate friend_
/Edvvard Stephens/.

AN
EXCELLENT TREATISE
OF
FIRE and SALT·

Composed by the Lord _Blaise_ of _VIGENERE_.

_The first part._

_PYTHAGORAS_ who of all Pagans was undoubtedly, by common consent and approbation, held to have made more profound search, and with less incertainty penetrated into the secrets as well of Divinity, as of Nature, having quaffed full draughts from the living source of Mosaicall Traditions, amid’st his darke sentences, where, according to the Letter, he touched one thing, and mystically understood and comprised another; (wherein he imitates the _Ægyptians_ and _Chaldæans_, or rather, the _Hebrewes_, from whence all theirs proceeded) he here sets downe these two: Not to speake of God without Light; and to apply Salt in all his Sacrifices and Offerings; which he borrowed word for word from _Moses_, as we shall hereafter declare. For our intention is here to Treat of _Fire_ and of _Salt_.

And that upon the 9. of Saint _Marke, ver. 49. Every man shall be salted with Fire, and every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt_. Wherein foure things come to be specified, Man, and Sacrifice, Fire, and Salt; which yet are reduced to two, comprehending under them, the other two; Man and Sacrifice, Fire and Salt; in respect of the conformitie they beare each to other.

_In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth_; this said _Moses_ on the entrance upon _Genesis_. Whereupon the Jew _Aristobulus_, and some Ethniques willing to shew that _Pythagoras_ and _Plato_ had read _Moses_ bookes, and from thence drawne the greatest part of their most secret Philosophy, alledged that which _Moses_ should have said, that the heaven and the earth were first created; _Plato_ in his _Timæus_, after, _Timæus Locrien_ said that God first assembled Fire and Earth, to build an universe thereof; (we will shew it more sensibly of _Zohar_ in the Weik of a Candle lighted, for all consists of light, being the first of all Creatures.) These Philosophers presupposing that the World consisted (as indeed it doth) of the foure Elements, which are as well in heaven, and yet higher, as in the earth, and lower, but in a diverse manner.

The two highest, Aire and Fire, being comprised under the name of Heaven and of the Æthereall Region: for the word ἄιθηρ, comes from the verbe ἄιθω to shine, and to enflame, the two proprieties of these Elements. And under the word Earth, the two lower, Earth and Water, incorporated into one Globe. But although _Moses_ set Heaven before Earth; (and observe here that in all _Genesis_ he toucheth at nothing but things sensible, but not of intelligible things; which is a point apart) for concerning this, there is no good agreement between Jewes and Christians; Saint _Chrysostome_ in his first _Homily_. Observe a little with what dignity the Divine Nature comes to shine in his manner of proceeding to the creation of things; For God contrary to Artists in building his Edifice, stretched out first the heavens round about, afterwards planted the earth below.

Hee wrought first at the head, and afterwards came to the foundation. But it is the Hebrewes custome, that when they speake most of a thing, they ordinarily put the last in order, which they pretend to touch first: And the same is here practised, where Heaven is alledged before Earth, which he comes to discry immediately after.

_In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth, and the Earth was without Forme and void_; Saint _Matthew_ useth the same, upon the entrance to his Gospell, _The Booke of the Generation of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham, Abraham begat Isaac, &c._ For it is well knowne, that _Abraham_ was a long time before _David_: Otherwise it seemes, that _Moses_ would particularly demonstrate, that the Earth was made before the Heaven, by the Creation of man, that is, the Image and pourtrait of the great World, for that in the second of _Genesis_, _God formed man of the slime of the earth_, (that is to say,) his body which it represents; _and afterwards breathed in his face the spirit, or breath of life_: that carrieth him backe to heaven; whereunto suits that which is written in the 1 to the _Cor._ 15. _The first man from the earth is earthly, and the second man from heaven is heavenly: the first man Adam was made a living soule; and the last Adam, a quickning spirit._ Whereto the Generation of the Creature relates, who six weeks after the Conception, is nothing but a masse of informed flesh, till the soule that is infused from above, doth vivifie it.

Moreover the foure Elements (whereof all is made) consists of foure qualities, Hot and Drie, Cold and Moist; two of them are bound up in each of them: _Earth_, that is to say, Cold and Dry, the _Water_, Cold and Moist; the _Aire_, Moist and Hot; the _Fire_, Hot and Dry: whence it comes to joine with the earth; for the Elements are circular, as _Hermes_ would have it; each being engirded with two others, with whom it agreeth in one of their qualities; which is thereunto appropriate: as Earth betwixt Fire and Water, participates with the Fire in drynesse, and with Water in coldnesse; and so of the rest.

Man then which is the Image of the great World, and therefrom is called the Microcosme, or little World, as the World which is made after the resemblance of his Archetype, is called the great man; being composed of foure Elements, shall have also its heaven and its earth: The soule, and understanding, are its heaven, the body and sensuality, its earth: So that to know the heaven and earth of man, is to have true and entire knowledge of all the Universe, and of the Nature of things.

[Sidenote: Act. 17. 28.]

From the knowledge of the sensible World, we come to that of the Creator, and the Intelligible world; by the Creature, the Creator is understood, saith Saint _Augustine_. Fire then gives motion to the body, Aire feeling, Water nourishment, and Earth subsistence. Moreover heaven designes the intelligible world, the earth the sensible: Each of them is subdivided into two, (in every case I speake not but after _Zohar_ and the ancient _Rabbins_.) The intelligible into Paradise and Hell; and the sensible, to the Celestiall and Elementary world: Upon this passage _Origen_ makes a faire discourse at the entry on _Genesis_, that God first made the heaven or the intelligible world, following that which is spoken in the 66. of _Esay_, _Heaven is my seat and Earth my footstoole_; Or rather it is God in whom the world dwelleth, and not the world which is Gods habitation: For in him _we live, move, and have our beeing_; for the true seat and habitation of God, is his proper essence: and before the Creation of the World, as _Rabbi Eliezer_ sets downe, in his Chapters, there was nothing but the essence of God, and his name, which are but one thing: Then after the heaven, or the intelligible world, _Origen_ pursues, _God made the Firmament_, that is to say, this sensible world; for every body hath I know not what firmnesse and solidity, and all solidity is corporal; and as that which God proposed to make, consisteth of Body and of Spirit, for this cause it is written, that God first made the Heaven, that is to say, all spirituall substance, upon which, as upon a certaine throne, hee reposeth himselfe. The Firmament for our regard is the body, which _Zohar_ calleth the Temple, and the Apostle also, _Yee are Gods Temple_, 1 Cor. 3. 17. And the Heaven, which is spirituall, is our soule, and the inner man; the Firmament is the externall, that neither seeth, nor knoweth God but sensibly. So that man is double, an animall, and spirituall body, the one Internall, Spirituall, Invisible; that which Saint _Marke_ in this place designeth for man; the other Externall, Corporall, Animal, which he denotes by the Sacrifice which comprehendeth not the things that are of the Spirit of God, but the Spirituall discerneth all; So that the exteriour man is an animal compared to brute beasts, whereout they tooke their offerings for Sacrifices: He is compared to foolish Beasts, and is made like them; for a man hath no more then a Beast: we must understand the Carnall, and Animall, that consists of this visible body, that dyeth as well as Beasts, are corrupt and returne to Earth: Whence _Plato_ said very well, that which is seene of man, is not man properly. And the first of _Alcibiades_, yet more distinctly, that Man is I know not what else, then his body, namely his soule, as it followes afterwards. That which _Cicero_ borrowed out of _Scipio’s_ dreame; But understand it thus, that thou art not mortall, but this body; thou art not that, which this forme declares, but every mans minde is himselfe, not that figure which may be demonstrated by the finger: And the Philosopher _Anaxarchus_ while the Tyrant _Nicocreon_ of _Cyprus_, caused him to be brayed in a great Marble Morter, cried out with a loud voice, _Stampe hard, bruise the barke of Anaxarchus, for it is not him that thou stampest_.

But will it be permitted for me here, to bring something of _Metubales_? All that is, is either Invisible, or Visible; Intellectuall, or Sensible; Agent, and Patient; Forme, and Matter; Spirit, and Body; the Interiour and the Exteriour man; Fire, and Water; that which seeth, and that which is seen.

But that which seeth is much more excellent and more worthy then that which is seen, and there is nothing that seeth, but the invisible, where that which is seene, is as a blind thing; therefore Water is a proper and serviceable subject, over whom the Fire or Spirit may out-stretch his action.

Also he hath elevated it for his habitation and residence; for by introducing it, he elevates it on high in the nature of Aire contiguous unto it: which invisible Spirit (of the Lord was carryed on the waters, or rather did sit over the waters) did see the visible, moved the immoveable, for water hath no motion of it selfe; there is none but Aire, and Fire, that have, and speake by the Organs of one that is dumb; for as when by our winde and breath, filling a pipe or flute, we make it sound though never so mute.

[Sidenote: _Pour le nouveau._]

[Sidenote: Joh. 1. 13.]

This Body and Spirit, water and fire, are designed unto us by _Cain_ and _Abel_, the first Creatures of all others engendred of the seed of man and woman, and by their Sacrifices, whence those of _Cain_ issuing from the fruits of the earth, were by consequent corporall, dead, and inanimate, and together destitute of faith, which dependeth of the Spirit, and are by Fire dissolved into a waterish vapour, so that to go to finde it in its sphere and habitation, for the newes, we are to suffer thereunder. But those of _Abel_ were spirituall, animate, full of life, that resides in the bloud; full of piety and devotion. This also _Aben Ezra_, and the author of the _Handfull of Myrrh_, call a fire descending from one above to regather them: which happened not to those of _Cain_, which a strange fire devoured; and from thence was declared the exteriour man, sensuall, animall, that must bee salted with Salt; But _Abel_ the interiour, spirituall, salted with Fire; which is double, the materiall and essentiall, the actuall and potentiall, as it is in burnings. All what is sensible, and visible, is purged by the actuall, and the invisible, and intelligible, by the spiritual and potentiall. Saint _Ambrose_, on the Treatise of _Isaac_ and of the Soule. What is man, the soule of him, or the flesh, or the assembly of those two? for the clothing is one thing, and the thing clothed another. Indeed there are two men (I leave the _Messihe_ apart) _Adam_ was made and formed of God; in respect of the body, of ashes, and of earth, but afterwards inspired in him the Spirit of Life; if he had kept himselfe from misprision, he was like unto Angels, made participant of eternall beatitude, but his transgression dispossessed him. The other man is he, which comes successively to be borne of man and woman, who by his originall offence is made subject to death, to paines, travails, and diseases, therefore must hee returne from whence he came. But touching the soule that came from God, it remains in its free will: if it will adhere to God, it is capable to bee admitted into the ranke of his children, _who are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God_. Such was _Adam_ before his first transgression.

The soule then, which is the inner man, spirit, and the very true man which liveth properly, for the body hath no life of it selfe, nor motion; and is nothing else but as it were the barke and clothing of the inner man, according to _Zohar_, alledging that out of the 10 of _Job_ 11. _Thou hast clothed me with skinne and flesh_; whereunto that in the 6. of S. _Matthew_ seemeth to agree, where to shew us how much the soule ought to bee in greater recommendation then the body, as more worthy and pretious; our Saviour saith, _Take no care then how to cloth your body, is not your body better then raiment?_ and by consequent, the soule more then the body, since the body is but as it were the vestment of the soule, which is subject to perish, and to use, (_all shall wax old as doth a garment_.) And the Apostle in the 1 to the _Corinthians_, _The old man falleth away, but the inner man is renewed dayly_; for it washeth it selfe (according to _Zohar_) by the fire, as doth a _Salamander_, and the outward man by water, with Soaps and Lees that consist of Salts. Of which two manners of repurging, it is thus said in the 31. of _Numb. v._ 23. _All that which shall support the fire, shall be purged thereby, and that which cannot beare it, shall be sanctified by the water of Purification_; which was a figure of that which the Fore-runner spake in the 3. of _Matthew_, _It is true that I baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that comes after mee, shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire_.

But behold how _Zohar_ speakes more particularly. If it bee so, _Adam_ what is he? it is nought but skin, and flesh, and bones, and nerves, he must not passe so. But to speak truth, man is nothing else, but the immortall soule that is in him; and the skinne, flesh, bloud, bones, and nerves, are the vestments wherein it is wrapped, as a little creature newly borne within the beds and linnen of its Cradle: These are but the utensils, and instruments allotted to womens children, not to man or _Adam_; for when this _Adam_ so made, was elevated out of this world, he is devested of those instruments, wherewith he had beene clothed and accommodated. This is the skinne wherewith the Son of man is envelopped with flesh, bones, and nerves; and this consisteth in the secret mystery of Sapience, according to that which _Moses_ taught in the Curtains or Vails of the Tabernacle, which are the inward vestment, and the Tabernacle the outward: To this purpose, the Apostle in the fifth of the 2 to the _Corinthians_, saith, _We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved, we have an Ædifice not built with mans hand, but eternally permanent in the high Heavens. For in this we groane, earnestly desiring to bee clothed upon, with our house which is from heaven, if so be, that being clothed wee shall not bee found naked_. So _Adam_ in respect of his body, is a representation of the sensible world; where his skinne corresponds with the Firmament, extending heaven like a Curtaine. For as the heaven covereth and enveloppeth all things, so doth the skin every man; in which, are introduced and fastned its starres and signes, that is to say, the draughts and lineaments in the hands, the forehead, and visage, in which wise men know and reveale, and makes them discerne the inclination of its naturall, imprinted in the inward; And he that doth conjecture from thence, is as he, to whom heaven being covered with Clouds, cannot perceive the constellations that are there, or otherwise darkened from his sight. And although the sagest and most expert in these things can finde out something therein denoted by the draughts and lineaments of the palme of the hand, and fingers, or within them; for by the outside, (it is case a part) and shew nothing, but the nailes which are not a little secret and mystery, because by death they are obfuscate, but have a shining lustre while they live, in the haire, eyes, nose, and lips, and all the rest of his person. For as God hath made the Sunne, Moone, and Stars, thereby to declare to the great World, not only the day, night, and seasons, but the change of times, and many signes that must appeare in the earth. So hath he manifested in the little world Man, certaine draughts and lineaments, holding place of lights and starres, whereby men may attaine to the knowledge of very great secrets, not common, nor knowne of all. Hence is it that the Intelligences of the superiour world do distill and breath as it were, by some channels their influences, whereby the effects come to struggle and accomplish their effects here below, as of things drawn with a rude and strong bow, will plant themselves within a Butt, where they rest themselves.

But to retake the discourse of this double man, and the vestment of him, the Apostle in the 1 _Cor._ 15. saith, _That there are bodies Celestial, and bodies Terrestrial, yet there is a glory both of the one, and of the other. There is a naturall, or animall body, and there is a body spirituall: he will raise up the spirituall body incorruptible_; To this relates the Fire, to the corruptible Salt.

From these vestments furthermore the occasion presents it selfe to a larger extension, the better to declare who must be seasoned with Fire, and who with Salt; which is here expressed by the offering, to whom the exteriour doth correspond, according to the Apostle, _Rom._ 12. _I pray you brethren, by the mercy of God, that you offer up your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto him, which is your reasonable service_: which it could not make it selfe the habitation of the Holy Ghost, if it were not pure, neat, and incontaminate. _Know you not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Spirit which is in you?_ which in Scripture is commonly designed by fire, with which wee must be salted inwardly, that is to say, preserved from corruption; and from what corruption? from sinne that putrifies our soules. _Origen_ in his 7. book against _Celsus_ speaking of its vestments, sets downe, that being of its selfe incorporeall and invisible, in what corporall place soever it findes it selfe, it must have a body convenable to the nature of the place where it resides. As then when it is in this Elementary world, it must have also an elementary body, which it takes when it is incorporated in the belly of a woman, to grow there, and there to live this base life with the body, that it hath taken to the limited terme; which expired, it devests it selfe of this corruptible vestment, although necessary in the earth from whence it came (following that which God said to _Adam_ in the third of _Genesis_, _Thou art dust, and shalt returne to dust_,) to be revested with an incorruptible, whose perpetuall abode is in Heaven. _For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortall must put on immortality._ And so the soul putting off its first Terrestriall vestment, takes another more excellent above in the Æthereall Region, which is of the nature of Fire: hitherto _Origen_, to which nothing could be found more conformable, then that which _Pythagoras_ puts towards the end of his golden verses: Thus forsaking this mortall body, thou passest into the free Æthereall Aire, you shall become an immortall God, incorruptible, and no more subject to death: as if he would say, that after this materiall corruptible body, shall put off the Terrestriall and impure vestment, the perfect portion of it shall shake off these filthinesses and impurities, and shall passe aloft to heaven and adhere to God, which it could not doe, but being pure and neat; nor effect this, but by fire. _Zohar_ speakes to the same purpose, when the Elements destroy themselves, an æthereall body succeeds in their place which doth recloath them; or to speak better, the æthereall body which was reclad with them, devests it selfe; and this is represented to us in the 5 of _Esther_, where it is said, that _on the third day_ shee tooke off her clothes that shee was wont to weare, _and put on her royall apparell to appeare before the King_; which signifies the holy Spirit, and _Esther_ the reasonable soule, whose vestments are the garments of the kingdome of Heaven; of which he that _Daniel_ 3. chap. was said to be like to the Son of God, that crowns the just, and adornes them with royall apparell, to bring them into the presence of the King of Kings, to the Paradise of pleasure, clensed with aire from above, which the holy Spirit breathed into it. _Origen_ in his second Homily upon the 36 _Psalme_. It is the manner of holy Scripture to introduce two sorts of men, that is to say, the interiour and the exteriour, each of which, hath need as much as concernes him, of apparell, as well as nourishment; the external corporal man, maintaines himselfe with meats corruptible, proper and familiar to himselfe, having ever need of Salt, besides their own connaturall; but there is also meat for the inward, whereof it is said in the 8 of _Deuteronomy_, _Man doth not live by bread onely, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God_. And for matter of drinke, the Apostle in the 1 _Cor._ 10. _Our fathers did eat the same spirituall meat, and did drinke the same spirituall drinke; for they did drinke of that spirituall rocke that followed them, and that rocke was Christ_. Who speaking of this drinke in the 4. of Saint _John_, saith, _that hee is the fountaine of living water, and who so drinketh of the water that he shall give them, shall never thirst_. There are also two rayments in regard of the inner man. If he be a sinner, it is said _Psalme_ 109. _He hath put on malediction as a garment_, which must _be to him as his apparell, wherewith he is covered, and as a girdle wherewith he is girt_. And on the contrary the Apostle _Col._ 3. _Lie not one to another, having cast off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new, but be clothed with mercy, benignity, humility, and meeknesse of Spirit_.

These are the vestments which _Zohar_ said were the good works and the nuptiall accoustrements of the soule, which cannot bee washed or cleansed but by Fire, _Every mans work shall bee made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is_, 1 _Cor._ 3. 13. wherein they shall persist without impaire, or consumption, but shall be purified when the soule shall therewith be clothed; from this uncleane scumme, wherein there may remaine some spots that the fire goes on to purge, consuming and defacing them. But what is this fire? It is it which is said in the 4 and 9 of _Deuteronomy_, _our God is a consuming fire_: which as _Irenæus_ interprets, was to strike feare and terror into the Israelites; and this afterwards in the 12 to the _Hebrewes_, 28, 29. _Let us serve God acceptably with feare and reverence, for our God is a consuming fire_. For they had sufficiently understood that the world once perished by the universall deluge, and that it may not incurre the like accident, but suffer its last extermination by fire. Adde that in the 33. of the Mosaicall Law, it is called _The Law of fire_, which is in the right hand of the Almighty, because of its austerity and rigour, all filled with menaces, with feares, with horrors; as much as the Christian is, with sweetnesse and mercy: in his right hand, there is a fiery Law: which the _Chaldean_ Paraphrase interpreteth, for that it was given on _Mount Horeb_, through the middest of fire; according as it is said in the 4 to the purpose touching this feare. _The Lord speake unto me saying, Assemble the people there below, that they may heare my words, and learne to feare me: Then came you neare to the foote that burned even to heaven, and the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of fire._ And _Exodus_ 3. _the burning bush wherein God appeared unto Moses, and was not consumed_. Of this consuming fire, further speaketh _Zohar_ thus in conformity to that received _Maxime_ in naturall Philosophy, that a great flame doth devoure and quench a lesse: as wee may sensibly perceive by a lighted Torch, which is extinguished by the Sunbeams, and by a kettle set neare a great fire that sucks and drawes all out to it selfe: Hee saith then upon this Text of the 35. of _Exod._ _You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath_: To which purpose, said _Rabbi Simeon_, was that ordained? and why was it not lawfull to kindle a fire on the seventh day? because that when men kindle fire, it goeth ever upwards according to its naturall, and moving above every thing, following that of the 7. of Sapience, where it is compared to fire. In Wisdome is the spirit of understanding, holy, one only, manifold, subtill, lively, cleare, undefiled, plaine, moveable above every thing, and overtops all by reason of its purity. The Fire hath two properties, to be moving, and pure, not participating of any uncleannesse; and all motion, is a kinde of action and operation, forbidden expresly on the Sabbath day. Fire then mounting aloft, caries with it the impurities designed in the 10. of _Leviticus_ by strange fire, which is there devoured by that which proceeds from the presence of the Lord. And should bee as much, as thereby to draw from it selfe a judgement of his offences that must not be renewed in the sanctification of the Sabbath, for feare that the fire of Gods wrath do not devour and consume that of our iniquities, and us at once, if this our fire be not first purged by a stronger fire, that consumeth and devoureth the lesser and more feeble: _Zohar_ runs through all that, and upon the passage of the foresaid fourth of _Deut. Thy God is a consuming fire_; he speakes further,

There is a double fire, the one stronger, that devoures the other. He that will know it, let him contemplate the flame that parteth and mounteth from a kindled Fire, or from a Lampe or Torch; for it mounteth not, except it be incorporated to some visible substance, and united with the aire, whereupon it feedeth. But in the flame that mounteth there are two lights, the one white, which shineth and illightneth, having its root somewhat blew; the other red, fastned to the wood, or to the weik that it burneth. That which is white, mounteth directly upwards, and underneath the red remaineth firme, and departs not from the matter, administring wherewith to flame and shine to the other; but they come upon the point to joine and unite together, the one burning, the other burned, till they bee converted into that which predominates and playes the master, namely the white, alwayes the same without variation and change, as the other doth; which now growes blacke, after becomes red, yellow, peach colour, sky colour, azure reinforced above and below, above with a white flame, below with the blacknesse of the matter, which furnisheth it wherewithall to burne, and at the last is therewith consumed. For this azure, red, and yellow flame, the more grosse and materiall it is, endeavours alwayes to exterminate and destroy that which nourished and maintained it: as sinnes do the conscience which harbours them, to the end to make them the perdition and ruine of all that which adheres to it here below, so long, till at the last it remaines extinct; there where the light annexed thereunto, is not eternally extinguished but goes freely upward, and returnes to its proper place of abode, or residence; having accomplished its action below, without changing its brightnesse into any other colour then white. In the like case is it of a tree, whose roots are fastned within the earth, from whence it takes its nourishment, as the weik takes his from the tallow, waxe, or oyle, which makes it burne.

The branch that drawes its juice or sap, by the root, is the same as the weik, where the fire is maintained by the liquor which it drawes unto it, and the white flame, are the branches and boughes, clad with leaves, the flowers and fruits, whereunto tends the finall end of a tree, are the white flame when all comes to bee reduced: wherefore _Moses_ said that _thy God is a consuming fire_, as it is true; for the fire consumes and devoures all that which is under it, and upon which it exerciseth its action. And therefore very proper in the Hebrew text _Elohenu_, thy God, and not _Anonenu_, thy Lord, because the Prophet was in this superiour white light, which neither devoureth, nor can be devoured. And the Israelites were the blew lights, who endeavour to lift up themselves, and unite to him under the law: for the ordinary of this blew light, inclining rather to blacknesse, then to whitenesse; it is true that is constituted as in the midst, and to ruine and destroy all that it layes hold on, and whereunto it adheres.

But if sinners submit thereunto, then the white light shall bee called _Adonenu_, our Lord, and not _Elohenu_, our God, for that it domineers and devours it. And it is this blew flame designed by the little and last ה _He_ of the sacred venerable foure lettered _Jehovah_, which assembles and unites with the three first והי _Jehu_ the white light, which shineth in a most cleare simplicity Trin-one, having under it the blackish, ruddy, & azure colour of the little ה _He_, which is the humane nature consisting of the four Elements, for that it is sometimes represented by 4 ד, the fourth letter of the Alphabet, and which marketh the number of 4. You will say I have brought you here a prolixe place of _Zohar_, I do avow it, but it must have a more ample explication, for there are great mysteries covered thereunder. This _Rabbi_ superlative to all others, endeavouring in his profound and abstracted meditations which transcend all to elevate our spirits by the similitude of a light, to the knowledge of spirituall things, which differs not from our principall purpose, which is fire and its effects.

Of this white light, and of its collaterals; other _Rabbins_ speake, as _Kamban_, _Gerundensis_; That by the _Caballe_ it appears unto us, that the Scripture was an obscure and darke fire, upon the backe of white fire, and marvailously resplendent.

It is the fire (say they) of the holy Spirit, consuming our iniquities, denoted by the red inflamed ardor, and the blew and azure flame, which is the strange fire, as Saint _Ambrose_ very well expounds it in his fourth Epistle to _Simplician_.

Strange fire, is all the ardor of slippery concupiscence, of avarice, hatred, rancour, and envy; And of this fire no man is purged nor expiated, but well burned, which if men offer in the presence of the Lord, celestiall fire will devour, as it did _Nadab_ and _Abihu_; and therefore, he that will purge his sinne, he must cast off from him this strange fire, and let him expiate therefrom; whereof it is said in the 6 of _Esay_ 6. _One of the Seraphims flew to me having a live coale in his hand, which he had taken with the Tongs from off the Altar, and touched my lips, saying, Lo this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sinne purged._ Having said a little before, that all the house was filled with smoake, which is as an excrement and vapour of fire, bee it before it be lighted, or inflamed, or after it be mortified, and extinct; from whence it comes to procreate soot, then which, there is nothing more troublesome and hurtfull to the eies, having carryed away with it a parcell of adustible corruption; which administred to the fire its nourishment and food. This may bee seen in the distillation of soote, where there appeares a notable quantity of inflamable oyle, which causeth it yet to burne; and of this burning there will arise a smoake, which will againe be concreted into a burning smoake, as aforesaid, but not so much.

These are the remnants of sinne, whereof remained some staines printed in the soule, untill at the last, by a successive repurgation of fire, it be reduced to a point of compleat purity; whereof it is spoken in the 4. of the _Canticles, Thou art faire my welbeloved, there is no blemish in thee_; which the white flame notifies, which is the highest degree of burning. Those also well know it that maintaine a fire, for when a Fornace begins to bee hot, it waxeth blacke, then enforcing the fire, it becomes red, and at last it waxeth white when it is in the supreame and high degree of heat, where it persisteth in whitenesse more and more. Such are the actions of fire, but there are great mysteries thereunder, ever to declare further the advantage and præcellency, that the white colour hath above the red, as to the Christian faith, designed by white water, _Apoc._ 4, & 6. & 15. 2. (_In the middle of the Throne there was a Sea of Glasse, like unto Crystall_,) far above the Judaicall faith, red, heat with rigour, and severity, designed by a _pillar of fire, that in the night season conducted the Israelites through the Wildernesse, and the white cloud by day, Exod._ 13. 21. In the secret Hebrew Theology, the red alwayes notes _Gheburah_, Austerity; and the white _Ghedulah_, or Mercy; _Eliah_ was transported, and by force carried into heaven, in a fiery Chariot, drawne with the like horses. But in the transfiguration of our Saviour, _Mat._ 17. 2. _His vestments became white as snow_; and _Apoc._ 3. 6. _The Elect are ever clothed in white_; and in the 6. 11. speaking of the martyred Saints for the faith of their Redeemer, _there was given unto every one of them white robes_; Having set down a little before, _that the Angell which had gotten the victory, and the Crowne, was mounted on a white horse_, (as in the 19, and 20. _the Throne of God is dressed with white_) _and hee that was mounted on the red horse, had a great bloudy sword in his hand, that one might massacre another_. But yet more expresly in the first of _Isaiah_, _Although your sins were as red as fine Scarlet, they should be as white as Snow_. And further, _though they were as red as crimson, they will become as white as wooll_.

But some may say here are many things, which by little and little do turne us from our principall aime, and are as it were extravagant dresses. But not altogether, yet as to mount some sharpe precipice, wee must turne about to goe at more ease, to shunne cliffes and precipices: So are wee sometimes to make some small by-courses and digressions to facilitate our Theame. Rivers that goe turning are more commodious for Navigation, then those that runne impetuously one way downe.

There shall bee nothing at last (God willing) unprofitable, nor from the purpose. Then all this red and white, is but Fire and Water, the pillar of fire by night, and the white cloud by day; into which, as the Apostle saith, _the people of the Jewes were baptized_; and in this cloud the divine Wisdome established his Throne; that of the Law of _Moses_, this of grace; Fire and Salt. _Zohar_ speaking of _Moses_ his two first Tables, broken for the Idolatry of the Golden Calfe, with two pillars, the one of fire, representing naturall heate, by which all things are vivified; the other is water, that is radical moisture, which maintaineth life, (from which, that is not much different in the 15. of the _Apoc._ where it is said, that _he saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire_,) which radicall moisture was perverted and changed in the deluge by the universall inundation, so that it was not since so vigorous as before: but shall at last bee brought to extermination on all sides, at the end of time by a finall conflagration. The first mutation shall meet with some mercy, the race of mankinde being at that time not wholly extinct, but the remainder was saved with _Noah_, and his in the Arke: but the second, shall have none, but all shall perish by the extreame rigour of fire: To the purpose of these two substances, the _Assyrians_ and other people of the East adored Fire, as that which represented to them naturall heat, and the Ægyptians with all those on the South of _Nilus_, which is radicall moisture which goes to render it selfe into a Sea impregned with salt, to preserve it in the end from corruption: Now for this effect, all humours of animall bodies, bloud, spittle, urine, and the rest, are salted, without which, all would corrupt each other, in an instant: Behold the difference that there is in holy writ, that apply the meditations of things sensible to Sacramentall mysteries; and of ratiocinations of blinde Paganisme, who not turning it but above the barke, penetrate no further, then that which the uncertain and doubtful sense may make them comprehend, without passing further to the relation of divine things; where at last al must refer to spiritualty: resembling therein properly to the _Ostrich_, who beates sufficiently with the wing as if shee would mount to heaven, but yet her feet for all that, do not forsake the earth.

The _Phœnician_ Theologie, admitted but of one Element, Fire, which is the principall and chief of all, the productor, and destroyer of all things: which doth not much disagree from that in the 118. _Psal._ is the fiery word by which times were formed. _Heraclitus_ also puts fire, for the first substance that informed all, and from whence they drew all things from power into action, as well superiour, as inferiour, celestiall and terrestriall: For hot and cold, moist and dry, are not substances, but qualities and accidents; from whence naturall Philosophers forged four Elements, whereas according to verity there is but one; which according to the vestments that it receives from the accidentall qualitie, takes divers appellations. If from the heat, it is from the Aire; from moisture, Water; from drynesse, Earth; which three are but one fire, but reclothed with divers and different habits. Even as Fire extending it selfe in all, and through all; so all things come to render unto it, as to the center. So that it may be rightly called an infinite and indetermined vigour of nature, or rather the vivification thereof, for without it nothing could be comprehended, seen, or obtained, above or below; that which illightens is celestiall, that which concocts and digests Aereall, and that which burnes, is terrestriall; which cannot subsist without some grosse matter coming from the Earth, which he reduceth in the end to it selfe; as we may see in things burned, converted to ashes, from whence after the extraction of Salt, rests nothing but pure earth. Salt being a potentiall fire, and waterish, that is to say, terrestriall water, impregned with fire; from whence all sorts of mineralls, come to production, for they are of the nature of Water. The experiment may bee seene in strong Waters, all composed of minerall Salts, Alums, Saltpeters, which burne as Fire: which produceth hot and dry exhalations agitated with winds, easie to take flame, also of flints, of Iron, and of Wood, and of scraped bones, especially those of a Lion, as saith _Pliny_: whence we may gather that there is potentiall fire in all.

Not without cause then did _Pythagoras_, after _Moses_, ordaine not to speake of God, or divine things, without fire: for of all things sensible, there is nothing that symbolizeth, or more corresponds with Divinity then Fire: _Aristotle_ writing to _Alexander_ related unto him, that hee had learned of the _Brachmans_, that there was a fift Element or Essence, which is fire, wherein the Divinity resides: because it is the noblest, and purest of all the Elements; and that which purgeth all things according to _Zoroastes_: _Plutarch_ alledgeth that this Divinity is a spirit of a certaine intellectuall fire, that hath no forme, but transformes to it selfe all that it toucheth, and transmutes it selfe into all, as _Proteus_ the _Genius_ of Ægypt was wont to say,

_Omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum_.

And according to _Zoroastes_ all things were engendred of this fire. It is the light which dwelleth (this saith _Porphyrius_) in an Æthereal fire, for the elementary dissipates all: But more authentically, Saint _Denis_, in the 15. of the Celestiall Hierarchy. Fire, forasmuch as its essence is void of all forme, as well in colour, as in figure, hath beene found the most proper to represent Divinity to our senses, forasmuch as they can conceive and apprehend of the nature and divine Essence. The very Scripture in many places, call God and Angels Fire, and doth not onely propose unto us Chariots and wheeles of Fire; but of igneall animals, of burning brookes and rivers, of coales and men all burned: All these celestial bodies are but flaming lights, and thrones, and Seraphims all of fire; there is so great affinity and agreement with Divinity: for the fire that the feeling and smelling perceiveth, is separated in respect of the substance from all others, that may bee joined and mingled therewith, except it bee of the matter, to which it is incorporated to burne. It shines, it spreads it selfe from side to side, and gathering it selfe to its selfe, with its light it illustrates all that is neare it, nor can it bee seene without the matter whereto it adheres, and exerciseth its action no more then Divinity, but by its effects; nor arrest, nor fasten, nor mingle with any thing, nor change so long as it liveth, there where it handleth all things, and draws them to its selfe, and to its nature. It renewes and rejoyceth all with vitall heat, it illustrates and illuminates all, tending alwaies upward, with agility and incomparable speed. It communicates his motion to all, its light, its heat, without any diminution of its substance, what portion soever it lends, but ever remaines entire in it selfe. It comes suddenly and returneth as fast, without mans knowledge whence it comes, or whither it goes: with many other worthy considerations of this common fire, which brings us to the knowledge of the divine fire; whereof this materiall, is but as a garment and coverture; and Salt the coverture of Fire, which is appeased in Salt, and agreeth with its enemy, Water; as Earth in Saltpeter doth with its contra-opposite the Aire; by reason of the water that is betweene them, for Saltpeter participates of the nature of Brimstone, and of Fire, for that it burnes; and of Salt, for that it resolves into water. For saith _Heber_, it is the property of Salts, and Alums, to bee dissolved into water, sith they were made thereof. But of this more to the purpose hereafter in its place.

[Sidenote: Pag. 29. _Encyclides ab_ ἐγκυκλόω round.]

[Sidenote: Eph. 4. 22, 24.]

The meditations of the Covertures, and revestments are of no small importance, to mount from things sensible, to things intelligible, for they are all infolded one in another, as an _Encyclie_ or a spirall Moone. _Zohar_ makes these revestments double, the one _mounting_ and devesting its selfe, _Put off the old man, and put on the new_; for no spirituall thing descending downwards, operates without a vestment; _Sit yee in Jerusalem till you be clad with power from above_, _Luk._ 24. 49. And in this case the body envelopeth and reclotheth the spirit, the spirit the soule, the soul the intellect, the intellect the Temple, the Temple the Throne, the Throne the _Sechinah_, or the glory and presence of God, which shineth in the Tabernacle. In descending, this glory is shut out from the Throne, and from the Arke of the Covenant, which is within the Tabernacle, or Intellect, the Tabernacle within the Temple, which is our Soule; _Yee are the Temple of God_, the Temple is in _Jerusalem_, our vital spirit, _Jerusalem_ in _Palestine_, our body, and _Palestine_ in the midst of the earth whence our body is composed.

God then being a pure Spirit, stript of al corporeity and matter, (for our soule being such, for more reason must hee be so, that made it to his image and resemblance) hee cannot bee in this simple and absolute nakednesse comprehended, nor apprehended by his Creatures, but by certaine attributes which they give him, which are as many vestments, which the _Caballists_ do particularize to ten _Zephirots_, or numerations; 3 in the intelligible world; and 7 in the celestiall; which come to terminate in the Moone, or _Malcut_, the last in descending, and the first in mounting from the Elementary world upwards, for it is a passage from here below to heaven. So that the Pythagoreans call the Moone the Celestial earth; and the heaven or terrestrial Star, all the nature here below in the elementary world, being in regard of the celestiall, and the celestiall of the intelligible; this _Zohar_ called feminine & passible, as from the Moone towards the Sunne, from whom so much as she absents her selfe till she comes to its opposition, by so much she increaseth in light for our regard here below; where on the contrarry in her conjunction, that shee remaines all darkened, the party upward is all illightned, to shew us, that the more that our understanding doth abate to things sensible, so much the more doth he disjoine or sever them from the intelligible; and contrariwise, this was the cause that _Adam_ was lodged in an earthly Paradise, to have more leisure to contemplate on divine things; when he thought to turne after sensible and temporall things, willing to taste of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evill, whereby hee departed from that of life, to assubject himselfe to death, he was banished from thence and put out. To this very purpose _Zohar_ doth yet adde, that two vestments come from heaven to this temporall life; The one formall, white, and resplendent; masculine, fatherly, and agent; for whatsoever is active takes place from forme, of the male and from the father, and this very thing comes to us from fire, and from the clearnesse of the stars to illustrate our understanding. The other is red, maternall, fæminine; for the soule, coming from the substance of heaven, which is more rare then that of heavenly bodies. That of the understanding is lodged in the braine, and the other of the soule, in the heart. The intellect or understanding, is that part of the reasonable soule made and formed after the image and semblance of its Creator, and the soule in it, the animal faculty called _Nephesch_, the life, namely, that which resideth in the bloud: and as the heaven containes the stars, this contains the intellect, which to us is for the rest common with brute beasts. But the intellect, or reasonable soule is proper and particular to men, that which can merit or demerit; therefore it needs repurgation and cleansing from the spots that it hath drawne and conceived from the flesh wherein it was plunged, according to that in the 8. of _Genesis_ 21. _The thought and imagination of mans heart, were inclined to evill from his youth._ And sith it is a question, about cleansing the vestment which is of a fiery nature, it must likewise be, that it be done by meanes of fire; for wee see by experience, that one fire chaseth away another, as it hath been said heretofore, so that if a man bee burnt, there is no readier remedy, then to burne it againe in the same place; enduring the heat of the fire as much as you can: which drawes the inflammation to its selfe, out of the party, or else tempering it with _Aqua vitæ_ wherein _Vitriol_ hath beene calcined, from whence Chirurgeons have not found a more soveraigne remedy to take away the fire of a musket shot, to heale inflammations and gangrenes; and yet there are two fires joined together. But that which during this life must repurge our soules, is that whereof Saint _Augustine_ in the 29. Sermon speakes thus out of the Apostles words, for there is another afterwards: Kindle in your selves a sparkle of good and charitable dilection, blow it, and kindle it, for when it shall grow to a great flame, that will consume the hay, wood, and chaffe of all your carnall concupiscences, but the matter wherewith this fire must bee continued, are prayers, and good workes, which must alwayes burne on your altar, for it is it whereof our Saviour said, _I am come to put fire in the earth, and what will I if it bee already kindled?_ _Luke_ 12. 49. There are further two fires: one on the bad part, to wit, of carnall concupisence; the other of the good, which is charity, which consumes all the bad, leaving nothing but good, which exalts it selfe in a fume of a sweet odour; for the heart of every one, is as an altar, either of God or of the adversary: and therefore hee that is illuminated with the torch of charity, which must more and more bee increased by good works, that it may nourish in it selfe the ardour that our Saviour will vouchsafe to kindle, whereby that is accomplished, which the Apostle saith in the 5 to the _Ephes._ _That Jesus Christ hath appropriated to himselfe a Church, not having spot or wrinckle, holy, and pure, without blemish._ For that which the Church is in generall, and common towards God, the conscience of every one of us, is in particular the same, when it is sincerely prepared, as it is requisite; and that upon the foundation thereof, men build Gold, Silver, pretious stones; that is to say, a firme faith, and beleefe, accompanied with good works, without which faith is dead and buried; all upon the model and pattern of the heavenly _Jerusalem_ designed in the 21 of the _Apoc._ which is the type of the Church; as is also the reasonable soule, where it must burne alwaies with fire upon the Altar, and after the imitation of the wise and prudent virgins, we may have our lamps ready, well lighted, and garnished with what is needfull to maintaine light, attending the Bridegrome: as our Saviour commanded it in Saint _Luke_ 12.