CHAP. II. What Magick is, what are the Parts thereof, and how the Pro∣fessors thereof must be qualified.
MAgick is a faculty of wonderfull vertue, full of most high mysteries, containing the most profound Con∣templation of most secret things, together with the nature, power, quality, substance, and vertues thereof, as also the Page 3 knowledge of whole nature, and it doth instruct us concern∣ing the differing, and agreement of things amongst themselves, whence it produceth its wonderfull effects, by uniting the ver∣tues of things through the application of them one to the o∣ther, and to their inferior sutable subjects, joyning and knit∣ting them together throughly by the powers, and vertues of the superior Bodies. This is the most perfect, and chief Science, that sacred, and sublimer kind of Phylosophy, and lastly the most absolute perfection of all most excellent Philosophy. For seeing that all regulative Philosophy is divided into Naturall, Mathematicall, and Theologicall: (Naturall Philosophy teach∣eth the nature of those things which are in the world, searching and enquiring into their Causes, Effects, Times, Places, Fashions, Events, their Whole, and Parts, also
All these things doth naturall Philosophy, the viewer of na∣ture contain, teaching us according to Virgil's Muse.
Now Theologicall Philosophy, or Divinity, teacheth what God is, what the Mind, what an Intelligence, what an Angel, what a Divell, what the Soul, what Religion, what sacred In∣stitutions, Rites, Temples, Observations, and sacred Mysteries are: It instructs us also concerning Faith, Miracles, the vertues of Words and Figures, the secret operations and mysteries of Seals, and as Apuleius saith, it teacheth us rightly to under∣stand, and to be skilled in the Ceremoniall Laws, the equity of Holy things, and rule of Religions. But to recollect my self Page 5 these three principall faculties 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Magick comprehends, unites, and actuates; deservedly therefore was it by the Anci∣ents esteemed as the highest, and most sacred Philosophy. It was, as we find, brought to light by most sage Authours, and most famous Writers; amongst which principally Zamolxis and Zoroaster were so famous, that many believed they were the inventers of this Science. Their track Abbaris the Hyper∣borean, Charmondas, Damigeron, Eudoxus, Hermippus follow∣ed: there were also other eminent, choice men, as Mercurius Tresmegistus, Porphyrius, Iamblicus, Plotinus, Proclus, Dar∣danus, Orpheus the Thracian, Gog the Grecian, Germa the Ba∣bilonian, Apollonius of Tyana, Osthanes also wrote excellently in this Art; whose Books being as it were lost, Democritus of Abdera recovered, and set forth with his own Commentaries. Besides Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus, Plato, and many other renowned Philosophers travelled far by Sea to learn this Art: and being returned, published it with wonderfull de∣voutness, esteeming of it as a great secret. Also it is well known that Pythagoras, and Plato went to the Prophets of Memphis to learn it, and travelled through almost all Syria, Egypt, Ju∣dea, and the Schools of the Caldeans, that they might not be ignorant of the most sacred Memorials, and Records of Ma∣gick, as also that they might be furnished with Divine things. Whosoever therefore is desirous to study in this Faculty, if he be not skilled in naturall Philosophy, wherein are discovered the qualities of things, and in which are found the occult pro∣perties of every Being, and if he be not skilfull in the Mathe∣maticks, and in the Aspects, and Figures of the Stars, upon which depends the sublime vertue, and property of every thing; and if he be not learned in Theologie, wherein are manifested those immateriall substances, which dispence, and minister all things, he cannot be possibly able to understand the rationality of Magick. For there is no work that is done by meer Magick, nor any work that is meerly Magicall, that doth not comprehend these three Faculties.