Astrologie theologized

CHAP. 4. Of the composition of the Microcosme, that is Man, from the Macro∣cosme, the great World

ADam the first parent of the whole humane kind, was pro∣duced and formed by the admirable wisdom, and workman∣ship of God, as to his soul and body of the slime, or dust of the earth; which slime or dust was such a Masse or matter, which had conjoyned and composed in it self the universall essence, nature, vertue and propriety of the whole greater World, and of all things which were therein. I say that Masse, slime or dust was a meer quintessence, extra∣cted from every part, from the whole frame of the whole world; from which slime or Masse, was made such a creature, with it's form ex∣cepted, was one and the same with the great world, of which it was produced. Hence that creature was called Man, who after∣wards his admirable creation & formation being revealed amongst the wise, was wont most fitly to be called the Microcosme, that is, the little, or lesse world.

The absolute description, and essentiall explication of this slime, dust or masse extracted from the whole macrocosme, we shall find every where abundantly and wonderfully declared, alone by The∣ophrastus Paracelsus in his most excellent writings.

Seeing therefore it is manifest, that every produced and compo∣sed thing, can take or assume his essence, nature and propriety from nothing els, but from that where of it is made and produced; which even that first Man, as an other and later World, made of the former World, by the Ens of that slime, is made pertaker of the same essence, nature & propriety, as the Macrocosme had in it self. For the whole great world existing and being compact in that quintessence of ex∣tracted slime, forthwith it followed, that the whole Macrocosme was complicitly collected and transposed into man, by divine for∣mation, the substance and nature of the Macrocosme remaining ne∣verthelesse safe and intire. For such is the condition in the universal production and generation of things, that every like of it self produ∣ceth his like, and that without destruction of its essence and nature.

Hence, that which hath its originall and derivation from God,

is the same that God is; The Spirit or breath of God which is in Man immidiately proceeds from God, therefore God is of a truth in Man by the Ens of inspiration.

That which hath its originall and derivation from the world, is the same that the world is. The soul and body of man are immediately taken, extracted, and composed of the World, therefore the world is of a truth in Man, by the Ens of slime.

So the first Man made of the Macrocosme, bears in himself the Macrocosme, with the essence and nature of all creatures compli∣cated, collected and compacted together: yet neverthelesse, he formed us to his body of the Elements and things elementated: as to his soul of the soul of the Macrocosme, or the Spirit of Nature which contains and comprehends in himself the whole Firmament, with all its Starrs, and astralique vertues and operations: So it comes to passe, That there is nothing without a man in the whole hea∣ven of Nature, and in all the Elements, with which man in his com∣position doth not participate, and is endued with its Nature.

But there are two things in which the Microcosme and the Ma∣crocosme differ and appear to be contrary, to wit,

The forme of the person, and the complication of things.

As to the form, it seemed good to divine wisdom to convert that Masse extracted from the Macrocosme, and to be con∣verted into a man, not to put and set it into the form of the Macrocosme, which is round and circular: Nor according to the animall form: But it pleased him to erect and apply it to the form of his own Image and similitude. Man neverthelesse in the mean time remaining the Macrocosme.

Therefore this difference doth not touch his essence.

The form doth not take away the truth of the subject, that man may not be believed to be the Macrocosme.

As to the complication or composition of all naturall things, into one body, or into one person; all things cannot be apparent and distinctly known together in a Man; one thing after an other, as it is excited and provoked, is manifest and flourisheth in the species, other things in the mean time remaining hid in the Macrocosme, all things are explicitly existing, living and operating in the spe∣cies: But in the Macrocosme all things are compact and conjoyned together.

Moreover after that Man the Microcosme was, and held all

things now in himself, out of which he was taken, behold the whole plenitude of Nature, as well corporally as spiritually was conjoy∣ned in him, and as a most rich Treasure collected and laid up in one Centre, yet so as man should be all things complicitly; and yet none of them all explicitly.

And from this Protop last, or first formed man and begetter of all, even in like manner are we constituted and formed: not of the same slime or Masse as that was in the beginning, whereof Adam was made: But by a Masse extracted from the substance of the Mi∣crocosme, which we with Paracelsus call the Ens of seed, which seed hath and bears in it self complicitly the whole Macrocosme, that is, Man, and thence the humane off-spring, as to the essence, nature and propriety in all things a like grows and comes forth to its begetter, as a most lively image, which truly could not be done if all these things did not lie hid, & were extant in the Ens of the seed. Hence e∣very one of us hath the same in himself essentially delivered over to himself by the Ens of the seed from his parent: which the first man re∣ceived and had from the extracted Macrocosme by the Ens of slime, to wit, an elemental body from the Elements, and a soul or sydere∣an spirit from the Firmament.

Notes

• 3. John That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh.
• See concer∣ning this this Foun∣dation of Wisdom by Paracelsus.
• Adam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉