THat the above named souls have reason, is apparent hence; For whereas the universall works of the foresaid souls do with a certain perpetuall order conspire amongst themselves, it is necessary that they be governed not by chance but by reason; by which reason they do direct, & bring all their operations to a certainty. For it is necessary that the earth should have the reason of terrene things, and water of watery things; and so in the rest; by which reason each in their time, place, and order are generated, and being hurt are repaired. Therefore Philosophers do not think the soul of the earth to be as it were the soul of some contemptible body, but to be rationall and also intelligent, yea and to be a diety. Besides it would be absurd, seeing we have reasons of our works, that Celestiall souls, and the soul of the universe should not have reasons of theirs. But if (as saith Plato) the world be made by very goodness it self, as well as it could be made, it is certainly endowed with not only life, sense, and reason, but also understanding. For the perfection of a body is its soul, and that body is more perfect which hath a more perfect soul; It is necessary therefore, seeing Celestiall bodies are most perfect, that they have also most perfect minds. They partake therefore of an intellect and a minde; which the Platonists also prove by the perseverance of their order, and tenor, because motion is of its nature free, it may easily swarve, and wander now one way, now another, unless it were ruled by an intellect and a mind, and that also by a perfect mind foreseeing from the beginning the best way, and chief end. Which perfect mind indeed, because it is most powerfull in the soul, as is the soul, and as are the souls of Celestiall bodies, and of Elements, without all doubt doth most orderly, and perfectly govern the work allotted to it. For bodies do not resist a most powerfull soul, and a perfect mind doth not change its counsel. The soul of the world therefore is a certain only thing, filling all things, bestowing all things, binding, and knitting together all things, that it might make one frame of the world, and that it might be as it were one instrument making of many strings, out one sound, sounding from three kinds of creatures, intellectuall, Celestiall, and incorruptible, with one only breath and •ife.
Book II, Chap. LVII. That the soul of the world, and the Celestiall souls are rationall, and partake of Divine understanding.
From Three Books of Occult Philosophy (Henry Cornelius Agrippa, translated by J. F. (probably John French), 1651), p. 330.