Aphor. 43.
The Lord liveth, and the works of God do live in him by his appointment, whereby he willeth them to be; for he will have them to use their liberty in obedience to his commands, or disobedience thereof. To the obedient, he hath proposed their rewards; to the disobedient he hath propounded their deserved punishment. Therefore these Spirits of their free-will, through their pride and contempt of the Son of God, have revolted from God their Creator, and are reserved unto the day of wrath; and there is left in them a very great power in the creation; but notwithstanding it is limited, and they are confined to their bounds with the bridle of God. Therefore the Magician of God, which signifies a wise man of God, or one informed of God, is led forth by the hand of God unto all everlasting good, both mean things, and also the chiefest corporal things.
Great is the power of Satan, by reason of the great sins of men. Therefore also the Magicians of Satan do perform great things, and greater then any man would believe: although they do subsist in their own limits, nevertheless they are above all humane apprehension, as to the corporal and transitory things of this life; which many ancient Histories, and daily Examples do testifie. Both kindes of Magick are different one from the other in their ends: the one leadeth to eternal good, and useth temporal things with thanksgiving; the p. 202 other is a little sollicitous about eternal things; but wholly exerciseth himself about corporal things, that he may freely enjoy all his lusts and delights in contempt of God and his anger.
Aphor. 44.
The passage from the common life of man unto a Magical life, is no other but a sleep from that life, and an awaking to this life; for those things which happen to ignorant and unwise men in their common life, the same things happen to the willing and knowing Magician.
The Magician understandeth when the minde doth meditate of himself; he deliberateth, reasoneth, constituteth and determineth what is to be done; he observeth when his cogitations do proceed from a divine separate essence, and he proveth of what order that divine separate essence is.
But the man that is ignorant of Magick, is carried to and fro, as it were in war with his affections; he knoweth not when they issue out of his own minde, or are impressed by the assisting essence; and he knoweth not how to overthrow the counsels of his enemies by the word of God, or to keep himself from the snares and deceits of the tempter.
Aphor. 45.
The greatest precept of Magick is, to know what every man ought to receive for his use from the assisting Spirit; and what to refuse: which he may learn of the Psalmist, saying, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? in keeping thy word, Oh Lord. To keep the word of God, so that the evil one snatch it not out of the heart, is the cheifest precept of wisdom. It is lawful to admit of, and exercise other suggestions which are not contrary to the glory of God, and charity towards our neighbours, not inquiring from what Spirit such suggestions proceed: But we ought to take heed, that we are not too much busied about unnecessary things, according to the admonition of Christ; Martha, Martha, thou art troubled about many things; but Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall p. 203 not be taken from her. Therefore let us alwaies have regard unto the saying of Christ, Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. All other things, that is, all things which are due to the mortal Microcosme, as food, raiment, and the necessary arts of this life.
Aphor. 46.
There is nothing so much becometh a man, as constancy in his words and deeds, and when the like rejoyceth in his like; there are none more happy then such, because the holy Angels are conversant about such, and possess the custody of them: on the contrary, men that are unconstant are lighter then nothing, and rotten leaves. We chuse the 46 Aphorisme from these. Even as every one governeth himself, so he allureth unto himself Spirits of his nature and condition; but one very truely adviseth, that no man should carry himself beyond his own calling, lest that he draw unto himself some malignant Spirit from the uttermost parts of the earth, by whom either he shall be infatuated and deceived, or brought to final destruction. This precept appeareth most plainly: for Midas, when he would convert all things into gold, drew up such a Spirit unto himself, which was able to perform this; and being deceived by him, he had been brought to death by famine, if his foolishness had not been corrected by the mercy of God. The same thing happened to a certain woman about Fanck ford at Odera, in our times, who would scrape together and devour mony of any thing. Would that men would diligently weigh this precept, and not account the Histories of Midas, and the like, for fables; they would be much more diligent in moderating their thoughts and affections, neither would they be so perpetually vexed with the Spirits of the golden mountains of Utopia. Therefore we ought most diligently to observe, that such presumptions should be cast out of the mind, by the word, while they are new; neither let them have any habit in the idle minde, that is empty of the divine word.
Aphor. 47.
He that is faithfully conversant in his vocation, shall have also the Spirits constant companions of his desires, who will successively supply him in all things. But if he have any knowledge in Magick, they will not be unwilling to shew him, and familiarly to converse with him, and to serve him in those several ministeries, unto which they are addicted; the good Spirits in good things, unto salvation; the evil Spirits in every evil thing, to destruction. Examples are not wanting in the Histories of the whole World; and do daily happen in the world. Theodosius before the victory of Arbogastus, is an example of the good; Brute before he was slain, was an example of the evil Spirits, when he was persecuted of the Spirit of Caesar, and exposed to punishment, that he slew himself, who had slain his own Father, and the Father of his Country.
Aphor. 48.
All Magick is a revelation of Spirits of that kinde, of which sort the Magick is; so that the nine Muses are called, in Hesiod, the ninth Magick, as he manifestly testifies of himself in Theogony. In Homer, the genius of Ulysses in Psigiogagia. Hermes, the Spirits of the more sublime parts of the minde. God revealed himself to Moses in the bush. The three wise men who came to seek Christ at Jerusalem, the Angel of the Lord was their leader. The Angels of the Lord directed Daniel. Therefore there is nothing whereof any one may glory; For it is not unto him that willeth, nor unto him that runneth; but to whom God will have mercy, or of some other spiritual fate. From hence springeth all Magick, and thither again it will revolve, whether it be good or evil. In this manner Tages the first teacher of the Magick of the Romanes, gushed out of the earth. Diana of the Ephesians shewed her worship, as if it had been sent from heaven. So also Apollo. And all the Religion of the Heathens is taken from the same Spirits; neither are the opinions of the Sadduces, humane inventions.
Aphor. 49.
The conclusion therefore of this Isagoge is the same which we have above already spoken of, That even as there is one God, from whence is all good; and one sin, to wit, disobedience against the will of the commanding God, from whence comes all evil; so that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom, and the profit of all Magick; for obedience to the will of God, followeth the fear of God; and after this, do follow the presence of God and of the holy Spirit, and the ministery of the holy Angels, and all good things out of the inexhaustible treasures of God.
But unprofitable and damnable Magick ariseth from this; where we lose the fear of God out of our hearts, and suffer sin to reign in us, there the Prince of this world, the God of this world beginneth, and setteth up his kingdom in stead of holy things, in such as he findeth profitable for his kingdom; there, even as the spider taketh the flye which falleth into his web, so Satan spreadeth abroad his nets, and taketh man with the snares of covetousness, until he sucketh him, and draweth him to eternal fire: these he cherisheth and advanceth on high, that their fall may be the greater.
Courteous Reader, apply thy eyes and minde to the sacred and profane Histories, & to those things which thou seest daily to be done in the world, and thou shalt finde all things full of Magick, according to a two-fold Science, good and evil; which that they may be the better discerned, we will put here their division and subdivision, for the conclusion of these Isagoges; wherein every one may contemplate, what is to be followed, and which to be avoided, and how far it is to be laboured for by every one, to a competent end of life and living.
Sciences
Good
Theosophy
Knowledge of the Word of God, and ruling ones life according to the word of God.
Knowledge of the government of God by Angels, which the Scripture calleth watchmen; and to understand the mystery of Angels.
Anthrosophy given to man
Knowledge of natural things.
Wisdome in humane things.
Evil
Cacosophy
Contempt of the word of God, and to live after the will of the devil.
Ignorance of the government of God by Angels.
To contemne the custody of the Angels, and that their companions are of the devil.
Idolatry.
Atheism.
Cacodaemony
The knowledge of poisons in nature, and to use them.
Wisdome in all evil arts, to the destruction of mankinde, and to use them in contempt of God, and for the loss and destruction of men.
FINIS