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The history of philosophy: containing the lives, opinions, actions and discourses of the philosophers of every sect. Illustrated with the effigies of divers of them

Chapter 203

Part IX. FTTH AGO HAS.

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S Y M B. XXV.
Tiii’. Look not in aglafs by candle-light
more Fythagortcaliy thus : Philo!(«.iphire, pur- fuing, nottl.e phantahes of fenfc ( which give a kind of light to comprehenfions, like a candle, neither natural nor true ) but thofe which pro- oure Science, and are converfantin the mind, by which a molt bright purity is conftituted in the eye of the foul, of all Notions, and Intelligibles, and the fpeculation ot them, but not of Corpo- reals andSenfibles ; for they are in contiual fluxi¬ on and mutation, C as hath often been ihown ) no way (fable orexiffing like themfelves, where¬ by they might uphold a Umj and Scientifick coin- prehenfion, as the others do.
S Y M B. XXVI.
*^riis, Be net feiz>ed oviih immoderate laugher, (howeth that we (hould vanquifli paffions; Put thy felf in mind of right reafon ; be neither blown up in good fortune, nor cafl down in bad ; admitting no thought of change in either. He n.rmed Laughter above all other paffions, becaufe that is mo(f apparently (hown in the face it felf,* perhaps alfo, becaufe this is proper to man only of '’ll living creatures; whence fome define man, A rifible living Cre.ature. This precept (hows that weought to take humanity only, as it were in our way, likegueffs; but to acquire the imi¬ tation of God, as far as we are able ; by Philo- fophiiing, fecrctly withdrawing our felves from the property of men, and preferring the ratio¬ nal before die rifible, in diflinction from other Creatures.
SYxMB. XXVII.
*^His, At a Sacrifice pare not your nails, isadhor- tative to friendlliip: forof Domefticks and Allies, foaie being nearly relatd to us, as Bro¬ thers, Children, Parents, are like our Limbs and Parts, which cannot be taken away without much pain and maim : others who are allied to us at a great diftance, as the Children of Uncles, or of Coufins, or their Children, or fuch like, refemble thofe parrs which may be cut off with¬ out pain, as Hair, Nails, and theliKe. Intending therefore to fignifie thofe Allies, whom, by rea¬ fon of this diftance, we at other times negled, he ufech the word nails, faying, Cart not thofe quite away ; but, in Sacrifices, (though at other timesneglecfed) carry them along with you, and renew your Domertick familiarity with them.
SYMB. XXVIII.
^^His, Lay not hold on e-jery one readily with y cur right hand, faith, give not your right hand cafily, that is. Draw not toyou, nor endeavour to draw out improper and unitiated perfons, by giving thciTi your right hand: Moreover, to fuch as have not been long tried by Difeiplines and Dodhines, nor are appoved as worthy to participate ol temperance, and of the Quin¬ quennial filenceand ocher Trials, the right hand ought not to be given.
SYMB. XXIX.
"JpHis, When you rife out of bed, wrap the cever- lets together, and confeund the print of your body j
advifeth, that having undertaken to Philofophife, you fliould acquaint your felf wdth Intelledatals, and Incorporeals : Therefore asfoonas you rife from the fleep of Ignorance, and that darknefs which refembles night , draw not to your felf any corporeal thing, to the light of Philofophy w'hicli refembles the day ; but blot out of your remembrance all prints of that fleep.
SYMB. XXX.
Eat not the heart, fignifieth , that wO ought not to tear afunder the unity and ' confpiration of thewhole; .Moreover it implieth. Be not envious, b«c obliging , and communica¬ tive: hereupon if exhorted to Philofophife. For of all Arts and Sciences, only Philofophy envieth not the good of otlrers, nor g!i’..veth thereat, nor rejoyceth in the ill of a neighbour ; but de- clareth that all men are by nature allied to one another, and friends, and aili-ie alL-ded, and fuK-jeTed alike to fortune, and alike ignorant of the future; and therefore comnsands them to conTtniferate and love one another, as becomes a Creature, fociable and rational.
SYMB. XXXI.
Like that, is this. Eat mt the Brain, for that is the principal infirunient of Wifdom ; itfig- nihech therefore that we ought not with reproa¬ ches to bice and tear in pieces things well inten¬ ded, and Dodlrines. Thofe are well intended, which are exa'cily donfidered by the principal reafon of mind, like to things comprehendeefby Science ; for thefe are beheld not by the organs of the irrational foul, that is, by the heart and the liver; but by the pure rational part of the foul : wherefore it is a folly to oppofe them. This Symbol rather advifeth to vvorihip the fountain of Minds, and next inftrumenc of intellection, by whofe means we acquire fpeculation and Sci¬ ence, and fin a word) all Wifdom, and truly Philofophife ; and not to confound and deface the Prints that are therein.
SYMB. XXXIL
^^His, Spit upon the cuttings of thy Hair , and pa¬ rings of thy Nails, faith thus, thofe things are eafily contemned which are born with thee, but are more dirtant from the Mind; as, on the other fide, thofe are more erteem’d, which are mearer to the mind. So having addicted thy mind to Philofophy, above all, reverence thofe things which are demonftrated by the foul and mind, without the organs of fenfe, by fpeculative Sci¬ ence : But contemn and fpic upon thofe things which are feen without cite light of the mind, by thefenficive organs wliich are born with us: which are not capable of reaching the eternity of the mind.
SYMB,
PTt HA Gy 0 K AS.