Part XV^.

The Chaldaicli Philofophy.
23
by illumination from thence •, '?lato indeed holds, , The Damons (faith Pj'ellus) that are near the that we may comprehend the ungenerate Ejfencc 'Earth are by Nature lyings as being far of' from
by Reafon and Intellebl •, but the Chaldatan af- ferts^ that there is no other means for us to ar¬ rive at God^ but by ftrengthning the Vehicle of ' ’■ the Soul by material Rites ^ far he fuppofeth that the Soul is purified by Stones^ and Tierbs^ andCharms^ and is rendred expedite for Ajcent.
It is likewife beneficial to the Body, as well rfelLk Orac. as to the Soul, for * if a Man (hall give his mind to thefie^ he fnall not only render his Soul unvan- quifhable by Raffions^ but fhall alfo preferve his Body the better in health ; for the ufual effebl of Divine lllumimations is to confume the tnat-
ter of the Body^ and to eflablifh Nature by Healthy that we be not feized either by Rajji- ons or Difeafes,
a De Myflert
b In Synef.
CHAP. VI. Theurgick Rites.
T3 Y Theurgick or Tele flick Rites they con- |j ceived that they could procure a Commu¬ nication with the good Dsemons, and Expulli- on or Averriincation of the bad.
The chief of thefe Kitts was Sacrifice -ycon- cerning which there is a remarkable paflage in afamblichus^ who delivers the Chaldatck Ofii- nion thus : The Gods give thofe things that are truly good ^ to fuch as are purified by Sacrifices ; with whom alfo they converfe yind by thetr commu¬ nication drive away Wickednefs and Rajfion far from them'j and by their bright nefs chafe fom thence the dark Spirit ‘^for the evil Spiritsywhen the light of the Gods cometh in^fly away as Sha¬ dows at the light of the Sun: Neither are they able any longer to difiurb the Tious Sacrifixe>\ who is free from all Wickednefs^ Terverfnefs^ and Fajfion : But fuch as are pernicious^ and behave themf elves injolentlyin oppofition to fa¬ ir edRites and Orders^ thefe by reafon of the mbecillity of their Ablion^ and veant of Power, are not able to attain to the Gods, but becaufe of certain Pollutions are driven away from the Gods, and afjociated zniih ill Demons , by whofe bad Breath they arc infpired, and depart thence mtfinvicked,prifd7te'a7rd dijfolute •, unlike the Gods in defire, but in all things refembling the bad Demons with whom they converfe daily. Theic A'len therefore being full of Pafjion and Wicked- nefs, by the Affinity that is betwixt them., draw tb^yitil'.Spirite tpthem, by whom being ftickly PPbkfly are again excited to all Iniquity., one ajfifii^g^and firengthning the other, like a Circle 'ioi^ofe beginning and end meet. nj, Sgver.al other Rites they uled alfo, which they conceived to be prevalent in evocation of thefe Dsernons. They are allowed (Taith b Gne- ^Tus Nicephoras ) 01. zt of tJye Air and Earthly ; certain Stones or Pulfe, or certain Voices or ■figures, which they call Characters, invented hy the Chaldeans and Egyptians who firfi found out the proper dignofcitivefign of every Dxmon Some few of thefe are mention’d in the Chaldaick Oracles, as,
TVhen thou fee ft the Ter reft rial Deemon approach, Scicrifice the Stone Mnizuris, ufing Invocation.
the Divine Knowledge, and filled with dark mat¬ ter. Now if you would have any true Difeourfe from ihef 'e, prepare an Altar, and Sacrifice the Mnizuris. This Stone hath the Power of Evocations, the other greater Dxmon who invi- fibly approacheth to the material Dxmon will_ pronounce the true Relation of Demands, which tranjmits to the Demandant the Oracle the voca¬ tive name with the Sacrificing of the Stone.
Another of thefe Rites mentioned by the fame Oracles,is that of the Hecafin'e Strophalusi
Labour about the Hecatine Strophalus.
Whe Hecatine Strophalus (faith Pfelhis) is a Golden Ball, inthe midfi zchereef is a Saphiret, they fold about it a Leal her Thong, it is befet all over with Char able rs -, thus zohipping it about they made their Invocations. Thefe they ife to call Jynges whether it be round or triangle, or any other figure, andwhilfl they are doing thus they make infignificant or brutifh cries , and lafh the Air zvuh their Whips. The Oracle ad-, vifeth to the performance of thefe Rites, or fuch a Alotion of the Strophalus, as having an ex- prejfible Power. It 'is called Elecatine as being, dedicated to Hecate. Hecate A a Goddefs amongjl the Chaldseans, having at her right fide we Eountain of Vertucs.
■ No little Efficacy was attributed to certain Words ufed in thefe Rites , which the ick Oracles cxprefly forbid to be changed.
Never change Barbarous Names.
There are certain NamesfAlh. Pfellus) among all Nations delivered to them by pod, zvhich have an unfpeakahle Power in Divine Rites, change not thefe into the Greek Dia/eb?-, od.r Seraphim in the Hehrezo Dialebl have an unfpeakahle Ef¬ ficacy in Divine Rites' but changed into Gr'ee.h, Names are ineffcltuai.
CHAP. \'IL
Apparitions.,
E Apparitions procured by thefe Rites
are of two Kinds. a The firft is called izroAHo. Sttper-infpebdi- a. rfel. in 0* on(in refpeQ to the initiated Perfuft.^ When he 15. who orders the Divine Rites leeth a meer Apparition, (as' for inftance)' of Light in fome Figure or Form, concerning which the Chalda- ick b Oracli; advifeth,that if any one fees fuch a b-Pfd. inO- Light, he apply not his Mind to it, not efieem the ''^^- *4* voice proceeding from thence to be true, c Some- ^ ppi. inO- times likewife too many initiated Peifons there me. 19. appears whilfi they are facrificing fome Appa¬ ritions in the fhape of Dogs, and feveral other Figures. Thefe are Apparitions of the Pajfions of the Soul in performing Divine Rites, meer Appearances, having no Subfiance, and therefore not fignifying any thing t rue.
The Second is called d durofU, felfinfpe- ^ pfei. in 0- bdpn, this is when the initiated P erf on feeth the rac. 1 5. Divine Light it felf without any Figufe or Form:
Tins the Oracle calls ivnedvi g Sacro-fanct,for e Uc. at.'
that
24
the Chddaic\_ Pbilofophy.