Page:Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, 1655.djvu/135

 Of the Nat are of Spirits. 1 1 1

Plato divided the orders of Devils or Spirits into three Three de- degrees, which as they are difiincft in the greatnefs of their |p C ; "ts. dignity, foalfo they are different in the diflance and holding of their places. And the firR order he afcribeth to thofe Spi- The g rft rits whofe bodies are nourifhed of the molt pure element of degree. Air, wroughc and joyned together, in a manner , as it were of Spirits, with fplendid threeds , not having fo much reference to the element of fire , that they may be perfpicuous to the fight ; neither do they fo much participate of the earth , that they may be touched or felt ; and they do inhabit the Coeleflial Theater,attendingand waiting on their Prince, not to be de- clared by any humane congue, or beyond the commands of the mod wife God.

But the other degree is derived from thofe Spirits which Thefccond JlpuUiui termeth rational animals, paifive in their minde,and d c & rcc ' eternal in their time, undemanding the apoftate Spirits fpread abroad from the bounds and borders of the Moon, unto us under the dominion of their Prince BeeUebub, which be- fore the fall of Lucifer had pure clarified bodies ; and now, like unto the former, do wander up and down, after their tranfgreffion,in the form of an aiery quality.

C a &or. Thefeldo not conceive are understood in the GreekJProverb : for thefe do hurr,and are the accusers and be- trayers of men. But proceed.

Pollux. The third degree of Spirits is of a divine deitie, The third which is called by Hermes, A divine miracle to man, if he do degree, not degenerate from the Kingly habit of his firft form ; whom therefore of this kinde the Greek 1 a nd Plato have called D that is, God ; and that man may be like unto God, and profitable and commodious one to another ; and fo alfo (the Syrian being witnefs ) we have known Plato himfelf to have ? [ at0 Ci \, been called Damon, becaufe he had fet forth very many things led damon, of very high matters, for the good of the Commonwealth ; and Anfto- and fo likewife Ariftoile, becaufe he very largely difputed of tle ' fublunaries, and all fuch things as arefubjerfl to motion and fence. .HWrcalleth God and evil Spirits, Demons, withouc putting a difcrimination.

C a ttor.

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