Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/355

 art; so also those Celestiall influencies, seeing they are certain accidents being removed far from vital substances, or from the life it self, cannot generate a vital substance in these inferiors. And Mercurius in his book which he cals De Communi, saith, All that is in the world is moved either by increase, or decrease. Now what moves, must needs have life; and seeing that all things move, even the earth, especially with a generative and alterative motion, they must themselves live. And if any doubt that the heavens live, saith Theophrastus, he is not to be accounted a Philosopher; and he which denyes the heaven to be animated, so that the mover thereof is not the form thereof, destroyes the foundation of all Philosophy; The World therefore lives, hath a soul, and sense; for it gives life to plants, which are not produced of seed; and it gives sense to Animals, which are not generated by coition.

Chap. lvii. That the soul of the world, and the Celestiall souls are rationall, and partake of Divine understanding. 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 at 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