Four Emblematic Theosophical Figures,

from ‘Theologia Mystica’, London, 1683.

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Today’s sharing from the Blue House of Via-HYGEIA, are ‘Four Theosophical Figures Delineated‘, excerpted from Dr. John Pordage’s ‘Theologia Mystica’, London, 1683. It includes two treatises: ‘The Mystic divinities of the Aeternal Invisibles, and ‘Treatise of Eternal Nature, with her seven Essential forms or Original Working Properties’, published earlier in 1681 but joined in the same edition. From the library of the late Dr. Charles Musès, now in the archives and library of Via-HYGEIA. Here are reviewed: 1. The Archetypal Globe. 2. The Flaming Heart with an open Eye, 3. The Eye of Eternity, and 4. The Abyssal Nothing (+ a little bonus on the definition of the word, Principle & of the concept of Eternal Nature).

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1.The Archetypal Globe

An explanation of the Scheme

of the Eight Worlds, Globes, Centers, and their scituation

The Letter A affordeth the view of the Archetypal Globe or World which is the first and conteins all the other in its circumference; as the figure demonstrateth.

B would have you behold Eternal Nature; whose circle you see, doth enclose all the Worlds.

C Carrieth you to the Angelical World.

D Declareth the Dark Fire-World.

E Entreth you into the Fire-Light-World.

F Pointeth forth the Light-Fire-World.

G Giveth you the fight of the four Elementarie-World

H Holdeth out the Light Fireless-World.

We may further observ from this figure that all the Worlds, or Principles, are comprehended in the first which is the Eternal World; because it is the first of all Worlds, conteining all, it self conteined of none, and the beginning and end of all Worlds, Principles, and Creations.

Another thing to be observed is that Eternal Nature which is the Second World, and doth contein 6 Worlds in its enclosure as was before mentioned; which are scituated in the same order in which they  were produced. 1. The Angelical World, next the Dark World, then the Fire-Light World, in the fourth place Paradise or the Light-Fire World, in the fifth place this outward visible four Elemental-World, and in the sixth and last place the Light Fireless-World.

Finally we are to take notice of a thing which cannot be expressed in this Figure which is the penetration of the worlds one through another, without mixing with one another. Thus the Eternal World passeth through all the worlds which it comprehends within its circumference; for else God who fills this World and dwells in it, could not be an Omnicient, Omnipotent and Omnipraesent God; for as God passeth through all, so doth this World which in good and true sense may be called the Body of God. So likewise, doth pass through and penetrate the fix Worlds, which are conteined in its circumference: besides every one the fix do penetrate one another; yet without mixing with one another, as being each of them a distinct Center, World and Principle.

This much shall suffice to have spoken in general concerning the import of this Scheme, to this Book explain’s only two of the Globes, Worlds, Principles, &c.

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2.The Flaming Heart

with an open Eye

For this illustration of which look upon the figure in the Margent, the round Circle represents the Abyssal Globe, the Eye in the  midst of the Heart, represents the Father, the Generator of the Son, who is the Heart of the Father: the Heart in the midst of which the Eye is placed, typifies the Son of God, the only begotten of the father, Co-eternal, Co-essential, and Co-equal with him; and the out flowing exit of powers, like a breath, represents the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father, through the Heart of the Son. Thus the birth of the Holy Trinity is manifested, in the opening of the Eye, to be a Trinity in Unity: the Eye is in the Heart, and the Heart is the Eye’s center, and the Spirit is a proceeding Spirit from the Eye and Heart; and thus they are one in another, one in Essence, undivided and inseparable: the Father is one with the Son, and the Son with the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the union of them both, and abides one with them.

Wheresoever the Eye is, there is the Heart, and wheresoever the Eye and Heart are, there the out going of powers stream’s forth from them. But, yet notwithstanding this their undivided Unity, they are in this manifestation represented with a distinction from each other: for the Eye is not the Heart, nor the out going breath either Eye or Heart. We must not think that the Holy Trinity are three organically distinct persons, for so they must be three distinct Gods; but we must keep to the Scriptures expression, which tells us, ‘There are Three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, Word and Spirit, and these Three are One‘. (1. John 5-7). And accordingly the Ancients used to express this Trinity not by the word Persons, but by their Numbers, Monas, Duas, Trias, the first, second, third Number.

I know there are many, who are so great Enemies to the word Persons, that they suppose the Father, Son and Spirit only to be three denominations; but this is a great mistake, for the Eye of the Father is an Essential Power, and not a mere denomination; the Son’s Heart is an Essential Being, generated out of and from the Father, and is the seat of the Eye of the Father, and the Holy Ghost is an Essential Breath proceeding from the Father’s Eye, through the Son’s Heart. The most unblameable expression therefore for to signifie the Trinity, is the number Three, being an expression which the Scriptures’ warrants.

Behme (A Via-Hygeia Note: Jacob Boehme), in his excellent writings compares the Trinity to the Sun in the firmament, from whence fire, light and heat do proceed, which three are one in another, and yet so as the one is not the other: which resemblance holds forth the Holy Trinity, as they have introduced themselves into Eternal Nature’s Essence: but the Father’s Eye opening it self, doth not manifest the Trinity in similitudes taken out of Eternal Nature’s ground, but doth manifest their very Essence as they are in themselves, before the existence of any Creatures out of Eternal Nature’s ground.

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3. The Eye of Eternity

…In the tenth and last place, I shall speak something concerning their outward form and figure, which as was told you before, is the very same with the figure of the Eye of Eternity, only with this difference that the Eye of Eternity is greater, and these also much lesser Eyes encompassing it round.

According as you see it represented in the figure which is in the margin: where the Great spot in the midst deciphers the Eye of Eternity appearing like the black or sight of an Eye; and the lesser spots round about it represent the Inhabitants of the still Eternity, exactly resembling the Eye of Eternity, with  this only distinction, that they are less than it. And here we may also take notice, that as these Spirits do exactly in their outward figure resemble the Holy Trinity, as they exist in the shut up Eye of Eternity, so also they exactly resemble one another without any the least difference, appearing all not only in the same figure and form, but also of the same bigness; so that there is no distinction between them, but only a numerical distinction, whereby one of them is not the other. And one of the greatest Wonders of the still Eternity is this, to behold this innumerable number of Spirits bearing the exact and perfect resemblance with the Deity both outwardly and inwardly. At which sight my Spirit was in a manner all absorbed quite swallowed with wonder and amazement.

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4. The Abyssal Nothing

This Circle represents the Principle of Eternal Nature, which is the subject of this discourse.

The black spot in the midst of the Circle, represents God’s Eternal Eye, and type’s out the trinity in their Eternal Unity, who have placed themselves in the midst of Eternal Nature’s Principle, for the ordering and governing of it. And also the Holy Trinity’s introducing of themselves into Eternal Nature.

The wide space within the Circle type’s forth the Chaos or the Abyssal nothing; the ground of all Essences and yet no Essences to be seen in it.

(A Via-Hygeia Note: We insert here this paragraph on the same subject, from pages 110 and 111: ‘But the great mystery lye’s here, to know how Eternal Nature doth proceed from God’s Essence, and what God’s Essence is from whence Eternal Nature  doth proceed: now to this, I say, that Eternal Nature proceeds from God’s Abyssal Essence, generated out of himself; for as was said before, there was no other Essence to generate it from. You will say, what is this Abyssal Essence, which is the original ground of all Essences? I answer, it is an immense, deep, empty space, a bottomless, and boundless Abyss. Yet, I do not say it is without beginning: for God generated this Abyssal Essence out of his own Eternal Essence, as was manifested to my sight by God’s Spirit, else I could not write it of as I do, had I not seen the pattern in the Mount of Eternity. When I say, God was the original of this Abyssal Essence, I mean the Triune Deity, in their Eternal Unity, for they are the joynt co-operators in every created Essence; they work inseparably, one doth not work without the other. But the Mystery is yet in the manner how God doth generate this Abyssal Essence out of himself; to clear this, you must know, that in God there is an Eternal Will, and this Eternal desiring Will looketh into himself, and finding nothing but himself, doth make a beginning and end to himself; and so the beginning entring into the end, and the end into the beginning of himself, there is formed out of himself this round Abyssal Globe. As in the fore-mentioned figure.

Thus, you see, that the Will of God is the beginning and end of this Abyssal Essence. The materiality also of this Abyss is generated out of himself, because there was nothing besides himself to generate himself from, therefore the Eternal desiring Will must generate this Abyssal Essence out of itself. Last of all, you see the form or figure that God’s Eternal Will formed this Abyss into, even into a circle or Globe, and the manner  how, wiz. that the desiring Will looking into it self, and finding nothing but itself, doth put an end to himself; and so the beginning closing with the end there is formed  a round or globe. Thus, you see the highest ground that we can have of this Abyssal Essence, viz. the desiring Will of God, which Will is the first and last cause of all things, from which free, efficatious Will, God doth style himself the First and the Last, the Begining and the End of all things; the Scriptures teaching us, that from this Will, by this Will, and for this Will all things were created. And thus much shall suffice concerning the beginning of God’s Abyssal Essence’.)

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Now because I have in the foregoing discourse oft made mention of the word Principle, without having any where declar’d what I mean by it. I think it proper in this place to give you the signification of it, according to the sense in which I take it.

And in the first place, I shall tell you negatively in what sense it is not in this place taken by me. By the word Principle, I do not understand the first constitutive beginning of things, whereof they consist, and from whence they take their Being, in the same sense in which the four Elements by some, and Salt, Sulfur and Mercury, by others, are called the Principles of all things.

But, by a Principle, I mean an Original Source, and Fountain-Essence, formed by an Agent, into a Spherical Circumference, by which it is distinguished from all others.

1.To explain this definition a little, I say, in the first place, that a Principle is an Original and Fountain-Essence: for it is not every Essence doth make a Principle, but such an one only, as is the fruitful Mother of all the Essences conteined within its own Circumference and Kingdom, and affords them being and sustenance from its own Bowels.

2. In the second place, it is said to be formed by an Agent, because a Principle of itself is Passive, considered without the Active Spirit in the Center, which is the Mover of it.

3. In the third place, you have the form and figure of a principle, a Spherical Circumference, which is the common form of all Principles.

4. In the last place, you have the end, why a Principle is formed into a Spherical enclosure, viz. that thereby it might be distinguished from all other Principles, Worlds and Centers: for all other Principles, Worlds and Centers: for all these are the same with me in this place, and therefore many times one of these is put for the other.

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Having thus given you the Definition of a Principle in general, I shall now subjoyn the particular definition of Eternal Nature, in these words:

Eternal Nature is a Principle created by God out of the Abyssal Chaos, containing the seven operative powers, for the production of all things.

The Genus, or general Notion of this definition is the word Principle, which but just now we have explained to you.

The difference of this definition contains the four Causes of Eternal Nature, viz. the efficient , material, formal and final.

The efficient Cause, which is God, is expressed in these words of the definition, created by God.

The material Cause, which is the Abyssal Chaos, is expressed in these words, out of the Abyssal Chaos.

The formal Cause are the seven operative Powers, which the definition tells you, that Eternal Nature doth contain.

The final Cause of Eternal Nature is, that it might be the fruitful Mother of all things: which the definition expresseth in these words, for the production of all things.

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Sources

of the figures

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Origin of our copy of 

Dr. John Pordage’s ‘Theologia Mystica’, London,1683

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