Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/482

hath created the world round seeing he is eternall, he hath created the world incorruptible and everlasting: seeing he is Immense, he hath created the world the greatest of all things; seeing he is the chiefest life, he hath adorned the world with vitall seeds, begetting all things out of himself; and seeing he is omnipotent, by his will alone, not by any necessity of nature, he hath created the world, not out of any foregoing matter, but out of nothing; and seeing he is the chief goodness, embracing his word, which is the first Idea of all things, with his choicest will, and essentiall love, he hath fabricated this externall world after the example of the Internall, viz. Ideall world, sending forth nothing of the essence of the Idea, but created of nothing that which he had from eternity by the Idea: God also created after his Image; for as the world is the Image of God, so man is the Image of the world. Hence some think that it is spoken, that man is ot created simply the Image of God, but after the Image, or the Image of the Image; therefore he is called Microcosme, that is the lesser world; The world is a Rationall creature, Immortall; man in like manner is rationall but mortal, that is, dissolvable; for (as Hermes saith) seeing the world it self is immortall, it is Impossible that any part of it can perish. Therefore to dye, is a vain name, and even as Vacuum is no where, so also Death; Therefore we say a man dieth, when his Soul and body are separated, not that anything of them perisheth or is turned into nothing. Notwithstanding the true Image of God is his word. The wisdome, life, light and Truth existing by himself, of which Image mans soul is the Image, in regard of which we are said to be made after the Image of God, not after the Image of the world, or of the creatures; for as God cannot be touched, nor perceived by the ears, nor seen with the eyes; so the soul of man can neither bee seen, heard nor touched. And as God himself is infinite, and cannot be compelled by any, so also the minde of man is free, and cannot be enforced or bounded. Further, as God comprehendeth this whole world, and whatsoever is in it in his minde alone; so mans minde comprehendeth it even in thought; and that which is peculiar to him alone with God, as