Mr. Ashmole told me, that a woman made use of a spell to cure an ague,
by the advice of Dr. Nepier; a minister came to her, and severely
repremanded her, for making use of a diabolical help, and told
her, she was in danger of damnation for it, and commanded her to burn
it. She did so, and her distemper returned severely; insomuch that she
was importunate with the Doctor to use the same again; she used it,
and had ease. But the parson hearing of it, came to her again, and
thundered hell and damnation, and frighted her so, that she burnt it
again. Whereupon she fell extremely ill, and would have had it a third
time; but the Doctor refused, saying, that she had contemned and
slighted the power and goodness of the blessed spirits (or Angels) and
so she died. The cause of the Lady Honywood's Desparation was, that
she had used a spell to cure her.
"Jamblicus de Mysteriis de nominibus Divinis."
"Porphyrius querit, cur Sacerdotes utantur nominibus quibusdam nihil
significantibus ? Jamblicus respondet, omnia ejusmodi nomina
significare aliquid apud deos: quamvis in quibusdam significata
nobis sint ignota, esse tamen nota quaedam, quorum interpretationem
divinitus accepimus, omnino vero modum ineis significandi
ineffabilem esse. Neque secundum imaginationes humanas, sed secundum
intellectum qui in nobis est, divinus, vel potius simpliciore
praestantiorieque modo secundum intellectum diis unitum. Auferendum
igitur omnes excogitationes & rationales discursus, atque
assimulationes naturalis vocis ipsius congenitas, ad res positas
innatum. Et quemadmodum character symbolicus divinae similitudinis in
se intellectualis est, atque divinus, ita hunc ipsum in omnibus
supponnere, accipereque debemus, &c."
**Jamblicus, concerning the Mysteries relating to divine names.
Porphyrius asks the question why Priests make use of certain names
which carry with them no known import or signification ? Jamblicus
replies, that all and every of those sort of names have their
respective significations among the Gods, and that though the things
signified by some of them remain to us unknown, yet there are some
which have come to our knowledge, the interpretation of which we
have received from above. But that the manner of signifying by them,
is altogether ineffable. Not according to human imaginations, but
according to that divine intellect which reigns within us, or rather
according to an intellect that has an union with the Gods, in a more
simple and excellent manner. And whereas the symbolical character of
the divine likeness is in it self intellectual and divine, so are we
to take and suppose it to be, in all, &c.
** To cure an ague, Tertian or Quartan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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