should know it; if it were lawfull to hear it; but both ears and tongue would contract thesame guilt of rash curiosity. So we read
Theodorus
the tragick poet, when he would havereferred somethings of the mysteries of the Jews Scripture to a certain fable, wasdeprived of sight.
Theopompus
also who began to translate somethings out of the Divinelaw into the Greek tongue, was presently troubled in mind and spirit, whence afterwardearnestly desiring God, wherefore this had happened to him, received an answer in adream, because he had basely polluted Divine things, by setting them forth in publike[public]. One
Numenius
also being very curious of hidden things, incurred the displeasureof the Divine powers, because he interpreted the holy mysteries of the goddesse
Eleusina
and published them for he dreamed that the goddesses of
Eleusis
stood in a whores habit before the Brothell house, which when he wondred at, they wrathfully answered, thatthey were by him violently drawn from their modestly and prostituted everywhere to allcommers, by which he was admonished, that the Ceremonies of the gods ought not to bedivulged. Therefore it hath alwaies been the great care of the Ancients to wrap up themysteries of God and nature, and hide them with diverse Aenigmaes [enigmas], whichlaw the
Indians, Brachmans
[Brahmans],
Æthiopians, Persians,
and
Egyptians
alsoobserved; hence
Mercurius, Orpheus
, and all the ancient Poets and Philosophers,
Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato Aristoxenus, Ammonius
, kept them inviolably. Hence
Plotinus
and
Origenes
and the other disciples of
Ammonius
(as
Porphyry
relates in his book of the education and Discipline of
Plotinus
) sware, never to set forth the Decrees of their master. And because
Plotinus
, brake his oath made to
Ammonius
, and published hismysteries, for the punishment of his transgression, he was consumed (as they say) by theHorrible disease of Lice. Crist also himself, while he lived on earth, spoke after thatmanner and fashion that only the more intimate disciples should understand the mysteryof the word of God, but the other should perceive the parables only: commandingmoreover that holy things should not be given to Dogs, nor pearles cast to Swine:Therefore the Prophet saith, I have hid thy words in my heart, that I might not sin againstthee. Therefore it is not fit that those secrets which are amongst a few wise men, andcommunicated by mouth only, should be publikly written. Wherefor you will pardon me,If I pass over in silence many and the chiefest secret mysteries of Ceremonial Magick. Isuppose I shal do enough, if I open those things which are necessary to be known, andyou by the reading of this book go not away altogether empty of these mysteries; but onthat condition let these things be communicated to you, on which
Dionysius
bound
Timothy
, that they which perceive these Secrets, would not expose them to the unworthy, but gather them together amongst wise men, and keep them with that reverence that isdue to them. Furthermore I would also warne you in the beginning, that even as thedivine powers detest publike things and profane, and love secrecy: So every Magicalexperiment fleeth the publike, seeks to be hid, is strengthened by silence, but is destroyed by publicationm neither doth any compleate effect follow after; all these things suffer losse, when they are poured into prating and incredulous minds; therefore it behoveth aMagicall operator, if he would get fruit from this art, to be secret, and to manifest tonone, neither his work nor place, not time, neither his desire nor will, unless either to amaster, or partner, or companion, who also ought to be faithfull, believing, silent, anddignified by nature and education: Seeing that even the prating of a companion, hisincredulity and unworthiness hindreth and disturbeth the effect in every operation.
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