第69章
加入书架 A- A+

  everyword,everyletter,beingconsideredtohaveadivineandhiddenmeaning。Bycombiningvariousscripturallettersinvariousabstruseways,newwordsofprodigioussignificanceinmagicwereobtained,andamongthemthegreatwordembracingtheseventy-twomysticalnamesofGod——themightyword“Schemhamphoras。”WhyshouldmenseekknowledgebyobservationandexperimentinthebookofNature,whenthebookofRevelation,interpretedbytheKabbalah,openedsuchtreasurestotheingeniousbeliever?

  So,too,wehaveancientmysticaltheoriesofnumberwhichthetheologicalspirithadmadeChristian,usurpinganenormousplaceinmedievalscience。ThesacredpowerofthenumberthreewasseenintheTrinity;inthethreemaindivisionsoftheuniverse——theempyrean,theheavens,andtheearth;inthethreeangelichierarchies;inthethreechoirsofseraphim,cherubim,andthrones;inthethreeofdominions,virtues,andpowers;inthethreeofprincipalities,archangels,andangels;inthethreeordersintheChurch——bishops,priests,anddeacons;inthethreeclasses——thebaptized,thecommunicants,andthemonks;inthethreedegreesofattainment——light,purity,andknowledge;inthethreetheologicalvirtues——faith,hope,andcharity——andinmuchelse。Allthiswasbroughtintoatheologico-scientificrelation,thenandafterward,withthethreedimensionsofspace;

  withthethreedivisionsoftime——past,present,andfuture;withthethreerealmsofthevisibleworld——sky,earth,andsea;withthethreeconstituentsofman——body,soul,andspirit;withthethreefoldenemiesofman——theworld,theflesh,andthedevil;

  withthethreekingdomsinnature——mineral,vegetable,andanimal;with“thethreecolours“——red,yellow,andblue;with“thethreeeyesofthehoney-bee“——andwithamultitudeofotheranaloguesequallyprecious。ThesacredpowerofthenumbersevenwasseeninthesevengoldencandlesticksandthesevenchurchesintheApocalypse;inthesevencardinalvirtuesandthesevendeadlysins;inthesevenliberalartsandthesevendevilisharts,and,aboveall,inthesevensacraments。Andasthisprovedinastrologythattherecouldbeonlysevenplanets,soitprovedinalchemythattheremustbeexactlysevenmetals。Thetwelveapostleswereconnectedwiththetwelvesignsinthezodiac,andwithmuchinphysicalscience。Theseventy-twodisciples,theseventy-twointerpretersoftheOldTestament,theseventy-twomysticalnamesofGod,wereconnectedwiththeallegedfactinanatomythattherewereseventy-twojointsinthehumanframe。

  Then,also,therewererevivedsuchtheologicandmetaphysicalsubstitutesforscientificthoughtasthedeclarationthattheperfectlineisacircle,andhencethattheplanetsmustmoveinabsolutecircles——astatementwhichledastronomyastrayevenwhenthegreattruthsoftheCopernicantheorywerewellinsight;also,thedeclarationthatnatureabhorsavacuum——astatementwhichledphysicsastrayuntilTorricellimadehisexperiments;also,thedeclarationthatweseethelightningbeforewehearthethunderbecause“sightisnoblerthanhearing。”

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