The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)
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The translator’s English as printed (John Ellistone). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
6. Man has indeed all the Forms of all the three Worlds lying in him; for he is a complete Image of God, or of the Being of all Beings; only the Order is placed in him at this Incarnation; for there are three Work-masters in him which prepare his Form [or Signature,] viz. the three-fold Fiat, according to the three Worlds, and they are in Contest about the Form, and the Form is figured according to the Contest; which of the Masters holds the predominant Rule, and obtains it in the Essence, according to that his Instrument is tuned, and the other lie hid, and come behind with their Sound, as it plainly shews itself.
7. So soon as Man is born into this World, his Spirit plays upon his Instrument, so that his innate genuine Form [or Signature] in Good or Evil is seen by his Words and Conversation; for as his Instrument Sounds, accordingly the Senses and Thoughts proceed from the Essence of the Mind, and so the external Spirit of the Will is carried in its Behaviour, as is to be seen both in Men and Beasts; that there is a great Difference in the Procreation, that one Brother and Sister does not as the other.
8. Further we are to know, that though one Fiat thus keeps the upper Hand, and figures the Form according to itself, that yet the other two give their Sound, if their Instrument be but played upon; as it is seen that many a Man, and also many a Beast, though it is very much inclined either to Good or Evil, yet it is moved either to Evil or Good by a contrary Tune, and often lets its inbred Signature [or Figure] fall, when the contrary Tune is played upon his hidden Lute or Form: As we see that an Evil Man is often moved by a good Man to repent of, and cease from his Iniquity, when the good Man touches and strikes his hidden Instrument with his meek and loving Spirit.
9. And thus also it happens to the good Man, that when the wicked Man strikes his hidden Instrument with the Spirit of his Wrath, that then the Form of Anger is stirred up also in the good Man, and the one is set against the other, that so one Might be the Cure and Healer of the other. For as the vital Signature, that is, as the Form of Life is figured in the Time of the Fiat at the Conception, even so is its natural Spirit; for it takes its Rise out of the Essence of all the three Principles, and such a Will, it acts and manifests out of its Property.
10. But now the Will may be broken, for when a stronger comes, and raises his inward Signature with his introduced Sound and Will’s-Spirit, then its upper Dominion loses the Power, Right, and Authority, which we see in the powerful Influence of the Sun, how that by its Strength it qualifies a bitter and sour Fruit, turning it into a Sweetness and Pleasantness; in like Manner how a good Man corrupts among Evil Company, and also how that a good Herb cannot sufficiently shew its real genuine Virtue in a bad Soil; for in the good Man the hidden Evil Instrument is awakened, and in the Herb a contrary Essence is received from the Earth, so that often the Good is changed into an Evil, and an Evil into a Good.
11. And now observe, as it stands in the Power and Predominance of the Quality, so it is signed and marked externally in its outward Form, Signature, or Figure; Man in his Speech, Will and Behavior, also of the Form of the Members which he has, and must use to that Signature, his inward Form is noted in the Form of his Face; and thus also is a Beast, an Herb, and the Trees; every Thing as it is inwardly [in its innate Virtue and Quality] so it is outwardly signed; and though it falls out; that often a Thing is changed from Evil into Good, and from Good into Evil, yet it has its external Character, that the Good or Evil [that is, the change] may be known.
12. For Man is known herein by his daily Practice, also by his Course and Discourse; for the Upper Instrument, which is most strongly drawn, is always played upon: Thus also it is with a Beast that is wild, but when it is over-awed and tamed, and brought to another Property, it does not easily shew its first innate Form, unless it be stirred up, and then it breaks forth, and appears above all other Forms.