Of The Number Seven, And The Scale

CHAP. XXII.

OF THE NUMBER SEVEN, AND THE SCALE.

THE number Seven is of various and manifold power; for it consists of one and six, or of two and five, or of three and four; and it hath a unity, as it were the coupling together of two threes: whence if we consider the several parts thereof, and the joining together of them, without doubt we shall confess that it is, as well by the joining together of the parts thereof as by its fulness apart, most full of all majesty. And the Pythagorians call it the vehiculum of man's life, which it doth not receive from its parts so, as it perfects by its

p. 118

proper right of its whole--for it contains body and soul; for the body consists of four elements, and is endowed with four qualities: also, the number three respects the soul, by reason of its threefold power, viz. rational, irascible, and concupiscible. The number seven, therefore, because it consists of three and four, joins the soul to the body; and the virtue of this number relates to the of men, and it causes man to be received, formed, brought forth, nourished, live, and indeed altogether to subsist: for when the genital seed is received in the womb of the woman, if it remains there seven hours after the effusion of it, it is certain that it will abide there for good; then the first seven days it is coagulated, and is fit to receive the shape of a man; then it produces mature infants, which are called infants of the seventh month, i. e. because they are born the seventh month; after the birth, the seventh hour tries whether it will live or no--for that which will bear the breath of the air after that hour, is conceived will live; after seven days, it casts off the relics of the navel; after twice seven days, its sight begins to move after the light; in the third seventh, it turns its eyes and whole face freely; after seven months, it breeds teeth; after the second seventh month, it sits without fear of falling; after the third seventh month, it begins to speak; after the fourth seventh month, it stands strongly and walks; after the fifth seventh month, it begins to refrain sucking its nurse; after seven years, its first teeth fall, and new are bred, fitter for harder meat, and its speech is perfected; after the second seventh year, boys wax ripe, and then it is a beginning of generation at the third seventh year, they grow to men in stature, and begin to be hairy, and become able and strong for generation; at the fourth seventh year, they cease to grow taller; in the fifth seventh year, they attain to the perfection of their strength; the sixth seventh year, they keep their strength; the seventh seventh year, they attain to their utmost discretion and wisdom, and the perfect age of men; but when they come to the tenth seventh year, where the number seven is taken for a complete number, then they come to the common term of life--the Prophet saying, our age is seventy years. The utmost height of a man's body is seven feet. There are, also, seven degrees in the body, which complete the dimension of its altitude from the bottom to the top, viz. marrow, bone, nerve, vein, artery, flesh, and skin. There are seven, which, by the

p. 119

Greeks, are called black members: the tongue, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and the two kidnies. There are, also, seven principal parts, of the body: the head, breast, hands, feet, and the privy members. It is manifest, concerning breath and meat, that, without drawing of the breath, the life doth not remain above seven hours; and they that are starved with famine, live not above seven days. ¹ The veins, also, and arteries, as physicians say, are moved by the seventh number. Also, judgments in diseases are made with greater manifestation upon the seventh day, which physicians call critical, i. e. judicial. Also, of seven portions God creates the soul;--the soul, also, receives the body by seven degrees. All difference of voices proceeds to the seventh degree, after which there is the same revolution. Again, there are seven modulations of the voices: ditonus, semiditonus, diatesseron, diapente with a tone, diapente with a half tone, and diapason. There are also, in celestials, a most potent power of the number seven; for seeing there are four corners of the Heaven diametrically looking one towards the other, which indeed is accounted a most full and powerful aspect, and consists of the number seven; for it is made with the seventh sign, and makes a cross, the most powerful figure of all, of which we shall speak in its due place;--but this you must not be ignorant of, that the number seven hath a great communion with the cross. By the same radiation and number the solstice is distant from winter, and the winter equinoctium from the summer, all which are done by seven signs. There are also seven circles in the Heavens, according to the longitudes of the axle-tree. There are seven stars about the Arctic Pole, greater and lesser, called Charles Wain; also seven stars called the Pleiades; and seven planets, according to those seven days constituting a week. The Moon is the seventh of the planets, and next to us, observing this number more than the rest, this number dispensing the motion and light thereof; for in twenty-eight days, it runs round the compass of the whole Zodiac; which number of days, the number seven with its seven terms, viz. from one to seven, doth make and fill up as much as the

p. 120

several numbers, by adding to the antecedents, and makes four times seven days, in which the Moon runs through and about all the longitude and latitude of the Zodiac, by measuring and measuring again: with the like seven days it dispenses its light, by changing it; for the first seven days, unto the middle as it were of the divided world, it increases; the second seven days it fills its whole orb with light; the third, by decreasing, is again contracted into a divided orb; but, after the fourth seven days, it is renewed with the last diminution of its light; and by the same seven days, it disposes the increase and decrease of the sea: for in the first seven of the increase of the moon, it is by little and little lessened; in the second, by degrees increased; but the third is like the first, and the fourth does the same as the second. It is also applied to Saturn, which ascending from the lower, is the seventh planet, which betokens rest; to which the seventh day is ascribed, which signifies the seven thousandth, wherein, as St. John says, the dragon (which is the devil) and satan being bound, men shall be quiet, and lead a peaceable life. And the leprous person that was to be cleansed, was sprinkled seven times with the blood of a sparrow; and Elisha the Prophet, as it is written in the second book of Kings, saith unto the leprous person--"Go, and wash thyself seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall be made whole, and thou shalt be cleansed."--Also, it is a number of repentance and remission. And Christ, with seven petitions, finished his speech of our satisfaction. It is called the number of liberty, because the seventh year the Hebrew servant did challenge liberty for himself. It is also most suitable to divine praises; whence the Prophet saith--"Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments."--It is moreover called the number of revenge, as says the Scripture--"And Cain shall be revenged sevenfold."--And the Psalmist says--"Render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach."--Hence there are seven wickednesses, as saith Solomon; and seven wickeder spirits taken, are read of in the Gospel. It signifies, also, the time of the present circle, because it is finished in the space of seven days. Also it is consecrated to the Holy Ghost, which the Prophet Isaiah describes to be sevenfold, according to his gift, viz. the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and holiness, the spirit of fear of the Lord,

p. 121

which we read in Zachariah to be the seven eyes of God. There are also seven angels, spirits standing in the presence of God, as is read in Tobias, and in the Revelation: seven lamps did burn before the throne of God, and seven golden candlesticks, and in the middle thereof was one like unto the Son of Man, and he had in his right hand seven stars. Also, there were seven spirits before the throne of God, and seven angels stood before the throne, and there were given to them seven trumpets. And he saw a Lamb, having seven horns and seven eyes; and he saw the book sealed with seven seals; and when the seventh seal was opened, there was made silence in Heaven.

Now, by all that has been said, it is apparent that the number seven, amongst the other numbers, may be deservedly said to be most full of efficacy. Moreover, the number seven hath great conformity with the number twelve; for as three and four make seven, so thrice four makes twelve, which are the numbers of the celestial planets and signs resulting from the same root; and by the number three partaking of the Divinity, and by the number four of the nature of inferior things. There is in sacred writ a very great observance of this number before all others, and many, and very great are the mysteries thereof: many we have decreed to reckon up here, repeating them out of holy writ, by which it will easily appear that the number seven doth signify a certain fulness of sacred mysteries for we read, in Genesis, that the seventh was the day of rest of the Lord that Enoch, a pious holy man, was the seventh from Adam; and that there was another seventh man from Adam, a wicked man, by name Lamech, that had two wives; and that the sin of Cain should be abolished the seventh generation, as it is written--Cain shall be punished sevenfold; and that he who shall slay Cain, shall be revenged sevenfold; to which the master of the history collects that there were seven sins of Cain. Also, of all clean beasts seven, and seven were brought into the ark, as also of fowls; and after seven days the Lord rained upon the earth; and upon the seventh day the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the waters covered the earth. Also, Abraham gave to Abimelech seven ewe lambs; and Jacob served seven years for Leah, and

p. 122

seven more for Rachel; and seven days the people of Israel bewailed the death of Jacob. Moreover we read, in the same place, of seven kine; and seven years of corn; seven years of plenty, and seven years of scarcity. And in Exodus, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, the holy rest to the Lord, is commanded to be on the seventh day; also, on the seventh day Moses ceased to pray. On the seventh day there shall be a solemnity of the Lord; the seventh year the servant shall go out free; seven days let the calf and the lamb be with its dam; the seventh year, let the ground that hath been sown six years be at rest; the seventh day shall be a holy Sabbath, and a rest; the seventh day, because it is the Sabbath, shall be called holy. In Leviticus, the seventh day also shall be more observed, and be more holy; and the first day of the seventh month shall be a Sabbath of memorial; seven days shall the sacrifices be offered to the Lord; seven days shall the holy days of the Lord be celebrated; seven days in a year everlastingly in the generations. In the seventh month you shall celebrate feasts, and shall dwell in tabernacles seven days; seven times he shall sprinkle himself before the Lord that hath dipped his finger in blood; he that is cleansed from the leprosy, shall dip seven times in the blood of a sparrow; seven days shall she be washed with running water that is menstruous; seven times he shall dip his finger in the blood of a bullock; seven times I will smite you for your sins. In Deuteronomy, seven people possessed the Land of Promise. There is also read, a seventh year of remission; and seven candles set up on the south side of the candlesticks. And in Numbers it is read, that the sons of Israel offered up seven ewe lambs without spot; and that seven days they did eat unleavened bread; and that sin was expiated with seven lambs and a goat; and that the seventh day was celebrated, and holy; and the first day of the seventh month was observed, and kept holy; and the seventh month of the Feast of Tabernacles; and seven calves were offered on the seventh day; and Baalam erected seven altars; seven days Mary, the sister of Aaron, went forth leprous out of the camp; seven days he that touched a dead carcass was unclean. And in Joshua, seven priests carried the ark of the covenant before the host; and seven days they

p. 123

went round the cities; and seven trumpets were carried by the seven priests; and on the seventh day, the seven priests sounded the trumpets. And in the book of judges, Abessa reigned in Israel seven years; Sampson kept his nuptials seven days, and the seventh day he put forth a riddle to his wife; he was bound with seven green withes; seven locks of his head were shaved off; seven years were the children of Israel oppressed by the King of Maden. And in the books of the Kings, Elias prayed seven times, and at the seventh time beheld a little cloud; seven days the children of Israel pitched over against the Syrians, and in the seventh day of the battle were joined: seven years' famine was threatened to David, for the people's murmuring; and seven times the child sneezed that was raised by Elisha; and seven men were crucified together, in the days of the first harvest; Naaman was made clean with seven washings, by Elisha; the seventh month Goliah was slain. And in Hester we read, that the King of Persia had seven eunuchs. And in Tobias, seven men were coupled with Sarah, the daughter of Raguel. And, in Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar's furnace was heated seven times hotter than it was used to be; and seven lions were in the den, and the seventh day came Nebuchadnezzar. In the book of Job, there is mention of seven sons of Job; and seven days and nights Job's friends sat with him on the earth; and, in the same place--"In seven troubles no evil shall come near thee." In Ezra, we read of Artaxerxes's seven counsellors; and in the same place, the trumpet sounded; the seventh month of the Feast of Tabernacles was, in Ezra's time, whilst the children of Israel were in the cities; and on the first day of the seventh month, Esdras read the law to the people. And in the Psalms, David praised the Lord seven times in the day; silver is tried seven times; and he renders to his neighbours sevenfold into their bosoms. And Solomon saith, that Wisdom hath hewn herself seven pillars; seven men that can render a reason; seven abominations which the Lord abhors; seven abominations in the heart of an enemy; seven overseers; seven eyes beholding. Isaiah numbers up seven gifts of the Holy Ghost; and seven women shall take hold on a man. And in Jeremiah, if she that hath

p. 124

borne seven, languishes, she has given up the ghost. In Ezekiel, the Prophet continued sad for seven days. In Zachariah, seven lamps, and seven pipes to those seven lamps; and seven eyes running to and fro through the whole earth; and seven eyes on one stone; and the fast of the seventh day is turned into joy. And in Micah, seven shepherds are raised against the Assyrians. Also, in the Gospel, we read of seven blessings; and seven virtues, to which seven vices are opposed; seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer; seven words of Christ upon the cross; seven words of the blessed Virgin Mary; seven loaves distributed by the Lord; seven baskets of fragments; seven brothers having one wife; seven disciples of the Lord who were fishers; seven water pots in Cana of Galilee; seven woes which the Lord threatens to hypocrites; seven devils cast out of the unclean woman, and seven wickeder devils taken in after that which was cast out; also, seven years Christ was fled into Egypt; and the seventh hour the fever left the governor's son. And in the canonical epistles, James describes seven degrees of wisdom; and Peter, seven degrees of virtues. And in the Acts, we reckon seven deacons, and seven disciples chosen by the Apostles. Also, in the Revelation, there are many mysteries relating to this number; for there we read of seven candlesticks, seven stars, seven crowns, seven churches, seven spirits before the throne, seven rivers of Egypt, seven seals, seven marks, seven horns, seven eyes, seven spirits of God, seven angels with seven trumpets, seven horns of the dragon, seven heads of the dragon which had seven diadems, also seven plagues, and seven vials which were given to every one of the seven angels, seven heads of the scarlet beast, seven mountains and seven kings sitting upon them, and seven thunders uttered their voices.

Moreover, this number hath much power; as in natural so in sacred ceremonial, and also in other things; therefore the seven days are related hither; also the seven planets, the seven stars called Pleiades, the seven ages of the world, the seven changes of man, the seven liberal arts, and as many mechanic, and so many forbidden; seven colours, seven metals, seven holes

p. 125

in the head of a man, seven pair of nerves, seven mountains in the city of Rome, seven Roman kings, seven civil wars, seven wise men in the time of Jeremiah, seven wise men of Greece; also Rome did burn seven days by Nero; by seven kings were slain ten thousand martyrs: there were seven sleepers; and seven principal churches of Rome.

p. 126

THE SCALE OF THE NUMBER SEVEN.

Footnotes

119:1 There have been some exceptions to this affirmation, one of which fell under my notice of late years: Doctor Edward Spry, of Plymouth Dock, Philosopher, Cabalist, and Physician, lived upwards of two years upon a gooseberry a day in summer, and an oat cake and three glasses of white wine the rest of the season, per day: this gentleman was particularly abstemious in his diet.