rest I leave if thou be more curious to be explained by the aforesaid Authors and multitude of others better experienced in this Art and if thou yet shalt blame me for thy want of apprehension hereof by these writings or of my Figures and Epitaph I am resolved to be dumb and silent like a dead man still for if I deserve blame I ought to bear it quietly if otherwise I have been used to scandals and reproaches from Pharaohs Court to Jobs Dunghil and can take it for a Glory to suffer patiently for I have set down what the Philosophers and Adeptists have said and confessed viva voce and in Print nor could I or they give this knowledge in the plainest words without the peculiar inspiration of God Wherefore if thou desirest this great blessing ask it of him who giveth liberally and upbraideth not when it may tend to his glory But be sure thou prepare thy self by purity and holiness with true mortification as thou desirest thy work should prosper and thrive And therefore pray affectionately That God in and through Christs spirit may enliven thee from dead works and separate light from thy dark body and Chaos of sin that so being truly baptized into him and his Righteousness by an Essential and Living Seed of Faith thou maiest improve thy Talent and mount through and above the quaternary defiling world into the Trivne power and at last come to the quintessential or Super celestial Central circle of Peace and Heavenly Beatitude Wherefore now candid Reader if thou beest not satisfied with this work or these expressions leave them for the Author for the said Epitaph and Figured Scutcheons will serve me well enough for a Grave Stone which was so chiefly intended at the first where I may lye at rest with or without any other Herauldry or Applause and wherein thou maiest plainly nevertheless read thy mortality as on other Tombs To prepare thy self for thy long home of Eternity for thy Body Soul and Spirit must be seperate and the four Elements thus corrupted from the Sal Sulphur and Mercury generate Worms c. which after a full and perfect separation are again to be re united at the day of doom for a quintessential super celestial and everlasting being The good in Joy and Peace of the Holy Ghost which had fermented the same by Righteousness in this life into Christs Body as Members and was in all the Saints and true Catholick Church the Hope of Glory But the other that were Bad left to their Bestial Sensual and Divelish Fermented Affections to be tormented eternally with and by their bad Spirits and grosser Essences for their Idolatry of Fleshly Divelish and Worldly vanities with horror and everlasting anguish of mind and body wherewith nevertheless they will be nourisht and enabled to endure for ever and ever All which I have declared and cannot be easily hid from thee though thou shouldst want Lynceus eyes or the Philosophick Eagles eye to behold the light of nature exalted to the highest degree of the Sun by art which nevertheless I wish thou maiest find out by this or some other means so it may tend to the Praise and Honour of God and thine and thy neighbours Eternal wellfare who am thy friend and true Lover of Art and Nature and care not what thou saiest or thinkest of W. C. or twice five hundred Laurum Amice eligis Rus A BRIEFE OF THE GOLDEN CALF OR THE Worlds Idol DISCOVERING The Rarest Miracle of NATURE How in less then a quarter of an hour by the smallest proportion of the Philosophers Stone a great piece of Common Lead was totally transmuted into the purest transplendent Gold With other most Rare Experiments and Transmutations Written in Latin by Dr. Frederick Helvetius And Printed at the Hague 1666. And now Englished and abbreviated for the ease of the Readers By W. C. Esquire Laurum Amice Eligis Rus. THE EPISTLE Of VV. C. TO THE READER Reader I Have taught Helvetius with his Golden Calf our English Tongue to perswade thee by these experiments from a true Adeptist Of the reality of the Philosophers Stone Universal Medicine and consequently to esteem the Noble Art of Chymistry by which it is wrought And I heartily wish the laws were not so strict nor the snares so many against the honest Practisers of this Art but to punish the others more severely that abuse the same then I question not the further demonstration hereof But the Golden Calf and Fleece are sufficiently divulged almost in every language and many rare English Philosophers collected by our worthy Countryman Elias Ashmole Esq in his Theatrum Britannicum There is also published a Manuscript of a most rare Anonymon probably yet living who like a miracle of nature attained the Elixir at 23 years of Age 1645. And as a true Elias or fore-runner hath taught the same in his Book Entituled Secrets Revealed or an open entrance to the shut Pallace of the King We have likewise the bright Sun of our age and lover of mankind John Rodolph Glauber Basilius Valentinus and Cosmopolite Sendivogius brave Helmont Paracelsus with several other Translations in English wherein many rare secrets are revealed for the honour of this Art Improvement of our English Nation and to establish a belief of the said Stone This Worthy Helvetius it seems had formerly a misprision of this Art but by these demonstrations mentioned in his book he was convinced and as worthily recanted to prefer the Truth and Gods Honour before his own Repute by which he hath gained more repute amongst all vertuous learned men Now if these Experiments shall gain the like credit with you as I doubt not but they may you will not any ways detract or scandalize this almost Divine Art Nevertheless I do not perswade thee with the murmuring Idolatrous Jews to adore this Ass or Golden Calf the workmanship of mens hands though termed the God of this world Nor with Jason or Hercules to hazard thy self or any Limb for the Fleece or branch of the Golden Tree but diligently to read and consider these and other learned Authors to find a true coherence amongst them and how with Moses or these Elias Artista's to wash the Laeton and burn the Golden Calf and not thy Books but beware thou fling not away thy mony before thou understandest the Roots of Nature and the full art to proceed If thou intendest the thing herein mentioned least thou come off with loss and blaspheme the truth neither slight these Reliques of the Fleece as common dirt or dust but rather magnifie the great Creator who hath not only given us this pretious Stone for our health and wealth but withal a most glorious white Stone clothed in Scarlet viz. his Son Christ Jesus for the Example Redemption and Eternal Salvation of all men of that Spirit in and with whom are all blessings for Male and Female Poor and Rich. But methinks these bright Stars thus eminently appearing with
same upon me if it be but as much as a Coriander or Hemp Seed only to transmute four grains of Lead into gold Elias I confess an honest good man first shewed me the possibility and then the art and manner to prepare the Medicine but to give thee any of this Medicine is not lawful though I had for it as many Duckets as would fill this room not for my esteem of the matter which is of no price at all but for other private considerations and to make it so appear I would now through all into the fire to be consumed if it were possible for the fire to destroy fire Be not therefore covetous for thou hast seen more then many Kings or Princes that have sought for it But I must now depart and purpose to come again at three weeks end and then if not hindred or forbid I will abundantly satisfie thy curiosity to see transmutation in the Interim I warn you not to tamper with this dangerous art least you lose your fame and substance in the ashes Physitian Sir What shall I do if it be not lawful for you to bestow so small a part of your tincture because of your Philosophical Oath taken at your drinking the dissolved Silver in the rain water Yet know I do eagerly desire to learn this and I believe Adam thrown out of Paradice for eating an Apple would again desire this golden Fruit out of Atlantas Garden though to hazard the destruction you premonish And though I have not yet seen transmutation from you I thank you for your great friendship in forewarning me of the dangers and shewing me what I have seen and till your return I shall delight my self with what is discovered both of your Medicine and Person But I fear Sir if any King Prince or Potentate should know the same which God forbid they would perchance imprison and torture you till you should reveal all the art to them Elias I never shewed the Stone to any in the world but to you except one aged man and henceforth shall not to any but if any King or other which I hope God will not permit should Rack me to pieces or burn me alive I would not reveal it to them neither directly nor indirectly as many circumferanious Physitians Mountebanks Vagabonds and others pretend to do Phisitian Good Sir tell me in the Interim who are the best Authors in regard by experience you are best able to judge Elias Indeed Doctor I have not read many books but amongst those I have read none more curious then Cosmopolite Sendivogius The Dutch Borger Derwerel and Brother Basilins 12 Keys I can lend thee Sendivogius at my return in whose obscure words the Truth lyes hidd even as our Tincture lyes inclosed in the minerals and Metallick bodies Phisitian Sir I give you most hearty thanks for your exceeding kindness and love Believing that marvellous and efficacious Essences and Tinctures lies hid in Metals and Minerals under the external rinds and shells of their bodies though I find few so expert in the Fire to know how to pick out their Kernel Philosophically for as Isaac Holland writes the outward body of every Animal Vegetable and Mineral is like to a Terrestrial Province within which excellent spiritual essences do retire and dwell Wherefore it is needful that the sons of art should know how by some saline fit sutable Ferment pleasant and agreeable to the Metallick Nature to tame and subdue dissolve separate and concentrate not only the Metallick Magnetick virtue wherewith to Tinge but also Philosophically to multiply the same in their golden or silvery Homogenity For we see that the bodies of all creatures are not only easily destroyed but as soon as they cease to live they hurry to their graves in putrefaction viz. to their old Chaos and darkness of Orcus wherein they were before they were brought to light by Creation in this World But alas who or what man can or will shew us this Art in the Metallick Kingdom Elias Sir I confess you judge right of the natural destruction of things and if it be Gods pleasure he can as to me send one sooner then thou hopest to shew thee the manner to destroy Metals and Minerals in a true Philosophical manner and to gather their inward souls In the mean time implore the blessing of this great God who doth all things as he pleaseth To whom I recommend thee whose watchful eyes are always open over all his regenerated Sons in and through Christ Jesus So be sure I am your friend and once more Farewell THus my Friend Elias taking leave left me three weeks and to this very day nevertheless as a Spur he impressed all these things deep in my mind and Paracelsus confirmed them saying That in with of and by metals spiritualized and cleansed are perfect Metals made and also the living gold and Silver of Philosophers as well for humane as metallick bodies Wherefore if this guest my Friend had taught me the manner of preparing this Spiritual and Celestial Salt he spake of by and with which I might as it were within their own matrix gather the spiritual Rays of Sun or moon out of the Corporal Metallick substances Then truly from his own light he had so enlightened me that I should have known how Magnetically by a Sympathetick power in other imperfect corporeal metals their internal souls might be Clarified and Tinged so that their own similary bodies being of like kind might be transmuted into Gold or Silver according to the nature of red Seed into a red body or of the white Seed into a white and pure body For Elias told me that Sendivogius his Calybs was the true Mercurial Metallick humidity by help of which without any Corrosive an Artist might seperate the fixt rayes of the Sun or Moon out from their own bodies in a naked Fire in open Crusible and so make them Volatile and Mercurial fit for a dry Philosophick Tincture as he partly communicated and shewed me before he went to transmute the Metals For all learned Chymists must consent that Pyrotechny is the mother and Nurse of many noble Sciences and Arts and they can easily judge from the Colours of the Chaos of metals in the fire what metallick body is therein And truly every day metals and transparent stones are yet so procreated in the bowels of the Earth from their proper noble vapourons seed with a spiritual Tingent Sulphurous Seed in their divers Salty Matrixes for the common Sulphur or the Sulphur of any pure or impure metal whilst yet conjoyned with its own body being mingled only with Salt-Peter in the burning heat of Fire will be easily changed into the hardest and most fixed Earth And this Earth is afterwards easily changed by the air into most clear water and this water after by a stronger fire according to the nature of either pure or impure metallick Sulphur admixed is turned into Glass coloured with various and very beautiful
Principles out with and through the same subsist all things And without these nothing can subsist that is or hath a Being and are Light Life and Love God Nature and Element Spirit Wind and Water Body Soul and Spirit and that in the Word CHAP. III. Of the first Principle of all things which is God GOd being the beginning of all Beginnings as from which all things proceed then his beginning is from no other He is without a beginning because he is not from another yet though he hath his beginning from no other he representeth in himself his beginning to all This beginning of God is not a beginning to God himself but to us for he himself is all in all Now that he might shew himself to us men to testifie and instruct us of him therefore God sheweth himself in his beginning which is the Word which is God himself Now through this VVord is shewed to us testified and taught that and what God is and who he is But without word or speaking may be neither Doctrine nor Testimony nor a presentation as Reason doth make it manifest Therefore the VVord is the beginning of God to us out of which all Testimonies Names and Relation of God do proceed as out of the depths of God which consist in their own proper Spirit wind and water The name of God is but one according to the Essence which no man knoweth but only he upon whom he is written with the living Letters of the Spirit of God and his VVord Essentially which is Christ and those that are of his Being These are they in whom the VVord dwelleth Essentially and that see his Glory in a Light and Eye that no body else can see All the names of God come together only in this one name For the whole fulness of the Godhead dwe leth in him bodily who is called Alpha and Omega Zach. 14. 9. Col 2. 9. He that seeth him seeth also God and the Father and the living Word and the quickning Spirit John 14. 9. 1 John 1. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Even so he that seeth man seeth also with the Body the Soul and the Spirit which are in their Nature invisible The Testimony of God consisteth in three Namely in three witnesses which are the Father the VVord and the Holy Spirit Now as the name proceeds from the word so doth every Testimony of God and resteth only upon the dear and true witness that is called Amen which is the beginning of Gods Creatures Rev. 3. 14. And the Testimony of God stands thus God Father Word Holy Ghost Amen which is Christ Now because no body can testifie of God but he himself alone and all Testimonies of Truth must be justified by three Therefore God also testifieth of himself by three but they are not three persons But one onely person and one only God even as in one Earthly mans Body Soul and Spirit cannot be three distinct persons so in God are not three persons But this is the Testimony of God to us in the Name non in Nominibus sed in Nomine of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which consist in the word which three are one thing and one But this Testimony none acknowledgeth save he that hath it within himself Essentially that is that hath the Spirit out of God and is annointed and sealed with it This is the Testimony of God with one word through which we are Sons and Heirs of God Rom. 8. Lastly The Revelation of God consists in seven Powers which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 1. 4. Chap. 4. 5. Chap. 5. 6. Zech. 4. 2 10. And rest upon him who is called and is Jesse who is of no other but out through in and of himself is is self subsisting in whom is all who hath all Also the fulness of the Godhead Rev. 3. 1. Isa 11. Col. 2. 9. For through him all things are Created in Heaven and in Earth and by him all things are preserved by him also all is Redeemed and reconciled He Reigneth over all and hath all under his Power through him all lost things are restored at his glorious coming He also holdeth Judgment over all flesh over quick and dead And lastly he will make old things new and will abandon and put away all old things Everlastingly Therefore the Mystery of God consists in One Three and Seven and according to this Mystery all other things are Created and consist in One out of Three through Seven and are therein testified learned manifested or justified nothing at all excepted whatsoever it be and that for this Reason That God in his mystery may be learned and glorified in and on all his Creatures Herein consists now the Mystery of the VVisdom in its measure number and weight as in One Three and Seven whereby all things are numbred measured and weighed so perfectly that nothing can be added to it or diminished from it For all the works of God are perfect and testifie of the Creator according to the Mystery of the wisdom namely that by the works may be known Him that made them that what and who he is in his Mystery CHAP. IV. Of the Second Principle viz. Nature NAture is the second Principle and beginning of all things and stands betwixt God and the Elements through which God worketh into the Elements at through and by means and is in its consideration even as Angelical whose beginning is out of God a forth-blown Breath VVind and Air of the Almighty in which consists the Soul and Life of all Created things and every living Soul and is concentred and fastened together essentially bodily and self-subsisting in the Tree of Life even as God in Christ and the whole Elementary world in Man This second Principle is not everlasting according to the beginning yet eternal according to the end even as the Angels are It is not Created out of nothing as this world but proceedeth from God even as the Life from the Spirit as a Breath VVind or Air doth proceed and is also the breath of Gods VVord in which is Life thus that the speaking of the word is a living Eternal Breath and is distinct from God as a living breath or Soul from the quickening Spirit The living breath Soul or Life of all things iâ— according to its Original out of the Nature but the Spirit out of God namely after his measure and the body out of the Elements The Spirit as the Soul or the Life are distinct thus As God who is Eternal Life and the quickening Spirit himself and hath Life from no other because himself is the Spirit And as the living Soul having her Life not out from and by or through it self but out of the Spirit which maketh things alive whose breath is the Life Now that is soulish which hath its Life not from it self but from the Spirit and which is not a Spirit but only a breath All things whatsoever are in their Being have the food of thir
Souls and Life out of Nature and that from Heaven through the Wind and Air from which all that hath breath doth live und feed as through the forth-going breath of the VVord contained in the second Principle for the word of God feeds every Spirit Life and Body with its breath or blowing upon because Life is in the word which beareth all things by his power even as it hath Created all things Now as all things consist of Body Soul and Spirit so they have three sorts of food to their ilfe substance the bodily food to the body out of the Elements as from that which cometh out of the waters and out of the Earth whence also the body doth come is taken and is made The soulish food to the Soul Life in every thing out of Nature through both the Elements of VVind and Air from whence also the Life and Soul doth bome The Spiritual food to the Spirit and that from God at from whom the Spirit is namely each Spirit according to its measure and to the Spirit in every way this food cometh from Heaven through the Spirit and Light as from the three Spiritual Elements from whence also the Spirit did come Nature doth assemble it self in her Spirits Life and body to the wind Air and water The Angelical world in its body is no earth as the Elementary is but it is the right body of the water out of which it subsisteth and that body is here beneath with us ICE but above it is an Angelical earth like unto a Christal And in a word it is a most noble Salt of Life fertile or constant or firm over all and is the Paradise in it self It is an Angelical Air which doth not fetch breath there as the living Soul for the Life of Nature is Eternal in regard of the end but it liveth and moveth in the Virtue of Gods word Eternally sine respiratione or without breathing Therefore death cannot Reign in the Angelical world over the Nature and over the Tree of Life but is rather overcome by it how much more by God for the Tree of Life stands unmoveable Therefore by the breaking of the fruit of this Tree at the glorious coming of Christ all shall come from death to life and shall be freed and redeemed from death Devil and Curse Lastly in its Spirit also it is of an Angelical Spirit by the power of the word and Testimony of God Thus namely that the Dragon hath no power over it but is conquered by the Spirit of the same is cast out and quite extruded and cast away How much more thâ—n by God Therefore seeing the Nature in her Spirit is the wind of the Almighty and a going forth of the Light in which God dwelleth and cannot come to that evil one or may not fall into an evil neither may it be blasted or poisoned by the breath of the old Serpent The Divine world in its being is compared to the most noble body of the water and earth as it were to a Heavenly body which is and are an Essential Spiritual Salt as the most noble and pure Gems precious stones and glistering Gold In its Life it is the breath of the Almighty a Soul and Life proceeding out of the mouth of God in and to an Eternal Life and in its Spirit the Spirit of the Lord it self who is God praised for ever God is the Spirit the Nature is the Soul or the Life and the Elements are the Body But be it known that each world hath its proper Nature and Element and that the one world is never changed into the other neither can it be altered nor one Principle general into another Now each Principle hath its proper Spirit Life and Body CHAP. V. Of the third general Principle namely of the Element GOd himself is all in all out of him are all things according to the Spirit by him are all things according to the word and to him are all things according to the Providence or Confidence Rom. 11. 36. Wisd 1. 7. Chap. 12. 1. Gen. 1. John 1. Psal 104. 27 28. 136. 25. 145. 15 16. The nature is all but not in all because she is not in God who hath his own Nature and the Elements also are not all but something only which is a Salt This something is from God after the Spirit from Nature after the Life and Soul and from the Spiritual water after the body And again the water out of the Salt each world is and doth flow out of the other The Nature stands to the Angelical world and is a flowing out of the divine world and the Elementary world is an overflowing of the Nature and Angelical world Lastly Man cometh forth out of the three worlds and is the concentred or conjoyned Centrum of all the worlds There are seven Elements or Powers of the world as Spirit Wind Air and Water Light Heaven and Earth and are such by which in and through which this world consists and subsists and without which it cannot subsist These seven Elements are Created out of such a one which in the Elementary world are all in all and are incorruptible namely Salt which is an excretion of Nature Execrementum quasi sobriè sumptum whereby in this world all things bodily subsist and are preserved Now there is a threefold Salt namely a Spiritual soulish and a Bodily and Palpable The Bodily is fixt and permanent both in Water and Fire Whence we know out of what wherein and whereby all things stand firm and constant both in the Water and the Fire that they may not be drowned and wherewith they are closed up The Soulish Salt is flying because life and Soul is in it and the growth of all whereby all things receive both body and life but when it cometh down again and turneth to the fixed Salt again then they receive Life But the Spiritual Salt is a right true essence and in this world the most noble Being of all Being Spiritus universi the Spirits of the Elements and their Light and Heaven in its Essence The Spiritual Salt dwelleth in the Spirit Light and Heaven and giveth to the body of the Resurrection as Spiritual from the Spirit Light and Heaven The Volans or flying Salt dwelleth in the Wind Air Rain and Dew this giveth out of wind and air to the body after death The fixed Corporeal Salt dwelleth in water and earth out of which this our body doth subsist But Salt is the right fixed Salt and the right water of Life which is a dry water and together water and Earth in which the air and wind is secretly hid and also the Heavens Light and Spirit in its depths which are then the seven Powers of the Element and world and all seven may easily undeniably and manifestly to the eye be demonstrated if the same be Anatomized This only Element of all Elements is a Power of all Powers in this World The Salt is an Excrement
of Nature by the Word of God and is bodily a seed of the water and all Elements from whence the water did spring or proceed or flow by the breathing of the Spirit of the Lord for a seed to all the world and abundantly increased by the moving of the Spirit of the Lord so that the whole Earth is formed out of it The fixed Salt is threefold as in the Earth in the Water and in Heaven The flying Salt also as in Rain Water and Dew Air and Wind. The Essential also is threefold as in the light Spirit and upper water The waters supplie three places or degrees for out of them them the world did subsist which is remarkeable always the one is hid in the other The flying Salt is the Key and openeth with it descending in the Spring that every thing raiseth from the dead greeneth and groweth and with its ascending in the Harvest shutteth them again The Elements are threefold namely Spiritual Soulish and Bodily There are three of the Spiritual Elements as bodily the Heaven Soulish the light and Spiritual the Spirit The Soulish are twofold as Wind and Air. The bodily also as Water and Earth Always the one is hid in the other and the one always comprehends the other six in it and always the one of them is bodily manifest visible and knowing or palpable but the other six are hid in it Each Element also in it self is threefold as spiritual soulish and bodily The spiritual earth is and are the Precious stones or Jewels and that is the body of the Spirit The soulish earth is the gold the spiritual water bodily are the Pearls the soulish is the Amber afterwards the Corals bodily In all these dwell many Powers especially if out of water and spirit by means of the Fire they are made new and spiritual All Elements are in the one with all their Powers which is a spiritual Rock out of which the water of Life doth spring to all Creatures and ebbeth and floweth in the whole world and filleth up Elementarily all in all And when in the end of the world this one is taken away from them then all the Elements are consumed in and by the fire CHAP. VI. Of the three special Principles Spirit Wind and Water THe three special Principles as far as they are Principles come according to their Original as the spirit from God the wind from the Nature and the water from the Rocks and Wells of the Element Every body in the Elementary world is out of the water even also Heaven and Earth All living soul and breath is from the wind in all bodies and all spirits are from the spirit The spirit hath by it the light and Heaven the wind the air the water the earth Now as every thing hath its original so it is of the same fed nourished and thither it returneth again Now the water is a gathered concentred and bodily palpable air The air is a soft sensible bodily gathered wind And the wind is a living gathered spirit But the spirit is such an out-spoken word which Createth and maketh some living thing so that it stands there essentially where it was before Psal 104. 29 30. In the beginning of the Creation the spirit moved on the water by which moving is understood the wind by which the spirit hath breathed on the waters and made them fertile for the Creation of the world All things that are move and have a Being have their original from the one infini eternal Father EHEVE JEHOVAH and JESSE which is the essential self-subsisting living word which is and was in the beginning and remaineth everlastingly to which word all other things are just nothing Through it all things are Created are preserved nourished and fed in their spirit and life as through the breath of the Almighty 4 Esd 16. 13. Heb. 1. 3. Mat. 4. 4. Now by the three special Principles as spirit wind and water which are Elements also all Creation is finished not only because they are the means by which the general Principles do work but also because they contain in them the right seed of all things and the same in the only true Element of which we made mention afore For these three bear in their body all Salt and feed fixed and flying and essential as also Heaven and Earth with all that is therein and bring forth into the world each to its proper self-subsisting or substance Now as all is produced out of the special Principles according to the Creation and Nativity But the sin with the curse and corruption hath made all evil so must all that is born anew return to water wind spirit and out of the spirit and spiritual water must by the wind be born anew to the Image of the Coelestials yet so that in their glory they be no other then Angelical and divine and bear the Image of the Coelestials This new birth goeth out of the upper waters and out of a Coelestial earth to speak Elementarily and are nothing else but salt There is another birth also that goeth out of the fire and is done in pain and torment The new birth out of the water and through the water is done in drowning by water to death That out and in the earth is done through death and Corruption The birth out of the fire as a contrary element is done in and through the fire in Hell Every new birth and regeneration is done through the spirit as also every Creation and alteration The new birth out of the water is done when water is to be poured upon that which shall be new born which the bad contrary elementary doth drown kill and reduceth to nothing And on the contrary stirreth up the good draweth it out and maketh it glorious and distinguisheth the good from the bad rejecteth the bad and chooseth the good and keeps it The new birth out of earth is done when a thing is reduced to its proper earth dyeth and putrifieth therein then afterward cometh forth again and riseth out of the earth with a new and spiritual body and parteth with the naughty and corrupted The new birth in the fire is done when all is cast into the fire and that which doth not hold fire is consumed by degrees and only that which is spiritual remaineth and is saved and then afterward the new birth with a spiritual body cometh forth 1 Cor. 3 13 14 15. 1 Pet. 4 6. Although we speak here Physically and Elementarily yet understanding men will judge Theologically and the Wise may search Physically how every thing hath its true Earth Water and Fire and so mark and observe this mystery Now is the Spirit Wind and Water by which all things in the world are effected These the word sendeth forth to all Creations Births and Alterations These are never quiet for they are by and with the Word the Perpetuum Mobile as above was mentioned and co-operate continually into the Light Heaven Air and
Earth which four Elements stand still unmoveable into which the three special Principles do overflow with their body soul and spirit as to the Water Wind and Spirit and work out all and finish the same The water is as it were the Element the Wind is like as Angelical and the Nature and the Spirit is Divine CHAP. VII Of the particular principles Body Soul and Spirit Wâ—th those are the Principles inclosed and consists in a threefold Trinity and always one produceth another and stand always orderly in their subordinates and agree together that they make up a true and whole Harmony and are enclosed at last in the Light Life and Love The body of all them is and consists out of the water also the Earth the Water out of the Wind the Wind out of the Spirit and the Spirit oâ—t of God There is a threefold body namely a sensible or palpable out of Water and Earth a Soulish out of Wind and Air and a spiritual out of Heaven Light and Spirit So is an Elementary hody an Angelical and a Divine very well to be distinguished on man Further the Soul is corporeal out of the Air from whence it is fed also and soulish out of the Wind and Spiritual out of the Light The Spirit is Corporeal out 〈◊〉 from the Heaven Soulish out of the Light and spiritual out of the spirit of the Elements out of the Nature and of God according as the Creature is Out of these three general Principles Man hath also a threefold spirit according to his measure and is the perfectest creature Always one body dwelleth in the other and as soon as one body is dissolved and broken in the same moment another and more noble body is manifest and that in all things If now the body becometh nobler needs must the Spirit be more noble high and glorious But this is the body after which the wise do seek Namely the Salt which containeth all in it self This body they drown in a Water which floweth out of the Centrum of the Vegetables and draw out all vertues which afterward come together in a celestial spiritual body and afford that precious jewel All things that are killd and dye naturally are drownd in a cold Saturnine Water for all natural death is done by coldness but what is kill'd in the Fire without a Saturnine Water is not fit to Nature for a better state Only the Salt we seek in the fire and then through the Water and afterwards cleanse and purifie it with the Baptism of Fire and of Water We should therefore six our thoughts on the water and use the fire very carefully because it is a contrary Element before which nothing can subsist but only the Salt This is the true body of all Elements and of all things in the whole world if that be taken away thâ—â— all perisheth quickly and the Gold it self also in the Fire This is the right Heaven wherein dwell all powers and is in all things in the whole world their Heaven and is compared to the Tree of Life in Paradise Now the soul according to the highest degree is out of the nature According to the second degree from the Light and according to the third degree out of the Wind. These are the Principles of the living soul soul and spirit are distinct as God and Nature Spirit and Wind as Angel and living soul yea as spirit and breath The middle Principle among the three Principles is always instead of the Mother as the Nature Wind and Soul The body is the Child which the spirit â—s a Father begets through the soul Out of the spirit cometh the soul he lets it out as his breath and from both these the body The firm soul and spirit as the true life and spirit which is like unto the Angelical world is always in the right body of all things that is in the Salt when it is opened then they come forth in a great clearness as in an Angelical glory At last the spirit of all things is out of the three general Principles in each according to their portion and measure Now the spirit affords the right inward essence the forma essentialis differentia specifica abstractum essentiae and nothing else From the same the body and soul also receive their essence whereby the one from the other essentially and properly are distinguished as man from beasts a beast foul fish vermin c from others and so one thing from another All Creatures are distinguished chiefly into three as into Animalia all living souls into vegetabilia all that grow and spring out of the earth and into Mineralia things that grow under the earth and are digged out and so in the water also These are distinct as the three Principles and in our wisdom always a fair harmony doth represent it self All living souls consist out of Water and bloud in their seeds through a moist warmth and a warm moistness each in its mother All growing things consist in their seed out of a slimy water through the Salt which is fixed in the root flying in the herb leaf and grass and essential in the flower and all three concentre at last in the seed All Minerals Metals and what belongeth to it grow out of a fat earth which the Salt of the earth doth hatch and do coagulate through a cold fire which is a Saturnine Water that is a fiery water and a waterish fire that doth not burn Even as upon earth all things grow by rain and dew as also in the earth it raineth thaweth and is misty thereby grow the Minerals Metals and the like and all this from the salt fixed flying and essential The flying Salt begets Sulphur the essential begets Mercury Among the Vermin the chiefest is the Viper with her brood and kind and is Mercurial Among the Vegetables is the Vine a channel out of which come three sorts of water and also a noble Mineral and is the Centre of the Vegetables Among the Mineral is the Gold yea the Salt Of all these three the Concentred Center is man above all that is created CHAP. VIII Of the Elements and contrary Elements in the Creation THe seven Elements or Powers of the world do rest only upon one which is a right well of all Elements in our thoughts because it containeth all An Element is such a thing out of which and in which the world and all doth consist without which nothing can subsist Again a contrary Element is such whereby the world and Elements are altered and corrupt and at last must quite perish thereby Now all things are Created out of three Principles Materialiter namely out of the word as out of a spiritual out of nature as a soulish and out of the Elements and contrary Elements as an incorporeal-corporeal and Corporeal-incorporeal that is out of the Elements after something and out of the contrary Elements according to nothing The word is the all the Elements are the
something and the contrary Elements are the nothing The nothing is become something by the word of God and the something will become nothing again when at last the word is taken away Although the contrary Elements were once nothing yet in the Creation they are a Principle along because they were made which were not afore and are of God counted not evil but good because God did look upon them and hath covered and hid their Principle which was nothing yet concentred and fastened together Corporeal in and on the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil which must have stood there as a witness namely that the world was Created out of nothing yet this should be undiscovered and not ashamed that is it should not be broken namely that the shame of the whole world might not not stand ashamed before the face of all the world and for a confusion be quite dead and perish Now as long as the contrary Elements remained unknown and in their concentrated Center were not broken they are very good But so soon as they are known in their depths they are such a thing as puts the world to a shame and at last altogether doth consume it and reduceth it to nothing These contrary Elements are three Darkness as Corporeal Fire as Soulish and corruption as Spiritual yet Corruption before the fall was no Corruption but only an alteration not unto evil but unto good and a change and exchange of all Created things The Fire before the fall was not consuming but in its knowledge was good and useful In like manner darkness was very good and for a rest and refreshing to all Creatures but now it is an habitation to ill Spirits and as far as darkness in the air reacheth and goeth so far and high also in the air hath Satan his Dominion and Reign Ephes 22. Chap. 6 12. And so are the contrary Elements become hereditary to Satan through sin who is the Prince of darkness and Potentate of the fire and the fire over him and a principle and beginner of perdition Out of darkness Hell is harched which is threefold 1. Corporeal according to its place under the earth in the nethermost places Ephes 4. 9. Luke 16. 28. 1 Pet. 3. 19. 2. Soulish in the Reign of the Devil and Prince of darkness in high places 3 Spiritual in the Devil himself and his Children This Hell will be cast at last into the fiery Lake Out of the fire is produced an unquenchable ever burning Sulphur and such a consuming fiery flame which killeth life and yet always maketh death alive The Hellish fire is three fold in the Hell in the Devil and his Children and in the fiery Pool Out of this alteration or rather perdition is at last Death gotten which in its bodyliness is a cold fire and a fiery coldness According to the Soulishness a gnawing worm that continueth devoureth and never eateth yet always consumeth and still begetteth again According to the Spirit Death is the Devil himself essentially who hath begotten sin and sin hath begotten him the Devil Now darkness was good before the fall for light was hid therein which God commanded to come forth out of the darkness The fire also was good before the fall for life rested therein because no flame was burning in the fire nor was manifest The change and alteration was good also before the fall because love did shew it self therein by the increase of the Creatures Now since Light Life and Love include all therefore they were comprehended also in the contrary Elements but they were separated from the same and thrust out and parted through sin and so that which was very good became exceeding bad and turned good and evil to a contrary and adverse thing After the fall Hell and Death were begotten and the fire was made manifest Visible and Corporeal So that it went up into the height by Reason of sin so that by Gods permission and command it may fall down from Heaven upon the wicked world especially it doth lye in and on the fiery Cherub before the door of Paradise and guardeth the way to the Tree of Life but in the glorious and joyful coming of the great God Jesus Christ this fiery Cherub must be gone and come down and all contrary Elements must reduce to nothing that is they must no more Reign and also the Devil himself must from above be cast down taken Captive and in Prison must be bound a thousand years to the glorious liberty and Redemtion of the Creature from the Vanity Curse and Death where all things as they were Created will be renewed CHAP. IX Of the Principle or Original of that evil one and of the Angels BEfore this Elementary world was Created of God the Angels and the Angelical world and Paradise which were above the upper waters were first and that so certain as the nature was first before the Elements and God before all things Therefore always out of the upper things things beneath were gotten and the upper is always before that which is below even as the Spirit is first before the Soul and Body Now the Angels God hath called through his word out of the same light wherein God dwelleth after their spirit for that end that they should serve him and hath presented them in the fiery flame after the Soul and as a wind after their body Now the Angels being out of the light wherein God dwelleth therefore they can know on in and out of the same what Gods command is and this light is the face of God in Heaven a spiritual food of the Angels which light the Angel of the Children may behold whereas on the contrary the Angels of sinful men may not behold it until the sinner doth true repentance then his Angel may appear again before that light and before the face of the Lord of which there is great joy among the other Angels But as long as the sinner doth not repent so long appeareth the Devil before God and accuseth the sinner day and night before him Now amongst God ' Angels â—ucifer was the chief for he carryed the 〈…〉 clear morning Star which was and is the son of 〈◊〉 but he was not content with that great Honour and Dignity but would fain have been Lord and God himself and no more a servant This coveting was in Lucifer gotten by an ill look and eye toward God inflamed within himself in the same fiery flame out of which the Angels after their Soul are and that so much and heavy that the light did depart in his Spirit from Lucifer and instead thereof an unspeakable great darkness came out of the fire which Lucifer himself had kindled and so instead of Heaven a Hell it self So the fiery flame unknown to Lucifer undiscovered and hid was blown up by himself out of envy and grudgings so that it turned to an essential anger yea to a consuming fire wherein at first did rest the life but was
Vegitals with various motions But in Minerals more opprest with matter less apparent and seeming slain by congelation especially taken out of their Mines and Mechanically used and so onely preserves its bodily Being till Revived with new Ferment and Matter whereby the Body is opened again to manifest its living essential Moisture hid in the Centre wherein the seed and spirit of Life is placed as Fire and then revives and restores new operations in the new adjoined nourishment or matter And thus Nature by help of Art may transcend and as it were go beyond its self and so the Seed will still extend its power and Life as long and often as it be thus opened and fitted with new matter and Ferments For Form is Light the Source of central Heat Which cloth'd with Matter doth a Seed beget Wherein Life like Fire seeks it self t' increase And Eâ—ernize if Fuel ne're do cease Helmont in Butler and Sendivogius in his new Light partly testifie the same Now this Seed is no sooner produc'd but it assaies to change the matter and stamps its Character therein and so presently the Matter lives and the matter then Coworks together with the Form to attain that end to which the Seed implanted doth intend For all things live according to their kind Their Life is Light as therein you may find Quantum quidque habet Luminis tantum habet Numinis saith one And thus much for Form and Seed in general Know further now That Metals in the Mineral Kingdom are thus produced Their Sulphur unctuous Coagulates and fixeth a fluent moisture mineral called Mercury the which is a dry humidity that flows yet wets not hands its parts are so Homogeneal that the very Fire its self doth not easily separate them It is of waters Progeny yet far exceeds it in weight and firm composure which properties come not by chance but by Gods Decree Providence and Power from its Specificque Seed and its hidden inward Agent Form and Life from Anima Mundi which the Water before had not neither yet hath it parts dissimular hand or foot head or eye as Animals or otherwise as Vegitables but is all homogeneal and of most firm parts and Root Now Mercury hath most affinity with Gold known by their equal weight purity firm composure and easie mixture next with Silver then Jove Saturn Venus and last and least with Mars which is a Secret to understand and though Mercury may be mixt and made amalgame with all or any yet it will not enter into any in the Root without fit preparation and great Art but drive away one from the other in the Fire which is another secret now the reason is for that it and they are Dead or their Life hid imprisoned and Dormant within their Bodies as is said and the Sulphur fixt and sealed in the perfect Metals and earthly Fowl or Crude in the impersect which Mercury abhors and rejects or cannot Cope with being its self also in Fetters bound to his good behaviour and if you separate the fâ—ces of the latter which are imperfect yet you have but a fluid Mercury from them like the common and a Crude Sulphur too remote to join with Gold for Gold having passed its Enchantments and Câ—udities scorns to be defiled therewith any more wherefore common Crude Sulphur will easier join with other imperfect Mettals then with Gold but pure and fixt Sulphur sooner and better with Gold then with the rest and therefore if you would make use of the Sulphurs or Mercuries of the imperfect Metals or the common They must be each prepared and fitted with a living power and so acuate as to become a fiery quickning Agent before it can reincrudate open and enter the body of Sol whereby it s own Water may appear and its fiery Seed and Spirit of Life issue forth and be made active to work upon and in the said Female living Mercury it being Sols own Essence Flesh and Bone and its proper matter Earth and Matrix as is said wherein Seed will then quickly fructifie and increase for Sol though pure perfect and full of virtue in its self bodily must be Reincrudate Crucified and die to Nature that its Virtue and Tincture lockt up and onely single in its self Bodily might become exalted with its body and spiritually living and fixt together in heavenly mansions and so extend and communicate more largely its powerful Virtues and Tincture to imperfect Bodies and Spirits to redeem them from Thraldom Corruption and Fire by imbracing one grain of his bounteous pure Spirit and so be raised at last to him for Eternity For so Death and Destruction of outward Form will be but as a Back-door to the Soul and Spirits true Birth and its Bodies eternal Life and Union till it come at last to the highest perfection by its fulness of Tincture Thus is the Philosophical Corner-stone made a true Medicine though rejected and scoffed at by many And these are the effects hid from the voluptuous Covetous and Worldly-wise-philosophers and revealed to Solitary meek humble Spirits who forsake outward pomp and vanities to embrace the fruits of Piety and Wisdom Now observe further that every thing that is convertible into Gold hath its Mercury and Sulphur which either is or may be acuate and made fiery and living for a Philosophical preparation of and with Sol and so both the common and Metallick Mercury may be thus fitted and prepared to wed with Sol. All which Mercuries as is said beforehand in themselves are dead for Mercuries preparation is thus viz. By a mineral with sable silver Veins which is the Dragon born in Saturns Den devouring Cadmus with his Earthly Men. First then this Dragon double strengh ' to Mars Must be yet pierc't by him being God of Wars Then both will Perish and become a Star Where the young King is Born who is Solar Then wash equal Venus in 's Blood and let Them joyn till Vulcan take them in a Net Which Mercury gently on his Wings must bear Till he steals their Wealth and Sols body tare Wherein then Sol will freely shed his Seed And this is all whereof we stand in need Which ordered right you cannot choose but speed If you can prepare your Mercury better Do 't freely and care not for this Letter For all Sulphurs and Mercuries may serve your turn If pure and living join'd t' Earths will not burn CHAP. III. Of the Subject and Marks of the immortal Liquor Alchahest HEre Reader make a little pause and take this short hint for thy true instruction of the Alchahest and Macchabean Fire burning in Water and as a Serpent or Latex lying hid in the Cavernes of the Earth and in other things and places being nevertheless but one Anomolous Balsammick Salt passing through the world which almost every man knows and needs though he observes not the marks to be that thing I say it is the Primum ens Salium and hath a mark or cross affixt
this only holy way of the practice of Piety all Students of difficult arts find what they desire But they must exercise solitary Philosophical and Religious pleadings with Jehovah with a pure mouth and heart For the heavenly wisdom Sophia embraceth our friendship offering us her Rivers of gratious goodness and bounty never to be drawn dry And most happy is he to whom the true kingly way shall be shewed by an Adept Possessor of this great Secret But I foresee this small Preface will not satisfie my Readers alike some perchance taxing me for presuming as it were to teach them an art unknown to my self when this hath been my only purpose to relate a History yet I doubt not but this study of divine wisdom will be sweeter to some then any Nectar or Ambrosia I say no more but conclude with that of Julius Caesar Scaliger That the end of truly wise men is the communicating of wisdom According to that of Gregory Nysseâ— He that is good Communicates willingly his goods to others for the property of good men is to be profitable to others CHAP. II. The Testimony of divers illustrious Authors of this Arcanum FIrst Paracelsus in the Signature of Natural things fol. 358 This is a true sign of the tincture of Philosophers That by its transmuting force all imperfect metals are changed viz. the white into Silver and the red into the best Gold if but the smallest part of it be cast into a Crusible upon melted metal c. Item For the invincible Astrum of metalls conquereth all things and changeth them into a nature like to its self c. And this Gold and Silver is nobler and better then that brought out of the Metallick Mines and out of it may be prepared better Medicinal Arcana's Item Therefore ever Alchymist who hath the Astrum of the Sun can transmute all red Metals into Gold c. Item Cur Tincture of Gold hath Astral Stars within it It is a most fixt substance and immutable in the Multiplication It is a powder having the reddest colour almost like Saffron yet the whole corporeal substance is liquid like Rosin transparent like Christal frangible like glass It is of a Ruby colour and of the greatest weight c. Read more of this in Paracelsus Heaven of Philosophers Item Paracelsus in his seventh book of Transmutation of natural things saith The Transmutation of Metals is a great natural mistery not against natures course nor against Gods order as many falsely judge For the imperfect Metals are transmuted into Gold nor into Silver without the Philosophers Stone Item Paracelsus In his Manual of the Medicinal Stone of Philosophers saith Our Stone is a heavenly Medicine and more then perfect because it cleanseth all filth from the Metals c. Secondly Henry Khunrade in his Amphitheater of the eternal wisdom I have travelled much and visited those esteemed to know somewhat by experience and not in vain c. Amongst whom I call God to witness I got of one the universal Green Lyon and the blood of the Lyon That is Gold not vulgar but of the Philosophers I have seen it touched it tasted it and smelt it O how wonderful is God in his works I say they gave me the prepared Medicine which I most fruicfully used towards my poor neighbour in most desperate cases and they did sincerely reveal to me the true manner of preparing their medicine Item This is the wonderful method which God only hath given me immediately mediately yet subordinately through Nature Fire Art and masters help as well living as silent corporal and spirituaâ— watching and sleeping Item Fol. 202. I write not Fables with thine own hands shalt thou handle and with thine eyes see the Azoth viz. the Universal Mercury of the Philosophers which alone with its internal and external fire is sufficient for thee to get our Stone nevertheless with a sympathetick Harmony being Magick-physically united with the Olympick fire by an inevitable necessity c. Item Thou shalt see the Stone of the Philosophers our King go forth of the bed-chamber of his Glassie Sepulchre in his glorified body like a Lord of Lords from his Throne into this Theater of the world That is to say regenerated and more then perfect a Shining Carbuncle a most temperate splendour whose most subtile and depurated parts are inseperably united into one with a concordial mixture exceedingly equal Transparent like a Chrystal Compact and most ponderous easily fusible in fire like rosin or Wax before the flight of quick silver yet flowing without smoak entring into solid bodies and penetrating them like oyle through Paper dissoluble in every liquor and comiscible with it fryable like glass in a powder like Saffron but in the whole Mass shining red like a Rubie which redness is a sign of a perfect fixation and fixed perfection Permanently colouring or tinging fixt in all temptations and tryals yea in the examination of the burning Sulphur its self and the devouring waters and in the most vehement persecution of the fire always incombustible and permanent as a Salamander c. Item The Philosophers Stone being fermented in its parts in the great world transforms it self into whatsoever it will by the fire hence a Son of art may perceive why the Philosophers have given their Azoth the name of Mercury which adheres to bodies c. And further in the same place it is fermented with Metals viz. The Stone being in its highest whiteness â—s fermented with pure Silver to the white But the Sanguine Stone with pure Gold to the red And this is the work of three days c. Thirdly Helmont in the Book of Eternal Life Fol. 590. I have oft seen the Stone and handled it and have projected the fourth part of one grain wrapped in paper upon eight ounces of quink silver boyling in a crusible and the quicksilver with a small noise presently stood still from its Flux and was congealed like to yellow wax and after a flux by blast we found eight ounces wanting eleven grains of the purest Gold Therefore one grain of this powder would transmute nineteen thousand one hundred and eighty six parts â—f Quicksilver into the best Gold so that this powder is found to be of Similary parts amongst Terrestrials and doth transmute infinite plenty of impure metal into the best Gold uniting with it and so defends it from Canker rust rottenness and death and makes it in a manner immortal against all tortures of fire and art and transfers it to a Virginean purity of Gold requiring only a fervent heat Item In his Tree of Life fol. 630. I am constrained to believe there is a Gold and Silver making Stone or powder for that I have divers times made projection of one grain thereof upon some thousand grains of boyling quicksilver to a tickling admiration of a great multitude And further as before is rehearsed in the first Chapter He also saith He who gave me that powder had so much at least
colours Almost so likewise is a Chicken generated and hatcht out of the white of an Egg by a gentle natural heat and thus also from the seminal Bond of Life of any metal is made a new and much more noble metal by a heat convenient to a salty fires nature Though few Chymists know perfectly how the internal virtues of metals always magnetically moving according to their harmony or disconsonancy are distinguished and why one metal hath such a singular Sympathy or Antipathy with the other metal as is seen in the Magnet with Iron in Mercury with Gold in Silver with Copper very remarkably And so in some are notably found an Antipathy as Lead against Tin Iron against Gold Antimony against Silver And again Lead against Mercury There are 600 such Sympathetical and Antipathetical Annotations in the animal◠and vegetable Kingdom as Authors have written Thus Candid Reader have I here printed what I have seen and done for with Seneca I desire to know only that I may teach others nay if wisdom were given conditionally to be kept secret I would reject it If any shall yet remain doubtful let him with a living faith believe in his Christ Crucifyed and in him become a new Creature through the most strict way of regeneration and be fixed therein in hope and use true love and charity to his neighbour till his life be justly chastly and holily sinisht thereby safely to sail through the wicked and impudent Sea of this world to the peaceable Haven of Heaven where is an everlasting Sabbath with true Christians and Philosophers in the true Jerusalem John Frederick Helvetius Count Russ in Syria and Carynthia in Germany with one grain of Tincture transmuted three pound of ☿ into pure ☉ at all assayes THE GOLDEN ASS Well managed AND MYDAS Restored to Reason Or a new Chymical Light appearing as a day Star of Comfort to all under Oppression or Calamities as well Illiterate as Learned Male as Female to ease their Burdens and provide for their Families WHEREIN The Golden Fleece is Demonstrated to the blind world and that good Gold may be found as well in Cold as Hot Regions though better in hot within and without through the universal Globe of the Earth and be profitably extracted So that in all places where any Sand Stones Gravel or Flints are you cannot so much as place your footing but you may find both Gold and the true matter of the Philosophers Stone And is a Work of Women and play of Children Written at Amsterdam 1669. by John Rodolph Glauber The bright Sun of our Age and Lover of Mankind like a true Elias riding on this Golden Ass in a Fiery Chariot And Translated out of Latin into English in briefer Notes 1670. by W. C. Esq True Lover of Art and Nature and well wisher to all men especially to the poor distressed Houshold of Faith The true Catholick Church and body of Christ Dispersed through many Forms of Religions through the whole World as the perfect Israelites The Thickness of that piece of gould LIKE AS RARE MEN HAVE THIS ART SOE COMETH IT VERY RARELY TO LIGHT PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR EVER WHO DOETH COMMVNICATE A PART OF HIS INFINITE POWER TO VS HIS MOST ABIECT CREATVRES THE DIVINE METAMORPHOSIS EXHIBITED AT PRAGVE XV IAN Ac. MDCXLVIII IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS SACRED CAESAREAN M ty FERDINAND THE THIRD Count Rusz uppermost Hill master in Steyer and Carinthioe two Prouinces of high Germany hath with one only graine of Tincture transmuted three pounds of Quicksiluer into pure gold fixt in all assayes proofes out of which was cast this piece of Gould THE EPISTLE Of VV. C. TO THE CHRISTIAN AND COURTEOUS READER Job 28. 6. 2 Esdras 8. 2. Reader GOd who made Man out of Earth or Clay and out of Stones could raise up Seed to Abraham hath here sent thee Manna and commanded these very Stones to yield thee Bread in these Calamitous times or rather that which may satisfie thy honest and moderate wishes more for Food and all necessaries as was intended in the Fiction of Mydas For every thing thou touchest by this Art may turn to Gold and purchase whatsoever thou needest for thy self Friends and Family without borrowing extortion or fear of want or wearing longer Ears then will become a rational man and a good Christian And so thou maiest prove a true Fortunatus or Providential Mydas procure thee a lighter heart then many that have a heavier Purse which may be exhausted lost or spent on their Lusts and yet not satisfie their fears or covetous desires though in present Plenty of Corn and Wine Yea if thou hast Grace and Wisdom out of the very Stones in the Streets or Jobs Dunghill thou maiest raise the Golden Fleece though in extract and Jobs small quantity and mayest gain the Philosophers Stone and withal make gold more plentiful then in Solomons days and ride in Triumph over the World on this Golden Ass by Glaubers new Chymical Light without old Balams property Quid non Mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Let this Art therefore breed in thee a holy hunger of God rather then Gold and improve this Talent to Gods Honour that sent it and to thy honest Neighbours good and fear not to be the poorer though thou light thy Neighbours candle by communicating somthing of this Art or the Fruicts thereof liberally as thou wouldst be done unto That so all may glorifie the Almighty giver for his great Treasures and bounty and live together in Peace and Love without Griping Grudging or Anxiety whence may spring the true Golden Age so long expected and desired with Halcion days Neither needest thou be sollicitous for thine or their posterity least they want bread if thou givest them but these Stones with the use thereof for a Legacy I have no other message at present but to wish thee herewith to be content and provide thee Treasures for Eternity without taking notice of this mean messenger that brought it hither to thee who though invisible or unknown shall remain Thy well wishing Friend and Servant W. C. Or twice five hundred L'aurum amice elegis Rus. POSTSCRIPT TO help thee here a little forwarder Take four ounces or what quantity of powder of Emery you please such as Cutlers use and is bought at the Ironmongers or else good Yellow Red or Purple Talcum or other good Stones or Minerals Dissolve it in Spirit of Salt of Glaubers cheapest making Distill or Evaporate the Menstruum gently or precipitate the Tincture by Lixiviat Salt with ☽ or ☿ or the properest Loadstone ☉ and reduce all by ♀ but be sure not to be too hasty for a Regulus But when you think it sufficiently washt and digested cast it into a Cone for the first Regulus Then with Glaubers Martial Discipline Mortifie the remaining sulphurious matter and you have a courser Sol and after a Lunary Body Then begin again and add the last to the first and
18. Colos 2. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 13. 9. 11. Truly wise men dive into the best gifts and perfection which are of three sorts Charity Prophecy and Examination Love and Charity are the Center and contain the circle of all godly virtues and have Faith and Hope but Prophesying hath all knowledge wisdom and doctrine Lastly examination containeth all understanding judgment and discretion In these three things all is contained that belongeth to wisdom the Center whereof is the word of God This is that which all men ought to study and should communicate to others according as they have received a gift of the Spirit of graceâ— That God the Author of all good may be glorified and that none do boast of gifts and extol himself above others but rather be humble And then none ought to quench the Spirit neither in himself nor others but rather to stir it up And lastly let no man despise Prophecy that he may not offend God his neighbour nor scandalize himself Love forbeareth all The wisdom of the spirit searcheth all and Examination tryeth all Since we have undertaken through the admonition of the spirit to speak of wisdom as much as our knowledge in part may afford Therefore we intreat the Reader in Love that those whom we displease or who are offended would tolerate us in love As knowing that wisemen also must bear with fools And things spoken of in this book may not presently be rejected but rather be suffered to stand remembring that God also is patient unto Sinners But if any one do think himself wise let him shew the spirit of Judgment and let him discern thus least he judge himself also For we hold that we also have received a gift of the Spirit of grade which we will not suffer to dye but to the praise of the Lord we will put it out to use out of love to the Children of wisdom although not as an instruction but as a good testimony to our selves that we have received a gift of the Spirit not in vain The reason that induced us to the writing of this book is because we hope to be Beneficial to the children of wisdom It may be we have publisht the like twelve years ago the Title of it being Aurora Sapientiae yet since it hath been desired by some again I have not altered the Title hoping that it is not a little mended and corrected I have set it out briefly that it may neither be tedious to the Reader nor chargeable to the Buyer nor yet painful to the Printer Benevolous Reader take all in good part and thus we commend the well wishers to Gods gracious ptotection THE CONTENTS Of the several Chapters of this Book OF the Books of wisdom in which the same may be learned how and in what manner Chap. 1. Of the Principles and Beginnings of all things as also of God himself and of all whatsoever 2 Of the First Principle of all things which is God 3 Of the second Principle which is Nature 4 Of the third General Principle namely the Elements 5 Of the three special Principles Spirit Wind and Water 6 Of the particular Principles Body Soul and Spirit 7 Of the Elements and contrary Elements in the Creation 8 Of the Principle or Original of that evil one and of the Angels 9 Of the difference of the Light and Darkness as also of the Light and Fire 10 Of the Principle of the Fire and its Mystery 11 Out of what wherein and whereby all things good or bad do subsist pass away and yet how they last for ever 12 Of the Creation of the World 13 Of the particular Creation 14 Of the Mystery of the Word 15 Of the Mystery of the Created lower visible things 16 Of the Creation of Man and of his Anatomy 17 Of the Image of God after which man is Created 18 Of the Mystical Image that is of the Mystery of God Chap. 19 Of the Truth and Spirit by which all wisdom is justified 20 Of the Mystery of Time and to understand 〈◊〉 aright 21 The Conclusion 22 AVRORA SAPIENTIAE Morning Light OR Dawning of Wisdom WE take the liberty according to the gift of the Spirit to speak briefly of Wisdom in this little Treatise without any prolixity And because we made mention in the Preface of a three-fold Knowledge as of Men of Angels and of God now we will speak here that Wisdom also is threefold as 1. The Natural of all Created things 2. The Wisdom of Faith unto Salvation And 3. The Secret and Mystical wisdom which generâ—lly is unknown and that we call vera Philosophia Theologia and Theosophia Of these three we will speak as briefly as may be possible The Spirit of the Lord be upon both the Writer and the Reader Amen JEHIOR OR THE Morning Light of VVisdom CHAP. I. Of the Books of Wisdom in which the same may be learned How and in what manner THere are chiefly but three Books in which all Wisdom is contained Namely 1. The whole Nature and Creation 〈…〉 great Book of Heaven and 〈…〉 2. The Book of the Holy Writ in the Letter of the Holy word of God 3. Man himself The only Center or Principle of these three is the word of God which is the book out of which these three books have their Original The first book of Nature contains seven other books which are the seven Elements of which in particular hereâ—fter These seven Books have three other books opposite which are the three contrary Elements of which also hereafter The second book the Holy Writ is divided into three other books as into the Law of the Old Into the Gospel of the New and into the Eternal Gospel of the everlasting Testament and Covenant which comprehends the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ The Third book of Man is only one book and is sealed to the blind but opened to the seeing In this book is hidden sealed and also manifest and opened all Wisdom and man is called the Image or Honour of God oâ— which below and man cannot be called by any other name 1 Cor. 11. 7. Out of the first book we learn Philosophia the natural Wisdom in and about the knowledge of created natural things which are of the Elements and we learn this wisdom out of the three Principles and seven Elements and discern the same from the three contrary Elements else we cannot find the truth of the Natural Wisdom Out of the second book we learn Theologia or Divinity the wisdom unto Salvation and that in the three foresaid books through the seven spirits Isaiah 11. and we diâ—â—â—nguish it from all humane glosses and books of Prophane ones For the book expounds it self and needs no humane interpretation but only hath need of Faith which apprehends all things Out of the Third Book which is Gods Image we learn the true knowledge of God as also his being and essence and his whole Mystery in so much as
Communion of such spirits at all neither should it be because it is the next degree to Witch-craft The Natural Magick can do much of which the wise Men of the East made use profitably who clime to Christ But the Angelical may do more yet and much more the divine But we must strive always after the best and Man hath within him a threefold Magnet or 〈◊〉 whereby he can draw to him all spirits in the world and can do wonders But what saith the Lord to it Mat. 7. 22 Luke 10 20. For by the natural Magick Devils may be cast out and great wonders done by it The Prince of darkness can turn to the shape of of an Angel of light and will have every where his hand in the work Now is a very dangerous time because all spirits are stirring because their end is so nigh that it is hardly believed The Air is fuit of spirits and the he Earth also is full of them and every man hath his proper Angel and his bad Angel also By the good Angels all good things man doth are set down truly and the bad Angels observe all evil that man doth and when once the books are to be opened men will be judged according to their works and words Well be it with him who hath blotted out his black Register with repenting tears The spirit we cannot see unless our eyes be opened Lastly between light and darkness light and fire is such a great difference as between life and death blessedness and perdition yea as between God and the Devil The light is and will be an Eternal dwelling of God But darkness and fire is an everlasting habitation of Devils and the damned CHAP XI Of the Principle of the fire and its Mystery THere is a threefold fire namely the fire of the contrary Element the fire of the Angels and the fire of the Devils The fire of the contrary element is threefold First before the fall a still resting and unmanifested fire without a burning flame Secondly after the fall a kindled manifested burning flaming fire Thirdly a cold waterish fire which doth not burn yet smoketh worketh into the earth upon Minerals and Metals With this cold waterish fire all things are forced and the Metals also for it doth calcinate them and turneth them as it were into ashes destroyeth and openeth them This fire is chiefly threefold as 1. Vegitable which is as it were tempered and is a well rectified Vineger which is extreamly useful Of which not many words Sat sapienti dictum Secondly it is a mineral fire which chiefly is the true spirit of Nitre a spiritual water out of Salt-peter which hath both heat and cold and is Infernal and Coelestial Thirdly Mercurial or Saturnine a strong Salt that hath not its fellow Without this no Metal is engendred nor broken or groweth in which is a great mystery hid more then can be Imagined But the true spirit of Nitre must not be prepared without a cold fire for the raging horrible and furious Hell which is in Saltpeter must in its devouring and consuming fire be over whelmed drowned and devoured and be reduced to a blessed Heaven Now when a Heavenly Water is at hand then a new birth from above out of water and spirit can follow Here lyeth hid a great Medicine in time of the raging Plague Head-aches Leavers Stone Gout and many more diseases to be used And truly the time is come when all things must be made manifest and although we have not yet with our hands prepared it yet the spirit of wisdom can teach us all what is secret and mystical who searcheth into all deepnesses and can shew testifie and make known to us that which no eye hath seen no◠Ear hath heard and which hath never entred into mans heart Thirdly There is also a Metalline cold fire which reduceth all Metals yea Gold it self to nothing only that noble grain in the Gold hidden stayeth and remaineth which cannot be forced and that fire is Lead Saturn which devoureth all Metals and consumeth also it self in the fire at last Even as the common fire doth consume and devour all wood and at last it self is consumed and goeth out But in the Cinders that remain there lyeth the treasure hidden which must be drawn out of it with hot water The Metals have two sorts of waters a Cold and a Hot and both are fire The Cold is Saturn Lead the Hot is Mercury Now as the one is an extream Hellish Cold so is the other extream hot of a Hellish Heat so that by reason of heat it stands in a continual flowing although it feels outwardly Cold. Now in this fire water the Metals especially Gold after their death are born anew namely in the Metalline world and Reign and yet are anew Clarified Christalline Spiritual Heavenly body which is so glorious that it can make inferiour and less precious yet to his nature not unlike Metals to his own substance So much is it worth to know the nature of fire and its mystery without which no good or profitable use of it may be had for our good for all must be killed first in the cold fire even as it were through its Winter according to the proceeding of nature must dye and putrifie if it shall be produced again in a new body Now the fire according to its principle is begotten out of darkness from thence it is produced and returneth into it again But darkness was begotten out of the Nothing and that Nothing stood there in the beginning of the Creation to the Something as a Testimony of that which was Created For all that is made and Created that was before nothing and before it be fashioned then it was not fashioned without a frame and was as it were a dark Ens or Being out of which afterward is born the Light that is a fashionable Being that is out of the invisible a visible thing is made Therefore the darkness and fire in a good sense and before the fall are an excrement of the Light yet are good and useful even as that which a Workmaster heweth or cutteth away from that matter which he intends to make some fashionable thing Even as Chips from wood are of the same substance with that which is framed out of it yet an excrement of it and when these Chips are flung into the fire they return to nothing So the contrary Elements when they are known they are no more good but an opposition adverse and stark nought Further be it known that in the divine world are no contrary Elements nay there can be none in it although their power hath pressed into it yea in the depths of God in which it grew dark when the Lord of glory dyed on the Cross and the fire of the raging wrath of God consumed the same and death and perdition killed him Who can speak it out or who knows what this saying doth mean Also in the Angelical world
Elixers and the perfect way of making the great Stone of Philosophers as it was truly taught in Paris and some time practiced in England by R. Lully in the time of King Edward the Third vide Paracelsus Jo. Levens Path-way to health for Distilling of divers Waters and making of Oyls c. Lond. 1587. 4º 1664. 12. Lathams Spaw in Yorkshire with some remarkable Cases and Cures effected by it Lond. 1672. 8. A further account of Latham's Spaw in Yorkshire as it may conduce to publick advantage Lond. 1672. 8. A Letter sent by a learned Physitian to his friend wherein are detected the manifeld Errors used hitherto of the Apothecaries in preparing their Compositions as Syrups Condites Conserves Pills Potions Electuaries Lozenges c. with a far better manner to preserve and correct the same Lond. 1586. 8. A little Book of Secrets for liquifying and using of Gold and Silver Lond. 8. Jo. Bapt. Lambye His Revelation of the secret Spirit declaring the most concealed secret of Alchimy Lond. 1623. 8 Jo. Lydgate's Secreta Secretorum or Letter of Alexander the great to Aristotle vide Theatrum Brit. Liber Patris Sapientiae vide Th. Brit. The London Distiller vide French Lev. Lemnius His secret miracles of Nature with Philosophical and prudential Rules for the health of Body and mind of man fit for those that search into the hidden secrets of Nature Lond. 1658. fol Magnetical Philosophy 8º Nicol. Monardus Of the vertues of divers Herbs Trees Oyls Plants and Stones with their use in Physick and a discourse of the Bezoar Stone of Iron and the Vertues of Snow Lond. 1577. 4 o. Jo. Maplets Green Forest of Sovereign Vertues in all the whole kind of Stones and Metals Plants Herbs Trees and Shrubs of Beasts Fowls Fishes creeping Worms and Serpents Lond. 1567. 8. Chr. Merret's View of the frauds and abuses committed by Apothecaries in relation to Patients and Physitians Lond. 1069. 4 o. Mich. Majerus His Themis Aurea or Laws of the Rosie Cross Lond. 1656. 12 o His Lusus serius or serious pastime Lond. 1654. 12 o. The Magistery of W. B. vide Th. Brit. The Mystery of Alchimists vide Th. Brit. The Marrow of Chymical Physick or the Practice of making Chymical Medicines shewing the order to draw forth from Vegitables Minerals and Metals their Spirits Oyls Vinegars Salts Extracts or Tinctures Essences and Magisteries Flowers and Salts c. Lond. 1669 12 o. Hen. Nollius His Chymists Key or Doctrine of Corruption and Generation Lond 1657. 8 o. 16 o. His Hermetical Physick or the right way to preserve and restore health Lond. 12 o. Ant. Neri His Art of Glass shewing the ways to make and colour Glass Pastes Enamels Lekes and other Curiosities by fire Lond. 1662. To which is added an account of the Glass-drops made by the Royal Society 1672. 8 o. Th. Nortons Ordinal of Alchimy vide Th. Brit. Hen. Oldenbourg Esq His Collection of the Philosophical Transactions for several years 40. The Method of Chymical Philosophy and Phisick Lond. 1664. 8. Edw. Mainwaring's Compleat Physitian wherein are the Characters of the Chymical Emperick and Chimical Physitian with the Excellency of Chymical preparations Lond. 1668. 8. March Needham His Medela Medicinae or Plea for the free profession and a renovation of the Art of Physick Lond. 1665. 8. Philosophia Maturata or the Practick and operative part of the Philosophers Stone with the way how to make the Mineral Stone and the Calcination of of Metals with the work of St. Dunstan concerning the Philosophers Stone and the Experiments of Rumelius and the preparation of Angel Sala published by Lancelet Colson Lond. 1668. 12º The Philosophical Epitaph of W. C. Esq for a memento mori on the Philosophers Tomb Stone with three Hieroglyphical Scutcheons displaying Minerva's and Hermes Birds and Apollo's Bird of Paradise in Philosophical Mottos and Sentences with their Explication and a discovery of the Liquor Alchahest Of Salt of Tartar volatized and other Elixirs with their differences and proprieties also a Brief of the Golden Calfe discovering the rarest miracle in Nature of a strange transmutation of Lead into Gold made by Dr. Jo. Fred. Helvetius with Figures likewise Jo. Rod. Glauber his Golden Ass well managed and Midas restored to Reason a new Chymical light for comfort of the oppressed demonstrating Gold to be easily extracted in all places out of Sand Stones Gravel or Flints and the true matter of the Philosophers Stone to which is added Jehior the day Dawning or the Morning Light of Wisdom containing the three Principles or Originals of all things whatsoever discovering the great and many Mysteries in God Nature and the Elements all published by W. C. Esq Lond. 1673 8. His Secrets of Alchimy Lond. 8 Aur. Theo. Paracelsus His Treatise of the Cure of French Pox with all other Diseases arising and growing thereof Lond. 1590. 4. His 114. Experiments vide Firovant His Key of Philosophy or The most excellent secrets of Physick and Philosophy with the Order of Distillation of Oyls Gums Spices Seeds Roots and Herbs with their perfect Taste Smell and Virtues and how to Calcine Sublime and dissolve all manner of Minerals and how to draw forth their Oyl and Salts Lond. 1580 1633. 8. His Dispensatory 8. His Archidoxes 8 His Chymical Transmutation Genealogy and Generation of Metals and Minerals with the Vertues and use of Dr. Trigs water with the Mumial Treatise of Tentzelius The Philosophical and Chymical Experiments of Rym Lully with the right and due preparation of both Elixirs and the perfect way of making the great Stone of Philosophers as it was truly taught in Paris and some time practiced in England by R. Rully in the time of King Edward the Third Lond. 1657. 8. Paracelsus His wonderful mysteries of the Creation vide Crollius His Philosophical and Chymical Treatise of Fire and Salt 8. Of the Nature of things 9 Books 1650. 4 o vide Sendivogius Of the Supream Mysteries of Nature of the Spirits of the Planets occult Philosophy the Magical Sympathetical and Antipathetical Cure of Wounds and Diseases the Mysteries of the Twelve Signs of the Zodiack Lond. 1656. 8. Eug. Philalethes Anthroposophia Theomagica Lond. 1650 8. His Magia Adamica Lond. 1650. 8. His Anima magica abscondiâ—a or a Discourse of the universal Spirit of Nature Lond. 1650 8 His Euphrates or Waters of the East or a Discourse of the secret Fountain whose Water flows from the Fire Lond 1671. 8. Eir. Phil. Philalethes alias Geo. Starkies Marrow of Alchimy being an experimental Treatise of the secret and most hidden mystery of the Philosophers Elixir Lond. 1654. 8. Hugh Plats Jewel house of Art and Nature with divers Chymical Conclusions of the Art of Distillation c. Lond. 1594. 4 o. His Subterraneal Treasure Lond 40. Jo. Partridges Treasury of hidden secrets Lond 1591. 8 Nic. Prepositas Practice of approved Medicines precious Waters c. Lond. 1588 4 o. Sim. Partlisius His new Method of Physick or