a sound Doctour teacheth and instructeth men as the Holy Spirit taught the Apostles in fiery tongues It is perfected and brought to light by practice not established by Humane but by the institution of God and Nature for it is not founded upon any Humane figments but upon Nature upon which God hath written with his own sacred finger in sublunary things but especially in perfect Mettalls God therefore is the true Foundation thereof Physick is a favour given of God whereof University books are not the Foundation but the invisible mercy of God and his speciall gift so are those things also which are written that depend upon the true foundation and experience This Physicall essence in Phisick is called Gold Physick is written in the book of Nature 1 in Heaven and Earth and may there be read found out by Chyromancy and phisiognomy through the miraculous illumination of God Wherefore Physick is nothing else but the created and incarnate Mercy of our Heavenly Father bestowed upon poor afflicted Mortalls that the sick Patient might sensibly perceive and have experience of the bountifull love mercifulnesse and assistance of his Creator towards him in his afflictions that so God may be glorified in all his wonderfull works Now this Medicine as naturall Mummy and kernell of Nature is contained in the vitall Sulphur as in the treasure of Nature and is founded in the Balsam of Vegetables Mineralls and Animalls from which every action in Nature hath its beginning By its onely power all diseases are cured if as shall be shewed anon it be rightly prepared and separated from all impurity and in a due order conveniently administred by a Godly skilfull Phisitian to the poor weak decayed Nature of Man The Foundation of this Physick is according to the agreement of the lesser World Man with the greater and externall world as we are sufficiently instructed by Astronomy and Philosophy which explaine those two Globes the superiour and inferiour Philosophy teatheth the force and properties of Earth and Wate as Astronomy doth of the Firmament and Aire Phylosophy and Astronomy make up an internall and perfect Phylosopher not onely in the great World but also in the lesser And therefore it is necessary to accommodate the disposition of the great World as of a parent to the little World as to the Son and duly compare the Anotomy of the World with the Anotomy of Man The outward World is a speculative Anotomy wherein we may see as in a glasse the lesser World Man for so much of his wonderfull and excellent fabrick and creation as is necessary for a Physitian to know cannot be understood from the man himselfe For they agree not in outward form or corporall substance What the Light of Nature is but in all their powers and vertues as is the great world so is the lesser in essence and internall form they are altogether one and the same thing Without the knowledge of Light of Nature or the great world no Physitian can have an exact knowledge of diseases in Man the outward form at least differenceth the World and Man This is most evident from the Light of Nature which is nothing else but a divine Analogy of this visible world with the body of man For whatsoever lyeth hid and unseen in Man is made manifest in the visible Anotomy of the whole Universe for the Microcosmicall Nature in Man is invisible and incomprehensible The great World is a speculation and glasse of the little World Man Therefore in the visible and comprehensible Anotomy of the great World all things are manifest as in their Parent Heaven and Earth are Man's Parents out of which Man last of all was created He that knowes the parents Man is the End of Phylosophy and Astronomy and can Anotomize them hath attained the true knowledge of their child Man the most perfect creature in all his properties because all things of the whole Universe meet in him as in the Centre and the Anotomy of him in his Nature is the Anotomy of the whole world The externall world is the figure of Man and Man is an hidden world because visible things in him are invisible and when they are made visible then they are diseases not health as truly as he is the little world and not the great one And this is the true knowledge that Man may Microcosmically be known visibly and invisibly or magically The knowledge of every sound and perfect Physitian proceedeth from the true and full Anotomy both of the great and little world unto which he may safely trust as to a most sure Anchor Considering then the originall of all diseases it will appear that the Nature as well of the Macrocosme as the Microcosme is its own medicine disease and Physitian A Physitian must spring out of Nature for in him and of him and from him is nothing but all of Nature onely Nature not man maketh a Physitian And because the Matter of Man is the Extract of the four Elements it is requisite that he have in himselfe a familiarity with all the Elements and their fruits inasmuch as without them he cannot live For what man can be without Aire Earth Water or Fire or their effects God created the Elements for their fruits sake that they might sustaine and preserve Man with food and Physick The knowledge of the 4 Elements doe shew every disease in man and its cure Therefore all the externall Elements represent unto us the whole Man which being known Man also is understood for they are alike and are the very Microcosm and in the foure Elements there is but one Anatomy essence and matter all the differenc being onely in the Form The knowledge of Physick in the outward world is to be fetched from the Limbovn and depends upon the knowledg of Man Thus in all things there is Fire Aire Earthy Water Againe there is Water Caelestiall Earth Likewise Terrene Fiery Airy Water Lastly Airy Fre Airy Water Airy Earth There are also four kinds of Mercury and four sorts of Mettalls a fourfold Snow four sorts of Ametheists and precious stones There are Foure of every thing one in the Firmament or Heavenly Element Every Element perfecteth its power and operation in all the four Elements another in the Aire a third in the Water a fourth in the Earth So there is a fourfold Man For God is far more wonderfull in his invisible works then in his visible Paracelsus faith that to avoyd an Emptiness in all the four Elements he created living creatures inanimate that is to say without an Intellectuall Soule which should be the four kind of Inhabitants of the Elements who differ from Men created after the Image of God in understanding wisdome arts operations and habitations To the Water there belong Nimphs Undens Melosyns whose Monsters or bastards are the Syrens that swim upon the water To the Earth doe belong Gnoms Lemurs Sylphs Montans Zonnets whose Monsters are the
grow Neverthelesse the fruits of those Astra's or Caelestiall Ayry Earthy Watry seeds doe indeavour and bend to one generall Good as Citizens of the same Anotmy and therefore doe mutually cherish and succour one another by a sweet felloship and vicissitude of actions Plato's Rings and Homers Chaines are nothing but a Divine Series and Order serving Providence a graduall and concatenate Sympathy of things This visible and invisible fellowship of Nature is that golden chaine so much commended this is the marriage of heaven and riches these are Plato's rings this is that dark and close Phylosophy so hard to be known in the most inward and secret parts of Natare for the gaining whereof Democritus Pythagoras Plato Apollonius c. have travelled to the Brachmans and Gymnosophists in the Indies and to Hermes his Pillars in Aegypt This was that which the most ancient Phylosophers studied which by the Light of Nature that singular inspiration of God they also obtained wherein the wonderfull and infinite power the incomprehensible Wisdome of our Creator so shineth that we canot sufficiently admire and extoll his inestimable goodnesse in the Creatures and the unutterable infinitnesse of his Mysteryes It is also to be considered that there are THREE Principles of all things which are found in every compound body For it is most certaine that those things into which every naturall body is resolved had their being from the beginning of their composition and also those parts of which they did consist No body compos'd by Nature can by any dissolving skill be parted into more or lesse then Three viz. Into Mercury or liquor Sulphur or Oyle and Salt every created thing is generated and preserved in these three For the Holy Triunity when it spake that Triune word FIAT created all things Triune as in a Spagiricall resolution is plainly to be seen i. e. A seperation of purity from impurity or truth from falshood By the word FIAT or Let there be God produced the first matter which is threefold in respect of the three Principles contained in the first and afterward these three Species are seperated into four divers bodies or Elements just as if a skillfull Artist should out of lead make red lead white lead Glasse and the Spirit of lead So the world with all created bodies in it is nothing else but a fume or smoak coagulated or curded together of the three substances Sulphur Salt Mercury which three are the matter out of which all bodily things are created The Spagyricks can make this plaine by visible experience and uncontroulable certainty In green wood also there are three kinds of moystures the first watry like fugitive Mercury or Quicksilver which preserveth the wood from burning Another very fat and oyly making it like brimstone to flame and burne these two are consumed by the fire The third viz. the Salt is unctuous very little thin and lasting and remains in the ashes Thus also the Earth as it is indued with that threefold substance of Salt Mercury and Sulphur is the cause of the materiall body of man The Salt by coagulation gives Solidity Colour and Tast to all bodies The Sulphur by a pleasant mixture tempereth the coagulation of the Salt and gives the Body Substance and Transmutation Mercury which like the Elixir giveth the vertues When the Salt or Mummy is spent things brâ—â—ed nothing but wormes Operations and Secrets by a diligent and constant supply of the vital and vegetative moysture doth cherish the two former which by frequent action continually grow dry and old making every mixture easily by a fluid and slippery substance These three Principles which are in all bodies are altogether distinct in use and properties by reason of the mixture of the vertue or operation although to sence they present but one simular substance of bodies Some Theophrastaeans who have more narrowly and exactly searched out the causes of hidden things doe add a Fourth The Spirit of God upon the face of the waters which they call the Spirit which though it may be got out of Mineralls and Vegetables yet in Animalls by reason of its subtility it is subjected unto nor can it be extracted or seperated by the skill of Art and therefore cannot be had thus Sulphur or brimstone may answer to Fire Salt to the earth Mercury to Water Spirit to Aire And seeing we have entred into a Discourse of the Elements we shall add a few things concerning them out of that short Treatise of Severinus The true and purely spirituall Elements are the keepers nurses places Mines wombs and receptacles of the whole Creation yea the very essence existence life and act of all Beings Places are not without Things but are filled with their properties which administer life and nourishment to the things that are in them to wit to the Seeds that they may produce out of themselves the things that were secretly treasured up in them These places are divided into two Globes viz. the superiour Fire or the Firmament and Aire much like the shell and white of an egge the inferiour Water and the Earth like the yolk of an egge In these four incorporeall empty voyd Natures the Creatour by vertue of the Word opening the united multitude Gen. 1. and of the Spirit moving upon the face of the Waters did plant the Light and Seminall causes of all things which he once filled by his heavenly Benediction and shall ever be supplyed by an incomprehensible Magick out of the Eternall Treasures of Divine Wisdome knitting the Principles of bodies together wherewith they might be covered as with a house or garment and which are to last as long as this worldly frame The Seeds and Astra's those bonds of things lay hid in the invisible Treasures of the Elements from the beginning of the Creation as in a great deep springing up in their appointed times joyning visible things to invisible the highest to the lowest by whose advantage the Elements conspire and agree and the whole sympathy of Nature is preserved by their help the World is governed indeavoring to imitate Eternity by a continuall addition of fresh supply The knowledge of the Elements cannot be attained unto without these Seeds because they declare or open the use and services of the Elements and as the seeds are to the Elements so the Principles of bodies are to them which Principles being the inseperable companions of the Seeds cleaves to them as intermingled by an indissoluble tye and are furnisht with incomprehensible variety of gifts for the service of Generations For the Seeds and Principles of Things receive strength of Generation and Multiplication from the authority of His Word whose command all things obey Hippocr in lib. de Antiqua medic But as the Seeds and Elements can hardly be seperated one from the other by the sharpest wit All things proceeds from their powers so neither can the Elements and Principles of bodies the lawes of Nature scarce ever
suffered them perfectly to be seperated by any industry of Art Here also it is to be observed that some bodies have onely properties without Arcane or hidden secrets nor have they in them that Cherionium i. e. that wherein Nature cannot be changed but are onely barren Relollacaeous qualities i. e. qualities whose force is onely from the complexion in which there is no vertue for curing diseases Againe some bodies doe imitate the properties or qualities of Seeds and have the Tinctures in which though heat cold moysture and drinesse accord yet no actions proceed from them but onely for the present doe assist as it were the companions of the deputies in such bodies there may be a seperation made of the strong from the weak of the pure from the impure There are to us four Elementated Elements viz. Fire or the Firmament Aire Water Earth which conceive bring forth and againe receive or take into them all things they are the Fruit of the Seeds and the other Elements which by a constant and perpetuall flowing and watering doe serve unto generation from the three first are all compound bodies into which they are againe resolved these three are found in every matrix In living creatures the bones resemble the earth the flesh ayre the vitall spirit fire and the humors water and in every birth of every matrix The Soul in man is a Caelestiall Fiery Element the solid and Spermatick parts are the Earth the moyst parts as the Blood and other Humors are of the Element of Water the Aire is all that that is hollow without substance But these things as we have said are to be understood of Elementated Elements for the true Elements are Spirituall because all the least and smallest Seeds strive to imitate the oeconomy of the world and hold forth a dark resemblance of the Elements and Principles after this sort we acknowledge that the Elements are in all Things and that they are mingled with and preserved by the Balsam and Radicall Tincture Thus Water it selfe having the four Elements in it cherisheth its Seeds with a fruitfull nourishment and multiplication Thus much out of Severinus but least that which he hath said should seem obscure to the inconsiderate Reader we will now speak more clearly of the Elements He that is a true Phylosophicall Physitian and would know the four Elements or those four Pillars of the World shall understand himselfe and his own Originall From the Outward he finds the frame of the Inward viz. the true Anotomy of the great and little World Every Creature is formed out oâ— the Elements Living creaâ—â— es are assigned to the Aire Vegetables to the Earth Mineralls to the Water the Fire is that which gives life to all These are the wombs of all things The Earth as is said with the Water is the Centre the Aire circularly compasseth the Earth and Water the nine Sphaeres or Firmament with all the Stars are the Fire The true Elements with their proper Astra's are not visior sensible but as the Soul in the Body is insensible so also are the Elements in their bodies The body of the Element is a dead and dark thing the Spirit is the life and is divided into Astra's which out of themselves give their growth and fruit And as the Soule seperateth its body from it selfe and yet dwells in it so also these spirituall Elements in the seperation of all things have severed the visible bodies from themselves by seperation The potentiall Heat seperated the Stars from it selfe as in the Earth the hearbs seperate the flowers from themselves So Moysture the Aire Coldnesse the Water Drinesse the Earth that is from the Element of the Earth proceedeth an Earthy body from the Element of Water floweth a watry body from the Element of Aire an Aiery body breatheth forth is compact in its own Nature from the Element of Fire a body of Fire shines out viz. the visible Heaven and is compact in its own substance Every thing brought for anâ— grâ—wâ—â— is 〈…〉 generating matrix as the fish in the water From these bodies of the Elements things that grow doe proceed and come forth and out of these the fruit by the mediation and operation of the Astra's for no visible body is of it selfe and from it selfe but from its own invisible Element and Astrum The visible Astra's or Stars in the Firmament flame forth from the Fiery Body Of whatsoever any thing is begotten of the same also is iâ— nourished and preserved A Herring will not live out of the water therefore fire is the food and preservation of the Starrs Nostoch saith they feed on fire and at last sever it from themselves although in the lower part of the Aire it be turned into a Mucilaginous matter upon the Earth Mettalls Salts Mineralls grow out of the body of the Water From the body of the Earth spring Trees and Hearbs Our visible Elements are but the bodies and houses of others This Rule both Divines and Physicians make use of which hinder and withold their force and efficacy All things that are joyned together in a visible body choak and break the force power and operation of the inner Spirit The Earth of it self is dead yet is it the Element of an invisible and hidden life The Earth is twofold Externall or visible Internall or invisible The Externall is not the Element but the body of the Element and is the Sulphur Mercury Salt For the Element of the Earth is life and Spirit wherein lie the Astra's of the Earth which bring forth all growing things through the body of the Earth Though the Earth seem to be dead yet hath it in it selfe the seeds and seminall vertues of all things therefore it is said to be Animall Vegetable Minerall as it is made fruitfull by all other Elements it bringeth forth all things out of it selfe Thus trees hearbs grasse flowers mushromes and all growing things of the Earth are the bodies of the Astra's and fruit of the Earth out of the invisible Astra's they bring forth their fruits as flowers pears apples cherries and every one of these fruits is againe the Astrum and Seed Such is â—he vertue of the Element of water that spirituall regeneration cannot be without it as Chr. said to Nâ—c Our Fire is not the Element because like death it consumeth all things Heaven is the fourth and first Element concluding all things in it selfe as the shell doth the egge No one Element can be without another but there is alwayes found the commixture of the four Elements in the generation of all things Paracels in Pâ—ram de Entâ— There is also a twofold Water viz. the Body which is Mercury Sulphur and Salt but the Element is the life and Spirit in which the Astra's of the Water are contained which like a mother out of her Abysse bring forth all mineralls salts mettalls stones jewells sands and all the fruits of the Water which yet
are digged out of the Earth For the Astrum of every Element brings forth and bayes its fruits in a strange region or matrix By a singular Providence all things seem to tend to the Earth and to further its fruitfulnesse Thus the fruits of the Firmament are perfected in the Aire and from hence imparted to the lower Globe as Snow which is bred of Fire is found in the Aire and Earth The fruits of the Aire proceed from the Centre to the Circumference and there attaine to coagulation and perfection The Seeds of the Water doe bring forth in the inner part of the Earth and from thence tend to the superfices or outside For the Earth wherein we live and flourish bringeth forth its fruits into this Circumference for the corne that grows in the Earth is reaped upon the Earth in the Aire so the procreations of all the Elements doe voluntarily and earnestly bend toward Man-kind as to their desired limit and by a liberall supply of moysture doe cherish all the parts of Nature So also we see that by an imutable decree of Eternall Law it comes to passe and is so ordered that the Water doth not bring forth more then the Earth can bring up Astrers saith that the Aire was created befoâ—e any Creature All mâ—yst things â—tâ—râ—cted by the Sun from the Eâ—â—â—h are consumed in the Aire whose fruits are the likeness of the Tereâ—iâ—biâ— or far of Manna the Aire cherish and the Fire consume The Aire also is twofold for it hath its Element as an Inhabitant in it selfe It is the Balsam of all created things and the life of the other three Elements nor is there any Element that God created more subtle or thin which liveth of it selfe and giveth life to all without which neither Firmament nor Water nor Earth can bring forth their fruits the Fire cannot so much as burne without the Aire much lesse can the coales of Heaven those Crescences of Fire shine The Element of Fire according to Paracis the Firmament of Heaven The Firmament or Fire is likewise is twofold and hath its own Element as an Inhabitant in it selfe which Element hath in it all Astra's and Seeds The Element of Fire or the Corporeall Firmament sends the bodies of the Stars Sun Moon and Planets out of it selfe For as hearbs flowers trees did grow out of the Earth and yet remaine in the Earth so at the Creation did the bodies of the Stars grow out of Heaven and yet abide in the Firmament or Heaven swiming in their Orbs as birds fly in the Aire The twelve Caelestiall Signes in the Zodiak with the other Stars of Heaven are the fruits of Fire and come from the invisible Astra's of Fire By how much the Firmament is more subtle or thin then the Earth by so much the fruits thereof are more subtle and operative then the fruits of the other three Elements Thus the seven Rulers of the world are nothing else but the fruits of Fire As the flowers in earth shew the Colours of the Stars so the constellations in Heaven shew the field or meadow of the Earth which fruits are separated from the Element of Fire and by separation doe increase as flowers and hearbs in the Earth onely the flowers of the Earth abide immovable in their place but the Stars doe not so in the Firmament for they move up and down in the Firmament and those Sphaericall bodies doe by the Providence of God swim in their Orbs as fish in the water or a feather in the Aire and are nourished by the Heaven These like all other created things are twofold we see their visible body as a shining light the invisible Astrum or Sydereall Spirit in the Stars we cannot see so that not the body of the Sun but the Spirit in the body is the Sun properly the like also may be said of Man Moreover the four Astra's of the said Elements are the Seeds in the four matrices or wombs and always two are together and in one to wit the Body and Astrum the invisible and visible The Bodily growes out of the Spirituall and abideth in it and so the invisible vertues Seeds and Astra's are propagated into many Millions through the corporeall Visible body as fire increaseth in wood or in convenient and fit matter one Fire alwayes proceedeth from another Angels cannot increase themselves because they want a body but Man may because he hath a one All things that grow as hearbs trees fishes birds living creatures may augment themselves by the help of the body after this manner for the Seed or Astrum can doe nothing without the body so soon as ever the Seed or Astrum dies and rots in its matrix or womb the Astrum goes forward into a new body and multiplyeth it selfe as Christ himselfe sets it forth by a similitude and example in a graine of Wheat John 12.24 and afterward bringeth forth much fruit or many grains which in time come to have the same power or virtue that the former had out of which they grew Putrefaction consumeth and separateth the old Nature and bringeth new fruit Therefore Eternall life cannot be in any but where the body is first dead because death is the cause of the glorifying of the body in eternall Life as Corruption is the cause of the new generation of a Divine substance 'T is necessary that the first life of hearbs and medicines should die that the second life by the Chymists help may be attained through Putrefaction and Regeneration wherein the Three First discover themselves with their hidden vertues which are necessary for a Phisitian to know for without Regeneration no hid Secret of Physick can be attained to which is without all complexion of qualities When the externall World is known the Phylosophicall Physitian doth also understand the Physicall body of Man which is nourished from the Earth and Sydereall body which liveth by the Firmament he sees that the Physicall body is nothing else but Sulphur Salt and Mercury for all bodily things are contained in these Three as hath been said a little before and that the things that grow doe not spring from the four visible Bodies nor from the four humors but out of the invisible Seed as an hearb or tree groweth out of its seed The Anotomy of the diseases of the body is to be fercâ—â—c from the internall Astra's or impressions which cause the diseases and is more necessary for a Physitian them that Locall Anot of Carkasses It is not the Locall Anotomy of a man and dead corpses but the Essentiated and Elemented Anotomy of the World and man that discovereth the disease and cure The Members or parts of the great world are the Remedies of the members and parts of man by an agreement between the externall and internall Anotomy not setling one degree against another As there is but one Anotomy of a man and a woman so the Anotomy of the diseases and of the medicines
Gnomes Sylvesters and Lemâ—res Sylvestres and Lemures of which some are alotted to the mountains some to the woods some onely to the night But the Giants were parted into a third separation There are great distributed essences too as also strange miracles amongst men cattle and all things that grow which is a hard matter for any Phylosopher to find out and therefore t is thought they were made besides the order and measure of nature TEXT 16. How the complexions were brought forth After the four Elements were from the beginning separated from each other out of the onely matter as hath been said in which matter notwithstanding their complexion and essence was nâ—t the Complexions and natures issued out by that separation The hot and dry went into the heavens and firmament each cleaving apart into its own property The hot and moyst went into the aire by which the hot and moyst are invisibly separated The cold and moyst turned into the Sea and the parts adjoyning The cold and dry degenerated into the earth and all earthy things And even contraries arose from the separation of the Elements which have no likenesse at all to their Elements Of this sort is lime Lime comeeh out of the fire yet is not of a fiery nature which in respect of its own nature is not fire though it ariseth out of the fire The cause whereof is this because the dissolution went too far off from the fiery nature in the separation of the Element for the fire hath both cold and moyst in it The fire of lour sorts There is a fourfold fire Therefore the colours that are from the fire are not alwayes like unto it One fire causeth a white and azure colour The dry fire maketh a red and green The moyst fire maketh an ashie and black The moyst fire casteth a colour like saffron and red For this reason one procreation is hotter then another because one fire is more or lesse in degree than another Nor is there but one simple and onely fire and no more but there are some hundreds of fires Divers degrees of fire yet never a one of the same degree with another The procreation therefore of every of them is from its own subject as a kind of mysterie so ordained TEXT 17. Nor did the water obtaine one kind of complexion onely Various complexions of water For there were infinite waters in that Element which yet were all truly waters The Phylosopher cannot understand that the Element of water is onely cold and moyst of it selfe It is an hundred times more cold and not more moyst and yet is it not to be refer'd as well to the hotnesse as the coldnesse Nor doth the Element of water live and flourish onely in cold and moyst of one degree no neither is it fully and wholly of one degree Some waters are fountaines The differences of waters which are of many sorts Some are Seas which also are many and divers Other are streams and rivers none of which is like another Some watry Elements were disposed of into stones as the Berill Chrystall Calcedony Amethist Some into plants as Corall c. Some into juyce as the liquor of life Many into the earth as the moysture of the ground These are the Elements of water but in a manifold sort For that which groweth out of the earth from the seed that was sown that also belongs to the Element of water Nymphs So what was fleshy as the Nymphs belong also to the Element of water Though in this case we may conceive that the Element of water was changed into another complexion yet doth it never put off or passe from that very nature of the Element from which it proceeded Whatsoever is of the water turneth againe into water that which is of fire into fire that of earth into earth and that of aire into aire TEXT 18. In like manner must we think of the Element of the earth that all things that are out of the earth do retaine the nature thereof What the minerall moystures are Why brimstone burneth And though the minerall liquors may be taken for fire yet are they not fire Brimstone doth not therefore burn because it is of a fiery Element For that which is cold will burn as well as that which is hot That which burneth to ashes is not the Element of fire but the fire of the earth And that fire is not to be taken for the very Element Nor is it the Element but onely the wasting of the earth or of its substance Water may be made burn Water may burne and flame as well as any thing else and if it burn then is it watry fire Againe whereas the fire of earth will burn and blaze it is not therefore to be accounted fiery Whence a Philosopher should denominate things though it be somewhat like to fire He is but a silly and sensuall Philosopher that calleth the element according to that which he perceiveth Thus rather should he think that the Element it selfe is far another thing then such a fire as this And for what cause All that moystneth is not the Element of water Even the Element of Earth may be brought into water Earth may be reduc'd into water yet it remaineth earth still Whatsoever likewise is in the earth is of the Element of earth For it is and is known by the property of that our of which it proceeded and to which it is like A man may strike fire out of a flint and calcedony A flint and calcedony give fire That is not elementall fire but a strong expression out of great hardnesse TEXT 19. The Element of the aire hath many procreations in it all which are yet meer aire Every Philosopher should well understand this that no Element can begat another thing out of it selfe but that which it is of it selfe Like ever begetteth its like Like to like So then seeing the aire is invisible it can bring nothing visible out of it selfe And whereas it is impalpable it can produce nothing that may be touch'd Therefore as I may so say it doth melosinate And though that be from the aire yea be the very aire and nothing else What Melosinie is yet the conjunction is made in another Element which is the Earth For here may a conjunction be made from the aire to a man as it cometh to passe by Spirits in all witchcrafts and inchantments The same may be said here as was of the Nymphs who though they live in the Element of water What the Nymphs are and are nothing but water yet have they freedome to converse with things on the Earth and to generate with them The like compaction also is there from the aire which may be seen and felt yet as a procreation of the first separation but onely as a consequence For as a beetle is bred of dung so may a monster of the airy Element
assume a bodily shape with airy words thoughts and deeds by a mixture with that which is earthy Neverthelesse such kind of miracles and consequences doe at last decay againe into the aire as Nymphs turn into water just as a man by rotting is consumed and turned to earth because he came from thence TEXT 20. And thus the procreations proceeded one out of another by the great separation From those procreations arose other generations which have their mysteries in those procreations not in like manner as the separation of the things aforesaid but as a mistake or abortion or excesse Whence thunder is Thunder comes from the proceations of the Firmament because that consisteth of the Element of fire Thunder is as it were the harvest of the Stars at that very instant of time when it was ready to work according to its nature Magicall tempests rise out of the aire and there end not as if the Element of aire begot them but rather the spirit of the aire The fire conceives some things bodily as the Earth doth the Gnomes Likewise ordure comes from men and beasts not from the earth Whence Lorind is Lorind riseth from the originall of water yet it is not of the water Many other things also proceed out of the store either through mistake or in due time Crooked men â—orms plague famine Deformed men wormes and many more such like generations proceed from the impressions The infection of countries the plague famine is from the fatall stormes Beetles cankers Dalni Beetles cankers dalnes breed in dung By Lorind is found out the Prophesie of that country What Lorind for esheweth which is a kind of presage or guessing at strange wonderfull and unheard of things to come TEXT 21. What the fourth separâ—tion is As we have seen a threefold separation made out of the mysterie into three sorts of formes it remaines now that we consider the fourth and last separation of all after which there shall be no more for then all the other shall perish and be no longer a mysterie After the fourth all things shall be reduced into their first principle and that onely remaine which was before the great mysterie and is eternall Which is not so to be understood as if I could be turned into any thing or as though any thing could be made of me after the last separation unlesse by death for I shall be brought to nothing as in respect of my beginning I came out of nothing How alâ—â—hings are reduc'd into their principle Now we must know how it comes to passe that all things are brought againe into their originall When they are turned into nothing then doe they consist in their first Being Frst of all then we must look after that which is the first of all And what that is that goeth iâ—to nothing is no lesse than a mysterie My soule in me was made of something therefore doth it not become nothing because it was formed of something But of nothing nothing is made nothing is generated A picture drawn on a table as it is a picture The difference between a man and an image was doubtless made of something But we were not so made of something as an image in the aire And why so but because we came out of the great not out of the procreated mysterie Therefore are we brought to n = * He means as to the body nothing If you wipe off a picture with a spunge so that nothing thereof remaine the table is as it was before Thus all creatures shall be reduced to their first state to wit to nothing That we may know wherefore all bodies must return into nothing it is because of that which is eternall in the bodies rationall The last matter is most wonderfull The last separation of this kind is the ultimate matter Then will there many procreations mixtures conversions alterations transmutations and such like things be done all which are past mans finding out TEXT 22. Againe by Philosophy it is manifest that whatever is for the succour and preservation of any frail mortall thing is therewith also equally mortall nor can that be joyn'd againe that is divided as milk once turned into curds becomes milk no more Milk once turned into curds is no more milk thus may we reason also that the great mysterie returneth not into that out of whâ—ch it came Whence we may conclude that all creatures are the picture of the highest mysterie The creatures are the pictures of the great Secret and so nothing else but as a painted colour is to the wall Such is our life under heaven that one thing as well as another may be destroyed and turn'd into nothing For as the table or frame of a picture may be destroyed and burnt so also may the great mysterie and we with it And as all the things of the creatures are wip'd away minished and do perish with the mystery as a forrest which the fire burns into a little heap of ashes out of which ashes but a little glasse is made and that glasse is brought into a small-beryll which beryll vanisheth into wind in like manner we also shall be consumed still passing from one thing into another til there be nothing of us left Such as the beginning such is the end of the creatures The Cypres grows from a small graine If the Cypres tree can spring out of a little graine surely it may be brought into as small a quantity as that little kernell was at first A grain and the beryll are alike As it begins in a grain A graine is the begining a beryâ—â— the and of things so it ends in a beryll Now when the separation is thus made and every thing reduc'd to its nature or first principle to wit into nothing then is there nothing within the skie but is endlesse and eternall For that by which it is for ever will there flourish much more largly than it did before the creation it having no frailty or mortality in it As no creature can consume glasse so neither can that eternall essence be brought to nothing by that which is eternall TEXT 23. The last separation being the dissolution of all creatures and one thing consuming and perishing after another thereby the time of all those things is known What mortal things are eternall When the creatures once were they had no utter ruine in them for a new seed still supplyeth the room of the old decayed thing Thus there is somewhat eternall not subject to ruine in the things that are mortall by renovation of another seed which thing the Philosopher knoweth not No seed doth admit or constitute that which is eternall Yet doth it admit putrefaction when that which is eternall is taken into the eternal Man is a companion of the eternall In this respect man onely among all the rest of the creatures hath that which is eternall in himselfe joyned with
great mystery yet n = * or They were ordain'd from the beginning are they ordained by the Eternall for judgement both to themselves and us TEXT 2. Now if it were necessary that all things that were made should consist of and proceed from four only The four Elements are the mothers of all things as by the seperation we know it was those four only must be the matrixes of all the creatnres which we call the Elements And though evere creature be yet an Element or may have some share of the Element yet it is not like the Element but like the Spirit of the Element Nothing can subsist without an Element Nor can the Elements themselves stand together There is not any thing that consisteth either in four three or two Elements but one Element standeth by it selfe apart and every creature hath but own element They are altogether blind who take that which is Moyst for the Element of Water or that which burneth for the Element of fire We must not limit an Element to a body substance or quality What an Element is That which we see is only the snbject or receptacle The Element is a Spirit of lives and grows in those things as the soul in the body This is the first matter of the Elements that can neither be seen nor felt and yet is in all things What the first matter of an Element is The sttst matter of the Elements is nothing else but that life which the creatures have If any dye that subsisteth no more in any Element but in the ultimate matter wherein is no tast force or vertue TEXT 3. All things consist of the four Elements Whereas althings that could be created were made of foure mothers viz. the four Elements Take notice further that those four Elements were fufficient for al things that were to be created nor was it requisite that there should be more or lesse In things mortall there can no more but four natures subsist But in things immortall the temperaments may subsist though the Elements cannot Whatever is as I call it an elementure that may be dissolved Wherein the Element differeth from the temperament But on the contrary the temperature cannot be dissolved For such is the condition thereof that nothing can be added thereto or taken from it nothing thereof can putrifie or perish And seing that condition is mortal as hath been said we must know that all things do subsist in four natures and that every nature retains the name of its Element As the Element of fire is hot The names of the four Elements the Element of earth cold the Element of water is moyst the element of aire dry Where we must as well consider that every of the said natures is peculiarly such a one by it selfe apart For fire is onely hot and not dry nor moyst The earth is onely cold not dry nor moyst The water is onely moyst not hot nor cold The aire is onely dry not hot nor cold And therefore are they called Elements The nature of the Elements is simple having onely one simple not a double nature But their manifestation through all the creatures must be understood as an Element that may subsist with a substance and body and can there work The highest knowledge concerning the Elements is this that every one of them hath but one onely simple nature either moyst or dry or cold or hot Which is from the condition of spirits For every Spirit hath a simple The elements and simple Spirits not a double nature and so have the Elements too TEXT 4. Though we mortalls have compounds in us as hot and moyst yet far otherwise then the Ancients imagined The Colick whence it is For the Colick is of the Element of fire yet not compounded of hornesse and drynesse but is onely hot And so the other complexions Therefore if we find any disease mixt with heat and drought we may suppose that two Elements are there one in the liver another in the spleen and so in the other members There are not two Elements in one member For certaine it is that every member hath a peculiar element which we leave to Physitians to define But this cannot well be affirmed that two elements should consist both together or that one and the same element should be both hot and moyst Nor can there be any such compound There are no compounded Elements for the reason before given Where there is heat there is neither cold nor drought nor moysture So where there is coldnesse there is none of all the rest The same may be said of moysture and drynesse Every Element is simple and solitary by it selfe The Elements are not mixt not mixt in composition The possibility which Philosophers talk of concerning a conjuction of the Elements is as much as comes to nothing For no Element of water hath any heat in it Nor can there be any heat in moysture Every Element is alone by it self So also cold cannot of it self indure driness It subsisteth pure by it self And thus much be spoken to be understood of the proper essence of the Elements All drynesse is a dissolution of cold As moysture and dryness cannot be mixt so much lesse can coldnesse and dryness or moysture or heat and drynesse close or consist together For as heat and cold are contrary things so heat and cold have a contrariety against moyst and dry TEXT 5. Because all things are constituted of the four Elements therefore to goe about to prove that those Elements must necessarily be mixt together is very erroneous For every mixture is a composition Therefore they cannot be a Mysterie because they are compounded Every mysterie is simple and one onely Element Now the difference betwixt the elements and compounds is this How an Element compounds differ An element and so may a mysterie too can generate n = * Divertallum something else out of it A compound can generate nothing but what is like it selfe as men beget men But a mysterie doth not produce a mysterie like it selfe but a contrary thing as a divertallum The element of fire is the generatrix of the Stars What fire is and doth Planets and the whole Firmament yet neither of them is mede and form'd like this The element of water made water which is altogether contrary to the Element of water for that of it selfe is not so moyst as the element of water The Element of water soâ—tneth mettalls and stones The very element it selfe of water hath such moysture that will soften stones and hard mettalls The substantiall water taketh away that excellent vertue of mollifying that its power is not perfect The element of aire is so dry that it can dry up all waters in a moment The Element of aire dryeth most scorchingly But that force is taken away and broken by the substantiall aire The element of earth is so cold that it would
teach not that the world cannot be preserved without the four Elements but rather that every thing is preserved by that one element from whence it sprang And though I deny not but that the firmament doth nourish the world by its elementary virtues which doe wholly descend fiery on the earth How the Firmament nourisheth the earth yet that nourishment is not necessary Nor will the world perish of it selfe for it hath sufficient to sustaine it selfe as the other world maintaineth it selfe without the help of the earth As for example The waters earth contributeth nothing to its proper essence nor the earths water to it So is it with the aire But t is not sufficient that every world doth solitarily or of it selfe subsist in its Element What the light of heaven is but rather that the light from heaven is as a kind of extract of the four Elements most exellent in a full and perfect propriety But let none think that the Sun or Planets did receive their lustre or motion from the Element of fire but rather from the Mysterie The brightnesse of the Firmament that doth irradiat the world did not flow from the Element of fire but from the mysterie The earth bringeth Trone Tronus Turas Samies the water Ture the aire Samies These proceed not from the Element but from the Mysterie yet are in the Element Thus the four worlds that came out of the Mysteries doe agree to help each other to nourish and sustain one another Not from the nature of Elements for they themselves are Elements TEXT 14. Mans life fight c. whence it is It is not from the Elements that man doth live see hear c. but from the mysteries or rather from the monarchie And so all things else The Elementary thing is but an Inne and a repast Know also that whatsoever is eternall cometh from the Mysterie and is the same thing Doggs die but their mysterie doth not Man dyeth but his mysterie surviveth and much more his soul whereby he is by so many degrees more excellent then a dog The same may be said of all things that grow The mysterie of all things shall an last be manifest Hence is that mistake that all creatures that ever were shall not appear essentially as they doe now but mystically in the last great new mystery We say not that the mysterie is an essence like that which is immortall What a mysterie is but that it is perfectly a mysterie The Element of fire hath a mystery in it How myst the Elements differ from which the other three have their light lustre influence growth and not from the Element Those mysteries also may subsist without an Element as an Element may without a mysterie Observe further that the Element of aire hath a mysterie in it by which all the other three What the Elements be what kind of mysteries they have and it selfe too are nourished Not Elementarily of it selfe but mystically by the Element The Element of Earth hath in it a mystery of mansion and fixation by vertue whereof the other continue and increase that nothing perish The Element of water hath a mysterie of sustentation for all the rest and preserveth all that is in them from destruction In this respect there is difference between an Element and a mystery One is mortall and corruptible from the Elements the other is durable in the last great mysterie wherein all things shall be renewed but nothing made that was not before TEXT 15. The Elements are all alone We conclude then that all the Elements cannot be joyn'd together but that they be solitarily and unmixedly altogether either aiery or fiery or earthy or watry The elements nourish themselves We have also dispatch'd this that every Element maintaineth it selfe and that which doth come from it as its own world Therefore a medicine of the Element water will doe no good to those things that are of the Element of earth or of any other Element but onely to the Nymphs Syrenes Nymphs c. and such like So a medicine of the earth will not help the other three worlds but onely the living creatures of its own world And so of the aire There are diseases Physitians skilfull and unskilfull in the aire which have their peculiar motion there as in their own world The same may be said of fire The Nymphs gender with earthy things Now if it so chance that at any time the Nymphs couple with earthy things and beget children that is to be imputed to the faculty or power of ravishment So doe Melosines and Trifertes Aiery things as the Melosines may ravish earthy things The Trifertes are snacht out of the fire by earthy things If then those three forraigne worlds plant men in our world as we have said they are to be known in their whole essence as Gods in respect of us by reason of that huge distance and very strange essence which they have How Elements may be joyn'd But on the other hand if any of us be caught away by them there is a contrary rape from us to them Thus one Element hath no need of another one is but the cabinet or conceptacle of the other As water and earth seperate from each other so aire and fire have their peculiar lotts without any other contiguity but like walls and according to the inclination of the mysteries out of all the four TEXT 16. But if there shall be any such meeting or conjunction whereby althings return into their former essence then that will be a mystery according to the aspect and face of the Element For there no bodily thing by generation can appeare but the appearance and presentaneous exhibition shall fill that place wherein all creatures were contained and so every one shall know those things that were made either before or after him as if he had seen them before with his eyes yet neverthelesse here the sense of the last greate mystery is hidden Nor shall that be known by nature but by the knowledge of the causes of the last seperation of the Elements and all the creatures when every one shall give an account of his death this is the case of the mortall and of the living and of that which endureth to the end There is one Judge from eternity Whence the variety of Religions cometh There will be the only Judge that hath eternall power and who hath been the alone Judge in all ages This is the cause of all Religions and the originall of religious men worship the Gods all which custome is false and erroneous For there was never any other but one God who is the eternall Judge It is too blasphemous foolishness to worship a mortall frayle perishing rotten creature instead of the authour of all things and ruler of eternity Whatsoever is mortall hath no power to rule and reign There is then but one only way and Religion
the body but by the life TEXT 5. Again we are as well to understand how every thing receiveth its essence This cannot more fitly be compared to any thing than to fire which we strike out of a hard flint flaming and burning contrary to all naturall knowledge As that hidden fire breaks forth and burneth in the same manner and form is the essence brought into its nature Here consider that in the beginning there was but one thing without any inclination and form from which afterwards all things came forth An example from colours to explain the Great Mystery That rise or originall was no other but as a temperate colour suppose purple having no inclination in it to any other colour but plainly to be seen in its just temperature Yet in it are all colours The red green azure yellow white black colour cannot be separated from it And every one of these colours have many dark colours come from them yet every one throughly and rightly tinctured by it selfe And though various and contrary colours lie hid in them yet all are hid under one After the same manner every thing had its essence in the great mystery which afterward the supream workmaster separated Chrystall will strike fire not from a fiery nature Chrystal hath all the Elements in it but from solidity and hardnesse This also hath the other Elements in it not essentially but materially viz. the burning fire the breathing aire the moystning water And colour too the black and dry earth Besides all these it hath all colours but hidden in it in the mixture of their qualities as fire in steel which discovereth it selfe neither by burning nor shining nor casting any colour In this respect all colours and all the Elements are in every thing If any be desirous to know how allthings should thus come and penetrate into all things he must believe that all this came to passe and was exactly and accurately ordered by that onely one who is the former and Architect of all things TEXT 6. Invisible things are made visible by bodies Although nature as we have said be invisibly in bodies and substances that invisibility comes to a visibility by means of those bodies As is the essence of every so is it visibly seen in vertues and colours Invisible bodies have no other but this kind of bodily consideration Therefore observe that invisible things have all the Elements in them and do operate in every Element They can send the fire and vertue of their Element out of themselves they can send forth aire as a man doth his breath also water as a man doth urine they have the nature of earth too and came from the earth Take it thus the liquor or moysture of the earth doth boyle dayly and sendeth an high that subtill spirit which it had out of it selfe Hereby invisible things and the Firmament it selfe are nourished How the Firmament and things invisible are nonrished which without a vapour cannot be Things incorporeall can no more live without meat and drink than corporeall things Therefore stones grow out of the earth but from a spirit like their own nature Every stone draweth its own spirit to it selfe Whence fiery Dragons and Ghosts are From such like proceed Ghosts and fiery Dragons and many more If then invisible things as well as visible be conversant in their essence it is from the nature of the great mystery as wood is set on fire by a candle or taper which loseth or wasteth nothing thereby And though it be not corporeall yet it must have that which is corporeall to preserve it selfe alive Things invisible are sustained by visible things to wit wood Likewise all invisible things must be sustain'd nourished and increased by something visible With which also at last they shall perish and come to an end all alike yet neverthelesse still keeping their operation and activity in them without losse or damage of other things except there be an effusion of those corporeall and visible things Although that be done by the invisible and found out or known in the visible c. The rest for doubtlesse the Author wrote more are not to be found READER WHat I have done in the Version of these two singularly eminent men Paracelsus and Crollius hath been rather as a Translator than an Interpreter that the Authors sence more than mine might be searched out Although the translation be not so elegant and significant as the originall yet if my judgement faile not the matter is preserved intire and sound In both Tracts thou wilt meet with some uncouth and unusuall words which for thy better understanding who art not acquainted with such language I have here alphabetically explain'd as followeth A ADECH is our inward and invisible man which first shapeth those things in the mind that afterward are done with the hands Arcana secrets or mysteries Arcanum a secret or accordiâ—g to Parac the hidden incorporeall vertue in naturall things Archaltes the prop or pâ—â—lars of the earth Archeus the chiefe exalâ—â—d invisible spirit the occult virtue artificer Physitian of nature in every one Astra Stars also the force and virtue of things by preparations Bisemutum the palest or worst sort of lead it is Tin-glasse C Cabala that most secret knowledge which the Hebrew Rabbins say was given by God with the Law of Moses Caleruth a note or signe of the desire when a thing tendeth to its first matter and would returne whence it came Cobaltum a stone whereof matter is made behoofull to Medicine It is a Minerall D Derses a secret vapour of the earth whence wood groweth Diameae spirits living among stones and rocks Divertâ—ilum the generation that is from the Elements Dramae Duelech a kind of tartar in mans body a spongy stone very precious Durdales spirits that have bodies and live among trees E Enur the occult vapour of water from which stones are bred Evestrum is that perpetuall thing of the Firmament in the Elemementary world it is taken for a Propheticall spirit foretelling things to come by precedent signes and tokens to Evestrate is to speak by that spirit F Flagae spirits that know the secret and hidden things of men G Gabalum Gebalum a thing repair'd restor'd or curdled Gabalis homo such a man Gamahaea is when a living thing is affected or wrought upon by its figure as when a Pigeon is cast dead from the top of the house onely by thrusting a pin through the picture of it on paper Gnomes Gnomi are little men dwarfs or rather spirits with bodies living under the earth Pigmies scarce halfe a foot high Gonetick H Hilech astrum medicinae or the spirit hid in medicine I Iliaster the first matter of all things consisting of salt sulphur and mercury generally it is taken for the occult virtue of nature by which all things increase grow multiply and are nourished Vid. Lex Chym. L Leffa Leffas is the juyce of the earth newly drawn into the root of the vegetables by which they grow Lemores Lemures are the spirits of the element of water not the shapes and ghosts of dead men as the heathen imagined Limboan alias Lymbus is the first matter or seed of the world or all things in it Lorind is the moving of the waters with a musicall noyse and is a signe of some change at hand M Marcasita the raw or unripe matter of mettalls Mechili Melosinae despairing women now living in a phanstaticall bruitish body nourished by the Elements into which at last they shall be changed unles they chance to marry with a man Vid. Lex Chym. Montans N Nesder Neuferani spirits living in the aire P Penates spirits of heaven and the element of sire Pyrotechney the Art of preparing or working things by fire R Relollaceus Relolleum is the vertue from the complexion there is a three fold Relolleum of which see Lexicon Chymicum S Samies Spagyrick that separateth the false from the true the impure from the pure Stannar is the mother of mettalls a secret fume of which mettals aremade Sylphs are pigmies or dwarfs Sylvesters airy men airy spirits living in woods and groves Syrenes sea-monsters bred of the Nymphs T Talcum a bright clear matter of which oyle of Talk is made there are four sorts of Talck of which see Lex Chym. Trarames the actions of the spirits and ghosts of dead men heard but not seen Tronum caelestiall dew made of the aire Truphat the occult vertue of mineralls preferring every mettall Tura Turban an innumerable multitude of Stars in the firmament of heaven also a presage from all things which the fourfold inferiour world of the elements containeth V Vmbratiles bodies once rotted and after made visible againe by the Stars by a magicall vertue Vndenae airy men and earthly spirits W Woarchadumie Z Zonnets fantasticall bodies of the Gnomes Zundell somes in English tinder FINIS
continually burning and never wasting And all that is of the Virtues and pure Truth and Nature of the Elements which feare not the Fire of Heaven shall remaine like a pure cleare incorruptible and fixed Essence in a serene resplendent Chrystalin Earth and be for ever at rest with the happy saved Ones carryed upward like an Eagle or as Smoak excited by the Fire For when God shall change all things by making them new according to his will and shall make them all like Christall then the motions of the Supernaturall Nature shall abide in those things without corruption I wish the Great Ones of our time who are sufficiently enriched with Gold and Silver from the revenues of their subjects would bestow some part of their wealth upon men piously and consciensciously learned and skilfull in Chymistry and that they would set every man his task as he is fit for it and as he shall desire it to find out one out of those Three Families of Nature that out of the same things in which all Physick is founded viz. Animalls Vegetables and Mineralls they might fetch out the most choyse Physicall Mysteries All beauty corporeal and incorporeall is nothing else but the splendor of the Divine countenance and Light set in created things glittering sparkling out through faire bodies and making all that love it to be amazed at it like the Image of God For so much Light as a King hath in him so much Majesty hath he Quantum Luminis tantum Numinis separating them by Fire into their Three First things The Phylosophicall Conclave of any Prince furnished with such most precious and wholesome a Treasure might compare even with the riches of Pactolus for questionlesse it would delight and like a Loadstone attract the eyes of the spectators to contemplate the open riches of secret Nature From the beholding of whose pleasant and insatiable beauty what recreation I pray of the eyes and what admirable elevation of the mind would it cause to the Creator himselfe To behold here the most choyse and select store of the Vegetables answering to the members of our body by an Harmonicall Anatomy discovered in a wonderfull and most acceptable variety in their Three First principles with their garments put off made naked and visible There to see the like of Animalls yonder to behold the same of Mineralls and Mettalls viz. the TRIUNE naked DIANA shining with so many colours of variety and alwayes with a Triple Form in every classis or distribution a most limpid or clear MERCURIAL a most garnished SULPHUREAN or oyly and a most bright pure SALINE form who otherwise covereth her selfe from the dishonest looks of mortalls and desireth not to come into the company of men in this worldly scene with her veile A work truly becoming a great King and Prince Francis the First King of France the greatest Favorer of Phylosophers and learned men intended to go about one of the Three but was prevented by death And the sole fountaine being reserved to it selfe for its own uses but by drawing forth spare streams is it not a work of Humanity and Liberality and the duty of an Almoner in this great Hospitall of Piety most worthy of all praise and eternall memory to do good to God with this Talent in our poor neighbour and his members By the Light of God secret and hidden things are revealed and made manifest For without him no good and perfect thing can be attained Psal 145.19 Prov. 10.24 Without question the Father of Lights from onely as from the Efficient Principall and Finall Cause of all Creatures and Operations every good Gift upon amendment of Life is by asking seeking and knocking to be obtained would load this pious and laudable purpose heap upon heap with far greater and perhaps unlookt for blessings for he performeth the will of them that Fear him to them that proceed this way in the Fear of God and love of their neighbour For this onely is the Kings high-way not onely to come all the desired Secrets of Nature but that which is the chiefest thing of all it leadeth even to the very workmaster of the universe Divine confidence never left any without help to do good He that knows One knows All things he that Earneth many things learneth nothing Eccl. 34.12 13 14. Blessednesse consisteth in the apprehension of the chiefest good God is the Immutable Rest after which every Creature doth gaspe and groan with all its endeavor Levit. 25. Tob. 12.13 Eccl. 2.5 Prov 17.3 We cannot get the Victory and Crown of Patience without striving fighting Per Angusta iâ—uâ— ad Angusta by which ONE infinite OCEAN of all Divine GOODNES through Regeneration alterity being swallowed up of unity in the Sabath of Sabbaths or when the eternal Jubile is come for which we were created we do by consent of divine Clemency attaine the scope and true mark in the full fruition whereof we shall hereafter be delighted just like a miserable Exile and pilgrim tossed up and down through various hazards hardships streights and miserable sufferings restord againe to his rightful Country for he deserveth not sweet who hath not tasted of bitter things There is no recovering or returning to what we have lost but by the Crosse and Death Nor will God have mortall Man who now is wandring from him that he should come to immortall blessednesse and glory in a delicate journey but through the Fire of Temptation and Tribulation with a sad and sharpe death because the Coronation and wiping away of all teares is after the victory when we have overcome all our enemies eternall Life will recompence greater wars and wrestlings But to returne to the supream though crosse fortune hath not onely hindred me who have alway been desirous of the honest and most sincere Truth many times though in vaine aspiring and earnestly desiring to enter into the inner rooms of that supream Phylosophicall Oratory not to the end that I might make Gold and Silver for truely they are rich enough who are content with a little and make it not their businesse to get much but with an exceeding love to find out the True Physick and upright desire of the wonderfull works of God but I know not by what sinister and most unhappy destiny of mine it so fell out that with how much the more fervent endeavor of mind I have followed those most secret Studies by so much the more bitterly have I been worryed hitherto by the slanderous Envy of malevolent men and waves or fruits of of Fortune the necessity of equity enforceth that though I cannot proceed further as yet I comfort my selfe with the cogitation onely and thinking upon so great a Thing God himselfe knoweth what to whom when and how is fit whose Name be glorified and blessed for ever who many times turneth away those things which happily might do us hurt because he is good Num. 11.33 Psal 78.30 31 104. 105.
made in the Element of water For Lorind is the commotion of the change of that Element of water What Lorind is When this moveth it selfe in the Element of water yet then is the Element of earth moved too Lorind is like a comet or blazing star The monster of the sea may be considered as the errour of the Firmament So that a peculiar world with its mysterie to the end of the world may be found out in the water They have the same principle with the other Elements Their end is no other but as the rest of the Elements is The onely difference is of the forms essence and natures that happen to them with their signatures and Elements How there are four worlds Hence we may find four worlds according to the four Elements and primary habitations but there is but one Eternall in righteousnesse equally to be known in all four TEXT 10. From the Element of Earth we may learn very much that out of it we came Man was made of the earth Every like knoweth its like The knowledge of the other Elements floweth from Philosophy But this is a thing like us issuing from experience out of which afterward Philosophy groweth up But as the Element of Earth procreated a signature so likewise did all the rest As we have stones There are stoâ—es in every Element so have the other Elements as many Indeed those stones are not like ours but are made after their own proper form The rest of the Elements have their mineralls too as well as we The celestiall Firmament hath mineralls both of flowers and stones which we may ranck amongst the miracles A mistake about celestial mineraâ—ls Though here we may easily be deceived and quickly run our selves aground while we stickle so much to have the natural courses reckoned among prodies and that this or that hue of the Firmament fore-sheweth some singular thing thus we praesage like Prophets whereas we should rather conclude that such things come to passe according to the naturall course of the Firmament But if any such thing should at any time so fâ—ll out we should believe that such was our course and state Mean while if any thing of the Elements be faulty that same will enfeeble the rest For all things should run in a perfect and uninterrupted course And though the other three Elements serve to nourish us yet are they ready to serve the Firmament and the aire and the water too and those things that are in them One thing is nourished by another as many trees in an orchard And we may take notice of the slips and failings of the Firmament as well as the Firmament doth observe our defects The same may be said of all the rest TEXT 11. It is silly and vaine Philosophy to place all happinesse and eternity in our Element of earth Earthy men are not happy A foolish opinion it is to boast that we onely of all creatures are the most noble There are more worlds than one nor are there none besides us in our own But this ignorance is much more capitall that we know not those men who are of the same Element with us as the Nocturnales Gnomes c. What the Nocturnales and Gnomes are Who though they live not in the clear glory of heaven nor have any light of the Firmament but hate what we love and love what we hate and though they are not like us in form essence or sustentation yet is there no cause of wonder For they were made such in the great Mystery We are not all that were made there are many more whom we know not of Therefore we must conclude that there were more bodies than onely one simple body shut up in the great Mystery though in generall there was but eternall and mortall there But in what various shapes and sorts they brought forth no man can tell This doubt will be wholly removed when the eternity of all those things shall meet together Then certainly many unknown things shall be fully found out and made known many wayes not onely of those things which have the eternall in themselves but also of those things which have sustain'd and nourished that eternall There is a twofold eternall The eternall is twofold One of the kingdome and domination the other of ornament and honour That flowers should not be eternall is clean contrary to Philosophy Flowers have the eternal in them which though they wither and perish yet at last they shall appear in the generall meeting together of all things There is nothing created out of the great Mysterie but shall have an image without the Firmament TEXT 12. There ought to be neither more nor lesse than four mothers of all things as all procreations shew Not that the great Mysterie whereof we now treat can be found out by way of universal demonstration what manner of thing it is according to its properties in the beginning But the great Mysterie is rather known and understood by the last mysteries and by the procreations which did spring and proceed out of the first By what the great Mystery may be known T is not the beginning but the end that maketh a man a Master and Philosopher The knowledge of a thing according to its perfect nature is found out onely in the end of its being Possibly there might have been more Elements made than now there be There are but four Elements in all things But in the utmost knowledge of all things there are but four to be found And though we may suppose that it had been easie for God who created but four to have made them many more yet when we see that all mortall things consist but of four onely we may conclude that more than these could not well stand together And it is most likely that when the said four Elements perish that then others shall arise according to every essence unlike the former or that after the destruction of the creatures already made there shall be a new great mysterie the knowledge whereof will be greater and better than of the former But this we lay not here as a fundamentall yet he that would understand the beginning of the world must of necessity consider that it had its rise out of the Elements Four world for four Elements and as there are four Elements so there are four worlds and in every one a peculiar kind taught how to subsist in their necessities TEXT 13. But though all things subsist in the said four Elements All the Elements are not in all things we doe not mean that the four Elements are in althings or that the four Elements dwell in all The reason is because the world which is seperated and procreated of the element of fire hath no need of ayr water or earth So the world of ayre needeth none of the other three Which is true also of the earth and water Concerning the elements we
is but one As in Man Man is the Anotomy of the disease so also in Physick Man is the Anotomy of the Physick Anotomy is the Basis of true Phisitians Diseases and Things And though the hidden virtue of Hearbs or the Stars of that Physitian Heaven may be known to us yet the chiefest thing that the Physitian is also to consider is to know the Concordance of Nature viz. how he may make the Astrum of the Physick or of the magicall Heaven agree with the internall Astrum and Olimpus of Man because of the like Anotomy it is that Mummy will stop the bleeding in Man The Nightingale that is subject to the deseases of Spiders is cured by eating them The cause subject of diseases the externall leadeth to the internall as in the great so in the little world He therefore that knows the things that grow and the fruits of the Earth as of hearbs trees c. Viz. that all things proceed out of the seed or Astrum he likewise knoweth that there doe such various diseases lye hid and lurk in the Physicall body which diseases doe not proceed from the four fictitious humours or qualities but rather from the Seed by reason of the Analogy or proportion that is between the great and little world he that knoweth the diseases of the great world cannot be ignorant of the distempers of man As many kinds of Mineralls as are in the world Many diseases proceed out of the mineralls of man which Iliad containeth all things in it selfe so many there be in Man So many kinds of diseases are there as there be sorts bodies and seeds of things that grow No man knows the number of diseases but he that can tell the number of all things that grow The Seeds which the Caelestiall Airy Watry Earthy Astra's are succoured in the Element which agree with mans Nature which in fit and certaine seasons bring forth fruits as messengers of health or sicknesse The Originall of all diseases is from the Three First upon which the Astra's câ—n make some impression as upon wood or Straw or Saf fron upon water So that the Three First are the cause of all diseases for in what body soever they are united that may be concluded to be a sound body but where they are not united there we may be sure that sicknesse and the root of the first death hath taken footing Hereditary diseases which proceed from the Seed or Astra's are partly Elementary because they are known by hot moyst or cold qualities There are other diseases whereof the most part are Astrall or Firmamentall Elementary diseases are cured by Elemental means and Astrall have Astrall remedies The Galenists doe know nothing of these Astral cures which the grave experienced Physitians do well understand which spring out of the Firmament of Man which is as integrally contained in Man as the Elements are And as the visible body hath its meat from the Earth so also the Syderiall spirit of Man or the invisible Man which is the In-mate of the body hath its food from the externall Aire and Fire or Firmament viz. from the Fire of the Firmament as all arts workmanships faculties of the tongue For Heaven is the Father and teacher of all Arts except Divinity and holy Righteousnesse which cannot be learned from the Stars but from the holy Spirit immediately for all Believers and Regenerate men are hid from and unknown to Astronomers as you may find in the Sage and deep Phylosophy of Paracelsus Iron sheweth that man is divided into the externall and internall in the externall dust and earth the matrer of the diseaseand that which afflicteth us doth lye hid therefore the cure is to be sought for in a medicine that is like it seperated from the dregs Spagyrically The internall and Astrallman also hath his proper medicines which the skillfull Physitian knows well As the Loadstone by drawing the Iron to it doth suck out the spirit thereof and leave it rusty so man in respect of the body hath a twofold Loadstone For partly he draws the Astra's to himselfe from which he sucks his food as Bees do hony from flowers and hearbs viz. wordly wisdome sence cogitation c. And partly by his attractive power he inticeth and allureth to him the daily nutriment of his flesh and blood from the Elements And as the Elementall body draweth the Elementary bodies to it by hunger and thirst so the syderiall spirit of Man attracteth all Arts sciences and faculties and all humane Wisdome from the Rayes or beams of the superiour Stars or constellations for the Firmament is the Light of Nature which naturally supplyeth man with all things Furthermore the Astra's or Elements which are Spirits are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without any quality neither hot nor cold nor dry nor moyst but the things that are produc'd out of them are indued with qualities That whereof any thing is bred of the same doth it live is fed nourished preserved cured made sick punished and â—â—stroyed For out of the Earth grow Poppy Opium cold Darnell the hearb Trinity or Heartsease hot biting Arsesmart thus contrary things grow out of the Elements From the Fire proceedeth Snow Raine Dew Winds Rainbow Thunder Haile Lightning all such Meteor-like impressions proceed from the supreame invisible Spirit of the Firmament out of the Three First i. e. Mercury Salt and Sulphur For as Paracelsus saith they are the fruits and egestions or disgorgings of the Stars of the Firmament the fruits of the invisible Astra's which are in the Stars and make that which is invisible to be visible for the Stars succour and supply their fruits as the Trees of the Earth doe theirs Hence it is plaine that diseases are not cured by contraries as if heat were to expell cold as though man were to have the Elements banished and driven out of him but by the secret things or Astra's which the Chymist can reduce out of the last matter into the first These Arcana or hid things are actually neither cold nor hot yet removeth all diseases as the Axe cutteth down the tree which is neither cold nor hot Of this sort are the Fift Essences Magisteryes and the like Now by Gods assistance I shall say something concerning the Generation Dignity Excelency OF THE MICROCOSM Or Little World MAN For a man to know God lightly esteem of his own selfe is the highest and profitable knowledge AS the most excellent Phylosophy is that which enlightens the mind to the right knowledge of it selfe so to be ignorant of that knowledge is the greatest shame and most pestilent disease of the mind Ignorance saith Trismegistus to his Son Tat is the greatest Enemy and principall Tormenter in every Man Woe be to thee ô Man Luke 16. who neglectest the large patrimony and Talent and the thing committed to thy charge 2 Cor. 4. who considerest not the Treasure that is
God in his Soule or Mind because by the breath of life he was made after his image the Intellectuall Soul is a certaine particle of the Divine Soule in which very Soule God hath sowen certaine seeds and resemblances of his Mind in us much like to that of an Eccho which sends back its voyce from the resemblance of the aire by which it expresseth a lively soule The mind raised up into the most High God and united with him converseth with God and doth the same works neither is there any disposition or any thing in Man that doth not clearly hold forth something of the Divinity neither is there any thing in God which very thing is not represented in Man 2. He hath a semblance with the Angells in respect of the invisible Body and Rationall Soul by whose help he worketh and is preserved with the Angells and hath the same wisdome that they have for he is Gabalis socius Angelorum a curdled companion of the Angells or one mixed with in fellowship 3. He participateth with the Firmament and Stars of whom he received that Astrall body or Syderiall Spirit which is the true Astrall Man for flesh and blood is not the Man but the Spirit contained in them which Astrall Spirit is the subject of humane Reason that containeth the sences and wisdome in it and is made Animall a living creature with the body This Spirit and the Astra's are but one thing in Man but the body is the subject of this Spirit and so the Astra's rule man in the Spirit and the Spirit of a man ruleth the Body in flesh and blood This Spirit is mortall onely the Intellectuall Soule which God breathed into man is immortall 4. He partaketh of the Elements for from these he had his mortall Physicall Earthy body And because the world which is the Parant of Man according to Paracelsus hath in it the four Elementary Spirits of the four inhabitants of the world as also the fift kind of Flages of a thousand sorts incorporated into the Soule of the Microcosm the Imagination also of these five Spirits in the Elements must be in the Microcosm Man but the use of Mans Reason according to the will and command of God is as a Chaine were with those five Spirits are knit and bound together that they may acquiesce with his Imagination 5. He partaketh of all Elemented Animalls Vegetables and Mineralls for he hath in him the Nature and properties of all these All things were made of nothing and Man was made of all those things The great world was the matrix of Adam thus the whole frame of the world is the mother of all things that are brought forth Man therefore who was the last is the most excellent and noble of all Creatures because he hath the parts of the whole world nor is there any thing in the great world which may not really be found in man The Son is like the father in all things the father being known the Son is known also Therefore Man the greatest miracle of Nature most admirable Extract kernell of the four Elements the choycest workmanship of God and most perfect Samplar of the world is truly every Creature for he is all the world and he alone hath this honor to have semblance with all things and operation with all and conuersation with all Yea he riseth to such perfection that he is made the Son of God transformed into the same image which is God and made one with him John 17.11 12.22 23. which is not granted either to Angells or the world or any other Creature but to Man only that he should become the Son of God and be united to God That which is sensible and that which is insensible hath a sydereall spirit or a sydereall body in it But before wee proceed any further it is requisite that wee treat here a little more largly of the Syderyall or invisible man to wit of his Originall and power If Aristotle had taken notice of this Olympick Spirit and Galen made more account of it there had not such errors crept into Philosophy and Physick springing from the heathenish masters of errors to say nothing of Divinity at present Eve is Adam transplanted The first men were created the rest proceed from the Being of the seed or Esence The invisible man or Olimpick Spirit is borne in us after this manner Adam and Eve did not proceed from other parents as we their posterity do but were taken as hath been sayd ex LIMO TERRAE out of the dust of the ground or great world as to the mortall Body which is visible and invisible The Spirit of life is the Spiracle or breathing hole The Spirit of the Limbus is Sydeâ—eall the Animall spirit The body of the Limbus spiracle ought to make one Marriage otherwise there would be an adulâ—eâ—ous and bâ—stardly bâ—ood For as in all thing the marriage or joynting together of two is the perfection so Adultery hindeâ—eth the â—ight of Nature vide Paraceâ—s in Phylâ—sâ—p agâ—â—â— â—â—â—acelsus saith that the Elâ—ment of fire or the Firâ—aemee 〈◊〉 althought it be thâ—â—â—â—st subâ—â—ll and 〈◊〉 thing 〈◊〉 it is a body because bodies are the fruits thereof and without a body such fruit cannot grow So the wind is a body and like a visible body hath power to overturne another body Not onely visible things are bodies for God created as well visible as invisible bodies of the same power The inner Man ascendeth the inward Heaven A particular Consâ—â—llation This Spirit is tha Doctor of true Astronomy For the whole frame of the world is collected and reduced into the Microcosm so that there is nothing to be found in all the world but the same also is in one man The Physicall Elementary visible and Tangible body is from the Earth but the Invisible Insensible Sydereall body which is the house or cottage of the Spirits life is from the Astra's of the Firmament Thus Adam had two bodies that is a visible Elementall and an invisible Sydereall body So that now by propagation there are alwayes two Men born a Corporeall Elementall Visible Man the Organ and Instrument of the invisible and an incorporeall Astralick man which moveth guideth and performeth all skilfull matters For the Astra's now in Man doe by Man alwayes in generation produce those two The visible Elementary body of flesh and blood in the mothers womb out of the four Elements but the invisible Sydereall body that is capable of attaining Phylosophy is from the Astra's of the Firmament For that little world Man is one and the same in all things with his-Parant the great world But as the great world is distinguished by its shell or out-side from the Angelicall world so man the little world is distinguished by his skin or out-side from the great world Hence it is that the Sydereall Internall Olimpick Incorporeall or Gabalis Homo coagulated or curdled Man is the same
next to Paracelsus Petrus Severinus the Dane together with Pratensis that faithfull Achates deserveth to be numbred among the Ancient wise men having got perpetuall praise by discovering to the Children of Art and Truth this firme and unmovable Foundation with much solid and unshaken verity in his Idaea of Paracelsean Physick maugre the malice of all his adversaries who have been sufficiently confuted and for ever silenced by my honoured friend Joseph Quercetan Councellour and most worthy Physitian to the King of France by Th Bovius an Italian of Verona and Th Muffet an Englishman the best Hermetick Physitians of this age in their golden writings of Eternall memory CHAP. II. Where that True Physick is to be Found EVery thing that God created Good is extreamly perfect and incorruptible as the heaven but whatsoever is in these sublunary inferiour things hath a twofold Nature Wheat doth norgrow without a place nor can we have meale without bran neither is hony without a sting Such Secrets are regenerated without any complexion of qualities a perfect and an imperfect that is a fift Essence and the dreggs may be separated one from the other by fire Seing therefore the true medicine or Physick is wrapt up in rindes barks matrixes receptacles husks garment and cottages as Almonds and all kernells are covered with bark and rind for Nature doth not bring forth the kernell of the Chestnut with a shell and prickly husk it is of necessity that the same must be seperated from the impure Elements by the artificiall Anotomy of Chymists before we can come at the pure Medicine For the bonds are loosed by art and industry and the faculties of healing set at liberty Therefore in all orders of things that are cherished in the bosome of the Elements to wit in those three Families of Nature the Vegetable Animall and Minerall out of which are commonly had medicines enough to preserve the health and cure all bodily diseases there is contained that True and specifix Physick of materiall distempers which as hath been said doth not consist in the four outward naked superficiary and Relollaceous qualities as Theophrastus learnedly discourseth but it is a certaine specifix vertue concealed in the very Seeds naturally proceeding without art which the Creator that great Workmaster of all things in the beginning of all the Creation planted in every growing thing by vertue of that omnipotent Word whereby all things were brought out of darknesse into Light The faculties and vertue therefore wherewith mixt bodies are indued like the soule in mans body from the beginning of the Creation is not from without Heaven is the framer of the externall edifices not of the Secrets Wonders and mysteries that dwell in them nor infused into them by a momomentaneous position of the Stars nor made up of a fortuitous meeting of Atomes it proceedeth not from the body nor the mixture of the body or visible forme for then it could not be separated without the destruction and corruption of the body and forme as we see in Cinamon and Pepper whose virtues being extracted either by art or vanishing by age and long keeping For as all Naturall actions proceed from Spirits and spirituall Tinctures in which the mecanick sciences of the Three principles have their vigour so the actions of Cures proceed from the Spirits and vitall Tinctures of the spirits not from the bodies or dead Relloceous qualities And seeing it is granted by the Interpreters of Secret Nature that there is nothing in the whole Universe every particular whereof is not also in that Microcosm Man as hath been said yea and that the seeds of all things lye hid in him as of the Stars Meteors Mineralls Vegetables Animalls Spirits even of Daemoris in respect of the Spirit of Man upon diligent consideration of this Symmetricall concord and Physicall anagoge it hath been the part of True Physitians to enquire that if the internall Heart of the Microcosm or Man should be sick how they might borrow strengthning remedies from his Parent or the externall Heart of the Microcosm which is one like the other if not in outward yet in inward figure and forme which remedies are analogically represented All the whole inferiour Nature is divided into three principall parts i. e. Vegetable Animall and Minerall such as may many ways be got out of those three shops of Cures For God created an inexhaustible supply of medicines and distributed to every Country sufficient for it selfe Thus among Mineralls men may find Gold which cheareth up the Spirits when a man hath enough of it in his purse Antimony and the like which are produced out of the Element of Water as Gemms and precious stones in shells are generated of drops of water as also all bodies of Oysters Musles and shell fish which by a specifick and Harmonicall vertue serve to cure and comfort the heart c. Thus also among Mineralls there Magicall and Hieroglyphicall Characters which sage Antiquity hath without rashnesse or superstition attributed to them that doe sufficiently insinuate to Inlightned men and Magically disclose their hidden vertue to those more secret Phylosophers that are instructed therein Although the choycest things among them which are most exquifitely and laboriously prepared by Nature doe As he that hath much Gold may know nothing of its medicinall vertue by Natures just decree with-hold their benigne and vitall Element from those that possesse them And many there are who confound the Universall Lawes of Nature and yet thinks to partake of her Banquet in the end There is no question to be made but the Gold would discover most Divine actions if it were rightly refined and had its power reduced into act by a Naturall and due Resolution that it might exercise its vertues Art imitateth Nature and supplyeth its defects it correcteth chastiseth assisteth and promoteth yea it exceedeth Nature for there is but one way to Resolve and to compound things because Art and Nature like mother and daughter consent to each other but few men have this gift of God bestowed on them so as to make solid and massy Gold potable that it may be drunk Amongst Vegetables there is Saffron Rue Balme Scordium Celandine Mace Ocymum with six hundred of the like Amongst Animalls there is Hart's horn Unicorns horn the Bone in Staggs hearts c. All which being rightly prepared in due manner doe cure the diseases of the Heart not as I have said by their Externall superficiary qualities but by an Internall proper specifick harmonious similer virtue for all things whatsoever serve to our health are all contained in the Spirits which onely know how and where to find out the disease the earthy part is altogether dead husks and rinds beget nothing the Spirits onely in the bodies of things doe all The Formes in thee medicines or Astra's of the medicaments separated by Alchymie from their bodies are the true Directoryes not the body but the Astrum or hidden Heaven gives all
a straite and most sure way to the highest Wisdome of Divine and humane Things For in these Three principall Poynts also consisteth the whole Foundation of the Magicall and Cabalisticall Art as appeareth by Paracelsus in his third book of the Signature of Things We are not to ascribe our bodily health to the Physitian but to God Mark this O ye Physitians who slight and undervalue God like the Heathen whereas he onely healeth all our sicknesses also ye regard not the appoynted time according to the Divine Will but proudly and rashly promise a set and certaine time of recovery which is to be left to God onely Honour and Praise and Glory therefore belongeth to the Creator who worketh all in all for the desired successe of his Medicine or Word which he hath given But to the Physitian who is the obedient Minister of God and Nature there is no other reward due but that of his faithfull paines and Charity in that by his hand as an Instrument he hath duely administred the power which he received from God to miserable and needy mortalls that so he may not usurp to himselfe those things that belong onely to God For there is nothing at all of his own in it besides Art and right preparation whose good will not his help is to be respected God who alone is to be praised and blessed in all and over all will not give his Honour to another and because he giveth all he also will have and take againe all unto himselfe Neverthelesse the true and sincere Physitian who among all arts and faculties is most accepted of God is to be honoured as the Scripture commandeth First because God worketh and doth his own will by him as by his Minister when he sleepeth and knoweth it not by affording Physick enough from the Earth and his Word from above without which nothing can be efficacious to our health For without me John 15. saith our Saviour ye can nothing Secondly because Health being the greatest Good to men he ought to excell all mortalls in the search and knowledge of Nature and the Light thereof Not in vaine therefore did Homer require a Physitian to be furnished with all knowledge in respect of those small cures which he is to doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly because he alone manifesteth to all the wonderfull works of God both in the great and little world so that through the Physitian the Praise and Glory of God may passing much be heightned and extolled not onely by opening his mysteryes and hidden secrets but also by curing the sick Therefore among all Sciences and Faculties Physick is to be accounted the most excellent wherein the greatest wonders of God are miraculously seen It taketh its rise from Theology or the Light of Grace and endeth in the Light of Nature CHAP. III. How the True Physick which is covered bark and rind is to be got out and rightly prepared by Fire The Physitian perfecteth the Creature of God by Fire ALL things in respect of the first matter were created perfect but the Chymist perfecteth the last matter by Fire because nothing in this lower world which is subject to generation and corruption is so noble but hath Poyson in it selfe and in respect of another very near the Essence or Physick In all the chiefe works of God where there is hurt there is also help where there is venome there is vertue Therefore nothing was created in vaine but all things for some use For so hath Nature ordained that Good and Evill Eccl. 39.26 c. which the sublunary Elements bring forth should alwayes be joyned together in all things to put us dayly in mind of the Fear of God As soon as the Omnipotent gave Power to Man presently he raised up an enemy least the Power growing lazy should loose its Natureâ— saith Firmianus Nil ex omni propte beâ—um So that as the Poet said nothing is in every respect happy that man partaker of the Divine Nature and Lord of all living creatures should be vexed with Ghosts and hurryed with Furies The severe Justice of God is the disease venome in all things on the contrary the Mercy of God is the Physick in Nature and in all things Wisd 18.15 16. Eccl. 39. 33.14 15. Roger Bacon the English Phylosopher saith that God who made Darknesse and Light in the same place or thing where of his MERCY he appoynted plenty of Physick even there also by the power of his incomprehensible Justice he substituted Poyson to guard it Thistles and prickles of Roses the inseperable companions and avengers of transgressions Good cannot be known but by evill and the Enemy being discovered the danger may be avoyded Thus also Holy Hermes the most Ancient Divine together with Ecclesiasticus writeth in his Key that all sublunary things ought to consist of contraposition and contrariety and this after another manner may be of things Impossible in respect of the generation and corruption of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things that are awlesse are also lawlesse nor can Man any other way attaine to the highest pitch unlesse he resolve constantly to maintaine the good fight that is finished in faelicity Eccl. 3.14.7.15 Eccl. 42.25 The cause of Simpathy and Antipathy For so God by his Wisdome hath ordained that Sympathy and Antipathy should be alike good by which spectacle of Nature he would stir up mortall men to contemplate and search out his secrets that if one man hate another he that is hated might cover and cure the defect of the malicious For which cause Heraclitus called Nature the daughter of War and Homer called it Contention Man is his own enemy the Cause of dissolution and death in this our Kingdome divided in it selfe the intestine duell for in the little world the body there lurketh perpetuall strife in it lyeth hid the preserver and destroyer of health in which regard the Saints have called the mortall body Hell and Purgatory wherein continuall war is to be made Eccl. 38.15 Therefore seeing the Anotomy of Death findeth entertainment in the whole State of our Life Nature hath commanded the Physitians to be ministers and to seperate not masters to compose For our Remedies require preparations separations and exaltations before they can impart their hidden and restrained vertues As all things are proved by Fire so also the Tryall of the knowledge of Physick is to be made by Fire Physick and Chymistry cannot be separated For Chymistry not that which Mountebanks use to paint Faces with to make them White and Red doth make manifest not onely the true Simples Wonders Secrets Mysteries Vertues Forces respecting health but also in imatation of the Archaeon Ventricle or Naturall In-bred Chymist it teacheth to segregate every mystery into into its own reservacle and to free the medicines from those scurvy raggs wherein they were wrapt up by a due separation from the impurities and corruptible and
was in his life and cost him nothing contrary to the determinate assertion of Physitians Aphorismes and shortly after he was marryed Likewise in the year 1606. at Prague a certaine Silesian to get mony did in the presence of many swallow six and forty white flints which he gathered at banck side weighing almost three Physick pounds the least of which was about the bignesse of a Pigeons egge all of them being almost four of my handfulls by this bold adventure without impairing his health he went up and down getting his living for many years together c. CHAP. V. The Duty of Natures Minister the Physitian ALL common Philosophy was not bound up in Aaistotle as P. Ramus hath soundly proved nor was the whole Light of Nature drawne into Galen and limited in him only witnesse Paracelsus No man ought to deprive another of the liberty of human ingenuity that Light of Nature the power to discern and judge as well as himselfe the Grecian Monarchy is at an end Therefore he that would be an Excellent Physitian he must be free from every kind of Sect. for no man can be said to be truly and throughly learned who is bound up to the rudiments of any one faculty only not to be tyed to the opinion of any one Author but to follow the naked Truth and subscribe to it alone alwayes remembring that of Horace Quo me cunque rapit tempestas deferor hospes-Nutlius addictus jurare in verba magistri I think and judge as cause I finde My rule is not anothers minde Not that other mens inventions are altogether to be slighted by stickling onely for one sect for all sects be they never so many may well be admitted because in every one of them there is some thing excellent which is not common to another as said that most noble and wise Picus Mirandula the Phaenix of Phylosophers the inimitable patterne of most profound ingenuity and variety of learning There is no book so base and bad but hath some good in it which the best Authors have somtimes let slip without taking notice of it This latter age saith Fabius hath endeavored to make the former more compleat and because knowledge thriveth as ingenuity is improved therefore many loathsome errours of the Heathen have been as by a second song All Secret are by divine Ordination to be discovered wip'd away by men of greater wisdome coming after them Doubtlesse there are more secrets yet concealed in the Treasures of Wisdome and Nature then we perceive which being ordained for Times and Nations by an immutable decree to the end of the world are to be sought out by wise-hearted men For Nature certainly being Circularly can hardly be wholly comprehended by any mortall man by reason of the shortnesse of his life The case so standing neither the Physick of the Ancients nor that of Theophrastus is totally to be rejected Many errours of the Ancients are discovered by dayly experience which yet hath not attained its end neither nor yet so to be imbraced but that if there be a better found out it also is to be received for one day teacheth another to morrow may be master to this day both should be compared together what is best in both let that be cetained For being but men they have their failings in some places they mistake in other they write one thing contrary to another and thwart each other sometimes they differ from themselves in many things they are deceived nor doth every man see all things The holy Spirit alone hath the plenary or full knowledge of all things who distributeth to every man according to his particular measure blowing where it listeth and reserving many things to himselfe that we might alway acknowledge him to be our only teacher A true Phisitian should be the minister not a master to Nature and a Philosopher skilfull to cure acording to the conclusion of Hippocrates Galen But since there are severall sects of Phylosophers some after the Vulgar manner will be looking below the Moon after the Elementary Nature of things others far more excellent and more truly deserving the name of Philosophers investigate the Arcana and more secret things of Nature they go into the very inner roomes and Sanctuary of Nature and have the true knowledge and Expeeience of Nature's Light which maketh a true Physitian indeed A Physitian is compleated by 3 things the Naturall innate vertue of things that grow of the Earth the Celestiall influence causing that vertue the uniting of it by Chymistry with the Constellation of the firmament the dexteriâ—y of the Phisitian mediating the same In Chirurgia magna But first as Paracelsus saith let him be the legetimate INTERPRETER of NATURE who alone searcheth out its oeconomy and the universall latitude thereof prying into all the Species and kinds of all the Creatures that may by themselves be known and then comes to consider and looke into man A true Phylosopher haâ—h the originall from the knowledge of Heaven and Earth whose Nature and quality he doth perfectly understand Phylosophy hath iâ—s Rise and Râ—â—t in Admiration Phylosophy teacheth the vertues and qualityes of the Earth and Water as Astronomy doth of the fire and Ayre Phylosophy and Astronomy make a perfect Phylosopher not onely in the great but also in the little world A Physitian should have the knowledge of Phylosophy and Astronomy Chyromancy Pyromancy and Geomancy are the Elements of Astronomy and Phylosophy Theophrasteans contemplate and admire the workmanship of Nature throughout this mighty frame of the whole Creation who give themselves to a vary examination and a wise inquisition into the qualities affections motions courses and recourses of the Heavens and fiery bodies as also into their rise fall antecessions consecutions progresses digressions stops and sudden passionate motions and lastly into the seeds principles dimensions and instincts of all sublunary bodies all which they doe with great observations and no lesse diligence by which industry and that perpetuall thirst which they have of meditation and cogitation By this meditation which is a frequent cogitation the manner cause reason of every manner of thing is found out together with their praâ—ers and earnest desires they doe at last attaine not onely to understand but also really to imitate the greatest mysteries and secrets of Nature and that which is more then all they can tell how to improve and imploy them When the Phylosopher comes to a stand in the Naturall Light of the Macrocosm then the Physitian begins to move and proceed in the Analogicall Concordance of the Naturall Light of the Microcosm with that of the great world Secondly a Physitian must be a good SPAGIRUS A Philosopher and Physitian spring one out of another are the root of each other the onely Spagyrick cook of all things Phylosophy is the mother of Physitians â—â—d the exâ—laiâ—er of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—eâ— theiâ—â—â—â—â—â—dyeâ— one that can seperate the pure
should move the Intelligence or Soule of the Artist to a true Understanding that he may open to him what is hid in the magistery of this Art Blessed will he be to whom the Lord God shall be pleased to inspire the Gifts of his Grace For it is the Lord of Heaven who knoweth the heart of those in whom he would use the form measure Notwithstanding we see men somtimes offend not onely against God by their ingratitude but also against their undeserving neighbour by strange devices not becoming an Aedpt Phylosopher with which some eminent men heretofore and two publick Phylosophers of divers Nations in our time abusing the Gifts of God against those most horrid Anathema's of Phylosophers afterward as doubtlesse every man according to his dexterity which the sydereall spirit causeth and exciteth is the forger of his own fortune they came to dolefull and lamentable end to the perpetuall reproach of their Name answerable to the unworthy publishing of this most True Phylosophicall Art miserably wasted and restrained by the Wrath of GOD the Righteous Revenger as well for their arrogant pride punishment and repentance accompanying their provoking loquacity as also for their cheating Impostures of the first Hapocraticall silence The originall of the Philosophicall Magistery Most doe otherwise now who make thir boast among others that they have the clear knowledge of it when it is only but imaginary and so hinder themselves by their credulity and perswasion so that they cannot profit or proceed to learn any more which they did by turns to cloak the matter for their safety Those more ancient and skilfull Phylosophers who were born in a happy signe the children of Hermes who first found out the science among whom nothing was more ancient than Truth nothing more filthy and abominable than falshood and deceit and who have even judged it a thing more safely worth their labor to have it indeed without the witnesse of a sottish ignorant multitude then seeme or be supposed onely to have it who also have endeavoured to leave behind them an unspotted memory to posterity not as many too credulous imagine that being deceived with their own vaine imaginations they would deceive others in like manner which is not the property of an honest man In the first age of the world God made it known by the Light of Nature I say these private not publick Secretaries of Nature who have in the Naturall Light fresh and flourishing in them followed Reason the best guide according to the ability God gave them all of them with greatest attention both of body and mind pressing chiefly to one and the same end and scope of Virtue accounting nothing more glorious than that they might peaceably rejoyce prudently and in Quiet Silence with a Mind truly Sound in a Sound Body according to the Fear of God and Love of their Neighbour This is Phylosophy Adept which Paracelsus in the Tincture of Physicks explaineth them to be Long Life and free from all infirmity even till the Naturall death and an honest support of that long life in this vale of miseries that we might serve God without poverty and prejudice of our Neighbour Though there may be many hunting after this happinesse with a kind of great and continued greedinesse of mind yet have been perswaded that they should never attaine the same either by other means or any Arts but by a wonderfull and most abstruse comprehending of all the vertues of the whole Creation flowing and running together in one certaine masse in this Rode or Kings Highway and Phylosophical Reason is to be accomplished The defect of Nature must be supplyed by the industry of Art seeing Nature with her off-spring alway tendeth unto laboureth breatheth after their perfection Prov. 3.16 All these spirituall virtues and active qualities being by great help of ingenuity and Art like the lesser world heaped up together and concentred into one masse as united force is stronger dispersed besides a kind of sweetest and admirable illustration of the Mind for the Light of Nature is glittering in the Darknesse of the world as also the knowledge of all Naturall things and Heavenly seerets and a perfect operation yea they have even miraculously use of this choycest and admirable Magisterie together with a flowing plenty and Abundance of all Things Of which the Phylosophers our predecessors that have been train'd up in Hermes school They durst not under paine of Anathema to speak of it but in a picture of Aenigmaticall words because the Master of Nature gave them not leave lest they should indanger themselves and give an occasion to others of a wicked hurtfull study or practice Prov. 10.10 It exciteth motion in our bodies and reviveth the Elements now the Elements are excited unto their acting for the Naturall life is nothing else but the actings of the Elements though they have been altogether dumb in keeping close the secret of the Art by a constant Taciturnity knowing to what dangers the searchers out of difficult Arts and the publick Secretaries of Nature are obnoxious that full of despaire concerning their safety and peace they have been compelled to deny the same yet usually give this Reason because the greatest Medicine being artificially prepared with the help of wise Nature the Mistresse of Science should be or is the Life and inlightning Light and that which quickneth or maketh alive our Balsom that is the spirit or celestiall not visible vapour of life it may be the Essence of our Life the Fift Essence compounded of the four Elements in which are all the Elements actually and all their arts with greatest agreement made equall with true equation according to all possibility of Nature and bound together with a golden chaine without any contrariety But all things are aggregated in so subtile a Matter and a Form so subtile and so near to simplicity in a respective manner in the curing of diseases and the metamorphosis of Mettalls like as in Lightning and the eye of a Basilisk as is manifest by Experience This is so in respect of the four qualities of the body as the Heaven is incorruptible in respect of the four Elements The most High created this Fift Essence as the root of life in Nature for the preservation of the four qualities of the Humane body The life of natural things is the Union of the Ideall Light as also with the Ideall of Heaven and Earth as he did the Heaven for the preservation of the universe The celestiall Fire that burneth not is the soul and life of all Creatures the subject in which besides the force and operations of the Elements even all the celestiall virtues of the Firmament as well of the Fixed Stars as of the Planets are infused and imprinted after an invisible manner for the Influences of all celestiall bodies which are communicated to the sublunary to every one in particular these are concentred in this one The Theater of
the secrets of all Natur 's Light By this Art the knowledge of almost all things and in this Stone the universal Nature of things shineth forth The Tincture is the Fife Essence of the Microcosm and comes vâ—ry near to the first and most perfect Being and that Cabalisticall unary number Paracelsus calleth it the perfect perpetuall Câ—tholâ—ck Balsom of Physitians or Phylosophers the Defensive of old age the Universall medicament which like the invisible Fire consumeth all diseases the Glasse of God's Mysteries and the Miracle of universall Nature the Fift Essence of the whole frame of the world and the whole world Regenerated wherein the Treasure of all Nature lyeth Subject and Instrument of all Naturall and Transnaturall Virtues the Son of the Sun and Moon who by his ascending into Heaven and descending into the Earth hath obtained all power of superior and inferior things the Habitation of all metallick minerall and vegetable Forms which God created under the Globe of the Moon yea that it is truly the spirit of Life which pierceth through all other spirits Those Ancients who had most perfect knowledge of Things have called this Fist Essence the middle nature of Soules and is altogether one and the same with the spirit of our body the bond between the Body and Soul wherewith that super-celestiall thing is delighted and retained that it fly not from its bodily prison for that peace may be made between those enemies the Soul and Body there is need of the Balsom of life as a means to be sought from Externalls by which the internall is restored to retaine or sustaine the Fire of a long life without which fuell it goeth out of the body as a flame from the lamp-wick for want of oyle it is the most simple Matter which the Best and Greatest Lord generated out of the spirit of this world for the restauration and preservation of Humane Nature which hath been altogether unknown to the Physitians of our time For it never came into their Schools who goe not into the Temple of Apollo through the right door but break through the Roofe and sit in his seat as the Scribes and Pharisees heretofore in Moses chair And while they hold the keys of Sciences in unrighteous captivity they bring to passe nothing with their decrees and ordinances but like false Teachers they themselves enter not into the Academy of Nature and others who desire to enter in a right way they hinder in their laudable course by their pernicious dehortations so that they never come to the knowledge of the Truth and are forced to be ignorant where it may be But because the true originall of all corporall diseases in the judgement of the best Physitians is the enormity of the Naturall proportion of the Three First or as common Physitians say the disorder and ill disposition of the four Elements or Humors of which the Humane compounded body is sick or well this foresaid Medicine which is in it selfe the matter of our Creation may be congeneous and uniform to the substance consisting in equality When the purified Elements are reduced to a pure and equall simplicity then is got the Medicine that prolongeth life because thus the Elements are equall for the inequality and dominion of one over another is it that breedeth diseases the most subtile Soul separate from dregs and as it were the simple substance of the Elements the Fift Essence or Fift Virtue resulting from the purer Essence of the four Elements purified incorruptible is compared to Heaven nor doth it admit any malignant spirit but they all fly from it And because it is obnoxious as little as little may be to a Tempred corruption or putrefaction therefore it expelleth as much as is possible by Nature all accidentall corruptibility from which any sicknesse or weaknesse may arise and restoreth the inward vigour throughout all the members and by reconciliation cureth againe the diseases that hapned by the exaltation of the Three Principles Mans health consisteth in the agreement and union of the Three First Substances Health consisteth in a Temperate body but when they are exalted and set on fire by the Stars the intestine wars follow And because the Three First Substances of diseases are valitile Let it not seem strange to any that the sole act of one Thing should be variously diversified not as to it selfe but accordâ—ng to the Nature of that which receiveth it as the celestiall Sun hardneth the Clay and softneth the Wax they give place to the Essence of Fire which consumeth the disease and separateth the pure from the impure Moreover that Fift Essence of the Human Body bindeth the Elements or Humors in Peace and Harmonicall league and reduceth to the true Temperament by making equall the unequall and strengthneth the naturall heat and substantificall moysture it keepeth the oyle and spark of Life in an equality by its celestiall vigor for so long as the Radicall Humor the Vitall Balsom and most precious Nectar of our Life abideth in its quantity we are not sensible of any disease for the strengthning power of the Human body and of Animalls proceedeth from the spirit of Life and restoreth the sick to health and a good temper it holdeth its Nature in her Being and preserveth the Nectar of our Life in a good and laudable Temperament and so will keep the predisposed or fore-qualified Man safe and sound from sicknesse with the comelinesse of youth for the time of his continuance which is the age of Beauty and Human Fortitude even to his Naturall death that is to that Terme of Life which the Omnipotent God hath appointed to Man for disobedience as well that of every one as that of our first Parent I say such a man who shall use it prudently and seasonably with a devout calling upon the Name of the Lord if the constitution of the body and its complexion be not extreamly waâ—â—ed Therefore in this Fift Essence and Spirituall Medicine which hath the Nature and Heat of Heaven not of our mortall and corruptible it is possible to find out the True Fonntaine of Physick the Conservation of Life the Restitution of health the Renovation of lost youth and the desired clear health and to speak Naturally there is no Balsamick Medicine in all the world better than this true Triacle of Phylosophers which like the Elixir of life is the superlative and last consolation of Mans body preserving all activities in the Humane Nature and restoring the diminished power through the defect of Nature For in every kind there is a certaine One that holdeth the first degree in that kind therefore because this Medicine is made of the more incorruptible and efficacious Matter that can be under Heaven that is the Soule or Spirit of the world which hath in it the force of all Celestiall and Terrestriall things The Heat of the Sun and Moon is that Naturall Heat whereby every thing is digested for the
out of the MIND the Man that liveth in nothing but the Mind is as an Angel as I may so say conceiveth and apprehendeth God after a sort in his whole breast The scope and mark unto which all the most dear beloved holy and intimate Friends of God who live after the Image or inspiration of the most High and not after the Limus Terrae the Eearthy Mind doe bend who from Divine Love willingly cast themselves headlong into the fountaine of the Abysse and into the Sea of Nihilitude or Nothingnesse and enter into the Holies of Holies by the Life of Christ that in the Sabbath they may live with God in Rest and Blessednesse and so drink of the everlasting Ambrosian Nectar of Eternity By the Soul abiding and standing stedfast embracing its Image of Divinity or MIND united to GOD by Christ we enjoy actuall Blessednesse T is possible to extend a long life farther Therefore Porta reject the opinion of those that cast mens fortune from the day or houre of their nativity prefixing the bounds of life affirming that he that is wary of his infirmities and avoydeth those things that are hurtfull may live a longer life Parac chap. 7. of the Labyrinth of Physitians Though it may go for the discourse of Vaine men that the life may be lengthned yet it is repugnant neither to Nature nor Reason that a Man may prolong his life beyond the common ordinary age of Men even to a long time and that for two Reasons First Because in NATURALS there is no certaine appointed Terme apparent what day we shall die but it is in our own hand and power to put an end to our life if we will and to prolong it without offence to GOD if so be we may and have wisdome so to do I speak here Phylosophically of the Naturall death which is onely the wasting of the Naturall Moysture and Heat as may be seen in a burning lamp not Theologically of the Fatall death and utmost Terme which God hath prefixt to every one by which we are inforc'd not onely to pay the debt of Nature but are compel'd also to undergoe the punishment for sin Death is the bound which we cannot passe nor is there any day or hour for by the Grace of God we live the Terme without houres As God hath numbred our hairs so also doth he reckon our years leaving them in our power And because it was the good pleasure of God that Man should live for ever thence it is easie to discerne that for the lawfull matrimoniall propagation and augmentation of Mankind a long and lasting life of Man in this world is not displeasing to him especially if it be spent in the Fear and Service of his Creator yet alwayes short of that utmost and fixed Terme or determined poynt of DIVINE PREDESTINATION which is unknown to mortalls See Paracelsus of long life imposed on our first Parents and their heires for their Fall from Originall Righteousnesse beyond which bound no man can goe See Paracelsus in lib. 8. As Man many wayes may not attaine to the appointed Terme of life it being compassed about with diseases Archid. of the Elixirs It is the conservation of the Human body from all accidentall corruption Death Gods minister expecteth our intestine war There is a two fold death from the Iliad or first principle and from the Ens or Being The Soule of perpetuity or the Spirit of Light joyned to Nature with the light is perpetuall and will not suffer such a conjunction and such a life to be short and so his time may be shortned so may he prolong his life by removing these impediments so that at last he may attaine to the appointed Terme of the Nature of life Secondly Because God hath created the aforesaid Medicine for the preservation of life which may preserve our body as well from the corruption of our Parents as from the defect of our own government cure its infirmities and repaire what is wasted yea chase away from us all diseases which cause the naturall death untill ultimate death the most Terrible of all Terrible things which is the destruction of the Mummy which God the most high Creator hath ordained as the wages of sinners Therefore Paracelsus saith that the death which is from the resolution of the Iliad may be hindred by the industry of the Physitian but that which is from the Ens or Being cannot as we may preserve a little fire by laying on more wood so also may our life be prolonged by administring such Remedies and secrets as are derived from the fountaine of Gods gifts with which the Rayes or little beams the weaknesse of the Moysture and innate heat is nourished and cherished as the Fire with wood This at least is desired in us because we being destitute of wisdome know not that wood wherewith our life might be cherished and prolonged Adam who was full of wisdome and the perfect knowledge of all Naturall things and many more of his time who lived a more frugall life than we did attaine to so many ages not by Nature and property of Time for then all had been Long-liv'd but by the help of Secrets and by Wisdome which was revealed but to few and by speciall knowledge which God gave them in this particular whereby they lengthned out their life to so many years beyond the ordinary time that men lived Many holy men used this universall Medicine before the flood which Adam also had in his Family as Lactantius witnesseth which strengthneth the Internall Balsom and like Fire congregateth Homogeneous things and segregateth Heterogeneous which are of a contrary nature Nor are we to relie upon their judgements who being ignorant of the Mysteries of the Element of Water dream that the Deluge washed away the efficacy of fruits of growing things or that the power and strength of mens bodies was spoyled by the Water For all things that grow by the benefit of Water do yet sprout and spring forth in the same vigour and with the same efficacy as they did in Adams time When men multiplyed in the world wise men lived together in the Centre reserving wisdome among themselves but banished those that had it not into the circumference Paracels Wherefore we want nothing but the knowledge of Secrets and their use And thus the Flood did not wast the things that grow but wash'd away our wisdome of knowing them These most secret of secrets have ever been hid from the common sort of them that professe Phylosophy and especially sincemen began to abuse Wisdome using it to an ill end which God bestow'd upon them for their health and advantage But as few reach the Naturall Terme so also few have known the reason of prolonging the life And hereof there are many Causes For the life is broken off or shortned two manner of wayes MENS ENS abrumpunt nobis vitam First Either by the MIND whence arise mentall
Hohenheim commonly called Paracelsus With an Explicatory TABLE alphabetically digested wherein the hard words that are found in this Authour and in the foregoing Preface of Osw Crollius are Explained Done into English for the increase of the knowledge and fear of God By a young Seeker of truth and holines O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Ps 8.1 9. Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hostes the whole earth is full of his glory Es 6.3 Ex perpetuitate creaturarum intelligitur creator aeternus ex magnitudine omnipotens ex ordine dispositione sapiens ex gubernatione bonus Aug. l. 11. de Civ Dei c. 21. LONDON Printed by M. S. for L Lloyd at the Castle in Cornhill 1657. THE First BOOK OF PHILOSOPHY Written to the Athenians BY Theoph. Parac H. H. H. TEXT 1. ALL created things are of a fraile and perishing nature All creatures in the world have but one principle and had all at first but one onely principle or beginning In this principle all things under the Cope of Heaven were inclosed and lay hid Which is thus to be understood that all things proceeded out of one Matter and not every particular thing out of its own private matter by it selfe This common matter of all things is the Great Mysterie What the Great Mysterie is which no certaine essence and prefigured of formed I daea could comprehend nor could it comply with any property it being altogether voyd of colour and elementary nature The Great Mysterie is the mother of all things The scope of this Great Mysterie is as large as the Firmament And this Great Mysterie was the mother of all the Elements and the Grandmother of all the Stars trees and carnall creatures As children are born of a mother so all created things whether sensible or insensible all things whatsoever were uniformly brought out of the Great Mysterie So that the Great Mysterie is the onely mother of all perishing things out of which they all sprung not in order of succession or continuation but they all came forth together and at once in one creation substance matter form essence nature and inclination TEXT 2. That this Mysterie was such as never any creature besides was or ever saw the like and yet was the first matter out of which all mortall things proceeded cannot better be understood than by the Vrine of man which is made of water aire How mans urine is made earth and fire but is neither of these or was it like to either yet all the Elements by another generation arise from thence and so passe into a third generation But in as much as the Urine is but a creature there may be some difference between this and that The Great Mysterie was not created For the Great Mysterie is increated and was prepared by that great Artificer Never shall there be any like it nor doth this returne or is it brought back againe unto it selfe For as cheese becomes no more milke so neither doth that which is generated of the Mystery return into its first matter And though all things indeed may at length be reduced into their pristin nature and condition yet doe they not returne againe unto the Mysterie That which is once consumed can by no means be againe recovered But it may return into that which was before the Mystery TEXT 3. How the great Mysterie is the mother of all things Furthermore though the Great Mysterie be indeed the mother of all things both sensible and insensible yet were not all things that grow nor the living creatures nor such like things formed therein but thus are we to consider of it that it left and assigned generall mysteries to all things that is to men and living creatures and those of one sort it gave a mystery to propagate themselves after their own form In like manner it bestowed a peculiar mysterie on every other thing to bring forth its own shape by it selfe From the same originall also which the primary mysterie ordained spring those mysteries from which another mystery may be produced For a Star aliàs mucke is the mysterie of beetles flies and gnats c. Milk is the mysterie of cheese butter and such like Cheese is the mysterie of wormes that breed in it So againe wormes are the mysterie of perished cheese And thus there are two sorts of mysteries Mysteries are of two sorts The Great Mysterie which is uncreated The rest being of the same kindred are called speciall mysteries TEXT 4. All things came out of the Great Mystery at one the same time Now seeing it is plaine that all perishing things did spring and arise out of the uncreated mysterie we must know that nothing created was brought forth sooner or latter one than another nor this or that thing apart but altogether and at once For the Greatest Secret to wit the Goodnesse of the Creator did create or lay all things together upon that which is uncreated not formally essentially or by way of qualities but every thing lay hid in the uncreated as an image or statue doth in a piece of timber For as the statue is not seen till the wast wood be cut away that so it may appear So is it in the uncreated mysterie that which is fleshly or sensible and that which is insensible both came forth and got to its own form and kind by a right and instituted separation Here was no hacking or hewing but every thing passed into form and essence The wonderfull art of the Creatour c. Never was there workman any where to be found so accurate and industrious in separation who with like skill could make even the least and lightest grain usefull and put life into it TEXT 5. A comparison betwixt the mysterie and a medicine Understand it thus not as if a house were built out of the Great Mysterie or that the living creatures were first gathered together and laid in an heap and then perfected nor the other things that grow likewise but as a Physitian makes a compound of many vertues though the matter be but one wherein none of those vertues appear which lie hid under the same So must we think How all things were in the mysterie that all sorts of creatures under heaven were set in order and put into the Great Mysterie not perfectly according to their substance form and essence but after another subtill manner of perfection unknown to mortall man whereby all things were shut up into one We all were created of that which is fraile and mortall and are born much after the manner of Saturn who in the separation of himselfe brings forth all forms and colours yet none of them appear visible in him Since then the mysteries of Saturn yeeld such like procreations much more doubtlesse the great mysterie hath in it this miracle What kind of separatinn Saturn hath in whose separation all other superfluous things
are cut off yet is there nothing so needlesse and uselesse but can bring forth out of it selfe some other increase or fit matter thereof TEXT 6. Know therefore that severall and various chips or fragments fell out in the cutting or carving of the great mysterie whereof some became flesh of which there are infinite sorts and formes others were Sea-monsters of wonderfull variety also some became herbs other fell into wood abundance into stones and mettalls A twofold art of the Creatour in the separation of the Great Mysterie A twofold way or manner of Art may at least be considered by them that ask how the omnipotent God did or could carve out those things First in that he alwayes ordained life and increase Secondly in that it was not one only matter that fell off every where alike For if a Statue be cut out of a piece of timber all the chips thereof are wood But here it was not so but every thing received its own form and motion by it selfe TEXT 7. Thus the distribution followed the operation of the great mysterie and the things that were separated from those that were superfluous appeared more excellent at the same instant also divers other things proceeded out of those very superfluous things that were chipt off For the great mysterie was not Elementary though the Elements themselves lay hid therein Nor was it a carnall thing though all sorts of men were comprehended in it The mysterie was all things but without difference or distinction Neither was it wood or stone but such was the matter that it contained every mortall thing in its essence without difference or distinction and afterward indowed every one of them with its own particular essence and form in the separation An example whereof of we have in meat If a man eat it A comparison between the mysterie and meat he gathers flesh to which the meat was nothing like before when it is putrified it breeds grasse of which it had not resemblance before at all which holds much more true in the great mysterie For in the Mysteries it is most manifest that one thing became stones another flesh another hearbs and so afterwards passed into various and infinite formes TEXT 8. Now when the separation was made and every thing brought into its own form and property so as that it could subsist alone of it selfe then might the substantiall matter be known That which was fit to be put together was so compacted the rest in respect of substance remained voyd and thin For when things were first set together all could not equally be joyned but the greatest part remained vacant This is plainly to be seen in water which when it is frozen the ice thereof is but a very small quantity Whence and of how many sorts the things are that were compacted So was it in the separation of the Elements Whatsoever could be compacted was made stones flesh mettalls wood and such like The rest remained more rare and empty to wit every thing according to its nature and property of the Planets For when things were first compacted that great mysterie was just like smoke which spreadeth very wide A comparison between the mysterie and smoke yet hath it very little substance besides a small quantity of soot All the other space where the smoke is is very mere and pure aire as may be seen in the separation of the smoke from the soot TEXT 9. Separation is the begining of all generation Separation was the principle and mother of all Generation The greatest miracle of all in Philosophy is Separation Yet should not men study these things beyond their capacity and reason How such things were and might be made is somewhat to be known by this example viz. If you put vineger to warm milk you shall see a separation of the heterogeneous parts many wayes The force and nature of vineger Truphat Thus the Truphat or Traphat of mettalls brought every mettall into its own nature So was it in the Mystery For as the macerated tincture of silver so also the great penetrating mysterie reduced every thing into its essence distinguishing and separating all things with such wonderfull diligence that every substance had its due form The Magick that directed unto the Great Mysterie Now that Magick was a most singular secret that directed such an entrance Which if it were divinely done by the Deity it would be to no purpose to study for it Nor doth the Deity make known himselfe to us hereby But if that Magick were naturall certainly it was most wonderfull very excellent for quickness of penetration and swiftnesse of separation the like whereof Nature can never more give or expresse For whilst that was busie at work one piece fell into the Elements another into invisible things another into the vegetables which doubtlesse must needs be a very great and singular miracle TEXT 10. The first separation was made in created things In as much then as the great mystery was full of such Essence and Deity with an addition of the most eternall one the SEPARATION was before any creature When this began then every creature sprang forth and appeared in its majestie power and free will in which state also it shall still flourish even to the end of the world or that great harvest when all things shall be pregnant with fruit which shall then be gathered and carried into the barn For the harvest is the end of its fruit The harvest is the end of all things that came out of the mystery nor doth it intend ought but the corporall destruction of all things And though their number be almost infinite yet is there but one harvest onely when all the Creation shall be reaped and carried into the barn Nor will this harvest the end of all things be lesse admirable than that great mysterie was wonderfull in the beginning notwithstanding the free power of things be the cause of their mutuall affection and destruction The simpathy and antipathy of things is the cause of their mutation For there is nothing but hath both love and hatred The free will flourisheth and is conversant in vertues but is either friend or foe in our works But these things belong not to separation For that is the sequestratrix that gives to every thing its form and essence TEXT 11. When the great mysterie first separated all things The first Elements rose out of the separation of the mysterie What fire is What the aire is the first separation was of the Element so that before all other things the Elements brake forth into their act and essence The fire was made heaven and the wall of the firmament The aire was made a voyd space wherein nothing appeareth or is to be seen possessing that place wherein is no substance or corporall matter This is the coffer or inclosure of the invisible Destinies The water passed into liquor and took its place
send his Angells to them from his throne and dwelling place to declare such things but those things are fore-known and understood from the great Turban The great Turban worshipped as God which many Pagans and Jewes darkened in the true sence and understanding have worshipped as a God TEXT 21. What the Umbrate Evester signifieth Sith that the shadowed Evester beginneth and springeth up with every creature we must know that the fortune and life of that thing where the Evester is may be prognosticated by it For example When a child is born at the same time the Evester is born with him continually manifest in him that it presageth from the cradle to the very hour of death and can shew what will become of that infant So when one is ready to die death seizeth not on him till the Evester hath first past sentence either by blow bruise or fall or some such other kind of example by which if a man perceive the Evester he may see a signe of his approaching death The Evester is united to the eternall The Evester abideth in the world after death For a mans Evester remaineth in the earth after his death and hinteth in its kind whether the man be in blisse or misery Nor ought we to say that it is the spirit or soul of a man as simple people speak or that it is the dead man that walketh But it is the dead mans Evester which departeth not hence till the last minute when all things shall come together This Evester worketh strange things The Saints wrought miracles by their Evester Holy men wrought miracles by their Evester onely As the Sun by his shining gives forth his heat nature and essence so is it with the divining and Propheticall Evesters in us to which we should give credit These rule and moderate sleep fond dreams prefigurations of things to come the natures of things reason concupiscences and thoughts TEXT 22. Whereas things to come may thus be known before in the Elements by that wherein the Evesters dwell some Evesters will be in the water some in looking glasses some in crystalls some in polished muskles some will be known by the commotions of waters some by songs and by the mind For all these can as I speak Evestrate The mysterious Evester of God The most great and blessed God hath a mysteriall Evester in which his essence and property is beheld Every good and every inlightned thing is known by the mysterious Evester On the contrary What the Evester of the damned is the damned hath his Evester in the world by which the evill is known and all whatsoever violateth and breaketh the law of nature Although those two may Evestrate yet doe they nothing belong to our life For we shall not know our selves but by our own Evester All creatures have Evesters Every thing hath an Evester all which likewise are Prophets either reasonable or unreasonable sensible or insensible The Evester is a spirit What an Evester is which teacheth Astronomy Not that it is learned by nativities and prognostications from the Stars but its esse as I may so say is from the Evesters its Ens or being is in these as an image in a glass or as á shade in water or the earth As growing things are increased and diminished just so it is with the Stars Not that their course is such of their own nature and that moyst and cold rise out of the earth but onely because the essence of the earth is such It is shadowed in heaven but by parts yet as an Evester but not as a power TEXT 23. Such kind of Evesters also will be corrupted yet shall they not perish without something eternall Nor shall the Evesters themselves be so much regarded for they shall fully and wholly dwell with or in those things to whom they belong Hence let every man now advise with himselfe that above all things he admonish and learn to know himselfe The infinite number of Evesters The nature and number of the Evesters is infinite These lead men about in their sleep fore-shew good and evill search out the thoughts perform work and do business without bodily motion So wonderfull a thing is the Evester A commendation of the Evester the mother of all things in the Prophets Astronomers and Physitians If the understanding come not from the Evester there can be no knowledge of nature As theft poynteth to the gallowes and the clouds to rain and urine to the disease so the Evester sheweth all things without exception The Sibylls and Prophets spake by the Evester From it the Sybills and Prophets spake but as it were drowsily and dreamingly After this manner are the Evesters in the four worlds one being alwayes a presage to another communicateth an image and a miracle which by there disolution and regeneration will be much more to be admired Nor shall we forbeare to say that the Evester is an Eternall relict the support of religions and the operation of the Celestialls Nothing but felicity blessednesse the cheifest good and the last judgment move and stir us up to seek and search more narrowly and exactly after the difference between those two things or Evesters that is between the true and false which is to be considered and known not spiritually but naturally THE Third Book TEXT 1. Nothing is without a body EVery thing that hath a Being must nf necessity have a body The manner and reason thereof is that we may know it is like a smoakie spirit that hath neither substance nor bodie nor can be felt And though it be neither of these yet both bodyes and substances may proceed out of it Thus may we conceive of fuming Arsnicke that after the generation of a body there is no more of the fume of the spirit to be seen no more then if all were turned into a body Which yet is not so for it still remaineth most subtle in that place of generation And so both the visible invisible are brought forth together by seperation After this way and manner all things are propagated How al things are imbodied Wood hath still a surviving spirit from which it is seperated So have stones and all things else none excepted For their Essence still remaineth just as it was seperated from them What man is how made Man likewise is nothing but a relique and the remainder of smoak seperated But yet note that he was a kind of spirit before Of this drosse was man made and is a thing most subtill in spirit Yea he is that very spirit that is A twofold eternall a discovery or sign of a twofold Eternall one of Caleruthum the other of Meritorium Caleruthum what it is Caleruth is a note or discovery in the first Eternall This seeketh or desireth the other that is God The cause therof is naturall Like