rest I leave if thou be more curious to be explained by the aforesaid Authors and multitude of others better experienced in this Art and if thou yet shalt blame me for thy want of apprehension hereof by these writings or of my Figures and Epitaph I am resolved to be dumb and silent like a dead man still for if I deserve blame I ought to bear it quietly if otherwise I have been used to scandals and reproaches from Pharaohs Court to Jobs Dunghil and can take it for a Glory to suffer patiently for I have set down what the Philosophers and Adeptists have said and confessed viva voce and in Print nor could I or they give this knowledge in the plainest words without the peculiar inspiration of God Wherefore if thou desirest this great blessing ask it of him who giveth liberally and upbraideth not when it may tend to his glory But be sure thou prepare thy self by purity and holiness with true mortification as thou desirest thy work should prosper and thrive And therefore pray affectionately That God in and through Christs spirit may enliven thee from dead works and separate light from thy dark body and Chaos of sin that so being truly baptized into him and his Righteousness by an Essential and Living Seed of Faith thou maiest improve thy Talent and mount through and above the quaternary defiling world into the Trivne power and at last come to the quintessential or Super celestial Central circle of Peace and Heavenly Beatitude Wherefore now candid Reader if thou beest not satisfied with this work or these expressions leave them for the Author for the said Epitaph and Figured Scutcheons will serve me well enough for a Grave Stone which was so chiefly intended at the first where I may lye at rest with or without any other Herauldry or Applause and wherein thou maiest plainly nevertheless read thy mortality as on other Tombs To prepare thy self for thy long home of Eternity for thy Body Soul and Spirit must be seperate and the four Elements thus corrupted from the Sal Sulphur and Mercury generate Worms c. which after a full and perfect separation are again to be re united at the day of doom for a quintessential super celestial and everlasting being The good in Joy and Peace of the Holy Ghost which had fermented the same by Righteousness in this life into Christs Body as Members and was in all the Saints and true Catholick Church the Hope of Glory But the other that were Bad left to their Bestial Sensual and Divelish Fermented Affections to be tormented eternally with and by their bad Spirits and grosser Essences for their Idolatry of Fleshly Divelish and Worldly vanities with horror and everlasting anguish of mind and body wherewith nevertheless they will be nourisht and enabled to endure for ever and ever All which I have declared and cannot be easily hid from thee though thou shouldst want Lynceus eyes or the Philosophick Eagles eye to behold the light of nature exalted to the highest degree of the Sun by art which nevertheless I wish thou maiest find out by this or some other means so it may tend to the Praise and Honour of God and thine and thy neighbours Eternal wellfare who am thy friend and true Lover of Art and Nature and care not what thou saiest or thinkest of W. C. or twice five hundred Laurum Amice eligis Rus A BRIEFE OF THE GOLDEN CALF OR THE Worlds Idol DISCOVERING The Rarest Miracle of NATURE How in less then a quarter of an hour by the smallest proportion of the Philosophers Stone a great piece of Common Lead was totally transmuted into the purest transplendent Gold With other most Rare Experiments and Transmutations Written in Latin by Dr. Frederick Helvetius And Printed at the Hague 1666. And now Englished and abbreviated for the ease of the Readers By W. C. Esquire Laurum Amice Eligis Rus. THE EPISTLE Of VV. C. TO THE READER Reader I Have taught Helvetius with his Golden Calf our English Tongue to perswade thee by these experiments from a true Adeptist Of the reality of the Philosophers Stone Universal Medicine and consequently to esteem the Noble Art of Chymistry by which it is wrought And I heartily wish the laws were not so strict nor the snares so many against the honest Practisers of this Art but to punish the others more severely that abuse the same then I question not the further demonstration hereof But the Golden Calf and Fleece are sufficiently divulged almost in every language and many rare English Philosophers collected by our worthy Countryman Elias Ashmole Esq in his Theatrum Britannicum There is also published a Manuscript of a most rare Anonymon probably yet living who like a miracle of nature attained the Elixir at 23 years of Age 1645. And as a true Elias or fore-runner hath taught the same in his Book Entituled Secrets Revealed or an open entrance to the shut Pallace of the King We have likewise the bright Sun of our age and lover of mankind John Rodolph Glauber Basilius Valentinus and Cosmopolite Sendivogius brave Helmont Paracelsus with several other Translations in English wherein many rare secrets are revealed for the honour of this Art Improvement of our English Nation and to establish a belief of the said Stone This Worthy Helvetius it seems had formerly a misprision of this Art but by these demonstrations mentioned in his book he was convinced and as worthily recanted to prefer the Truth and Gods Honour before his own Repute by which he hath gained more repute amongst all vertuous learned men Now if these Experiments shall gain the like credit with you as I doubt not but they may you will not any ways detract or scandalize this almost Divine Art Nevertheless I do not perswade thee with the murmuring Idolatrous Jews to adore this Ass or Golden Calf the workmanship of mens hands though termed the God of this world Nor with Jason or Hercules to hazard thy self or any Limb for the Fleece or branch of the Golden Tree but diligently to read and consider these and other learned Authors to find a true coherence amongst them and how with Moses or these Elias Artista's to wash the Laeton and burn the Golden Calf and not thy Books but beware thou fling not away thy mony before thou understandest the Roots of Nature and the full art to proceed If thou intendest the thing herein mentioned least thou come off with loss and blaspheme the truth neither slight these Reliques of the Fleece as common dirt or dust but rather magnifie the great Creator who hath not only given us this pretious Stone for our health and wealth but withal a most glorious white Stone clothed in Scarlet viz. his Son Christ Jesus for the Example Redemption and Eternal Salvation of all men of that Spirit in and with whom are all blessings for Male and Female Poor and Rich. But methinks these bright Stars thus eminently appearing with
he that desires to know God must learn to know him in his image and that perfectly which perfect knowledge is this That God is man and that he is true man who is of God and God is in him This is the wisdom that is mystical hitherto and yet is manifest but only to the wise and is called Theosophia because God doth no where so clearly manifest himself as in man who is his image or honour or glory 1 Cor. 11. 7. Therefore man needs not to go far but only into himself to learn the true knowledge of God and to seek after God in himself and himself in God If he do not thus all is vain and no where else any wisdom to be found Acts 17. 27. Luke 17. 21. Seeing the three other books proceed only from the one Book as the world of God therefore all three do testifie unanimously of this book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely each in its letter wisdom and testimony but none so clearly as man doth This is that great whole and perfect Library of wisemen wherewith in justice and equity they may be contented All wisdom and knowledg with their mysteries in these books we may not learn any where else but only through the same Spirit who himself hath penned these books made and testified He therefore who is desirous to study these books must from the bottom of his heart acknowledge and confess his own blindness folly and ignorance and must pray unto the Father of Lights for illumination wisdom and understanding that he would send his holy spirit which may lead us into all truth and take us away from all foolishness and falshood and may bring us to the Light of Gods glory Which may not be done by any other means then through a love to God and to mans own salvation and through a holy life without all Hypocrisie and through the Light that commeth from above and not from beneath from man and his wisdom which all those must learn to deny that desire to learn the wisdom of the holy ones We will speak thus That hitherto all these books were sealed up but are now opened in the end of the World according to the Prophecy 4 Esd 6. 20. Dan 12. 9. Zach. 14. 7. And if wise worldly men are offended at this they betray themselves that the wisdom of the holy one is not in them The books of wisdom testifie unanimously of the word by which all things are created and in which only all wisdom doth rest and which is the beginning of all beginnings in which is all and without which nothing is which is all in all God blessed for ever Amen CHAP. II. Of those principles and beginnings of all things as also of God himself and of all whatsoever it be THe Principle of all Principles and beginning of all beginnings as also of God himself is only the word according to the testimony of the divine truth and word it self John 1. Now the word may not be defined otherwise then that it is a Spirit breath or voice of God yea God himself in such a subsistence essence and being as namely How the image of God doth represent us according to the similitude which is man as that he is a quicâ—ning spirit a spiritual Adam and heavenly man which is God the Lord glorined and magnified for ever Amen Now we hold altogether that this is the proper definition of God and no other which the holy writ clearly signifieth 1 Cor. 15. 45 47 48. who according to his Image and Similitude hath created a spiritual Adam and Terrestrial man when God said Let us make Adam or Man after our image after our Similitude Gen. 1. 26 27. Now the word being the Beginning of all Beginnings there is contained in the same the Light Life and Love The Light affords the Revelation of God for God is Light and dwelleth in Light and is the Father of Lights Life is the virtue and power of God and a quickning Spirit who hath createth and preserveth all Love is a Testimony of God in which is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in one word which is called Jesus Christ the spiritual Adam and heavenly Man Messias who is Essential Alpha and Omega All in All the Beginning and the End the First and the Last Blessed and Praised for ever Amen Rev. 1. 22. Now the word being the true Principle in God himself then consequently all proceedeth from the word out of which do chiefly manifest themselves three general Principles in which Principles with and through which all things are contained and are these namely God Nature Element Now these three general Principles afford also a threefold world namely a divine uncreated from Godflowing world from Eternity then an Angelical world which proceedeth or lighteth forth or shineth forth out of the Light in which God dwelleth and lastly an Elementary world whose Original came out of the water After these three general Principles proceed also three special Principles namely Ghost Wind and Water Now every world hath its proper Ghost Wind and Water in their Kind and Nature All things Created out of the divine world from above are Created out of Water and Spirit from above through the wind and breath of the Omnipotent God for to the Divine world is properly competent the Spirit to the Angelical is properly competent the wind and to the Elementary world is water proper After these special Principles follow lastly particular Principles each of which hath its proper Being out of which in which and from which it consists But these three Principles proceed from the former and are Spirit Soul and Life and Body All bodies are out of the Water All Life and Soul out of the Wind And all Spirit out of the Spirit But concerning the Angels their Body is out of the Wind of the Angelical World their Soul and Life a Fire-flame and their Soul a â—ight of which elsewhere These are our Principles in the Wisdom out of which all things have their Original Whether other Principles may be shewed unto us we do much doubt The Primum mobile first mover of all things is the Word for in it is the Life The Secundum mobile Second mover of all things is the Spirit through which all things are Created The Tertium mobile Third mover is the Wind and these three moving Principles are the Perpetnum mobile everlasting mover of all things by which all things move live and have their Being But these three do rest upon the Water bodily out of which the World is and all things are And in the Air according to the Life wherein all things are And in Heaven from which all things come from above after the Spirit but the Spirit from God from which he cometh and returneth thither John 1. 4. Psal 104. 30. Acts 17. 28. Eccles 12. 7. But all these come together on and in the Earth as in the heart of the world Wisd 1. 7. In these
Principles out with and through the same subsist all things And without these nothing can subsist that is or hath a Being and are Light Life and Love God Nature and Element Spirit Wind and Water Body Soul and Spirit and that in the Word CHAP. III. Of the first Principle of all things which is God GOd being the beginning of all Beginnings as from which all things proceed then his beginning is from no other He is without a beginning because he is not from another yet though he hath his beginning from no other he representeth in himself his beginning to all This beginning of God is not a beginning to God himself but to us for he himself is all in all Now that he might shew himself to us men to testifie and instruct us of him therefore God sheweth himself in his beginning which is the Word which is God himself Now through this VVord is shewed to us testified and taught that and what God is and who he is But without word or speaking may be neither Doctrine nor Testimony nor a presentation as Reason doth make it manifest Therefore the VVord is the beginning of God to us out of which all Testimonies Names and Relation of God do proceed as out of the depths of God which consist in their own proper Spirit wind and water The name of God is but one according to the Essence which no man knoweth but only he upon whom he is written with the living Letters of the Spirit of God and his VVord Essentially which is Christ and those that are of his Being These are they in whom the VVord dwelleth Essentially and that see his Glory in a Light and Eye that no body else can see All the names of God come together only in this one name For the whole fulness of the Godhead dwe leth in him bodily who is called Alpha and Omega Zach. 14. 9. Col 2. 9. He that seeth him seeth also God and the Father and the living Word and the quickning Spirit John 14. 9. 1 John 1. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Even so he that seeth man seeth also with the Body the Soul and the Spirit which are in their Nature invisible The Testimony of God consisteth in three Namely in three witnesses which are the Father the VVord and the Holy Spirit Now as the name proceeds from the word so doth every Testimony of God and resteth only upon the dear and true witness that is called Amen which is the beginning of Gods Creatures Rev. 3. 14. And the Testimony of God stands thus God Father Word Holy Ghost Amen which is Christ Now because no body can testifie of God but he himself alone and all Testimonies of Truth must be justified by three Therefore God also testifieth of himself by three but they are not three persons But one onely person and one only God even as in one Earthly mans Body Soul and Spirit cannot be three distinct persons so in God are not three persons But this is the Testimony of God to us in the Name non in Nominibus sed in Nomine of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which consist in the word which three are one thing and one But this Testimony none acknowledgeth save he that hath it within himself Essentially that is that hath the Spirit out of God and is annointed and sealed with it This is the Testimony of God with one word through which we are Sons and Heirs of God Rom. 8. Lastly The Revelation of God consists in seven Powers which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 1. 4. Chap. 4. 5. Chap. 5. 6. Zech. 4. 2 10. And rest upon him who is called and is Jesse who is of no other but out through in and of himself is is self subsisting in whom is all who hath all Also the fulness of the Godhead Rev. 3. 1. Isa 11. Col. 2. 9. For through him all things are Created in Heaven and in Earth and by him all things are preserved by him also all is Redeemed and reconciled He Reigneth over all and hath all under his Power through him all lost things are restored at his glorious coming He also holdeth Judgment over all flesh over quick and dead And lastly he will make old things new and will abandon and put away all old things Everlastingly Therefore the Mystery of God consists in One Three and Seven and according to this Mystery all other things are Created and consist in One out of Three through Seven and are therein testified learned manifested or justified nothing at all excepted whatsoever it be and that for this Reason That God in his mystery may be learned and glorified in and on all his Creatures Herein consists now the Mystery of the VVisdom in its measure number and weight as in One Three and Seven whereby all things are numbred measured and weighed so perfectly that nothing can be added to it or diminished from it For all the works of God are perfect and testifie of the Creator according to the Mystery of the wisdom namely that by the works may be known Him that made them that what and who he is in his Mystery CHAP. IV. Of the Second Principle viz. Nature NAture is the second Principle and beginning of all things and stands betwixt God and the Elements through which God worketh into the Elements at through and by means and is in its consideration even as Angelical whose beginning is out of God a forth-blown Breath VVind and Air of the Almighty in which consists the Soul and Life of all Created things and every living Soul and is concentred and fastened together essentially bodily and self-subsisting in the Tree of Life even as God in Christ and the whole Elementary world in Man This second Principle is not everlasting according to the beginning yet eternal according to the end even as the Angels are It is not Created out of nothing as this world but proceedeth from God even as the Life from the Spirit as a Breath VVind or Air doth proceed and is also the breath of Gods VVord in which is Life thus that the speaking of the word is a living Eternal Breath and is distinct from God as a living breath or Soul from the quickening Spirit The living breath Soul or Life of all things iâ— according to its Original out of the Nature but the Spirit out of God namely after his measure and the body out of the Elements The Spirit as the Soul or the Life are distinct thus As God who is Eternal Life and the quickening Spirit himself and hath Life from no other because himself is the Spirit And as the living Soul having her Life not out from and by or through it self but out of the Spirit which maketh things alive whose breath is the Life Now that is soulish which hath its Life not from it self but from the Spirit and which is not a Spirit but only a breath All things whatsoever are in their Being have the food of thir
Souls and Life out of Nature and that from Heaven through the Wind and Air from which all that hath breath doth live und feed as through the forth-going breath of the VVord contained in the second Principle for the word of God feeds every Spirit Life and Body with its breath or blowing upon because Life is in the word which beareth all things by his power even as it hath Created all things Now as all things consist of Body Soul and Spirit so they have three sorts of food to their ilfe substance the bodily food to the body out of the Elements as from that which cometh out of the waters and out of the Earth whence also the body doth come is taken and is made The soulish food to the Soul Life in every thing out of Nature through both the Elements of VVind and Air from whence also the Life and Soul doth bome The Spiritual food to the Spirit and that from God at from whom the Spirit is namely each Spirit according to its measure and to the Spirit in every way this food cometh from Heaven through the Spirit and Light as from the three Spiritual Elements from whence also the Spirit did come Nature doth assemble it self in her Spirits Life and body to the wind Air and water The Angelical world in its body is no earth as the Elementary is but it is the right body of the water out of which it subsisteth and that body is here beneath with us ICE but above it is an Angelical earth like unto a Christal And in a word it is a most noble Salt of Life fertile or constant or firm over all and is the Paradise in it self It is an Angelical Air which doth not fetch breath there as the living Soul for the Life of Nature is Eternal in regard of the end but it liveth and moveth in the Virtue of Gods word Eternally sine respiratione or without breathing Therefore death cannot Reign in the Angelical world over the Nature and over the Tree of Life but is rather overcome by it how much more by God for the Tree of Life stands unmoveable Therefore by the breaking of the fruit of this Tree at the glorious coming of Christ all shall come from death to life and shall be freed and redeemed from death Devil and Curse Lastly in its Spirit also it is of an Angelical Spirit by the power of the word and Testimony of God Thus namely that the Dragon hath no power over it but is conquered by the Spirit of the same is cast out and quite extruded and cast away How much more thâ—n by God Therefore seeing the Nature in her Spirit is the wind of the Almighty and a going forth of the Light in which God dwelleth and cannot come to that evil one or may not fall into an evil neither may it be blasted or poisoned by the breath of the old Serpent The Divine world in its being is compared to the most noble body of the water and earth as it were to a Heavenly body which is and are an Essential Spiritual Salt as the most noble and pure Gems precious stones and glistering Gold In its Life it is the breath of the Almighty a Soul and Life proceeding out of the mouth of God in and to an Eternal Life and in its Spirit the Spirit of the Lord it self who is God praised for ever God is the Spirit the Nature is the Soul or the Life and the Elements are the Body But be it known that each world hath its proper Nature and Element and that the one world is never changed into the other neither can it be altered nor one Principle general into another Now each Principle hath its proper Spirit Life and Body CHAP. V. Of the third general Principle namely of the Element GOd himself is all in all out of him are all things according to the Spirit by him are all things according to the word and to him are all things according to the Providence or Confidence Rom. 11. 36. Wisd 1. 7. Chap. 12. 1. Gen. 1. John 1. Psal 104. 27 28. 136. 25. 145. 15 16. The nature is all but not in all because she is not in God who hath his own Nature and the Elements also are not all but something only which is a Salt This something is from God after the Spirit from Nature after the Life and Soul and from the Spiritual water after the body And again the water out of the Salt each world is and doth flow out of the other The Nature stands to the Angelical world and is a flowing out of the divine world and the Elementary world is an overflowing of the Nature and Angelical world Lastly Man cometh forth out of the three worlds and is the concentred or conjoyned Centrum of all the worlds There are seven Elements or Powers of the world as Spirit Wind Air and Water Light Heaven and Earth and are such by which in and through which this world consists and subsists and without which it cannot subsist These seven Elements are Created out of such a one which in the Elementary world are all in all and are incorruptible namely Salt which is an excretion of Nature Execrementum quasi sobriè sumptum whereby in this world all things bodily subsist and are preserved Now there is a threefold Salt namely a Spiritual soulish and a Bodily and Palpable The Bodily is fixt and permanent both in Water and Fire Whence we know out of what wherein and whereby all things stand firm and constant both in the Water and the Fire that they may not be drowned and wherewith they are closed up The Soulish Salt is flying because life and Soul is in it and the growth of all whereby all things receive both body and life but when it cometh down again and turneth to the fixed Salt again then they receive Life But the Spiritual Salt is a right true essence and in this world the most noble Being of all Being Spiritus universi the Spirits of the Elements and their Light and Heaven in its Essence The Spiritual Salt dwelleth in the Spirit Light and Heaven and giveth to the body of the Resurrection as Spiritual from the Spirit Light and Heaven The Volans or flying Salt dwelleth in the Wind Air Rain and Dew this giveth out of wind and air to the body after death The fixed Corporeal Salt dwelleth in water and earth out of which this our body doth subsist But Salt is the right fixed Salt and the right water of Life which is a dry water and together water and Earth in which the air and wind is secretly hid and also the Heavens Light and Spirit in its depths which are then the seven Powers of the Element and world and all seven may easily undeniably and manifestly to the eye be demonstrated if the same be Anatomized This only Element of all Elements is a Power of all Powers in this World The Salt is an Excrement
the things on Earth Col. 3. 2. In my fathers house are many dwellings that last for ever saith Christ John 14. Why should we regard the visible things which are fading away The Apostle saith If there be a Soulish body then there is a Spiritual body also 1 Cor. 15. 44. And when this house of our Earthly Tabernacle is broken then we have an house from above of God which is not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. There are Terrestrial bodies there are also Coelestial 1 Cor. 15. 40. Yet always the Spiritual Coelestial and yet invisible are hid within the soulish Terrestrial and visible Now as God his invisible glory continually poureth down into this sublunary world so he gathereth it to him again and then when all is ended in the end he will set them before him in a new Creation as it is written Rev. 21. 5. Behold I make or Create all things new But before this new Creation cometh the renewing of the old Creation and Creature goeth before Namely in the joyful coming of the Lord which will be with great power and glory because all shall be set free that is called Creature Rom. 8. 23. From the Devil Curse Death then will be the joyful Jubile Now we must know that there will be great difference between the renewing and the new being it self The old Creature is made new in its old being but the new Creature hath a new essence and that not from below as the old but from above For above is the right essence below is o ly the type and Image this is the mystery we are to observe Above are the right Principles and Elements these below are only a shadow Below are meerly Terrestrial bodies but above are the Coelestial although they are hid in those below The Terrestrial bodies are meer Ashes but the Coelestial are a noble salt of life The Terrestrial life is only soulish and a mouth full of breath If that be gone then down falls all But the Coelestial life is an Eternal life and cannot dye The Terrestrial spirit is but a wind if that be gone it flyeth into the air and vanisheth But the Spirit of God is a quickening Spirit ' even as God himself is Now as all things are an Image of the Heavenly so in truth the soulish Adam and Terrestrial man is an Image also of the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man which is Christ in God and God in Christ This is the great and miraculous Mystery which thou O man O Adam O thou Image of God chiefly above all things shouldst observe that thou maist know thy self in God and God in thee and maist know and learn what man is what Adam is what the Image of God is that is what thou thy self art of which in our book Adam which is the greatest wisdom Namely for one to know himself after a perfect and true knowledge which is spirit and truth He that doth not regard this but despiseth it which yet is Gods Image rebuketh himself and will be rebuked of God also CHAP. XVII Of the Creation of man and his Anatomy MAn hath nothing so much to care for as himself that he may know his own best and salvation Now he that knoweth himself aright in spirit and in truth knoweth God also and all things Therefore mans knowing himself availeth most to himself Now to speak briefly all things and man also consist in one three and seven The one is individual a self-subsisting in it self The three are Body Soul and Spirit And the seven are chiefly the seven Powers after the seven Powers of the seven Elements and after the seven Spirits of God which seven Powers every Creature hath in it self in its glory Even so man is an only man in himself personally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 individualiter in his self subsistance But is put together of three as of Body Soul and Spirit and is testified by seven Powers as 1. by Moving 2. by Hearing 3. by Seeing 4 by Smelling 5. by Tasting 6. by Thinking and Reasoning 7. by Sounding or Voice Moving containeth the life to feel see go c. are reckoned all to one In this part now Man is Soulish like unto the living Souls and Beasts which have all these but in their portion and measure number and weight namely as much as belongeth to them According to this man hath no more then they and hath with them a living Soul out and after the Elements of equal beginning out of the earth and of like going down to the earth again Sal. in Eccles 3. 19. After Man hath more then the Beasts which is out of another world namely out of the Angelical which is the Mind which in its spirit is a Preacher of the Law in all men from Nature and hath the Knowledge Will and Conscience to good directs Man to all good and accuseth man in evil things in his Conscience Num. 2. 15 16. Lastly Man hath also a higher and more glorious thing in him which is the Breath of the Almighty a Heavenly Soul and life from God which God breathed into the first mans Nostrils and face wherewith he hath marked and testified his divine inward love to his Image in and on a piece and part of the Eternal light and life Gen. 2. 7. Job 27. 3. c. 33. 4. According to this part Man is Immortal because he hath such a treasure within him namely the Breath of the Almighty and thus herein he is very much distinct from the beasts yea he is above the Angels In this Heavenly Soul is hidden the Kingdom of God and in this Breath of the Almighty consists the true Manhood by which he becometh a true immortal man But in the other Elementary part he is like unto the Beasts Terrestrial Corruptible Mortal Dust and Ashes Now man having received at the Creation such a part out of God from thence he can be made partaker of the new birth Creation and Creature from God of his Nature and Essential seed which is the most holy Flesh and Bloud of the Word which is Christ and thus the new man is the new Creature out of Gods and his quickening Words seed that is of Christ and of this Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man of his flesh and bone John 1. 13. c. 3. 1. John 3. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 23. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 45 47 48. Eph. 5. 30. This Seed of God Man receiveth into his Heavenly Soul through the Holy Spirit to a new life of Gods Inheritance And this body together with this Heavenly Soul and the Holy Ghost from God in its full self-subsistance doth not personally appear till after the Angelical glory and laying down of the same body Lastly in the end it entreth into the divine world Hence it is said not to be manifest yet what the Children of God are 1 John 3. Only in a Riddle and obscure word is it spoken of After the part of the first Resurrection
of the changing at the coming of Christ and according to the Jewel of the Heavenly calling all these that are partakers of it receive an An elical body life and spirit therewith they enter into Paradise and the Angelical world and will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Angels Mat. 22. 30. Mark 12. 25. Luke 20. 36. Each body of man also the soul and spirit are nourished and preserved from that from which they come and are taken as the Elementary body out of Water and Earth the soul out of Wind and Air and the spirit out of Heaven and go again into the same when they are dissolved According to the Elementariness there is a threefold body in man whilst he liveth out of Water and Earth when he is dead out of wind earth till the Resurrection when he riseth out of Spirit Light and Heaven and know that every Element hath its proper body life and spirit Further Gods Holy ones rest after they depart in the Elementary part in the Earth Grave or where they are deceased So Samuel was heard out of that place of his Grave where he deceased to pronounce a ruine to the rejected King Saul According to the Angelical part they rest in Abrahams bosom which are the Chambers of the Just in the high Heaven But according to the divine part they are in Paradise of all three the Scripture testifieth clearly Lastly Infidels come to Hell and Prison with all except the dead body But those that have sinned against the Holy Ghost and have no pardon for it neither in this nor in the other world are buried in the Death because they have committed a deadly sin All the dead rise incorruptible that is in a Spiritual and Coelestial body But what glory or shame every body shall receive shall be known after the general judgment is past CHAP. XVIII Of the Image of God after which Man is Created THat man is Created after Gods Image is manifest out of Scripture Gen. 1. 26 27. Jam. 3. 9. But only this is the question what this Image is after which Man is Created Every Creature or Beast are made after their own Kind and Image but Man only after Gods Image This Image is Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentially bodily the Image of the invisible God Col. 5. 15 For God is a Spirit and and may not be felt nor seen unless it be in his essential substance and substantial essence Even as Man in his true Manhood after which he is distinguished from all other living Souls a Spirit or Spiritual in and on his Spiritual Soul and Mans Spirit cannot be seen felt or known otherwise then in his body in which he dwelleth with all his fulness So the invisible God who is a Spirit cannot be seen or known but in Christ and his substantial body as in which God the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost together with the whole fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily John 14 9. 1 John 1. Col. 2. 9. And this is the Spiritual Adam a quickening Spirit the Heavenly Man the Lord out of Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. The Image of God is threefold Namely 1. the Image of the Essence essentially after man is his own Image in his own proper Essence and Body So Christ also is the essential and bodily Image in God even as Mans body in Man and so is God in Christ as Man is in his body his own essential self-subsisting bodily and personal Image 2. The Image of that form on the outward appearance of that form Face and Members 3. The Image of the living properties Power or what name soever it may be called Here is manifest the Mystery of the Image of God and that God in Christ and Christ in God was much sooner a Man then we for we are in all things fashioned after him and so his counterfeit Christ the Image of God and Man who is out of Gods Image and honour are thus distinguished Namely 1. As the Image and Essence 2. As Essence and Essence 3. As Spiritual Heavenly and Divine and as Soulish Terrestrial and from beneath that is as Adam and Adam Man and Man and as above and beneath The Soulish Adam is not an Image of God after the Essence as Christ Reason because his Essence is Terrestrial and from beneath but in and on that Terrestrial body only that Image in that manner as a counterfeit and that in a Terrestrial soulish Essence from beneath out of the Earth So is the Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man an Image of the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly man as a stony wooden or Image of Wax of a living mans Image is not in humane Essence on the Flesh and Bloud but in another being Now as Essence and Essence are one distinct from another so is frame and frame 1 The inward form of God is the most holy Godhead which with all fulness dwelleth bodily in Christ Of this form man hath received the Breath of the Almighty in a Heavenly Soul to his inward essential form and true Manhood 2. The bodily visible palpabl and personal form of God essentially in which God personally appeared and personally was made manifest is the flesh of the word the body of Christ After this man hath a body of flesh bloud and bones but not Divine Spiritual and Heavenly but Soulish Terrestrial and from beneath 3. The manifest face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and looks and presence on the head body and all Members and their Powers and strength After this also is Man framed and thus to be looked on in which consideration many Mysteries may be observed although the spirit of Errour saith as if God had no Head Eyes Ears Face Nose Mouth no Hands nor Feet because he is a Spirit which rather befalls those Spirits of Errour he hath Eyes and seeth not neither acknowledgeth the Image of God in Christ and in Man hath Ears and heareth not and a Heart and understandeth nothing Further Man is made after Gods similitude and is like unto God Namely 1. on the Heavenly Soul Eternal and Immortal and thence he is of God 2. Like in Power that he can do much namely after his part measure and weight 3. Like in Glory as a God over all other Creatures a Lord and Ruler Good Reader here you must know and observe that this great Mystery doth manifest here and Bringeth along the right Jehior let it be light the day of the Revelation of the Son of Man of which Christ saith expresly Luke 17. 22. c. On which the the Son of man is revealed and that this is the Revelation and appearance of Jesus Christ of whom the Holy Apostles have prophesied 1 Pet. 1. 7. 5. 1 Tim. 6. 14. 16. ◠Joh. 2. 28. Tit. 2. 13. 2 Tim 4. 8. 2 Thes 2. 8. Thus The Revelation or appearance of the coming is clearly distinguished Mal. 3. Mat. 24. 30. And chiefly Rev. 12. He that hath Eyes let
Eagle Sulphur W. C. Regeneration Redemption Glorification No Man's happy before his Death MerCVry's BIrth 's best after 's Death MerCVrI's LIfe VVas pVrg'D by strIfe All 's in Mercury that the wise men seek If thou dissolv'st the Fixt and mak'st it fly And mak'st the flying fixt live safe thereby Dissolve Congeal and Fix which being fixt will fix And so being fusibly Ting'd will Tinge and Mix. If Wind be made of Gold 'T is worth a hundred fold The Wiâ—d blow th where it list th Receiv't they that can Laurum Amice Eligis Rus. Signaculum Mundi Pythagoricum IEHOVA FECIT OMNIA EX NIHILO 〈…〉 SECVLA SECVLORVM AMEN AMEN Bonum Infinitum I MVNDVS ARCHETYPVS DEVS IEHOVA Bonum Finitum II ANGELICVS III ETHEREVS IIII ELEMENTARIS HOMO COELVM 1 Mercurius 4 Stellae 6 Angeli AQVA 2 Sal 5 Metalla 4 Pisces TERRA 3 Sulphur 5 Lapides 6 Bestia AER 6 Meteores 4 Aues 5 Plantae Malum V IGNIS INFERNALIS SATAN Ignis Procellae Inane Tenebrae Abijss CHAOS CHAP. I. A plain and full explanation of the aforesaid Epitaph Scutcheons and Motto's of W. C. As well for the Philosophers Stone as his own Tomb-stone THis Epitaph is literally the work of Philosophers and yet may revive the old useful Adigy and Motto upon this Authors Tomb-stone to remember thy end For as this flourishing signifies this Author W C. being a Mercurialist tired of all worldly Inquinaments So it illustrates all the â—lanets and their Mercury and the universal Spirit and Mercury of the World and the specificks of Nature and no less the true Mercury of Philosophers for this work free from all filthy corruptions well fitted and put naked without Garb or any strange thing into its Glass and private Philosophical Nest or Vessel as into a Grave and Coffin with constant vapourous heat for Putrifaction and its true preparation rectification and perfection orderly through its progression of Colours till it come to the true Sulphur of Philosophers which in the interim makes good that Philosophick saying â—st iter ad Coelum sed me gravis impedit Aer Et me perfudit qui me cito deserit humor Huic mihi sunt Lachrymae sed non est causa doloris c. Englished thus It tends to Heaven but the gross Air hinders And moisture falne quickly turns to Cinders Hence comes these Tears though there 's no cause of grief For they but nourish th' Earth gave them relief And though Worms feed upon my Carkass here My Soul 's in Heaven with my Saviour Dear Thus it may appear double you see or one in two Male and Female Superiour and inferiour Gross and Subtil Coelestial and Terrestrial Sulphur and Mercury Water and Earth Corruptible and Incorruptible or Spiritual And so the parts also are three Body Soul and Spirit Sal Sulphur and Mercury ☉ ☽ ☿ Calx Ferment and Tincture and the very Mercury may be termed threefold preparing prepared and essential and according to Ripley and Raimund calcining reviving and essential So likewise it may be termed four for the Water and Earth which are two visible Elements comprehend Fire and Air which are the four Elements which are turned inside outward whereby they shew their effects and properties Thus Terra Stat. unda Lavat pyr Purgat Spiritus intrat The Earth fastens Moist washeth Fire purgeth and Spirit enters In and for which also there are four Fires used Natural against Nature Innatural and Elemental all which at the last will make a fifth Essence and so by a perfect Ternary Quadrate and Quintessential Process from one two three four and five It returns again into one most perfect spiritual sub â—ance and so is Reunited and raised to a perfect Circular Centre a fixt fusible and incorruptible Medicine to make the true Elixir of Philosophers opening and shutting â—t pleasure giving the â—eys of happiness to all that shall enjoy it to enter to a Kingdom of Health Wealth and Honour and shutting out all ignorant dark Bodies and Spirits Thus then at last this Medicine may obtain the name and number intimated by W. C. which as it is this Authors name who is but one in Person and in Figures twice five hundred so is the Medicine but one in substance and in virtue twice five hundred or a thousand For this cause the Jews thought Christ to be John Baptist risen from the Dead and therefore did such mighty works And this we know saith St. Paul that such as he is such like shall we be at the Resurrection if we have his Spirit and follow him in pious Obedience Patience and Humility So that in this Epitaph as well as by the said Scutcheons and Motto's is plainly set forth the divine and natural Stone of the Wise-men with their Sulphur and Mercury though to be understood with a grâ—in of Salt and likewise the Moral Natural and mortal fate of Man The whole Art therefore of this Philosophy is to begin where Nature ends and to take what you find most ready and perfect in Nature and that which is nearest of kin and intirely separate the Heterogeneal gross parts and congregate the Homogeneal make them Essential and separate the Elements kill the Quick and quicken the Dead and Circulate Fix and Ferment all to the highest degree of Exalâ—ation and Philosophical Sublimation and Perfection As Ripley saith Kill the Quick and to the Dead give Life Make Trinity one without any Strife Thus opening and shutting by Ixions Wheel in heavenly mansion both in a natural and artificial vessel till it come to the greatest perfection and number if not Infinite And now note though most Philosophers in their Writings have concealed their true privy Mercury Fire Vessel Time and Bath Yet here thou maist easily find all the Secret If God have ordained thee to be helpful towards the Redemption of his poor Creatures groaning under their burdens of Oppressions and Mortality Now as this Epitaph doth thus set forth the true Elixir of Philosophers and mans Mortality so likewise these Scutcheons or Hyeroglifical Figures you see do the same in the honourable Pedegree of the Philosophick true Medicine or Golden fleece as well for the Life and Health of mans Body as Metalls both in the Elements and Principles of the said Elixir and in its Coelestial and Terrestrial parts proceeding from their Saline Chaos or first mercurial matter and their glorified Sulphur to their Coelestial Sphears of Multiplication Fermentation and Projection and so they and their Motto's agree sincerely with all the Philosophick sayings and intentions namely thus Some Philosophers would have it one thing and affirm that the Salt of Metals is the Philosophers Stone Others say all 's in Mercury that the Wise-men seek and again others do teach that the whole Art depends in and upon the true preparation of their Sulphur as being the most perfect of the three principles whose Orbs must be thrice turned about as in my three Figures and Coelestial Wheels
and some would have it one thing comprising the nature of two as a Hermophradite or Embrio moreover some would have it absolutely two things as Male and Female Fire and Water or Water and Earth Sulphur and Mercury or Heaven and Earth Some likewise would have it consist of three Salt Sulphur and Mercu y ☉ ☽ ☿ Body Soul and Spirit Others would have it the four Elements and say the Conversion of them is the whole work And some again would have it a fifth Essence and Quintessential Spiritual Body and say their Mastery and Mistery consists in these five numbers 1 2 3 4 5. as in my said Epitaph and Circular Scutcheons appear thus comprehended in and by the Chaos and Products The Chaos in th' Excentrick Centre still Hath death's Heads Ternary Crows or owly Bill Whose square Face under Times confused Glass Of Fire and Water six days Angles pass Within the Spiny Bush Expansion till A Sabatean Rest makes all stand still After each Colour fram'd to th' owners praise Then all things multiply to the end of days The two in number are but one in kind And four in Nature three in one do bind And then the Quintessence wheels thrice in'ts Sphear To conquer all the Mortals every where Which Waters thus takes name from Icarus the lofty Eaglâ—s Son and Dedalus Philosophers true Sulphur and Mercury their uâ—ctuous Tincture and their water Dry. The Owl appears in darkness Yellowish Red And white are seen upon the Gooses Head The Bird of Paradise and Phoenix fly Which Starry brightness in th' Adeptists Skye Through Milkie Paths up to the Moon and Sun To multiply till the Adept have done Then each that 's worthy come and Feast you here With Apollo Hermes and â—inervah s Chear For here is Nectar and Ambrosia still Vnder these Hyerogliphicks take your fill All which nevertheles I acknowledge is really but one onely thing or Essence in the Root viz. the Philosophers ☿ although out of two or three particulars or more in kind and one operation of several parts as in my said Epitaph and Circular Figures comprised Nay indeed may be but one onely particular thing and one continued simple and single operation when duely prepared and superfluities removed But if one onely thing be taken then it is divided into several parts or if several things be taken they are brought to one and so may it be said of the Operation which all being but one the Philosophers nevertheless are pleased to distinguish it by its several Progressions Colours and Properties intimated by and within the said three figured Circles and their Titles all agreeing with this old Aenygma of Vitriol which being in many of the Metallick kind is and hath but one thing or substance and although but one yet may be opened divided and have several parts and being done be brought to one again in one single and simple operation of Nature Thus V. I. T. R. I. O. L. V. M. Visitabis Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem Veram Medicinam Visit the interiours of Earth Rectifying And you shall find the hid Stone and true Medicine And like it agreeing with this work of Palyugenius which hath two Hunc Juvinem Arcadium Insidum nimiúmque fugacem Prendite immersum stygiis occidite Lymphis Post Hiales Gremio impositum Deus excipiat Quem â—emnia Terra colit sublatumque in Cruce figat Tunc sepelite utero in calido dissolvite putrem Cujus stillantes Artus de corpore nostro Spiritus egrediens penetrabit ordine miro Paulatim extinctum nigâ—is revocabit ab umbris Aurata indutum Clamydâ—n Argentoque nitentem Projicite hunc demum in prunas Renovabiter alter Vt Phoenix quae tangit perfecta relinquit Corpora Naturae leges faedera vincens Mutabit species paupertatemque fugabit Englished thus Take this Arcadian slippery â—ad who 's apt to fly And in the Glittering Stygian Lake drown'd let him dye When Hiâ—ls juices in his breast God saves him from loss Whom Lemnian Earth doth nourish lift up fix t' a Cross Then in a warm Cave buried dissolve what 's Rotten From whose Synews drops of this our Body 's gotten Spirits will Piâ—rce and orderly from shades bring out This Offspring cloth'd with Gold and Silver round about At length project this on live Coals and you 'l soon see Another Phoenix like thereby renew d to be Which with its onely touch perfects all Bodies here Past the strict bond and laws of Natures Sphear And will change the Species to a higher degree Whereby all Grief may cease and Poverty shall flee And yet understand me rightly concerning the said work and matter of Philosophers that Gold for certain is the principle of Gold-making powder be it in what subject or appearance it will even as Fire is the principle of Firing For nothing can give what it hath not In Auro semina sunt Auri. As Augurellus and others testifie In Gold is the seed of Gold And even the same may be said of Lune when 't is a Masculine And their Mercury is the ground of both and contains all three and is the Earth in which it is sown and from whence it takes its original and is of their own Nature But this must be living Gold or Silver and not the common Gold or Silver which are Dead or the common fowl Quick silver And indeed these are more universal cheap common and easie to be had then most men even some Philosophers do think which caused Ingenious and Learned Taulodanus to write against the Subject of that worthy old Philosopher Bracescus though both true Philosophers and their several Subjects true and this made Claveus in his Chrysopeia and Argyropeia to doubt of some of Lullie's Processes For these Principles are to be found in one subject and in divers having a Golden Nature as Dunstan Arnold Guido Ripley Raimund Glauber and others do testiâ—e and more ways are to the Wood then one For out of every or any particular Metallick or Mineral Species may by due Philosophick preparation be extracted the subject for the Philosophers Stone and every Chymical work called particular may by purification good preparation sutable fixation volatisation and exaltation be made a universal work for Multiplication Nay out of every Element and Principle of and in Nature and almost every abject thing whatsoever may be extracted a Sulphurous Sol Lune or Mercury enlivened for the Philosophers work And St. Devogius affirms that the said first matter of Philosophers is easier to be touched with the hand then discerned or found by subtilty of Wit or Sophistick imaginations and saith he told it the Process literally to some who nevertheless had not confidence therein for the meanness of the same and therefore left it without trial And certainly the Antecedent and Primordial Ens Auri is in every Element and Principle the which are never so simple but out of each the other may
Vegitals with various motions But in Minerals more opprest with matter less apparent and seeming slain by congelation especially taken out of their Mines and Mechanically used and so onely preserves its bodily Being till Revived with new Ferment and Matter whereby the Body is opened again to manifest its living essential Moisture hid in the Centre wherein the seed and spirit of Life is placed as Fire and then revives and restores new operations in the new adjoined nourishment or matter And thus Nature by help of Art may transcend and as it were go beyond its self and so the Seed will still extend its power and Life as long and often as it be thus opened and fitted with new matter and Ferments For Form is Light the Source of central Heat Which cloth'd with Matter doth a Seed beget Wherein Life like Fire seeks it self t' increase And Eâ—ernize if Fuel ne're do cease Helmont in Butler and Sendivogius in his new Light partly testifie the same Now this Seed is no sooner produc'd but it assaies to change the matter and stamps its Character therein and so presently the Matter lives and the matter then Coworks together with the Form to attain that end to which the Seed implanted doth intend For all things live according to their kind Their Life is Light as therein you may find Quantum quidque habet Luminis tantum habet Numinis saith one And thus much for Form and Seed in general Know further now That Metals in the Mineral Kingdom are thus produced Their Sulphur unctuous Coagulates and fixeth a fluent moisture mineral called Mercury the which is a dry humidity that flows yet wets not hands its parts are so Homogeneal that the very Fire its self doth not easily separate them It is of waters Progeny yet far exceeds it in weight and firm composure which properties come not by chance but by Gods Decree Providence and Power from its Specificque Seed and its hidden inward Agent Form and Life from Anima Mundi which the Water before had not neither yet hath it parts dissimular hand or foot head or eye as Animals or otherwise as Vegitables but is all homogeneal and of most firm parts and Root Now Mercury hath most affinity with Gold known by their equal weight purity firm composure and easie mixture next with Silver then Jove Saturn Venus and last and least with Mars which is a Secret to understand and though Mercury may be mixt and made amalgame with all or any yet it will not enter into any in the Root without fit preparation and great Art but drive away one from the other in the Fire which is another secret now the reason is for that it and they are Dead or their Life hid imprisoned and Dormant within their Bodies as is said and the Sulphur fixt and sealed in the perfect Metals and earthly Fowl or Crude in the impersect which Mercury abhors and rejects or cannot Cope with being its self also in Fetters bound to his good behaviour and if you separate the fâ—ces of the latter which are imperfect yet you have but a fluid Mercury from them like the common and a Crude Sulphur too remote to join with Gold for Gold having passed its Enchantments and Câ—udities scorns to be defiled therewith any more wherefore common Crude Sulphur will easier join with other imperfect Mettals then with Gold but pure and fixt Sulphur sooner and better with Gold then with the rest and therefore if you would make use of the Sulphurs or Mercuries of the imperfect Metals or the common They must be each prepared and fitted with a living power and so acuate as to become a fiery quickning Agent before it can reincrudate open and enter the body of Sol whereby it s own Water may appear and its fiery Seed and Spirit of Life issue forth and be made active to work upon and in the said Female living Mercury it being Sols own Essence Flesh and Bone and its proper matter Earth and Matrix as is said wherein Seed will then quickly fructifie and increase for Sol though pure perfect and full of virtue in its self bodily must be Reincrudate Crucified and die to Nature that its Virtue and Tincture lockt up and onely single in its self Bodily might become exalted with its body and spiritually living and fixt together in heavenly mansions and so extend and communicate more largely its powerful Virtues and Tincture to imperfect Bodies and Spirits to redeem them from Thraldom Corruption and Fire by imbracing one grain of his bounteous pure Spirit and so be raised at last to him for Eternity For so Death and Destruction of outward Form will be but as a Back-door to the Soul and Spirits true Birth and its Bodies eternal Life and Union till it come at last to the highest perfection by its fulness of Tincture Thus is the Philosophical Corner-stone made a true Medicine though rejected and scoffed at by many And these are the effects hid from the voluptuous Covetous and Worldly-wise-philosophers and revealed to Solitary meek humble Spirits who forsake outward pomp and vanities to embrace the fruits of Piety and Wisdom Now observe further that every thing that is convertible into Gold hath its Mercury and Sulphur which either is or may be acuate and made fiery and living for a Philosophical preparation of and with Sol and so both the common and Metallick Mercury may be thus fitted and prepared to wed with Sol. All which Mercuries as is said beforehand in themselves are dead for Mercuries preparation is thus viz. By a mineral with sable silver Veins which is the Dragon born in Saturns Den devouring Cadmus with his Earthly Men. First then this Dragon double strengh ' to Mars Must be yet pierc't by him being God of Wars Then both will Perish and become a Star Where the young King is Born who is Solar Then wash equal Venus in 's Blood and let Them joyn till Vulcan take them in a Net Which Mercury gently on his Wings must bear Till he steals their Wealth and Sols body tare Wherein then Sol will freely shed his Seed And this is all whereof we stand in need Which ordered right you cannot choose but speed If you can prepare your Mercury better Do 't freely and care not for this Letter For all Sulphurs and Mercuries may serve your turn If pure and living join'd t' Earths will not burn CHAP. III. Of the Subject and Marks of the immortal Liquor Alchahest HEre Reader make a little pause and take this short hint for thy true instruction of the Alchahest and Macchabean Fire burning in Water and as a Serpent or Latex lying hid in the Cavernes of the Earth and in other things and places being nevertheless but one Anomolous Balsammick Salt passing through the world which almost every man knows and needs though he observes not the marks to be that thing I say it is the Primum ens Salium and hath a mark or cross affixt
knowledge how the Powers Created to one and the same end may be brought into activity Thousands of such things might be instanced although thou dost not know the splendor in the Angels the candid brightness in the Heavens the Perspicuity in the air the clear Limpidity in the waters the variety of colours in the Flowers the hardness in Stones and Metals the Proportion in living Creatures the Image of God in regenerated men Faith in true Believers and Reason in the Soul Yet is there in them such a beauty which very few mortals have throughly perceived or plainly known Now why should there not be such an admirable virtue in the true Philosophers Stone which truly I have seen and known to be so Yet hereby I endeavour not to perswade the worthy and unworthy alike to labour in this work I rather dehort busie searchers from this most perillous secret like as from some Holy of Holies Yea let every discreet Student be exceeding cautious in reading and keeping company with Sophisticate false Philosophers Nevertheless to satisfie curious Naturalists I shall communicate faithfully whatsoever was acted between Elias the Artist and Me concerning the nature of the Philosophers Stone It is a thing much brighter then Aurora or a Carbuncle more splendid then the Sun or Gold and more beautiful then the Moon or Silver Insomuch that this most recreating light can never be blotted out of my mind though it should not be believed by Learned Fools or Illiterate Asses bubling nothing but the gloss of haughty proud eloquence For in this exulcerated old malignant Age nothing can be secured from slanderous Carpers But all such Batts and Bratts do err from Truth and in progress of time vanish miserably ensnared in their own errors yet our assertion shall stand till the very end of all generations being built upon the eternal foundation of Triumphant Truth And although this Art be not yet known to all the Adept do assert according to experience That this natural Mistery is only to be found with the great Jehovah Saturninely placed in the Center of the World In the interim we account them happy who by the help of art are careful how they may wash this Philosophical Queen and circulate the Catholick Virgin Earth within a Magick Physicall Christalline Artifice Nay as Khunrade saith they aone shall see the Philosophers King crowned with all the colours of the world and coming forth of his Bedchamber and glassy Sepulchre more then perfect in his external glorified fiery body shining like a bright Carbuncle or a compact and Ponderous transparent Christal These shall see the Salamander casting out waters and washing therewith the Leprouse Metals in the fire as I my self have seen What shall I say These shall see the â—byss of the Spagyrick Art where this kingly art did rest and lye hid so many years in the Mineral Kingdom as in their safest bosom Assuredly the true Sons of this Art shall not only manifest such a river of Numitius in which long since Aeneas being washt and absolved from his mortality by the command of Venus was presently transformed like to an immortà l God but also the whole Lydian River called Pactolus transmuted into gold as soon as Mygdonian Mydas hath washed himself in the some Also in a long Series they shall partly see the Bath of naked Diana and the Fountain of Narcissus yea Scylla walking in the Sea without her clothes by reason of the fervent rayes of the Sun and shall gather the blood of Pyramis and Thysbe by whose help the white Mulberries were tinged into red Partly also the blood of Adonis transformed by the descending Goddess Venus into the Anemone Rose Partly also the blood of Ajax out of which did spring the fairest Flower of Hyacinth or Violet Partly also the blood of the Gyants struck by Jupiters Thunderbolt partly also the tears of Althea shed when she had divested her self of her Golden Robes and laid them down partly also the drops from Medea's decocted water out of which green things did presently sprowt out of the earth Partly also Medeas Potion boyled out of many hearbs gathered three days before the Full Moon for the healing of her good old Father Jason Partly also the Medicine of Aesculapius Partly also the leaves by whose taste Glaucus was transformed into Neptune Partly also the expressed juice of Jason by whose benefit he got the Golden Fleece in the Land of Colchos after he had fought generously in the Field of Mars not without great danger of his Life Partly also the Garden of Hesperides from whose Trees might be gathered Apples of Gold Partly also Hippomines running a Race with Atalanta delaying and conquering her by throwing down three Golden Apples given him by Venus Partly also the Aurora of Cephalus Partly also as it were Romulus transformed by Jupiter into a God Partly also the Soul of Julius Caesar transfigured by Venus into a Comes and placed amongst the Stars partly also Pytho the Serpent of Juno springing up after Deucalions deluge out of the putrified Earth heated by the rayes of the Sun partly also the Fire whereby Medea lighted seven Candles partly also the Moon inflamed by the great burning of Phaeton partly also the dryed shrub or branch of the Olive Tree new greening with berries as a new and tender tree partly also Arcadia wherein Jupiter was used to walk partly also the dwelling place of Pluto at whose entrance the three headed Cerberus did watch partly also that Mountain where Hercules burnt all his Members he had from his Mother upon a Pile of Wood when the Fathers parts did remain fiâ—t and incombustible in the fire yet was he not one jot impaired in his life but at length was changed into the likeness of a God Further these true children of the Philosophers shall at last enter into the Temple of the transformed rustick house whose roof was built out of fine gold Indeed I cannot do less then once more proclaim aloud with the Adeptists O happy and thrice happy is this Artist who by the most gracious blessing of the most high Jehovah obtains this art to prepare and make this almost divine Salt by whose efficacious operation the metallick body or mineral is broke open destroyed and killed yet its soul is revived to the glorious resurrection of the Philosophick body Most happy therefore is he who obtains this Art of Arts to the glory of God by earnest constant prayers For certainly the knowledge of this Mystery cannot be obtained unless drawn and suckt out of the Fountain of Fountains which is God Therefore every serious Lover of this inestimable art should believe the chief of his business is That with uncessant desires and prayers in a living Faith he implore and adore the most Soveraign grace of Gods Holy Spirit in all his works for it is the solemn custom of God to communicate his gifts candidly and liberally only to candid and liberal men mediately or immediately for by
18. Colos 2. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 13. 9. 11. Truly wise men dive into the best gifts and perfection which are of three sorts Charity Prophecy and Examination Love and Charity are the Center and contain the circle of all godly virtues and have Faith and Hope but Prophesying hath all knowledge wisdom and doctrine Lastly examination containeth all understanding judgment and discretion In these three things all is contained that belongeth to wisdom the Center whereof is the word of God This is that which all men ought to study and should communicate to others according as they have received a gift of the Spirit of graceâ— That God the Author of all good may be glorified and that none do boast of gifts and extol himself above others but rather be humble And then none ought to quench the Spirit neither in himself nor others but rather to stir it up And lastly let no man despise Prophecy that he may not offend God his neighbour nor scandalize himself Love forbeareth all The wisdom of the spirit searcheth all and Examination tryeth all Since we have undertaken through the admonition of the spirit to speak of wisdom as much as our knowledge in part may afford Therefore we intreat the Reader in Love that those whom we displease or who are offended would tolerate us in love As knowing that wisemen also must bear with fools And things spoken of in this book may not presently be rejected but rather be suffered to stand remembring that God also is patient unto Sinners But if any one do think himself wise let him shew the spirit of Judgment and let him discern thus least he judge himself also For we hold that we also have received a gift of the Spirit of grade which we will not suffer to dye but to the praise of the Lord we will put it out to use out of love to the Children of wisdom although not as an instruction but as a good testimony to our selves that we have received a gift of the Spirit not in vain The reason that induced us to the writing of this book is because we hope to be Beneficial to the children of wisdom It may be we have publisht the like twelve years ago the Title of it being Aurora Sapientiae yet since it hath been desired by some again I have not altered the Title hoping that it is not a little mended and corrected I have set it out briefly that it may neither be tedious to the Reader nor chargeable to the Buyer nor yet painful to the Printer Benevolous Reader take all in good part and thus we commend the well wishers to Gods gracious ptotection THE CONTENTS Of the several Chapters of this Book OF the Books of wisdom in which the same may be learned how and in what manner Chap. 1. Of the Principles and Beginnings of all things as also of God himself and of all whatsoever 2 Of the First Principle of all things which is God 3 Of the second Principle which is Nature 4 Of the third General Principle namely the Elements 5 Of the three special Principles Spirit Wind and Water 6 Of the particular Principles Body Soul and Spirit 7 Of the Elements and contrary Elements in the Creation 8 Of the Principle or Original of that evil one and of the Angels 9 Of the difference of the Light and Darkness as also of the Light and Fire 10 Of the Principle of the Fire and its Mystery 11 Out of what wherein and whereby all things good or bad do subsist pass away and yet how they last for ever 12 Of the Creation of the World 13 Of the particular Creation 14 Of the Mystery of the Word 15 Of the Mystery of the Created lower visible things 16 Of the Creation of Man and of his Anatomy 17 Of the Image of God after which man is Created 18 Of the Mystical Image that is of the Mystery of God Chap. 19 Of the Truth and Spirit by which all wisdom is justified 20 Of the Mystery of Time and to understand 〈◊〉 aright 21 The Conclusion 22 AVRORA SAPIENTIAE Morning Light OR Dawning of Wisdom WE take the liberty according to the gift of the Spirit to speak briefly of Wisdom in this little Treatise without any prolixity And because we made mention in the Preface of a three-fold Knowledge as of Men of Angels and of God now we will speak here that Wisdom also is threefold as 1. The Natural of all Created things 2. The Wisdom of Faith unto Salvation And 3. The Secret and Mystical wisdom which generâ—lly is unknown and that we call vera Philosophia Theologia and Theosophia Of these three we will speak as briefly as may be possible The Spirit of the Lord be upon both the Writer and the Reader Amen JEHIOR OR THE Morning Light of VVisdom CHAP. I. Of the Books of Wisdom in which the same may be learned How and in what manner THere are chiefly but three Books in which all Wisdom is contained Namely 1. The whole Nature and Creation 〈…〉 great Book of Heaven and 〈…〉 2. The Book of the Holy Writ in the Letter of the Holy word of God 3. Man himself The only Center or Principle of these three is the word of God which is the book out of which these three books have their Original The first book of Nature contains seven other books which are the seven Elements of which in particular hereâ—fter These seven Books have three other books opposite which are the three contrary Elements of which also hereafter The second book the Holy Writ is divided into three other books as into the Law of the Old Into the Gospel of the New and into the Eternal Gospel of the everlasting Testament and Covenant which comprehends the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ The Third book of Man is only one book and is sealed to the blind but opened to the seeing In this book is hidden sealed and also manifest and opened all Wisdom and man is called the Image or Honour of God oâ— which below and man cannot be called by any other name 1 Cor. 11. 7. Out of the first book we learn Philosophia the natural Wisdom in and about the knowledge of created natural things which are of the Elements and we learn this wisdom out of the three Principles and seven Elements and discern the same from the three contrary Elements else we cannot find the truth of the Natural Wisdom Out of the second book we learn Theologia or Divinity the wisdom unto Salvation and that in the three foresaid books through the seven spirits Isaiah 11. and we diâ—â—â—nguish it from all humane glosses and books of Prophane ones For the book expounds it self and needs no humane interpretation but only hath need of Faith which apprehends all things Out of the Third Book which is Gods Image we learn the true knowledge of God as also his being and essence and his whole Mystery in so much as
of Nature by the Word of God and is bodily a seed of the water and all Elements from whence the water did spring or proceed or flow by the breathing of the Spirit of the Lord for a seed to all the world and abundantly increased by the moving of the Spirit of the Lord so that the whole Earth is formed out of it The fixed Salt is threefold as in the Earth in the Water and in Heaven The flying Salt also as in Rain Water and Dew Air and Wind. The Essential also is threefold as in the light Spirit and upper water The waters supplie three places or degrees for out of them them the world did subsist which is remarkeable always the one is hid in the other The flying Salt is the Key and openeth with it descending in the Spring that every thing raiseth from the dead greeneth and groweth and with its ascending in the Harvest shutteth them again The Elements are threefold namely Spiritual Soulish and Bodily There are three of the Spiritual Elements as bodily the Heaven Soulish the light and Spiritual the Spirit The Soulish are twofold as Wind and Air. The bodily also as Water and Earth Always the one is hid in the other and the one always comprehends the other six in it and always the one of them is bodily manifest visible and knowing or palpable but the other six are hid in it Each Element also in it self is threefold as spiritual soulish and bodily The spiritual earth is and are the Precious stones or Jewels and that is the body of the Spirit The soulish earth is the gold the spiritual water bodily are the Pearls the soulish is the Amber afterwards the Corals bodily In all these dwell many Powers especially if out of water and spirit by means of the Fire they are made new and spiritual All Elements are in the one with all their Powers which is a spiritual Rock out of which the water of Life doth spring to all Creatures and ebbeth and floweth in the whole world and filleth up Elementarily all in all And when in the end of the world this one is taken away from them then all the Elements are consumed in and by the fire CHAP. VI. Of the three special Principles Spirit Wind and Water THe three special Principles as far as they are Principles come according to their Original as the spirit from God the wind from the Nature and the water from the Rocks and Wells of the Element Every body in the Elementary world is out of the water even also Heaven and Earth All living soul and breath is from the wind in all bodies and all spirits are from the spirit The spirit hath by it the light and Heaven the wind the air the water the earth Now as every thing hath its original so it is of the same fed nourished and thither it returneth again Now the water is a gathered concentred and bodily palpable air The air is a soft sensible bodily gathered wind And the wind is a living gathered spirit But the spirit is such an out-spoken word which Createth and maketh some living thing so that it stands there essentially where it was before Psal 104. 29 30. In the beginning of the Creation the spirit moved on the water by which moving is understood the wind by which the spirit hath breathed on the waters and made them fertile for the Creation of the world All things that are move and have a Being have their original from the one infini eternal Father EHEVE JEHOVAH and JESSE which is the essential self-subsisting living word which is and was in the beginning and remaineth everlastingly to which word all other things are just nothing Through it all things are Created are preserved nourished and fed in their spirit and life as through the breath of the Almighty 4 Esd 16. 13. Heb. 1. 3. Mat. 4. 4. Now by the three special Principles as spirit wind and water which are Elements also all Creation is finished not only because they are the means by which the general Principles do work but also because they contain in them the right seed of all things and the same in the only true Element of which we made mention afore For these three bear in their body all Salt and feed fixed and flying and essential as also Heaven and Earth with all that is therein and bring forth into the world each to its proper self-subsisting or substance Now as all is produced out of the special Principles according to the Creation and Nativity But the sin with the curse and corruption hath made all evil so must all that is born anew return to water wind spirit and out of the spirit and spiritual water must by the wind be born anew to the Image of the Coelestials yet so that in their glory they be no other then Angelical and divine and bear the Image of the Coelestials This new birth goeth out of the upper waters and out of a Coelestial earth to speak Elementarily and are nothing else but salt There is another birth also that goeth out of the fire and is done in pain and torment The new birth out of the water and through the water is done in drowning by water to death That out and in the earth is done through death and Corruption The birth out of the fire as a contrary element is done in and through the fire in Hell Every new birth and regeneration is done through the spirit as also every Creation and alteration The new birth out of the water is done when water is to be poured upon that which shall be new born which the bad contrary elementary doth drown kill and reduceth to nothing And on the contrary stirreth up the good draweth it out and maketh it glorious and distinguisheth the good from the bad rejecteth the bad and chooseth the good and keeps it The new birth out of earth is done when a thing is reduced to its proper earth dyeth and putrifieth therein then afterward cometh forth again and riseth out of the earth with a new and spiritual body and parteth with the naughty and corrupted The new birth in the fire is done when all is cast into the fire and that which doth not hold fire is consumed by degrees and only that which is spiritual remaineth and is saved and then afterward the new birth with a spiritual body cometh forth 1 Cor. 3 13 14 15. 1 Pet. 4 6. Although we speak here Physically and Elementarily yet understanding men will judge Theologically and the Wise may search Physically how every thing hath its true Earth Water and Fire and so mark and observe this mystery Now is the Spirit Wind and Water by which all things in the world are effected These the word sendeth forth to all Creations Births and Alterations These are never quiet for they are by and with the Word the Perpetuum Mobile as above was mentioned and co-operate continually into the Light Heaven Air and
Earth which four Elements stand still unmoveable into which the three special Principles do overflow with their body soul and spirit as to the Water Wind and Spirit and work out all and finish the same The water is as it were the Element the Wind is like as Angelical and the Nature and the Spirit is Divine CHAP. VII Of the particular principles Body Soul and Spirit Wâ—th those are the Principles inclosed and consists in a threefold Trinity and always one produceth another and stand always orderly in their subordinates and agree together that they make up a true and whole Harmony and are enclosed at last in the Light Life and Love The body of all them is and consists out of the water also the Earth the Water out of the Wind the Wind out of the Spirit and the Spirit oâ—t of God There is a threefold body namely a sensible or palpable out of Water and Earth a Soulish out of Wind and Air and a spiritual out of Heaven Light and Spirit So is an Elementary hody an Angelical and a Divine very well to be distinguished on man Further the Soul is corporeal out of the Air from whence it is fed also and soulish out of the Wind and Spiritual out of the Light The Spirit is Corporeal out 〈◊〉 from the Heaven Soulish out of the Light and spiritual out of the spirit of the Elements out of the Nature and of God according as the Creature is Out of these three general Principles Man hath also a threefold spirit according to his measure and is the perfectest creature Always one body dwelleth in the other and as soon as one body is dissolved and broken in the same moment another and more noble body is manifest and that in all things If now the body becometh nobler needs must the Spirit be more noble high and glorious But this is the body after which the wise do seek Namely the Salt which containeth all in it self This body they drown in a Water which floweth out of the Centrum of the Vegetables and draw out all vertues which afterward come together in a celestial spiritual body and afford that precious jewel All things that are killd and dye naturally are drownd in a cold Saturnine Water for all natural death is done by coldness but what is kill'd in the Fire without a Saturnine Water is not fit to Nature for a better state Only the Salt we seek in the fire and then through the Water and afterwards cleanse and purifie it with the Baptism of Fire and of Water We should therefore six our thoughts on the water and use the fire very carefully because it is a contrary Element before which nothing can subsist but only the Salt This is the true body of all Elements and of all things in the whole world if that be taken away thâ—â— all perisheth quickly and the Gold it self also in the Fire This is the right Heaven wherein dwell all powers and is in all things in the whole world their Heaven and is compared to the Tree of Life in Paradise Now the soul according to the highest degree is out of the nature According to the second degree from the Light and according to the third degree out of the Wind. These are the Principles of the living soul soul and spirit are distinct as God and Nature Spirit and Wind as Angel and living soul yea as spirit and breath The middle Principle among the three Principles is always instead of the Mother as the Nature Wind and Soul The body is the Child which the spirit â—s a Father begets through the soul Out of the spirit cometh the soul he lets it out as his breath and from both these the body The firm soul and spirit as the true life and spirit which is like unto the Angelical world is always in the right body of all things that is in the Salt when it is opened then they come forth in a great clearness as in an Angelical glory At last the spirit of all things is out of the three general Principles in each according to their portion and measure Now the spirit affords the right inward essence the forma essentialis differentia specifica abstractum essentiae and nothing else From the same the body and soul also receive their essence whereby the one from the other essentially and properly are distinguished as man from beasts a beast foul fish vermin c from others and so one thing from another All Creatures are distinguished chiefly into three as into Animalia all living souls into vegetabilia all that grow and spring out of the earth and into Mineralia things that grow under the earth and are digged out and so in the water also These are distinct as the three Principles and in our wisdom always a fair harmony doth represent it self All living souls consist out of Water and bloud in their seeds through a moist warmth and a warm moistness each in its mother All growing things consist in their seed out of a slimy water through the Salt which is fixed in the root flying in the herb leaf and grass and essential in the flower and all three concentre at last in the seed All Minerals Metals and what belongeth to it grow out of a fat earth which the Salt of the earth doth hatch and do coagulate through a cold fire which is a Saturnine Water that is a fiery water and a waterish fire that doth not burn Even as upon earth all things grow by rain and dew as also in the earth it raineth thaweth and is misty thereby grow the Minerals Metals and the like and all this from the salt fixed flying and essential The flying Salt begets Sulphur the essential begets Mercury Among the Vermin the chiefest is the Viper with her brood and kind and is Mercurial Among the Vegetables is the Vine a channel out of which come three sorts of water and also a noble Mineral and is the Centre of the Vegetables Among the Mineral is the Gold yea the Salt Of all these three the Concentred Center is man above all that is created CHAP. VIII Of the Elements and contrary Elements in the Creation THe seven Elements or Powers of the world do rest only upon one which is a right well of all Elements in our thoughts because it containeth all An Element is such a thing out of which and in which the world and all doth consist without which nothing can subsist Again a contrary Element is such whereby the world and Elements are altered and corrupt and at last must quite perish thereby Now all things are Created out of three Principles Materialiter namely out of the word as out of a spiritual out of nature as a soulish and out of the Elements and contrary Elements as an incorporeal-corporeal and Corporeal-incorporeal that is out of the Elements after something and out of the contrary Elements according to nothing The word is the all the Elements are the
something and the contrary Elements are the nothing The nothing is become something by the word of God and the something will become nothing again when at last the word is taken away Although the contrary Elements were once nothing yet in the Creation they are a Principle along because they were made which were not afore and are of God counted not evil but good because God did look upon them and hath covered and hid their Principle which was nothing yet concentred and fastened together Corporeal in and on the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil which must have stood there as a witness namely that the world was Created out of nothing yet this should be undiscovered and not ashamed that is it should not be broken namely that the shame of the whole world might not not stand ashamed before the face of all the world and for a confusion be quite dead and perish Now as long as the contrary Elements remained unknown and in their concentrated Center were not broken they are very good But so soon as they are known in their depths they are such a thing as puts the world to a shame and at last altogether doth consume it and reduceth it to nothing These contrary Elements are three Darkness as Corporeal Fire as Soulish and corruption as Spiritual yet Corruption before the fall was no Corruption but only an alteration not unto evil but unto good and a change and exchange of all Created things The Fire before the fall was not consuming but in its knowledge was good and useful In like manner darkness was very good and for a rest and refreshing to all Creatures but now it is an habitation to ill Spirits and as far as darkness in the air reacheth and goeth so far and high also in the air hath Satan his Dominion and Reign Ephes 22. Chap. 6 12. And so are the contrary Elements become hereditary to Satan through sin who is the Prince of darkness and Potentate of the fire and the fire over him and a principle and beginner of perdition Out of darkness Hell is harched which is threefold 1. Corporeal according to its place under the earth in the nethermost places Ephes 4. 9. Luke 16. 28. 1 Pet. 3. 19. 2. Soulish in the Reign of the Devil and Prince of darkness in high places 3 Spiritual in the Devil himself and his Children This Hell will be cast at last into the fiery Lake Out of the fire is produced an unquenchable ever burning Sulphur and such a consuming fiery flame which killeth life and yet always maketh death alive The Hellish fire is three fold in the Hell in the Devil and his Children and in the fiery Pool Out of this alteration or rather perdition is at last Death gotten which in its bodyliness is a cold fire and a fiery coldness According to the Soulishness a gnawing worm that continueth devoureth and never eateth yet always consumeth and still begetteth again According to the Spirit Death is the Devil himself essentially who hath begotten sin and sin hath begotten him the Devil Now darkness was good before the fall for light was hid therein which God commanded to come forth out of the darkness The fire also was good before the fall for life rested therein because no flame was burning in the fire nor was manifest The change and alteration was good also before the fall because love did shew it self therein by the increase of the Creatures Now since Light Life and Love include all therefore they were comprehended also in the contrary Elements but they were separated from the same and thrust out and parted through sin and so that which was very good became exceeding bad and turned good and evil to a contrary and adverse thing After the fall Hell and Death were begotten and the fire was made manifest Visible and Corporeal So that it went up into the height by Reason of sin so that by Gods permission and command it may fall down from Heaven upon the wicked world especially it doth lye in and on the fiery Cherub before the door of Paradise and guardeth the way to the Tree of Life but in the glorious and joyful coming of the great God Jesus Christ this fiery Cherub must be gone and come down and all contrary Elements must reduce to nothing that is they must no more Reign and also the Devil himself must from above be cast down taken Captive and in Prison must be bound a thousand years to the glorious liberty and Redemtion of the Creature from the Vanity Curse and Death where all things as they were Created will be renewed CHAP. IX Of the Principle or Original of that evil one and of the Angels BEfore this Elementary world was Created of God the Angels and the Angelical world and Paradise which were above the upper waters were first and that so certain as the nature was first before the Elements and God before all things Therefore always out of the upper things things beneath were gotten and the upper is always before that which is below even as the Spirit is first before the Soul and Body Now the Angels God hath called through his word out of the same light wherein God dwelleth after their spirit for that end that they should serve him and hath presented them in the fiery flame after the Soul and as a wind after their body Now the Angels being out of the light wherein God dwelleth therefore they can know on in and out of the same what Gods command is and this light is the face of God in Heaven a spiritual food of the Angels which light the Angel of the Children may behold whereas on the contrary the Angels of sinful men may not behold it until the sinner doth true repentance then his Angel may appear again before that light and before the face of the Lord of which there is great joy among the other Angels But as long as the sinner doth not repent so long appeareth the Devil before God and accuseth the sinner day and night before him Now amongst God ' Angels â—ucifer was the chief for he carryed the 〈…〉 clear morning Star which was and is the son of 〈◊〉 but he was not content with that great Honour and Dignity but would fain have been Lord and God himself and no more a servant This coveting was in Lucifer gotten by an ill look and eye toward God inflamed within himself in the same fiery flame out of which the Angels after their Soul are and that so much and heavy that the light did depart in his Spirit from Lucifer and instead thereof an unspeakable great darkness came out of the fire which Lucifer himself had kindled and so instead of Heaven a Hell it self So the fiery flame unknown to Lucifer undiscovered and hid was blown up by himself out of envy and grudgings so that it turned to an essential anger yea to a consuming fire wherein at first did rest the life but was
Witchcraft the wise men of the East made lawful use who knew the Star and proceeded so far therein that they go not only great knowledge but have also done wonders This natural Magick is learned out of the true and perfect degree from the Spirit of God and goeth before and beyond the ascendent because commonly other Spirits do mingle themselves into it This Magick art Daniel and his fellows had studied as also Moses the Prophets and went beyond the wise mâ—n Magicians of Egypt far with th ir skill From this natural Magick art the false Magicians took theirs and because the true ascendent was not in them namely the Spirit of God but had only their Elementary or their Masters ascendent therefore also Lucifer made shew of an Angel of Light and became ascendent in them and made Sorcerers of them Now as true Magicians know and perform all by the Word of God which speaketh in them operates out of them and by them so the Sorcerers abuse the word in its power and perform wonders thereby till Moses his staff and Serpent devoureth theirs and Daniels wisdom exceleth all the others wisdom Balaam was a right natural Magician but the covetous spirit was ascendent in him that he went to the Sorcerers that is to the spirit of Sorcery and the spirit of Avarice had blinded his eyes that he could not see the Angel that resisted him but the Ass saw him and was shye therefore Balaam must be kill'd by the Sword as others that deserved it Num. c 31. v. 8. Out of this false Magick art come all S rcerers and Witchcrafts with their bewitching spelâ— tokens words and works and all those that have familiarity with Spirits Let every one take heed of spirits and let them not rejoyce when spirits draw near unto them but rather fly from them and pray to the father of Lights for the Holy Ghost that he may come to them Secondly There is a Prophetical and Apostolical Magical art which cometh out of faith of Gods Spirit in his Children in which the word with glory dwelleth the same speaks to them in them as in the Prophets we read The Lord hath spoken to me namely not always outwardly with a loud voice but rather inwardly Thus old Simeon had an answer from the Lord thus the Lord also spake through the Ephod c. By this Magical art the Prophets and Apostles have done so many Miracles raised the dead and only by the word This Magical art the Devil presumeth to imitate namely that the word should speak out of Chrystals by looking into it out of Rings wherein perhaps dwelleth a spirit and speaketh out of it c. But this is not the word but only a spirit bewitched into it Lastly There is yet a higher Magick of Gods Children which worketh over and beyond nature and that through faith as when Moses divided the waters with his Red and Josâ—uah bid the Sun and Moon to stand still and the like which things are beyond the course of nature but all is done by and through faith So also when Elias shut up the Heavens that it should not rain and all these things are performed in out and by the power of the word of God which when it calleth and commandeth then it must stand there The Sorcerers also think to make use of this Magick but theirs is meer Witchcraft by Gods permission and yet things are performed really by them even as the Egyptian Sorcerers brought up Frogs c. but not by the finger of God but by the spirit of the Devil by which shortly the three unclean spirits and Frogs will do wonders to seduce the Kings of the earth as also other false Prophets Rev. 16. 13. Mat. 24. 29. Lastly the word speaketh out in and by all things because it is in all things and that by the signature and mark of every thing in the external viewing and sheweth clearly what is hidden within of power and virtue if only the speech and voice of the word could be heard and understood But in the renewed future world all these things will be clear and manifest to the praise of God CHAP. XVI Of the mystery of the Created lower visible things GOd hath brought forth all Created visible sublunary things out of the invisible that were so at the beginning he made them to something and visible and gave to every of them a Body Soul and Spirit after their kind and in them he hath hid his invisible glory that is the invisible in the visible and the Coelestial in the Terrestrial This is the mystery after which we must diligently seek that is after the hidden wisdom which no eye hath seen nor can see neither ear hath heard nor hath it entred into mans heart All these sublunary Created things visible have a Terrestrial body and is visible But they have also a Coelestial body hid within them inwardly The same is so long invisible till the visible body is dissolved and broke and afterward the invisible body is set forth to appear visibly which is heavenly and Spiritual consisting out of water and spirit and is nothing else but a Christalline yea new born salt of life which cannot be overcome by the contrary Element Further every thing hath a soulish life that is such a one which must fetch breath out of the common air and this is nourished by the same a life which in a moment is and must be mortal so that nothing is lasting of it Now to this soulish life is a quickening Spirit which doth not fetch breath as soulish life but it hath life and is in it self a Spirit of life and not a breath and hath eternal life in him and is nothing else but the Spirit of God and the breath of the Almighty that quickneth all Lastly all things have a spirit that returneth thither from whence it came and doth not stay in the dead because it is not the spirit of the dead but of the living and is the Spirit of God which in and by the old Creation and Creature doth not stay for ever but only in and by the new which is from above Thus nothing is lasting in this world but vanity and corruption but it sheweth to us clearly how that all these Created sublunary visible things are an Image of the things above This mystery God hath discovered to his Children and to the wise that namely this lower Created visible Elementary world is an Image of the upper visible Spiritual Coelestial yea divine world Therefore when the visible Elementary world doth vanish then the spiritual world yet invisible will be made m nifest and visible Therefore there is no Creature which doth not shew the mystery of the superiour spiritual world of which mystery and wonders in the future renewed world in Zion will be preached Now the Apostle siath clearly We do not look upon the visible but upon the invisible 2 Cor. 4. 18. Seek the things that are above and not
him see and he that hath Ears let him hear and an understanding Heart hearken unto it But this is the Revelation and appearance of Christ the day of the Revelation of the Son of Man namely that God in Christ and Christ in God a Spiritual Divine Heavenly Adam and man from Eternity is and hath been in a Divine Spiritual Heavenly Essence flesh and bloud and after this his essential Image he hath in the Creation created and framed a Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man CHAP. XIX Of the Mystical Image that is of the Mystery of God THis is the Mystery of God as was said already which is clear and manifest on the Soulish Adam and Terrestrial Man from beneath that namely above is the true Adam and Man but beneath is only his Image Wonderful is Gods counsel and who hath known the Lords mind who was so pleased that the last should be the first and should receive the Money or Peny and the blessed glory at first Well may these last say This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce in it it is marvelous in our Eyes â—sal 118 To day is fulfilled the Word which is written The Stone which the builders rejected is become the Corner Stone and it is marvellous in our Eyes for the Spiritual Rock of which all the Fathers have eaten and drunk from the beginning of the world and upon which the Church of God is founded and builded remained unknown till to the seventh Trumpet where the Mystery of God must be manifested and is also made manifest for the Spiritual Adam and Heavenly Man in his Divine Flesh and Bloud through which we are so dearly bought is thrust away from the Holy place and on the contrary another Flesh and Bloud from beneath out of sinners is brought into the Holyest for an abomination of the desolation But now the new Creation is come in which the Word saith and the Lord himself speaketh as he hath promised Isa 52. 6. c. 40. 5. Saying Jehior or let it be light for the day is come which is known to the Lord to them to whom he will reveal his Mystery Zech. 14. Concerning the Mystery of God in the Creation of Man it is thus that God hath Created Man a Man and Woman Gen. 1. 27. And took the Woman out of the Man Chap. 2. 21 22. To shew the great Mystery of Christ and of his Church which is his Wife and spouse out of his flesh and bones Ephes 5. 30 31 32. But the Divine Spiritual and Heavenly Eve is threefold 1. The most holy Godhead it self 2. The Church of Christ 3 The Heavenly Soul in Man This is the body of Christ his Church whose Saviour he was made for which he gave himself The Divine Eve as the most Holy Godhead is the Mother of us all and the right Jerusalem which is from above The Spiritual Eve as the Church of Christ is the Mother the Spouse of the Lamb. The Virgin and Daughter of Jerusalem The Heavenly Soul is the Heavenly Eve a Maid of the Lord a Daughter of Jerusalem who was married to a Terrestrial Man who brought her to great misery and death but the Lord was made a Servant for her and hath made her free again through his death and hath married unto her a new Adam man out of his flesh and bone of which she hath a divine Inheritance Now if we ask after the Mystery of God how that may be made known answer is on man it may be known There is but one man in one Person but in it three witnesses of his substance as Body Soul and Spirit and in seven Powers The Spirit is always in stead of the Father and is the Father himself also and begetteth by the Soul as by the true Mother to himself a body which is the Child and the Son in which dwelleth all fulness So there is but one God in one only Person but in three Witnesses Father Word and Holy Ghost and in seven Spirits or Powers of God God is a Spirit and a Father and begets through the Word and in the same to himself a Body a Child a Son in which he with all his fulness dwelleth bodily in this manner that he that seeth the Father seeth the Son also the word it self the quickening Spirit and the quickening Adam himself Afterward God begets a Son not after the Person or a personal distinction as one Man another Man else there would be two Gods although there is but one only God But after the Testimony for our sakes he begets a Son that we namely by that Witness as of the Father and Son in God might be made Gods Children Heirs and Co heirs out of his Seed flesh and bones for God in and for himself needs neither Father nor Son because there is never no more in him but one in number but even himself is Jesse and all in all neither are there two or three but One only and none else 3 Lastly God begets also a Son and is a father after the Testimony and that to all Creatures and what ever he hath Created namely that all might have a trust and confidence in him as also the young Ravens when they are forsaken by the old ones This Testimony is done by the Spirit which from God is in all things and fills up all Wisd 1. 7. Chap. 12. 1. Who it is that cryeth to God out of the young Ravens Who is a God of the Spirits of all Flesh Num. 16. 22. And remembreth to God that he is a father of all Creatures and cannot neither ought to forsake them Now the Spirit is it that calleth upon God in all Creatures and praiseth and glorifieth him where is is said in the Psalm All that hath breath Praise the Lord Every Spirit Laud and Praise the Lord The Earth the Sea and the Trees in the Forest Praise the Lord. O man there is much in the Spirit the knowledge of him availeth much for if you do not know him you are but a Beast without a Spirit as Ecclesiastes and others more have it CHAP. XX. Of the Truth and Spirit by which all Wisdom is justified WHen we intend to speak of the Wisdom it must be done in the Spirit and Truth Now nothing is Truth but only the Spirit and the same can lead us into all Truth can teach us all and can tell us of things to come for all Spirits are in subjection to him he penetrates through them all even as fire doth to Gold and Silver seven times and the good that remaineth in it it doth not undoe but rather thinks that there is a blessing in it and bloweth into the smoking â—lax a fire of Life Light and Fire and inâ—useth it self into the same that it may be fitted for a new Creation for a multiplication into many thousands But nothing may attain unto Wisdom unless it be first gone to the fire for a Tryal even as the Gold