ariseth from whence come raine mire snow dew thunder haile which though they were Nothing before production yet being produced out of invisible things they become great bodies Whence we may observe that all things in the first Creation were produced out of the DIVINE NOTHING or invisible Cabalisticall Poynt into something which God did in a moment for his works cannot be delayed by time All things proceeded out of the invisible Darknesse and were called out to the visible Light by the WORD speaking and the Spirit cherishing Now whereas Man had his Sydereall body from the Astra's of the Firmament and the whole Imagination of Man dependeth on the Astra's of the Firmament yea is the same and abideth one with them it must needs be that the Firmament also hath an Imagination but without Reason as Man the off-spring of the world hath with Reason One man striketh and hurteth another and that with Reason a nettle and fire burne and hurt without Reason Moreover whereas Man is the Quintessence of the greater world it follows that Man may not onely imitate Heaven but rule it also at his beck and reigne over it at his pleasure All things naturally obey the Soule and must of necessity move and work toward that which the soule earnestly desireth and all vertues and operations of Naturall things obey it when it is carried with a vehement desire it makes all the powers of the world serve us when by holinesse we draw vertue from him who is the true Archetype and when we ascend to him then every Creature must and will obey us and the whole Host of Heaven follow us By Faith we may do good or evillus God permitteth By the help of Imagination all Magicall operations and all wonderfull things are done through the Naturall inborn Faith by which we are at peace with the very Spirits themselves The Imagination worketh in Man like the Sun for as the bodily Sun worketh without an instrument upon the subject burning it to coals and ashes so the incorporeall cogitation of Man worketh on the subject by the spirit onely as with a visible instrument what the visible body doth that also doth the invisible body This 〈◊〉 the Gaâ—ae 〈…〉 Art as the sydereall Man doth hurt unto another The Imagination of Man is the Loadstone that attracteth above a 1000 miles off yea in its Exaltation it draweth unto it whatsoever it wilout of the Elements But the ImaginatioÌ„ is no efficacious unles first it attract the thing conceived by the attractive force of the imagination that it may beget the Architect of the Imagination as a native spirit out of it selfe afterward the Imagination being as it were with child maketh impression which though it be not tangible yet it is corporeall like the wind Magick or Faith transplanting minds hath power over all Spirits and Ascendants Hence the true Magician or wise Man can attract the operation of the Astra's stones mettalls c. into the Imagination to make them excercise the same force and power with the Astra's as for example by a burning Glasse the beams of the Sun are derived unto us with its heat The Imagination can produce whatever we see with our eyes in the greater world Thus by Imagination and true Gabalia all hearbs all growing things all mettalls may be produced This part of Magick is called Gabalisticall and is supported with three Pillars First with TRUE PRAYERS made in Spirit and Truth when God and the Created Spirit are united in the Holy of Holyes when God is prayed unto in the internall Spirit not with noyse of words but in a sacred silence without opening the mouth and groaning Secondly by NATURALL FAITH or in-born Wisdome which God the Father equally communicated to all men in the Creation as to his own proper flock and common patrimony Thirdly by a strongly exalted IMAGINATION how great and how wonderfull the strength or force thereof is the Light of Nature doth manifestly shew Gen. 30.37 c. as well in Jacobs Rods mentioned by Moses as in pregnant women who imprint the mark of that which they long for upon the child as hath been said The Imagination or Fantasie of Man is like the Load stone in its Nature attracting the Fantasie of other men as we see in those that gape and yawn A vehement Imagination doth not onely cause a transmutation of ones own body but sometimes also of anothers by way of imitation to wit by a certaine kind of Vertue which the similitude of the Thing hath unto that Thing that is to be changed which is moved by a vehement Imagination as appeareth in astonishment or swouning in crashing or creaking of teeth in grating one piece of Iron against another c. whereby the teeth are set on edge in like manner yawning provoketh yawning Many by their melancholly Imagination and diffidence have exposed themselves to the temptation of the uncleane Spirit and sometimes have been overcome by it True Faith is the cure of a false Imagination Many fall sick and recover againe by the Faith of Imagination Many also by their intent Imagination without distrust of their weaknesse by a constant and most firme Faith toward God by a mind lifted up most high by infallible hope constant and most ardent prayers have so prevailed that on a sudden they have become the Temples of the living God The Sum of all is that we worship God devoutly in honesty and holinesse as the more secret Theosophers or wise-hearted to God well know for by the ardent and devout intention of him that prayeth with Fear and Trembling the Understanding or Mind flaming with a Religious love is joyned to the separated Intelligences For internall Prayer proceeding with abundance of affection from a Godly mind and continued with a fervent desire uniteth the mind with God and learneth and knoweth all things of God Few men think what the Mind can doe that is disposed by true faith and more few by far there are who know how to exercise the same by a supernaturall influence which doth rule and governe the body The purified Mind like a river entereth into the very inmost secrets of things beyond all shadowes though there be many who know this disposition yet by reason of worldly cares and thoughtfulnesse wherewith they are overwhelmed they can doe nothing that favoureth of true Wisdome But thus much of these things Such like contemplations as these which are of greatest Antiquity will seem harsh and crabbed to the rude and vulgar sort of men for few read them and fewer understand them and they require a larger narration then can be made of them at this time To returne therefore to our purpose It is of greatest concernment that all Chymists should bewell acquaintedwith this true Fundamentall of the occult Phylosophycal Physick because of the Harmonicall concord and conspiration between the superiour and inferiour things of the greater and lesser world in clearing which Foundation
Pigmyes In the Aire or our airy world there are Umbratils Silveâ—ters Satyrs whose Monsters are the Gyants To the Fire or the Firmament doe belong the Vulcanals Pennats Salamanders Superi whose Monsters are Zundell Besides those Flagae which Theophrastus in his works affirmeth are in many thousands of severall forts incorporated to the Soul of the World Thus also there is a fourfold Medicine For example the fiery airy watry earthy Heart of the Macrocosm in all things agreeable to the Heart of the Microcosm Man For all things are of one operation in Man So also are we to understand of the rest of the members of the body for the Microcosm the child ought always to answer to the fourfold members of the Macrocosm its parent Thus we shall find that every malady and medicine is of the same Physiognomy Chyromancy and Anotomy He that knows not this Fundamentall cannot be a good Phisitian Thus also we find out of ancient Records that Astrologers and Chymiologers were very near of kin for the Caelestiall Astronomy is as it were the Parent and Mistresse of the inseriour for as much as both have their own Heaven their own Sun their own Moon their Planets and their own proper Stars yet so as that the Astrology of superiour things hath to doe with the Chymiology of things inferiour Those Chymists who by the assistance of divine Grace have attained the Mind and rightly know how to accommodate the properties of those bodies in the superiour Globe which are seen in the Astra's and bodies of the inferiour Globe these can easily and truly unfold all Phylosophicall difficulties that have been wrapt up in aenigmaticall obscurity and will confesse that henceforth they need not travell to India or America to get the knowledge of Phylosophy For by the providence and goodnesse of the Creator it is so ordered that the invisible Astra's of the other Elements should be represented by a visible appearance in the supream Element and that they should clearly discover their motions and seasons although there be nothing in the whole course of the inferiour Nature which by the inbred Astra's is not able to justifie the lawfull use of Astronomy In his Idaea of Phylosophical Phifick They that are troubled with the gout have a foresence of the sudden change of seasons their paine many times makes them Prophets and Astrologers against their will So many sick folk perceive before hand the change of weatherin the four Elements The Internall Elements of man have a foresence of the change of Externall As Reason rules the outward Astra's so Physick rules the inward The Astrum of Man and Heaven is but one Thus as P. Severinus the Dane doth learnedly observe the Sidus constellation of Summer Winter Spring Autumn are contained in the Earth Water Aire which unlesse they did conspire with the Astra's of the Firmament to which onely many of the common Phylosophers by a great mistake have ascribed all Astronomy we should blame the impressions of the Heavenly Astra's as barren in the time of dearth There is a twofold Heaven Externall as all the bodies of the Astra's in the Heaven of the Firmament and Internall which is the Astrum or invisible and insensible body in all the Stars of Heaven That invisible and insensible body of the Astra's is the Spirit of the World or Nature as Paracelsus calls it the Hylech spread abroad through all the Astra's or rather it is all the Astra's it selfe And as that Hylech in a particular manner containes all the Astra's in the great World so also the internall Heaven of Man which is the Olimpick spirit doth particularly comprehend all the Astra's And thus the invisible Man is not onely all the Astra's but is altogether one and the same thing with the Spirit of the world as whitenesse is with snow As all things spring and proceed from within from things hidden and invisible so also the visible corporall substances proceed from incorporall spirituall things out of the Astra's and are the bodies of the Astra's and remaine in the Astra's one in the other Hence it followes that not onely all living things but also all growing things even stones and mettalls The Formation of things is in the Astra'â— as iron in the imagination of the Smith Hence also Nativities are to be cast See Pâ—racel in Paramiro de eme Astroâ—um and whatever are in the Universall Nature of things are indued with a syderiall spirit which is called Heaven or the Astrum the secret Forger from which every Formation Figure and Colour of things proceedeth From this proper and internall Astrum viz. The Sun of the Microcosm which Paracelsus calls the Ens or Being of the seed and virtue or power is Man also generated produced figured formed and governed But when we say that all the form of things proceedeth from the astra's it is not meant of the visible coales of Heaven nor of the invisible body of the Astra's in the Firmament but of every things own proper Astrum so that the superior doth not power forth its vertues hidden secrets into the inferiour spectificate Firmament as the false Philosophers thinke that the stars of the Firmament do infuse virtue into herbs and trees no in no wise every growing and living thing carry its proper heaven and Astrum with it selfe and in it selfe the superiour stars in their course through the Zodiak excite and stir up the growth of inferiour things they provide for them by dew raine seasons but do not infuse the internall Astrum into things that grow neither smell nor colour nor forme but all things proceed from the inner Astrum or secret forger and not from without the externall stars do neither incline nor necessitate Man Man governeth the Stars and not the Stars him but Man rather inclines the Stars and by his Magicall imagination infecteth them and causeth those deadly impressions For we receive not our conditions properties and manners from the Ascendant nor from the Constellation of the Planets but from the hand of God through the breathing in of the breath of life Read the eight Psalme So that Mans Reason ought to rule the externall Stars For if we that are the children of Adam did not provoke our Father with our sins we should alwayes find him meek and gentle towards us Vid. Paracels see Paracels in Paramiro lib. 2. de origine morbor cap. 7. The course of the externall Firmament is free with its constellations and is governed by none So the course of the Firmament and Stars in Man is free with their Constellations and not at all governed by the outward Firmament which course is not finished materially but in the spirits of bodies For as the Aire or Sun cannot set an apple or pear upon the tree which must rather grow ouâ— of its own internall Astrum or inward Heaven from the Centre to the Circumference much lesse can the externall superiour Heaven infuse any vertue into the things that
Intellectuall Soul and earthy Body like two Extreams are knit glued and confederate together and in this third mean which partaketh of the other two they are coupled and united into one intire man Thus God and Man cannot be united but by a Mean even our Saviour who partaketh of two Natures the Caelestiall and Terrestriall the Divine Humane Paracelsus saith that the soul or breâ—tâ— of life is infused by God into the Elementary body through the Astra's as a Medium Through this Medium this middle Aetheriall little body the Intellectuall Soule by the command of God who is the Centre of the great world and by the imploying of his Intelligences or Spirits to that end is first poured and descendeth into the middle poynt of the Heart which is the Centre of the little world and from thence is spread into all the parts and members of his body as soon as it joyneth its vehicle to the naturall heat by which heat it joyneth to the Spirit begotten from the heart by the spirit it drencheth it selfe into the blood by the blood it cleaveth to all the members to all which it hath an equall nearnesse And because the said Aethereall body participateth of Heaven therefore it holds and keeps the same course with that of the Firmament whose operations it draweth to it selfe by a peculiar magnetick vertue just as the visible body doth the efficacy of the Elements and so remaineth one thing with the visible and invisible world John 10.30 as the Son with his Father as rednesse with wine as whitenesse with Snow The whole Firmament is in us with the Planets and Stars As heat pierceth an Iron Furnace and as the Sun doth glasse so doth the Stars with all their properties pierce into Man so that of the syderiall spirit of the Firmament we may learn all Naturall things The MIND Man hath an Intellectuall and immortal Soul Zach. 12.1 Gen. 2.7 Es 42.5 Wisd 2.23 or Spirit by the inbreathing of God created with the four foresaid inhabitants of the Elements which the bruit beasts have not after the Image of God and the Divine Triunity with the similitude also of Unity 1 John 2.27 Chap. 4.14 Acts 17.28 that so in all things he might be one with his Heavenly Father who is in us by his Spirit from which we learn sacred Divinity and all heavenly and earthly secrets without errour yea in him we are and live and are moved As God is One in Essence Trine or Three in persons so Man is One in Person Trine or Three in distinct Essence that is composed Triune of a Terrene Body an Aethereall Spirit of the Heavens and a living vivifying Soule which God breathed into him and is the house of God This the holy Scripture witnesseth Luke 1.47 1 Thes 5.23 Gen. 2.7 See the Amphiâ—halce of Rhunrad worthy of perpetuall memory Paul the greatest Phylosopher and Divine shewes three parts of Man Spirit Soule and Body There are two Souls or two Spirits in Man Mortall from the first matter which is the life of the body and Immortall from God The Spirit is the Life of the Soule the Spirit and Soule are the life of the body John 14. even the wonderfull Agreement between the Creator and the Creature in whom the great Creator would shew himselfe to be Unitrine or Triune One in Three or Three in One As also the unanimous consent of all that truly professed Phylosophy from the Light of Nature If happily there should be any that deny these three parts yet they must acknowledge that Man was created è Limo Terrae out of the clay or dust of the Earth by the word FIAT and that he received an eternall Spirit or breath of life from the mouth of God which is that Linum Caelorum or slime of the Heavens from the Lord. The Limus Terrae or dust of the Earth is two-fold visible and invisible He hath his Body or cottage from the Earth and Water but the life that dwells therein is from the Aire and Firmament of Fire which life is the Syderiall Spirit and is properly the Man not flesh and blood As the Syderiall Spirit is the life of the Body so the Spirit of the Lord is the life of the Intellectuall Soule And as the Sydereall Spirit dwells in the Body and works therein day and night for this invisible is himselfe the Firmament God created Man to be his Tabernacle as well in this as in the world to come and hath all things in him so the Spirit of the Lord the WORD of God the eternall man dwells in the Soule the house is the habitation of the Soule the Soule is the habitation and cottage of God Therefore when Man the most perfect compleatnèsse of all Gods works the most compleat figure of the world and expresse image of God in whom he rested from creating as having nothing before him more honorable to be created all the wisdome and power of the Creator being shut up and perfected in him as the supream artifice in that he containeth all things in himself that are in God when I say he was on the sixt day made up of all things the last of the Creatures and image not onely of the eternall God but also of the great world because with it he comprehendeth and containeth all things in himselfe it followeth that there are three worlds or Heavens in Man and that he is born about of three Worlds or rather is all the world and a most sure and undoubted Pattern of the whole Universe Exemplumque Dei quisque est in imagine parvâ Manilus That which is Naturated savoureth of the Nature of that which did Naturate it God dwelleth in the Soul as in the Heaven of Man And therefore some have called him the Fourth World in whom are found all those things that are in the other three for which cause also he may be called by the name of every Creature He hath a Spirit or Mind from God for what else is the Spirit of Man which God breathed into him but God himselfe dwelling in us The invisible Body or true Internall Man consisting of Reason and an Astrall Spirit agreeth with the Angells and is their fellow And if he be a true Magician he is not inferiour to the Angells in all Magicall operation and is Lord and Possessor of all things His mortall Phisicall Body he hath from the frame of the world and all things created therein for all Externall things are nothing else but the Body of Man So that he partaketh of a threefold world of the Archetype or God-like world in God of the Intellible or Angellicall of the sensible Elementall or corporall world and hath a symbolicall operation and conversation with them all The Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the chaâ—ret driver or Stern-man of the Soul or Rationall Spirit like the eternall God concludeth all Beings Times and Places 1. He communicateth with
sustentation and multiplication of Individualâ—s The Spirit is the life and Balsom of all Naturall things therefore it ought to hold the first degree in the order of Physick and the Man that useth it with the moderation of other meat may live as long as the ancient Fathers From those two fountaines the SUN and MOON as Suchtenius learnedly discourseth springeth the Naturall and Vitall Spirit of the world which runneth thorow all Beings giving life and consistance to all things by which as a mediator every occult quality all vertue all life is propagated into the inferior bodies into hearbs mettalls stones animalls so that there can be nothing in all the world that may or can be without a spark of this Spirit The Life of Man is the Astral Balsom the Balsamick Impression the Celestiall and Invisible Fire the Aire shut up and the Tincturing Spirit of Salt This Celestiall Spirit which is one and the same with our Naturall spirit when its breathing in our body is not lesned or hindred by outward things is that Naturall Heat of ours whereby every thing is digested for the sustentation and multiplication of every particular It digesteth the nourishment that Man taketh and breeds good blood in all the members so long as the blood is pure it continueth and is the strong vitall pure and sound spirit of the Heart so that the whole body liveth orderly and well But if it be hindered by sicknesse that it cannot so well doe its office the nourishment is not well concocted and that breeds bad blood by which the vitall spirit of the Heart is weakned Whence comes Old age that house of oblivion at last followeth a full extinction consumption and dissipation of that spirit which is the Naturall Death that the consumption and dissiapation of the said spirit may be prevented as much as by Nature may be that spirit and Naturall Heat in Humane bodies so weakned and hindred must be increased and strengthned that it may be the better able to do its duty But seeing every agent when it begins to act doth not move toward any thing below it selfe but to that which is equall like and sutable to it Therefore this strengthning also must be by its like that is by that Celestiall Heat of the Sun and Moon and the other Planets or with those things in which the Virtue of the SUN and MOON is most potent and doth most abound or is lesse restrain'd by matter The Celestiall or that Spirit of the world and the Naturall Spirit of our body is one and the same Spirit and therefore the Heat of the Sun and Moon generated of the very stroke of the spirit is a â—bing more concoct and by consequence more perfect For these things work more quick and perfectly and doe more readily beget their like and what is more easie the spirit or that supernall Fire is got out of them by art to which the Heat that burneth not like the Elementall but that which maketh all things fruitfull and Light giving life to all things are proper But burning Heat consuming all things and darknesse making all things barren are proper to the Elementall and Inferior Fire That same Heat therefore is excluded as also with it all divers and contrary things such as are all the inferior Elements For this and all things else that include a Naturall composition in them so far as they are yet drowned in a thick grosse matter and as yet not separate from it are subject to corruption and transmutation But Medicines ought to be preserving and very durable and remote from corruption For whereas they should preserve the Human body from corruption they ought first to be of a long and lasting nature otherwise they would corrupt rather then preserve Besides t is but in vaine to think to preserve a corruptible body by a putrid and corruptible thing to cure the weak by a feeble thing to form a Thing by a thing subject to deformity Every corruptible weak and feeble thing added to its like augmenteth it One Like added to its like maketh it more Like and so that corruptibility is increased not diminished as we see some and truly too many Physitians of our time who labor in vaine to cure Men of their maladies by their grosse and corporall compositions of Medicines but a higher speculation is here required The vitall spirit in Man the Elemental is one spirit For whereas diseases are not corporall but spirituall and lurking in the spirits they also call for spirituall medicines They therefore that would preserve that vitall spirit which is the Radicall Moysture and Heat The Innate Heat and Radical Moysture of the Microcosm are sustained by the MacrocoMacrocosmicall Heat and Moysture of the Sun and Moon as being thatoâ—e the same Celestial and Naturall spirit of ours the innate Mummy and hath its seat in the midst of Mans heart as the sustentacle of all our life in young men and repaire it languishing in old men and as much as may be make them young againe and so bring Mans life into the greatest health they must seek after not the Elementall but that Celestiall Heat of the Sun and Moon that dwelleth in the more incorruptible substance that is to be found under the Globe of the Moon to make this like our heart or spirit which is done when it is prepared and made up into a medicine and most pleasant meat so that being taken by the mouth it may presently pierce and passe throughout the human body keep every thing incorrupt especially the flesh that is united to it nourish the power and spirit of life increase and restore digest every raw thing lop and prune all excesse of every quality make the Naturall moysture abound and strengthen inflame and augment the weak Naturall Heat or Fire This is the duty of a true Physitian and of the more sound Phylosopher The Tincture doth so cleanse the Balsom that our children in the tenth generation may see the effect of it living so long Paracels For thus he might preserve our body from corruption retard old age keep youth flourishing in its vigour to the very poynt of death and were it not for the wages of sin withstand death preserve our body in perpetuall health and defend it from destruction Paracelsus calleth it the Element of FIRE which like the Sun of the Terrene or inferiour Firmament may be the greatest Secret for the removing all diseases and refreshing the cold benummed members for that Essentiall Fire worketh in the body as the Flame and Nettle doth without the body Whose meaning was that of right he may here be vindicated from the unjust calumny wherewith he was branded where he treateth of the vertues of this perfect Fire of Life that the Balsom of Nature The Humors of life do nourish the spirit of life See Paracel in the sift Tome among his Physicall fragments sol 162. Cease therefore henceforth to blame
the way in the places of the paths at the entry of the city at the coming in of the doors with plaine words of righteousnesse without frowardnesse or perversnesse unto us men the Sons of men c. Doth not Christ Jesus stand all the day long in the broad way to stop and turne men from destruction calling and crying unto them Turn yee Turn yee why will yee die yee children of Adam but they with a stiffe neck like their Fathers doe alway resist the Holy Ghost Is any part of the Creation destitute of the glorious presence and power of Christ Psal 19.6 can any thing be hid from the heat and light of this Sun of Righteousnesse Rom. 10.18 Is there any place where the Evangelicall Trump hath not sounded why then doe we close our eyes and stop our eares against the glad tydings and ministry of our salvation What care and cost and charges are many men at to purchase their own vexation at how dear a rate doe they buy their misery who accumulate to themselves Teachers after their own lusts 2 Tim. 4.3 who yet after a multitude of Academicall expences are not able to guesse aright at earthly things Wisd 9.16 or find out that which is hard at hand With what care and industry then ought we to pursue the knowledge of things above which are more noble to be had at a cheaper price and because of a better guide with more ease and safety we need not ascend or descend or send to Athens for it the things that doe not appear are present in the things that are seen T is not incredulous or rediculous that a true Chymist so much now in derision should find light in darknesse darknesse in light bitter in sweet sweet in bitter good in evill evill in good body in spirit and spirits in bodies and by a Spagyrick extraction separate each to its proper use and end distinctly drawing out the great Mysteries of Godlinesse and Iniquity In the high way and open streets the common Roade concourse condition and conversation of men doth Wisdome stand and call to them Turn yee Turn ye why will ye die Christ the great Angell of God standeth as an Adversary like the Angell in the way of Balaam Num. 22.22 to withstand men in all their wayes of iniquity excesse and vanity the madnesse of the false Prophets in us is rebuked by the voyce of Man that Son of man speaking in the dumb Asse of insensible and irrationall creatures Pet. 2.16 Thus the Wisdome of God standeth in the drunkard 's way to turn him from wine Eph. 5.18 wherein is excesse that he may be filled with the Spirit It would have the Covetous man to covet earnestly the best things 1 Cor. 12.31 it perswades the lascivious wanton to abandon his uncleanesse and entertaine the modest kisses and chast embraces of the celestiall Bridegroom Cant. 1.2.16 2.6 it bids the Thiefe steal no more Ephes 4.28 nor consent to thievery Psal 50.18 but labour with his hands the things that are honest Rev. 16.15 watching for the coming of that good thiefe it forbids the Tyrant the hypocriticall ambitious perjur'd self-seeking Tyrant to oppresse and do mischiefe Psal 52.1 but rather to take the Kingdome of Heaven by force and violence Mat. 11.12 it exhorts the treacherous undermining by-ended souldier to put no man in fear Luke 3.14 nor accuse any man falsly not to make the pretence of Religion or Civill Right a stalking horse to proud and imperious designes and ends but to fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 Jude 3. 2 Cor. 10.4 and earnestly contend for it not with carnall weapons but spirituall It stands in all the Creation to poynt out the Creator Mal. 4.2 in the Sun to shew us the true Light in the springing Fountains Psal 36.9 to tell us of the Well of Life in the Rocks to shew us our refuge in the trees of the field Psal 18.2 Isa 26.4 Ps 92.12 13. 1.3 to put us in mind of the planted of the Lord and the Tree of Paradise and of what the Crosse was made in the seasons of the year at Fall and Spring to preach the Death and Resurrection of Christ the mortification of our vile and quickning of our pure body in the Clouds and Raine to open to us the Mediatorship and Intercession of our blessed Lord who took upon him the dark nature of the earthy Adam John 1.14 Col. 1.19 2.9 which dark cloud the likenesse of sinfull flesh Rom. 8.3 was full of grace and truth the fulnesse of the Godhead when the Heavens are as iron and the earth as brasse Lev. 26.19 when wrath is over us and judgement under us when we see nothing but vengeance and indignation above or below Gen. 9.12 13. then this faederall Cloud elevated to the middle aire John 3.14 12.32 as the true Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2.5 doth rend the vaile of his flesh Mat. 27.51 Heb. 10.20 and showreth down the Gracious raine and heavenly dew of Divine love through the eternall Spirit upon the parched soul to cool and quench the fierce anger of the Almighty Nubes est vapor humidus crassus à Sole ad medium acrum elevatus c. Arist 1 Met. c. 9. and cause the heart to bud forth and grow in the grace faith knowledge love and obedience of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ reconciling all things in Heaven and Earth throughout the Passion of his Crosse Col. 1.20 Thus every part of the Creation doth its part to publish the great mysteries of mans Salvation Rom. 1.20 else how should the Gentiles be left without excuse Let all the Works of God praise him in all places of his Dominion Psal 103.22 145.10 O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord. Isa 28.22 Be not mockers least your bonds be made strong blesse magnifie extoll and praise the Lord in all the works of his hands Enter into his Gates with thanksgiving Psal 100.4 into his Courts with praise be thankefull unto him blesse his Name Psal 92.13 flourish ye in the Courts of the House of our God Let your knowledge love obedience and thanksgiving spring forth and increase abundantly by these outward and visible things Rom. 1.21 Rev. 11.2 which the unbelieving Gentiles like bruite beasts tread and trample under their feet set God alway before yee preserve the faith of his Omnipresence so shall yee never be moved Psal 16.8 draw something of him out of every thing which he hath made O rare Art that can rarifie the condense and mixt bodies of earthly things into a sublimate Purity of Divine knowledge and use Heretofore when Kings Princes and Potentates studyed their neighbours Good more then their own Greatness the Hermetick Philosophy was more Venerable and he that listed himselfe a
grow Neverthelesse the fruits of those Astra's or Caelestiall Ayry Earthy Watry seeds doe indeavour and bend to one generall Good as Citizens of the same Anotmy and therefore doe mutually cherish and succour one another by a sweet felloship and vicissitude of actions Plato's Rings and Homers Chaines are nothing but a Divine Series and Order serving Providence a graduall and concatenate Sympathy of things This visible and invisible fellowship of Nature is that golden chaine so much commended this is the marriage of heaven and riches these are Plato's rings this is that dark and close Phylosophy so hard to be known in the most inward and secret parts of Natare for the gaining whereof Democritus Pythagoras Plato Apollonius c. have travelled to the Brachmans and Gymnosophists in the Indies and to Hermes his Pillars in Aegypt This was that which the most ancient Phylosophers studied which by the Light of Nature that singular inspiration of God they also obtained wherein the wonderfull and infinite power the incomprehensible Wisdome of our Creator so shineth that we canot sufficiently admire and extoll his inestimable goodnesse in the Creatures and the unutterable infinitnesse of his Mysteryes It is also to be considered that there are THREE Principles of all things which are found in every compound body For it is most certaine that those things into which every naturall body is resolved had their being from the beginning of their composition and also those parts of which they did consist No body compos'd by Nature can by any dissolving skill be parted into more or lesse then Three viz. Into Mercury or liquor Sulphur or Oyle and Salt every created thing is generated and preserved in these three For the Holy Triunity when it spake that Triune word FIAT created all things Triune as in a Spagiricall resolution is plainly to be seen i. e. A seperation of purity from impurity or truth from falshood By the word FIAT or Let there be God produced the first matter which is threefold in respect of the three Principles contained in the first and afterward these three Species are seperated into four divers bodies or Elements just as if a skillfull Artist should out of lead make red lead white lead Glasse and the Spirit of lead So the world with all created bodies in it is nothing else but a fume or smoak coagulated or curded together of the three substances Sulphur Salt Mercury which three are the matter out of which all bodily things are created The Spagyricks can make this plaine by visible experience and uncontroulable certainty In green wood also there are three kinds of moystures the first watry like fugitive Mercury or Quicksilver which preserveth the wood from burning Another very fat and oyly making it like brimstone to flame and burne these two are consumed by the fire The third viz. the Salt is unctuous very little thin and lasting and remains in the ashes Thus also the Earth as it is indued with that threefold substance of Salt Mercury and Sulphur is the cause of the materiall body of man The Salt by coagulation gives Solidity Colour and Tast to all bodies The Sulphur by a pleasant mixture tempereth the coagulation of the Salt and gives the Body Substance and Transmutation Mercury which like the Elixir giveth the vertues When the Salt or Mummy is spent things brâ—â—ed nothing but wormes Operations and Secrets by a diligent and constant supply of the vital and vegetative moysture doth cherish the two former which by frequent action continually grow dry and old making every mixture easily by a fluid and slippery substance These three Principles which are in all bodies are altogether distinct in use and properties by reason of the mixture of the vertue or operation although to sence they present but one simular substance of bodies Some Theophrastaeans who have more narrowly and exactly searched out the causes of hidden things doe add a Fourth The Spirit of God upon the face of the waters which they call the Spirit which though it may be got out of Mineralls and Vegetables yet in Animalls by reason of its subtility it is subjected unto nor can it be extracted or seperated by the skill of Art and therefore cannot be had thus Sulphur or brimstone may answer to Fire Salt to the earth Mercury to Water Spirit to Aire And seeing we have entred into a Discourse of the Elements we shall add a few things concerning them out of that short Treatise of Severinus The true and purely spirituall Elements are the keepers nurses places Mines wombs and receptacles of the whole Creation yea the very essence existence life and act of all Beings Places are not without Things but are filled with their properties which administer life and nourishment to the things that are in them to wit to the Seeds that they may produce out of themselves the things that were secretly treasured up in them These places are divided into two Globes viz. the superiour Fire or the Firmament and Aire much like the shell and white of an egge the inferiour Water and the Earth like the yolk of an egge In these four incorporeall empty voyd Natures the Creatour by vertue of the Word opening the united multitude Gen. 1. and of the Spirit moving upon the face of the Waters did plant the Light and Seminall causes of all things which he once filled by his heavenly Benediction and shall ever be supplyed by an incomprehensible Magick out of the Eternall Treasures of Divine Wisdome knitting the Principles of bodies together wherewith they might be covered as with a house or garment and which are to last as long as this worldly frame The Seeds and Astra's those bonds of things lay hid in the invisible Treasures of the Elements from the beginning of the Creation as in a great deep springing up in their appointed times joyning visible things to invisible the highest to the lowest by whose advantage the Elements conspire and agree and the whole sympathy of Nature is preserved by their help the World is governed indeavoring to imitate Eternity by a continuall addition of fresh supply The knowledge of the Elements cannot be attained unto without these Seeds because they declare or open the use and services of the Elements and as the seeds are to the Elements so the Principles of bodies are to them which Principles being the inseperable companions of the Seeds cleaves to them as intermingled by an indissoluble tye and are furnisht with incomprehensible variety of gifts for the service of Generations For the Seeds and Principles of Things receive strength of Generation and Multiplication from the authority of His Word whose command all things obey Hippocr in lib. de Antiqua medic But as the Seeds and Elements can hardly be seperated one from the other by the sharpest wit All things proceeds from their powers so neither can the Elements and Principles of bodies the lawes of Nature scarce ever
the most part false because their Phylosophy and other abilities were polluted and corrupt In vaine therefore it is to seek knowledge from them who have spent all their life in looking after it and have wasted all their time and study to no purpose not finding out any truth though many of them were seduced by ignorance rather then malice the Light of Truth not yet risen to them nor the Light of Nature as yet kindled by the holy Spirit Divinity is the Fountaine of Naturall and Supernaturall knowledge All true Phylosophy should be grounded on the Scriptures and so return into God that so the Regenerate Christians might reap and receive the full increase of that seed which among the Gentiles was choaked for want of the Sun like that among the thorns No Art can be perfected without Regeneration Christians should not be ruled by Heathen Phylosophy True Phylosophy must be grounded on Christ the corner stone We ought therefore to be most wary that we suffer not the Philosophicall errours of the Heathen to beare down or dominiere over the rules of Christian Phylosophy Christians onely in whom the Truth is planted who have their seed from God by the means of Regeneration which the Heathen have not doe truly know to use or teach Phylosophy without mistake or errour and how to manage aright all other faculties Believers shall be taught of God when the Holy Spirit is powred forth To be short the knowledge of God is the Treasury of the whole world wherein all things are laid up so that without this knowledge no man can come to eternall life For Faith Hope and Love follow knowledge Adhaesion or cleaving to followeth Love Union follows Adhaesion in Union is Blessednesse and Wisdome This Regeneration that holy man Hermes and others of clean hearts and godly lives before the Word was incarnate being enlightned by the holy Spirit though they concealed it among other Secrets they knew it better then many of us who call our selves Christians and had rather seem to know God then love him O great miracle 1 John 4. Wâ—sd 1. John 17. Man whose mind by Christ is united to God possesseth the true wisdome of all things and the most absolute knowledge of all Secrets Furthermore he that knoweth himselfe doth know all things Fundamentally in himselfe and being set between Time and Eternity above him he sees God eternall his Creator The soul is the off-spring and image of God Apoc. 22. after whose image and likenesse he was with other Angells created by an unsearchable love besides or about him he knows the immortall Angells his fellows and companions from whom he differeth onely in body and the Judgement to come Under him he sees the visible World whereof he is a pattern and all the Creatures with whom he hath a likenesse even his parent of whom he was born as to the externall and mortall body Man who is a true Proteus of a fickle wavering disposition received a flexible mind from Nature Eccl. 15.14 that being set in the midst of the Paradice of this world by the assistance of Divine Grace raising himselfe upward he might be regenerated into a quiet Angell or the Forger of his fortune winding and creeping downward degenerate into a restlesse Bruite But the free Râ—asonable Creature neglecting the fatherly admonition and his due obedience Gen 2. turning from the mean to the extreame himselfe dispising his Creator He that seeks to himself that which is anothers unâ—voydably â—uâ—â— himseâ—fe into two â—nconveniences i. e. theft and robbery of himselfe and death The Fâ—â—l waâ— aâ—swering from Uâ—iâ—y to Alteâ—iâ—y learned by experience what his own proper Evill and Nothing was to his voluntary damage and perdition like a Thief and Robber And thus abusing the bounty of his most indulgent Father he made choise of death rather then of life and like Lucifer not content with his lot ambitiously desiring higher things he set himselfe in opposition against God at last by an unexpected change was cast out of the Garden of pleasures into this dolefull and darksome valley of Misery and Ignorance The first man was left in the hand of his own counsell Eccl. 15.14 and of his own accord turned from the strait path into the crooked way of Misery greedily desired the possession of good and evill to his own destruction as Herms and Moses sufficieâ—tly demonstrate God created man that the number and losse of the rebellious Angells might be made up in the kingdome of Heavâ—n Man the bond or buckle of the world the last wonderfull and honourable living creature was upon the sixt day after all other things drawn or taken è limo terrae out of the slime of the Earth or visible frame of the whole consisting of Heaven or Heavenly Sphaeres and the Earth viz. out of the most thin or pure substance of the whole frame of the world concentred into one body fashioned by the great Spacyrus into a bodily shape made to supply the place of the fallen Angells Man was formed of the most excellent Compound and purest Extract of the whole Word out of the Center of all Circles Therefore Nazianzen speaking of the workmanship of Man saith God made Man last that in him as in a short and briefe way he might set out or expresse all that before he had made at large viz. all the members or parts of the whole world As an Oration is made up of letters and sillables so the Microcosm or Limus Terrae Man is compacted of all bodies and created things The great God eternal and Creator of all things took the Quintessence out of all things created and thereof fashioned and composed Man as the Prince and End of all these and congratulated him as his Son holding or possessing the honourable place of the high Divinity on Earth In respect of the Body or corruptible Nature he bears the Image of the great sensible and temporall World In respect of his soul or immor-Nature he bears the Image of the Archetype or originall copy and patterne of the world that is of the immortall Wisdome of God himselfe So that all the properties of Animalls Vegetables and Mineralls entred into him and withalla living Soul inspired into him God is all things of himselfe Man is made all things of God and was therefore created last that by him the compleatnesse and perfection of all the Creatures might be signified Man is the tye bond knot joynt Psal 8. Thou hast put all things under his â—eer Paraceâ—s excepteth the Spirits and inhabitant of the â—â—ur Elements packet or bundle of all the Creatures All things created were disposed of to him and they respect and honour him as Gods steward set over the Orchard or Garden of this world God is the Center and Circle of all things that he brought out of himselfe for all the works of the Divine goodnesse are circular and perfect sphaerically wheeled about to him from
whom they proceeded He is the Centre in that all things flow from him and because the Essence of all things pierceth also through all things God the Centre and Circle of all things He is the Circle because like an all-capacious Tabernacle he concludeth and comprehendeth all things Within God are all things and at the worlds end nothing shall be without him either of what was before or what hath been since the Creation what was either before it was brought forth or since it was brought forth So is Man Thus Man in imitation of his Creator is the Centre of the Creatures and the Circle of them all It was Gods pleasure that all things which he made should honour him by Man For all things in the world doe not onely look to him as their Guide and Governour for whom also they were all created but likewise on him all the Sphaeres bestow their beams operations reflections and influences and on him all the Creatures poure their vertues and effects as upon a middle Point and Retinacle or that by which they are stayed and supported As the Earth is a Receptive body of all seeds so also is Man Man is said to be the Circle in that he containeth all things in himselfe and with himselfe leadeth back all things that gushed out of that Summum Bonum or chiefest good unto the fountaine of Eternity from which they did originally spring and flow The world was the first figure or image of God Man is the image of the World the Animall or living creature is the image of Man the Zoophite or sensible hearb is the image of the Animall the Plant is the image of the Zoophite Mettalls are the image of the Plant stones represent the likenesse and images of Mettalls The great world is in every thing one with the little world as the child with its parent the prudent Ancients wilsely called Man a Microcosm or little World which few now a dayes understand that the great visible World was made Man As the great world is bipartite consisting of two parts visible and invisible so also the little world man is twofold visible in respect of his Body invisible in respect of his Spirit There are two Spirits in Man The first Spirit is from the Limbus or greater world the second from the word Fiat one a syderiall Spirit from the Firmament the other from the breath of life which is the Intellectuall Soul inspired from God and the mouth of the most High Man hath three parts a mortall Body with a Syderiall Spirit and an immortall Soule which is the cottage of the Image of God or of the holy Spirit in Man There is a two fâ—ld wisdom in Man Angelicall according to which he is to live and Animall which is not to be regarded Regeneration overcometh a bad birth If a man live sensually by his own proper and proud Will according to flesh and blood onely he is but a Brute or Beast and is known whether according to those Epithites in Scripture he be a Dog Fox Wolfe Sheep Sow or generation of Vipers of which I shall discourse more at large in my Treatise of Signatures and therefore shall forbear to speak more thereof at this time If he live Rationally then he is a Man The invisible or immortall body of Man from the breath of God is not subject to Stars or Astronomers and hath dominion over the living Creatures in his body But if he live according to the God-like Spirit upon the Tree of Life observing the property of the Image of God if I say he live according to the Talent and Treasure laid up in his Earthen Vessell and committed to him then hath he dominion over the Stars and all things else Man comprehends and carryeth all things about in himselfe whereof he is made that beareth he in himselfe He was made of the world he beareth the world about in him and is borne of the world Againe as the first matter which was a kind of ineffigiate confused Essence which Phylosophers call the Chaos and Hylen or Mother of the world was the seed of the great world so the great world is the seed of Adam or Man As the world was hid in the invisible Waters upon the Abysse or great deep Water is the Matrix of the world upon which the Spirit of God moved Gen. 1. The Earth plung'd or swam up out of the Water 2 Pet. 3.5 so Man Adam lay hid in the world The first matter was made a world and the great World was made Man As a Tree groweth from the seed the seed is the beginning of the Tree and the seed also is the end of the Tree for in every graine or seed of the Tree there lies hid another Tree So the First Matter which Paracelsus calleth the Limbus whose Earth was the WORD of the Lord was the seed of all things that were to be created As a Câ—rver and Potter out of word and clay can make a hundred severall shapes at pleasure so God extracted every creature out of the first matter and Man was the last of all as the perfect seed which againe is able out of himselfe to beget another Man like himself And though Man be not a seed as other seed is yet hath he power to cast seed out of himselfe whereby is begotten another Man like himselfe As Adam or Man carryeth the world and every creature in himselfe and is preserved by the world so every one that is borne of him bears about him that which he did viz. the whole world and is born and preserved by it as Adam was Man isâ— that Earth or field which hath all seeds in it self As the Son is not lesser then his Father so Man is not lesser then the World all men are but one man of flesh blood and spirit Therefore the knowledge of Man is to be taken from both Lights as the Son cannot be known from himselfe alone but from his Father Man hath two Fathers an Eternall whose Image he beareth and a Mortall one which is the whole world with all the creatures that is that Limus Terrae that slime of the earth or hidden Secret thing None can know the image unlesse he first know him whose image he is Hermes calleth Man an earthly God Gen. 2.7 and the most precious Esse or Being of all creatures which all Phylosophers Physitians Astronomers and Divines are to consider and diligently inquire into In the lesser world Man there is no member or part that doth not answer to some Element some Planet some Intelligence or other and to some measure and number in the Archetype or first pattern Man hath a visible body from the Elements as a fit garment and sutable cottage for the Soul From the Heaven or Firmament he hath an invisible Syderiall The perfection and dignity of Man Aetheriall and Astrall Body or chariot and vehicle of the Soule wherein the
God in his Soule or Mind because by the breath of life he was made after his image the Intellectuall Soul is a certaine particle of the Divine Soule in which very Soule God hath sowen certaine seeds and resemblances of his Mind in us much like to that of an Eccho which sends back its voyce from the resemblance of the aire by which it expresseth a lively soule The mind raised up into the most High God and united with him converseth with God and doth the same works neither is there any disposition or any thing in Man that doth not clearly hold forth something of the Divinity neither is there any thing in God which very thing is not represented in Man 2. He hath a semblance with the Angells in respect of the invisible Body and Rationall Soul by whose help he worketh and is preserved with the Angells and hath the same wisdome that they have for he is Gabalis socius Angelorum a curdled companion of the Angells or one mixed with in fellowship 3. He participateth with the Firmament and Stars of whom he received that Astrall body or Syderiall Spirit which is the true Astrall Man for flesh and blood is not the Man but the Spirit contained in them which Astrall Spirit is the subject of humane Reason that containeth the sences and wisdome in it and is made Animall a living creature with the body This Spirit and the Astra's are but one thing in Man but the body is the subject of this Spirit and so the Astra's rule man in the Spirit and the Spirit of a man ruleth the Body in flesh and blood This Spirit is mortall onely the Intellectuall Soule which God breathed into man is immortall 4. He partaketh of the Elements for from these he had his mortall Physicall Earthy body And because the world which is the Parant of Man according to Paracelsus hath in it the four Elementary Spirits of the four inhabitants of the world as also the fift kind of Flages of a thousand sorts incorporated into the Soule of the Microcosm the Imagination also of these five Spirits in the Elements must be in the Microcosm Man but the use of Mans Reason according to the will and command of God is as a Chaine were with those five Spirits are knit and bound together that they may acquiesce with his Imagination 5. He partaketh of all Elemented Animalls Vegetables and Mineralls for he hath in him the Nature and properties of all these All things were made of nothing and Man was made of all those things The great world was the matrix of Adam thus the whole frame of the world is the mother of all things that are brought forth Man therefore who was the last is the most excellent and noble of all Creatures because he hath the parts of the whole world nor is there any thing in the great world which may not really be found in man The Son is like the father in all things the father being known the Son is known also Therefore Man the greatest miracle of Nature most admirable Extract kernell of the four Elements the choycest workmanship of God and most perfect Samplar of the world is truly every Creature for he is all the world and he alone hath this honor to have semblance with all things and operation with all and conuersation with all Yea he riseth to such perfection that he is made the Son of God transformed into the same image which is God and made one with him John 17.11 12.22 23. which is not granted either to Angells or the world or any other Creature but to Man only that he should become the Son of God and be united to God That which is sensible and that which is insensible hath a sydereall spirit or a sydereall body in it But before wee proceed any further it is requisite that wee treat here a little more largly of the Syderyall or invisible man to wit of his Originall and power If Aristotle had taken notice of this Olympick Spirit and Galen made more account of it there had not such errors crept into Philosophy and Physick springing from the heathenish masters of errors to say nothing of Divinity at present Eve is Adam transplanted The first men were created the rest proceed from the Being of the seed or Esence The invisible man or Olimpick Spirit is borne in us after this manner Adam and Eve did not proceed from other parents as we their posterity do but were taken as hath been sayd ex LIMO TERRAE out of the dust of the ground or great world as to the mortall Body which is visible and invisible The Spirit of life is the Spiracle or breathing hole The Spirit of the Limbus is Sydeâ—eall the Animall spirit The body of the Limbus spiracle ought to make one Marriage otherwise there would be an adulâ—eâ—ous and bâ—stardly bâ—ood For as in all thing the marriage or joynting together of two is the perfection so Adultery hindeâ—eth the â—ight of Nature vide Paraceâ—s in Phylâ—sâ—p agâ—â—â— â—â—â—acelsus saith that the Elâ—ment of fire or the Firâ—aemee 〈◊〉 althought it be thâ—â—â—â—st subâ—â—ll and 〈◊〉 thing 〈◊〉 it is a body because bodies are the fruits thereof and without a body such fruit cannot grow So the wind is a body and like a visible body hath power to overturne another body Not onely visible things are bodies for God created as well visible as invisible bodies of the same power The inner Man ascendeth the inward Heaven A particular Consâ—â—llation This Spirit is tha Doctor of true Astronomy For the whole frame of the world is collected and reduced into the Microcosm so that there is nothing to be found in all the world but the same also is in one man The Physicall Elementary visible and Tangible body is from the Earth but the Invisible Insensible Sydereall body which is the house or cottage of the Spirits life is from the Astra's of the Firmament Thus Adam had two bodies that is a visible Elementall and an invisible Sydereall body So that now by propagation there are alwayes two Men born a Corporeall Elementall Visible Man the Organ and Instrument of the invisible and an incorporeall Astralick man which moveth guideth and performeth all skilfull matters For the Astra's now in Man doe by Man alwayes in generation produce those two The visible Elementary body of flesh and blood in the mothers womb out of the four Elements but the invisible Sydereall body that is capable of attaining Phylosophy is from the Astra's of the Firmament For that little world Man is one and the same in all things with his-Parant the great world But as the great world is distinguished by its shell or out-side from the Angelicall world so man the little world is distinguished by his skin or out-side from the great world Hence it is that the Sydereall Internall Olimpick Incorporeall or Gabalis Homo coagulated or curdled Man is the same
with the Firmament of the Astra's as hath been often said like rednesse with wine whitenesse with snow or the lustre of the Sun with the Aire The other part therefore of Man or this sydereall body is called the Genius of man because it proceedeth from the Firmament it is called Penates because it is in our power and born with us the shadow of the visible body Lar domesticus the good or bad houshould or private Angell the Umbratile or shadowy Man the familiar Homuncle or little Man of the Sophies or wise men the Daemon or Genius of Man Paracelsus his internall Adech i. e. that which first inwardly formeth in our mind what we afterward outwardly fashion with our hands the Spectrum ghost or fantasie the Light of Nature the presaging or Propheticall Euestrum that foretelleth any thing by signes in Man It is also called ahe imagination which incloseth all the Astra's and is indeed all the Astra's or Starrs and holdeth the same course Nature and power with heaven Now the Astra's or Stars by which I do not meane the seaven visible coales of Heaven which are but the bodyes of the Astra's but I meane the invisible and insensible body of all things or Astrall Spirit they are nothing else but the verue or powers of the Angells The Angells which live only upon the vision of God are the created wisdome of God Hence it is that he that knowes God he knows the Astra's also He that knowes the Astra's cannot but knowe the world and consequently man the off-spring of the world The eating of the apple produceth this body the sydereall seed into force vigour Astrum Vulcanus and Archaeus are the same thing but one Spirit yet without Reason divers as are the divers formes of severall things The Astra's form bring forth all bodily things out of themselves and multiply themselves together with those bodily things that are brought forth the seeds of any graine or Wheat is the Astrum viz. the invisible body which being cast into the Earth it produceth a visible body and begetteth many other Astra's out of it selfe So is it in other growing and living things But the Astrum is nothing else but the insensible invisible body or living Spirit yet without Reason in things that grow but with reason in living things as in man and is divers according to the forme of divers things Bodyes are nothing else but the Excrement of the Astra's which are brought forth into a bodily Being by their operation This every Astrum can doe of it selfe as by imagination to bring forth of it selfe another Astrum in a body forming it by operation There is no body without an Astrum The Astralick Spirit is every growing thing standeth in need of a corporeall habitation The inner Man is Heaven it selfe or all the Astras Read in Picus how Trimethius put upon himselfe the various Evestra's of the three-fold world one after another transformed himselfe into several shapes and thus by reall Magick he shewed to that great Picus the hidden virtue or power of Man who was created after the image of God We are transformed into that which we most intently gaze and meditate upon The understanding of Man is assimulated to all things The impression of the Imagination from fear terrour griefe is the â—ife of sicknesse and death The Astra's send the plague into us through our skin as the Sun doth his beams thhrough the glasse as there is no Astrum without a visible body And whereas the imagination of Man is not one but all the Astra's it is as true that it produceth not onely one but many operations and although the Imagination be incorporeall and invisible yet being joyned to a heightned the Gate of Wonders the spring and originall of all Magicall operations and hath power to beget and bring forth visible bodies without detriment or diminution of the Astrall and sydereall Spirit and can work any wonderfull operations whatsoever present or absent above the reach of humane Reason The Light of Nature makes bodily things visible but Eternall things are to be seen onely by Faith The child in the mothers womb is strangely marked by the impression of the imagination without any bodily touch What we doe visiby by the body that doe we by Faith after the manner of Spirits Thus the Imagination breedeth the Plague and such like Firmamentall diseases it brings sicknesse and health The Pestilence which comes by fear trouble and terrour riseth by the imagination of the Spirit of the lesser world or of the Sydereall and Animall Spirit which is the mechanick Astrall Spirit in Man as we see in women with childe who give marks and tokens to the young in their womb by the same sydereall Spirit This sydereall Spirit which is born of the Astra's together with Man and therefore remains united to the Astra's is the Load stone and hath a magnetick nature in man As the Earthy Load stone in its body is a spirit and draweth to it selfe so also the body and spirit in Man doe draw unto him by a visible body this is the Load stone of the Microcosm The sydereall body and spirit attract unto them the force of the Astra's as we see in those that are Lunatick in whom the agreement properties and affinities of such magnetick vertues with the Spirit and sydereall body of Man hath with the Astra's are made manifest This fourth kind of Naturall Magick called Gamahaea doth all things invisibly and spiritually by the help of Art which Nature is able to doe visibly and corporally without such help The House is as it were dead but the Inhabitant to wit the Spirit of perpetuall motion of invisible Nature or the magnetick spark of the Soule of the world liveth and worketh effectually All Animall wisdome Wisdome is the begâ—nning of Inchantment the Astra's do those things which Humane wisdom desireth In respect of the Elementatary body it is a Spirit and performeth all spirituall operations Heaven knoweth all things most certainly all actions and events of Men are pictured in the Astra's every living Creature hath its Ascendant signe in Heaven so hath also the Brutâ—sh Man Every Body is proceeded of an invisible incomprehensible subsisting Spirit The 〈◊〉 is a three fold NIHIL or Nothing a Divine Privative and Negative NOTHING the Oâ—gan of the Lâ—ght of Nature or of the Astra's The whole Heaven is nothing else but the Imagination It breedeth the Plague and and Fevers in Mâ—n any bodily instrument workmanship Arts Sciences and the knowledge of all things lie hid in the Astra's of the Firmament There is nothing so hidden in the world which is not praefigured in the Astra's yea all the Astra's of the Firmament which are the Tincture of the speculation of our mind can of their own in-bred or naturall force by imagining produce bodily and visible things out of that which doth not appear as in a clear Heaven a great cloud suddenly
mystery the Quint-Essence which is the true Internall sutable freindly and correspondent Balsom of our bodyes that so at least that quickning essence may be got whose faculty mounts more high and quick being loosed from its chaines and brings forth far greater vertue and more efficacious to then before All Venemous things have a Balsom agreeable to Mans Nature and there is no poysonous Creature but hath in it an Antidote against its own poyson and in its kind is good though it be poyson to Man yet many times is it common food to another Creature Spiders are good for hens and Sparrowes Toads for Serpents Serpents for Staggs and Storks but these Formes of Physick work better when they are extracted then whilst they are drowned in Matter which alwayes hindereth and restraineth the power and operation of the Secret Even the Soule or Form of every kind of thing hath not onely more but more excellent vertues and operations by far than either the very body or the matter of the same thing For as every thing hath its being from the Form by how much the more it hath of the Form by so much the more is there of the Entity And this the very Enemyes of Chymistry are forced to confess being compel'd by their own conscience and convinced thereof by ocular demonstration Hence many advantages follow Reasons why the Spagyrick Physick duely prepared is to be preferd before other Hetroclite mixtures in the shops First Because many sick people will take it more easily and willingly for many sometimes are so unwilling that they had rather dye then drink such a deale of those muddy and pudly potions which spoyl the complexion of a mans body and which the Physitian himselfe that prescribed it and the Apothecary that mingled would abhor and altogether refuse to drink in the like case Secondly Though these medicines be often used yet they hurt not the stomack seeing nothing hindereth but that they may doe their work and quickly both affect the body and be affected by it for being separate in the stomack they are by a naturall force carryed without hinderance to their known lodgings that so the harsh and Earthy parts of them sticking to the inwards might not ulcerate nor make them sickly who take often as it falls out with the common use of vulgar medicines Thirdly Because all the hurtfull quality is altogether cast out of or at least easily kept under in these Essences by the permixture of other most exquisite propertyes And which cannot be denyed this Spagyrick art is so necessary that he can be no safe Physitian who hath it not For many times in one simple thinge there are different substances somtimes of contrary qualityes whereof one may be hurtfull the rest healthfull as we see in Opium and honey which can no otherwise be knowne but by seperation of the substances which cannot be done without this Art By this Art only the Galenists may make good their Axioms who affirm that all bitter things are hot whereas Opium though it be exceeding bitter yet the stupefactive vertue is predominant Roses also and Succory though they be bitter yet are they applyed as coolers The knot of this Answer must be cut with an Anatomicall knife fire for thus we come to understand the temperature of simples by making a seperation of the substances and so we finde that in Opium there is a sweet Narcotick Sulphur and a bitter hot Salt penetrating by a subtile resolution and causing sweat without any stupefactive vertue Poyson reduced to its Arcanum is not poyson but a soveraign nedicine thus the earthy â—lnets are healed of their Leprâ—sie and stinking smells by degestion are turned into sweet savours And which is much to be admired though the poyson of mettalls is most peâ—nâ—â—ious yet may it be so corrected and amended by the help of this Art and of Fire that it may be taken into the whole body without danger as skilfull Physitians well know who can tell how to pick and cull the best things out of the worst this is plaine by the example of Arsâ—eck which being of an unruly malignity yet it is tamed artificially with Salt-Peter by the assistance of Fire Mineralls whose spirits exceed ours in subtilty and precious stones ought to be accounted medicinable which rightly prepared doe much excell all Vegetables in effecting cures First Because so great vertue and strong operations cannot be stampt upon such soft matter as is that of Plants and living things so as to retaine and hold such impression Nor can it be that Vegetables which are obnoxious to corruption should so free Mans body from corruption as the Spirits of perfect mettalls doe which are not subject to corruptions Secondly It is clear that Miniralls and imperfect mettalls are indowed with great medicinable vertues as appeareth in Chyrurgical medicines there being scarce any Oyntment prepared that is not made of an imperfect mettall or minerall Therefore perfect things doubtlesse have received of the Omnipotent far greater force and vertues Thirdly Because Nature which desireth to bring forth living things and Plants fit not for any one action onely but for many vertues and performances could by no means so contemper the mixture of those bodies that they should attaine to such admirable power and admit of the solid and stable Nature of a Balsom Fourthly Because stones require a long time of generation but perfect bodies are generated in a shorter space Nature therefore by length of time can adorn precious stones and other metallary bodies with a greater faculty of working for they are not distracted with the variety of sensible and movable offices Adde also That precious stones are more to be commended then others for their excellent temper and splendor which in the Bohemian Garnat is such that it can hardly be spoyled or corrupted by any force of Fire and that onely because of the fixation of spirits that may be seen in it in which respect it striveth to be as medicinable as Gold and may well be preferd before the Orientall Rubie in Physick which can scarce indure the Fire as many hours as the other can months Gemmes are Elementary Stars This also by the way is to be observed that precious stones have the Colour Forme and Tincture more or lesse from Mettalls by formation of the Stars for they are transplanted Mertalls Rubies and Garnats have the Tincture of Gold Saphirs and Turcoides of Silver Emeralds and Chrysolites of Copper the Jacint and Topaz of Iron the Diamond of Tinne-Saturn addeth a gluish matter to the weight or heavinesse as may be ocularly demonstrated from those factitious and fictitious gemms that are made of the powder of red lead and white flints proportionably mixed receiving a mettallick Forme from Fire And though they are no whit inferiour in splendor to those that are Naturall and genuine yet the skilfull Stone-gravers can easily discerne the cheat and fraud by their softnesse and lightnesse See
things which is calld the Vegetall Spirit by whom our matter of a stone goeth beyond the rest this Spirit is in Animalls and Vegerables as well as in Mineralls and thou are in its Mine Wherein he never a jot differed from Raymund Lully that fearcher into this Magistery of which two I know not whether was the more diligent and studious when he saith that he got his matter out of a mean and worthlesse thing Riplaeus à Portis agreeth with them both Remember that Man is the most noble Creature of all in whom there is the Naturall Mercuriality of the four Elements which Nature hath proportioned which is of little worth and may be got out of its Mine by art Adde Rhasis to Riplaeus as one that doth not altogether dissent from him In his Book of Divinity You may easily saith he perceive that the things of Nature are so coucht together by a subtle artifice that in every thing there is every thing potentially though it doth not actually appear But I forbear to cite more Authors though I might produce a great heap of Phylosophers who confirme these things not by common and outside arguments but by solyd reasons drawn from the inside of things such as would be weighty witnesses and beyond the exceptions of any Sophisters But these things are by the by Moreover The Chymicall way of Subtiliating Extracting and Separating being imperfect was not much used in Galens dayes for they knew not how to separate the bark and husk from the kernell it was altogether unknown to him which yet being ignorant of it he very much desired as may be gathered from his own words when he saith Lib. 1. cap. 19. Whey Butter and Cheese are the three first things of milk for all Terresterity is Salt that he tryed all wayes and means to distinguish the facultyes of simple medicines and discern the hot parts of vineger from the cold if possible he might find out any devise to separate the contrary parts of vineger as well as of milk who in this thing might have obtained his desire if he had been well skild in the Distillatory Art Nor is it any disgrace to Hippocrates or Galen that they knew not these things For God and Nature which is the order and series of Gods works and obey the power word and command of God and borroweth all its vertue and efficacy from him who doe nothing in vaine they doe not bestow upon mankind all things together and at once but doe communicate particular gifts to severall ages nor doe they inrish one man with all but distribute to every one his particular gift Hence it appeareth how contrary the judgement of many now is to the judgement of the Ancients who if they knew not any thing which they heard was known to others though in very far countryes they would run all hazards of sea and land to find it out Doubtlesse if Galen had lived when Paracelsus did he would not have envyed but reverenced his learning nor would he have been ashamed of his Coals but as he was desirous of learning so would he gladly have served Theophraestus for nothing many years if it had been for nothing else but to know how to separate the three first qualities in vineger but especially to learn the preparations of those high Magisteryes and Elixirs neither would he have refufed to blow the coals or temper his stuffe or watch his work he would have undergone any condition so that he might have gained this worthy science nothing regarding the rage of Colerick and Melancolick Philerastian Physitians who have not learned so much as their A. B. C. in the Spagyrick Physick nor know any thing of the Creation and composition of the internall Astrall Man much lesse of the Mechanick Spirits of diseases Yet they blush not rashly and proudly without any conscience of shame purposely passing by meaner persons to raile bitterly upon that never sufficiently commended Paracelsus a thousand-fold more worthy then his adversaries and the immortall glory of Germany who had the absolute knowledge of all Divine and Humane sciences beyond what will be believed of him whom these men fear not to call a circumforaneous or rambling rayler one that was no Phylosopher at all and malitiously though with lost labour to load him whom they understand not to their own disgrace with viperous hatred they accuse his course of life aggravating his humane fraylties and so very unadvisedly enact an unjust law against themselves We have all our faylings happy is he that hath least they see not that part of the wallet which is behind them as though they themselves were not men that are or have been or yet may be guilty of the same if not greater vices which so eagerly inveigh against thus we quickly espie our brothers mote but cannot see our own beams I wish the ambitious Physitians of that time who robbed others of their due praise who cast a Serpents eye upon Theophrastus could according to his command who is the End of all Humane actions and Physick viz. that we should love the Best and Greatest God and all our neighbours as our selves have indured that rising Sun without gazing on his clouds have spoken of him more soberly according to his dignity and desert his human imperfections which none will excuse they should have born with the like tendernes of compassion where with they pardon Galens impiety who scoffed at the doctrin of Moses Christ In his second Book of the difference of Pulses Doubtles he would have more clearly have manifested to thankful posterity his Secrets which God disclosed to him and written more plainly and perfectly of Preparations nor would the present Spagyrick Profession to their great trouble and griefe have had experience of the wicked and cursed ingratitude of some of his time by being againe put to seek out the certainty and truth of that which Theophrastus discoursed and writ of and to long for the true Preparations in the practicall proceeding Thence it comes to passe See Paracelsus in Paragr that there are so few to be found who have the true medicines prepared according to Theophrastus his minde of which he treateth at large in his Books for they require solutions mortifications cohibitions resuscitations c. truly Phylosophycall which cannot be understood without true Physick A Physitian must be an Astronomer otherwise Paracelsus saith that his Physick is but imposture and a cheat Therefore many with Icarus are drowned in a great Sea Astronomy and Chymistry nor are they compleated in a short time but with much tediousnesse to Phylosophists who are impatient of delay But truly I think this wicked generation is not worthy of such medicines For God usually in his just Judgement for the sins of the world and the great ingratitude of it with-holdeth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mighty and marvellous works from unworthy Men He will never suffer those Secrets to be known especially in
Spring which brake out this yeare in the coasts of Misnia and Bohemia unto which almost an incredible number of sick and weake people dayly resort For which there can be no other reason given but the constant excessive affection of them that use it which power is in the very soul of him that takes the medicine when without any feare or sinister imaginations it is carryed to some great excesse of its desire For the rational soul rouzed up and inflamed with a vehement imagination overcometh even Nature it selfe and by her strong affections renueth many things in her own body and causeth sicknesse or health not only in her own body but in others also He that falls mad by the biting of a mad dogg will have the shape of doggs appearing in his urine Thus the lust and longing of a pregnant woman worketh upon another body when through oblivion of her selfe she imprints the marke of the thing longed for upon the child in her womb as saffron coloureth water For by her Imagination she formeth the infant as a Potter doth the clay Fear trembling and appetite are the chiefe cause of the fancy estimation and imagination of women with child Therefore when she begins to imagine There are impressions of the inferior 〈◊〉 Astrâ—â—â— then the Astra's of the microcosmicall Firmament or the Astra's of the humane Mind are moved with the phantâ—cy estimation and imagination just as the externall Astra's of the microcosmicall Firmament where the Astra's ascend and descend every moment till the impression be made in which impression the Astra's of the Imagination of the great bellied women doe print an Influence and impression upon the child as Engravers mark their work with an iron stamp Therefore it is better the body be sick than the soul good words are the Physitians of a sick Soul In lib. de Anima The body is corrupted by the passions of the Soulâ— the mind is nor impassible of the â—â—â—tions of the body This Naturaâ—â— Faith 〈◊〉 the Wiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Creator bestowed upon thâ— Creature thaâ— was made after his likenesse although it can do all things yet ought it to keep and observe the property of the Image All things are possible to him that believeth and is willing All things are impossible to the unbeliever and rebellious as he thinketh and imagineâ—h the thing to be so it must be Unbeliefe is the greatest and most powerfull enemy of Faith For the Imagination joyned with Faith can do all things The Fares also make diseases incurable when we perceive by the deny all of such help which we expected from the ministring of fiâ— medicines Thus it is manifest that the affections of Mind when tâ—ey are most vehement are able to deprive of Life as in histories we read And this is well known to every man that many through overmuch joy or too much sorrow by too much love or hatred have dyed and many times by the like passions have been cured of long diseases because as Avicen saith Nature obeyeth the cogitations and vehement desires of the Soul and when the spirit is affected the body in which the spirit lies hid is affected also Againe the aforesaid Naturall Faith its efficacy manifested it selfe in the woman that had the bloody issue and in the Centurion Man who was created after the likenesse and image of God and savouring as it were of a Celestiall Majesty hath great things in his hands and power Gen. 32.25 26. It is well known to all what great matters a constant Credulity in an elevated or raised Mind can doe by a strong imagination even so great that in false intense opinions and operations it worketh miracles But haesitation of Credulity and diffidence doe not onely shatter and break the vertue or force of the operating mind which is the mean between both extreams but do also weaken every work as well in Superstition as in true Religion and enervate the desired effect even of the most powerfull Experiments And that which is here diligently to be observed Mar. 13.58 Marke 6.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Saviour as Holy Writ saith was not able to work miracles in Capernaum because they believed not but with their incredulity and false faith resisted him For as man can done nothing without God Mat. 9.1 2. so likewise God will doe nothing without Man as his Organ or Instument God and the Creature both together neither without the other Therefore no Man ought to will without God because no Man can Be without God in whom we are and live and are moved Eightly Least the sick party recovering should commit greater sins against God his neighbor and himselfe to the losse of his Soul for every sicknesse is as it were an expiation or propitiatory of sacrifice either the just Judge by this Divine innate revenge pennance and scourge doth call him to amendment of life for the time to come or that by this Fatherly visitation and imposition of the crosse which he ought patiently to indure he may be a pattern to himsefe and his neighbour for the more fervent Fear and Worship of God for God many times permitteth some men to fall into many and great sicknesses whose minds have been greivously infected distempered by the gladsome and pleasant health of the flesh together with the continuation of their sins to the losse of their Eternall health For health is nothing worth seeing it is but condemnation to us if our sins be not forgiven Moreover sins weaken the powers of the Soul and make it impotent to the Naturall Government of the body Therefore the powers of the body are enfeebled and hasten to death Job 33.19 20 Or else the sick is held under this yoke and bridle of infirmity as by a wholsome Purgatory though few are reformed by their sicknesse to the duty of Piety at least whilst that loose licentiousness of sinning is lopt and cut off which he would abuse if he should live and be well any longer In these diseases that arise from the resisting Astrall impression and wrath of God A Physitian beginneth in appeasing Gods wrath Job 33.26 no Corporall medicine because God hath shut the doors of Nature can do any good but onely Celestiall and spirituall viz. by serious repentance heartily to bewaile the sins that we have committed to allay the provoked wrath of God by Amendment of life and Reconciliation to our neighbor to be reconciled to God through our Saviour the Celestiall Physitian of our Soules and to submit our Will to the most righteous pleasure of the Divine Will devoutly patiently and humbly in all things with a most assured perticipation of Divine Mercy Paracelsus calleth them Deal diseases which are from the Ens of God who inflicteth all such diseases and who alone worketh by good and bad men the Cure saith he is by Faith or when the purging is perfected the Physitian may then try his skill The Causes of those diseases that
should move the Intelligence or Soule of the Artist to a true Understanding that he may open to him what is hid in the magistery of this Art Blessed will he be to whom the Lord God shall be pleased to inspire the Gifts of his Grace For it is the Lord of Heaven who knoweth the heart of those in whom he would use the form measure Notwithstanding we see men somtimes offend not onely against God by their ingratitude but also against their undeserving neighbour by strange devices not becoming an Aedpt Phylosopher with which some eminent men heretofore and two publick Phylosophers of divers Nations in our time abusing the Gifts of God against those most horrid Anathema's of Phylosophers afterward as doubtlesse every man according to his dexterity which the sydereall spirit causeth and exciteth is the forger of his own fortune they came to dolefull and lamentable end to the perpetuall reproach of their Name answerable to the unworthy publishing of this most True Phylosophicall Art miserably wasted and restrained by the Wrath of GOD the Righteous Revenger as well for their arrogant pride punishment and repentance accompanying their provoking loquacity as also for their cheating Impostures of the first Hapocraticall silence The originall of the Philosophicall Magistery Most doe otherwise now who make thir boast among others that they have the clear knowledge of it when it is only but imaginary and so hinder themselves by their credulity and perswasion so that they cannot profit or proceed to learn any more which they did by turns to cloak the matter for their safety Those more ancient and skilfull Phylosophers who were born in a happy signe the children of Hermes who first found out the science among whom nothing was more ancient than Truth nothing more filthy and abominable than falshood and deceit and who have even judged it a thing more safely worth their labor to have it indeed without the witnesse of a sottish ignorant multitude then seeme or be supposed onely to have it who also have endeavoured to leave behind them an unspotted memory to posterity not as many too credulous imagine that being deceived with their own vaine imaginations they would deceive others in like manner which is not the property of an honest man In the first age of the world God made it known by the Light of Nature I say these private not publick Secretaries of Nature who have in the Naturall Light fresh and flourishing in them followed Reason the best guide according to the ability God gave them all of them with greatest attention both of body and mind pressing chiefly to one and the same end and scope of Virtue accounting nothing more glorious than that they might peaceably rejoyce prudently and in Quiet Silence with a Mind truly Sound in a Sound Body according to the Fear of God and Love of their Neighbour This is Phylosophy Adept which Paracelsus in the Tincture of Physicks explaineth them to be Long Life and free from all infirmity even till the Naturall death and an honest support of that long life in this vale of miseries that we might serve God without poverty and prejudice of our Neighbour Though there may be many hunting after this happinesse with a kind of great and continued greedinesse of mind yet have been perswaded that they should never attaine the same either by other means or any Arts but by a wonderfull and most abstruse comprehending of all the vertues of the whole Creation flowing and running together in one certaine masse in this Rode or Kings Highway and Phylosophical Reason is to be accomplished The defect of Nature must be supplyed by the industry of Art seeing Nature with her off-spring alway tendeth unto laboureth breatheth after their perfection Prov. 3.16 All these spirituall virtues and active qualities being by great help of ingenuity and Art like the lesser world heaped up together and concentred into one masse as united force is stronger dispersed besides a kind of sweetest and admirable illustration of the Mind for the Light of Nature is glittering in the Darknesse of the world as also the knowledge of all Naturall things and Heavenly seerets and a perfect operation yea they have even miraculously use of this choycest and admirable Magisterie together with a flowing plenty and Abundance of all Things Of which the Phylosophers our predecessors that have been train'd up in Hermes school They durst not under paine of Anathema to speak of it but in a picture of Aenigmaticall words because the Master of Nature gave them not leave lest they should indanger themselves and give an occasion to others of a wicked hurtfull study or practice Prov. 10.10 It exciteth motion in our bodies and reviveth the Elements now the Elements are excited unto their acting for the Naturall life is nothing else but the actings of the Elements though they have been altogether dumb in keeping close the secret of the Art by a constant Taciturnity knowing to what dangers the searchers out of difficult Arts and the publick Secretaries of Nature are obnoxious that full of despaire concerning their safety and peace they have been compelled to deny the same yet usually give this Reason because the greatest Medicine being artificially prepared with the help of wise Nature the Mistresse of Science should be or is the Life and inlightning Light and that which quickneth or maketh alive our Balsom that is the spirit or celestiall not visible vapour of life it may be the Essence of our Life the Fift Essence compounded of the four Elements in which are all the Elements actually and all their arts with greatest agreement made equall with true equation according to all possibility of Nature and bound together with a golden chaine without any contrariety But all things are aggregated in so subtile a Matter and a Form so subtile and so near to simplicity in a respective manner in the curing of diseases and the metamorphosis of Mettalls like as in Lightning and the eye of a Basilisk as is manifest by Experience This is so in respect of the four qualities of the body as the Heaven is incorruptible in respect of the four Elements The most High created this Fift Essence as the root of life in Nature for the preservation of the four qualities of the Humane body The life of natural things is the Union of the Ideall Light as also with the Ideall of Heaven and Earth as he did the Heaven for the preservation of the universe The celestiall Fire that burneth not is the soul and life of all Creatures the subject in which besides the force and operations of the Elements even all the celestiall virtues of the Firmament as well of the Fixed Stars as of the Planets are infused and imprinted after an invisible manner for the Influences of all celestiall bodies which are communicated to the sublunary to every one in particular these are concentred in this one The Theater of
the secrets of all Natur 's Light By this Art the knowledge of almost all things and in this Stone the universal Nature of things shineth forth The Tincture is the Fife Essence of the Microcosm and comes vâ—ry near to the first and most perfect Being and that Cabalisticall unary number Paracelsus calleth it the perfect perpetuall Câ—tholâ—ck Balsom of Physitians or Phylosophers the Defensive of old age the Universall medicament which like the invisible Fire consumeth all diseases the Glasse of God's Mysteries and the Miracle of universall Nature the Fift Essence of the whole frame of the world and the whole world Regenerated wherein the Treasure of all Nature lyeth Subject and Instrument of all Naturall and Transnaturall Virtues the Son of the Sun and Moon who by his ascending into Heaven and descending into the Earth hath obtained all power of superior and inferior things the Habitation of all metallick minerall and vegetable Forms which God created under the Globe of the Moon yea that it is truly the spirit of Life which pierceth through all other spirits Those Ancients who had most perfect knowledge of Things have called this Fist Essence the middle nature of Soules and is altogether one and the same with the spirit of our body the bond between the Body and Soul wherewith that super-celestiall thing is delighted and retained that it fly not from its bodily prison for that peace may be made between those enemies the Soul and Body there is need of the Balsom of life as a means to be sought from Externalls by which the internall is restored to retaine or sustaine the Fire of a long life without which fuell it goeth out of the body as a flame from the lamp-wick for want of oyle it is the most simple Matter which the Best and Greatest Lord generated out of the spirit of this world for the restauration and preservation of Humane Nature which hath been altogether unknown to the Physitians of our time For it never came into their Schools who goe not into the Temple of Apollo through the right door but break through the Roofe and sit in his seat as the Scribes and Pharisees heretofore in Moses chair And while they hold the keys of Sciences in unrighteous captivity they bring to passe nothing with their decrees and ordinances but like false Teachers they themselves enter not into the Academy of Nature and others who desire to enter in a right way they hinder in their laudable course by their pernicious dehortations so that they never come to the knowledge of the Truth and are forced to be ignorant where it may be But because the true originall of all corporall diseases in the judgement of the best Physitians is the enormity of the Naturall proportion of the Three First or as common Physitians say the disorder and ill disposition of the four Elements or Humors of which the Humane compounded body is sick or well this foresaid Medicine which is in it selfe the matter of our Creation may be congeneous and uniform to the substance consisting in equality When the purified Elements are reduced to a pure and equall simplicity then is got the Medicine that prolongeth life because thus the Elements are equall for the inequality and dominion of one over another is it that breedeth diseases the most subtile Soul separate from dregs and as it were the simple substance of the Elements the Fift Essence or Fift Virtue resulting from the purer Essence of the four Elements purified incorruptible is compared to Heaven nor doth it admit any malignant spirit but they all fly from it And because it is obnoxious as little as little may be to a Tempred corruption or putrefaction therefore it expelleth as much as is possible by Nature all accidentall corruptibility from which any sicknesse or weaknesse may arise and restoreth the inward vigour throughout all the members and by reconciliation cureth againe the diseases that hapned by the exaltation of the Three Principles Mans health consisteth in the agreement and union of the Three First Substances Health consisteth in a Temperate body but when they are exalted and set on fire by the Stars the intestine wars follow And because the Three First Substances of diseases are valitile Let it not seem strange to any that the sole act of one Thing should be variously diversified not as to it selfe but accordâ—ng to the Nature of that which receiveth it as the celestiall Sun hardneth the Clay and softneth the Wax they give place to the Essence of Fire which consumeth the disease and separateth the pure from the impure Moreover that Fift Essence of the Human Body bindeth the Elements or Humors in Peace and Harmonicall league and reduceth to the true Temperament by making equall the unequall and strengthneth the naturall heat and substantificall moysture it keepeth the oyle and spark of Life in an equality by its celestiall vigor for so long as the Radicall Humor the Vitall Balsom and most precious Nectar of our Life abideth in its quantity we are not sensible of any disease for the strengthning power of the Human body and of Animalls proceedeth from the spirit of Life and restoreth the sick to health and a good temper it holdeth its Nature in her Being and preserveth the Nectar of our Life in a good and laudable Temperament and so will keep the predisposed or fore-qualified Man safe and sound from sicknesse with the comelinesse of youth for the time of his continuance which is the age of Beauty and Human Fortitude even to his Naturall death that is to that Terme of Life which the Omnipotent God hath appointed to Man for disobedience as well that of every one as that of our first Parent I say such a man who shall use it prudently and seasonably with a devout calling upon the Name of the Lord if the constitution of the body and its complexion be not extreamly waâ—â—ed Therefore in this Fift Essence and Spirituall Medicine which hath the Nature and Heat of Heaven not of our mortall and corruptible it is possible to find out the True Fonntaine of Physick the Conservation of Life the Restitution of health the Renovation of lost youth and the desired clear health and to speak Naturally there is no Balsamick Medicine in all the world better than this true Triacle of Phylosophers which like the Elixir of life is the superlative and last consolation of Mans body preserving all activities in the Humane Nature and restoring the diminished power through the defect of Nature For in every kind there is a certaine One that holdeth the first degree in that kind therefore because this Medicine is made of the more incorruptible and efficacious Matter that can be under Heaven that is the Soule or Spirit of the world which hath in it the force of all Celestiall and Terrestriall things The Heat of the Sun and Moon is that Naturall Heat whereby every thing is digested for the
great mystery yet n = * or They were ordain'd from the beginning are they ordained by the Eternall for judgement both to themselves and us TEXT 2. Now if it were necessary that all things that were made should consist of and proceed from four only The four Elements are the mothers of all things as by the seperation we know it was those four only must be the matrixes of all the creatnres which we call the Elements And though evere creature be yet an Element or may have some share of the Element yet it is not like the Element but like the Spirit of the Element Nothing can subsist without an Element Nor can the Elements themselves stand together There is not any thing that consisteth either in four three or two Elements but one Element standeth by it selfe apart and every creature hath but own element They are altogether blind who take that which is Moyst for the Element of Water or that which burneth for the Element of fire We must not limit an Element to a body substance or quality What an Element is That which we see is only the snbject or receptacle The Element is a Spirit of lives and grows in those things as the soul in the body This is the first matter of the Elements that can neither be seen nor felt and yet is in all things What the first matter of an Element is The sttst matter of the Elements is nothing else but that life which the creatures have If any dye that subsisteth no more in any Element but in the ultimate matter wherein is no tast force or vertue TEXT 3. All things consist of the four Elements Whereas althings that could be created were made of foure mothers viz. the four Elements Take notice further that those four Elements were fufficient for al things that were to be created nor was it requisite that there should be more or lesse In things mortall there can no more but four natures subsist But in things immortall the temperaments may subsist though the Elements cannot Whatever is as I call it an elementure that may be dissolved Wherein the Element differeth from the temperament But on the contrary the temperature cannot be dissolved For such is the condition thereof that nothing can be added thereto or taken from it nothing thereof can putrifie or perish And seing that condition is mortal as hath been said we must know that all things do subsist in four natures and that every nature retains the name of its Element As the Element of fire is hot The names of the four Elements the Element of earth cold the Element of water is moyst the element of aire dry Where we must as well consider that every of the said natures is peculiarly such a one by it selfe apart For fire is onely hot and not dry nor moyst The earth is onely cold not dry nor moyst The water is onely moyst not hot nor cold The aire is onely dry not hot nor cold And therefore are they called Elements The nature of the Elements is simple having onely one simple not a double nature But their manifestation through all the creatures must be understood as an Element that may subsist with a substance and body and can there work The highest knowledge concerning the Elements is this that every one of them hath but one onely simple nature either moyst or dry or cold or hot Which is from the condition of spirits For every Spirit hath a simple The elements and simple Spirits not a double nature and so have the Elements too TEXT 4. Though we mortalls have compounds in us as hot and moyst yet far otherwise then the Ancients imagined The Colick whence it is For the Colick is of the Element of fire yet not compounded of hornesse and drynesse but is onely hot And so the other complexions Therefore if we find any disease mixt with heat and drought we may suppose that two Elements are there one in the liver another in the spleen and so in the other members There are not two Elements in one member For certaine it is that every member hath a peculiar element which we leave to Physitians to define But this cannot well be affirmed that two elements should consist both together or that one and the same element should be both hot and moyst Nor can there be any such compound There are no compounded Elements for the reason before given Where there is heat there is neither cold nor drought nor moysture So where there is coldnesse there is none of all the rest The same may be said of moysture and drynesse Every Element is simple and solitary by it selfe The Elements are not mixt not mixt in composition The possibility which Philosophers talk of concerning a conjuction of the Elements is as much as comes to nothing For no Element of water hath any heat in it Nor can there be any heat in moysture Every Element is alone by it self So also cold cannot of it self indure driness It subsisteth pure by it self And thus much be spoken to be understood of the proper essence of the Elements All drynesse is a dissolution of cold As moysture and dryness cannot be mixt so much lesse can coldnesse and dryness or moysture or heat and drynesse close or consist together For as heat and cold are contrary things so heat and cold have a contrariety against moyst and dry TEXT 5. Because all things are constituted of the four Elements therefore to goe about to prove that those Elements must necessarily be mixt together is very erroneous For every mixture is a composition Therefore they cannot be a Mysterie because they are compounded Every mysterie is simple and one onely Element Now the difference betwixt the elements and compounds is this How an Element compounds differ An element and so may a mysterie too can generate n = * Divertallum something else out of it A compound can generate nothing but what is like it selfe as men beget men But a mysterie doth not produce a mysterie like it selfe but a contrary thing as a divertallum The element of fire is the generatrix of the Stars What fire is and doth Planets and the whole Firmament yet neither of them is mede and form'd like this The element of water made water which is altogether contrary to the Element of water for that of it selfe is not so moyst as the element of water The Element of water soâ—tneth mettalls and stones The very element it selfe of water hath such moysture that will soften stones and hard mettalls The substantiall water taketh away that excellent vertue of mollifying that its power is not perfect The element of aire is so dry that it can dry up all waters in a moment The Element of aire dryeth most scorchingly But that force is taken away and broken by the substantiall aire The element of earth is so cold that it would
the body but by the life TEXT 5. Again we are as well to understand how every thing receiveth its essence This cannot more fitly be compared to any thing than to fire which we strike out of a hard flint flaming and burning contrary to all naturall knowledge As that hidden fire breaks forth and burneth in the same manner and form is the essence brought into its nature Here consider that in the beginning there was but one thing without any inclination and form from which afterwards all things came forth An example from colours to explain the Great Mystery That rise or originall was no other but as a temperate colour suppose purple having no inclination in it to any other colour but plainly to be seen in its just temperature Yet in it are all colours The red green azure yellow white black colour cannot be separated from it And every one of these colours have many dark colours come from them yet every one throughly and rightly tinctured by it selfe And though various and contrary colours lie hid in them yet all are hid under one After the same manner every thing had its essence in the great mystery which afterward the supream workmaster separated Chrystall will strike fire not from a fiery nature Chrystal hath all the Elements in it but from solidity and hardnesse This also hath the other Elements in it not essentially but materially viz. the burning fire the breathing aire the moystning water And colour too the black and dry earth Besides all these it hath all colours but hidden in it in the mixture of their qualities as fire in steel which discovereth it selfe neither by burning nor shining nor casting any colour In this respect all colours and all the Elements are in every thing If any be desirous to know how allthings should thus come and penetrate into all things he must believe that all this came to passe and was exactly and accurately ordered by that onely one who is the former and Architect of all things TEXT 6. Invisible things are made visible by bodies Although nature as we have said be invisibly in bodies and substances that invisibility comes to a visibility by means of those bodies As is the essence of every so is it visibly seen in vertues and colours Invisible bodies have no other but this kind of bodily consideration Therefore observe that invisible things have all the Elements in them and do operate in every Element They can send the fire and vertue of their Element out of themselves they can send forth aire as a man doth his breath also water as a man doth urine they have the nature of earth too and came from the earth Take it thus the liquor or moysture of the earth doth boyle dayly and sendeth an high that subtill spirit which it had out of it selfe Hereby invisible things and the Firmament it selfe are nourished How the Firmament and things invisible are nonrished which without a vapour cannot be Things incorporeall can no more live without meat and drink than corporeall things Therefore stones grow out of the earth but from a spirit like their own nature Every stone draweth its own spirit to it selfe Whence fiery Dragons and Ghosts are From such like proceed Ghosts and fiery Dragons and many more If then invisible things as well as visible be conversant in their essence it is from the nature of the great mystery as wood is set on fire by a candle or taper which loseth or wasteth nothing thereby And though it be not corporeall yet it must have that which is corporeall to preserve it selfe alive Things invisible are sustained by visible things to wit wood Likewise all invisible things must be sustain'd nourished and increased by something visible With which also at last they shall perish and come to an end all alike yet neverthelesse still keeping their operation and activity in them without losse or damage of other things except there be an effusion of those corporeall and visible things Although that be done by the invisible and found out or known in the visible c. The rest for doubtlesse the Author wrote more are not to be found READER WHat I have done in the Version of these two singularly eminent men Paracelsus and Crollius hath been rather as a Translator than an Interpreter that the Authors sence more than mine might be searched out Although the translation be not so elegant and significant as the originall yet if my judgement faile not the matter is preserved intire and sound In both Tracts thou wilt meet with some uncouth and unusuall words which for thy better understanding who art not acquainted with such language I have here alphabetically explain'd as followeth A ADECH is our inward and invisible man which first shapeth those things in the mind that afterward are done with the hands Arcana secrets or mysteries Arcanum a secret or accordiâ—g to Parac the hidden incorporeall vertue in naturall things Archaltes the prop or pâ—â—lars of the earth Archeus the chiefe exalâ—â—d invisible spirit the occult virtue artificer Physitian of nature in every one Astra Stars also the force and virtue of things by preparations Bisemutum the palest or worst sort of lead it is Tin-glasse C Cabala that most secret knowledge which the Hebrew Rabbins say was given by God with the Law of Moses Caleruth a note or signe of the desire when a thing tendeth to its first matter and would returne whence it came Cobaltum a stone whereof matter is made behoofull to Medicine It is a Minerall D Derses a secret vapour of the earth whence wood groweth Diameae spirits living among stones and rocks Divertâ—ilum the generation that is from the Elements Dramae Duelech a kind of tartar in mans body a spongy stone very precious Durdales spirits that have bodies and live among trees E Enur the occult vapour of water from which stones are bred Evestrum is that perpetuall thing of the Firmament in the Elemementary world it is taken for a Propheticall spirit foretelling things to come by precedent signes and tokens to Evestrate is to speak by that spirit F Flagae spirits that know the secret and hidden things of men G Gabalum Gebalum a thing repair'd restor'd or curdled Gabalis homo such a man Gamahaea is when a living thing is affected or wrought upon by its figure as when a Pigeon is cast dead from the top of the house onely by thrusting a pin through the picture of it on paper Gnomes Gnomi are little men dwarfs or rather spirits with bodies living under the earth Pigmies scarce halfe a foot high Gonetick H Hilech astrum medicinae or the spirit hid in medicine I Iliaster the first matter of all things consisting of salt sulphur and mercury generally it is taken for the occult virtue of nature by which all things increase grow multiply and are nourished Vid. Lex Chym. L Leffa Leffas is the juyce of the earth newly drawn into the root of the vegetables by which they grow Lemores Lemures are the spirits of the element of water not the shapes and ghosts of dead men as the heathen imagined Limboan alias Lymbus is the first matter or seed of the world or all things in it Lorind is the moving of the waters with a musicall noyse and is a signe of some change at hand M Marcasita the raw or unripe matter of mettalls Mechili Melosinae despairing women now living in a phanstaticall bruitish body nourished by the Elements into which at last they shall be changed unles they chance to marry with a man Vid. Lex Chym. Montans N Nesder Neuferani spirits living in the aire P Penates spirits of heaven and the element of sire Pyrotechney the Art of preparing or working things by fire R Relollaceus Relolleum is the vertue from the complexion there is a three fold Relolleum of which see Lexicon Chymicum S Samies Spagyrick that separateth the false from the true the impure from the pure Stannar is the mother of mettalls a secret fume of which mettals aremade Sylphs are pigmies or dwarfs Sylvesters airy men airy spirits living in woods and groves Syrenes sea-monsters bred of the Nymphs T Talcum a bright clear matter of which oyle of Talk is made there are four sorts of Talck of which see Lex Chym. Trarames the actions of the spirits and ghosts of dead men heard but not seen Tronum caelestiall dew made of the aire Truphat the occult vertue of mineralls preferring every mettall Tura Turban an innumerable multitude of Stars in the firmament of heaven also a presage from all things which the fourfold inferiour world of the elements containeth V Vmbratiles bodies once rotted and after made visible againe by the Stars by a magicall vertue Vndenae airy men and earthly spirits W Woarchadumie Z Zonnets fantasticall bodies of the Gnomes Zundell somes in English tinder FINIS