Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	kindness_n	knowledge_n	temperance_n	5,109	5	12.2225	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90641	Philadelphia, or, Brotherly love to the studious in the hermetick art. Wherein is discovered the principles of hermetick philosophy, with much candor and plainness. / Written by Eyreneus Philoctetes.	Philoctetes, Eyreneus.; Starkey, George, d. 1666.	1694 (1694)	Wing P1982A; ESTC R204402	19,199	104

there are steps to knowledge so likewise there are steps beyond it as the Holy ManDivinely sets forth and admonisheth that Faith and Virtue precede Knowledge then to add to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity O happy Attainment O Divine Chain of Perfection Therefore we must say with the Inspired Apostle That altho' we should understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and had not Charity it would availe nothing Farr hence therefore ye ungodly ye prophane and Covetous for neither these Divine nor Natural Mysteries are your Portion But for the Virtuous Prudent and well Accomplished Students and Lovers of Chymical Philosophy I have written this short Tract in Brotherly Love not indeed by way of Invitation to the Art tho' its truth and excellency would warrant it there being too many rashly Concerned therein already but to Instruct those rightly seeking and also if possible to prevent all from attempting to effect our Magestery by fruitless and vain Operations by which they not only bring Disgrace to the Art but Poverty to themselves And I may assure the Ingenious that it is the very desire of those that have obtained a reward of their Labour and study to be helpful But I hope such are not ignorant of the Difficulty of the Task for as nothing Gratifies us more then being understood in our own Philosophical Sence so nothing is more regretting then the thoughts of Introducing wicked and blocking Men. Hence is required a peculiar Method in Writing that we may Instruct the one and conceal from the other and indeed many weighty Reasons perswades us to perform the Latter with what skill we can Yet considering that we necessarily must for the Instruction of Tyroes Candidly Write the Truth and that every Treatise when published is lyable to be perused by all we conclude therefore on good Grounds that the Event is more owing to Providence then our Cunning. But indeed the Writings of the Envious together with those of the Ignorant which are not a few have proved a sufficient Bulwark against the rash and confident Approachers and they have also yielded an occasion and opportunity to the more Candid and Knowing to Write the more plain and Familiar And indeed the first Care of a Tyro ought to be the Distinguishing of Writers that he may not only shun the false but envious and Converse with those only that are knowing and Candid And therefore for the Instruction of those that are not capable to make a true distinction between the true false Writings it being indeed difficult for Tyroes for they have Written equal in their Promises both of their Candor and the Readers Reward or rather the latter have excelled I shall recommend the more Candid as well as knowing Masters in this Science with advice to the Studious they need not doubt their Sufficiency to Instruct them in all things necessary without consulting any others tho'true ones by which they may not only shun the false but envious Writings I dare affirm there is nothing more tends to to bring the Searchers of this Art to the knowledge thereof then only to read Candid and knowing Authors nor nothing more confounding than the reading true and false Books with equal Credit I shall therefore recommend the Writings of Hermes Artesius Flammel Riply Trevesan Sendivogius the Author of the Hermetick Secrets which are all Candid Authors and to shorten the reckoning all others that are quoted by these But above any I must recommend one of our Moderns who stiles himself Eironaeus Philalethes Cosmopolita whose Writings are the best Piece of Chymical Philosophy extant and indeed has performed that for the Lovers of Art that Challenges the Garland of Praise from all others for whereas he with many more were fain to acquire the knowledge of the Secret of the Philosophers Magnes from one of their Magical Chalibs from another the use of Diana's Doves from a third the Air or rather Chamelian of the Philosophers from another the gross Preparation of their Menstruum in another the number of Eagles in another all which together with Internal Fires and Proportions secret and Manual operation with their Circumstances he has Philosophically and Methodically taught with more Candor and freedom then those before him Let Tyroes therefore rely upon this the Authors mentioned are abundantly sufficient others may be read to confirm the studious but such that cannot conceive the truth from these would never from all others they can read reap the Knowledge of our Secrets And for the Instruction of the Studious I will Inform them what is requisite to be known in the reading these Authors mentioned and what must be acquired before they conclude they are understood For it is not sufficient if a word or two in one and another seem to harmonize and all the rest seem superfluous and of no value no have no such mean thoughts of the knowing Adepts as tho' either their Subjects were so mean or they so Barren I can assure you their Writings abound with requisite Matter and Concurring Truths and unless they are so read and understood as an Egg is eaten viz. throwing away only the shell which is a small proportion they are not comprehended nor understood aright notwithstanding any Conceit to the Contrary Therefore till they are thus understood go not to practice any Theory with expectation of Success In order therefore to a right understanding I shall lay a sound Foundation for the studious Tyroes and whosoever Builds thereon according to Art shall find it sure and the foundation of all Philosophers Nature therefore forbidding all Generation and Multiplication of Species out of kind let none foolishly endeavour to effect it for as in it self it is impossible so also it is against that unanimous admonition of all Philosophers apply all things to the possibility of Nature Know therefore the Generation and Multiplication of all things is effected no other way than by their own Seeds and proper Matters not from the Commixtion of four Elements as some fondly Imagine The Seed of Animals Resteth in their Reins the Seeds of Vegitables are produced into the Air the Seed of Metals resteth in their Profundity but is only to be found in the Perfect for untill any thing bearing Seed be come to a degree of Perfection it cannot emit its Seed as is seen in an Aple or Pear if pluckt from the Tree before its time it cannot yield Seed likewise the same is known in Humane Youth no more can imperfect or unripe Metalls tho'as in the other the potentiality truly exist How foolish then do many act who not only forsake the perfect which alone can yield seed but even seek a Metaline seed from an Animal or Vegitable O Gross Ignorance exceeding the Vulgar who never expect Wheat without the Seed of Wheat nor a Horse but by a Horse Leave off therefore you foolish and vain Operators seeing the meanest Capacity is