Introduction Tincture


Because I have at this present undertaken to write of the of the first

Tincture, the Root of Metals and Minerals, and to inform you of the

Spiritual Essence, how the Metals and Minerals are at first spiritually

conceived and born corporally; it will be necessary first of all to

utter, and to acquaint you by a speech, that all things consist of two

parts, that is, Natural and Supernatural; what is visible, tangible, and

hath form or shape, that is natural; but what is intactible, without

form, and spiritual, that is supernatural, and must be apprehended and

conceived by Faith; such is the Creation, and especially the Eternity of

God without end, immensible and incomprehensible; for Nature cannot

conceive nor apprehend it by its humane reason: This is supernatural,

what Reason cannot apprehend, but must be conceived by Faith, this is a

Divine matter, and belongs to Theology, which judgeth Souls. Moreover,

there appertains to supernatural things, the Angels of the Lord, having

clarified Bodies, doing that by the permission of their Creator, which

is impossible for any other Creature to do, their Works being concealed

from the Eyes of the World, and so likewise are the Works of the

Infernal Spirits and Devils unknown, which they do by the permission of

the most High God. But above all the great Works of God are found and

acknowledged to be supernatural, not to be scann'd and comprehended by

Humane Imaginations; such is in especial the great Grace and Mercy of

God which he bestows upon Mankind out of his great Love, which indeed no

man can apprehend or know, and other great and wonderful works which he

hath manifested divers manner of wayes by Christ our Saviour and

Redeemer, for the confirmation of his Omnipotence and Glory: As when he

raised Lazarus from the dead, Jairus his Daughter, the Ruler of the

Synagogue, and the Widows Son of Naim. He made the Dumb to speak, the

Deaf to hear, and the Blind to see, all which are supernatural, and

Magnalia Dei; so also was his Conception, Resurrection, Descension,

and Ascension into Heaven, too deep and mysterious for Nature; all which

is only to be obtained by Faith.



There belongs likewise to supernatural things, the taking of Enoch and

Elias into Heaven, the divine rapture of St. Paul in the Spirit into

the third Heaven. Moreover, many supernatural things are done by

Imagination, Dreams, and Visions; many wonders are done by the

Imagination, witness the speckled Sheep by the speckled Rods laid in

their watring places. God warned the wise men of the East by an especial

Dream not to return again to Herod; likewise their three Persons,

their three Gifts, Presents, or Offerings, and the supernatural Star,

have all their peculiar and mystical meaning.



Nor was that Dream which hapned to Pilates Wife natural, who unjustly

adjudged our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to death. The Vision of the

Angels which appeared to the Shepherds at the Birth of Christ, and to

the Women at his Sepulchre, who sought his Body where they had laid it,

cannot be accounted Natural.



There are many other supernatural things done at several times by the

Prophets & Saints; so was the voice of the Ass speaking to Balaam,

contrary to the common course of Nature; as also Joseph's

Interpretation of Dreams. And so God by his Angels preserves us

oftentimes from infinite Evils, and delivers us out of manifold Dangers,

impossible for Nature to do.



All this & many others belong to Theology, and to Heaven, whereunto the

Soul is to have regard. Now follows the supernatural things of the

visible Works of God, as we see them in the Firmament; to wit, the

Planets, Stars, and Elements, which are above our Reason, only their

Course and Motion is observed by speculation and reckoning, which

belongs to Astronomy; it is a visible but incomprehensible Being,

performing its operation in a Magnetick way, out of which likewise

divers admirable things are found and observed, which are altogether

supernatural; understand it thus, that the Heaven operates in the Earth,

and the Earth affords a correspondence with the Heavenly. For the Earth

hath also its seven Planets, which are operated and bred by the seven

Celestial, only by a spiritual Impression or Infusion, even as the Stars

operate all Minerals. This is done incomprehensibly and spiritually, and

therefore it is to be accounted supernatural, even as two Lovers, their

persons are visible, but their Love one to the other is invisible:

Humane Bodies are tangible and natural, but Love is invisible,

spiritual, intangible and supernatural, comparable to a Magnetick

Attraction only; for the invisible Love which is attracted unto it

spiritually by the Imagination is, accomplish'd by the desires and

fruition. In like manner when the Heaven hath a love to the Earth, and

the Earth hath a Love, Inclination, and Affection towards Man, as the

great World to the lesser, for the lesser World is taken out of the

greater, and when the Earth by the desires of its invisible Imagination

doth attract unto itself such a Love of the Heaven, there is thereby an

Union of the Superiour and Inferiour, as Man and Wife are accounted one

Body together, and after this Union the Earth is impregnated by the

Infusion of the Heaven, and begins to conceive and bring forth a Birth

sutable to the Infusion, and this Birth after its Conception is digested

by the Elements, and brought to a perfect Ripeness and this is reckoned

among the supernatural things; how the supernatural Essence performs its

operation in the natural.



Among the supernatural things are likewise reckoned all Magical and

Cabalistical Matters which depend thereon, arising out of the Light of

true knowledge, not those which proceed from Superstition, Conjuration,

or unlawful Exorcisme, such as the Sorcerers use; but I mean in this

place such a Magick as the Wise men had that came out of the East, who

by Revelation from God, and by true allowable Art judged rightly; or

such an one, as those of old had before us, usual among the Egyptians

and Arabians, before Writing was found, they noted, observed, and

reserved by Signs, Characters and Hieroglyphicks. Such Blessings may be

used, which Christ the Son of God used, as the Scripture saith; He took

little Children, laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. But

whatsoever is contrary to God and his Word, ought justly to be rejected,

and not to be tollerated, because they are not Godly, but Diabolical.

But those Supernatural things which oppose not God and his Holy Word,

belong unto Magick, and do the Soul no prejudice.



As concerning Visions which Holy Men of God have often seen, it is

reason they should be reckoned among those things which are not Natural;

for whatsoever man speculates and comprehends by the Mind, is

Supernatural; on the contrary, whatsoever he can take, see, and hold is

Natural.



Let us consider the third part of Natural & Supernatural things in

Physick, the Virtues and Powers of each; this Medicine of every thing

must first be driven out of a visible, tangible, natural Body, and be

brought into a spiritual, meliorated, supernatural operation, that the

Spirit which at the first was infused and given to the Body to live,

might be released, that it should operate and penetrate as a Spiritual

Essence, and Fire, having its Vent-holes left that it might burn and

have no opposition, which might suffocate, suppress, or hinder the

burning Life; whereas otherwise, if the separation of the Soul and

Spirit from the Body should not first be done, there could not succeed

any operation either effectual, profitable, or necessary; for whatsoever

is visible, to be felt, and inseparably in a Body, that is Natural and

Corporal; but so soon as there is a separation, the living departs from

the dead, gaining its perfect operation, and the natural Body being

separated, the spiritual Essence is free to penetrate, becoming a

spiritual and supernatural Medicine. In brief, all things (none

excepted) which we can touch and handle, are natural, but they must be

made supernatural, if you would prepare them for Physick; for the

supernatural only hath a living power in it to operate, the natural hath

only a dead tangible Form. For when Adam was made, he was dead, having

no life of any virtue, but so soon as the operative quickning Spirit

came to him, then he manifested his living virtue and power by

supernatural admiration, so that in every thing there is the natural

and supernatural united in one, and bound together in their habitation,

that every thing might be perfect; for all created things in the world

are some supernatural, only what concerns the Soul and spiritual

matters, and some are natural and supernatural, with what concerns the

Elements and Firmament, as likewise the Minerals, Vegetables, and

Animals, which is known and found, when they are separated one from the

other, that the Soul departs out of the Body, and the Spirit forsakes

its Soul, leaving the Body an empty habitation.



Moreover, you must understand and consider, that the great and little

World are made and formed of one first Matter, by an unsearchable

Almighty Essence, at that time in the beginning, when the Spirit of God

moved upon the Water, who was from Eternity without beginning. The great

World, as Heaven and Earth, was first, then was Man, the Little World,

taken out of the greater; the Water was separated from the Earth, the

Water was the Matter whereon the everlasting Spirit of God moved; the

Little World was formed of the noblest Earth, as its Quintessence, by

the Aquosity which yet was in the Earth, and all was only Natural; but

after the breathing in of the Divine heating Breath, immediately the

Supernatural was added; so then the Natural and Supernatural were knit

and united. The great World is perishable, yet there will be a New Earth

or World; the Little World is Eternal, the Great, Created, Dissoluble

world will again be brought to nothing, but the little world will be

clarified by the Spirit of God, because he possesses it, making a

Celestial clarified water out of the aforesaid Earthly water; then it

will follow, that the first matter will be turned into the last, and the

last matter will become the first. Now the reason why the great world is

perishable, is this, that the Spirit of God hath not his dwelling or

habitation in the great world, but in the little world; for Man is the

Temple of the Holy Ghost, if he do not wilfully defile himself, adhering

to the Hellish Fire, which makes a breach and difference. For he

remaines in the little world, which he formed after his own similitude,

and made him a consecrated Temple; otherwise there is every thing in

the little world which is to be found in the great, as Heaven and Earth

with the Elements, and what depends thereon, or appertains thereunto.



We find also that in the first Creation, which was performed of nothing,

three things arose; to wit, a Soulish, Spiritual, Invisible Essence,

which represented a Mercurial Water, a Sulphurous Vapour, and a Terrene

Salt; these three gave a compleat and perfect, a tangible and formal

Body to all things wherein especially all the four Elements are

contained, as I have already mentioned in my Writing where I treat of

the Microcosme.



But that I may yet give a little more information of Natural and

Supernatural things, as well spiritual as corporal: We find that the

Canaanitish Woman was cured of her Flux of Blood which held her

twelve years, only by a bare touch, when she touched the Garment of the

Son of God, her Disease being natural, but the Medicine or Cure was

Supernatural, because by her Faith she gained help from the Lord Christ.



Likewise we have an excellent, high and supernatural Miracle in the

three Children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were cast

into the fiery Furnace, by the Command of King Nebuchadnezzar, yet by

God wonderfully delivered, and not consumed, Dan. 3.



So also the Confusion of Tongues, and Infusion of divers Speeches at the

foolish structure of the Tower of Babel, which should have reached up

to Heaven, is esteemed for a Supernatural Miracle. And so was that a

Supernatural Sign, when the Children of Israel did lap water as Dogs

do, when a small Number at Gods Command, fought against the

Midianites, Judg. 7. 6. So the sending of the Dove by Noah out of

the Ark, when she brought an Olive Branch in her Bill, a Sign of Mercy,

and a Divine Supernatural Message.



When the Holy man of God Moses struck the Rock with his Rod, that the

hard Rock yielded Water, is beyond humane Reason; so was the turning of

the salt water into sweet and drinkable, supernatural. As also the dry

passage of the Children of Israel through the Red Sea; and the Budding

of Aarons Rod, are all supernatural. In brief, the Resurrection of

Christ the Eternal Son of God out of the grave, for all the Tomb-stone,

his appearing to the two men going to Emas, his revealing himself to

his Disciples when the Door was lock'd, are all Divine and Supernatural.

Divers Examples more might be recited out of Divine Writ, which for

Brevities sake I omit.



Among Supernatural things are accounted all Mineral Signs, as the

Appearance of Spirits, Representations, Pigmies appearing diversly and

numerously, giving notice of good or bad Luck, Ruine or Riches; so also

those Figures, Shapes, or other works found in the Ores of Metals, as of

Men, Fishes, and other Creatures, so formed and represented by the

imagination of the three first Principles, then ripened and fully

digested by the Earth, and other Elements. Hereunto appertain the

Monsters of the Earth, and such things as are found within the Earth at

certain times of a wonderful form and shape, but not at all to be found

when that time is past, yet appear again and are to be found at some

other time.



Hereunto also belong all Visions and Appearances performed by Water,

Glasses, Cristal, or other means, as also those done by Sigils and

Characters, which yet are so various, some being only Natural, yet

affording Supernatural appearances or sights; but the others which are

performed by Conjurations, are neither Natural nor Supernatural, but

Diabolical, belonging unto Sorcery, and are prohibited all good

Christians; so likewise all those Means which oppose Holy Writ, Gods

Word and Commandments, are to be rejected and refuted by true Natural

Cabalists; I say this, because a certain distinction and sure order

ought to be found of the Natural, Supernatural, Unnatural things.



In like manner there appertains unto Supernatural things, all the

Water-Spirits, as the Syrens, Succubi, & other Water-Nymphs, with

their Relations, as likewise the Terrestrial Spirits, and those which

inhabit the Air, who sometimes are heard, seen, or perceived, sometimes

foretelling Death or other Disasters, sometimes they discover by their

Apparition Riches and good Fortune in certain places, and the Fiery

Spirits appertain here also, which appear in a fiery shape, or like a

burning Light; all these are Spirits having untangible Bodies, yet are

they not such Spirits as the right Hellish Spirits, who hunt after mens

Souls as an Eternal Jewel, even as the Infernal Lucifer, the Devil and

his Dependents do, who were ejected with him; but these are such Spirits

which are above Nature, set before Men for admiration, and are only

maintained by the Elements, whereby they are nourished and fed; but when

this Earthly world shall cease, they also shall decay and vanish with

it, because they have no Souls to be saved. I will say no more hereof at

present, but refer the opening of such Circumstances more at large to

another opportunity, where I shall particularly treat of Visions and

Spiritual Appearances, which are esteemed Unnatural by most part of the

World, yet truly are Natural, but they are found to be Supernatural in

their Operations and wonderful Qualities.



That I may further confirm my Assertion, I say likewise, that there are

many things to be found in Physick, which yield and manifest their

workings supernaturally in a Magnetical way, operating only by an

attractive spiritual power which is attracted to it by the Air; for the

Air is the Medium between the Physick and the Hurt or Distemper, even

as the Magnet ever doth direct and turn it self towards its Polestar,

though the star be many thousand Miles distant from it, yet the

spiritual operation and sympathy between them is so prevalent, that it

is attracted together at so vast a distance by the Medium or middle

Band of the Air; but because this attractive power is only known unto

people in general, or as a thing common, it is therefore become

customary, and is so esteemed, there being no notice taken of any

further Secret whence this operative Faculty hath its Source or

Original: In like manner Hurts and Distempers may be healed and cured,

though the Patient and Physitian be very far distant one from the other;

not by Charmes, Exorcismes, or other unlawful prohibited means, which

are opposite to God and Nature, but by such means wherein the attractive

Magnetick Virtue lies to accomplish it. As when a wounded person goes a

Journey, leaving the Weapon wherewith he was wounded, or else of his

Bloud which issued out of the wound with his Physician, wherewith he

proceeds rightly and by orderly means, as is usual in dressing a wound,

without all doubt he shall be absolutely cured, this is no Witchcraft,

but the cure is performed only by the attractive power of the Medicine,

which is carried to the Sore by the means of the Air, wherewith it is

mundified, that it may perform the Spiritual Operation.



Some will think these hard sayings, and impossible in Nature, and many

will say it is contrary to Nature, whereby many will be excited to

dispute it, and raise Arguments one opposite to the other, whether it be

Natural or no, whether it be possible or no, or whether it be Sorcery: I

will thus resolve them, that this Cure is natural, but as it operates it

is supernatural & spiritual, because it is performed meerly by an

attractive incomprehensible means, and that this manner of Cure is no

Sorcery: I affirm it hereby, that it is not mixt or accompanied with any

Sorcery, nor with any other unnatural Means, contrary to God the

Creator, or his holy and saving Word. But it is only Natural, out of its

supernatural, invisible, incomprehensible, spiritual, and attractive

power, which received its Original from the Sydereal, and performs its

Operation by the Elements.



Lastly, I likewise approve this Cure to be no Sorcery, because the Devil

rather delights in all Mischief to Mankind, than to assist any manner of

way for their benefit, which yet is impossible for him to do without

Gods permission. Much more might be written of this Magnetick Form, but

I chuse rather to be silent; referring it till I come to treat of the

Natural Miracles of the World.



The grosser sort of foolish Wits, who imagine themselves to be wise

Philosophers, and all others who are not in their perfect senses, know

no difference in this case, but the wise and truly discreet well know

how to distinguish betwixt that which is natural and that which is

supernatural.



For do but observe this comparison, to be proved by a gross Example, how

many Creatures are there which dye absolutely in the water, so that no

life is left therein, but so soon as the pleasant Summer appears, the

natural heat gives a new life, & the Body quite restored in the same

substance as it was before in its living Motion; even as an Herb, which

dies in the Winter, but in the Spring it manifests it self anew. The

death of these things is to be esteemed natural, but the return of a new

life in its knowledge is supernatural; but because we are accustomed to

all these things, the least part of us consider what is worthy of

further Meditation in this case, letting both natural and supernatural

go away together.



Most people overpass, that natural custom which yet is supernatural, as

also monstrous Births, and those that bring signs and marks with them

into the world; which may all be natural, but manifest themselves

supernaturally, by the imagination which caused them: These supernatural

forms and customs, the Mother of the Child caused by intervening

thoughts, which unexpectedly happened to her, as it were by accident:

Even as we often see and find, that many Men naturally are born with

some gestures, which he can never leave, though he endevour with all his

might to do it. The natural gestures of these Men are natural, but the

conception in the Womb which caused the imagination of these things is

supernatural, and subject to what the Heaven imprints.



To conclude: I say, that none can defend the supernatural not to be true

by good grounds and reasons, except he have learn'd to know the natural,

which hath its original, and gained its shape from the supernatural;

after he hath learned this, he may evidence it by sure proofs, that he

will be conquerour over those, who will not believe what is

supernatural; and he will convince the opinions of those who dispute of

natural things, and yet know not the grounds, saving only a bare

pretence, much talk, tedious and unprofitable Debates.



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