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.