Of The Spirit And Tincture Of Mars
Mars and Venus have a Spirit and Tincture as well as Gold and other
Metals, be that Spirit which is in each Metal never so mean and little.
It is undeniable and known to all, that many men have many minds, though
all men originally are of one first Matter, born and produced from one
Seed; yet have they divers different Minds, because the Stars have so
operated them, and not without cause; for the influences of the great
World operates the next to it in the little World; for all Opinions,
Natures and Thoughts, together with the whole complection of Man proceed
alone from one Influence of the Stars, manifesting themselves according
to the Course of the Planets and Stars, so that nothing can prevent, nor
can such Influences hinder it, when the Birth hath attained to the end
of its perfection.
As a man is naturally inclined to study; one delights in Divinity,
another in the study of the Laws, a third in Physick, a fourth will be a
Philosopher; moreover there are many Wits who are naturally inclined to
the Mechanicks; as the one is a Painter, another a Goldsmith; the one a
Shoomaker, the other a Taylor, a Carver, and so forth, divers and
innumerable; all this happens by the Stars influence, whereby the
Imagination is supernaturally founded & fortified, and whereupon it is
resolved to rest; as it is found, that what a man hath once conceived in
his Mind, and framed a foundation thereof, none can divert him from a
constant resolution and relying thereon, except Death, which at last
concludes all. So is it to be understood of Alchymists, who are set
upon the search of Natures Secrets, they intend not to cease, till they
have discover'd Nature, absolved it quite, and brought all to an end,
which cannot well be done.
Even so is it to be understood of Metals, according as the Influence and
Imagination is from above, so is the Form; and although the Metals be
called Metals in general, and are such, yet you have understood by the
various minds of men, which yet proceed from one Matter, that there may
be manifold and divers Metals, one hot and dry, another cold and moist,
a third assuming a mixt Nature and Complection to it self. Therefore the
Metal of Mars being ordained in its degree by a gross Salt before
others in the greatest quantity, is found to have the hardest, ungentle,
strongest, and grossest Body, which Nature appropriated and granted to
it, it hath the least portion of Mercury, but more of Sulphur, and
most of Salt, hence, and from such a mixture or composition is its
corporal essence descended, and born into the world by help of the
Elements. Its Spirit is like to the other Spirits in operation, but if
you can know the right and true Spirit of Mars, I tell you truly, and
in true Wisdom, that one grain of its Spirit or Quintessence drunk with
the Spirit of Wine, strengthens the Heart, Courage, and Senses, so that
you shall fear no Foes; it raises up in him the Courage of a Lion, and
provokes a desire to hunt and fight at Venus sports. When the
Conjunction of Mars and Venus are rightly placed in a certain
Constellation, they bring Fortune and Victory in Love and Affection, in
Battel and joy, remaining in unity though the whole World should be
against them: But because I am an Ecclesiastick under Church Government,
and dedicated my Soul to God, without provocation of humane desires, and
lusts of the Flesh, for they lead a direct way to Hell without leave;
but Gods Commands, Fear, and a rejection of Mans Will, which are
tollerated by his Commands, prepare a way to Heaven, if they continue in
the true calling upon, and in the true and right Faith of the only
Throne of Grace, Mediator and Patron Jesus Christ our Saviour. All
Martial Diseases are expell'd, cured, and healed in an admirable manner
by this Spirit; such as are the Bloody Flux, the Disease or Menstruous
Fluxes of Women, both white and red, and all other Fluxes of the
Belly, and open Sores in the Legs, or any part of the Body, together
with all those Diseases, both internal and external, howsoever they are
called, which bloody Mars hath caused, which I omit to nominate
particularly, being well known unto the discreet Physician what Diseases
are subject to the jurisdiction of Mars. If the Spirit of Iron be
truly known, it hath a secret affinity with the Spirit of Venus, so
that both may be conjoined in one, both becoming one only matter, of a
like operation, form, substance and being, healing and expelling the
self-same Diseases, as also to bring the particulars of the Metals into
a change with profit, praise, and excess. But properly Mars must be
observed thus with its virtues, that in his Corporal form he only hath
an earthly Body, which may be used in many things, for to stanch Bloud,
externally in Wounds, to graduate Luna, internally to stop or bind the
Body, which yet is not good at all times, and may be used both
internally & externally in mans Body, as likewise in Metallick affairs;
because without the true known means, which Nature hath in her secret
Closet, much profit cannot be gotten per se.
One thing more I must at present propose, that the Magnet and true Iron
perform almost a like benefit in Corporal Distempers, having almost one
kind of Nature in and with them, as it is with it in the Celestial,
spiritual, and Elementary Intellect, between the Body, Soul, and the
Chaos, out of which the Soul and Spirit went, the Body at last was found
out of the Composition.
How shall we now do? the gross dull-witted Lads will not apprehend it,
the middle sort of Wits will take no notice of what I write, and the
supernatural wits will descant too much upon it; I must find out a
remedy, and would willingly preserve all these over-wise-people to be
my Friends still. I will now teach, instruct, and presently inform you,
seeing that the Argument it self declares and pronounces its definitive
sentence, therefore the resolution lies open, and can be declared and
resolved, reserved nor directed to any other sentence of the
understanding, further than for it self.
Last of all, reserve this hereupon in this Chapter, that there can be no
House kept to stand in unity between the Married Couple, if the one of
them turn his Coach and drive to the East, and the other towards the
West, for they are not equal, so that they cannot draw the Coach
together in an equal weight, whereby there arises a great dissention and
hinderance, in obtaining that which was intended: but if true Married
People will carry on their House-keeping with a right subsistance, they
must be of one spirit, mind, judgment and virtue, to accomplish all
whatsoever is in their heart and mind, and that the one operate into the
other, if their Love and Truth shall be permanent; for want of one of
these things, the three principles cannot be truly together; for the
Mercury is banisht, and too little by reason of the firmness and
constancy; the Sulphur is too little, it cannot warm the Body of Love,
because it is very much extinct; the Salt likewise hath not its right,
convenient, natural kind, but is too hard and too much, seeing it makes
a hard coagulation, is sharp and biting, because it doth not manifest it
self in truth and constancy. Even so it goes now in the World, which
goes astray, and is pregnant with such Vices, for the constancy is but
small, the Love little, and Truth as little.
I hope you will take this Philosophical Example in good part, because
Syrach doth both praise and dispraise the goodness, truth, and
wickedness of a false Woman, and both after a different manner; and
herewith I bid Mars Farewell, saying, that no man knows how to
distinguish the Sentence of one, much less of all things, but he who
hath in this point taken notice of them, learned and experimented their
Nature and Properties, and truly known and discovered them. God our
Heavenly Father, the Everlasting Power, proceeding from all beginning,
separate us so in the Form, that the terrestrial corruptible Body may
again attain unto, contain, and receive the Celestial, Spiritual and
Incorruptible Revelation. Amen.
Maist thou not know me alone indeed,
And procure a pure help for me in need;
Resolve then, and hear what I do speak or say,
So shalt thou find what I can do for aye.