Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

Name: Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
Author: Heinrich Khunrath

The 1599 German text with a new English translation, introduction, glossary, and notes.

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Early New High German

p. 30

gung / das jhn GOTT in verkerten Sinn dahin gegeben hat / bey deme die Warheit nicht hafftē kan; Dafür GOTT gnedig behüte.

Wer hieruon in rechter Natur-kündigen Chymischer Philosophorum Schrifften nichts gelesen / noch mit der Handt in Alchymia sich selbst etwas geübet vnd erfahrē hat / der schweige hierzu nur gar stille. Wie kan einer von einē dinge recht reden dauon er kein wissen hat? Ein solcher kans weder loben noch schelten. Cuilibet Artifici credendum in sua arte: nec Experientiæ temerè repugnandum.

So ist auch zum dritten die wunderbare Harmonia analogica Lapidis Philosophorū mirifici mit IHSVH CHRISTO, VERBO DEI PATRIS incarnato MIRIFICO, & contra, (dauon in nachfolgenden weiter andeutung

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 30

-ken that GOD has given him over to a perverted Mind, in whom the Truth can find no hold; from which may GOD graciously preserve us.

Whoever has read nothing of this in the writings of true Nature-knowing Chymical Philosophi, nor practised and experienced anything of it himself with his own Hand in Alchymia — let him simply hold his peace about it altogether. How can a man speak rightly of a thing of which he has no knowledge? Such a one can neither praise it nor blame it. Cuilibet Artifici credendum in sua arte: nec Experientiæ temerè repugnandum.

So also, in the third place, there is the wonderful Harmonia analogica of the wonder-working Lapis Philosophorum with IHSVH CHRISTVS, THE WORD OF GOD THE FATHER INCARNATE, THE WONDER-WORKER — and conversely (of which further intimation is given in what fol-

67.in verkerten Sinn dahin gegeben: Romans i. 28, tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum, Luther’s hat sie Gott dahingegeben in verkehrten Sinn. Khunrath applies to the incurably obstinate a verse Paul applies to idolaters, and does not soften it.

68.‘Every Craftsman is to be believed in his own art: nor is Experience to be rashly contradicted.’ — The test Khunrath sets is deliberately double: reading in the right books, and work with one’s own hand. Neither alone qualifies a man to speak.

69.Marginal gloss: ‘3. The analogical Harmony of the Stone of the Philosophers with JESUS CHRIST; and conversely.’ — & contra is the whole weight of the sentence and is translated, not dropped: the analogy is claimed to run in both directions, so that the Stone illuminates Christ as well as Christ the Stone. That is the most exposed claim in the treatise, and Khunrath states it in a subordinate clause and defers the argument to a book he has not yet published (p. 31). Readers who take the analogy as a one-way piece of devotional ornament lose what he is actually asserting. Note also that this third Trumpet was not announced in the count of two at p. 25.

About This Reading Edition

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum argues that alchemy has one universal subject, that this subject cannot be extracted from the metals, and that nothing in the work can begin without recognizing it. This complete reader begins with the supplied seven-part introduction and orientation, then presents every printed page of the 1599 German treatise opposite its new English translation.

Historical Text and Translation

The German reading text is a fresh diplomatic transcription from 600 dpi images of the Magdeburg copy printed by Johann Bötcher in 1599. It preserves Khunrath’s capitalization, word division, authorial marginal keys, glosses, errata, and three unnumbered closing pages: the errata leaf, owl emblem, and colophon.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared the new English translation, introduction, notes, glossary, collation, and editorial apparatus. The translation follows Khunrath directly, retaining his technical vocabulary, changes of register, repetitions, rhetorical questions, and distinctions between German, Latin, and coined terms.

Rights

Heinrich Khunrath’s 1599 German work is in the public domain. The 2026 English translation, introduction, notes, glossary, editorial arrangement, and related matter are original to this edition and remain © 2026 Diotimos.

supplied-bilingual-editionSupplied complete German–English scholarly edition