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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Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica PhilosophorumMagnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 50

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Early New High German

p. 50

losopho also CATHOLISCH fürgestellet: Fürwar ein besonders geheimes vnnd Meisterlichs der NATVR kunststück subtiler Catholischer Scheidung vnd Composition von LEIB / GEIST vnd SEELE / aus der grossen Weld LEIB / GEIST vnd SEELE / in EIN pri - materialisch eigenes CHAOS; Der Chymischen Philosophen MICROCOSMVS macrocosmicus, non humanus, gros Weldtliche / nicht Menschliche kleine Weldt: Vnd dahero; èx spermate MVNDI maioris, MACROCOSMI FILIVS, ὁμοούσιος, coessentialis atq; consubstantialis parenti, aus dem Sahmen der grossen Weld / ein SOHN der grossen Weldt / gleich seinem Gebärer / an Erst - Welt - anfenglicher Essentz oder Wesen vnd Materia.

Zum Dritten / Man vber ge-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 50

-losopher: truly a peculiarly secret and Masterly art-piece of NATURE, of subtle Catholic Separation and Composition of BODY, SPIRIT and SOUL out of the great World’s BODY, SPIRIT and SOUL, into ONE Pri-material CHAOS of its own. The Chymical Philosophers’ MICROCOSMVS macrocosmicus, non humanus — a great-Worldly, not a Human, little World. And thence: ex spermate MVNDI maioris, MACROCOSMI FILIVS, ὁμοούσιος, coessentialis atque consubstantialis parenti — out of the Seed of the great World, a SON of the great World, like unto its Begetter in First-World-beginning Essence or Being, and in Matter.

Thirdly, if one were fur-

101.Marginal glosses: (continued from p. 49) ‘… with Zinc, Vitriol, Antimony, Quicksilver and the like things, etc.; nor likewise with any of the Preparations made from them — in this matter, only do not confuse it.’; ‘The MICROCOSM of the Chymists is not human, but macrocosmic.’ — The inversion is deliberate and is the whole point: the microcosm of the Philosophers is a little world made of the great world, not the human being who is the microcosm of ordinary Renaissance doctrine.

102.‘Out of the seed of the greater World, the SON OF THE MACROCOSM, homoousios, coessential and consubstantial with its parent.’ Marginal gloss: ‘Certainly and properly that is called a son which is begotten of the Father’s seed and substance.’ — ὁμοούσιος — printed in Greek type, with a rough breathing on the omicron and ου set as the omicron-upsilon ligature carrying the acute — is the word of the Nicene Creed, the term by which the Son is declared of one substance with the Father, and Khunrath sets it in Greek, unglossed, with its two Latin equivalents after it. He is not reaching for a loose analogy: he takes the most precisely defined word in Christian doctrine and applies it to the relation between the great World and its Son. This is the strongest form yet of the Harmonia analogica announced at p. 30, and the marginal gloss — a definition of sonship by seed and substance — is there to make the application exact rather than rhetorical. Nothing here is softened.

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