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 56

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Early New High German Page · Branch 63 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 56

HARMONIAM analogicam / oder Naturlich - contrafectische vergleichung MAGNESIAE ac LAPIDIS philosophorum CATHOLICI, Servatoris & ( suo modo) Salvatoris Naturalis, nec non physico - artificialis Catholici, MVNDI maioris atque fructuum illius, puta Vegetabilium, Animalium, Mineralium & Metallorum, cum IHSVH CHRISTO, Servatore ac Salvatore MVNDI minoris, siue generis humani, Catholico; Item, cum Doctrina, Vita & Miraculis Ipsius; & contra: Nemblich / der wahren MAGNESIAE, vnd des daraus Naturgemeß-Alchymisch zubereiteten VNIVERSAL STEINS der Weisen / des Natürlichen vnd Naturgemeß-künstlichen ALGEMEINEn Erhalters vñ Medicinischen HEILANDES der grossen

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 56

analogical HARMONY — or Natural, likeness-wise comparison — of MAGNESIA and of the CATHOLIC STONE of the philosophers, the Preserver and (in its own manner) the Natural, and moreover physico-artificial, Catholic Saviour of the greater WORLD and of its fruits, namely of Vegetables, Animals, Minerals and Metals, with IHSVH CHRISTO, the Catholic Preserver and Saviour of the lesser WORLD, that is, of the human race; likewise with His Doctrine, Life and Miracles; and conversely: namely, of the true MAGNESIA, and of the VNIVERSAL STONE of the Wise prepared from it in a Nature-conforming and alchemical way — the Natural and Nature-conforming, artful UNIVERSAL Preserver and Medicinal SAVIOUR of the great

113.Marginal glosses: ‘The analogical HARMONY of MAGNESIA and of the wonder-working Catholic STONE of the Philosophers, with IHSuh CHRIST, the wonder-working WORD of God the father incarnate, unto wonders; and conversely.’; ‘Medicinal, I say.’ — This is the Harmonia analogica announced at p. 30 and used as a practical test at p. 40, now set out at full length, and it is the most exposed passage in the treatise. Four things in it are worth marking. Khunrath writes & contra twice — once in the body and once in the margin: the analogy runs in both directions. He distinguishes Servator from Salvator and applies both to the Stone, hedging the second with suo modo, in its own manner — a qualification he does not give to Christ. He matches the greater World to the lesser, and the Stone’s work on vegetables, animals, minerals and metals to Christ’s on the human race. And he extends the comparison past the person to the Doctrine, Life and Miracles, which is as far as the claim can be taken. The second gloss, Medicinische sage Ich, is a correction he evidently thought necessary: Medicinal Saviour, and no other kind. contrafectisch is from Konterfei, contrafactum, a likeness or portrait; it carries none of the modern English sense of ‘counterfeit’, and the comparison it names is a true likeness, not a forgery. Nothing here is softened, and the reader is left to judge it.

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