It is called Lapis philosophorum: the most ancient, hidden or unknown, natural, incomprehensible, heavenly, blessed and benedicted stone of the wise. It is called the true without falsehood, the certain of the most certain, the secret of all secrets, a divine power hidden from fools, the highest and last thing to be seen beneath heaven, a wonderful consummation and end of all philosophical works. It is also called a fitting, perfect accord of all the elements; an indestructible body which no element can assail; the fifth being; a twofold, double, living and life-giving Mercury containing a heavenly spirit; a healing of all sick persons and imperfect metals; an eternal light; the highest medicine of all diseases; the noble phoenix; the highest, noblest treasure, or the highest good of Nature; the common, three-in-one universal stone, compounded by Nature from three and yet only one, indeed produced and made from one, two, three, four and five. Likewise it is called universal magnesia, or the seed of the world, a seed of the whole world, and whatever other such names and titles are to be found among the philosophers. All these may fittingly be named and comprehended in the highest and most perfect number, a thousand.

Just as, I say, this earthly philosophers’ stone possesses many and various names besides that of its matter—indeed a thousand—and is wonderfully named in many places, so these titles and others like them may much more truly, and in the highest degree, be applied and spoken of God, the almighty good. For God—indeed God’s Son, his eternal Son—is the true, eternal, precious and tried cornerstone and foundation stone which the builders rejected and cast out: Isaiah 28; Psalm 118; Matthew 21; Acts 4; Romans 9; 1 Peter 2. He is the true ancient, indeed the most ancient, who existed before the foundation of the world and from eternity: Daniel 7; Ecclesiasticus 43; Psalm 90. He is the true hidden and unknown God, supernatural, incomprehensible, heavenly, blessed and highly praised: Mark 16; the sole bringer of salvation, indeed a God of all gods: Deuteronomy 10. He is the truly truthful one who cannot lie: Numbers 23; Isaiah 53; Romans 3. He is the most certain, able to do and accomplish whatever he wishes, or the only mighty one: Genesis 17; Ephesians 3. He is the most secret and eternal one, in whom all knowledge and treasures of wisdom lie hidden: Romans 16; Colossians 2. He is the sole divine power and omnipotence hidden from the fools, the wise of this world: Psalm 147; Jeremiah 10; Proverbs 8; Matthew 11; Ecclesiasticus 44. He is the first and last in heaven and upon earth. He is the true, single, perfect accord of all the elements, from whom and through whom and in whom all things are and originate: Romans 11; James 1. His being is indestructible and could not be separated or divided by any element: Psalm 16; Acts 2 and 13. He is the fifth being, indeed the being of all beings, and yet, properly speaking, no being. He is the true twofold Mercury, or Gigas geminae substantiae, the champion consisting of two substances, as the hymn concerning Christ puts it: “God by nature and man.” A champion containing a heavenly spirit which gives life to all things, indeed which is life itself: Wisdom 7; Isaiah 42; John 14.

He is the single perfect Saviour of all imperfect bodies and human beings, indeed the true heavenly physician of souls; the eternal light which illuminates all human beings: Isaiah 60; John 1. He is the highest medicine of all the sick, namely the true spiritual panacea: Wisdom 16. He is the noble phoenix who revives and brings to life again through his blood his young, wounded and slain by the old serpent, the Devil; indeed the highest treasure, or highest good, in heaven and upon earth: Psalm 83; Wisdom 7. He is the three-in-one universal being called Jehovah: Deuteronomy 6, produced from one according to the divine being; from two as God and man; from three, namely persons; from four as three persons and one divine being; and also from five as three persons and two natures, divine and human. Likewise he is the true universal magnesia and universal seed of the world: that is, the universal seed of the whole world, from whom, through whom and in whom all heavenly and earthly creatures have their being, movement and origin: Genesis 1; John 1; Acts 17; Romans 11; Psalm 1. In sum: “The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, ” says the Lord, “who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty”: Revelation 1.

Further, just as in the philosophical work already discussed it is not enough merely to know the matter, recognise it as a three-in-one being, and learn its qualities and particular properties, but one must also necessarily know how to bring it to hand and become capable of benefiting from it, so this can happen in no other way than by repeatedly dissolving and putrefying those three things, as stated above. Its dark shadow and rough being, with which it was originally overshadowed and which gave it an unfriendly appearance, are thereby stripped off and removed. Afterwards, through further sublimation, its heart and inward soul, hidden within it, are led and drawn out by the universal, sweet, moistening sea-water and brought into bodily being. So too, and still less readily, can we know this three-in-one divine being called Jehovah unless it has first, in relation to us, likewise been dissolved and purified, as it were, and the veil of Moses and wrathful appearance that naturally hinder and terrify us all have been stripped away. Through further divine illumination, his heart and inward soul hidden within him—that is, his Son, who is Christ—must be brought forth from him, illuminated and made a gracious God to us, through the aid and assistance of the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit cleanses our hearts like pure water, Ezekiel 36; Isaiah 44, enlightens like a divine fire, Jeremiah 23; Matthew 3, and fills and refreshes us with sweet, gracious consolation, John 16.

But just as in the philosophical work the matter, after being dissolved and divided into its three parts or principles, must then be coagulated again with its own salt and brought into a single being, afterwards called the salt of wisdom, so God and God’s heart—that is, the Son—must likewise be united again with the Father through their own salt, which is also essentially planted in God. He must be known and recognised as one God, and must not be held or believed to be two or three gods and beings. When you have thus known God through his Son and, as it were, divided him, but have then compounded and united him again through the spirit of divine wisdom and the bond of love, behold: the invisible and unknown God, Isaiah 45, has now been made visible and recognisable to you, indeed intelligible. He no longer appears wrathful and unfriendly as before, but most gracious and loving, allowing himself to be felt, seen and heard by you. Before Christ his Son was formed and fashioned in us, Galatians 4, God was rather a terrifying God to us, Daniel 7.18, indeed a consuming fire, and is so called. Nevertheless, even this knowledge of the three-in-one divine being is not yet wholly sufficient or something upon which you can fully rely unless you advance and increase further in knowledge of him, especially of his heart.

For just as the subject already described and thus far prepared in the philosophical work is, without further preparation, more harmful than useful to you as a bodily medicine, so too Christ, unless you know him better and more fully as the spiritual medicine of your soul, would be of little service to you, indeed would rather conduce to your condemnation. Therefore, if you wish to enjoy him and his heavenly treasures and goods with gladness, you must advance further in knowledge of his person. You must not represent or imagine him to yourself as God alone, but must attend to the fulfilment of the time appointed by God, Galatians 4, in which he received his addition: that is, became at once God and man, indeed the Son of Man.

For, as has again been stated in the philosophical work, if the first matter is to be brought to its effect and made into a tincture that perfects the other base metals, another metallic body must be added to it, united with it and made into one body. This is the body which God has most highly honoured above all other metals, which is most closely related and most acceptable to the first matter already mentioned. So too, in the theological work, if we are to enjoy and participate in it, another, as it were metallic and earthly body had to be added to the divine nature of God’s Son, united with it, and both made and united into one indissoluble body. This is flesh and blood, humanity or human nature, the most highly honoured creature among all God’s creatures upon earth, nearest and most acceptable to the divine nature, also because it was created in its image.