Conclusion

Beschluß

Chapter Outline

The author’s lay confession and the two stones

Knowledge of Nature and Christ as prerequisites

True natural art distinguished from necromancy and sophistical alchemy

The practitioner’s character and the progress of the work

False teachers, modest costs and the duty of secrecy

Thus, gracious and dear reader, you now have a brief and simple demonstration and explanation, a faithful likeness and allegorical comparison both of the earthly, chemical stone and of the true heavenly stone, Jesus Christ, through whom you may attain true blessedness and perfection, not only here in this temporal life but also in eternal life. Although all this might have been treated more accurately and fully on both sides in the theological work immediately preceding, know that I am neither a learned theologian nor an Aristotelian theologian of the present age, but a citizen and private person. I did not study and acquire the knowledge God has bestowed upon me at any university or highly renowned academy, but learned and studied it in the universal school of Nature and from the great book of wonders in which all those taught by God studied many hundreds of years ago. I have therefore composed and directed this account towards simplicity, as stated, rather than towards elegant or lofty language. Nor would it be fitting to my profession and calling to discuss theological matters further. In what I have done, I wished for my part to give a brief indication to those who may not yet have reached so far, and to encourage diligent further reflection upon it. For every lover of truth ought to proclaim, praise and extol God’s wonders rather than conceal them. I have also wished publicly to make known my confession concerning what I hold and believe about the articles of the Christian religion. For, lamentably, matters now stand so that many a devout Christian, when he refuses to join in another’s song, is slandered behind his back and denounced as a heretic and enthusiast through the untimely judgement of lying calumniators, indeed treated with hostility and suspicion. Yet such godless slander and presumptuous judgement by the world ought not to trouble any true Christian who experiences it. For the Devil and his hangers-on, the children of the world, have always practised this and inflicted it upon Christ and all his followers, as they still do daily. I shall leave further discussion of them aside and commit both sides to the highest Judge of all judges, the true ground and touchstone of every heart.

Further, concerning the preceding treatment of the earthly stone so often mentioned, in this conclusion I wish once again, beyond the initial instruction already given, diligently to renew the admonition and faithfully impress it upon lovers of the art of alchemy. Just as a good phrase in a beautiful song is repeated more than once, so I repeat this point here. A person should not direct his intentions and thoughts towards the earthly philosophers’ stone, or desire to begin labouring upon it, until he has first learned rightly to know the heavenly stone, for whose sake God gave the earthly one, and prepared it for himself; or at least begun earnestly and in practice to prepare both together, the spiritual and the bodily, side by side. On this particular point I agree with all true philosophers: such an exalted work is begun and laboured upon in vain without knowledge of Nature. For my own part I also most earnestly underline and emphasise that, without true knowledge of Christ, the heavenly cornerstone in whom all Nature perfectly subsists, attaining and obtaining the earthly stone is not merely difficult but, as I consider it, almost impossible. One should therefore ponder these points well and not begin such a lofty art eagerly and thoughtlessly, as many do, when often a person has not the least aptitude for it nor any sure and proper foundation in the knowledge so often mentioned, unless he wishes to expect a ludicrous outcome. For the work ends as it began, as visible experience, lamentably, demonstrates daily in many cases. The blame lies solely with the untimely undertaking and ignorance of the requisite knowledge.

It is still more astonishing that there are people who not only investigate this exalted art but dare to undertake it while still doubting whether it is a natural or rightly magical art, or an unnatural, necromantic art accomplished only through spirits and forbidden means. No, dear fellow: the Devil and all the godless have, without God’s permission, no power to undertake even the least part of this art, much less bring it under their control and do with it as they please. No, I say: it rests solely in God’s hand and power; he gives and takes it from whomever he wishes. For this art, which has its origin in and from God, requires neither pleasure-seekers and worldly people nor, still less, spirits tricked out for hell, but a spirit that is simple, plain, truthful and steadfast, and of a pure, godly character. The present restless world does not know such a spirit and consequently knows very little of its character and exalted mystery. When people of that world hear anything of it and it does not immediately fit their preconceived understanding, they call it foolishness; because of their blindness it is and remains hidden and withheld from them.

But so that I do not stray too far from my purpose and may return to and complete it, I wish once more to remind the God-loving practitioner to heed this: the manner in which he orders and governs his heart and mind, indeed his conduct and life, towards God will be distinctly visible and perceptible to him in the progress of the work he has undertaken upon the stone, every day and every hour. I myself have diligently observed this daily with great devotion and experienced it in practice. Everyone should therefore direct his affairs towards this from the beginning and prepare himself accordingly, so that afterwards he may attain a more blessed outcome in both.

Someone might object that there are and have been people who truly possessed this philosophers’ stone or tincture and changed base metals into gold and silver with it, yet were not qualified as I describe, did not likewise know the heavenly stone, and indeed led dissolute lives. To this I reply that I leave such people in their own condition and do not intend to dispute here where they obtained and how they came by their tincture. But no one will truthfully demonstrate to me, much less persuade me to believe, that they themselves made and prepared the true tincture of which I have spoken throughout this treatise. The tragic end of such dissolute people, which they have brought and drawn upon themselves through their possession of the tincture, has often testified to this and, lamentably, still partly does so daily. Moreover, the art of alchemy and its adherents are various and not all alike. Just as in other disciplines one finds diverse and shifting sectarians, so it also happens in this art: all are commonly called alchemists, but they are not directed towards one and the same intention.

Here I speak solely of true, skilful alchemy according to Nature. Among other things, it chiefly teaches how to recognise and distinguish the bad and impure from the good and pure, so that afterwards one can assist weak and damaged Nature and give it proper furtherance. In the increase of metals this may be compared with helping a fruit to ripen when some accident has prevented it from becoming fully ripe, or seeking to obtain manifold increase from a little grain or seed. All this can be worked and accomplished at plain and modest expense. I understand nothing of the other sophistical arch- or alchemical art, nor do I wish to learn it. Its masters show me far too many crooked paths and vainly promise whole mountains of gold that may lie far too distant. Moreover, such false arch-alchemical art yields nothing lasting, while great expense, fruitless labour and at last perhaps body and life are consumed by it.

Therefore, if one or more such alchemists should come to you boasting of the true natural art of alchemy and wishing to teach it to you or another person for money, or alleging that they cannot afford the great investment and expenses required for it, take warning and do not trust them: deception and falsehood certainly lie behind it.

Who truly knows how to practise the art Offers it to no one for money. Everyone can consider this.

I will also truthfully inform you that the total expense which the whole universal work may approximately incur, apart from daily food and maintaining the fire, does not exceed three florins. For the matter, as already heard above, is in part disregarded and base and may everywhere be obtained in sufficient quantity for one’s need without great difficulty. The labour is easy and slight. In sum, the whole art is most plain and simple for the devout and those chosen by God for it, but hardest and most impossible to grasp and investigate for the godless and wicked.