Part One

Der erste Theil

Chapter Outline

The art as a divine gift and a holy mystery.

Prayer, gratitude, responsible use and secrecy.

Knowledge of nature, the regeneration of the worker and the beginning of manual labour.

Psalm25. Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will instruct them in the best way.

First, every chymist who loves God and every philosopher of this art should consider above all that this arcanum is to be esteemed and regarded not only as the greatest and highest art, but also as a holy art, because the highest heavenly good and the holiest mystery of the Almighty are represented and portrayed within it. Whoever wishes to reach this high and inexpressible secret should therefore know that the art is not subject to human power, but rests upon God’s gracious will. Neither willing nor desiring brings it forward: the mercy of the Almighty assists and furthers it. Before all else, then, you must fear God, lift your heart to God alone, and ask him alone for this gift in true, fervent and believing prayer, for it must be given by him alone and come from him.

If Almighty God, who searches all hearts, then sees and finds in you an upright, faithful and undeceitful disposition—namely, that you desire to investigate and learn this art for no other purpose than his praise and honour—he will without any doubt hear you according to his promise. Through his Holy Spirit he will lead and guide you so that, by the means provided, you will come steadily to a beginning from which you need never wish to depart. You will feel and see in your heart how the gracious God has heard your prayer and has already, as it were, opened and shown you a fortunate entrance.

After this, with a humble heart, you should fall upon your knees and sincerely give him praise, honour and thanks for hearing your prayer. Ask him also to plant and continue through his Holy Spirit this beginning of grace that you have already felt in your heart, and so to govern you that, when the high secret is fully revealed, you may use it rightly and handle it in such a way that it serves solely the praise and honour of his holy name and the benefit and improvement of your neighbour in need.

You must also form and carefully weigh this resolve: on your life—indeed, on pain of losing your salvation and blessedness—you will not reveal this secret to anyone unworthy or godless, still less communicate it to them or allow them to enjoy its benefits. In sum, you will not misuse it, but apply it solely to God’s honour, as already said, and in no way to your own glory. Remember also that if you fail to do this and rashly transgress, you will not escape God’s punishment. It would have been a thousand times better for you never to have known or learned anything of it.

When you have considered this well, pledged yourself in this matter to God, who will not be mocked, and set yourself this aim, begin. Learn first how God, the Three-in-One, ordained universal nature in the beginning: what nature is, what it can accomplish and do, how it still works visibly in all things every day, and how it exists and has its dwelling solely in God’s will. For without a true knowledge of nature, undertaking this work will be very uncertain and dangerous for you. The quality and character of nature is that it is one, true, simple and perfect in its being; a hidden spirit is also concealed and enclosed within it. If you wish to know nature, you too must be as nature is: truthful, simple, patient and steadfast, indeed God-fearing and harmless towards your neighbour—in sum, a regenerated and new person. When you recognise and find yourself to be such, nature will soon adapt and join itself to nature, and its inexpressible benefit for body and soul will fruitfully become evident in you.

The investigation and contemplation of this art will be so useful and fruitful to you that, once you rightly recognise the principles or beginnings of the thing within it, they will lead and guide you almost by force into knowledge of God’s marvellous works. In comparison, you will regard as insignificant and contemptible everything splendid and highly esteemed by the world. Conversely, whoever seeks and intends to obtain wealth through it for use in the pride and vanity of this world must never hope to bring the work to the desired end. Your thought and disposition must therefore be wholly turned away from earthly things and, as it were, created anew and devoted to God alone. Mark well that these three—body, soul and spirit—must be entirely in agreement and must operate and work together at the same time. For if the human heart and disposition are not likewise purified in correspondence with the successive working of the whole work, you and your art will go wholly astray and fail together.

You will therefore be able to order and determine all your conduct accordingly. The artist does nothing here except sow, plant and water; God alone gives the increase. Therefore the whole of nature also sets itself against anyone opposed by God. But heaven, earth and all the elements must assist the person who is God’s friend. When you have duly considered this and possess knowledge of the true first matter, which will be discussed below, you may prepare yourself for manual labour and begin the work. You must again ask the Almighty for his grace and guidance in everything you undertake. Then the work will not only advance swiftly for you, but reach a fortunate conclusion.

Ecclesiasticus, chapter11. Whoever remains steadfast in the fear of God, Practises also in his word, And diligently attends to their calling, Letting neither black nor white lead them astray, Can make enough fine gold and silver For themselves from tin, steel and copper. Such a person can moreover, Above all if God remains favourable, Make gold for themselves from clay and dung.