First Response

Prima Responsio

Chapter Outline

Desire for treasure and the worthiness of seekers

The mountain, the unseen guide and the trials of wind, earthquake and fire

The tincture, obligations of its recipient and admission to the fraternity

FIRST RESPONSE. Issued by F. R. C. to certain persons devoted to them.

I. Everyone naturally desires great treasures of gold and silver, precious stones and riches, so as to be great and exalted before the world. God created all these things for human beings to use and have dominion over, recognising in them his divine goodness and omnipotence, and honouring and thanking him for them.

II. Yet everyone wishes to acquire them only in ease, with little trouble and without danger or labour. Where God has placed them, where he wishes them to be sought and has promised to give them, no one is willing to dig or search.

III. Thus, over the long passage of time, the place and the way to it have become almost unknown to humankind and hidden from the greater part, so that reaching it is now difficult, laborious and dangerous, though not altogether impossible.

IV. But God now wills that nothing remain hidden from his great company, and that it be revealed to the worthy in this last age, before the Last Judgment begins. Christ himself speaks of this, although very obscurely so that the unworthy might not understand, when he says that nothing shall remain hidden. We have therefore been moved by the Spirit of God to proclaim this will of the Lord to the world, as we have already done and published in various languages. Most people, however, have either received it badly or utterly despised it, and have sought it from us without God. They imagine that we will teach them to cook gold in an alchemical fashion, or quickly come running to them with great treasures and share ours with them—as much as they desire for their splendour, pride, warfare, gluttony, drunkenness, fornication, usury and other sins. Instead, they should rightly learn from the five foolish virgins who asked the five wise for oil: it must be acquired by an entirely different path, through each person’s own diligence and zeal, through God and in God.

V. We soon recognise the disposition of such fellows through divine revelation and their own writings. We therefore stop our ears, as with a cloud, against their blowing and shouting solely for perishable gold, and let them call in vain. Much abuse and slander is then heard against us—of which we will say nothing now—which God will know how to avenge in his own time.

VI. Your diligence and zeal, which you both devote to the true knowledge of God and the teaching of the Holy Bible, have long been perceived in your writings, although you did not know it. We have therefore chosen to deem you worthy of this answer before many thousands. With divine permission and at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we tell you this: in the midst of the earth, or at the centre of the world, lies a mountain. It is small and great, gentle and soft, yet exceedingly firm and hard, near to everyone and far away, but invisible by divine counsel.

VII. Hidden within it are the greatest treasures, which the whole world cannot pay for. But through the envy of the devil, who always obstructs God’s honour and human happiness, it is surrounded and beset with many fierce beasts and birds of prey. They make the path, already very dark, exceedingly dangerous. Until now it could neither be sought nor found, because the time had not come; now, however, the worthy must find it, though not without their own diligence and labour.

VIII. You must go to this mountain by night, when the night is longest and darkest. Prepare yourselves with devout prayer, strengthened at heart and ready. Ask no one for the way, or where the mountain can be traced and found. Follow confidently the guide or conductor who will be with you and meet you on the path, although you will not see him. He will bring you there at an unexpected moment in the night, when everything is still and dark. But arm yourselves with a heroic and courageous spirit, so that you do not take fright or turn back before the one who meets you on the way. You need no bodily sword or weapon: continually call upon God diligently and devoutly, and faithfully repeat the words the guide says to you.

IX. When you see the mountain, the first wondrous sign to precede it will be a strong wind, which will tear the mountain apart and break the rocks. Lions, dragons and other abominable beasts will also meet you, raging terribly and fiercely against you. Do not fear: stand firm and do not look back. Your conductor, who leads you there, will let no harm befall you. The treasure, however, is not yet laid bare, although it is very near.

X. Soon after the wind a great earthquake will follow. By bringing down what the wind left standing, it will set everything straight and level. But do not look back.