the divine pymander of hermes mercurius trismegistus - mword.docx

8/11/2019 The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus - MWord.docx

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The Divine Pymander of

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus

Translated formerly out of the Arabic into Greek, and thence into Latin, and Dutch,

and now out of the riginal into !nglish by that Learned Divine Doctor !verard"

Printed by #obert $hite in London in %&'(


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)udicious #eader,

This *ook may +ustly challenge the rst -lace for anti.uity, from all of the *ooks in the $orld, being

written some hundred of years before Moses time, as / shall endeavour to make good" The riginal

0as far as it is know to us1 is Arabic, and several Translations thereof have been -ublished, as Greek,

Latin, 2rench, Dutch, etc", but never !nglish before" /t is a -ity that the Learned Translator 3Doctor!verard4 is not alive, and received himself, the honour, and thanks due to him from !nglishmen5 for

his good will to, and -ains for them, in translating a *ook of such innite worth, out of the riginal,

into their Mother6tongue"

7oncerning the Author of the *ook itself, 2our things are considered, vi8 His 9ame, Learning,

7ountry and Time"

%1 The name by which he was commonly titled is, Hermes Trismegistus, i"e", Mercurious Ter

Ma:imus, or, The thrice greatest /ntelligencer" And well might he be called Hermes, for he was the

rst /ntelligencer in the $orld 0as we read of1 that communicated ;nowledge to the sons of Men, by

$riting, or !ngraving" He was called Ter Ma:imus, for some #easons, which / shall afterwards

mention"

1 2or his Time, it is not without much 7ontroversy, betwi:t those that write of this Divine, ancient

Author, in what time he lived in" ?ome say he lived after Moses time, giving this slender #eason for

it, vi8"

*ecause he was named Ter Ma:imus5 for being -referred 32ranciscus 2lussar4 0according to the

!gy-tian 7ustoms1 being chief Philoso-her, to be chief of the Priesthood5 and from thence, to be

chief in Government, or ;ing" *ut if this be all their ground, you must e:cuse my dissent from them,and that for this reason, *ecause according to the most learned of his followers, 3 Geber,

Paracelsus@ Henricus 9ollius in Theoria Philoso-hia Hermeticae, tractatu -riimo4 he was called Ter

Ma:imus5 for having -erfect, and e:act ;nowledge of all things contained in the $orld5 which things

he divided in Three ;ingdoms 0as he calls them1, vi8@ Mineral, egetable, Animal5 $hich Three, he

did e:cel in the right understanding of5 also, because he attained to, and transmitted to Posterity

0although in an enigmatic, and obscure style1 the ;nowledge of the Buintessence of the whole

Cniverse 0which Cniverse, as / said before, he divided into Three Parts1 otherwise called, The great

!li:ir of the Philoso-hers5 which is the #ece-tacle of all 7elestial and Terrestrial irtues5 which

?ecret, many ignorantly deny, many have chargeably sought after, yet few, but some, yea, and

!nglishmen, 3#i-ley, *acon, 9orton, etc4 have ha--ily found The Descri-tion of this great Treasure,

is said to be found engraved u-on a ?maragdine Table, in the alley of !bron, after the 2lood" ?o

that the #eason before alleged to -rove this Author to live after Moses, seems invalid5 neither does

it anyway a--ear, that he lived in Moses time, although it be the o-inion of some, as of )ohn

2unctius, who said in his 7hronology, That he lived Twenty one years before the Law was given by

Moses in the $ilderness@ *ut the #easons that he, and others give, are far weaker than those that /

shall give, for his living before Moses time" My reasons for that, are these5

2irst, *ecause it is received amongst the Ancients, that he was the rst that invented the Art of

communicating ;nowledge to the $orld, by $riting or !ngraving" 9ow if so, then in all -robability


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he was before Moses5 for it is said of Moses that he was from his childhood 3Acts vii"


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Contents

% His 2irst *ook

< Poemander

= The Holy ?ermon

> The ;ey

' That God is not Manifest and yet most Manifest

& That in God alone is Good

K His ?ecret ?ermon in the Mount f #egeneration, and the Profession of ?ilence

That The Greatest !vil /n Man, /s The 9ot ;nowing God

A Cniversal ?ermon to Ascle-ius

%( The Mind to Hermes

%% f the 7ommon Mind to Tat

%< His 7rater or Monas

%= f ?ense and Cnderstanding

%> f -eration and ?ense

%' f Truth to His ?on Tat

%& That 9one of the Things that are, can Perish

%K To Ascle-ius, to be Truly $ise


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His 2irst *ook

%" my ?on, / write this rst *ook, both for Humanitys sake, and for Piety towards God"


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%>" All things that are, are moved5 only that which is not, is unmovable"

%'" !very *ody is changeable"

%&" 9ot every *ody is dissolvable"

%K" ?ome *odies are dissolvable"

%" !very living thing is not mortal"

%" 9ot every living thing is immortal"


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>=" !very thing that is made is corru-tible"

>>" 9othing good u-on !arth, nothing evil in Heaven"

>'" God is good, Man is evil"

>&" Good is voluntary, or of its own accord"

>K" !vil is involuntary or against its will"

>" The Gods choose good things, as good things"

>" Time is a Divine thing"

'(" Law is Humane"

'%" Malice is the nourishment of the $orld"

'" All u-on !arth is alterable"

''" 9othing in Heaven is servanted, nothing u-on !arth free"

'&" 9othing unknown in Heaven, nothing known u-on !arth"

'K" The things u-on !arth communicate not with those in Heaven"

'" All things in Heaven are unblameable, all things u-on !arth are sub+ect to #e-rehension"

'" That which is immortal, is not mortal@ that which is mortal, is not immortal"

&(" That which is sown, is not always begotten5 but that which is begotten always, is sown"

&%" f a dissolvable *ody, there are two Times, one from sowing to generation, one from generation

to death"

&


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&" That which is immortal, -artakes not of that which is mortal"

K(" That which is mortal, cometh not into a *ody immortal, but that which is immortal, cometh into

that which is mortal"

K%" -erations or $orkings are not carried u-wards, but descend downwards"

K" The !arth is brutish, the Heaven is reasonable or rational"

K'" Those things that are in Heaven are sub+ected or -laced under it, but the things on !arth, are

-laced u-on it"

K&" Heaven is the rst !lement"

KK" Providence is Divine rder"

K" 9ecessity is the Minister or ?ervant of Providence"

K" 2ortune is the carriage or eJect of that which is without rder5 the /dol of o-eration, a lying

fantasy or o-inion"

(" $hat is God The immutable or unalterable Good"

%" $hat is Man An unchangeable !vil"

" 2or the like always takes to itself that which is like, but the unlike never agrees with the unlike@

such Discourses as these have very few Auditors, and -eradventure very few will have, but they

have something -eculiar unto themselves"

'" They do rather shar-en and what evil men to their maliciousness, therefore it behoveth to avoid

the multitude and take heed of them as not understanding the virtue and -ower of the things that

are said"

&" How dost Thou mean, 2ather

K" Thus, ?on, the whole 9ature and 7om-osition of those living things called Men, is very -rone

to Maliciousness, and is very familiar, and as it were nourished with it, and therefore is delighted

with it" 9ow this wight 3a creature4 if it shall come to learn or know, that the world was once made,

and all things are done according to Providence and 9ecessity, Destiny, or 2ate, bearing #ule over

all@ $ill he not be much worse than himself, des-ising the whole because it was made" And if he

may lay the cause of evil u-on 2ate or Destiny, he will never abstain from any evil work"


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" $herefore we must look warily to such kind of -eo-le, that being in ignorance, they may be less

evil for fear of that which is hidden and ke-t secret"


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The ?econd *ook called NPoemanderN

%" My Thoughts being once seriously busied about the things that are, and my Cnderstanding lifted

u-, all my bodily ?enses being e:ceedingly holden back, as it is with them that are very heavy of

slee-, by reason either of fulness of meat, or of bodily labour" Me thought / saw one of an e:ceeding

great stature, and an innite greatness call me by my name, and say unto me, N$hat wouldest thou

Hear and ?ee or what wouldest thou Cnderstand, to Learn, and ;nowIN


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%(" $hen he had thus said, for a long time me looked steadfastly one u-on the other, insomuch

that / trembled at his /dea or 2orm"

%%" *ut when he nodded to me, / beheld in my mind the Light that is in innumerable, and the truly

indenite rnament or $orld5 and that the 2ire is com-rehended or contained in or by a most great

Power, and constrained to kee- its station"

%


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=&" Hear now the rest of that s-eech, thou so much desirest to hear"

=K" $hen that -eriod was fullled, the bond of all things was loosed and untied by the $ill of God5

for all living 7reatures being Herma-hroditical, or Male and 2emale, were loosed and untied

together with Man5 and so the Males were a-art by themselves and the 2emales likewise"

=" And straightway God said to the Holy $ord," /ncrease in /ncreasing, and Multi-ly in Multitude allyou my 7reatures and $orkmanshi-s" And let Him that is endued with Mind, know Himself to be

/mmortal5 and that the cause of Death is the Love of the *ody, and let Him Learn all Things that are"

=" $hen he had thus said, Providence by 2ate and Harmony, made the mi:tures, and established

the Generations, and all things were multi-lied according to their kind, and he that knew himself,

came at length to the ?u-erstantial of every way substantial good"

>(" *ut he that through the !rror of Love, loved the *ody, abideth wandering in darkness, sensible,

suJering the things of death"

>%" Trismegistus" N*ut why do they that are ignorant sin so much, that they should therefore be

de-rived of immortality"N

>>" Pymander" N/ am glad for thy sake, if thou understoodest them"N

>'" Trismegistus" NTell me, why are they worthy of death, that are in deathN

>&" Pymander" N*ecause there goeth a sad and dismal darkness before its *ody5 of which darkness

is the moist 9ature, of which moist 9ature, the *ody consisteth in the sensible $orld, from whence

death is derived" Hast thou understood this arightIN

>K" Trismegistus" N*ut why or how doth he that understands himself, go or -ass into GodIN

>" Pymander" NThat which the $ord of God said, say /@ *ecause the 2ather of all things consists of

Life and Light, whereof Man is made"N

>" Trismegistus" NThou sayest very well"N

'(" Pymander" NGod and the 2ather is Light and Life, of which Man is made" /f therefore thou learn

and believe thyself to be of the Life and Light, thou shalt again -ass into Life"N

'%" Trismegistus" N*ut yet tell me more, my Mind, how / shall go into Life"N

'


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and natural Love@ And before they give u- their *odies to the death of them, they hate their

?enses, knowing their $orks and -erations"

''" N#ather / that am the Mind itself, will not suJer the -erations or $orks, which ha--en or

belong to the body, to be nished and brought to -erfection in them5 but being the Porter and Door6

kee-er, / will shut u- the entrances of !vil, and cut oJ the thoughtful desires of lthy works"

'&" N*ut to the foolish, and evil, and wicked, and envious and covetous, and murderous, and

-rofane, / am far oJ giving -lace to the avenging Demon, which a--lying unto him the shar-ness of

re, tormenteth such a man sensibly, and armeth him the more to all wickedness, that he may

obtain the greater -unishment"

'K" NAnd such a one never ceaseth, having unfulllable desires and unsatiable concu-iscences, and

always ghting in darkness for the Demon aOicts and tormenteth him continually, and increaseth

the re u-on him more and more"N

'" Trismegistus" NThou hast, Mind, most e:cellently taught me all things, as / desired5 but tell me

moreover, after the return is made, what thenN

'" Pymander" N2irst of all, in the resolution of the material *ody, the *ody itself is given u- to

alteration, and the form which it had, becometh invisible5 and the idle manners are -ermitted, and

left to the Demon, and the ?enses of the *ody return into their 2ountains, being -arts, and again

made u- into -erations"

&(" NAnd Anger and 7oncu-iscence go into the brutish or unreasonable 9ature5 and the rest striveth

u-ward by Harmony"

&%" NAnd to the rst one it giveth the -ower it had of increasing and diminishing"

&" NTo the fourth, the desire of #ule, and unsatiable Ambition"

&'" NTo the fth, -rofane *oldness, and headlong rashness of 7ondence"

&&" NTo the si:th, !vil and ineJectual occasions of #iches"

&K" NAnd to the seventh one, subtle 2alsehood always lying in wait"

&" NAnd then being made naked of all the -erations of Harmony it cometh to the eighth 9ature,

having its -ro-er -ower, and singeth -raises to the 2ather with the things that are, and all they that

are -resent re+oice, and congratulate the coming of it5 and being made like to them with whom it

converseth, it heareth also the Powers that are above the eighth 9ature, singing -raise to God in a

certain voice that is -eculiar to them"

&" NAnd then in order they return unto the 2ather, and themselves deliver themselves to the

-owers, and becoming -owers they are in God"

K(" NThis is the Good, and to them that know to be deied"


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K%" N2urthermore, why sayest thou, $hat resteth, but that understanding all men, thou become a

guide, and way6leader to them that are worthy5 that the kind of Humanity or Mankind, may be

saved by GodIN

K" And / began to Preach unto men, the beauty and fairness of Piety and ;nowledge"

K'" ye Peo-le, Men, born and made of the !arth, which have given Qourselves over to

Drunkenness, and ?lee-, and to the /gnorance of God, be ?ober, and 7ease your ?urfeit, whereto

you are allured, and invited by *rutish and Cnreasonable ?lee-"

K&" And they that heard me, come willingly, and with one accord, and then / said further"

KK" $hy, Men of the J6s-ring of the !arth, why have you delivered Qourselves over unto Death,

having Power to Partake of /mmortality5 #e-ent and 7hange your Minds, you that have together

$alked in !rror, and have been Darkened in /gnorance"

K" De-art from that dark Light, be Partakers of /mmortality, and Leave or 2orsake 7orru-tion"

K" And some of Them That Heard Me, mocking and scorning, went away and delivered themselves

u- to the way of death"

(" *ut others, casting themselves down before my feet, besought me that they might be taught5

but / causing them to rise u-, became a guide of mankind, teaching them the reasons how, and by

what means they may be saved" And / sowed in them the words of $isdom, and nourished them

with Ambrosian $ater of /mmortality"

%" And when it was !vening, and the *rightness of the same began wholly to go down, /commanded them to give thanks to God5 and when they had nished their thanksgiving, everyone

returned to his own lodging"

" And thus came to -ass or ha--ened unto me, which / received from my mind, that is,

Pymander, the Lord of the $ord5 whereby / became ins-ired by God with the Truth"

'" 2or which cause, with my ?oul, and whole strength, / give -raise and blessing unto God the

2ather"

&" Holy is God the 2ather of All Things"

K" Holy is God $hose $ill is Performed and Accom-lished by His wn Powers"


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" Holy is God, that Determineth to be ;nown, and is ;nown of His wn, or Those that are His"

" Holy art Thou, that by Thy $ord hast established all Things"

(" Holy art Thou of $hom all 9ature is the /mage"

%" Holy art Thou $hom 9ature hath not 2ormed"

" Holy art Thou, $ho art *etter than all Praise"

'" Acce-t these #easonable ?acrices from a Pure ?oul, and a Heart stretched out unto Thee"

&" Thou Cns-eakable, Cnutterable, to be Praised with ?ilenceI

K" / beseech Thee, that / may never !rr from the ;nowledge of Thee, Look mercifully u-on me, and

enable me, and enlighten with this Grace, those that are in /gnorance, the *rothers of my ;ind, butThy ?ons"

" Therefore / believe thee, and bear $itness, and go into the Life and Light"

" *lessed art Thou, 2ather, Thy Man would be ?anctied with Thee, as Thou hast given Him all

Power"

The Third *ook called NThe Holy ?ermonN

%" The glory of all things, God, and that which is Divine, and the Divine 9ature, the beginning of

things that are"

" And all the Gods distinguished the 9ature full of ?eeds"

'" And when all things were interminated and unmade u-, the light things were divided on high"

And the heavy things were founded u-on the moist sand, all things being Terminated or Divided by

2ire5 and being sustained or hung u- by the ?-irit they were so carried, and the Heaven was seen in

?even 7ircles"

&" And the Gods were seen in their /deas of the ?tars, with all their ?igns, and the ?tars were

numbered, with the Gods in them" And the ?-here was all lined with Air, carried about in a circular,

motion by the ?-irit of God"


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K" And every God by his internal -ower, did that which was commanded him5 and there were made

four footed things, and cree-ing things, and such as live in the $ater, and such as Fy, and every

fruitful ?eed, and Grass, and the 2lowers of all Greens, and which had sowed in themselves the

?eeds of #egeneration"

" As also the Generations of men to the knowledge of the Divine $orks, and a lively or working

Testimony of 9ature, and a multitude of men, and the Dominion of all things under Heaven and theknowledge of good things, and to be increased in increasing, and multi-lied in multitude"

" And every ?oul in Fesh, by the wonderful working of the Gods in the 7ircles, to the beholding of

Heaven, the Gods, Divine $orks, and the -erations of 9ature5 and for ?igns of good things, and

the knowledge of the Divine Power, and to nd out every cunning workmanshi- of good things"

%(" ?o it beginneth to live in them, and to be wise according to the -eration of the course of the

circular Gods5 and to be resolved into that which shall be great Monuments5 and #emembrances of

the cunning $orks done u-on !arth, leaving them to be read by the darkness of times"

%%" And every generation of living Fesh, of 2ruit, ?eed, and all Handicrafts, though they be lost,

must of necessity be renewed by the renovation of the Gods, and of the 9ature of a 7ircle, movingin number5 for it is a Divine thing, that every world tem-erature should be renewed by nature, for in

that which is Divine, is 9ature also established"


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The 2ourth *ook called NThe ;eyN

%" Qesterdays ?-eech, Ascle-ius, / dedicated to thee, this days it is t to dedicate to Tat, because

it is an !-itome of those general s-eeches that were s-oken to him"

" 2or his -eration or Act, is his $ill, and his !ssence, to $ill all Things to be"

'" 2or what is God, and the 2ather, and the Good, but the *eing of all things that yet are not, and

the e:istence itself, of those things that areI

&" This is God, this is the 2ather, this is the Good, whereunto no other thing is -resent or

a--roacheth"

K" 2or the $orld, and the ?un, which is also a 2ather by Partici-ation, is not for all that e.ually the

cause of Good, and of Life, to living 7reatures@ And if this be so, he is altogether constrained by the

$ill of the Good, without which it is not -ossible, either to be, or to be begotten or made"

" *ut the 2ather is the cause of his 7hildren, who hath a will both to sow and nourish that which is

good by the ?on"

" 2or Good is always active or busy in making5 and this cannot be in any other, but in him that

taketh nothing, and yet willeth all things to be5 for / will not say, Tat, making them5 for he thatmaketh is defective in much time, in which sometimes he maketh not, as also of .uantity and

.uality5 for sometimes he maketh those things that have .uantity and .uality and sometimes the

contrary"

%(" *ut God is the 2ather, and the Good, in being all things5 for he both will be this, and is it, and yet

all this for himself 0as is true1 in him that can see it"

%%" 2or all things else are for this, it is the -ro-erty of Good to be known@ This is the Good, Tat"

%" 2or it is more swift and shar- to -ierce, and innocent or harmless withal, and full of immortality,

and they that are ca-able and can draw any store of this s-ectacle, and sight do many times fall


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aslee- from the *ody, into this most fair and beauteous ision 5 which thing 7elius and ?aturn our

Progenitors obtained unto"

%'" Tat" / would we also, 2ather, could do so"

%&" Trismegistus" / would have, could, ?on5 but for the -resent we are less intent to the ision,

and cannot yet o-en the eyes of our minds to behold the incorru-tible, and incom-rehensible*eauty of that Good@ *ut then shall we see it, when we have nothing at all to say of it"

%K" 2or the knowledge of it, is a Divine ?ilence, and the rest of all the ?enses5 2or neither can he

that understands that understand anything else, nor he that sees that, see any thing else, nor hear

any other thing, nor in sum, move the *ody"

%" 2or shining steadfastly u-on, and round about the whole Mind it enlighteneth all the ?oul 5 and

loosing it from the *odily ?enses and Motions, it draweth it from the *ody, and changeth it wholly

into the !ssence of God"

%" 2or it is Possible for the ?oul, ?on, to be Deied while yet it Lodgeth in the *ody of Man, if it

7ontem-late the *eauty of the Good"


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=(" Trismegistus" He that neither s-eaks, nor hears many things5 for he, ?on, that heareth two

s-eeches or hearings, ghteth in the shadow"

=%" 2or God, and the 2ather, and Good, is neither s-oken nor heard"

=" ;nowledge is the gift of God 5 for all ;nowledge is unbodily but useth the Mind as an /nstrument,

as the Mind useth the *ody"

='" Therefore both intelligible and material things go both of them into bodies5 for, of

contra-osition, That is ?etting ne against Another, and 7ontrariety, all Things must 7onsist" And it

is im-ossible it should be otherwise,

=&" Tat" who therefore is this material God

=K" Trismegistus" The fair and beautiful world, and yet it is not good5 for it is material and easily-assible, nay, it is the rst of all -assible things5 and the second of the things that are, and needy or

wanting somewhat else" And it was once made and is always, and is ever in generation, and made,

and continually makes, or generates things that have .uantity and .uality"

=" 2or it is moveable, and every material motion is generation5 but the intellectual stability moves

the material motion after this manner"

=" *ecause the $orld /s a ?-here, that is a Head, and above the head there is nothing material, as

beneath the feet there is nothing intellectual"

>(" The whole universe is material5 The Mind is the head, and it is moved s-herically, that is like a

head"

>%" $hatsoever therefore is +oined or united to the Membrane or 2ilm of this head, wherein the ?oul

is, is immortal, and as in the ?oul of a made *ody, hath its ?oul full of the *ody5 but those that are

further from that Membrane, have the *ody full of ?oul"

>=" And the $orld is the rst, and Man the second living wight 3a creature4 after the $orld5 but the

rst of things that are mortal and therefore hath whatsoever benet of the ?oul all the others have@

And yet for all this, he is not only not good, but Fatly evil, as being mortal"

>>" 2or the $orld is not good as it is moveable5 nor evil as it is immortal"

>'" *ut man is evil, both as he is moveable, and as he is mortal"

>&" *ut the ?oul of Man is carried in this manner, The Mind is in #eason, #eason in the ?oul, the

?oul in the ?-irit, the ?-irit in the *ody"

>K" The ?-irit being diJused and going through the veins, and arteries, and blood, both moveth the

living 7reature, and after a certain manner beareth it"


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>" $herefore some also have thought the ?oul to be blood, being deceived in 9ature, not knowing

that rst the ?-irit must return into the ?oul, and then the blood is congealed, the veins and

arteries em-tied, and then the living thing dieth@ And this is the death of the *ody"

>" All things de-end of one beginning, and the beginning de-ends of that which is one and alone"

'(" And the beginning is moved, that it may again be a beginning5 but that which is one, standethand abideth, and is not moved,

'%" There are therefore these three, God the 2ather, and the Good, the $orld and Man@ God hath

the $orld, and the $orld hath Man5 and the $orld is the ?on of God, and Man as it were the

Js-ring of the $orld"

'


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&


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K" And the better always take of the worse, Gods of Men, Men of brute *easts, but God of all@ 2or

he is the best of all, and all things are less than he"

K" Therefore is the $orld sub+ect unto God, Man unto the $orld and unreasonable things to Man"

(" *ut God is above all, and about all5 and the beams of God are o-erations5 and the beams of the

$orld are 9atures5 and the beams of Man are Arts and ?ciences"

%" And -erations do act by the $orld, and u-on man by the natural beams of the $orld, but

9atures work by the !lements, and man by Arts and ?ciences"

" Tat" And wherefore 2ather

'" Trismegistus" ;now ?on, that every ?oul hath the Good Mind5 for of that it is we now s-eak, and

not of that Minister of which we said before, That he was sent from the )udgment"

&" 2or the ?oul without the Mind, can neither do, nor say any thing5 for many times the Mind Fies

away from the ?oul, and in that hour the ?oul neither seeth nor heareth, but is like an unreasonable

thing5 so great is the -ower of the Mind"

K" *ut neither brooketh it an idle or la8y ?oul, but leaves such a one fastened to the *ody, and by

it -ressed down"

" And such a ?oul, ?on, hath no mind, wherefore neither must such a one be called a Man"

" 2or man is a Divine living thing and is not to be com-ared to any brute *east that lives u-on

!arth, but to them that are above in Heaven, that are called Gods"

(" #ather, if we shall be bold to s-eak the truth, he that is a man indeed, is above them, or at least

they are e.ual in -ower, one to the other, 2or none of the things in Heaven will come down u-on

!arth, and leave the limits of Heaven, but a man ascends u- into Heaven, and measures it"

%" And he knoweth what things are on high, and what below, and learneth all other things e:actly"

" $herefore, by these two are all things governed, the $orld and Man5 but they and all things

else, of that which is ne"


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The 2ifth *ook called NThat God is not Manifest and yet most ManifestN

%" This Discourse / will also make to thee, Tat, that thou mayest not be ignorant of the more

e:cellent 9ame of God"

" 2or it needeth not to be manifested, for it is always"

'" And he maketh all other things manifest, being unmanifest as being always, and making other

things manifest, he is not made manifest"

" Himself is not made, yet in fantasy he fantasieth all things, or in a--earance he maketh them

a--ear, for a--earance is only of those things that are generated or made, for a--earance is

nothing but generation"

K" *ut he is that ne, that is not made nor generated, is also una--arent and unmanifest"

" *ut making all things a--ear, he a--eareth in all and by all5 but es-ecially he is manifested, to or

in those things wherein himself listeth"

" Thou therefore, Tat, my ?on, -ray rst to the Lord and 2ather, and to the Alone and to the ne

from whom is one to be merciful to thee, that thou mayest knowest and understand so great a God5

and that he would shine one of his beams u-on thee /n thy understanding"

%(" 2or only the Cnderstanding sees that which is not manifest or a--arent, as being itself not

manifest or a--arent5 and if thou canst, Tat, it will a--ear to the eyes of thy Mind"

%%" 2or the Lord, void of envy, a--eareth through the whole world" Thou mayest see the

intelligence, and take it in thy hands, and contem-late the /mage of God"

%


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%" $ho hath set the *ounds to the ?ea who hath established the !arth for there is some body,

Tat, that is the Maker and Lord of these things"

%" 2or it is im-ossible, ?on, that either -lace, or number, or measure, should be observed

without a Maker"


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=%" 2or the things that are, he hath made manifest5 and the things that are not, he hath hid in

himself"

=" And for this cause He hath all 9ames, because He is the ne 2ather5 and therefore He hath no

9ame, because He is the 2ather of all"

='" $ho therefore can bless thee, or give thanks for thee, or to thee"

=&" $hich way shall / look, when / -raise thee u-ward downward outward inward

=K" 2or about thee there is no manner, nor -lace, nor anything else of all things that are"

=" *ut all things are in thee5 all things from thee, thou givest all things, and takest nothing5 forthou hast all things and there is nothing that thou hast not"

=" $hen shall / -raise thee, 2ather5 for it is neither -ossible to com-rehend thy hour, nor thy

time

>(" 2or what shall / -raise thee for what thou hast made, or for what thou hast not madeI for those

things thou hast manifested, or for those things thou hast hidden

>%" $herefore shall / -raise thee as being of myself, or having anything of mine own, or rather

being anothers

>=" Thou art all things, and there is nothing else thou art not"

>>" Thou art Thou, all that is made, and all that is not made"

>'" The Mind that understandeth"

>&" The 2ather that Maketh and 2rameth"

>K" The Good that $orketh"

>" The Good that doth all Things"

>" f the Matter, the most subtle and slender -art is Air, of the Air the ?oul, of the ?oul the Mind,

of the Mind God"


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The ?i:th *ook called NThat in God alone is GoodN

%" Good, Ascle-ius, is in nothing but in God alone5 or rather God himself is the Good always"

" ne thing is the *eginning of all things, for it giveth all things5 and when / name the Good, /

mean that which is altogether and always Good"

'" This is -resent to none, but God alone5 for he wanteth nothing, that he should desire to have it,

nor can anything be taken from him5 the loss whereof may grieve him5 for sorrow is a -art of

evilness"

&" 9othing is stronger than he, that he should be o--osed by it5 nor nothing e.ual to him, that he

should be in love with it5 nothing unheard of, to be angry, with nothing wiser to be envious at"

K" And none of these being in his !ssence, what remains, but only the Good

" 2or as in this, being such an !ssence, there is none of the evils5 so in none of the other things

shall the Good be found"

" 2or in all other things, are all those other things" as well in the small as the great 5 and as well in

the -articulars as in this living 7reature the greater and mightiest of all"

%(" 2or all things that are made or generated are full of Passion, Generation itself being a Passion 5

and where Passion is there is not the Good5 where the Good is, there is no Passion5 where it is day,

it is not night, and where it is night, it is not day"

%%" $herefore it is im-ossible, that in Generation should be the Good, but only in that which is not

generated or made"

%


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being on every side encom-assed and coarcted with evilness, and labours, and griefs, and desires,

and wrath, and deceits, and foolish o-inions"

%" And in that which is the worst of all, Ascle-ius, every one of the forenamed things, is here

believed to be the greatest good, es-ecially that su-reme mischief the -leasures of the *elly, and

the ring6leader of all evils5 !rror is here the absence of the Good"

%" And / give thanks unto God, that concerning the knowledge of Good, -ut this assurance in my

mind, that it is im-ossible it should be in the $orld"


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The ?eventh *ook His ?ecret ?ermon in the Mount f #egeneration, and the Profession of?ilence

To His ?on Tat"

%" Tat" /n the general ?-eeches, 2ather, discoursing of the Divinity, thou s-eakest enigmatically,

and didst not clearly reveal thyself, saying, That no man can be saved before #egeneration"

" Hermes" ?on, this $isdom is to be understood in silence, and the ?eed is the true Good"

'" Tat" $ho soweth it, 2ather, for / am utterly ignorant and doubtful"

&" Hermes" The $ill of God, ?on"

K" And what manner of Man is he that is thus born for in this -oint, / am clean de-rived of the

!ssence that understandeth in me"

" Hermes" The ?on of God will be another, God made the universe, that in everything consisteth of

all -owers"

" Tat" Thou tellest me a #iddle, 2ather, and dost not s-eak as a 2ather to his ?on"

%(" Hermes" ?on, things of this kind are not taught, but are by God, when he -leaseth, brought to

remembrance"

%%" Tat" Thou s-eakest of things strained, or far fetched, and im-ossible, 2ather5 and therefore / will

directly contradict them"

%


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%&" Thou seest, ?on, with thine eyes5 but though thou look never so steadfastly u-on me, with the

*ody, and bodily sight, thou canst not see, nor understand what / am now"

%K" Tat" Thou hast driven me, 2ather, into no small fury and distraction of mind, for / do not now

see my self"

%" Hermes" / would, ?on, that thou also wert gone out of thyself, like them that dream in theirslee-"

%" Tat" Then tell me this, who is the Author and Maker of #egeneration


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==" And they do not suddenly, or easily de-art from him, that hath obtained mercy of God5 and

herein consists, both the manner and the reason of #egeneration"

=>" 2or the rest, ?on, hold thy -eace, and -raise God in silence, and by that means, the mercy of

God will not cease, or be wanting unto us"

='" Therefore re+oice, my ?on, from henceforward, being -urged by the -owers of God, to the;nowledge of the Truth"

=&" 2or the revelation of God is come to us, and when that came all /gnorance was cast out"

=K" The knowledge of )oy is come unto us, and when that comes,?orrow shall Fyaway to them that

are ca-able of it"

=" / call unto )oy, the -ower of Tem-erance, a -ower whose irtue is most sweet5 Let us take her

unto ourselves, ?on, most willingly, for how at her coming hath she -ut away /ntem-erance"

=" 9ow / call the fourth, 7ontinence, the -ower which is over 7oncu-iscence" This, ?on, is the

stable and rm foundation of )ustice"

>(" 2or see, how without labour, she hath chased away in+ustice5 and we are +ustied, ?on, when

/n+ustice is away"

>%" The si:th irtue which comes into us, / call 7ommunion, which is against 7ovetousness"

>=" ?ee, ?on, how the Good is fullled by the access of Truth5 for by this mean, !nvy is gone from

us5 for Truth is accom-anied with the Good, together also with Life and Light"

>>" And there came no more any torment of Darkness, but being overcome, they are all Fed awaysuddenly, and tumultuarily"

>'" Thou hast understood, ?on, the manner of #egeneration5 for u-on the coming of these Ten,

the /ntellectual Generation is -erfected, and then it driveth away the twelve5 and we have seen it in

the Generation itself"

>&" $hosoever therefore hath of Mercy obtained this Generation which is according to God, he

leaving all bodily sense, knoweth himself to consist of divine things, and re+oiceth, being made by

God stable and immutable"

>K" Tat" 2ather, / conceive and understand, not by the sight of mine eyes, but by the /ntellectual

-eration, which is by the Powers" / am in Heaven, in the !arth, in the $ater, in the Air, / am in

living 7reatures, in the Plants, in the $omb, everywhere"

>" Qet tell me further, this one thing, How are the torments of Darkness, being in number Twelve,

driven away and e:-elled by the Ten -owers" $hat is the manner of it, Trismegistus

>" Hermes" This Tabernacle, ?on, consists of the odiacal 7ircle5 and this consisting of twelve

numbers, the /dea of one5 but all formed 9ature admit of divers 7on+ugations to the deceiving of

Man"


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'(" And though they be diJerent in themselves, yet are they united in -ractice 0as for e:am-le,

#ashness is inse-arable from Anger1 and they are also indeterminate@ Therefore with good #eason,

do they make their de-arture, being driven away by the Ten -owers5 that is to say, *y the dead"

'%" 2or the number of Ten, ?on, is the *egetter of ?ouls" And there Life and Light are united,

where the number of Cnity is born of the ?-irit"

'" Hermes" This is #egeneration, ?on, that we should not any longer : our imagination u-on

this *ody, sub+ect to the three dimensions, according to this ?-eech which we have now

commented" That we may not at all calumniate the Cniverse"

''" Tat" Tell me, 2ather, This *ody that consists of Powers shall it ever admit of any Dissolution

'&" Hermes" Good words, ?on, and s-eak not things im-ossible5 for so thou shalt sin, and the eye of

thy mind grow wicked"

'K" The sensible *ody of 9ature is far from the !ssential Generation5 for that is sub+ect to

Dissolution, but this not5 and that is mortal, but this immortal" Dost thou not know that thou art

born a God and the ?on of the ne, as / am"

'" Tat" How fain would /, 2ather, hear that -raise given by a Hymn, which thou saidst, thou

heardst from the Powers when / was in the ctonary"

'" Hermes" As Pymander said by way of racle to the ctonary, Thou dost well, ?on, to desire

the ?olution of the Tabernacle, for thou art -uried"

&(" Pymander, the Mind of absolute Power and Authority, hath delivered no more unto me, than

those that are written5 knowing that of myself, / can understand all things, and hear, and see what /will" And he commanded me to do those things that are good5 and therefore all the Powers that are

in me sing"

&%" Tat" / would hear thee, 2ather, and understand these things"

&


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&&" *e o-ened, !arth, and let all the Treasure of the #ain be o-ened"

&K" Qou Trees tremble not, for / will sing and -raise the Lord of the 7reation, and the All and the ne"

&" *e o-ened you Heavens, ye $inds stand still, and let the /mmortal 7ircle of God receive these

words"

&" 2or / will sing, and -raise him that created all things, that :ed the !arth, and hung u- the

Heavens, and commanded the sweet $ater to come out of the cean5 into all the $orld inhabited,

and not inhabited, to the use and nourishment of all things, or men"

K(" That commanded the re to shine for very action, both to Gods and Men"

K%" Let us altogether give him blessing, which rideth u-on the Heavens, the 7reator of all 9ature"

K" ?ing together with my $ill, all you Powers that are in me"

K'" Holy ;nowledge, being enlightened by thee, / magnify the intelligible Light, and re+oice in the

)oy of the Mind"

K&" All my Powers sing -raise with me, and thou my 7ontinence, sing -raise my #ighteousness by

me5 -raise that which is righteous"

KK" 7ommunion which is in me, -raise the All"

K" *y me the Truth sings -raise to the Truth, the Good -raiseth the Good"

K" Life, Light from us, unto you comes this -raise and thanksgiving"

(" / give thanks unto thee, 2ather, the o-eration or act of my Powers"

%" / give thanks unto thee, God, the -ower of my o-erations"

" All, receive a reasonable ?acrice from all things"

'" Life, save all that is in us@ Light enlighten, God the ?-irit5 for the Mind guideth or feedeth

the $ord 5 ?-irit bearing $orkman"

&" Thou art God, thy Man crieth these things unto thee through by the 2ire, by the Air, by the

!arth, by the $ater, by the ?-irit, by thy 7reatures"

K" 2rom eternity / have found 0means to1 bless and -raise thee, and / have what / seek, for / rest in

thy $ill"


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" Tat" 2ather, / see thou hast sung this ?ong of -raise and blessing with thy whole $ill5 and

therefore have / -ut and -laced it in my $orld"

" Hermes" ?ay in thy intelligible $orld, ?on"

(" Tat" / do mean in my /ntelligible $orld, for by thy Hymn and ?ong of Praise my mind is

enlightened@ and gladly would / send from my Cnderstanding a Thanksgiving unto God"

%" Hermes" 9ot rashly, ?on"

" God, Thou art the 2ather, Thou art the Lord, Thou art the Mind, acce-t these reasonable

?acrices which Thou re.uirest of Me"

'" 2or all things are done as the Mind willeth"

&" Thou, ?on, send this acce-table ?acrice to God, the 2ather of all things5 but -ro-ound it also,

?on, by $ord"

K" Tat" / thank thee, 2ather, thou hast advised and instructed me thus to give -raise and thanks"

" Hermes" / am glad, ?on, to see the Truth bring forth the 2ruits of Good things, and such

immortal branches"

" And learn this of me@ Above all other virtues entertain ?ilence, and im-art unto no man, ?on,

the tradition of #egeneration, lest we be re-uted 7alumniators5 2or we both have now suciently

meditated, / in s-eaking, thou in hearing" And now thou dost intellectually know thyself and our

2ather"

The !ighth *ook That The Greatest !vil /n Man, /s The 9ot ;nowing God

%" $hither are you carried, Men, drunken with drinking u- the strong $ine of /gnorance which

seeing you cannot bear@ $hy do you not vomit it u- again

" ?uJer not yourselves to be carried with the great stream, but stem the tide, you that can lay hold

of the Haven of ?afety, and make your full course towards it"


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'" ?eek one that may lead you by the hand, and conduct you to the door of Truth and ;nowledge,

where the clear Light is that is -ure from Darkness, where there is not one drunken, but all are

sober and in their heart look u- to him, whose -leasure it is to be seen"

&" 2or he cannot be heard with ears, nor seen with eyes, nor e:-ressed in words5 but only in mind

and heart"

K" *ut rst thou must tear to -ieces and break through the garment thou wearest5 the web of

/gnorance, the foundation of all Mischief5 the bond of 7orru-tion 5 the dark 7overture5 the living

Death 5 the sensible 7arcass, the ?e-ulchre, carried about with us5 the domestical Thief which in

what he loves us, hates us, envies us"

" ?uch is the hurtful A--arel, wherewith thou art clothed, which draws and -ulls thee downward by

its own self5 lest looking u-, and seeing the beauty of Truth, and the Good that is re-osed therein,

thou shouldst hate the wickedness of this garment, and understand the tra-s and ambushes, which

it hath laid for thee"

" Therefore doth it labour to make good those things that seem and are by the ?enses, +udged and

determined5 and the things that are truly, it hides, and envelo-eth in such matter, lling what it-resents unto thee, with hateful -leasure, that thou canst neither hear what thou shouldst hear, nor

see what thou shouldst see"


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The 9inth *ook A Cniversal ?ermon to Ascle-ius

%" Hermes" All that is moved, Ascle-ius, is it not moved in some thing, and by some thing


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(" 2or an inanimated *ody, doth not know, much less a *ody if it be wholly inanimate"


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>%" Ascle-ius" $hat meaneth thou by this, Trismegistus, $ood and ?tones, and all other

inanimate things, are they not moving *odies

>&" *e advised, Ascle-ius, for of all the things that are, there is nothing em-ty, only that which is

not, is em-ty and a stranger to e:istence or being"

>K" *ut that which is, could not be if it were not full of e:istence, for that which is in being or

e:istence can never be made em-ty"

>" Ascle-ius" Are there not therefore some things that are em-ty, Trismegistus, as an em-ty

*arrel, an em-ty Hogshead, an em-ty $ell, an em-ty $ine6 Press, and many such like

>" Hermes" the grossness of thy !rror, Ascle-ius, those things that are most full and

re-lenished, dost thou account them void and em-ty"

'(" Ascle-ius" $hat may be thy meaning, Trismegistus

'%" Hermes" /s not the Air a *ody

'


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'" $hereof the Good, the Truth, the Archety-al Light, the Archety-e of the ?oul, are as it were

*eams"

&(" Ascle-ius" $hy then, what is God

&%" Hermes" That which is none of these things, yet is, and is the cause of *eing to all5 and every

one of the things that are5 for he left nothing destitute of *eing"

&" Hermes" God is not a Mind, but the 7ause that the Mind is5 not a ?-irit, but the 7ause that the

?-irit is5 not Light, but the 7ause that Light is"

&'" Therefore we must worshi- God by these two A--ellations which are -ro-er to him alone, and to

no other

&&" 2or neither of all the other, which are called Gods, nor of Men, nor Demons, or Angels, can

anyone be, though never so little, good, save only God alone"

&K" And this He is, and nothing else5 but all other things are se-arable from the nature of Good"

&" 2or the *ody and the ?oul have no -lace that is ca-able of or can contain the Good"

&" 2or the greatness of Good, is as great as the !:istence of all things, that are both bodily and

Cnbodily, both sensible and intelligible"

K(" This is the Good, even God"

K%" ?ee therefore that thou do not at any time, call ought else Good, for so thou shalt be im-ious, or

any else God, but only the Good, for so thou shalt again be im-ious"

K" 2or there is one 9ature of God, even the Good, and one kind of them both, from whence are all

kinds"

K'" 2or he that is Good, is the giver of all things, and takes nothing and therefore God gives all

things and receives nothing"

K&" The other title and a--ellation, is the 2ather, because of his making all things5 for it is the -art

of a 2ather to make"

KK" Therefore it bath been the greatest and most #eligious care in this life, to them that are wise,

and well6minded, to beget children"


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K" As likewise it is the greatest misfortune and im-iety for any to be se-arated from men, without

children5 and this man is -unished after death by the Demons, and the -unishment is this, To have

the ?oul of this childless man, ad+udged and condemned to a *ody, that neither bath the nature of

a man, nor of a woman, which is an accursed thing under the ?un"

K" Therefore, Ascle-ius, never congratulate any man that is childless5 but on the contrary, -ity

his misfortune, knowing what -unishment abides, and is -re-ared for him"

(" Let so many, and such manner of things, Ascle-ius, be said as a certain -recognition of all

things in 9ature"

The Tenth *ook The Mind to Hermes

%" 2orbear thy s-eech, Hermes Trismegistus, and call to mind those things that are said@ but / will

not delay to s-eak what comes into my mind, since many men have s-oken many things, and thosevery diJerent, concerning the Cniverse and Good5 but / have not learned the Truth"

" God and all"

'" God, !ternity, the $orld, Time, Generation,

&" God made !ternity, !ternity the $orld5 the $orld Time, and Time Generation"

K" f God, as it were the ?ubstance, is the Good, the 2air, *lessedness, $isdom"

" f !ternity, /dentity, or ?elfness"

" f the $orld, rder"

%(" f Time, 7hange"

%%" f Generation, Life, and Death"

%


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%" The $orld in !ternity"

%" Time in the $orld"

(" And above in Heaven he abides in /dentity or ?elfness, but below u-on !arth he changeth

Generation"

>%" !ternity com-rehendeth the $orld, either by 9ecessity, or Providence, or 9ature"


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>=" *ut the o-eration or Act of God, is -ower insu-erable, to which none may com-are anything,

either Human or Divine"

>>" Therefore, Hermes, think none of these things below, or the things above, in any wise like

unto God, for if thou dost thou errest from the Truth"

>'" 2or nothing can be like the unlike, and only and ne5 nor mayest thou think, that he bath given

of his Power to any other thing"

>&" 2or who after him can make anything, either of Life, or /mmortality5 of 7hange or of Buality, and

himself what other thing should he make"

>K" 2or God is not idle, for then all things would be idle 5 for all things are full of God"

>" *ut there is not anywhere in the world such a thing as /dleness5 for /dleness is a name that

im-lieth a thing void or em-ty, both of a Doer and a thing done"

>" *ut all things must necessarily be made or done both always and according to the nature ofevery -lace"

'(" 2or he that maketh or doth, is in all things, yet not fastened or com-rehended in anything, nor

making or doing one thing, but all things"

'%" 2or being an active or o-erating Power and sucient of himself for the things that are made,

and the things that are made are under him"

'" ?ee also the seven $orlds set over us, adorned with an everlasting rder, and lling !ternity,

with a diJerent course"

''" 2or all things are full of Light, but the 2ire is nowhere"

'&" 2or the friendshi- and commi:ture of contraries and unlike, became Light shining from the Act

or -eration of God, the 2ather of all Good, the Prince of all rder, and the #uler of the seven

$orlds"

'K" Look also u-on the Moon, the forerunner of them all, the /nstrument of 9ature, and which

changeth the Matter here below"

'" *ehold the !arth, the middle of the whole, the rm and stable 2oundation of the 2air $orld, the

2eeder and 9urse of !arthly things"

'" 7onsider moreover, how great the multitude is of immortal living things, and of mortal ones

also5 and see the Moon going about in the midst of both, to wit, of things immortal and mortal"


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&(" *ut all things are full of ?oul, and all things are -ro-erly moved by it5 some things about the

Heaven, and some things about the !arth, and neither of those on the right hand to the left5 nor

those on the left hand to the right5 nor those things that are above, downward5 nor those things

that are below, u-wards"

&%" And that all these things are made, beloved Hermes, thou needst not learn of me"

&" Therefore there must be some such ones, and he altogether ne"

&'" 2or seeing that the motions are divers, and many, and the *odies not alike, and yet one ordered

swiftness among them all5 /t is im-ossible there should be two or more Makers"

&&" 2or one order is not ke-t by many"

&K" *ut in the weaker, there would be +ealousy of the stronger and thence also 7ontentions"

&" And if there were one Maker of mutable and mortal living wight 3a creature4s, he would desire

also to make immortal ones, as he that were the Maker of immortal ones, would do to make mortal"

&" Moreover also, if there were two, the Matter being one, who should be chief, or have the

dis-osing of the facture

K(" r if both of them, which of them the greater -art

K%" *ut think thus that every living *ody bath its consistence of Matter and ?oul5 and of that which

is immortal, and that which is mortal, and unreasonable"

K" How then are mortal wight 3a creature4s, other from immortal

K'" r how cannot he make living wight 3a creature4s that causeth immortal things and

immortality

K&" That there is some *ody that doth these things it is a--arent, and that he is also one, it is most

manifest"

KK" 2or there is one ?oul, one Life and one Matter"

K" $ho is this $ho can it be other than the ne God"

K" 2or whom else can it benet, to make living things, save only God alone

(" There is therefore one God"


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%" 2or it is a ridiculous thing to confess the $orld to be, one ?un, one Moon, one Divinity5 and yet

to have / know not how many gods"

" 2or thou both seest, s-eakest and hearest, smellest, tastest, and touchest, walkest,

understandest, and breathest"

'" And it is not one that seeth, and another that heareth, and another that s-eaketh, and another

that toucheth, and another that smelleth, and another that walketh, and another that

understandeth, and another that breatheth, but ne that doth all these things"

&" Qet neither can these things -ossibly be without God"

K" 2or as thou, if thou shouldst cease from doing these things, were not a living wight 3a creature45

so if God should cease from those, he were not 0which is not lawful to say1 any longer God"

" 2or if it be already demonstrated, that nothing can be idle or em-ty, how much more may be

armed of God

" 2or if there be any thing which he doth not do, then is he 0if it were lawful to say so1 im-erfect"

(" $hereas feeling he is not idle, but -erfect, certainly he doth all things"

%" 9ow give thy self unto me, Hermes, for a little while thou shalt the more easily understand,

that it is the necessary work of God that all things should be made or done, that are done, or were

once done, or shall be done"

" And this is the Good"

'" And this is God"

&" And if thou wilt understand this by work also, mark what ha--ens to thy self, when thou wilt

generate"

K" And yet this is not like unto him5 for he is not sensible of -leasure, for neither hath he any other

2ellow6workman"

" *ut being himself the only $orkman he is always in the $ork, himself being that which he doth

or maketh"

" 2or all things, if they were se-arated from him, must needs fall and die, as there being no life in

them"


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%((" And again, if all things be living wight 3a creature4s, both which are in Heaven, and u-on !arth5

and that there be one Life in all things which are made by God, and that is God, then certainly all

things are made, or done by God"

%(%" Life is the union of the Mind and the ?oul"

%(" *ut the -eo-le say, That changing is Death, because the *ody is dissolved, and the Life goeth

into that which a--eareth not"

%('" *y this discourse, my dearest Hermes, / arm as thou hearest, That the $orld is changed,

because every day -art thereof becomes invisible 5 but that it is never dissolved"

%(&" And these are the Passions of the $orld, #evolutions and ccultations, and #evolution is a

turning, but ccultation is #enovation"

%(K" And the $orld being all formed, bath not the forms lying without it, but itself changeth in itself"

%(" ?eeing then the $orld is all formed, what must he be that made it for without form he cannot

be"

%(" And if he be all formed, he will be ke-t like the $orld, but if he have but one form, he shall be

in this regard less then the $orld"

%%(" $hat do we then say that he is we will not raise any doubts by our s-eech5 for nothing that is

doubtful concerning God, is yet known"

%%%" He hath therefore one /dea which is -ro-er to him, which because it is unbodily is not sub+ect

to the sight, and yet shows all forms by the *odies"

%%" *ut understand well this that / say, more boldly, for it is more true5 As a man cannot live

without life, so neither can God live, not doing good"

%%'" 2or this is, as it were, the Life and Motion of God, to move all things, and .uicken them"

%%&" *ut some of the things / have said, must have a -articular e:-lication5 Cnderstand then what /

say"

%%K" All things are in God, not as lying in a -lace5 for Place is both a *ody, and unmoveable, and

those things that are there -laced, have no motion"

%%" 2or they lie otherwise in that which is unbodily, than in the fantasy or to a--earance"


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%%" 7onsider him that contains all things, and understand, that nothing is more ca-acious, than

that which is incor-oreal, nothing more swift, nothing more -owerful, but it is most ca-acious, most

swift and most strong"

%


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%=>" 2or there is nothing which is not the /mage of God"

%='" And yet thou sayest, God is invisible, but be advised, for who is more manifest than He"

%=&" 2or therefore hath he made all things, that thou by all things mayest see him"

%=K" This is the Good of God, this is his irtue, to a--ear, and to be seen in all things"

%=" There is nothing invisible, no, not of those things that are incor-oreal"

%=" The Mind is seen in Cnderstanding, and God is seen in doing or making"

%>(" Let these things thus far forth, be made manifest unto thee, Trismegistus"

%>%" Cnderstand in like manner, all other things by thy self, and thou shalt not be deceived"


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The !leventh *ook f the 7ommon Mind to Tat

%" The Mind, Tat, is of the very !ssence of God, if yet there be any !ssence of God"

" And this mind in men, is God, and therefore are some men Divine, and their Humanity is near

Divinity"

'" 2or the good Demon called the Gods immortal men, and men mortal Gods"

&" *ut in the brute *easts, or unreasonable living wight 3a creature4s, the Mind is their 9ature"

K" 2or where there is a ?oul, there is the Mind, as where there is Life, there is also a ?oul"

" /n living 7reatures therefore, that are without #eason, the ?oul is Life, void of the o-erations of

the Mind"

" 2or the Mind is the *enefactor of the ?ouls of men, and worketh to the -ro-er Good"

%(" And in unreasonable things it co6o-erateth with the 9ature of everyone of them, but in men it

worketh against their 9atures"

%%" 2or the ?oul being in the *ody, is straightway made !vil by ?orrow, and Grief and Pleasure or

Delight"

%" As a good Physician grieveth the *ody, -re-ossessed of a disease, by burning or lancing it for

healths sake"

%'" After the same manner also, the Mind grieveth the ?oul, by drawing it out of Pleasure, from

whence every disease of the ?oul -roceedeth"

%&" *ut the great Disease of the ?oul is Atheism because that o-inion followeth to all !vil and no

Good"

%K" Therefore the Mind resisting it -rocureth Good to the ?oul, as a Physician health to the *ody"

%" *ut as many ?ouls of Men, as do not admit or entertain the Mind for their Governor, do suJer

the same thing that the ?oul of unreasonable living things"

%" 2or the ?oul being a 7o6o-erator with them, -ermits or leaves them to their concu-iscences,

whereunto they are carried by the torrent of their A--etite, and so tend to brutishness"


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=" Therefore a good Mind, is that which the ?oul of him is"

>(" And if this be so, then no intelligible thing diJers from intelligible things"

>%" As therefore it is -ossible, that the Mind, the Prince of all things5 so likewise, that the ?oul that is

of God, can do whatsoever it will"

>=" 2irst, if, ?on, thou shalt diligently withdraw thy self from all 7ontentious s-eeches, thou shalt

nd that in Truth, the Mind, the ?oul of God bears rule over all things, both over 2ate and Law and

all other things"

>>" And nothing is im-ossible to him, no not of the things that are of 2ate"

>'" Therefore, though the ?oul of man be above it, let it not neglect the things that ha--en to be

under 2ate"

>&" And these thus far, were the e:cellent sayings of the good Demon"

>K" Tat" Most divinely s-oken, 2ather, and truly and -rotably, yet clear this one thing unto me

>" Thou sayest, that in brute *easts the Mind worketh or acteth after the manner of 9ature, co6

o-erating also with their 0im-etus1 inclinations"

>" 9ow the im-etuous inclinations of brute *easts, as / conceive, are Passions" /f therefore the

Mind do co6o-erate with these im-etuous /nclinations, and that they are the Passions in brute

*easts, certainly the Mind is also a Passion, conforming itself to Passions"

'(" Hermes" $ell done, ?on, thou askest nobly, and yet it is +ust that / should answer thee"

'%" All incor-oreal things, ?on, that are in the *ody, are -ossible, nay, they are -ro-erly Passions"

'


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&(" Hermes" 7onsider this also, ?on, That God hath freely bestowed u-on man, above all other

living things, these two, to wit, Mind and ?-eech, or #eason, e.ual to immortality"

&%" These if any man use, or em-loy u-on what he ought, he shall diJer nothing from the

/mmortals"

&" Hermes" 9o, ?on, but only oice5 now ?-eech and oice do diJer e:ceeding much5 for ?-eech is

common to all men, but oice is -ro-er unto every kind of living thing"

&'" Tat" Qea, but the ?-eech of men is diJerent" 2ather, every man according to his 9ation"

&&" Hermes" /t is true, ?on, they do diJer@ Qet as man is one, so is ?-eech one also5 and it is

inter-reted and found the same, both in !gy-t, Persia, and Greece"

&K" *ut thou seemest unto me, ?on, to be ignorant of the irtue, or Power, and Greatness of?-eech"

&" 2or the blessed God, the good Demon said or commanded the ?oul to be in the *ody, the Mind,

in the ?oul, the $ord, or ?-eech, or #eason in the Mind, and the Mind in God, and that God is the

2ather of them all"

&" Therefore the $ord is the /mage of the Mind, and the Mind of God, and the *ody of the /dea,

and the /dea of the ?oul"

K(" Therefore of the Matter, the subtlest or smallest -art is Air, of the Air the ?oul, of the ?oul the

Mind, of the Mind God"

K%" And God is about all things, and through all things, but the Mind about the ?oul, the ?oul about

the Air, and the Air about the Matter"

K" *ut of the *odies of the whole, or universe, every one is many things"

K'@ 2or the *odies that are -ut together, and that have, and make their changes into other, having

this /dentity, do always save and -reserve the uncorru-tion of the /dentity"

K&" *ut in every one of the com-ound *odies, there is a number"

KK" 2or without number it is im-ossible there should be consistence or constitution, or com-osition,

or dissolution"

K" *ut Cnities do both beget and increase 9umbers, and again being dissolved, come into

themselves"


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K" And the Matter is ne"

(" *ut this whole $orld, the great God, and the /mage of the Greater, and united unto him, and

conserving the rder and $ill of the 2ather, is the fulness of Life"

%" And there is nothing therein, through all the !ternity of the #evolutions, neither of the whole,

nor of the -arts which cloth not live"

, How therefore, ?on, can there be in God, in the /mage of the Cniverse, in the fulness of Life,

any dead things

'" 2or dying is corru-tion, and corru-tion is destruction"

&" How then can any -art of the incorru-tible be corru-ted, or of God be destroyed

K" Tat" Therefore, 2ather, do not the living things in the $orld die, though they be -arts thereof"

" Hermes" *e wary in thy ?-eech, ?on, and not deceived in the names of things"

" 2or they do not die, ?on, but as com-ound *odies they are dissolved"

(" *ut dissolution is not death5 and they are dissolved, not that they may be destroyed, but that

they may be made new"

%" Tat" $hat then is the o-eration of Life /s it not Motion


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%(%" Qet nothing is corru-ted or destroyed, and .uite abolished but the names trouble men"

%(


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%%" Hermes" The Matter, ?on, what is it without God, that thou shouldst ascribe a -ro-er -lace to

it

%" 2or it is neither 2ire, nor $ater, nor Air, nor $ind, but all these things are of him, for being Good,

he hath dedicated that name unto himself alone"

'" *ut he would also adorn the !arth, but with the rnament of a Divine *ody"

&" And he sent Man an /mmortal and a Mortal wight 3a creature4"

K" And Man had more than all living 7reatures, and the $orld, because of his ?-eech, and Mind"

" 2or Man became the s-ectator of the $orks of God, and wondered, and acknowledged the Maker"

" 2or he divided ?-eech among all men, but not Mind, and yet he envied not any, for !nvy comes

not thither, but is of abode here below in the ?ouls of men, that have not the Mind"

%(" Tat" *ut wherefore, 2ather, did not God distribute the Mind to all men

%%" *ecause it -leased him, ?on, to set that in the middle among all souls as a reward to strive

for"

%


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%=" Hermes" 2illing a large 7u- or *owl therewith, he sent it down, giving also a 7ryer or Proclaimer"

%>" And he commanded him to -roclaim these things to the souls of men"

%'" Di- and wash thyself, thou that art able, in this 7u- or *owl5 Thou that believethN, that thou

shalt return to him that sent this 7u-5 thou that acknowledgest whereunto thou were made"

%&" As many therefore as understood the Proclamation, and were ba-tised or dowsed into the Mind,

these were made -artakers of ;nowledge, and became -erfect men, receiving the Mind"

%K" *ut as many as missed of the Proclamation, they received ?-eech, but not Mind, being ignorant

whereunto they were made, or by whom"

%" *ut their senses are +ust like to brute *easts, and having their tem-er in Anger and $rath, they

do not admire the things worthy of looking on"

%" *ut wholly addicted to the -leasures and desires of the *odies, they believe that man was made

for them"


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manner also do these make Pom-s or Pageants in the $orld, being seduced by the -leasures of the

*ody"

==" These things being so, Tat, that things have been, and are so -lenteously ministered to us

from God5 let them -roceed also from us, without any scarcity or s-aring"

=>" 2or God is innocent or guiltless, but we are the causes of !vil, -referring them before the Good"

='" Thou seest, ?on, how many *odies we must go beyond, and how many choirs of Demons, and

what continuity and courses of ?tars, that we may make haste to the ne, and only God"

=&" 2or the Good is not to be transcended, it is unbounded and innite5 unto itself without

beginning, but unto us, seeming to have a beginning, even our knowledge of it"

=K" 2or our knowledge is not the beginning of it, but shows us the beginning of its being known unto

us"

=" Let us therefore lay hold of the beginning and we shall .uickly go through all things"

=" /t is indeed a dicult thing, to leave those things that are accustomable, and -resent, and turnus to those things that are ancient, and according to the original"

>(" 2or these things that a--ear, delight us, but make the things that a--ear not, hard to believe,

or the things that a--ear not, are hard to believe"

>/" The things most a--arent are !vil, but the Good is secret, or hid in, or to the things that a--ear

for it hath neither 2orm nor 2igure"

>=" 2or this is the diJerence between the like and the unlike, and the unlike wanteth alwayssomewhat of the like"

>>" 2or the Cnity, *eginning, and #oot of all things, as being the #oot and *eginning"

>'" 9othing is without a beginning, but the *eginning is of nothing, but of itself5 for it is the

*eginning of all other things"

>&" Therefore it is, seeing it is not from another beginning"

>K" Cnity therefore being the *eginning, containeth every number, but itself is contained of none,

and begetteth every number, itself being begotten of no other number"

>" !very thing that is begotten 0or made1 is im-erfect, and may be divided, increased, diminished"

>" *ut to the -erfect, there ha--eneth none of these"

'(" And that which is increased, is increased by Cnity, but is consumed and vanished through

weakness, being not able to receive the Cnity"


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'%" This /mage of God, have / described to thee, Tat, as well as / could5 which if thou do diligently

consider, and view by the eyes of thy mind, and heart, believe me, ?on, thou shalt nd the way to

the things above, or rather the /mage itself will lead thee"

'


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The Thirteenth *ook f ?ense and Cnderstanding

%" Qesterday, Ascle-ius, / delivered a -erfect Discourse5 but now / think it necessary, in suite of that,

to dis-ute also of ?ense"

" 2or in other living 7reatures, ?ense is united unto 9ature but in men to Cnderstanding"

'" *ut the Mind diJers from Cnderstanding, as much as God from Divinity"

&" 2or Divinity is from or under God, and Cnderstanding from the Mind, being the sister of the $ord

or ?-eech, and they the /nstruments one of another"

K" 2or6neither is the $ord -ronounced without Cnderstanding, neither is Cnderstanding manifested

without the $ord"

" Therefore ?ense and Cnderstanding do both Fow together into a man, as if they were infolded

one within another"

" 2or neither is it -ossible without ?ense to Cnderstand, nor can we have ?ense without

Cnderstanding"

%(" And yet it is -ossible 0for the Time being1 that the Cnderstanding may understand without

?ense, as they that fantasy isions in their Dreams"

%%" *ut it seems unto me, that both the o-erations are in the isions of Dreams, and that the ?ense

is stirred u- out of slee-, unto awaking"

%" 2or there is no -art of the $orld void of the Devil, which entering in -rivately, sowed the seed of

his own -ro-er o-eration5 and the Mind did make -regnant, or did bring forth that which was sown,

Adulteries, Murders, ?triking of Parents, ?acrileges, /m-ieties, ?tranglings, throwing down headlong,

and all other things which are the works of evil Demons"

%'" And the ?eeds of God are few but Great, and 2air, and Good, irtue and Tem-erance, and Piety"

/&" And the Piety is the ;nowledge of God, whom whosoever knoweth being full of all good things,

hath Divine Cnderstanding and not like the Many"

%K" And therefore they that have that ;nowledge neither -lease the multitude, nor the multitude

them, but they seem to be mad, and to move laughter, hated and des-ised, and many times also

murdered"

%" 2or we have already said, That wickedness must dwell here, being in her own region"


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=" And the swiftness of the Motion of the $orld, makes the varieties of the Bualities of Generation,

for the s-iration or inFuence, being most fre.uent, e:tendeth unto the *odies .ualities with one

fulness, which is of Life"

=" Therefore, God is the 2ather of the $orld, but the $orld is the 2ather of things in the $orld"

>(" And the $orld is the ?on of God, but things in the $orld are the ?ons of the $orld"

>%" And therefore it is well called the $orld, that is an rnament, because it adorneth and

beautieth all things with the variety of Generation, and indeciency of Life, which the

unweariedness of -eration, and the swiftness of 9ecessity with the mingling of !lements, and the

order of things done"

>=" 2or of all living things, both the ?ense and the Cnderstanding, cometh into them from without,

ins-ired by that which com-asseth them about, and continueth them"

>>" And the $orld receiving it once from God as soon as it was made, hath it still, $hat !ver it nce

Had"

>'" *ut God is not as it seems to some who *las-heme through su-erstition, without ?ense, and

without Mind, or Cnderstanding"

>&" 2or all things that are, Ascle-ius, are in God, and made by him, and de-end of him, some

working by *odies, some moving by a ?oul6like !ssence, some .uickening by a ?-irit, and some

receiving the things that are weary, and all very tly"

>K" r rather, / say, that he hath them not, but / declare the Truth, He is All Things, not receiving

them from without, but e:hibiting them outwardly"

>" And this is the ?ense and Cnderstanding of God, to move all things always"

>" And there never shall be any time, when any of those things that are, shall fail or be wanting"

'(" $hen / say the things that are, / mean God, for the things that are, God hath5 and neither is

there anything without him, nor he without anything"

'%" These things, Ascle-ius, will a--ear to be true, if thou understand them, but if thou

understand them not, incredible"

'" To them, therefore, that understand the things that have been said of God, they are credible,

but to them that understand them not, incredible"

''" And let these, and thus many things be s-oken concerning Cnderstanding and ?ense"


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The 2ourteenth *ook f -eration and ?ense

%" Tat" Thou hast well e:-lained these things, 2ather@ Teach me furthermore these things5 for thou

sayest, that ?cience and Art were the -erations of the rational, but now thou sayest that *easts

are unreasonable, and for want of reason, both are, and are called *rutes5 so that by this #eason, it

must needs follow, that unreasonable 7reatures -artake not of ?cience, or Art, because they come

short of #eason"

" These things they do, ?on, not by ?cience or Art, but by 9ature5 for ?cience or Art are things

that are taught, but none of these brute *easts are taught any of these things"

'" *ut these things being 9atural unto them, are wrought by 9ature, whereas Art and ?cience do

not ha--en unto all, but unto some"

&" As men are Musicians, but not all5 neither are all Archers or Huntsmen, or the rest, but some of

them have learned something by the working of ?cience or Art"

K" After the same manner also, if some Pismires did so, and some not, thou mightest well say, they

gather their food according to ?cience and Art"

" *ut seeing they are all led by 9ature, to the same thing, even against their wills, it is manifest

they do not do it by ?cience or Art"

" 2or -erations, Tat, being unbodily, are in *odies, and work by *odies"

%(" $herefore, Tat, in as much as they are unbodily, thou must needs say they are immortal"

%%" *ut in as much as they cannot act without *odies, / say, they are always in a *ody"

%" And by this reason, it follows, that the *odies also are always, because / arm@ That this

cor-oriety is always by the Act and -eration, or for them"

%'" 2or although earthly bodies be sub+ect to dissolution5 yet these bodies must be the Places, andthe rgans, and /nstruments of Acts or -erations"

%&" *ut Acts or -erations are immortal, and that which is immortal, is always in Act, and therefore

also 7or-orication if it be always"

%K" Acts or -erations do follow the ?oul, yet come not suddenly or -romiscuously, but some of

them come together with being made man, being about brutish or unreasonable things"


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%, *ut the -urer -erations do insensibly in the change of time, work with the obli.ue -art of the

?oul"

%" And these -erations de-end u-on *odies, and truly they that are 7or-orifying, come from the

Divine *odies into Mortal ones"


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='" Divine Acts or -erations therefore there be, and such as work or o-erate u-on their -ro-er

*odies, and these also are -erfect, and being u-on or in -erfect *odies"

=&" Particular are they which work by any of the living 7reatures"

=K" Pro-er, be they that work u-on any of the things that are"

=" *y this Discourse, therefore, ?on, it is gathered that all things are full of Acts or -erations"

=" 2or if necessarily they be in every *ody, and that there be many *odies in the $orld, / may very

well arm, that there be many other Acts or -erations"

>(" 2or many times in one *ody, there is one, and a second, and a third, besides these universal

ones that follow"

>%" And universal -erations, / call them that are indeed bodily, and are done by the ?enses and

Motions"

>=" *ut other -erations are -ro-er to the ?ouls of Men, by Arts, ?ciences, ?tudies, and Actions"

>>" The ?enses also follow these -erations, or rather are the eJects or -erfections of them"

>', Cnderstand therefore, ?on, the diJerence of -erations, it is sent from above"

>&" *ut sense being in the *ody, and having its essence from it, when it receiveth Act or -eration,

manifesteth it, making it as it were cor-oreal"

>K" Therefore, / say, that the ?enses are both cor-oreal and mortal, having so much e:istence as

the *ody, for they are born with the *ody, and die with it"

>" *ut mortal things themselves have not ?ense, as 9ot consisting of such an !ssence"

>" 2or ?ense can be no other than a cor-oreal a--rehension, either of evil or good that comes to

the *ody"

'(" *ut to !ternal *odies there is nothing comes, nothing de-arts5 therefore there is no sense in

them"

'%" Tat" Doth the ?ense therefore -erceive or a--rehend in every *ody"

'


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'K" *ut in living wight 3a creature4s there be two other -erations that follow the ?enses and

Passions, to wit, Grief and Pleasure"

'" And without these, it is im-ossible that a living wight 3a creature4, es-ecially a reasonable one,

should -erceive or a--rehend"

'" And therefore, / say, that these are the /deas of Passions that bear rule, es-ecially in reasonableliving wight 3a creature4s"

&(" The -erations work indeed, but the ?enses do declare and manifest the -erations, and they

being bodily, are moved by the brutish -arts of the ?oul therefore / say, they are both malecial or

doers of evil"

&%" 2or that which aJords the ?ense to re+oice with Pleasure is straightway the cause of many evils

ha--ening to him that suJers it"

&" Tat" /s not the ?oul incor-oreal, and the ?ense a *ody, 2ather or is it rather in the *ody"

&'" Hermes" /f we -ut it in a *ody, ?on, we shall make it like the ?oul or the -erations, for these

being unbodily, we say are in *odies"

&&" *ut ?ense is neither -eration, nor ?oul, nor anything else that belongs to the *ody, but as we

have said, and therefore it is not incor-oreal"

&K" And if it be not incor-oreal it must needs be a *ody5 for we always say, that of things that are,

some are *odies and some incor-oreal"

The 2ifteenth *ook f Truth to His ?on Tat

%" Hermes" f Truth, Tat, it is not -ossible that man being an im-erfect wight 3a creature4,

com-ounded of im-erfect Members, and having his Tabernacle consisting of diJerent and many

*odies, should s-eak with any condence"

" *ut our *odies consist of all these5 for they have of the 2ire, they have of the !arth, they have of

the $ater, and Air, and yet there is neither 2ire, nor !arth, nor $ater, nor Air, nor anything true"

'" And if at the *eginning our 7onstitution had not Truth, how could men either see the Truth, or

s-eak it, or understand it only, e:ce-t God would


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&" All things therefore u-on !arth, Tat, are not Truth, but imitations of the Truth, and yet not all

things neither, for they are but few that are so"

K" *ut the other things are 2alsehood, and Deceit, Tat, and -inions like the /mages of the fantasy

or a--earance"

" And when the fantasy hath an inFuence from above, then it is an imitation of Truth, but withoutthat o-eration from above, it is left a lie"

" And as an /mage shows the *ody described, and yet is not the *ody of that which is seen, as it

seems to be, and it is seen to have eyes, but it sees nothing, and ears, but hears nothing at all5 and

all other things hath the -icture, but they are false, deceiving the eyes of the beholder, whilst they

think they see the Truth, and yet they are indeed but lies"

%(" As many therefore as see not 2alsehood, see the Truth"

%%" /f therefore we do so understand, and see every one of these things as it is, then we see and

understand true things"

%" Hermes" Thou doth not miss the mark, ?on" Truth indeed is nowhere at all u-on !arth, T

the divine pymander of hermes mercurius trismegistus - mword.docx

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