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.Besides we shall see later that a reallyclear language is in the nature of things neither possible nor froman educational point of view to be recommended.Still the mystical purpose of the authors of those times whenthe precautionary measures were not necessary appears clearerunder the alchemistic clothing, although no general rule applyingto it can be set forth.Other reasons, e.g., intellectual and[170] conventional ones, influenced them to retain the symbolism.Very clearly mystical are the writings of a number of hermeticartists, who are permeated by the spiritual doctrine of JacobBoehme.This theosophist makes such full use of the alchemistic Section III.The Hermetic Art.131symbolism, that we find it wherever we open his writings.Iwill not even begin to quote him, but will only call the reader'sattention to his brief and beautifully thoughtful description of themystical process of moral perfection, which stands as Processus at the end of the 5th chapter of his book, De Signatura Rerum. (Ausg., Gichtel Col., 2218 f.)An anonymous author who has absorbed much of the Philosophicus Teutonicus, wrote the book, Amor Proximi, much valued by the amateurs of the high art.It does notrequire great penetration to recognize this pious manual, clothedthroughout in alchemistic garments, as a mystical work.Thesame is true of the formerly famous Wasserstein der Weisen (1st ed.appeared 1619), and similar books.Here are someillustrative pages from Amor Proximi : This [Symbol: water] [[Symbol: water] of life] is now thecreature not foreign or external but most intimate in every one,although hidden.See Christ is not outside of us, but intimatelywithin us, although hidden. (P.32.) Whoever is to work out a thing practically must first havea fundamental knowledge of a thing; in order that man shallmacrocosmically and magically work out the image of God, all [171]God's kingdom, in himself; he must have its right knowledge inhimself. (P.29.) Christ is the great Universal; [The Grand Mastery is alsocalled by the alchemists the universal ; it tinctures all metalsto gold and heals all diseases (universal medicine); there is asomewhat more circumscribed particular, which tinctures onlya special metal and cures only single diseases.] who says: Whoever will follow me and be my disciple (i.e., a particular ormember of my body), let him take up his [Symbol: cross] andfollow me. Thus one sees that all who desire to be members ofthe great universal must each partake according to the measureof his suffering and development as small specific remedies. (Pp.168 ff.) 132 Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arts Paracelsus, the monarch of Arcana, says that the stars aswell as the light of grace, nowhere work more willingly than ina fasting, pure, and free heart.As it is naturally true that thecoarse sand and ashes cannot be illumined by the sun, so the SUNof righteousness cannot illumine the old Adam.It is then thatthe sand and ashes [the old Adam] are melted in the [Symbol:fire] [of the [Symbol: cross]] again and again, that a pure glass[a newborn man] is made of it; so the [Symbol: gold/sol] caneasily shoot its rays into and through it and therefore illumine itand reveal the wonder of its wisdom.So man must be recast in[Symbol: cross] [Symbol: fire] [cross-fire], so that the rays ofboth lights can penetrate him; otherwise no one will become awise man. (P.96 ff.)[172] Beautiful expositions of alchemy that readily make manifestthe mystical content are found also in the English theosophistsPordage and his followers, in particular Jane Leade (both 17thcentury).Their language is clearer and more lucid than JacobBoehme's.Many passages appropriate to this topic might be herecited; but as I shall later take up Leade more fully, I quote onlyone passage from Pordage (Sophia, p.23): Accordingly and so that I should arrive at a fundamental andcomplete cleansing from all tares and earthiness.I gave overmy will entirely to its [wisdom's] fiery smelting furnace as toa fire of purification, till all my vain and chaff-like desires andthe tares of earthly lust had been burnt away as by fire, and allmy iron, tin and dross had been entirely melted in this furnace,so that I appeared in spirit as a pure gold, and could see a newheaven and a new earth created and formed within me. Out of all this, taken in conjunction with the following chapter,it will be evident and beyond question that our Parable must alsobe interpreted as a mystical introduction.[173] Section IV.Rosicrucianism And Freemasonry.The previous chapter has shown that there was ahigher alchemy it was furthermore regarded as the truealchemy which has the same relation to practical chemistrythat freemasonry has to practical masonry
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