The Divine Pymander/Book 1
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Hermes Trismegistus
his
First Book.
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O my Son, write this first Book, both for Humanity sake, and for Piety towards God.
2. For there can be no Religion more true or just, then to know the things that are; and to acknowledg thanks for all things, to him that made them, which thing I shall not cease continually to do.
3. What then should a man do, O Father, to lead his life well; seeing there is nothing here true?
4. Be Pious and Religious, O my Son; for he that doth so, is the best and highest Philosopher; and without Philosophy, it is impossible ever to attain to the height and exactness of Piety or Religion.
5. But he that shall learn and study the things that are, and how they are ordered and governed, and by whom, and for what cause, or to what end, will acknowledg thanks to the Workman, as to a good Father, an excellent Nurse, and a faithful Steward, and he that gives thanks shall be Pious or Religious, and he that is Religious shall know both where the truth is, and what it is, and learning that, he will be yet more and more Religious.
6. For never, O Son, shall, or can that Soul, which while it is in the Body lightens and lifts up it self to know and comprehend that which is Good and True, slide back to the contrary: For it is infinitely enamored thereof, and forgotteth all Evils; and when it hath learned and known its Father and Progenitor, can no more Apostatiſe or depart from that good.
7. And let this, O Son, be the end of Religion and Piety; whereunto when thou art once arrived, thou shalt both live well, and die blessedly, whilist thy soul is not ignorant whether it must return, and flie back again
8. In this only, O Son, is the way to the Truth, which our Progenitors travelled in; and by which, making their journey, they at length attained to the good. It is a Venerable way, and plain, but hard and difficult for the Soul to go in that is in the Body.
9. For first must it war against its own self, and after much Strife and Dissention, it must be overcome of one part, for the Contention is of one against two, whilist it flies away, and they shine to hold and attain it
10. But the victory of both is not like; for the one hasteth to that which is Good, but the other is a neighbor to the things that are Evil; and that which is Good; desireth to be set in Liberty; but the things that are Evil, love Bondage and Slavery.
11. And of the two fasts be overcome, they become quiet, and are content to accept of it as their Ruler, but if the one be overcome of the two, it is by them led and carried to be punished by its being and are content to accept of it as their Ruler, but if the one be overcome of the two, it is by them led and carried to be punished by its being and continuance here
12. This is, O Son, the guide in the way that leads higher; for thou must first forsake the Body before thy end, and get the victory in this Contention and Strifeful life and remember thou hast overcome, return.
13.But now O my Son, I will by Heads run through the things that are Understand thou what I say, and remember what thou hearest
14. All things that are are moved onely that which is not is unmoveable
15. Every Body is changeable
16. Not every body is dissolveable
17. Some Bodies are dissolveable
18. Every living thing is not mortal
19. Not every living thing is immortal
20. That which may be dissolved is also corruptible
21. That which abides always is unchangeable
22. That which is unchangeable is eternal
23. That which is made but once, is never corrupted neither becomes any other thing
25. First, God; Secondly, the World; Thirdly, Man.
26. The World for Man, Man for God
27. Of the Soul; that part which is Sensible is mortal, but that which is Reasonable is immortal.
28. Every Essence is immortal
29. Every Essence is unchangeable
30. Every thing that is, is double.
31. None of the things that are stand still
32. Not all things are moved by a Soul, but every thing that is Sensible suffereth.
33. Every thing that suffers is Sensible suffereth.
34. Every thing that is sad, rejoyceth also, and is a mortal living Creature
35. Not every thing that joyeth is also sad but is an eternal living thing.
36. Not every Body is sick every body that is sick is dissolveable
37. The Minde is God
38. Reasoning (or disputing, or discoursing) is Man.
39. Reason is the Minde
40. The Minde is voyd of suffering
41. No thing in a Body true.
42. All that is incorporeal is voyd of Lying
43. Every thing that is made is corruptible
44. Nothing good upon Earth, nothing evil in Heaven
45. God is good, Man is evil
46. Good is voluntary, or of it's own accord
47. Evil is involuntary, or against its will
48. The Gods choose good things, as good things
49. Time is a Divine thing
50. Law is Human
51. Malice is the Norraption of thaxx World
51. Time is the Corruption of Man
52. Whatsoever is in Heaven is unalterable
54. All upon Earth is alterable
55. Nothing in Heaven is servanted, nothing upon Earth free.
56. Nothing unknown in Heaven nothing known upon Earth
57. The things upon Earth commited not with those in Heaven
58. All things in Heaven are unblamable all things upon Earth are subject to Reprehension
59. That which is immortal is not mortal; that which is mortal, is not immortal.
60. That which is sown, is not always begotten but that which is begotten always, is sown
61. Of a dissolveable Body there are two Times, over from sowing to generation, one from generation to death
62. Of an everlasting Body, the time is only from the Generation.
63. Dissolveable Bodies are increased and diminished
64. Dissolveable matter is altered into contraries; to wit, Corruption and Generation, but Eternel matter into its self, and its like.
65. The Generation of Man is Corruption, the corruption of Man is the beginning of Generation
66. That which off-springs or begetteth another, is it self an off-spring or begotten by another
67. Of things that are, some are in Bodies, some in their Ideas
68. Whatsoever things belong to operation or working, are in a Body
69. That which is immortal partakes not of that which is mortal.
70. That which is mortal, cometh not into a Body immortal, but that which is immortal cometh into that which is mortal.
71. Operations or Workings are not carried upwards, but descend downwards.
72. Things upon Earth, do nothing advantage those in Heaven; but all things in Heaven do profit and advantage the things upon Earth 73. Heaven is capable, and a fit receptacle of everlasting Bodies, the Earth of corruptible Bodies
74. The Earth is bruitish, the Heaven is reasonable or rational.
75. Those things that are in Heaven, are subjected or placed under it but the things on Earth, are placed upon it
76. Heaven is the first Element
77. Providence is Divine Order
78. Necessity is the Minister or Servant of Providence
79. Fortune is the carriage or effect of that which is without Order; the Idol of operation, a lying fantasie or opinion.
80. What is Man An unchangeable Evil.
81. What is God The immutable or unalterable good
82. If thou perfectly remember these Heads, thhou canst not forget those Heads, thou canst not forget those things which in more words I have largely expounded unto thee; for these are the Contents or Abridgement of them
83 Avoyd all Conversation with the multitude or common People; for I would not have subject to Envy much less to be ridiculous unto the many
84 For the like always takes to it self that which is like, but the unlike never agrees with the unlike: Such Discourses as these have very few Auditors, and peradventure very few will have, but they have something peculiar unto themselves
85 They do rather sharpern and whet evil men to their maliciousness; therefore it behoveth to avoyd the multidude, and take heed of them as not understanding the vertue and power of the things that are said
86. How dost thou mean O Father
87. Thus, O Son, the whole Nature and Composition of those living things called Men, is very prone to Maliciousness, and is very familiar, and as it were nourished with it, and therefore is delighted with it Now this might if it shall come to learn or know, that the world was once made, and all things are done according to Provicence and Necessity, Destiny, or Fate, bearing Rule over all: Will he not be much worse than himself despising the whole, because it was made. Ad if he may lay the cause of Evil, upon Fate or Destiny, he will never abstain from any evil work.
88. Wherefore we must look mainly to such kinde of people, that being in ignorance they may be less evil for fear of that which is hidden and kept secret
The End of the first Book