Pymander, books 5–7: God not manifest yet most manifest; that in God alone is good; the secret sermon on regeneration

THE Fifth Book. That God is not manifest, and yet most manifest.

THis Discourse I will also make to thee, O Tat, that thou mayest not be ignorant of the more excellent Name of God.

2. But do thou contemplate in thy Minde, how that which to many seems hidden and unmanifest, may be most manifest unto thee.

3. For it were not All, if it were apparent, for whatsoever is apparent, is generated or made; for it was made manifest, but that which is not manifest is ever.

4. For it needeth not to be manifested, for it is alwayes.

5. And he maketh all other things manifest, being unmanifest, as being alwayes, and making other things manifest, he is not made manifest.

6. Himself is not made, yet in fantasie he fantasieth all things, or in appearance he maketh them appear; for appearance is only of those things that are generated or made, for appearance is nothing but generation.

7. But he that is Oue, that is not made nor generated, is also unapparent and unmanifest.

8. But making all things appear, he appeareth in all, and by all; but especially he is manifested to, or in those things wherein himself listeth.

9. Thou therefore, O Tat, my Son, pray first to the Lord and Father, and to the Alone, and to the One, from whom is one to be mercifull to thee, that thou mayest know and understand so great a God; and that he would shine one of his beams upon thee in thy understanding.

10. For onely the Understanding sees that which is not manifest, or apparent, as being it self not manifest or apparent; and if thou canst, O Tat, it will appear to the eyes of thy minde.

11. For the Lord, void of envie, appeareth thorow the whole world. Thou mayest see the intelligence, and take it in thy hands, and contemplate the Image of God.

12. But if that which is in thee, be not known or apparent unto thee, how shall he in thee be seen, and appear unto thee by the eyes?

13. But if thou wilt see him, consider and understand the Sun, consider the course of the M[…]n, consider the order of the Stars.

14. Who is he that keepeth order? for all order is circumscribed or terminated in number and place.

15. The Sun is the greatest of the Gods in Heaven, to whom all the heavenly Gods give place, as to a King and Potentate; and yet he being such a one, greater than the Earth or the Sea, is content to suffer infinite lesser Stars to walk and move above himself: whom doth he fear the while, O Son?

16. Every one of these Stars that are in Heaven, do not make the like, or an equall course; who is it that hath prescribed unto every one, the manner and the greatnesse of their course?

17. This Bear that turns round about it own self, and carries round the whole World with her, who possessed and made such an Instrument?

18. Who hath set the bounds to the Sea? who hath established the Earth? for there is some Body, O Tat, that is the Maker and Lord of these things.

19. For it is impossible, O Son, that either place, or number, or measure, should be observed without a Maker.

20. For no order can be made by disorder or disproportion.

21. I would it were possible for thee, O my Son, to have wings, and to flie into the Air, and being taken up in the midst, between Heaven and Earth, to see the stability of the Earth the fluidnesse of the Sea, the courses of the Rivers, the largenesse of the Air, the sharpnesse or swiftnesse of the Fire, the motion of the Stars, and the speedinesse of the Heaven, by which it goeth round about all these.

22. O Son, what a happy sight it were, at one instant, to see all these; that which is unmoveable moved, and that which is hidden appear and be manifest?

23. And if thou wilt see and behold this Workman, even by mortall things that are upon Earth, and in the deep, consider, O Son, how Man is made and framed in the Womb; and examine diligently the skill, and cunning of the Workman, and learn who it was that wrought and fashioned the beautifull and Divine shape of Man; who circumscribed and marked out his eyes? who bored his nostrils and ears? who opened his mouth, who stretched out and tied together his sinews? who channelled the veins? who hardened and made strong the bones? who clothed the flesh with skin? who divided the fingers and the joynts? who flatted, and made broad the soals of the feet? who digged the pores? who stretched out the spleen? who made the Heart like a Pyramis? who made the Liver broad? who made the Lights spungie, and full of holes? who made the belly large and capacious? who set to outward view, the more honourable parts, and hid the filthy ones?

24. See how many Arts in one Matter, and how many Works in one Superscription, and all exceedingly beautifull, and all done in measure, and yet all differing.

25. Who hath made all these things? what Mother? what Father? save only God that is not manifest? that made all things by his own Will.

26. And no man says that a statue or an image is made without a Carver or a Painter, and was this workmanship made without a Workman? O great Blindnesse O great Impiety, O great Ignorance.

27. Never, O Son Tat, canst thou deprive the Workmanship of the Workman, rather it is the best Name of all the Names of God, to call him the Father of all, for so he is alone; and this is his work to be the Father.

28. And if thou wilt force me to say any thing more boldly, It is his Essence to be pregnant, or great with all things, and to make them.

29. And as without a Maker, it is impossible that any thing should be made; so it is that he should not alwayes be, and always be making all things in Heaven, in the Air, in the Earth, in the Deep, in the whole World, and in every part of the whole, that is, or that is not.

30. For there is nothing in the whole World, that is not himself; both the things that are, and the things that are not.

31. For the things that are, he hath made manifest; and the things that are not, he hath hid in himself.

32. This is God that is better then any name; this is he that is secret; this is he that is most manifest; this is he that is to be seen by the Minde; this is he that is visible to the eye; this is he that hath no body; and this is he that hath many bodies, rather there is nothing of any body, which is not He.

33. For he alone is all things.

34. And for this cause he hath all Names, because he is the One Father; and therefore he hath no Name, because he is the Father of all.

35. Who therefore can blesse thee, or give thankes for thee, or to thee?

36. Which way shall I look, when I praise thee: upward? downward? outward? inward?

37. For about thee there is no manner, nor place, nor any thing else of all things that are.

38. But all things are in thee; all things from thee, thou givest all things, and takest nothing; for thou hast all things, and there is nothing, that thou hast not.

39. When shall I praise thee, O Father; for it is neither possible to comprehend thy hour, nor thy time?

40. For what shall I praise thee? for what thou hast made, or for whatthou hast not made? for those things thou hast manifested, orfor those things thou hast hidden?

41. Wherefore shall I praise thee? as being of my self, or having any thing of mine own, or rather being anothers?

42. For thou art what I am, thou art what Ido, thou art what I say.

43. Thou art all things, and there is nothing else thou art not.

44. Thou art thou, all that is made, and all that is not made.

45. The Minde that understandeth.

46. The Father that maketh and frameth.

47. The Good that worketh.

48. The Good that doth all things.

49. Of the Matter, the most subtle and slender part is Air, of the Air the Soul, of the Soul the Minde, of the Minde God.

The End of the Fifth Book.

THE Sixth Book That in God alone is good.

GOod, O Asclepius, is in nothing but in God alone; or rather God himself is the Good always.

2. And if it be so, then must he be an Essence or Substance, voyd of all motion and generation; but nothing is voyd or empty of him.

3. And this Essence hath about or in himself a Stable, and firm Operation, wanting nothing, most full, and giving abundantly.

4. One thing is the Beginning of all things, for it giveth all things; and when I name the Good, I mean that which is altogether and always Good.

5. This is present to none, but God alone; for he wanteth nothing, that he should desire to have it, nor can any thing be taken from him; the losse whereof may grieve him; for sorrow is a part of evilnesse.

6. Nothing is stronger then he, that he should be opposed by it; nor nothing equal to him, that he should be in love with it; nothing unheard of to be angry with, nothing wiser to be envious at.

7. And none of these being in his Essence, what remains, but only the Good?

8. For as in this, being such an Essence, there is none of the evils; so in none of the other things shall the Good be found.

9. For in all other things, are all other things, as well in the small as the great, and as well in the particulars, as in this living Creature; the greater, and mightiest of all.

10. For all things that are made or generated, are full of Passion, Generation it self being a Passion; and where Passion is, there is not the Good; where the Good is, there is no Passion; where it is day, it is not night, and where it is night, it is not day.

11. Wherefore it is impossible, that in Generation should be the Good, but only in that which is not generated or made.

12. Yet as the Participation of all things is in the Matter bound, so also of that which is Good. After this manner is the World good, as it maketh all things, and in the part of making or doing ([non-Latin script]) it is Good, but in all other things not Good.

13. For it is passible, and moveable, and the Maker of passible things.

14. In man also the Good is ordered (or taketh denomination) in comparison of that which is evil; for that which is not very evil, is here Good; and that which is here called Good, is the least particle, or proportion of evil.

15. It is impossible therefore, that the Good should be here pure from Evil, for here the Good groweth Evil, and growing Evil, it doth not still abide Good, and not abiding Good, it becomes evil.

16. Therefore in God alone is the Good, or rather God is the Good.

17. Therefore, O Asclepius, there is nothing in men (or among men) but the name of Good, the thing it self is not, for it is impossible; for a materiall Body receiveth (or comprehendeth) is not, as being on every side encompassed, and coarcted with evilnesse, and labors, and griefs, and desires, and wrath, and deceipts, and foolish opinions.

18. And in that which is the worst of all, Asclepius, every one of the forenamed things, is here beleeved to be the greatest good, especially that supream mischief [non-Latin script] the pleasures of the Belly, and the ringleader of all evils: Error is here the absence of the Good.

19. And I give thanks un[…] God, that concerning the Knowledge of God, put this assurance in my minde, that it is impossible it should be in the World.

20. For the World is the fulnesse of evilnesse; but God is the fulnesse of Good, or Good of God.

21. For the eminencies of all appearing Beauty, are in the Essence more pure, and more sincere, and peradventure they are also the Essences of it.

22. For we must be bold to say, Asclepius, That the Essence of God, if he have an Essence, is [non-Latin script] that which is fair or beautifull; but no good is comprehended in this World.

23. For all things that are subject to the eye, are Idols, and as it were shadows; but those things that are not subject to the eye, are ever; especially the Essence of the Fair and the Good.

24. And as the eye cannot see God, so neither the Fair, and the Good.

25. For these are the parts of God that partake the Nature of the whole, proper, and familiar unto him alone, inseparable, most lovely, whereof either God is enamoured, or they are enamoured of God.

26. If thou canst understand God, thou shalt understand the Fair, and the God, which is most shining, and enlightening, and most enlightened by God.

27. For that Beauty is above comparison, and that Good is inimitable, as God himself.

28. As therefore thou understandest God, so understand the Fair, and the Good, for these are incommunicable to any other living Creatures, because they are inseparable from God.

29. If thou seek concerning God, thou seekest or askest also of the Fair; for there is one way that leads to the same thing, that is, Piety, with Knowledge.

30. Wherefore, they that are ignorant, and go not in the way of Piety, dare call Man Fair and Good, never seeing so much as in a dream, what Good is; but being infolded and wrapped upon all evil and beleeving that the evil is the Good, they by that meanes, both use it unsatiably, and are afraid to be deprived of it; and therefore they strive by all possible means, that they may not only have it, but also encrease it.

31. Such O Asclepius, are Good and Fair things of men, which we can neither love nor hate; for this is the hardest thing of all, that we have need of them, and cannot live without them.

The End of the Sixth Book.

THE Seventh Book. His secret Sermon in the Mount of Regeneration, & the Profession of Silence.

To his Son Tat.

TAt. In the general Speeches, O Father, discoursing of the Divinity, thou speakest aenigmatically, and didst not cleerly reveal thy self, saying, That no man can be saved before Regeneration.

2. And when I did humbly intreat thee, at the going up to the Mountain, after thou hadst discoursed unto me, having a great desire to learn this Argument of Regeneration; because among all the rest, I am ignorant only of this thou toldst me thou wouldst impart it unto me, when I would estrange my self from the World: whereupon I made my self ready, and have vindicated the understanding that is in me, from the deceit of the World.

3. Now then fulfill my defects, and, as thou saidst, instruct me of Regeneration, either by word of mouth, or secretly; for I know not, O Trismegistus, of what Substance, or what Womb, or what Seed a Man is thus born.

4. Herm. O Son, this Wisdom is to be understood in silence, and the Seed is the true Good.

5. Tat. Who soweth it, O Father? for I am utterly ignorant, and doubtfull.

6. Herm. The Will of God, O Son.

7. And what manner of Man is he, that is thus born? for in this point, I am clean deprived of the Essence that understandeth in me.

8. Herm. The Son of God will be another, God made the Universe, that in every thing consisteth of all powers.

9. Tat. Thou tellest me a Riddle, Father, and dost not speak as a Father to his Son.

10. Herm. Son, things of this kinde are not taught; but are by God, when he pleaseth, brought to rememberance.

11. Tat. Thou speakest of things strained, or far fetcht, and impossible, Father; and therefore I will directly contradict them;

12. Herm. Wilt thou prove a stranger, Son, to thy Fathers kinde?

13. Do not envie me, Father, or pardon me, I am thy Naturall Son; discourse unto me the manner of Regeneration.

14. Herm. What shall I say, O my Son? I have nothing to say more than this, That I see in my self an unfained sight or spectacle, made by the mercy of God; and I am gone out of my self, into an immortall body, and am not now what I was before, but was begotten in Mind.

15. This thing is not taught, nor is it to be seen in this formed Element; for which the first compounded form was neglected by me, and that I am now separated from it; for I have both the touch, and the measure of it, yet am I now estranged from them.

16. Thou seest, O Son, with thine eyes; but though thou look never so stedfasly upon me, with the Body, and bodily sight, thou canst not see nor understand what I am now.

17. Tat. Thou hast driven me, O Father, into no small fury and distraction of minde, for I do not now see my self.

18. Herm. I would, O Son, that thou also wert gone out of thy self, like them that dream in their sleep.

19. Tat. Then tell me this, who is the Author and Maker of Regeneration?

20. Herm. The Childe of God, one Man by the Will of God.

21. Tat. Now, O Father, thou hast put me to silence for ever, & all my former thoughts have quite left, and forsaken me; for I see the greatness, and shape of all things here below, and nothing but falshood in them all.

22. And sithence this mortall Form is daily changed, and turned by time into increase, and diminution, as being falshood: What therefore is true, O Trismegistus?

23. Trism. That, O Son, which is not troubled, nor bounded; nor coloured not figured, not changed; that which is naked, bright, comprehensible onely of it self, unalterable, unbodily.

24. Tat. Now I am mad, indeed Father; for when I thought me to have been made a wise man by thee, with these thoughts thou hast quite dulled all my senses.

25. Herm. Yet is it so, as I say, O Son, He that looketh only upon that which is carried upward as Fire, that which is carried downward as Earth, that which is moist as Water, and that which bloweth, or is subject to blast as Air; how can he sensibly understand, that which is neither hard, nor moist, nor tangible, nor perspicuous, seeing it is onely understood in power, and operation: But I beseech and pray to the Minde, which alone can understand the Generation, which is in God.

26. Tat. Then am I, O Father, utterly unable to do it.

27. Herm. God forbid, Son, rather draw or pull him unto thee (or study to know him) and he will come, be but willing, and it shall be done: quiet (or make idle) the Senses of the Body, purging thy self from unreasonable bruitish torments of Matter.

28. Tat. Have I any revengers or tormentours in my self, Father?

29. Herm. Yea, and those, not a few, but many, and fearfull ones.

30. Tat. I do not know them, Father.

31. Herm. One Torment, Son, is Ignorance; a second […]orrow; a third Intemperance; a fourth Concupiscence; a fifth, Injustice; a sixth, Co[…]etousnesse; a seventh, Deceit; an eighth, […]ndie; a ninth, Fraud, or Guile; a tenth, Wrath; an eleventh, Ras[…]nesse; a twelfth, Maliciousnesse.

32. They are in number twelve, and under these many moe; some of which thorow the prison of the body, do force the inwardly placed Man to suffer sensibly.

33. And they do not suddenly, or easily depart from him that hath obtained mercy of God, and herein consists, both the manner, and the reason of Regeneration.

34. For the rest, O Son, hold thy pe[…]ce, and praise God in silence, and by that means, the mercy of God will not cease, or be wanting unto us.

35. Therefore rejoyce, my Son, from hence forward, being purged by the powers of God, to the Knowledge of the Truth.

36. For the Revelation of God is come to us; and when that came, all Ignorance was cast out.

37. The knowledge of Joy is come unto us; and when that comes, Sorrow shall flie away to them that are capable of it.

38. I call unto Joy, the power of Temperance, a power who[…]e Vertue is most sweet: Let us take her unto our selves, O Son, most willingly; for how at her coming hath she put away Intemperance?

39. Now I call the fourth, Continence, the power which is over Concupiscence. This, O Son, is the flable and firm foundation of Justice.

40. For see how without labour, she hath chased away Injustice; and we are justified, O Son, when Injustice is away.

41. The sixth Vertue which comes into us, I call Communion, which is against Covetousnesse.

42. And when that (Covetousnesse) is gone, I call Truth; and when she cometh, Errour and Deceit […]nisheth.

43. See, O Son, how the Good is fulfilled by the accesse of Truth; for by this means, Envie is gone from us; for Truth is accompanied with the Good, together also with Life and Light.

44. And there came no more any torment of Darknesse, but being overcome, they all fled away suddenly, & tumultu[…]rily.

45. Thou hast understood, O Son, the manner of Regeneration; for upon the coming of these Ten, the Intellectuall Generation is perfected, and then it driveth away the Twelve; and we have seen it in the Generation it self.

46. Whosoever 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 rejoyceth, being made by God stable and immutable.

47. Tat. O Father, I conceive and understand, not by the sight of mine eyes, but by the Intellectuall Operation, which is by the Powers. I am in Heaven, in the Earth, in the Water, in the Air; I am in living Creatures, in Plants, in the Womb, every where.

48. Yet tell me further, this one thing, How are the torments of Darknesse, being in in number Twelve, driven away and expelled by the Ten powers? What is the manner of it, Trismegistus?

49. Herm. This Tabernacle, O Son, consists of the Zodiacall Circle; and this consisting of twelve numbers, the Idea of one; but all formed Nature admits of divers Conjugations to the deceiving of Man.

50. And though they be different in themselves, yet are they united in practice (as for example, Rashnesse is inseparable from Anger) and they are also indeterminate: Therefore with good Reason, do they make their departure, being driven away, by the Ten powers; that is to say, By the dead.

51. For the number of Ten, O Son, is the Begetter of Souls. And there Life and Light are united, where the number of Unity is born of the Spirit.

52. Therefore according to Reason, Unity hath the number of Ten, and the number of Ten hath Unity.

53. Tat. O Father, I now see the Universe, and my self in the Minde.

54. Herm. This is Regeneration, O Son, that we should not any longer fix our imagination upon this Body, subject to the three dimensions, according to this Speech which we have now commented, That we may not at all calumniate the Universe:

55. Tat. Tell me, O Father, This Body that consists of Powers, shall it ever admit of any Dissolution?

56. Herm. Good words Son, and speak not things impossible; for so thou shalt sin, and the eye of thy minde grow wicked.

57. The sensible Body of Nature is far from the Essentiall Generation; for that is subject to Dissolution, but this not; and that is mortal, but this immortall, Dost thou not know that thou art born a God, and the Son of the One, as I am?

58. Tat. How fain would I, O Father, hear that praise given by a Hymn, which thou saidst thou heardest from the Powers, when I was in the Ottonary.

59. Herm. As Pimander said by way of Oracle to the Ottonary: Thou dost well, O Son to desire the Solution of the Tabernacle, for thou art purified.

60. Pimander; the Minde of absolute Power and Authority, hath delivered no more unto me, then those that are written; knowing that of my self, I can understand all things, and hear, and see what I will. And he commanded me to do those things that are good; and therefore all the Powers that are in me sing.

61. Tat. I would hear thee, O Father, and understand these things.

62. Herm. Be quiet, O Son, and now hearken to that harmonious blessing and thanksgiving; the hymn of Regeneration, which I did not determine to have spoken of so plainly, but to thy self in the end of all.

63. Wherefore this is not taught, but hid in silence.

64. So then, O Son, do thou, standing in the open Air, worship, looking to the North Wind, about the going down of the Sun; and to the South, when the Sun ariseth: And now keep silence Son.

The Secret Song. The Holy Speech.

65. LEt all the Nature of the world entertain the hearing of this Hymn.

66. Be opened O Earth, and let all the Treasure of the Rain be opened.

67. You Trees tremble not, for I will sing, & praise the Lord of the Creation, and the All and the One.

68. Be opened you Heavens; ye Winds stand still, and let the immortall Circle of God, receive these words.

69. For I will sing, and praise him that created all things, that fixed the Earth, and hung up the Heavens, and commanded the sweet Water to come out of the Ocean, into all the World inhabited, and not-inhabited, to the use, and nourishment of all things, or men.

70. That commanded the fire to shine for every action, both to Gods, and Men.

71. Let us altogether give him blessing, which rideth upon the Heavens, the Creator of all Nature.

72. This is he that is the Eye of the Minde, and Will accept the praise of my Powers.

73. O all ye Powers that are in me, praise the One, and the All.

74. Sing together with my Will, all you Powers that are in me.

75. O Holy Knowledge, being enlightened by thee, I magnifie the intelligible Light, and rejoyce in the Joy of the Minde.

76. All my Powers sing praise with me, and thou my Continence, sing praise my Righteousnesse by me; praise that which is righteous.

77. O Communion which is in me, praise the All.

78. By me the Truth sings praise to the Truth, the Good praiseth the Good.

79. O Life, O Light from us, unto you, comes this praise and thankgiving.

80. I give thanks unto thee, O Father, the operation or act of my Powers.

81. I give thanks unto thee, O God, the Power of my operations.

82. By me thy Word sings praise unto thee, receive by me this reasonable, (or verball,) Sacrifice in words.

83. The powers that are in me, cry the'e things, they praise the All, they fulfill thy Will; thy Will and Counsell is from thee unto thee.

84. O All, receive a reasonable Sacrifice from all things.

85. O Life, save all that is in us; O Light enlighten, O God the Spirit; for the Minde guideth (or seedeth) the Word: O Spirit bearing Workman.

86. Thou art God, thy Man cryeth these things unto thee through, by the Fire, by the Air, by the Earth, by the Water, by the Spirit, by thy Creatures.

87. From eternity I have found (meanes to) blesse and praise thee, and I have what I seek; for I rest in thy Will.

88. Tat. O Father, I see thou hast sung this Song of praise and blessing, with thy whole Will; and therefore have I put and placed it in my World.

89. Herm. Say, in thy Intelligible World, O Son.

90. Tat. I do mean in my Intelligible World; for by the Hymn and Song of praise, my Minde is enlightened; and gladly would I send from my Understanding, a Thanksgiving unto God.

91. Herm. Not rashly, O Son.

92. Tat. In my Minde, O Father.

93. Herm. Those things that I see and contemplate, I infuse into thee; and therefore say, thou Son Tat, the Author of thy succeeding Generations, I send unto God these reasonable Sacrifices.

94. O God thou art the Father, thou art the Lord, thou art the Minde, accept these reasonable Sacrifices which thou requirest of me.

95. For all things are done as the Minde willeth.

96. Thou, O Son, send this acceptable Sacrifice to God the Father of all things; but propound it also, O Son, by word.

97. Tat. I thank thee, Father, thou hast advised and instructed me thus to give praise and thanks.

98. Herm. I am glad, O Son, to see the Truth bring forth the Fruits of Good things, and such immortall Branches.

99. And learn this of me, Above all other Vertues entertain Silence, and impart unto no man, O Son, the tradition of Regeneration, lest we be reputed Calumniators: For we both have now sufficiently meditated, I in speaking, thou in hearing. And now thou dost intellectually know thy self, and our Father.

The End of the Seventh Book.