Pymander, books 8–10: The greatest evil; a universal sermon to Asclepius; the Mind to Hermes

THE Eighth Book OF Hermes Trismegistus. That the greatest Evil in Man, is, The not knowing God.

VVHither are you carried, O men, drunkenwith drinking up the strong Wine of Ignorance? which seeing you cannot bear: why do you not vomit it up again?

2. Stand, and be sober, and look up again with the eyes of your heart; and if you cannot all do so, yet do as many as you can.

3. For the malice of Ignorance surroundeth all the Earth, and corrupteth the Soul, shut up in the Body, not suffering it to arrive at the Havens of Salvation.

4. Suffer not your selves to be carried with the great stream, but stem the tide, you that can lay hold of the Haven of Safety, and make your full course towards it.

5. Seek one that may lead you by the hand, and conduct you to the door of Truth, and Knowledge, where the cleer Light is, that is pure from Darknesse, where there is not one drunken, but all are sober, and in their heart look up to him, whose pleasure it is to be seen.

6. For he cannot be heard with ears; nor seen with eyes, nor expressed in words, but only in minde and heart.

7. But first thou must tear apeeces, and break thorow the garment thou wearest; the web of Ignorance, the foundation of all Mischief, the bond of Corruption, the dark Coverture, the living Death, the sensible Carcasse, the Sepulchre, carried about with us, the domesticall Thief, which in what he loves us, hates us, envies us.

8. Such is the hurtfull Apparell, wherewith thou art cloathed, which draws and puls thee downward by its own self; lest looking up, and seeing the beauty of Truth, and the Good that is reposed therein, thou shouldst hate the wickednesse of this garment, and understand the traps and ambushes which it hath laid for thee.

9. Therefore doth it labour to make good those things that seem, and are by the Senses, judged and determined; and the things that are truly, it hides, and envellopeth in much matter, filling what it presents unto thee, with hatefull pleasure, that thou canst neither hear what thou shouldest hear, nor see what thou shouldest see.

The End of the eighth Book.

THE Ninth Book OF Hermes Trismegistus. A Universall Sermon to Asclepius

HErm. All that is moved, O Asclepius, is it not moved in some thing, and by some thing?

2. Asclep. Yes indeed.

3. Herm. Must not that, in which a thing is moved, of necessity be greater than the thing that is moved?

4. Of necessity.

5. And that which moveth, is it not stronger than thatwhich is moved?

6. Asclep. It is stronger.

7. Herm. That in which a thing is moved, must it not needs have a Nature contrary to that of the thing that is moved?

8. Asclep. It must needs.

9. Herm. Is not this great World a Body, than which there is no greater?

10. Asclep. Yes, confessedly?

11. Herm. And is it not solid, as filled with many great Bodies, and indeed, with all the Bodies that are?

12. Asclep. It is so.

13. Herm. And is not the World a Body, and a Body that is moved?

14. Asclep. It is.

15. Herm. Then what a kinde of place must it be, wherein it is moved, and of what Nature? Must it not be much bigger, that it may receive the continuity of Motion? and lest that which is moved, should for want of room be stayed, and hindered in the Motion?

16. Asclep. It must needs be an […]immense thing, Trismegistus; but of what Nature?

17. Herm. Of a contrary Nature, O Asclepius; but is not the Nature of things unbodily, contrary to a Body?

18. Asclep. Confessedly.

19. Herm. Therefore the place is unbodily; but that which is unbodily, is either some Divine thing, or God himself. And by some thing Divine, I do not mean that which was made or begotten.

20. If therefore it be Divine, it is an Essence or Substance; but if it be God, it is above Essence; but he is otherwise intelligible.

21: For the first, God is intelligible, not to himself, but to us; for that which is intelligible, is subject to that which understandeth by Sense.

22. Therefore God is not intelligible to himself; for not being any other thing from that which is understood, he cannot be understood by himself.

23. But he is another thing from us; and therefore is he understood by us.

24. If therefore Place be intelligible, it is not Place, but God; but if God be intelligible, he is intelligible not as Place, but as a capable Operation.

25. Now every thing that is moved, is moved, not in or by that which is moved, but in that which standeth or resteth; and that which moveth, standeth or resteth: for it is impossible it should be moved with it.

26. Asclep. How then, O Trismegistus, are those things that are here, moved with the things that are moved? for thou sayest, that the Spheres that wander are moved by the Sphere that wanders not.

27. Herm. That, O Asclepius, is not a moving together, but a countermotion; for they are not moved after a like manner, but contrary one to the other: And contrariety hath a standing resistance of motion, for the [non-Latin script], or resistance, is a staying of motion.

28. Therefore the wandering Spheres being moved contrarily to that Sphere which wandereth not, shall have one from another contrariety standing of it self.

29. For this Bear which thou seest neither rise nor go down, but turning alwayes about the same; dost thou think it moveth or standeth still?

30. Asclep. I think it moves, Trismegistus.

31. What motion, O Asclepius?

32. Asclep. A motion that is alwayes carried about the same.

33. But the Circulation which is about the same, and the motion about the same, are both hidden by Station; for that which is about the same, forbids that which is above the same, if it stand to that which is about the same.

34. And so the contrary motion stands fast alwayes, being alwayes established by the contrariety.

35. But I will give thee concerning this matter, an earthly example, that may be seen with eyes.

36. Look upon any of these living Creatures upon Earth, as Man for example, and see him swimming; for as the Water is carried one way, the reluctation or resistance of his feet and hands is made a station to the man, that he should not be carried with the Water, not sink underneath it.

37. Asclep. Thou hast laid down a very clear example, Trismegistus.

38. Herm. Therefore every motion is in station, and is moved of station.

39. The motion then of the World, and of every materiall living thing, happeneth not to be done by those things that are without the World; but by those things within it, a Soul, or Spirit, or some other unbodily thing, to those things which are without it.

40. For an inanimated Body doth not now, much lesse a Body if it be wholly inanimate.

41. Asclep. What meanest thou by this, O Trismegistus? Wood and Stones, and all other inanimate things, are they not moving Bodies?

42. Herm. By no means, O Asclepius, for that within the Body which moves the inanimate thing, is not the Body; that moves both as well the Body of that which beareth, as the Body of that which is born; for one dead or inanimate thing, cannot move another; that which moveth, must needs be alive if it move.

43: Thou seest therefore how the Soul is surcharged, when it carrieth two Bodies.

44. And now it is manifest, that the things that are moved, are moved in something, and by something.

45. Asclep. The things that are moved, O Trismegistus, must needs be moved in that which is void or empty, vacuum, [non-Latin script].

46. Be advised, O Asclepius, for of all the things that are, there is nothing empty, only that which is not, is empty and a stranger to existence or being.

47. But that which is, could not be, if it were not full of existence; for that which is in being or existence, can never be made empty.

48. Asclep. Are there not therefore some things that are empty, O Trismegistus, as an empty Barrell, an empty Hogshead, an empty Well, an empty Wine-Presse, and many such like?

49. Herm. O the grossnesse of thy Error, O Asclepius, those things that are most full and replenished, dost thou account them voyd and empty?

50. Aclep. What may be thy meaning, Trismegistus?

51. Herm. Is not the Air a[…] a Body?

52. Asclep. It is a Body.

53. Herm. Why then this Body, doth it not passe through all things that are? and passing through them, fill them? and that Body doth it not consist of the mixture of the four? therefore all those things which thou callest empty, are full of Ayr.

54. Therefore those things that thou callest empty, thou oughtest to call them hollow, not empty; for they exist and are full of Ayr and Spirit.

55. Asclep. This reason is beyond all contradiction, O Trismegistus: but what shall we call the Place, in which the whole Universe is moved?

56. Herm. Call it incorporeall, O Asclepius.

57. Asclep. What is that incorporeall or unbodily?

58. Herm. The mind and Reason, the whole, wholly comprehending it self, free from all Body, undeceiveable invisible, impassible from a Body it self, standing fast in it self, capable of all things, and that savour of the things that are.

59. Whereof the God, the Truth, the Archetypall Light, the Archetype of the Soul, are as it were Beams.

60. Asclep. Why then, what is God?

61. Herm. That which is none of these things, yetis, and is the cause of Being to all, and every one of the things that are; for he left nothing destitute of Being.

62. And all things are made of things that are, and not of things that are not; for the things that are not, have not the nature to be able to be made; and again, the things that are, have not the nature never to be, or not to be at all.

63. Asclep. What dost thou then say at lenghth, that God is?

64. Herm. God is not a Minde, but the cause that the Minde is; not a Spirit, but the Cause that the Spirit is; not Light, but the Cause that Light is.

65. Therefore we must worship God by these two Appellations, which are proper to him alone, and to no other.

66. For neither of all the other, which are called Gods, nor of Men, nor Demons, or Angels, can any one be, though never so little, good, save only God alone.

67. And this He is, and nothing else; but all other things are separable from the nature of Good.

68. For the Body and the Soul have no place that is capable of, or can contain the Good.

69. For the greatnesse of Good, is as great as the Existence of all things, that are both bodily and unbodily, both sensible and intelligible.

70. This is the Good, even God.

71. See therefore that thou do not at any time, call ought else Good; for so thou shalt be impious: or any else God, but only the Good; for so thou shalt again be impious.

72. In Word it is often said by all men the Good, but all men do not understand what it is; but through Ignorance they call both the Gods, and some men Good, that can never either be or be made so.

73. Therefore all the other Gods are honored with the title and appellation of God, but God is the Good, not according to Heaven, but Nature.

74. For there is one Nature of God, even the Good, and one kinde of them both, from whence all are kindes.

75. For he that is good, is the giver of all things, and takes nothing; and therefore God gives all things, and receives nothing.

76. The other title and appellation, is the Father, because of his making all things; for it is the part of a Father to make.

77. Therefore it hath been the greatest and most Religious care in this life, to them that are wise, and well-minded, to beget children.

78. As likewise, it is the greatest misfortune and impiety, for any to be separated from men, without children; and this man is punished after death by the Demons, and the punishment is this, To have the Soul of this childlesse man, adjudged and condemned, to a Body that neither hath the nature of a man, nor of a woman, which is an accursed thing under the Sun.

79. Therefore, O Asclepius, never congratulate any man that is childlesse; but on the contrary, pity his misfortune, knowing wha t punishment abides, and is prepared for him.

80. Let so many, and such manner of things, O Asclepius, be said as a certain precognition of all things in Nature.

The End of the Ninth Book.

THE Tenth Book OF Hermes Trismegistus. The Minde to Hermes.

FOrbear thy Speech, O Hermes Trismegistus, and call to minde to those things that are said: but I will not delay to speak what comes into my minde; sithence many men have spoken many things, and those very different, concerning the Universe, and Good; but I have not learned the Truth.

2. Therefore, the Lord make it plain to me in this point; for I will beleeve thee only, for the manifestation of these things.

3. Then said the Minde how the case stands.

4. God and All.

5. God, Eternity, the World, Time, Generation.

6. God made Eternity, Eternity the World, the World Time, and Time Generation.

7. Of God, as it were the Substance, is the God, the Fair Blessednesse, Wisdom.

8. Of Eternity, Identity, or Selfnesse,

9. Of the World, Order.

10. Of Time, Change.

11. Of Generation, Life and Death.

12. But the Operation of God, is Minde and Soul.

13. Of Eternity, Permanence or Long-lasting, and Immortality.

14. Of the World, Restitution, and Decay, or Destruction.

15. Of Time, Augmentation, and Diminution.

16. And of Generation qualities.

17. Therefore Eternity is in God.

18. The World in Eternity.

19. Time in the World.

20. And Generation in Time.

21. And Eternity standeth about God.

22. The World is moved in Eternity.

23. Time is determined in the World.

24. Generation is done in Time.

25. Therefore the Spring and Fountain of all things, is God.

26. The Substance Eternity.

27. The Matter is the World.

28. The Power of God is Eternity.

29. And the Work of Eternity, is the World not yet made, and yet ever made by Eternity.

30. Therefore shall nothing be at any time destroyed, for Eternity is incorruptible.

31. Neither can any thing perish, or be destroyed in the World, the World being contained, and embraced by eternity.

32. But what is the Wisdom of God? Even the G[…]d, and the Fair, and Blessednesse, and every Vertue, and Eternity.

33. Eternity therefore put into the Matter Immortality and Everlastingnesse; for the Generation of that depends upon Eternity, even as Eternity doth of God.

34. For Generation and Time, in Heaven, and in Earth, are of a double nature; in Heaven they are unchangeable, and incorruptible; but on Earth they are changeable, and corruptible.

35. And the Soul of Eternity, is God; and the Soul of the World, Eternity; and of the Earth, Heaven.

36. God is in the Minde, the Minde in the Soul, the Soul in the Matter, all things by eternity.

37. All this Universall Body, in which are all Bodies is full of Soul, the Soul full of Minde, the Minde full of God.

38. For within he fills them, and without he contains them, quickning the Universe.

39. Without he quickens this perfect living thing the World, and within all living Creatures.

40. And above in Heaven he abides in Identity or Selfnesse, but below upon Earth he changeth Generation.

41. Eternity comprehendeth the World, either by Necessity, or Providence, or Nature.

42. And if any man shall think any other thing, it is God that actuateth, or operateth this All.

43. But the operation or Act of God, is Power insuperable, to which none may compare any thing, either Humane or Divine.

44. Therefore; O 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,

45. For nothing can be like the unlike, and only, and One; nor mayest thou think, that he hath given of his Power to any other thing.

46. For who after him can make any thing, either of Life, or Immortality; of Change, or of Quality? and himself, what other thing should he make?

47. For God is not idle, for then all things would be idle; for all things are full of God.

48. But there is not any where in the World, such a thing as Idlenesse; for Idlenesse is a name that implieth a thing void or empty, both of a Doer and a thing done.

49. But all things must necessarily be made or done both alwayes, and according to the nature of every place.

50. For he that maketh or doth, is in all things, yet not fastened or comprehended in any thing; nor making or doing one thing, but all things.

51. For being an active or operating Power, and sufficient of himself for the things that are made, and the things that are made, are under him.

52. Look upon, through me, the World is subject to thy sight, and understand exactly the Beauty thereof.

53. A Body immarcescible, than the which, there is nothing more ancient, yet alwayes vigorous and young.

54. See also the seven Worlds set over us, adorned with an everlasting Order, and filling Eternity, with a different course.

55. For all things are full of Light, but the Fire is no where.

56. For the friendship, and commixture of contraries and unlike, became Light shining from the Act or Operation of God, the Father of all Good, the Prince of all Order, and the Ruler of the Seven Worlds.

57. Look also upon the Moon, the Fore-runner of them all, the Instrument of Nature, and which changeth the Matter here below.

58. Behold the Earth, the middle of the whole, the firm and stable Foundation of the Fair World, the Feeder and Nurse of Earthly things.

59. Consider moreover, how great the multitude is of immortall living things, and of mortall ones also; and see the Moon going about in the midst of both, to wit, of things immortall and mortall.

60. But all things are full of Soul, and all things are properly moved by it; some things about the Heaven, and some things about the Earth, and neither of those on the right hand to the lest, nor those on the left hand to the right, nor those things that are above, downward; nor those things that are below, upwards.

61. And that all these things are made, O beloved Hermes, thou needest not learn or me.

62. For they are Bodies, and have a Soul, and are moved.

63. And that all these should come together into one it is impossible without some thing, to gather them together.

64. Therefore there must be some such ones, and he altogether One.

65. For seeing that the motions are divers, and many, and the Bodies not alike, and yet one ordered swiftnesse among them all: It is impossible there should be two or moe Makers.

66. For one order is not kept by many.

67. But in the weaker there would be jealousie of the stronger, and thence also Contentions.

68. And if there were one Maker of mutable and mortall living wights, he would desire also to make immortall ones; as he that were the Maker of immortal ones, would do to make mortall.

69. Moreover also, if there were two, the Matter being one, who should be chief, or have the disposing of the facture?

70. Or if both of them, which of them the greater part?

71. But thinks thus that every living Body hath its consistence of Matter and Soul; and of that which is immortall, and that which is mortall, and unreasonable.

72. For all living Bodies have a Soul; and those things that are not living, are onely matter by it self.

73. And the Soul likewise of it self drawing neer her Maker, is the cause of Life, and Being, and being the cause of Life, is after a manner, the cause of immortal things.

74. How then are mortal wights, other from immortal?

75. Or how cannot he make living wights that causeth immortal things, and immortality?

76. That there is some Body that doth these things, it is apparent, and that he is also one, it is most manifest.

77. For there is one Soul, one Life, and one Matter.

78. Who is this? who can it be, other than the One God?

79. For whom e[…]e can it benefit, to make living things, save onely God alone?

80. There is therefore one God.

81. For it is a ridiculous thing to confesse the World to be one, one Sun, one Moon, one Divinity; and yet to have I know not how many gods.

82. He therefore being One, doth all things in many things.

83. And what great thing is it for God, to make Life, and Soul, and Immortality, and Change, when thy self dost so many things.

84. For thou both seest, speakest, and hearest; smellest, tastest, and touchest; walkest, understandest, and breathest.

85. And it is not one that seeth, and another that heareth, and another that speaketh, and another that toucheth, and another that smelleth, and another that walketh, and another that understandeth, and another that breatheth; but One that doth all these things.

86. Yet neither can these things possibly be without God.

87. For as thou, if thou shouldest cease from doing these things, wert not a living wight; so if God should cease from those, he were not (which is not lawful to say) any longer God.

88. For if it be already demonstrated, that nothing can be idle or empty, how much more may be affirmed of God?

89. For if there be any thing which he doth not do, then is he (if it were lawful to say so) imperfect.

90. Whereas seeing he is not idle, but perfect; certainly he doth all things.

91. Now give thy self unto me, O 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.

92. And this, O best Beloloved, is life.

93. And this is the Fair.

94. And this is the Good.

95. And this is God.

96. And if thou wilt understand this by work also, mark what happens to thy self, when thou wilt generate.

97. And yet this is not like unto him; for he is not sensible of pleasure, for neither hath he any other Fellow-workman.

98. But being himself the onely Workman, he is alwayes in the Work, himself being that which he doth or maketh.

99. For all things, if they were separated from him, must needs fall and die, as there being no life in them.

100. And again, if all things be living wights, both which are in Heaven, and upon Earth; and that there be one Life in all things which is made by God, and that is God, then certainly all things are made, or done by God.

101. Life is the union of the Minde, and the Soul.

102. But death is not the destruction of those things that were gathered together, but a dissolving of the Union.

103. The Image therefore of God, is Eternity, of Eternity the World, of the World the Sun, of the Sun Man.

104. But the people say, That changing is Death, because the Body is dissolved, and the Life goeth into that which appeareth not.

105. By this discourse, my dearest Hermes, I affirm as thou hearest, That the World is changed, because every day part thereof becomes invisible; but that it is never dissolved.

106. And these are the Passions of the World, Revolutions, and Occultations; and Revolution is a turning, but Occultation is Renovation.

107. And the world being all formed, hath not the forms lying without it, but it self changeth in it self.

108. Seeing then the World is all formed, what must he be that made it? for without form, he cannot be.

109. And if he be all formed, he will be kept like the World; but if he have but one form; he shall be in this regard lesse then the World.

110. What do we then say that he is? we will not raise any doubts by our speech; for nothing that is doubtfull concerning God, is yet known.

111. He hath therefore one Idea which is proper to him, which because it is unbodily; is not subject to the sight, and yet shews all forms by the Bodies.

112. And do not wonder, if there be an incorruptible Idea.

113. For they are like the Margents of that Speech which is in writing; for they seem to be high and swelling, but they are by nature smooth and even.

114. But understand well this that I say, more boldly, for it is more true: As a man cannot live without life, so neither can God live, not doing good.

115. For this is, as it were, […]he Life and Motion of God, to move all things, and quicken them.

116. But some of the things I have said, must have a particular explication: Understand then what I say.

117. All things are in God, not as lying in a place; for Place is both a Body, and unmoveable, and those things that are there placed, have no motion.

118. For they lie otherwise in that which is unbodily, then in the fantasie, or to appearance.

119. Consider him that containes all things, and understand, that nothing is more capacious, then that which is incorporeall, nothing more swift; nothing more powerfull; but it is most capacious, most swift, and most strong.

120. And judge of this by thy self, command thy Soul to go into India, and sooner then thou canst bid it, it will be there.

121. Bid it likewise passe over the Ocean, and suddenly it will be there: Not as passing from place to place, but suddenly it will be there.

122. Command it to flie into Heaven, and it will need no Wings, neither shall any thing hinder it; not the fire of the Sun, not the Aether, nor the turning of the Spheres, not the bodies of any of the other Stars, but cutting through all, it will flie up to the last, and furthest Body.

123. And if thou wilt even break the whole, and see those things that are without the World (if there be any thing without) thou mayest.

124. Behold how great power, how great swiftnesse thou hast! Canst thou do all these things, and cannot God?

125. After this manner therefore contemplate God to have all the whole World to himself, as it were all thoughts, or intellections.

126. If therefore thou wilt not equall thy self to God, thou canst not understand God.

127. For the like are intelligible by the like.

128. Increase thy self unto an immeasurable greatnesse, leaping beyond every Body, and transcending all Time; become Eternity, and thou shall understand God: If thou believe in thyself, that nothing is impossible, but accountest thy self immortall, and that thou canst understand all things, every Art every Science, and the manner and custom of every living thing.

129. Become higher then all heighth, lower then all depths, comprehend in thy self, the qualities of all the Creatures, of the Fire, the Water, the Dry, and Moyst; and conceive likewise, that thou canst at once be every where in the Sea, in the Earth.

130. Thou shalt at once ununderstand thy self, not yet begotten in the Womb, young, old, to be dead, the things after death, and all these together; as also, times, places, deeds, qualities, quantities, or else thou canst not yet understand God.

131. But if thou shut up thy Soul in the Body, and abuse it, and say, I understand nothing, I can do nothing, I am affraid of the Sea, I cannot climb up into Heaven, I know not who I am, I cannot tell what I shall be; what hast thou to do with God? for thou canst understand none of those Fair and Good things; be a lover of the Body, and Evil.

132. For it is the greatest evil, not to know God.

133. But to be able to know, and to will, and to hope, is the straight way, and divine way, proper to the Good, and it will every where meet thee, and every where beseen of thee, plain and easie, when thou dost not expect or look for it: It will meet thee, waking, sleeping, sailing, travailing by night, by day, when thou speakest, and when tho[…] keepest silence.

134. For there is nothing which is not the Image of God.

135. And yet thou sayest, God is invisible: but be advised, for who is more manifest, then He.

136. For therefore hath he made all things, that thou by all things mayest see him.

137. This is the Good of God, this is his Vertue, to appear, and to be seen in all things.

138. There is nothing invisible, no not of those things that are incorporeal.

139. The minde is seen in Understanding, and God is seen in doing or making.

140. Let these things thus far forth, be made manifest unto thee, O Trismegistus.

141. Understand in like manner, all other things by thy self, and thou shalt not be deceived.

The End of the Tenth Book.