Liber Mysticus Apertorius Cracoviensis Sabbaticus, part 1 of 3 (7–14 May 1584)

LIBRI MYSTICI APERTORII CRACOVIENSIS SABBATICI, An. 1584.

Saturday Cracoviae, 7 Maii, Mane, hora 6.

AFter prayers, appeared Gabriel and Nalvage, with the Table, and Gabriel with his Dart in his hand. Moreover there appeared the like furniture of Table with a white Cloth, a Candlestick, and Taper on it, with a Desk and Cushions (which I had caused to be made with red crosses on them:) also E. K. himself and I appeared. […] the same Stone. In effect, all things as we had before us, after half a quarter of an hour, that shew of our furniture, and our selves, disappeared.

E. K. Gabriel standeth up, and speaketh as followeth.

....... A mighty City was built on the top of a mountain, in the which dwelt many thousands. Round about the Hill, ran a fresh River, which was the onely comfort of the Town: for, of it they drank, their wives, their children, their man-servants, their maid-servants, their camels, horses, mules, and all the beasts of their fields. The beginning of which River was a Spring, which was unknown to the City, by reason of the.. yth from whence it descended. It came to passe, that a Serpent groaned for her time, and lo, she brought forth: and... were such as her self: and she lifted up her head and leaned upon her twice writhen taile: and beheld the Sun stedfastly, (for her envy was toward that City) and she said within her self: My children are yet young, the time grew, and they became big: and she went unto the Spring, and smiled and said with a laughing voice, The Earth is fallen into thee, thou art choked: but hearken unto my voice, Thou shalt receive comfort: But she would not. And she lifted up her voice and roared; for she was full of craft and deceit. And she said unto the shingles, through the which the Spring runs (or rather syeth) Thou art full of emptinesse, and void places. Let my children (therefore) hide themselves within thee for a season: and they were contented; And she departed willingly, and saith within her self: Now I know I shall be Lady of the City.

And after a few years, the young Serpents became great; so that the one half of their bodies dwelt within the Shingles, the rest troubled the passage of the Spring: So that the Spring groaned; for, the injury that was done against her, was great.

A great misery, for the Hill is become desolate without the water, and the City and the beasts perish for want of drink; for the people groan, and are ful of sorrow.

This City and Serpents are 60.. now, and judgement must be had, betwixt the Shingles and the Spring. for between lieth the life and death of the City.

Thus saith the Lord unto thee [pointing to E. K.] Gird up thy self, and fit down, Consider both parts, and give judgement: for thy mouth shall this day be the judgement of the Lord.

E. K. Do you mean me?

Ë. K. As the Lord hath put the Authority of Judgement into my hands, so I beseech him to give me wisdom and understanding to judge right. And because the judgement hereof is committed to me, I suspect some other mystery to lie hidden in this my judgement required: But if it shall please God that my friend here, Master Dee shall give me his advise, I shall think my self well satisfied.

....... Consider with your self (saith the Lord) and give judgement against the Shingles, for the fault is plain. Consider two points, the necessity of the Spring, that it must come that wayes: and secondly, the health of the City.

E. K. My judgement is that the Shingles and Serpent should be removed away by an Earthquake from the place which they encumber and let, that there may be a fit new place, and course for that Spring, to the relief of that City as before it was.

...... Be it so as thou hast said, for it is a just judgement.

Now hearken, what the Lord saith. The people and City of the Hill, is the world, which are from time to time by the mercy and spring of Gods wisdom, relieved.. quenched: according to the extremity and necessity of their thirsting: But the people and City are such as are of the Temple and Church of God, which drink of his mercy to their comfort. The Camels and other beasts are the people of the Earth, which delight in sin, and in their own imagination, which also are relieved with those that are of the City: but the diversities of their bodies, doth cause the diversity of the ends of their comfort. The Hill wherein the Spring is, signifieth his Prophets, and such as are drunken in the Lord: Thr[…]ugh whom, inwardly the mercies and will of God and of the Highest are open from time to time, according to the secret will and determination of such as are within the City of his Elect. But the frailties and affections of their flesh and outward man, are their fond imaginations and loose Shingles wherein the Serpent, the old Devil, hath harboured her children the spirits of darknesse and deceit, which alwayes resist the Will of God, and are put between the mercies of God and his people. Moses, Daniel, Esdras, all the rest of the Prophets: Christ his twelve, Paul the Messenger of God, they did all hurt the Congregation of the Faithful in their flesh, until they gave sentence against themselves (as thou hast done) with amendment of life: for who is worthy to know the secrets of our God, but he that delighteth in righteousnesse, is obedient, full of faith, and the spirit of understanding? Be it therefore unto thee as thou hast said. Let the Shingles and Serpents be separated, that the Fountain may feed as before. All the trash that thou hast of the wicked, burn it.

E. K. I do not know, they are wicked.

...... Their doings with thee, are the hindrance of the Will of God, and therefore they are wicked.

...... Thou hast given judgement against thy self: Take heed thou offend not thy own soul.

Δ. Send down thy Spirit O Lord, and illuminate E. K. his heart with perceiving of his wrong opinion, &c.

E. K. If Moses and Daniel were skilful in the Arts of the Egyptian Magicians, and were not thereby hindred for being the servants of God, Why may not I deal with these, without hindrance to the Will of God?

...... Darknesse yeilded unto light: the Greater excluded the lesser. The more a man knoweth wickednesse, the more he shall hate it, being called back. The more they knew the shadow, so much more they delighted in the body: For the doings of the Egyptians, seem, and are not so. The doings of the Lord are, and continue; for as the Painter imitateth the gestures of man in his faculty, so doth the Devil the substances and things created and made by God.

Stand up and look into the whole World, into her youth, and middle age, for they are past. Where are the monuments that Satan hath builded?

E. K. Hath Satan builded any monuments?

...... Yes: Hath he not builded him a Fort upon the whole Earth? Hath he not the victory over the Saints? Dwelleth he not in the Temple of the Highest? Triumpheth he not in the Cities of the whole World?

Yes....... But without comfort, are his victories: without pleasure his dwelling places. For he knoweth his time is at hand. He that now giveth freedom, shall become bound; And unto whom the whole World is as a Garden, shall there be no one foot left. Therefore are all his pleasures vanity: all his Triumphs smoak, and his Authority, nothing indeed, but a meer shadow: For that that is not, cannot be; where, it is said of the Lord, it shall not be. Neither can truth, light, or wisdom, ascend from the Earth, but descend from the Heavens.

Compare the Earth, (into the which the Devil is thrust as into his dwelling) with the Heavens, which are provided for the holy. Consider the pain of the one, and the pleasure of the other: The seat of Gods Justice, and Fountain of his Mercy: The Cave of Darknesse, and the Diadem of Light. And then cry, wo, wo, wo, unto such as erre, and whose lives are but shadows: For their felicity is such, as from whence it came; and their reward is all one, with the spirit and prince of Darknesse.

Compare fond knowledge, with true wisdom, Thy spirits of lying with us, that are the voice of truth: The vanity that they lead thee into, and the reward of our message: And say within thy self, peccavi. Wilt thou be perswaded by experience? Consider thy imprisonments, thy affliction and shame of body. Consider the love of a few, and envy of a multitude. Weigh with thy self the vanity of thy life; Thy rash foot-steps, All that happned unto thee, by the society, and (as thou thinkest) comfort; but indeed the stinging pricks of thy enemies

...... Since, we came into thee, (sent from the Lord, and calling thee, to God) thou hast be[…] delivered from them; from a place full of fornication, and the wrath of God: exalted to the skirts of worldly honour; and hast been satisfied for the necessities of this World. Holy is the money that is gotten righteously; but accursed are the evils that are reaped with wrong. All which things thou hast by us in blessednesse, and in the knowledge of the will of God, above all men. Besides our continual presence with thee, to the comfort of thy Soul. Even these things are of us, and of our God. Which sware unto Abraham, and dwelleth in the Temple of righteousnesse. Now, therefore let experience be a Judge betwixt us and them.

But, this sayeth the Lord. I deal with you as a Childe: But the vessels that I must use, must be pure and clean.

Δ. Cleanse thou us, (O Lord) Cor mundum Crea in nobis; Crea.

Gab...... They that are incredulous believe not the Lord, but drive away his spirit: But where a grain is, it becometh as a mountain. The Lord is upon the earth: Take heed thou sweep thy house clean, for unto him that is naked, shall there be Cloathes given: But be that is covered already, shall be made bare.

Consider with thy self: for the Lord speaketh not once more, till thou hast fulfilled thy own judgement.

E. K. I will be contented to bury them in the field, and not to use them, or come at them: and that I will swear upon the Bible to perform: and if they be earthly, I will commit them to the earth: and so separate those shingles from the place near the spring: and in this manner fulfill my own judgement: For, I will not be obstinate, but commit all things to the end.

Because thou art content to bury them; and withall, upon faith in the promises of God, to abjure them in simplicity of heart, and external use.... simply, as a true meaning before the face of the highest: The Lord accepteth it, and it shall be sufficient.

Further, thou hast 27. Confirmations of sin, and consent with the Devil, which your intention calleth Characters, whereby those seven and twenty, (like unto their mother) are become familiar and pleasant with thee, they must be brought before the Lord: and offered into his hands. For so long as they are, the wicked alwayes vex thee: For the Obligation burnt, the condition is void. These must be buried with the rest.

[E. K. Which rest?]

...... But must be brought, and burnt here before the presence of God: That, the cause diminished, the effect may perish.

E. K. I will be contented to bury them likewise, beseeching the Almighty to accept of my intent herein, as of the rest before specified.

...... He is contented; but let one be burnt. You may suffer one to testifie the discredit of the rest. It is but according to the grounds of thy own Magick.

E. K. I do not understand your meaning herein.

Gab...... Radius partis, may be sicut totius Corporis.

E. K. I understand not that, also.

Gab....... Magick worketh effect in things absent, that it doth in their parts, being present.

The wicked kill the body absent, but the garment present: so are all of one confederacie, disgraced by the confusion of one. Thou art contented to bury them all, upon the confidence, and sure hope of the promises of the God of light, and to bring one as a confirmation of thy promise to testifie thy obedience as concerning the whole: which one burnt and abjured, may be a testimony to the Angels, that thou art obedient for God his sake, and for his testimony and truth. But this you shall burn with Brimstone onely. Whose ashes shall be kept as a testimony, till the rest be also consumed. This you shall do the next Monday at the rising of the Sun. That the number of the time may be of one bignesse. For, before August shall those Keyes be delivered unto you: which give entrance, yea, even into the privy Chambers of wisdom, whereof you shall have 14. the next Monday. And this dayes action is not the least amongst them. Glory be to God, and obedience unto man.

Δ. I doubt that I misheard somewhat. One […], and abjured obedience.

E. K. The Curtain is drawn.

Δ. We are desirous to know whether thus, this dayes action shall be finished: and whether we shall fast still as was prescribed.

Gab...... Detract not from the day, that, which is commanded.

Δ. We are very desirous to understand of the present estate of the Lord Albert Laskie: for as much as we were willed to go with him, and he linked to us in some part of our actions: To understand of his state, would be to our great comfort.

Gab...... It needeth not, for the world her self is at hand.

Δ. Verily, I understand not that speach: Is he coming back again? What, We are commanded we know: And further then our Commandment is errour. He is in his hand that knoweth how to use him.

E. K. I see a man climing over a Hedge, and as he clammereth over the stakes break, and he falleth down. Now he is going up between two Trees into a Medow-ward. Now he hath both the boughs in his hand, standing still on the ground. Now he goeth lower, there is a gap, and through that he is gone into the Medow..... so it is of Laskie..... said a voyce.

Δ. This is dark: it may please you to give some light.

g..... This is more then enough for the matter.

Cease to ask these things here, where it is said, no impure thing should enter.

Δ. Gloria, laus & honor Deo Nostro Omnipotenti, Patri, filio & spiritui Sancto, nunc & semper. Amen.

Δ. Note, at this present was one come, and in the house (of whom we understood not till he was gone:) whom the Lord A. Laskie had sent to certifie us, that first he was in some cumber and hindrance. Secondly, how Fabius (his brother in Law) and another had given him counsel, very rashly to proceed: But leaving that. Thirdly, by the gap and open way with estate of the Commons, or Citizens, by their great Zeal, and favour that he obtained his purpose. This (in effect) we understood at the Messager his return after noon. Which marvellous exactly did answer to the former shew.

Remember that on Saturday after noon, the Chancelour came to Cracow, with 60 Coaches in his Company and train: he bringing in a close Coach (covered with red) the Lord Samuel S. Boroskie Prisoner, whom he took on Friday night before, at his sisters house, being separated from his Souldiers and servants, &c.

Saturday, 14 Maii, Mane hora 6 Fere. † Cracoviae.

Orationem Dominicam fudimus, &c. Mitte lucem tuam & veritatem, O Deus, &c.

Δ. E. K. Said, he had done that with the trash specified, as he thought would be acceptable to the Lord: And as concerning one of the 27 Characters he had left it with me, ever since the last action, to be burnt at this dayes action, and it lay ready by me.

E. K. Our instructours appeared at the very first looking of E. K. into the shew-stone.

Δ. Will you that I shall now execute this burning of the Character here as a sacrifice (to the highest) of our humility and obedience?

Gab...... Not as a sacrifice, but as a victory.

Δ. Shall I then do it, I pray you? As with the consent of my yoke-fellow, and so all one to be taken as his action.

...... He that doth righteously offereth up a sacrifice.

Nal...... It is true, that he that is obedient, and doth well, is accepted with the Lord.

E. K. I did take sacrifice to be onely with bloud.

Gab...... This is a sacrifice, because it is done righteously.

E. K. You said, Not, as a sacrifice, but as a victory.

Gab...... He that overcometh his enemy rejoyceth not for friendship sake, but for victory. The friendship toward God is obedience. He that obeyeth God, is a friend unto himself. God needeth not the love, or friendship of man. Therefore you rejoyce with God, who overthrew them, and thereby comforted. For he that dwelleth in the Lord is comforted.

Thou […] thy mouth, and sayest before the Lord, The spirit of God hath descended.

Δ. Gloria Patri, &c.

[…] Δ He noteth some secret discourse, meditation, or prayer, and also action of E. K. as I conjecture.

And he hath […] into judgement with me, and I am condemned. But where Justice dwelleth, dwelleth also mercy. For, my Idolatry is forgotten before the Lord.

E. K. Have you committed Idolatry?

E. K.

Δ. He speaketh in your behalf Master Kelly.

...... I will therefore open my mouth, saying, I have erred. I will open my mouth also, and confesse my sins: And, I will vow unto the Lord against the wicked. And I will say unto the Lord. Lo, here are the spoils of the bloudy […]. Behold, O you Angels a blasphemy, and against the highest. Behold, the wickedresse of […].

Bear witnesse with me, for I have fulfilled his Commandement. Bear witnesse with me, that I return not, and rejoyce; for such are the spoyles of the wicked.

Gab. Art thou contented to consent hereunto?

E. K. What I have done with the rest, God, and they (if they be of God) know: upon the foresaid conditions I am contented to have this Character to be burnt. Let it be burnt.

Δ. I burnt it immediately, with the flame of brimstone, and brought the burnt black coal or cinder thereof to the Table, and laid it on a paper.

Now O Lord, darknesse is […], let thy light shine in us, and thy truth prevaile.

Gab. It is well. Δ. Blessed be the name of the highest: whose mercies are infinite. Oh, a sweet and comfortable sentence.

E. K. Now Nalvage turneth round, as he was wont.

Gab. Move not, for the place is holy.

E. K. Now Nalvage putteth down his rod to the Table, he maketh a crosse upon the Table reverently.

Nal. All things go forwards, Let us go FORWARD also. Δ. In the name of Jesus.

Gab. Move not, for the place is holy.

E. K. Nalvage prayeth.

Nal. Not BACKWARD, as you were wont to do, but FORWARD.

E. K. Now he maketh three reverent Cursies, as he was wont to do, before the Table.

E. K. Now he is on the top of the Table.

E. K. He maketh cursy.

E. K. Now he maketh cursy round about to all parts of the Table, he kneeleth down.

It is a Word and a Letter.

E. K. He sheweth it not in the Table yet.

Nal. Now I see the word of five Letters together, following letter by letter.

Stay there.

He maketh now Cursy.

E. K. He seemeth to read as Hebrew is read.

E. K. Now he maketh cursy again.

Now he ma —

E. K. —

K. E. Cursy.

E. K. He hath drawn the Curtain.

It is not to be seen what he doth.

Δ..........of 4 minutes of time the Curtain was drawn.

E. K. He is now otherwise apparelled, all the outside of his Gown is white Furre, on his head is an attire of furre, wreathed or wrapped as the Turks use; his head is now ike a mans head, with short hair.

That is one Call.

..........b....... Move not, for the place is holly.

E. K. Cursy, and he kisseth the Table.

E. K The Curtain is now plucked again, for three minutes or four. Now the Curtain is opened again. Now is he changed. Now he is all in black sarcenet, very plentifull of stuffe, girded to him, and with the coller high to the midst of his face.

Put out the last Pilgin.

E. K. Why did you give us them?

Nal.........If it stand.

It is better if the T be made an F, and pronounced F bli ard.

The Curtain drawn again. Now it is opened.

He is altered in apparel; one half under the girdle is red, and above the girdle white.

[…].

That is the second.

Δ. Blessed.

E. K. The Curtain drawn again, and so remaind about 6 minutes.

E. K. Being weary of sitting, I would gladly have leave to walk a little. His Apparel all one as it was.

Nal....... You may; but to sit, is more obedient.

Δ. E. K. walked awhile.

E K. Now, when it please you.

Gab....... I feel a staggaring minde.

Δ. That God which created you and us, make us to have constant mindes in all vertuous purposes.