The Philosophical epitaph of W.C. Esquire for a memento mori on his tomb-stone, vvith three hieroglyphical scutcheons and their philosophical motto's and explanation : with the philosophical Mercury, nature of seed and life, and growth of metalls, and a discovery of the immortal liquor alchahest : the salt of tartar volatized and other elixirs with their differences. Also, A brief of the golden calf, the worlds idol : discovering the rarest miracle in nature, ... / by Jo. Fr. Helvetius. And, The golden ass well managed and Midas restor'd to reason, or, A new chymical light : demonstrating to the blind world that good gold may be found as well in cold as hot regions, and be profitably extracted out of sand, stones, gravel and flints &c. .../ written by Jo. Rod. Glauber. With Jehior, aurora sapientiae, or, The day dawning or light of wisdom : containing the three principles or original of all things whereby are discovered the great and many mysteries of God, nature and the elements, hitherto hid, now revealed / all published by W.C. Esquire. : with a catalogue of chymical books.

CHAP. IV. Of the Second Principle, viz. Nature. (Book 4)

NAture is the second Principle and beginning of all things, and stands betwixt God and the Elements, through which God worketh into the Ele∣ments, at, through, and by means, and is in its conside∣ration even as Angelical, whose beginning is out of God a forth-blown Breath, VVind and Air of the Almighty, in which consists the Soul and Life of all Created things, and every living Soul, and is concentred and fastened together essentially, bodily, and self-subsisting in the Tree of Life, even as God in Christ, and the whole Elementary world in Man.

This second Principle is not everlasting according to the beginning▪ yet eternal according to the end, even as the Angels are. It is not Created out of nothing, as this world; but proceedeth from God, even as the Life from the Spirit, as a Breath, VVind, or Air doth proceed; and is also the breath of Gods VVord▪ in which is Life thus, that the speaking of the word is a living Eternal Breath, and is distinct from God, as a living breath or Soul from the quickening Spirit.

The living breath, Soul or Life of all things i•• ac∣cording to its Original out of the Nature, but the

Spirit out of God, namely after his measure, and the body out of the Elements. The Spirit as the Soul, or the Life are distinct thus: As God, who is Eter∣nal Life, and the quickening Spirit himself, and hath Life from no other, because himself is the Spirit: And as the living Soul, having her Life not out, from, and by, or through it self, but out of the Spirit, which maketh things alive, whose breath is the Life. Now that is soulish which hath its Life not from it self, but from the Spirit, and which is not a Spirit, but only a breath.

All things whatsoever are in their Being, have the food of thir Souls and Life out of Nature, and that from Heaven through the Wind and Air, from which all that hath breath doth live und feed, as through the forth-going breath of the VVord contained in the second Principle; for the word of God feeds every Spirit, Life and Body with its breath or blowing upon; because Life is in the word, which beareth all things by his power, even as it hath Created all things.

Now as all things consist of Body, Soul and Spirit, so they have three sorts of food to their ilfe & substance, the bodily food to the body, out of the Elements, as from that which cometh out of the waters, and out of the Earth, whence also the body doth come, is taken and is made. The soulish food to the Soul & Life in every thing out of Nature, through both the Elements of VVind and Air, from whence also the Life and Soul doth bome. The Spiritual food to the Spirit, and that from God, at from whom the Spirit is, namely each Spirit according to its measure, and to the Spirit in every way this food cometh from Heaven, through the Spirit and Light, as from the three Spiritual Ele∣ments, from whence also the Spirit did come.

Nature doth assemble it self in her Spirits Life, and body to the wind, Air and water.

The Angelical world in its body is no earth, as the Elementary is, but it is the right body of the water, out of which it subsisteth, and that body is here beneath with us ICE, but above it is an Angelical earth like un∣to a Christal. And in a word, it is a most noble Salt of Life, fertile, or constant, or firm over all, and is the Paradise in it self. It is an Angelical Air, which doth not fetch breath there as the living Soul, for the Life of Nature is Eternal in regard of the end; but it liveth and moveth in the Virtue of Gods word Eternally, sine respiratione, or without breathing.

Therefore death cannot Reign in the Angelical world over the Nature, and over the Tree of Life, but is rather overcome by it (how much more by God) for the Tree of Life stands unmoveable: There∣fore by the breaking of the fruit of this Tree, at the glorious coming of Christ, all shall come from death to life, and shall be freed and redeemed from death, Devil and Curse. Lastly, in its Spirit also it is of an Angelical Spirit▪ by the power of the word and Te∣stimony of God. Thus namely, that the Dragon hath no power over it, but is conquered by the Spirit of the same, is cast out, and quite extruded and cast away; How much more th••n by God. There∣fore seeing the Nature in her Spirit is the wind of the Almighty, and a going forth of the Light in which God dwelleth, and cannot come to that evil one, or may not fall into an evil, neither may it be blasted or poisoned by the breath of the old Serpent.

The Divine world in its being is compared to the most noble body of the water and earth, as it were to a Heavenly body which is and are an Essential Spiri∣tual Salt, as the most noble and pure Gems, precious

stones, and glistering Gold. In its Life it is the breath of the Almighty, a Soul and Life proceeding out of the mouth of God in and to an Eternal Life; and in its Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord it self, who is God praised for ever. God is the Spirit▪ the Na∣ture is the Soul or the Life, and the Elements are the Body: But be it known, that each world hath its pro∣per Nature and Element, and that the one world is never changed into the other, neither can it be alter∣ed, nor one Principle general into another. Now each Principle hath its proper Spirit, Life and Body.