Sal, lumen, & spiritus mundi philosophici, or, The dawning of the day discovered by the beams of light shewing the true salt and secret of the philosophers, the first and universal spirit of the world / written originally in French, afterwards turned into Latin by the illustrious doctor, Lodovicus Combachius ... and now transplanted into Albyons Garden by R.T. ...

To the Reader, Whose Studies are seasoned with Salt.

WHEN the rude dark Chaos, and indigesta moles, lay tumbling in darkness, and rowling amongst the undivided waters; when the Spirit of the Great E∣ternal Elohim, moved a∣bove

the Face thereof, it seemed good to his Great creating power, to make a Witness of his Glorious Majesty, by framing the spatious Ʋniverse: then did he pronounce a fiat Lux, Let there be Light: and no sooner was his will declared, but Light im∣mediately, like a ready swift-wing'd Herald, soon proclaim'd his Embassage to the as-yet unseparated Fire, Air, Earth and Wa∣ter:

and they, as dutiful Subjects, yield ready O∣bedience to his Glorious Commands; and Light speedily muzzles up dark∣ness, and presents the Cre∣ator with a new baptized morning.

His sacred Power fur∣ther intending to manifest his Glory, commands a divorce between the Earth and Water; and as a mighty Monarch doth his conquered Enemy, or

stubborn Rebel; so he with another fiat, makes that terrible, boundless, fa∣thomless Element, the Sea, become his Prisoner; and confines her swelling waves to their bounds and bor∣ders; banishing them from one end of the World to the other, to run up and down in an unsettled mo∣tion; that though her bri∣nish Mountains swell ne∣ver so high, yet further then his great fiat permits,

they never dare approach. Then after he had van∣quished this terrible (to poor mortals apprehensi∣on) adversary, he soon be∣spreads the Earth with a green robe, embroyder'd with such variety of glo∣rious flowers, as the great∣est Potentate on the earth, with all his Glory, could never attain to the like ar∣ray. Moreover, did his refulgent Majesty yet further illustrate the

beams of his glorious might in bedecking the bespan∣gled azure skies with those powerful Creatures the Sun, Moon, and Stars, which he set for times and seasons, days, months and yeers; and to divide be∣twixt day and night: to o∣mit the ready obedience, the Sea, Air, and Earth yielded, in bringing forth fishes, birds and beasts, immediately at his com∣mand. Whither now doth

my wandring Muse soar? What royal Potentate or princely Guest, should now be expected to this glorious Entertainment? Not the Mighty Angels, that excel in strength; but the great Deity, call'd a tri∣une Council, & command∣ed the Earth also to bring forth an Epitomy of all his voluminous works, the Ma∣nual of his glory, Man, a naked puling Creature, born without Sword or

Shield; yet into his Soul did the All-eternal breath the Image of Himself, crown'd him glory, made him little lower then the Angels, made him Com∣mander of Earths Em∣pire, gave him an os subli∣me, a lofty countenance to view the Stars, and learn to know their power∣ful influence upon the in∣feriour World.

Now doth the wise Phi∣losopher, he who is a true

contemplator of the di∣vine Wisdom, by a three∣fold operation, and three∣fold matter, make his cre∣ation, and erect the fabrick of his world, with his Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury. The Mercury & Sulphur of the Philosophers, hath much been written on, more then needs talk'd on; but the third and chief principle, was as yet un∣•…•…upplied.

Here, Reader, it is fully

discussed, and to the intel∣ligent and deserving, wi•…•… be a great revealed Secret despised by fools, crack•…•… on by bragging knaves who indeed like degenerat•• bastards, unframe th•• frame, & blot the manua•• and deface the Gloriou•• Image of the Almighty.

Some seek to fill the insa∣tiate Gulf of their unfa∣thom'd wills, in vain plea∣sure: Another seeks t•• mount the slippery stair

of staggering honor, and to make a perpetuity of his off-spring: Another digs in the Earth, and is ship∣wrack'd with covetous dunghil-passions. The actions of all these are not a whit tinctured with the true Salt of the Philoso∣phers; for therein is no such thing.

Many indeed there are to whom the Philosophers Study seems ridiculous, because their unseasoned

brains cannot apprehend the great mystery thereof: to them I will not bestow time to say a word; nor here tell you the Vertues of Salt: yet you see our na∣tural vulger common Salt will preserve dead flesh from putrefaction: What then will the true-prepar'd Philosophical Salt do? It is not meet to tell you here but if you are worthy of it, the Book will; and Pa∣racelsus told you already.

Let me intreat you to take notice by the way, that when you finde any mention made of heaven, earth, soul, spirits; or our heaven, &c. these are not meant the celestial heaven, or natural earth; but terms used by the Philosophers, to obscure their sayings from the wicked; spoken with all due and holy re∣verence to the divine Ma∣jesty; of whose glorious Attributes, the true Philo∣sophers

and Astrologers are as tender as CL—assi∣cal John can be; yet this I thought good to mention, being cautious lest any spark of my flint should touch the wild-fire of his beacons; but that my Salt may rather preserve the hopes of my intelligent Reader, to dive through his Studies, to his crown'd haven: with which desire I conclude,

••2 Decemb. 1656.

R. T.