Hermes Trismegistus

“ Thus, O Son, the whole Nature and Composition of those living things called Men, is very prone to Maliciousness, and is very familiar, and as it were nourished with it, and therefore is delighted with it Now this might if it shall come to learn or know, that the world was once made, and all things are done according to Provicence and Necessity, Destiny, or Fate, bearing Rule over all: Will he not be much worse than himself despising the whole, because it was made. Ad if he may lay the cause of Evil, upon Fate or Destiny, he will never abstain from any evil work. ”

“ But he that shall learn and study the things that are, and how they are ordered and governed, and by whom, and for what cause, or to what end, will acknowledg thanks to the Workman, as to a good Father, an excellent Nurse, and a faithful Steward, and he that gives thanks shall be Pious or Religious, and he that is Religious shall know both where the truth is, and what it is, and learning that, he will be yet more and more Religious. ”

“ My Thoughts being once seriously busied about the things that are, and my Understanding lifted up, all my bodily senses being exceedingly holden back, as it is with them that are very heavy of Sleep, by reason either or fulness of meat, or of bodily labor. ”

“ That which is mortal, cometh not into a Body immortal, but that which is immortal cometh into that which is mortal.
71. Operations or Workings are not carried upwards, but descend downwards.
72. Things upon Earth, do nothing advantage those in Heaven; but all things in Heaven do profit and advantage the things upon Earth 73. Heaven is capable, and a fit receptacle of everlasting Bodies, the Earth of corruptible Bodies
74. The Earth is bruitish, the Heaven is reasonable or rational. ”

“ As also the Generations of Men, to the Knowledge of the Divine Works, and a lively or working Testimony of Nature, and a multitude of men, and the dominion of all things under Heaven, and the Knowledge of good things, and to be increased in increasing, and multiplied in multitude. ”

“ But the Workman, Minde, together with the Word, containing the Circles and Whirling them about, turned round as a Wheel his own Workmanships; and suffered them to be turned from an indefinite Begining, to an undeterminable End; for they always begin where they end.
16. And the Circulation or running round of these, as the Minde willeth, out of the lower or downward-born Elements brought forth unreasonable or bruitish Creatures, for they had no reason, the Air flying things, and the Water such as swim.
17. And the Earth and the Water were separated, either from other, as the Minde would ”

“ And for this cause, Man above all things that live upon Earth, is double; mortal, because of his Body, and immortal, because of the substan- -tial Man: For being immortal, and having power of all things, he yet suffers mortal things, and such as are subject to Fate or Destiny. ”

“ But the Father of all things, the Minde being Life and Light, brought forth Man, like unto himself, whom he loved as his proper Birth; for he was all beauteous, having the Image of his Father.
19. For indeed God was exceedingly enamored of his own Form or Shape, and delivered unto it all his own Workmanships: But he seeing and understanding the Creation of the Workman in the whole, would needs also himself fall to work, and so was separated from the Father, being in the sphere of Generation or Operation. ”

“ And straight-ways God said to the Holy Word, Encrease in encreasing, and multiply in multitude all you my Creatures and Workmanships. And let him that is endued with Wine, know himself to be immortal; and that the cause of death is the love of the boar, and let him learn all things that are.
29. When he had thus said, Providence by Fate and Harmony, made the mixtures, and established the Generations, and all things were multiplied according to their kinde ”

“ And therefore being above all Harmony, he is made and become a servant to Harmony. And being Her- -maphrodite, or Male and Female, and watchful, he is governed by, and sub- -jected to a Father, that is both Male and Female, and watchful.
28. After these things, I said, Thou art my Minde, and I am in love with Reason.
29. Then said Pimander, This is the Mystery that to this day is hidden, and kept secret ; for Nature being mingled with Man, brought forth a Wonder most wonderful ”

“ When that period was fulfilled, the bond of all things was loosed and untied by the Will of God ; for all living Creatures being Hermaphroditical, or Male and Female, were loosed and untied together with Man ”

“ And Man was made of Life and Light into Soul and Winde, of Life the Soul, of Light the Winde.
35. And so all the Members of the Senfible World, continued unto the period of the end, bearing rule, and generating. ”

“ Malice is the Norraption of thaxx World
51. Time is the Corruption of Man
52. Whatsoever is in Heaven is unalterable
54. All upon Earth is alterable
55. Nothing in Heaven is servanted, nothing upon Earth free. ”