The Judgment of a Anonymous Philosopher
Concerning the Four Figures of the Great Amphitheater.
Since the Lord has desired my humble judgment and reflection regarding the great Amphitheater, the Lord has wished me to express my thoughts in this work.
The entire work is divided and separated into two main parts: The first, which the author (Doctor Khunrath of blessed memory) calls the Prologue, consists of the sayings of Solomon—not according to the order in which they appear in the Bible, but arranged in a special sequence based on the author’s intent and poetic sense. Alongside these, he has included the most memorable and profound sayings from the Book of Wisdom.
From this, one may conclude that Solomon in these his books laid the ground and foundation of natural magic, supernatural cabala, and divine theology. He has recorded many sayings in which the seeds and origin of the aforementioned glorious art are sparsely and implicitly contained.
Khunrath also believed this. Of blessed memory, he held that these extinguished mysteries could be brought back to light from the writings of Solomon.
The whole foundation is this: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.” Also: “No one can please God unless God loves him; and God loves no one unless he loves wisdom. And those who use wisdom become God’s friends. And forever and always she gives herself into the holy soul, and makes it a friend and prophet of God.”
This is the entire ground and origin of the aforementioned art. And the reader will find these little sayings in the Book of Wisdom, chapter 7. Since Solomon also says: “Simply I have learned it, and I share it without envy.”
But what is this noble art? Solomon gives the definition: Wisdom, he says, is a light. And the radiance that comes from it does not dim. It penetrates the breath of divine power and the ray of the majesty of the Almighty. It is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of divine energy, and an image of His goodness.
This, along with many other sayings, the author sets forth in various ways and explains all this threefold—in God, in man, and in nature—and concludes everything in the unity, in the eternity of God.
Now let the reader firmly grasp this foundation: for Solomon does not lie. It is a light, and its radiance is not extinguished. This light is threefold, and yet it is one. If anyone sees this light, it shines in all of nature, in all creatures—even in the smallest and most insignificant things whether it be in the firmament, stars, in the air, upon the earth, in mountains and valleys, in creatures and trees, in waters, in the depths of the sea, in all metals, minerals, and in short, in all visible creatures—in all of these this light is present.
As Solomon says: "Lord, your incorruptible spirit is in all things." (And just as this light shines in all creatures, as a light in the darkness.)
Whoever now sees this light in all creatures and understands it, he is called and is a Magus, and his art is called Magia.
Paracelsus calls this light of nature in many hundreds of places, and another sun by which the wise see. This light the wise sought from the East, in the star, by which they found the King of the Jews—our Savior and Eternal King of Grace human souls, indeed in all spirits, and can see all angelic powers and use them—he is a Cabalist, and his art is called Cabala. It is far higher than Magia. For although Magia in the beginning is such a swift light, like a thought, and so quick that in a moment it passes through all spirits—how clear, pure, and sharp it is—as Solomon also says: "Wisdom is the most penetrating of all things; it does not fail, and passes through all things because it is so pure."
This Cabalistic light was known as the radiance and light in the breastplate of the high priest, through which the Lord answered him, and this light God commanded the Lord to bring into the precious stones to Moses—as a Cabalist well knows.
In this light, one can also behold the counsel of God and His will, and the gracious government of mankind from beginning to end.
Therefore, the children of Israel had to direct the entire course of their lives, their entrance and exit, according to this. Just as God entrusted to the holy angels the guardianship and watch over His churches and all the faithful who shall attain and inherit salvation, so also from this light the entrance and exit of mankind must be discerned.
This is also the nature of Cabala: just as Magia is a light and understanding concerning all natural and temporal matters and this earthly life, so Cabala pertains to spiritual and heavenly things that concern the soul—especially to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Cabala reveals the hidden mysteries of Scripture regarding the Messiah—mysteries concealed under the very letters of Scripture. In the Cabalistic light, one sees these hidden divine mysteries.
And just as Magia is a knowledge of the earthly natural heaven, according to which the earthly, bestial/animalistic man is governed—thus the entire course of the bestial man lies in the atmosphere of the heavens.
So too is Cabala a light and understanding of the supernatural heaven, according to which the godly are governed—those who have another heaven ruling over them, namely the Holy Spirit.
Whoever lives according to the earthly heaven and under its natural influence, lives heathenishly; but whoever lives according to the supernatural heaven, lives according to the Holy Spirit—he lives as a Christian. Therefore, there are two kinds of influence: the natural influence (influentia coeli) and the divine influence (influentia divina); whoever is governed by divine influence lives as a Christian; the other, as a beast.
Thus this is also the difference between Magia and Cabala. Magia reveals its secrets through images, figures, characters, and through the visible art, the signature and the science of signatures.
Cabala, however, reveals—or rather hides—its wisdom in dark words, sayings, riddles, and deeply meaningful speeches. Therefore the prophets often spoke in the Scriptures in a cabalistic manner, in which much heavenly wisdom is hidden under the letters of Scripture. But the swiftness of the cabalistic spirit reveals all.
In this way, the Queen of Arabia tested Solomon with riddles and deeply meaningful sayings. But he explained everything to her, for with him there was the magical and cabalistic light.
And this has been the distinguishing mark among the Egyptian, Chaldaean, and Persian magi or sages, and between Joseph and Daniel.
If Pharaoh’s dream with the cows, and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream with the great statue and tree, had been natural — arising from the natural influence of the earthly heavens — then the Egyptian and Persian sages or magi could have interpreted and rediscovered them, for everything that is natural belongs to magia.
But since these dreams were supernatural and had a higher origin from the supernatural heavens, from which the true Church of God / the People of God is governed, it was not within the power of the sages to find and interpret these dreams.
They did not find them written in the firmament, as the holy prophet Daniel says to the king in chapter 2:
"The hidden thing, which the king demands from the sages, is not found in their / they were not able to tell the king."
But because Joseph and Daniel were Cabalists, and a higher spirit was in them — for in all sages there is namely a Cabalistic spirit and light — they were able to find and interpret the forgotten dream.
Where Magia ends, Cabala begins; and where Cabala ends, Theology begins — and the prophetic spirit.
Thus, you must now distinguish the three lights and spirits:
Magia is the natural light and the natural spirit;
Cabala, a supernatural light and spirit — an angelic light;
Theology is the light of God — the Holy Spirit.
Just as GOD the Lord speaks with a true theologian through the Holy Spirit, and how a true theologian has the divine conversation (Colloquium Divinum), which addresses him peacefully and intimately —
thus Nature speaks in all creatures with a Magus through her spirit, signs and signature, and the firmament through its influence.
Thus speaks the Cabala through an angelic light and angelic power with a Cabalist, just as God answered Moses through the light.
These glorious things — and three lights, which are indeed one — and which are enclosed in the divine three unities, are now discussed in the Amphitheatrum in its first part, namely in the Prologue. And the seeds that are continually shown in the sayings of Solomon are presented — but so subtly and with hidden speech, that among a thousand not one can taste it. And I will wager with thousands whether they will find this understanding within.
Now, what the author of the Amphitheatrum taught in words in the Prologue, he now also intends to show further, visibly, in the four figures, etc.
In the first figure, he describes all three lights: natural, supernatural, and divine.
Or: Natural, Angelic, and Divine; that is, Magic, Cabala, and Theology, and concludes all three in the first single figure, for the sake of the Holy Trinity.
These are the Hebrew names that stand in the circle:
First, the names of God — or divine forces;
Then: God's names are divine forces;
These names of God are 72 in number.
But how to use them — no one knows except a Cabalist, and the Cabala primarily deals with the divine names.
From these names of God flow the names of the angels, which also stand in the circle in the first figure, and they are nothing other than angelic forces.
To these angelic forces are attached the natural forces of the firmament — the Virtutes Coelorum — of which the philosopher says: “The forces of heaven are moved.”
And to the celestial forces of the firmament of heaven are attached the lower powers of nature, called the Virtutes rerum Coelorum (powers of heavenly things). The lower ones are called Vires — that is, virtues. But all of this flows from God. Therefore, in the first figure, all these names are encompassed in Hebrew within a single circle.
Thus the first figure primarily teaches Cabala, although Magic is also included therein.
The second teaches Magic. The third teaches Chymia (alchemy).
For Chymia is a species and part of Magic.
And no one will ever understand true Chymia in eternity who has not first studied and grasped Magic.
But Alchymia has three operations:
In the first operation, Mercurius Philosophorum (Philosophers' Mercury) is made.
From this, in the second operation, Luna Philosophorum (Philosophers' Moon) is produced.
From the same, in the third operation, Sol Philosophorum (Philosophers' Sun) is made.
These are astral names of this work, or astronomical names.
Philosophically, however, in the first operation of the Philosopher’s Stone (Lapidis Philosophorum), it becomes only a clear water.
For water is the beginning of all natural things.
From this water, in the second operation, the dry — the separated earths — are made, just as God, in the beginning, separated the earth from the water.
So in the work of the Stone, this is the salt, snow-white, and it is Luna.
From this snow-white salt, in the third operation arises Sulphur Philosophorum, blood-red.
Thus you have in the three operations:
Mercury,
Salt,
Sulphur.
On the elemental level:
Water (Aqua),
Air (Aër),
and Fire (Ignis).
In all three, however, the air is as a spirit, as in the natural world:
earth / water / fire and air; it is the same: spirit and life.
On the microcosmic level, however, these three are called:
Spirit,
Body,
and Soul.
Spiritually — from which a body has become;
and then thirdly, the soul — the perfection and clarified essence.
This is wonderfully prefigured in the third figure;
but a thousand will not taste it therein.
As for the fire — it is a great mystery,
through which the matter of the Philosopher's Stone (Lapidis) is transmuted from one essence into another.
And it is no natural fire — all that the alchemists with their artificially devised furnaces rave about is false — but (which I say in confidence before the Lord) it is an astral fire, an aetheric fire, which comes through magic, and can only be used through it — otherwise for eternity in no other way.
Therefore, all who have possessed the Stone (Lapidem) have been magi.
Hence the fable of the heathens — that Prometheus ascended to the heavens and stole the fire from Jupiter — for which the Persians revered the fire as their god because they had seen that their Magi and philosophers had accomplished such great things with it.
But the fools — the Persians — who did not understand the secrets of their philosophers,
made the fire into an idol, as can still be seen in Ur of Chaldea.
For "Ur" means "fire" in Chaldean, and this city in Chaldea received its name because the philosophers dwelled there who possessed this wondrous fire.
The light in the breastplate of Aaron was also called "Ur" or "Urim."
Therefore it came to be that the old Persian kings — when they were crowned — were led in on a white horse, and the fire was brought before them.
But those kings were no fools that they would have had common fire brought before them —
rather, it was the magical, miraculous fire, a hidden mystery — secret, concealed fire —
a secret of all nature.
And this is the interpretation of the third figure.
In the 4th figure, the Amphitheatrum teaches theology in the oratory, and theology is nothing other than the Divine Colloquy, a conversation with God through prayer and through the Holy Spirit.
And so the Lord has placed my judgment upon the great Amphitheatrum, from which report it may be seen whether I understand something in these matters or not.
And I wish to report once again to the Lord on the magical transmutations, as the Magi in Egypt turned their staffs into serpents and water into blood, and so forth —
a report which I myself have witnessed and comprehended:
how unspeakable transmutations exist in magic, and how these transmutations also occur in a magical way and not otherwise.
With this, I commend the matter to the dear God.
BENEDICTUS FIGULUS UTENHOVIAS,
Fr., Poet Theol., Philos., Med.,
Hermit of the T. M.
To the Reader
Christian / Divine / supernatural / and natural truth's diligent follower and lover,
dearest reader / and son of Hermetic Philosophy.
Because this judgment gives an exceedingly excellent report about the 4 figures of the Amphitheatrum Chymicum, Doctor Khunrath's work / concerning the natural / supernatural and divine / yet composed in the holy secret Unity and enclosed Light / as Magic,
Cabala, and Theology, nothing higher and more lovely may be said about this report:
As likewise about the high Secret and Great Work of the Philosopher's Stone of Benedict the Philosopher, of whom of the secret fire of the Magi and Philosophers, from which the first treatise or little book especially teaches and reveals to us clearly the profound instruction of the said and esteemed Herr Dr. Khunrath, left behind by the blessed deceased, and this time published by a good friend in public print:
Therefore I have now decided to attach my judgment to this mentioned little book,
and to share it with you kindly and sincerely and to communicate it.
Although the aforementioned Amphitheatrum Chymicum of Dr. Khunrath, of blessed memory, due to its engraved and printed copperplate figures, has been in high and difficult demand, and back then only a few copies were printed,
and it was mostly accessible to high-ranking persons, so that it came to pass that a poor fellow could hardly obtain it
Therefore I now show you, from a brotherly spirit and heart, that this Amphitheatrum is now again now under the press / at Hanover near Frankfurt / as I have credibly been informed / and soon will again be available for sale / and adorned with several figures / yet more beautifully and of better quality / than previously was / will be:
Thus you can assure yourself of it / it will and shall perhaps not disappoint you. As for the other figures / that are to be added / with due time / perhaps a dedicated Theosophist and Philosopher will be found / who will offer his judgment and explanation regarding them in due time / and will reveal it to you.
Be hereby committed to the mighty grace and protection of Trismegistus the Spagyrist.