Page 10 - Paracelsus Three Books of Philosophy

The first book
of philosophy
written to the Athenians

All created things are of a frail and perishing nature, and had all at first but one
only principle of beginning. In this (principle) all things under the cope of Heaven
[height of Heaven] were enclosed and lay hid. Which is thus to be understood, that all
things proceeded out of one matter, and not every particular thing out of its own
private matter by itself. This common matter of all things is the Great Mystery, which
no certain essence and prefigured or formed idea could comprehend, nor could it
comply with any property, it being altogether void of colour and elementary nature.
The scope of this Great Mystery is as large as the firmament. And this Great Mystery
was the mother of all the Elements, and the grandmother of all the stars, trees and
carnal creatures. As children are born of a mother, so all created things whatsoever,
were uniformly brought out of the Great Mystery. So that the Great Mystery is the
only mother of all perishing things, out of which they all sprung, not in order of
succession or continuation, but they all came forth together and at once, in one
creation, substance, matter, form, essence, nature and inclination.

That this Mystery was such as never any creature besides was, or ever saw the
like, and yet was the first matter, out of which all mortal things proceeded, cannot
better be understood than by the urine of man, which is made of water, air, earth and
fire, but is neither of these, or was it like to either, yet all the elements, by another
generation arise from thence, and so pass into a third generation. But in as much as the
urine is but a creature there may be some difference between this and that. For the
Great Mystery is uncreated, and was prepared by that great Artificer. Never shall there
by any like it; nor doth this return or is it brought back again unto itself. For as cheese
becomes no more milk, so neither doth that which is generated [of the Mystery] return
into its first matter. And though all things indeed may at length be reduced into their
pristine nature and condition, yet do they not return again unto the Mystery. That
which is once consumed can by no means be again recovered. But it may return into
that which was before the Mystery.

Furthermore, though the Great Mystery be indeed the mother of all things, both

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