THou, Asclepius, serves in stead of a Sun unto me; for God hath brought thee to us, that thou mightest be present with us in thy divine Discourse, being such which may seem worthy to carry a greater lustre of Piety and Religion, than all the works before done of us, or any gifts inspired by divine Inspiration; which if understandingly thou shalt regard, thou shalt be richly filled with all p. 2 good things thorowout thy whole Soul: If notwithstanding there be many good things, and not one generall, in which all things are, for the one is perceived to consent and agree with the other; all these things belong to that One, and that One is All; for the one so coheres to the other, that they cannot be separated. But in the future Discourse, by a diligent hearkening, thou shalt fully know it. But thou, O Asclepius, proceed a little, and call forth him which should be present; who entering, Asclepius also suggesteth Amnon to be present. Trismegistus saith, No Envie hindereth Amnon from us; for to his name we remember many things to be written of us, as also to his loving and dear Son, many things of naturall Philosophy, and of many p. 3 Out landish and strange things: but this Tractate I will ascribe to your name, neither call any other save Amnon, lest a most devout Discourse of so weighty a matter should be violated by the intervention and presence of many comers; for it is an argument of no honest and religious heart, to publish a Tractate replenisht with the fulnesse of the divine Majesty, to the view of every mans conscience. Holy Amnon being now entered into a private closet, fitted with the Religion of four men, and the Divine Presence of God, in much reverence and secrecie he begins thus to declare himself in the name of all the Hermetes to the consciences and souls of them who are prepared to hear.
Trism. O Asclepius the soul of every man is immortall, but p. 4 not all alike; for there is a difference both in the time and manner.
Asclep. No indeed, O Trismegistus, for every Soul is of one quality.
Trism. O Asclepius, how quickly hast thou learned, by the very light of reason; for said I not this, That all things are one, and one all things? that all things were in the Creatour, before he created all things; neither unworthily is he said to be All, whose parts are all things: therefore in this whole Discourse have a care to remember him, who being One, is All, even the very Creatour of all things; all things descend from Heaven into the Earth, into the Water, and into the Air. The Fire onely, in that it is carried upward, is lively subservient to that which descends; for p. 5 whatsoever descends from above is generating, and whatsoever ascends upward is nourishing; the earth alone abiding in it self, is the receiver of all things, and the restorer of all things she receiveth. In this therfore wholly (as you said) even al things, both the Soul and the World, are naturally moved and concluded. So the various equality of every shape being differenced, that the Species of the qualities, by distance, may be known to be infinite, yet so united to this, that the whole may seem one, and from that one, all to have their being; wherefore the whole World are the four Elements of which it is compounded, Fire, Water, Earth, Air; one World, one Soul, one God. Now be thou present with me, as much as thou art able, both in minde, and wisdom: for the reason of p. 6 the Divinity which is to be known by the divine intention of the understanding, is most like unto a Torrent running with a violent and swift stream from a high Rock, whereby it glides away from the understanding of such, who are either Hearers or Dealers in it.
The Commentary.
This first Chapter teacheth, that all things belong to one, and that all things are one, of one, as from which all things are, One; as all the effects which in their cause are one, as that every mans Soul is immortall: but yet after a different sort. All things descend from Heaven; that which descendeth affords generation, that which ascendeth and goeth upward, giveth onely life. This p. 7 thing to be one, of which all things are: and this which is all things to move the world, and all the forms of which the world is compounded, to wit, the Fire, the Air, the Water, and the Earth. And as all bodies make one body of one world, so it will have all the forms of things to make one uniform form of one world, which it calleth the Form of the world; and these are one Body, one Soul, one World, one God; from whom Divine Understanding and the Word passeth from above, with a swife lightening downwards, like unto a swift Torrent, which flows into, and fils all things, and this Divine VVisdom and the VVord, what is it (I pray) but the Divinity, or Divine VVisdom it self, which is the Creatour of all things, which as the wise man sings, is the onely Mover of all things, and which being one can p. 8 do all things, and which abiding in it self changeth all things.
This is the first part.