THE LIFE OF PARACELSUS 13 



The third point is Imagination. If this power is properly 

 kindled in our soul, we will have no difficulty to make it 

 harmonise with our faith. A person who ia sunk into 

 deep thought, and, so to say, drowned in his own soul, is 

 like one who has lost his senses, and the world looks upon 

 him as a fool. But in the consciousness of the Supreme 

 he is wise, and he is, so to say, the confidential friend of 

 God, knowing a great deal more of God's mysteries than 

 all those that receive their superficial learning through 

 the avenues of the senses ; because he can reach God 

 through his soul, Christ through faith, and attract the 

 Holy Ghost through an exalted imagination. In this 

 way we may grow to be like the apostles, and to fear 

 neither death nor prison, neither suffering nor torture, 

 neither fatigue nor hunger, nor anything else." 



But with all his piety Paracelsus was no bigot. He 

 was an enemy of hypocrisy, ceremonial service, and pious 

 ostentation. He says : " If you pray publicly, to what 

 purpose will it serve ? It will only be the beginning and 

 the cause of idolatry, and therefore it has been prohibited 

 by Christ." 



He did not teach that we should ignore or treat with 

 contempt all external forms of religion, and imagine our- 

 selves superior to them ; but he taught that we should 

 try to outgrow and rise above all externalism, and become 

 members of the true inner Church of Christ. Therefore 

 he says : " Let us depart from all ceremonies, conjura- 

 tions, consecrations, &c., and all similar delusions, and 

 put our heart, will, and confidence solely upon the true 

 rock. We must continually knock and remind God in 

 us to fulfil His promises. If this is done sincerely, 

 without hypocrisy, with a true and pious heart, we wDl 

 then obtain that for which we seek. If we abandon 

 selfishness, the door (of our higher consciousness) will 

 be opened for us, and that which is mysterious will be 

 revealed " (Fhilosophia Occulta). 



" Salvation is not attained by fasting, neither by weay- 



