14 PARACELSUS 



ing a particular kind of clothing, nor by beating one*g 

 self. Such things are all superstition and hypocrisy. 

 God, from the beginning of the world, has created all 

 things holy and pure, and they need not be consecrated 

 by man. God Himself is holy, and all that He made out 

 of His own holy will is also holy. It is for us, by becom- 

 ing holy, to recognise the holiness of God in all things " 

 {Philosophia Occulta). 



During the time of the Reformation, when the mental 

 atmosphere was in a state of great commotion, when 

 everybody contended either for Luther or for the Pope, 

 Paracelsus stood above the quarrelling parties, and rejected 

 all sectarianism, for he said : '' Among all sects there is 

 none which possesses intellectually the true religion. We 

 must read the Bible more with our heart than with our 

 brains, until at some future time the true religion will 

 come into the world." His sympathies, however, went 

 with the liberal Protestants, and he expressed himself in 

 regard to the action of Luther as follows : " The enemies 

 of Luther are to a great extent composed of fanatics, 

 knaves, bigots, and rogues. Why do you call me a 

 ' Medical Luther ' ? You do not intend to honour me by 

 giving me that name, because you despise Luther. But I 

 know of no other enemies of Luther but those whose 

 kitchen prospects are interfered with by his reforms. 

 Those whom he causes to suffer in their pockets are his 

 enemies. I leave it to Luther to defend what he says, 

 and I shall be responsible for what I may say. Whoever 

 is Luther's enemy will deserve my contempt. That which 

 you wish to Luther you wish also to me ; you wish us 

 both to the fire." 



Such were the true characteristics of this great man. 

 The accusations brought against him by his opponents 

 show that his faults have been so grossly exaggerated that 

 the very absurdity of the charges brought against him 

 renders such statements incredible and harmless. He has 

 been represented as a drunkard, and this accusation has 



