28o PARACELSUS 



the sunshine to enable it to take from the earth the 

 elements necessary for its growth, and in the same sense 

 the spiritual body of man, receiving its nutriment from 

 the spirit, could not unfold and develop if it were 

 not for the presence of the physical body of man, 

 with its elementary and elemental forces ; for the 

 physical body is comparable to the wood from which 

 is produced the fire which gives light ; there would be 

 no light if there were nothing to burn. *'The more 

 there is wood to burn, the greater will be the com- 

 bustion, and thus it is w'th the La'pis Philosophorum 

 or Balsamo perpetico in corpore humano." ^ "But it is 

 not proper to say a great deal about the Lapis Philoso- 

 phorum or to boast about its possession; the ancients 

 have sufficiently indicated the way for its preparation 

 to those who are not devoid of the true understanding ; 

 but they have spoken in parables, so that unworthy 

 persons may not know the secret and misuse it. Look 

 at a man ; he is not a perfect being, but only a half a 

 man as long as he has not been made into one with the 

 woman.^ After having become one with the woman 

 (in him), then will he be not a half, but a whole " {De 

 Lap id. Philosoph.). 



The Church 



The rock upon which the true (spiritual) church is 

 founded is not to be found in Rome nor in Protestantism, 

 nor in the realm of fancy, but in the power of faith. 

 " It is the Word of Wisdom from which you should 

 learn, and in that Word you will find neither statuary 

 nor paintings, but only the universal spirit. If faith 

 is preached to you, it is done for the purpose of im- 

 planting it into your heart, where it may take root and 



^ The balsam of life (a man without sexual power is unfit for initiation). 

 2 Man and woman are both one in the Lord. The " man " is the spirit 

 and *' woman " the eoul. 



