Hermès Trismegistus: His First Book
But now, Oh my son, I will by heads run through the things that are. Understand what I say, and remember what you hear.
– Hermès Trismegistus
All things that are moved, only that which is not is immovable.
Every body is able to be changed.
Not every body is dissoluble.
Every living being is not mortal.
Nor every living thing is immortal.
That which may be dissolved is also corruptible.
That which abides is always unchangeable.
That which is unchangeable is Eternal.
That which is always made is always corrupted.
That which is made but once is never corrupted, neither becomes any other thing.
Firstly, God; secondly, the world; thirdly, man.
The World for man; man for God.
Of the Soul; that part which is sensible is mortal, but that part which is reasonable is immortal.
Every essence is immortal.
Every essence is unchangeable.
Everything that is, is paired.
None of the things that are paired stand still.
not all things are moved by a soul, but everything that is, is moved by a soul.
Everything that suffers is sensible; everything that is sensible, suffers.
Everything that is sad, rejoices also; and is a mortal living creature.
Not everything that has joy is also sad, but is an eternal living thing.
Not every body is sick; every body that is sick is corruptible.
The Mind is in God.
Reasoning (or disputing or discoursing) in Man.
Reason is in the mind.
The mind is absent of suffering.
No thing in a body is true.
All that is incorporeal, is void of lying.
Everything that is made is corruptible.
Nothing good is upon Earth; nothing evil is in Heaven.
God is good; man is evil.
Good is voluntary, or of its own accord.
Evil is involuntary, or against its will.
The gods choose good things, as good things.
Time is a divine thing.
Law is Human.
malice is the nourishment of the world.
Time is the corruption of man.
Whatsoever is in Heaven in unalterable.
All upon Earth is alterable.
Nothing in Heaven is enslaved; nothing upon Earth is Free.
Nothing is unknown in Heaven; nothing is known upon Earth.
The things upon Earth communicate not with those in Heaven.
All things in Heaven are beyond guilt; all things upon Earth are subject to reprehension.
That which is immortal is not mortal; that which is mortal is not immortal.
That which is sown is not always begotten; but that which is begotten always is sown.
Of a dissoluble body, there are two times; one for sowing generation, one from generation to death.
Of an everlasting body, the time is only from the generation.
Corruptible Bodies are increased and diminished.
Corruptible matter is altered into contraries; to wit, corruption and generation, but eternal matter goes only into itself, and its kind.
The generation of man is corruption; the corruption of man is the beginning of generation.
That which reproduces or begets another, is itself an offspring or begotten by another.
Of things that are, some are in bodies, some in their ideas.
Whatsoever things belong to operation or working, are in a body.
That which is immortal, partakes not of that which is mortal.
That which is mortal comes not into a body immortal; but that which is immortal comes into that which is mortal.
Operations or working are not carried upwards, but descend downwards.
Things upon Earth, do not advantage those in Heaven; but all things in Heaven do profit and advantage all tings upon Earth.
Heaven is capable, and a fit receptacle of everlasting bodies; the Earth of corruptible bodies.
The Earth is brutish; the Heaven is reasonable or rational.
Those things that are in Heaven are subjected or placed under it, but the things on Earth are place upon it.
Heaven is the first Element.
Providence is divine order. Necessity is the minister or servant of Providence.
Fortune is the carriage or effect of that which is without order; the idol of operation, a lying fantasy or opinion.
What is God? The immutable or unalterable good.
What is man? An unchangeable evil.
If you perfectly remember these heads, you cannot forget those things which in more words I have largely expounded unto you; for these are the contents or abridgment of them.
– Hermès Trismegistus
