14. Alchemy is about making the
Philosophers’ Stone
…… Statistical Significance ……… Supporting sources: 6 Contradicting sources: 0 Statistical significance: 0.9997559
This premise is statistically significant
…… Supporting Quotations ……… [77] In many ancient Books there are found many definitions of this Art,
the intentions whereof we must consider in this Chapter. For Hermes said of this Science: Alchemy is a Corporal Science simply composed of one and by one, naturally conjoining things more precious, by knowledge and effect, and converting them by a natural commixtion into a better kind. A certain other said: Alchemy is a Science, teaching how to transform any kind of metal into another: and that by a proper medicine, as it appeared by many Philosophers' Books. Alchemy therefore is a science teaching how to make and compound a certain medicine, which is called Elixir, the which when it is cast upon metals or imperfect bodies, does fully perfect them in the very projection.
~ Bacon, Roger. The Mirror of Alchemy. 13th Cen. Alchemical Tract
[169] There are three parts of Philosophy: that which deals with
matter in motion, or physics; that which is concerned with matter at rest, or mathematics; and that which abstracts from both matter and motion, or metaphysics. Alchemy belongs neither to the second nor to the third of these departments of science; consequently, it takes its place in the first department, or that of physical science, for it deals with real being joined to motion and matter, and not with metaphysics, which are divine, and have regard to real being separated from motion and matter. Each physical science deals with a certain division of matter, and so does our Magistery. Science is possible by means of the fact that the universe is the work of an Intelligence to which our reason corresponds. The Divine Intelligence has subjected all natural and supernatural phenomena to the rule of certain laws, which laws our reason was created capable of apprehending, and this state of things is the preliminary condition of all science whatsoever. Our reason is either practical or speculative, according to the class of mundane relations with which it deals; and thus we have speculative philosophy, or science, and practical philosophy, or
14. Alchemy is about making the Philosophers’ Stone p.55
art. Our Magistery is speculative in so far as it teaches us the nature and relations of metals; it is practical in so far as it teaches us how to utilise this knowledge for the production of the Philosopher's Stone, and the transmutation of common metals into gold and silver.
[398] Alchemy, which undertakes to transmute the base metals into
gold and silver. Whatsoever has the power to transmute imperfect and complete metals has the power to make gold and silver. Now, this quality is possessed by the Stone which the philosophers make known to us.
[395] In the case of a science which is familiarly known to a great
body of learned men, the mere fact that they all believe in it supersedes the necessity of proof. But this rule does not apply to the Art of Alchemy, whose pretensions, therefore, need to be carefully and jealously sifted. The arguments which make against the justice of those claims must be fairly stated, and it will be for the professors of the Art to turn back the edge of all adverse reasoning. Every ordinary art (as we learn in the second book of the Physics) is either dispositive of substance, or productive of form, or it teaches the use of something. Our Art, however, does not belong to any one of these categories; it may be described indeed as both dispositive and productive, but it does not teach the use of anything. It truly instructs us how to know the one substance exclusively designed by Nature for a certain purpose and it also acquaints us with the natural method of treating and manipulating this substance, a knowledge which may be either practically or speculatively present in the mind of the master. There are other crafts which are not artificial, but natural, such as the arts of medicine, of horticulture, and glass-blowing. They are arts insofar as they require an operator; but they are natural insofar as they are based upon facts of Nature. Such is the Art of Alchemy. Some arts systematize the creations of the human mind, as, for instance, those of grammar, logic, and rhetoric; but Alchemy does not belong to this class. Yet Alchemy resembles other arts in the following respect, that its practice must be preceded by theory and investigation; for before we can know how to do a thing, we must understand all the conditions and circumstances under which it is produced. If we rightly apprehend the cause or causes of a thing (for there often is a multiplicity or complication of causes), we also know how to produce that thing. But it must further be considered that no one can claim to be heard in regard to the truth or falsity of this Art who does not clearly understand the matter at issue; and we may lay it down as a rule that those who set up as judges of this question without a clear insight into the conditions of the controversy should be regarded as persons who are talking wildly and at random.
~ Bonus, Peter. The New Pearl of Great Price. 1338 AD. Alchemical Tract [730] The ancient teacher Hieronymus says that it was formerly
ordained among the Jews that no one under the age of 30 years might read the first Chapter of Genesis. Be this true or not, it is certainly not the custom among the Jews at the present time. Yet it is undeniable that man
p.56 14. Alchemy is about making the Philosophers’ Stone
by a right contemplation and understanding of this Chapter, may gain a knowledge of many Arcana and secrets of creation. Not to mention other things, this Chapter is especially suitable to our Chemical Art. Indeed, of all books concerning the Theory and Practice of the Philosopher’s Stone, I know not of one which, from beginning to end, could more plainly and graphically describe our Art, than the Almighty Himself has done in that whole process of His great Creation.
~ Suchten, Alexander von. An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's
Tincture, of Paracelsus. 16th Cen. Alchemical Tract
[180] all that are in search of this precious Tincture are called
alchemists
~ Anonymous. The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise. 17th Cen. Alchemical Tract
[652] He that has once found this Art, can have nothing else in all the
world to wish for, than that he may be allowed to serve his God in peace and safety. He will not care for pomp or dazzling outward show. But if he lived a thousand years, and daily entertained a million people, he could never come to want, since he has at hand the means of indefinitely multiplying the Stone both in weight and virtue, and thus of changing all imperfect metals in the world into gold. In the second place, he has it in his power to make stones and diamonds far more precious than any that are naturally procured. In the third place, he has an Universal Medicine, with which he can cure every conceivable disease, and, indeed, as to the quantity of his Medicine, he might heal all sick people in the world. Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, and sole Almighty, be everlasting praise for these His unspeakable gifts and invaluable treasures. I exhort all that possess this Treasure, to use it to the praise of God, and the good of their neighbours, in order that they may not at the last day be eternally doomed for their ingratitude to their Creator.
~ An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth. An Open Entrance to the Closed
Palace of the King. 1645 AD. Alchemical Tract
…… Commentary ……… Alchemy is exclusively concerned, from a practical perspective, with making the Philosophers’ Stone. There is no mention of any intermediate, beginner’s level or ‘Lesser Work;’ only the Philosophers’ Stone or nothing.
This premise is a dire contrast with opinions forwarded by modern self-proclaimed alchemical practitioners, who are largely of the opinion that there are lesser works and/or different types of Stone. The alchemists themselves, however, define alchemy and ‘alchemists’ as those who are exclusively concerned with the creation of the Philosophers’ Stone.