CHAPTER IV.

Now concerning the first part, we hold^that the medita-
tions of our Christian father on all subjects which from the
creation of the world have been invented, brought forth,
and propagated by human ingenuity, through God's revela-
tion, or through the service of Angels or spirits, or through
the sagacity of understanding, or through the experience of
long observation, are so great, that if 'all7 books should
perish, and by God's almighty sufferance all writings and
all learning should be lost, yet posterity will be able thereby
to lay a new foundation of sciences, and to erect a new
citadel of truth ; the which perhaps would not be so hard
to do as if one should begin to pull down and ^destroy the
• old, ruinous building, then enlarge the fore-court, after-
wards bring light into the private chambers, and then
change the doors, staples, and other things according to our
intention.

Therefore, it must not be expected that new comers shall
attain at once all our weighty secrets. They must proceed

CONFESSION OF ROSICRUCIAN FRATERNITY. 89

step by step from the smaller to the greater, and must not
be retarded by difficulties.

Wherefore should we not freely acquiesce in the onely
truth then seek through so many windings and labyrinths,
if onely it had pleased God to lighten unto us the sixth
Candelabrum ] Were it not sufficient for us to fear neither
hunger, poverty, diseases, nor age ? Were it not an ex-
cellent thing to live always so as if you had lived from the
beginning of the world, and should still live to the end
thereof 1 So to live in one place that neither the people
which dwel beyond the Ganges could hide anything, nor
those which live in Peru might be able to keep secret their
counsels from thee 1 So to read in one onely book as to
discern, understand, and remember whatsoever in all other
books (which heretofore have been, are now, and hereafter
shal come out) hath been, is, and shal be learned out of
them 1 So to sing or to play that instead of stony rocks
you could draw pearls, instead of wild beasts spirits, and
instead of Pluto you could soften the mighty princes of the
world 1 O mortals, diverse is the counsel of God and your
convenience, Who hath decreed at this time to encrease and
enlarge the number of our Fraternity, the which we with
such joy have undertaken, as we have heretofore obtained
this great treasure without our merits, yea, without any
hope or expectation ; the same we purpose with such fidelity
to put in practice, that neither compassion nor pity for our
own children (which some of us in the Fraternity have)
shal move us, since we know that these unhoped for good
things cannot be inherited, nor be conferred promiscuously.

90 HISTORY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS.