The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)

But let the Reader know, that the sharp Speculation of his own Reason will never pry into the Depth of this Book, but rather bring him into a Maze of doubtful Notions, wherein he will bewilder himself, and think the Author's Phrase tedious and strange; and therefore the Understanding lies only in the Manifestation of that Spirit, which in the Day of Pentecost gave forth the true Sense and Meaning of all Languages in one: Now if that Spirit rules and dwells in you, then you may understand this Author in the deepest Ground, according to your creaturely Constellation, both in the Eternal and Temporal Nature; but if not, these Things will be but as a Relation of Trifles and Chimeras to you. And therefore if you be of a Saturnine Property, dull and dark, Shut up in the House of Luna, soar not too high with your Censure and Scorn, or with a critical Speculation of your outward Reason, lest you fall indeed into the deep Abyss of Darkness; but wait patiently, till the divine Sol shall shine again in your dark and Selfish Saturn, and give you some Beams and Glimpses of his Eternal Light, and then your angry Mars will be changed into pure Love-zeal, and your prating, pharisaical, and hypocritical Mercury into a meek, mild, and Christian Speaking of God's Works and Wonders in the Dispensation of his Wisdom; and your doubtful, unsettled Jupiter will be turned into a Plerophory, or most full Assurance of true Joy and saving Comfort in your Religion; your earthly Venus into heavenly Love, and your eclipsed mutable Luna into the pure, perfect, and crystalline Streams of Light, Life, and Glory.

But the proud Scorner that will take no Warning is of Lucifer Regiment, who saw the Mystery of God's Kingdom to stand in Meekness, Simplicity, and deep Humility, and therefore out of his Pride would aspire to be above the divine Love, and Harmony of Obedience to God's Will, and so fell into the Abyss of the dark World, into the outmost Darkness of the first Principle, which we call Hell, where he and his Legions are Captives; from which the Almighty God of Love deliver us.

I will end with the Words of the Author at the Conclusion of the Book, where he says thus; “I have faithfully, with all true Admonition, represented to the Reader what the Lord of all Beings has given me; he may behold himself in this Looking-Glass within and without, and so he shall find what and who he is: Every Reader, be he good or bad, will find his Profit and Benefit therein: It is a very clear Gate of the Great Mystery of all Beings: By Glosses, Commentaries, Curiosity and Self-wit, none shall be able to reach or apprehend it in his own Ground; but it may very well meet and embrace the true Seeker, and create him much Profit and Joy; yea be helpful to him in all natural Things, provided he applies himself to it aright, and seeks in the Fear of God, seeing it is now a Time of seeking; for a Lily blossoms upon the Mountains and Valleys in all the Ends of the Earth: He that seeketh findeth. And so I commend the Reader to the Grace and Love of Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge.”

John Ellistone, 1651

THE

CONTENTS

OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE

SIGNATURA RERUM.

CHAP. I. How that all whatever is spoken of God without the Knowledge of the Signature is dumb and without Understanding, and that in the Mind of Man the Signature lies very exactly composed, according to the Being of all Beings.

CHAP. II. Of the Opposition and Combat in the Essence of all Essences, whereby the Ground of the Sympathy and Antipathy in Nature may be seen, and also the Corruption and Cure of each Thing.

CHAP. III. Of the great Mystery of all Beings.

CHAP. IV. Of the Birth of the four Elements and Stars, in the metalline and creaturely Property.

CHAP. V. Of the Sulphurean Death, and how the dead Body is revived and replaced into eternal Glory or Holiness.

CHAP. VI. How a Water and Oil is generated; and of the Difference of the Water and Oil, and of the vegetable Life and Growth.

CHAP. VII. How Adam (while he was in Paradise) and also Lucifer were glorious Angels, and how they were corrupted and spoiled through Imagination and Pride,

CHAP. VIII. Of the Sulphurean Sude, or Seething of the Earth; how the Vegetation proceeds from the Earth; and also the Difference of Sex, and various Kinds of Creatures; an open Gate for the searching Philosopher.

CHAP. IX. Of the Signature, shewing how the inward [Ens] signs the outward.

CHAP. X. Of the inward and outward Cure of Man.

CHAP. XI. Of the Process of Christ in his Suffering, Dying, and Rising again: Of the Wonder of the Sixth Kingdom in the Mother of all Beings; how the Consummatum Est was finished, and how likewise, by Way of Similitude, it is accomplished and effected in the Grand Philosophic Work, or Universal Tincture.