everyword，everyletter，beingconsideredtohaveadivineandhiddenmeaning。Bycombiningvariousscripturallettersinvariousabstruseways，newwordsofprodigioussignificanceinmagicwereobtained，andamongthemthegreatwordembracingtheseventy-twomysticalnamesofGod——themightyword“Schemhamphoras。”WhyshouldmenseekknowledgebyobservationandexperimentinthebookofNature，whenthebookofRevelation，interpretedbytheKabbalah，openedsuchtreasurestotheingeniousbeliever？
　　So，too，wehaveancientmysticaltheoriesofnumberwhichthetheologicalspirithadmadeChristian，usurpinganenormousplaceinmedievalscience。ThesacredpowerofthenumberthreewasseenintheTrinity；inthethreemaindivisionsoftheuniverse——theempyrean，theheavens，andtheearth；inthethreeangelichierarchies；inthethreechoirsofseraphim，cherubim，andthrones；inthethreeofdominions，virtues，andpowers；inthethreeofprincipalities，archangels，andangels；inthethreeordersintheChurch——bishops，priests，anddeacons；inthethreeclasses——thebaptized，thecommunicants，andthemonks；inthethreedegreesofattainment——light，purity，andknowledge；inthethreetheologicalvirtues——faith，hope，andcharity——andinmuchelse。Allthiswasbroughtintoatheologico-scientificrelation，thenandafterward，withthethreedimensionsofspace；
　　withthethreedivisionsoftime——past，present，andfuture；withthethreerealmsofthevisibleworld——sky，earth，andsea；withthethreeconstituentsofman——body，soul，andspirit；withthethreefoldenemiesofman——theworld，theflesh，andthedevil；
　　withthethreekingdomsinnature——mineral，vegetable，andanimal；with“thethreecolours“——red，yellow，andblue；with“thethreeeyesofthehoney-bee“——andwithamultitudeofotheranaloguesequallyprecious。ThesacredpowerofthenumbersevenwasseeninthesevengoldencandlesticksandthesevenchurchesintheApocalypse；inthesevencardinalvirtuesandthesevendeadlysins；inthesevenliberalartsandthesevendevilisharts，and，aboveall，inthesevensacraments。Andasthisprovedinastrologythattherecouldbeonlysevenplanets，soitprovedinalchemythattheremustbeexactlysevenmetals。Thetwelveapostleswereconnectedwiththetwelvesignsinthezodiac，andwithmuchinphysicalscience。Theseventy-twodisciples，theseventy-twointerpretersoftheOldTestament，theseventy-twomysticalnamesofGod，wereconnectedwiththeallegedfactinanatomythattherewereseventy-twojointsinthehumanframe。
　　Then，also，therewererevivedsuchtheologicandmetaphysicalsubstitutesforscientificthoughtasthedeclarationthattheperfectlineisacircle，andhencethattheplanetsmustmoveinabsolutecircles——astatementwhichledastronomyastrayevenwhenthegreattruthsoftheCopernicantheorywerewellinsight；also，thedeclarationthatnatureabhorsavacuum——astatementwhichledphysicsastrayuntilTorricellimadehisexperiments；also，thedeclarationthatweseethelightningbeforewehearthethunderbecause“sightisnoblerthanhearing。”
　　Inchemistrywehavethesametheologictendencytomagic，and，asaresult，amuddleofscienceandtheology，whichfromonepointofviewseemsblasphemousandfromanotheridiotic，butwhichnonethelesssterilizedphysicalinvestigationforages。
　　ThatdebasedPlatonismwhichhadbeensuchanimportantfactorintheevolutionofChristiantheologyfromtheearliestdaysoftheChurchcontinueditswork。Aseverythingininorganicnaturewassupposedtohavespiritualsignificance，thedoctrinesoftheTrinityandIncarnationwereturnedintoanargumentinbehalfofthephilosopher’sstone；argumentsfortheschemeofredemptionandfortransubstantiationsuggestedothersofsimilarconstructiontoprovethetransmutationofmetals；thedoctrineoftheresurrectionofthehumanbodywasbysimilarmysticjuggleryconnectedwiththeprocessesofdistillationandsublimation。EvenaftertheMiddleAgeswerepast，strongmenseemedunabletobreakawayfromsuchreasoningasthis——amongthemsuchleadersasBasilValentineinthefifteenthcentury，Agricolainthesixteenth，andVanHelmontintheseventeenth。
　　Thegreatesttheologianscontributedtothewelterofunreasonfromwhichthispseudo-sciencewasdeveloped。Onequestionlargelydiscussedwas，whetherattheRedemptionitwasnecessaryforGodtotakethehumanform。ThomasAquinasansweredthatitwasnecessary，butWilliamOccamandDunsScotusansweredthatitwasnot；thatGodmighthavetakentheformofastone，orofalog，orofabeast。Thepossibilitiesopenedtowildsubstitutesforsciencebythissortofreasoningwereinfinite。MenhaveoftenaskedhowitwasthattheArabiansaccomplishedsomuchinscientificdiscoveryascomparedwithChristianinvestigators；
　　buttheansweriseasy：theArabianswerecomparativelyfreefromthesetheologicallurementswhichinChristianEuropeflickeredintheaironallsides，luringmenintopathswhichledno-whither。
　　Stronginvestigators，likeArnoldofVillanova，RaymondLully，BasilValentine，Paracelsus，andtheircompeers，werethusdrawnfaroutoftheonlypathswhichledtofruitfultruths。Inaworkgenerallyascribedtothefirstofthese，thestudentistoldthatinmixinghischemicalshemustrepeatthepsalmExsurgeDomine，andthatoncertainchemicalvesselsmustbeplacedthelastwordsofJesusonthecross。VincentofBeauvaisinsistedthat，astheBibledeclaresthatNoah，whenfivehundredyearsold，hadchildrenborntohim，hemusthavepossessedalchemicalmeansofpreservinglife；andmuchlaterDickinsoninsistedthatthepatriarchsgenerallymusthaveowedtheirlonglivestosuchmeans。Itwasloudlydeclaredthattherealityofthephilosopher’sstonewasprovedbythewordsofSt。JohnintheRevelation。”TohimthatovercomethIwillgiveawhitestone。”Thereasonablenessofseekingtodevelopgoldoutofthebasermetalswasformanygenerationsbaseduponthedoctrineoftheresurrectionofthephysicalbody，which，thoughexplicitlydeniedbySt。Paul，hadbecomeapartofthecreedoftheChurch。
　　MartinLutherwasespeciallydrawntobelieveinthealchemisticdoctrineoftransmutationbythisanalogy。TheBiblewaseverywhereused，bothamongProtestantsandCatholics，insupportofthesemysticadulterationsofscience，andonewriter，aslateas1751，basedhisalchemisticargumentsonmorethanahundredpassagesofScripture。Asanexampleofthissortofreasoning，wehaveaproofthattheelectwillpreservethephilosopher’sstoneuntilthelastjudgment，drawnfromapassageinSt。
　　Paul’sEpistletotheCorinthians，“Wehavethistreasureinearthenvessels。”
　　Thegreatestthinkersdevotedthemselvestoaddingnewingredientstothisstrangemixtureofscientificandtheologicthought。TheCatholicphilosophyofThomasAquinas，theProtestantmysticismofJacobBoehme，andthealchemisticreveriesofBasilValentinewereallcastintothisseethingmass。
　　Andwhenalchemyinitsoldformhadbeendiscredited，wefindscripturalargumentsnolessperverse，andevencomical，usedontheotherside。Asanexampleofthis，justbeforethegreatdiscoveriesbyStahl，wefindthevaluablescientificeffortsofBecheropposedwiththefollowingsyllogism：“KingSolomon，accordingtotheScriptures，possessedtheunitedwisdomofheavenandearth；butKingSolomonknewnothingaboutalchemy[orchemistryintheformitthentook]，andsenthisvesselstoOphirtoseekgold，andleviedtaxesuponhissubjects；ergoalchemy[orchemistry]hasnorealityortruth。”AndwefindthatBecherisabsolutelyturnedawayfromhislabours，andobligedtodevotehimselftoprovingthatSolomonusedmoremoneythanhepossiblycouldhaveobtainedfromOphirorhissubjects，andthereforethathemusthavepossessedaknowledgeofchemicalmethodsandthephilosopher’sstoneastheresultofthem。[277]
　　[277]ForanextractfromAgrippa’sOccultaPhilosophia，givingexamplesofthewayinwhichmysticalnameswereobtainedfromtheBible，seeRydberg，MagicoftheMiddleAges，pp。143etseq。
　　Forthegermsofmanymysticbeliefsregardingnumberandthelike，whichwereincorporatedintomediaevaltheology，seeZeller，PlatoandtheOlderAcademy，Englishtranslation，pp。254
　　and572，andelsewhere。Astotheconnectionofspiritualthingswithinorganicnatureinrelationtochemistry，seeEicken，p。
　　634。OntheinjurytosciencewroughtbyPlatonismactingthroughmediaevaltheology，seeHoefer，HistoiredelaChimie，vol。i，p。90。Astotheinfluenceofmysticismuponstrongmeninscience，seeHoefer；alsoKopp，GeschichtederAlchemie，vol。
　　i，p。211。ForaverycuriousCatholictreatiseonsacrednumbers，seetheAbbeAuber，SymbolismeReligieux，Paris，1870；
　　alsoDetzel，ChristlicheIkonographie，pp。44etseq。；andforanequallyimportantProtestantwork，seeSamuell，SeventheSacrednumber，London1887。Itisinterestingtonotethatthelatterwriter，havingbeenforcedtogiveupthesevenplanets，consoleshimselfwiththestatementthat“theearthistheseventhplanet，countingfromNeptuneandcallingtheasteroidsone“seep。
　　426。Fortheelectrummagicum，thesevenmetalscomposingit，anditswonderfulqualities，seeextractsfromParacelsus’swritingsinHartmann’sLifeofParacelsus，London，1887，pp。168
　　etseq。Astothemorerapidtransitionoflightthansound，thefollowingexpressesthescholasticmethodwell：“Whatisthecausewhyweseesoonerthelightningthanwehearethethunderclappe？Thatisbecauseoursightisbothnoblerandsoonerperceptiveofitsobjectthanoureare；asbeingthemoreactivepart，andprioretoourhearing：besides，thevisiblespeciesaremoresubtileandlesscorporealthantheaudiblespecies。”——
　　Person’sVarieties，Meteors，p。82。ForBasilValentine’sview，seeHoefer，vol。i，pp。453-465；Schmieder，GeschichtederAlchemie，pp。197-209；AllgemeinedeutscheBiographies，articleBasilius。ForthediscussionsreferredtoonpossibilitiesofGodassumingformsofstone，orlog，orbeast，seeLippert，Christenthum，Volksglaube，undVolksbrauch，pp。372，373，wherecitationsaregiven，etc。ForthesyllogismregardingSolomon，seeFiguier，L’AlchimieetlesAlchimistes，pp。106，107。ForcarefulappreciationofBecher’spositioninthehistoryofchemistry，seeKopp，AnsichtenuberdieAufgabederChemie，etc。，vonGeberbisStahl，Braunschweig，1875，pp。201etseq。Forthetextprovingtheexistenceofthephilosopher’sstonefromthebookofRevelation，seeFiguier，p。22。
　　Ofthegeneralreasoningenforcedbytheologyregardingphysicalscience，everyagehasshownexamples；yetoutofthemallI
　　willselectbuttwo，andthesearegivenbecausetheyshowhowthismixtureoftheologicalwithscientificideastookholduponthestrongestsupportersofbetterreasoningevenafterthepowerofmedievaltheologyseemedbroken。
　　ThefirstoftheseexamplesisMelanchthon。HewasthescholaroftheReformation，andjustlywonthetitle“PreceptorofGermany。”Hismindwassingularlyopen，hissympathiesbroad，andhisusualfreedomfrombigotrydrewdownuponhimthatwrathofProtestantheresy-hunterswhichembitteredthelastyearsofhislifeandtorturedhimuponhisdeathbed。DuringhiscareerattheUniversityofWittenberghegaveacourseoflecturesonphysics，andinthesehedweltuponscripturaltextsasaffordingscientificproofs，acceptedtheinterferenceofthedevilinphysicalphenomenaasinotherthings，andappliedthemedievalmethodthroughouthiswholework。[278]
　　[278]ForMelanchthon’sideasonphysics，seehisInitiaDoctrinaePhysicae，Wittenberg，1557，especiallypp。243and274；
　　alsoinvol。xiiiofBretschneider’seditionofthecollectedworks，andespeciallypp。339-343。
　　Yetfarmoreremarkablewastheexample，acenturylater，ofthemanwhomorethananyotherledtheworldoutofthepathopenedbyAquinas，andintothatthroughwhichmodernthoughthasadvancedtoitsgreatestconquests。Strangeasitmayatfirstseem，FrancisBacon，whosekeennessofsightrevealedthedelusionsoftheoldpathandthepromisesofthenew，andwhoseboldnessdidsomuchtoturntheworldfromtheoldpathintothenew，presentsinhisownwritingsoneofthemoststrikingexamplesoftheevilhedidsomuchtodestroy。
　　TheNovumOrganon，consideringthetimewhenitcamefromhispen，isdoubtlessoneofthegreatestexhibitionsofgeniusinthehistoryofhumanthought。Itshowedthemodernworldthewayoutofthescholasticmethodandreverencefordogmaintotheexperimentalmethodandreverenceforfact。Initoccurmanypassageswhichshowthatthegreatphilosopherwasfullyalivetothedangerbothtoreligionandtosciencearisingfromtheirmixture。Hedeclaresthatthe“corruptionofphilosophyfromsuperstitionandtheologyintroducedthegreatestamountofevilbothintowholesystemsofphilosophyandintotheirparts。”Hedenouncesthosewho“haveendeavouredtofoundanaturalphilosophyonthebooksofGenesisandJobandothersacredScriptures，so`seekingthedeadamongtheliving。’“Hespeaksoftheresultas“anunwholesomemixtureofthingshumananddivine；notmerelyfantasticphilosophy，buthereticalreligion。”
　　Hereferstotheoppositionofthefatherstothedoctrineoftherotundityoftheearth，andsaysthat，“thankstosomeofthem，youmayfindtheapproachtoanykindofphilosophy，howeverimproved，entirelyclosedup。”Hechargesthatsomeofthesedivinesare“afraidlestperhapsadeeperinquiryintonatureshould，penetratebeyondtheallowedlimitsofsobriety“；andfinallyspeaksoftheologiansassometimescraftilyconjecturingthat，ifsciencebelittleunderstood，“eachsinglethingcanbereferredmoreeasilytothehandandrodofGod。”andsays，“THIS