The Opened Philosophical Father-Heart

philosophers and common alchemists there is as great a distinction as there is between day and night. That this is so is evident because all true philosophers who have worked on our great Work the magnum opus or alchemical process have agreed and settled upon this, namely, to take only one single materia matter/substance in hand to make their stone the Philosophers' Stone from it, whereas the common alchemists take four kinds of materials into their hands to achieve their desired end.

The true philosophers work with time, without expense and clamor; they make and finish their work with one vessel, one furnace, and with one or two materials which are, however, only one and the same. On the other hand, the alchemists do their work with violence, with much expense, with many furnaces, various vessels, with many different kinds of fire, and a large quantity of unequal materials. In sum:

GOD the Almighty created everything out of nothing, so the common alchemists make nothing out of everything. But the true philosophers follow Nature and make very great things out of a few of their materials.

I could well bring forward many other things against the common alchemists besides those I have mentioned, but it is enough here to show you that you would be robbed of all your senses and understanding if you,