Dedication, 1626-07-16, Joachim Morsius to Gerhard Culemann

Author:	Joachim Morsius
Recipient:	Gerhard Culemann
Type:	Dedication
Date:	16 July 1626
Place:	no place
Pages:	5
Language:	Latin

Quote as:

https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=1119

Editor:	Edited by Julian Paulus
Source:	Nuncius Olympicus, ed. Joachim Morsius, ‘Philadelphia’ 1629, sig. A2r-A4r [BP.Morsius.1626-02]

CP:	Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum

Translation:

Raw translation see below

Abstract:

Morsius informs Culemann about the publication of a Catalog of Manuscripts, which Culemann had previously shown interest in during Morsius's visit to Rensburg. The catalog has been printed to facilitate its distribution among advisors and booksellers of Christian Kings and Princes, hoping to inspire generous patrons and diligent printers to publish such esteemed and valuable works. Morsius expresses a wish that rulers would redirect their resources from supporting aggressive and destructive military forces to fostering the pursuit of Theosophy, which battles against ignorance and impiety in the world. He contrasts two types of soldiers: those serving worldly kings through physical warfare and those engaged in spiritual warfare under divine guidance. The former are driven by various passions and desires, while the latter have renounced vices and live virtuously. Worldly soldiers seek personal glory and material gain, whereas spiritual soldiers aspire for eternal rewards and serve the common good. The text further elaborates on the characteristics of these two types of soldiers, emphasizing the inner stability and righteousness of spiritual warriors, regardless of external circumstances. Morsius highlights the importance of rulers who, guided by divine wisdom, can govern justly and equitably. He prays for the prosperity and well-being of the Danish and Holstein families and asks Culemann to commend his studies and endeavors to God. (generated by Chat-GPT)

Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Joachim Morsius

[sig. A2r] Reverendo, Clarißimo, variâq́ue doctrinâ & virtute præstantißimo viro, Gerhardo Culemanno, Præposito Ecclesiæ Rensburgensis laudatissimo, amico suo plusquàm fraterno amore ætatèm prosequendo, Anastasius Philaretus Cosmopolita, Salutem corporis & animæ perennem.

Reverende & Clarißime Culemanne, amice fraterrime, En tibi Catalogum Manuscriptorum Codicum, quem apud me vidisti, dum mensibus aliquot retrò Rensburgum transii, & virum nobilißimum avidè expetere affirmas! Curavi aliquot ejus exemplaria typis vulgari, ut eo commodius inter quosdam Christianorum Regum ac Principum Consiliarios & Bibliopolas distribui, liberalesq́ue & munifici patroni ac industrii typographi, ad editionem tam egregiis & pretiosissimis operibus excitari possent. Tu suadâ tuâ aureâ in Serenissimi & Magnanimi Regis Daniæ Aula: ac in vicinâ Potentißimi & Pacifici Holsatiæ Ducus, per Illustres & Generosos Heroes, Dn. Olighe- [sig. A2v] rum Rosæcrantzium, Dn. Georgium ab Alefeld, Dn. Otthonem à Povvisch, Dn. Henricum à Qualen, Dn. Henricum Blumium. aliosq́ue magni veri in Naturâ ac scripturâ absconditi, indagatores lectißimos, causam communis boni strenuè age. Nunquam suffragantibus superis me pænitebit consilii, te suscepti Christiani obsequii.

Utinam multi Reges & Principes sumptus quos prodigaliter in milites feroces & truculentos grassatores ac publicos homicidas impendunt, dum ditiones suas evertunt non gubernant, dißipant non custodiunt, subditosq́ue devorant non pascunt, et materiam seditionibus, incrementa miseriis, causam fletibus ubiq́ue suppeditant, militibus in Theosophiæ castris adversus mundum & triumphantem in eô inscitiam ac impietatem indefesso studio militantes impenderent, felicius res humanæ & maiore cum ipsorum gloriâ, gubernarentur.

Duplex enim est milita (ut pulcherrimè Ferrandus Diaconus in Parænetico suo, qualis esse debeat Dux religiosus in actibus militaribus ad Reginum Comitem, scribit:) & duo genera militum sunt. Alios militia corporalis laborare cum mundo, secundum volun- [sig. A3r] tatem terreni Regis astringit. alios milita spiritualis ad cœlestia castra, per gratuitam gratiam cœlestis Imperatoris, adducit. Milites sæculi passionibus & desideriis variis tenentur obnoxii, milites Dei carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis & concupiscentiis. Illi dapibus nutriuntur, isti virtutibus. illi rapere aliena conantur, isti etiam propria vel perdere, vel misericorditer erogare. illi quærunt undè falsis laudibus extollantur, isti quærunt undè sempiternis præmiis honorentur. illis tribuit imaginem lætitiæ vanitas, istis vera confert gaudia veritas. illi suis utilitatibus consulunt, isti communibus: illi perituram patriam, perituri salvare festinant, isti nunquam perituram nè in æternùm pereant, possidere desiderant. illis vivere labor est & mori supplicium, istis vivere Christus est, & mori lucrum. illi præliantur contrà visibiles, isti contra invisibiles inimicos. illos avaritia curdeles, istos misericordia benignos. illos invidia contentiosos, istos facit mansuetudo pacificos. illi per superbiam pro suis honoribus litigant, isti per humilitatem alter alterum existimant superiorem sibi. Per illos Babylonia regitur, per istos & in istis à Domino Hierusalem cælestis administratur. Et plerumque contingit ut corporibus adunati, quamvis mentibus separati, simul milites Dei & milites sæculi prosperitates & adversitates sentiant temporales. Sed milites [sig. A3v] sæculi porsperitas extollit, adversitas dejicit. milites autem Dei sive in prosperitate, sive in adversitate immobiles perseverant. quia gloria eorum testimonium est conscientiæ. Ubi requiscunt, quando tribulationes patitur mundus: uti timent hostem continentiæ perpeti, quando suppetit abundantia voluptatum. Nam de radice temporalis felicitatis germinant spinæ carnalis cupiditatis. milites Dei libenter audiunt Beatum Johannem commilitonibus propriis, tubâ fortiore clamantem: Nolite diligere mundum, neque ea quæ in mundo sunt, quæ si quis diligit non est charitas patrus in eo. Quoniam omne quod in mundo est, concupiscentia carnis est, & concupiscentia oculorum, & ambitio sæculi, quæ non est ex patre, sed ex mundo est, & mundus transit & concipiscentia eius, qui autem facit voluntatem Dei, manet in æternum. Quibus audientibus atque obedientibus huic saluberrimæ admonitioni, quoties occulta dispensatio piissimi Redemptoris potestatem judicandi ac disponendi terrenam Rempublicam tribuit, tunc ex parte milita sæculi, non est gravioribus referta peccatis, tunc facilè corropiuntur inquieti, consulantu pusillanimes, suscipiuntur infirmi, licentia scelerum demitur improbis, & benè agendi sortitur innocentia libertatem. Rogemus [sig. A4r] ergo precibus assiduis eum, qui disponit orbem terræ in æquitate, faciens universa secundum consilium voluntatis suæ quoniam de ipso Psalmista veraciter: Omnia quæcunq́ue voluit fecit in cælo & in terrâ, in mari & in omnibus abyßis, ut milites suos sub habitu militiæ sæcularis latentes, promovere dignetur ad maximas dignitates, regens eos intus, & regendis aliis scientiam tribuens. Voveo ego ut quos dedit, diu florentes & incolumes nobis conservet, & ut supra cognatam utramque familiam Danicam & Holsaticam augustissimam, Spiritus timoris Domini, pietatis, scientiæ, fortitudinis, consilii, intellectus, sapientiæ, perpetuò requiescat. Vale mi Reverende & eruditissime Culemanne, meque & mea studia Ecclesiæ & literis solidè devota, in meditationibus & soliloquiis tuis sacris sedulò Deo T[er] O[ptimo] M[aximo] Commenda. Dabam volante calamo XVI Julij, Anno Christi M. DC. XXVI. Philadelphiæ.

Apparatus

Corrections

English Raw Translation

Generated by ChatGPT on 2 March 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.

To the Reverend, Most Illustrious and Excellent man of varied knowledge and outstanding virtue, Gerhard Culemann, highly praised Provost of the Church of Rensburg, Anastasius Philaretus Cosmopolita, greeting of everlasting health of body and soul as to a beloved friend beyond brotherly love, by pursuing your age with deep affection. I present to you the Catalog of Manuscript Codices, which you saw with me when I passed through Rensburg a few months ago, and which you eagerly desired to have. I arranged for several copies of it to be printed so that they could be more conveniently distributed among some Christian kings and princes, counsellors and booksellers, and so that generous and munificent patrons and diligent printers could be inspired to undertake the publication of such excellent and valuable works. With your golden persuasion, urge them on in the court of the most serene and magnanimous King of Denmark, and in the nearby court of the most powerful and peaceful Duke of Holstein, through illustrious and noble heroes, such as Mr. Oligherum rosæcrantzium, Mr. Georgium ab alefeld, Mr. Otthonem à povvisch, Mr. Henricum à qualen, Mr. Henricum blumium, and other great seekers of the true hidden in nature and scripture. Strive vigorously for the common good. I will never regret the counsel I have taken to undertake this Christian service for you, with the support of the heavens.

If only many kings and princes would spend the money they squander on fierce and cruel marauders and public murderers, while they ruin their territories instead of governing them, dissipate rather than protect them, and devour their subjects instead of nourishing them, and thus provide material for sedition, growth for miseries, and cause for weeping everywhere, on soldiers who, in the camps of Theosophy, fight against the world and the triumph of ignorance and impiety with tireless zeal, the affairs of humanity would be governed more successfully and with greater glory for themselves.

For there are two types of warfare (as the excellent Deacon Ferrandus wrote in his exhortation on how a religious leader should behave in military actions, addressed to the Count Regen): and there are two kinds of soldiers. Some are bound by the earthly king's will to labor in physical warfare with the world, while others are led to the heavenly camps of spiritual warfare by the free grace of the celestial Emperor. Secular soldiers are subject to various passions and desires, but soldiers of God have crucified their flesh with vices and lusts. The former are nourished by feasts, the latter by virtues. The former strive to seize what belongs to others, while the latter either lose or mercifully give away what is their own. The former seek ways to be extolled by false praises, while the latter seek ways to be honored with eternal rewards. The former look out for their own interests, while the latter for the common good. The former hasten to save their perishing homeland, while the latter desire to possess what will never perish, and not to perish for eternity. For the former, to live is to toil, and to die is a punishment, while for the latter, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The former fight against visible enemies, while the latter fight against invisible ones. The former are cruel because of their greed, while the latter are kind because of their mercy. The former are contentious because of envy, while the latter are peaceful because of their meekness. The former argue with pride for their own honors, while the latter consider one another as superior to themselves through humility. By the former, Babylon is ruled, but by the latter and in them, the heavenly Jerusalem is administered by the Lord. And it often happens that, although united in body, they feel temporal prosperity and adversity as soldiers of God and soldiers of the world, even if their minds are separated. But the prosperity of secular soldiers exalts them, while adversity brings them down. However, soldiers of God remain steadfast and immovable, whether in prosperity or adversity, because their glory is a testimony to their conscience. They rest where the world suffers tribulations, as those who fear the enemy of continence when abundance of pleasures is available. For from the root of temporal happiness, the thorns of carnal desire sprout. Soldiers of God willingly listen to Blessed John, who loudly proclaims to his own comrades with a stronger trumpet: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." When these soldiers listen to and obey this most salutary admonition, whenever the hidden dispensation of the most pious Redeemer grants them the power to judge and dispose of the earthly republic, then, on the part of the soldiers of the world, there is no shortage of serious sins, and they are easily corrupted, consulted by the timid, received by the weak, and the license of crimes is taken away from the wicked, and innocence obtains freedom to do good. Therefore, let us pray with constant prayers to Him who rules the world with justice, who does all things according to the counsel of His will. For truly, the Psalmist speaks of Him: "Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps." May He deign to promote His soldiers, hidden under the guise of secular military dress, to the highest dignities, ruling them within and giving them knowledge to govern others. I vow to Him that those whom He has given will be preserved for a long time, flourishing and safe for us, and that the most noble Danish and Holstein families, connected by marriage, may forever rest in the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, piety, knowledge, strength, counsel, understanding, and wisdom. Farewell, my Reverend and learned Culemann, and devoutly commend me and my studies, solidly devoted to the Church and literature, to God in your sacred meditations and soliloquies. Given with a flying pen on July 16, 1626, at Philadelphia.