because this water is the water of the vegetable life, it causes the dead
body to vegetate, increase and spring forth, and to rise from death to
life, by being dissolved first and then sublimed. And in doing this the
body is converted into a spirit and the spirit afterwards into a body....

"Our stone consists of a body, a soul, and a spirit.

"It appears then that this composition is not a work of the hands but a
change of natures, because nature dissolves and joins itself, sublimes and
lifts itself up, and grows white being separated from the feces [these
feces are naturally the same that Hollandus notes as the
'superfluities'].... Our brass or latten then is made to ascend by the
degrees of fire, but of its own accord freely and without violence. But
when it ascends on high it is born in the air or spirit and is changed
into a spirit, and becomes a life with life. And by such an operation the
body becomes of a subtile nature and the spirit is incorporated with the
body, and made one with it, and by such a sublimation, conjunction and
raising up, the whole, body and spirit, is made white." (H. A., p. 87.)

For elucidation some passages from the Bible may be useful. Colossians II,
11: "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ." Psalm LI, 7: "Wash me and I shall be whiter than
snow." I Corinthians VI, 11: "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus." Romans VIII, 13: "For
if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." John IV, 14: "But whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life." [In IV, 10, living water is mentioned.] John XII,
24 ff.: "... Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die
[Putrefactio] it abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth forth much
fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life
in the world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Romans VI, 5 ff.: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him [I must mention here that the
hieroglyph for vinegar is [Symbol: Vinegar]] that the body