1. As it is below, so it is above; as on the earth, so in the sky.
2. There are two states of being: one is mortal; the other Immortal.
3. That which is mortal is dissolvable, and dissolvable bodies pass away like a mist in the morning.
4. An Immortal body is in essence which is eternal and incorruptible.
5. But the twain, the mortal and the Immortal cannot exist together forever, but each returneth to the place from whence it came.
6. The mortal body is sensible, but the Immortal is reasonable.
7. The former contains nothing that is perfect, the latter nothing that is imperfect; for the one is the essence of the Spirit, the other the essence of matter, and man, the microcosm, holds the balance of the twain.
8. And there is a fierce warfare for the Victory, between the upper and lower, as they both desire to obtain the body as their prize; for the state of man is envied by the lower and glorified as a noble state by the higher.
9. Now as the man inclines towards the lower nature which is mortal, he thereby aids the lower imperfect powers to oppose the higher which is Immortal, and must suffer the pains of slavery for his disobedience to the workman his maker. But if he inclines to the higher, then he is truly wise and blest.
10. Should man, after being attracted by the vanities of the world and then after obtaining a knowledge of the things that really are, return to the vanities of the world, he will be punished with torments and fire in the darkest states a disembodied Souls.
11. Should a man, after knowing the things that are, become rebellious of restraint to that part which is Immortal, and return to the vanities of the world, the higher essence will straightway depart from him, and he will become the slave of the lower essence which will seize upon him and drive him to all sorts of wicked arts and evil ways.
12. When a man has thus impiously disobeyed nature and turned his face away from that which is Immortal, behold he is then disinherited from his birthright, and is no longer counted among the children of Nature because he has become an evil, perverse thing, possessing only those things which are mortal, and he is punished with death.
13. And so death is melted out to all those who rebel against Nature impiously, because they know the things that are. But to those foolish souls who are ignorant, and who have not knowingly rejected Nature, behold, they are purified after much suffering and are sent to the world again."
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