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MAN: HIS TRUE NATURE & MINISTRY
Man: His True Nature & Ministry, L.-C. de Saint-Martin
trans. Edward B. Penny
MAN: HIS TRUE NATURE & MINISTRY
Translated from the French of
LOUIS-CLAUDE DE SAINT-MARTIN
(“Le Philosophe Inconnu”)
By EDWARD BURTON PENNY
“L’homme est le mot de toutes les enigmas.”
De l'esprit des Choses.
LONDON: 1864
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Man: His True Nature & Ministry, L.-C. de Saint-Martin
trans. Edward B. Penny
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
Some account of Saint-Martin (Le Philosophe inconnu) and his writings has been given
in the preface to his ‘Correspondence with Baron Liebestorf’, recently published ∗ ; and it is
necessary hero only to say that the book of which a translation is now presented to the reader,
‘Le Ministère de l’Homme-Esprit’, was probably the last, as it certainly was the most important,
of his works. It was published in Paris, in 1802: he died the following year.
Saint-Martin wrote to his friend the Baron : (Let. cx. of the above ‘Correspondence') :
"The only initiation which I preach and seek with all the ardour of my soul is that by which we
may enter into the heart of God, and make God's heart enter into us, there to form an indissoluble
marriage, which will make us the friend, brother, and spouse of our Divine Redeemer [‘ the
violent take it by force:' Matt. xi. 12.]. There is no other mystery, to arrive at this holy initiation,
than to go more and more into the depths of our being, and not let go till we can bring forth the
living, vivifying root, because then all the fruit we ought to bear, according to our kind, will be
produced within us and without us naturally; as we see is the case with earthly trees, because
they are adherent to their own roots, and incessantly draw in their sap." These few words suffice
to show the scope, intent, or spirit, and point to the modus operandi, of all Saint-Martin's works,
and of none more truly so than of the work before us.
In allusion to the above-named recently published ‘Correspondence of Saint-Martin’, a
learned friend (who will doubtless be the interpreter of a numerous class of readers) said to the
Editor : "We are on unsafe ground when we leave the old paths of received truth for those of
mysticism”. – But, without controversy, may it not be asked : Received by whom? And which
are those old paths of “received truths”? And are they anywhere visible or recognizable? Have
they not been everywhere overgrown with vegetation? And have not as many paths been made
through this vegetation, and in as many different directions, as there have been Essayists and
Dogmatizers – especially in our own country – of late years? And as all these paths have been
virtually authorized as lawful highways, do they not form a legal labyrinth, out of which no exit
is found?
Let the reader therefore see if Saint-Martin cannot help him out of the difficulty: and let
him not be repelled by the word mystic; the office of such mystics as Saint-Martin is to go to the
bottom of mystery, and lead mysticism captive, by laying open the essential, fundamental laws
of things, and showing their connection with their Root, which is God.
No doubt when men's minds, looking upon things, as we are all naturally inclined to do,
in their outward and visible aspect alone, consider that their reality lies in their materiality , – not
in their immaterial essences; in the tangible form or letter, – not in the spirit of things – it is hard
for such minds to realize that they themselves are the men who have been looking at shadows,
CORRESPONDENCE between LOUIS CLAUDE de SAINT-MARTIN and KIRCHBERGER, Baron de
LIEBESTORF. Translated from the original by E. B. Penny. 1 vol. fscap. 8vo. Hamilton & Co . 1863.
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∗
Man: His True Nature & Ministry, L.-C. de Saint-Martin
trans. Edward B. Penny
and not at realities. Yet this truth has been affirmed from all antiquity down to the present time,
by authorities which they are compelled to respect.
In the present day, when, as we have seen, the old way has been completely overgrown,
and we are enclosed in a labyrinth, it would seem particularly opportune that our attention should
be called to Nature’s landmarks along the way of our regeneration, which cannot mislead us; and
that we should be led to dig through the overgrowth of spontaneous vegetation, and plant our feet
on the original pavement, laid by God's own hand, all the way from matter, through spirit, to God
Himself, from whom we derive.
Of course, these landmarks can be seen by the traveller only as he proceeds on his
journey, and the pavement can be cleared and trod upon only by advancing on it; and no fireside
traveller can know practically anything of either one or the other, any more than he can know
such things in earthly travel:- therefore all men are invited to gird themselves for the journey,
and GO and SEE for themselves.
It is certain that no good thing is ever acquired without trouble; and, on this journey,
much patient endurance is called for. Earthly voyages of discovery are attended with more
hardships than most other enterprises. In spiritual voyages it is the same: and they are or may be
of two kinds; either of discovery only, or of conquest and settlement, besides. If they are of
discovery only, that is, merely intellectual, the labours, fatigues, and calls for self-denial will be
of the same order; the mental powers must leave the fleshpots amongst which they have been at
ease.
This sort of voyage may be of the greatest use to future settlers, but, except for fame, is of
small advantage to the discoverers themselves. Books, as Saint-Martin says, give the means of
this intellectual voyage only; and the way, even through Saint-Martin's books, is hard enough, –
not only from the nature of the regions they penetrate, but because he was less careful in
expressing himself than perhaps he might have been: he thought more of the matter than of the
manner; more of the moral conquest, and settlement in those regions, than of the construction of
his sentences, or the lines of his map.
The intending settler, whose moral and affectional powers are those which leave the
flesh-pots, and travel out of Egypt, and who has to find his own resources for his expedition, will
be thankful for this map as it is; and, looking at its use and intention, he will overlook its faults of
construction.
To lighten the journey for the reader, and break its monotony, in some degree, the
Translator has taken it upon himself to place sign posts on the way, in the shape of headings of
subjects as they come before the reader: – these were not in the original.
In parts of the work there is an apparent redundancy of illustration, which the Editor
would willingly have curtailed ; but, as such parts are nearly always found to cover or lead to
something original, little could be done in this way. He has, moreover, felt it his duty to keep as
closely as possible to the text, and to render in the simplest language at his command.
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Man: His True Nature & Ministry, L.-C. de Saint-Martin
trans. Edward B. Penny
The reader will observe that Saint-Martin affects to designate God by the name of His
Attribute which is immediately in question or in action: thus we find Him called Supreme Love,
– or Wisdom, – or Ruler, – The Principle, – Source, – and such like. In a work which seeks the
ground of all things, this is, no doubt, in itself, strictly as it ought to be; – but, if it should sound
inharmoniously to some readers, let them remember that Saint-Martin wrote for the French of the
Revolution, who had decreed that there was no God, but who had no objection to recognize Him
in His Attributes. In this way Saint-Martin undermined the ramparts of infidelity.
With these few remarks the Editor commits the book to the reader, and wishes him God
speed.
Topsham, 1864
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Man: His True Nature & Ministry, L.-C. de Saint-Martin
trans. Edward B. Penny
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.
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