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THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOUSE OF THE MYSTERIES.
From Khunrath's Amphitheatrum Sapientiæ, etc.

This symbolic figure, representing the way to everlasting life, is described by Khunrath in substance as
follows: "This is the Portal of the amphitheatre of the only true and eternal Wisdom--a narrow one, indeed,
but sufficiently august, and consecrated to Jehovah. To this portal ascent is made by a mystic, indisputably
prologetic, flight of steps, set before it as shown in the picture. It consists of seven theosophic, or, rather,
philosophic steps of the Doctrine of the Faithful Sons. After ascending the steps, the path is along the way
of God the Father, either directly by inspiration or by various mediate means. According to the seven
oracular laws shining at the portal, those who are inspired divinely have the power to enter and with the
eyes of the body and of the mind, of seeing, contemplating and investigating in a Christiano-Kabalistic,
divino-magical, physico-chemical manner, the nature of the Wisdom: Goodness, and Power of the Creator;
to the end that they die not sophistically but live theosophically, and that the orthodox philosophers so
created may with sincere philosophy expound the works of the Lord, and worthily praise God who has thus
blessed these friend, of God." The above figure and description constitute one of the most remarkable
expositions ever made of the appearance of the Wise Man's House and the way by which it must be
entered.

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eventually civilization will destroy itself in one great cataclysmic struggle. Then must be
reenacted the eternal drama of reconstruction. Out of the ruins of the civilization which
died when its idealism died, some primitive people yet in the womb of destiny must build
a new world. Foreseeing the needs of that day, the philosophers of the ages have desired
that into the structure of this new world shall be incorporated the truest and finest of all
that has gone before. It is a divine law that the sum of previous accomplishment shall be
the foundation of each new order of things. The great philosophic treasures of humanity
must be preserved. That which is superficial may he allowed to perish; that which is
fundamental and essential must remain, regardless of cost.

Two fundamental forms of ignorance were recognized by the Platonists: simple ignorance
and complex ignorance. Simple ignorance is merely lack of knowledge and is common to
all creatures existing posterior to the First Cause, which alone has perfection of
knowledge. Simple ignorance is an ever-active agent, urging the soul onward to the
acquisition of knowledge. From this virginal state of unawareness grows the desire to
become aware with its resultant improvement in the mental condition. The human
intellect is ever surrounded by forms of existence beyond the estimation of its partly
developed faculties. In this realm of objects not understood is a never-failing source of
mental stimuli. Thus wisdom eventually results from the effort to cope rationally with the
problem of the unknown.