become Gods Child 5. For the Naturall own self-will cannot inherite the Filiation but that only which with the Unity Co-in-generateth that is like or equall to all things in which GOD himself worketh and willeth 6. Wherein we clearly understand how the INward Ground hath turned it self OUT and made it self visible and is an own self propriety of GOD viz an OUT-flowing or Efflux of divine Power and Willing Thus far the Authour wrote and no further A Brief Contents of this Book The First Chapter Of the Divine Vision or Aspect what God is and how a Man may know his Substance in his Manifestation or Revelation Reasons Argument HOw it seems as if there were no God Verse 1 and 2. Answer What Reason is Of its ability and understanding and how it seeketh its Rest From verse the 3. to the 12. Argument How God ought not to permit the striving Will that the Good or Temperature might be in all things Verse 13. Answer How without Strife nothing can become Manifested or Revealed and how the strife about the Forms is concerning the Image From verse 14. to the 21. Argument Wherefore the Evill must be with the Good Verse 22. Answer How the Evill procureth or causeth the Good God willeth nothing but what is gone out from him Out of what Faith and Hope exist Where Evill and Good Love and Sorrow begin Of the Ground of the Angels Souls and visible World How all Creatures Groan or long to be freed from this vanity The Wisdom becometh manifested through Folly From verse 23 to the 70. The Second Chapter Of the Mind of the Will and of the Thoughts of the humane Life how it hath its Original from the Will of God And how it is an Object or reflex Image of God in which God willeth worketh and dwelleth Argument HOw the Mind with the Senses or Thoughts being an inceptive Naturall Life stand in a Time or Fragility Corruptibility or Transitorinesse may in this Time be brought to the Super sensuall Super-cogitative Life Or how is the divine inhabiting in the Life Verse 1. Answer From whence the Life is come into a Created Image From whence the Life is become venomed or poysoned How the Captivated Life is helped again How the Captive Will of the Life can come into the rest Verse 2. to the 18. Argument Reason cannot apprehend why Men cannot prevent it but that the Life the Desire must Enter into the Earthly Properties Verse 19. Answer How the Humane Life in the beginning was a Rest How the same without Christ can doe nothing How God in the Will of the Life Speaketh or Worketh The Senses or Thoughts are an Image of the Mind and the Mind an Image of Gods Mind How Men may know whether a Man be the Child of Heaven or no. Who it is that gathereth not with Christ but scattereth The kind or manner of the right Life or of the dear or beloved Will of the Life From verse 20 to the 45. The Third Chapter Of the Ground of Nature how All is from through and in God How God is neer all things and filleth all WHat hath been the beginning of all Substances A resembling the Mind with the Eternall One What is understood by the Words Word and God How by the Mind of Man the Eternall Mind is to be understood How the Life becometh willing and working Out of what the World and all its hosts is sprung forth The Abysse of Nature and Creature is God and neer From verse 1. to the 24. Of the twofold Life in the reflex Image of the divine willing verse 25. Of Three sorts of Spirits in the powers of vegetable things Verse 33. 1. The outward Spirit the Grosse Brimstone Salt and Mercury Verse 34. 2. The Fift Essence that lyeth in the Oyl of the Brimstone Verse 37. 3. The Tincture a reflex Image of the divine Mysterium Magnum Great Mysterie Here begins a clear description of the Tincture to the â—â—nd of the Chapter for the Learned Medici the Physicians 39. The Fourth Chapter Of the IN and OUT How the Eternall Will of God bringeth it self OUT and into the perceptibility IN and again into the ONE This Chapter goeth only to the 6. verse An Explanation or Exposition of The TABLE of the Three Principles of the Divine Revelation Shewing How God is to be Considered how he is without Nature in himself and then in Nature according to the Three Principles Also What Heaven and Hell the World Time and Eternity are together with all Creatures Out of what all is Existed What the Visible and the Invisible are By Jacob Behme Teutonicus Philosophus Written in February 1624. Englished by JOHN SPARROW London Printed by M. S. for Lodowick Lloyd and are to be sold at the Castle in Cornhill 1661. An Explanation of the Scheme or Figure and of the Three Tables of the Divine Revelation 1. IN these Three Tables is explained and demonstrated How the hidden God hath revealed or Manifested himself forth out of himself by or through his out-breathing or out speaking of his Power 2. What Heaven Hell the World Angels Devils and all Creatures together with all and every Substance and moving thing is 3. Fron whence Evill and Good Light and Darknesse Life and Death Friend and Foe hard and soft originally Exist And how the Change and alteration of all and every Thing or Substance is effected how the Good changeth it self into an Evill and the Evill into a Good 4. Also therein is set forth or represented how all things in the Ground out of which they are originally Sprung forth are good and profitable and how all Mobilities stand in an inevitability 5. And herewith especially are the Three Principles of the divine Revelation or Manifestation demonstrated and how they originally exist out of ONE Only Ground both as to Time and Eternity The First Principle 6. That is to say The First Principle together with the Eternall Darknesse viz a receptibility of Properties whence perceptibility moving and living originally Exist which with its Ground reacheth even to the Fire The Second Principle 7. The Second Principle in the Light together with the Angelicall World or Power-World wherein the Efflux of the divine Power and Willing Manifesteth or Revealeth it self by the Magick Fire in the Light with the Fire-flaming Love by this a Man understandeth the Kingdome of God The Third Principle 8. The Third Principle is the visible Elementary World with its hoasts Which is an Efflux out of the First and Second Principle through the Moving and out-breathing or out-speaking of the divine Power and Willing wherein the Spirituall World according to Light and Darknesse is represented pourtrayed or Imaged from and come into a Creaturall Kind or Manner 9. In the Scheme or Figure is demonstrated what God is considered as distinct from or without Nature and Creature in himself The First Table 10. In the first Table is demonstrated the out-breathing or out-speaking of the Divine Word
of God 41. For of what Essence the Souls Spirit is into such an Essence it receiveth also the divine Substance in the Covenant One in the power of Light in the Love the other in the Power of the fierce Wrath in the Darkness 42. The Covenant together with the Baptisme standeth firm Every Childe iâ— Baptised in the Covenant the Spirit of God Baptiseth every one if a Man keep the Solemnity yet according to the Childes Property 43. Often is the Father and Mother as also the Baptiser wicked and are only Evill Beasts also there is no earnest Sincerity all lyeth with them in the outward Pomp Money and Riches they do but despise the Mysterie and the Child also is only of the Anger 's * Or Property Essence who shall then Baptise None else but Gods Anger in his Covenant And therefore because Men do but despise it 44. Thus the Anger-Source or Quality receiveth the New Spirit and worketh powerfully in it And bringeth forth Fruit into Perdition As Saint Paul saith of the Supper and other Testament That †1 Cor. 11.29 the wicked receive it unto Judgement because he distinguisheth not the Lords Body that is that he distinguisheth not the heavenly part of his Essence in him From the Earthly and so putteth his willing thereinto and Offereth it up to God but esteemeth all common as an Oxe devoureth the Stover 45. Therefore the Anger of God floweth up in him so that he breaketh not off his willing from the Earthly and entereth not into Repentance from his Evill or Wickedness And therefore cannot his heavenly part become partaker of Gods Body while he cannot make the Essence of the heavenly Part stirring 46. Moreover he hath also no Mouth to receive the Body of God for the Mouth lyeth shut up in Death in like manner also the Earthly part receiveth Christs Body but according to the Anger 's property according to the Dark-worlds property for the Testament must stand firm 47. In like manner also in the Baptisme as the Souls Essence is in Substance so also it enjoyeth Gods Covenant better a totall wicked Childe should not be baptised and that a wicked Man in his Sinnes without conversion should not touch Gods Testament for it bringeth them BOTH only power to Perdition 48. For Gods Covenant becometh stirred and that goeth never away without Fruit God worketh in his Covenant according to his Word As the Soul is which stirreth the Covenant so is also the Medicine or Physick in the Covenant and in such a Power the Spirit of God worketh in Love and Anger 49. For it is the Spirit of Every Life and likeneth or appropriateth it self to Every Life it is in Every Thing like as the Things will and property is for one Property receiveth the other what the Soul willeth that willeth also the same into which the Soul turneth it self It is all Magicall whatsoever the Will of a Thing willeth that it receiveth 50. A Toad taketh only Poyson to it self when perhaps it sitteth in the best Apothecaries * Or sweetest Balsom Medicine The like also doth a Serpent every Thing taketh its own property into it self 51. And though it eat the Substance of a good Property yet it Maketh all in it self to its own Property If a Toad eat Sugar yet the same becometh Poyson in it Even as the Devill was an Angell but when he willed nothing that was Good then his heavenly Substance be came to him hellish Poyson and his Evill Will continued Evill at one time as at the other 52. Thus is our Life highly to be considered what we would doe or what we purpose we have Good and Evill in us into which we frame our willing the Essence thereof becometh stirring in us and such a Property we draw also from without into us 53. We have both Mysteries the Divine and the Devillish in us from both the Eternall Worlds and also from the outward World what we make out of our selves that we are what we awaken in us that is stirring in us if we lead our selves to the Good then Gods Spirit helpeth us 54. But if we lead our selves to Evill then Gods fierce Wrath and Anger helpeth us What we will of that Property we get a Leader and thereinto we lead our selves And yet it is not the Deities Will that we perish but his Anger 's and Our Will. 55. And thus we understand the Fift Point How a Life perisheth and how out of Good an Evill Cometh to be and out of Evill a Good when the Will converteth or turneth it self about The Sixt Point The Ninth Chapter Of the Life of the Darkness wherein the Devils dwell what kind of Birth or Geniture and Source or Quality it hath 1. THe Life of the Darkness is against all and Every Life of the Light For the Darkness giveth fierce wrathfull and Enimicitious Essence and the Life of the Light giveth Love-Essence 2. In the Darkness there is in the Essence only a continuall stinging and breaking where every Form of the Essence is at enmity with the other an Opposite or Contraâ—ous Substance every of the Formes deny themselves to be evill and every one of them say to the other that it is Evill and contrary to them it is a cause of their unquietness and fierce wrathfulness 3. Every one of them think in themselves if the other Form were not then they should have rest and yet Every one is Evill and false whence it cometh to passe that all whatsoever becometh generated or born out of the dark fierce wrathfull Property is lying and continually lyeth against the other Formes saying that they are Evill and yet it is the cause thereof It maketh them Evill with its poysonous Infection 4. Thus are they all and lying is their TrUth * John 8.44 When they speak lyes then speak they from their own Formes and Properties and thus also are their Creatures Therefore saith Christ The Devill is a Lyar and Murtherer from the Beginning for Every Form desireth to Murther the other and yet there is no Murthering but the greater the Strife is the greater their Murtherous Life cometh to be 5. Therefore it is called an Eternall Death and Enmity where meer vain contrariety or opposition Existeth for there is nothing that can cease the Strife there is nothing can compell one only Form the more it is resisted or stopped the greater the fierce wrathfulnesse becometh like a Fire that a Man bloweth up or compresseth whereby it burneth but the more 6. So the fierce wrathfull Kingdome can be quenched by Nothing but barely by Gods Light or Love whence it becometh totally soft meek or sweet lovely and richly Joyfull 7. * Note And that also can not be for if the Dark Kingdome should be kindled with the Light the Light would have no root to its Nature and Property there could be no Fire Generated there would also be no Light also no Omnipotency but All a Nothing
the hunger or the desiring in the Power it is not the Omnipotencie but the Driveresse in the Power and Might or Introducer into the Power and Might the Heart of God is the Power and the Holy Ghost is the Opening of that Power 37. Yet it is the Desire in the Power and also in the introducing or driving Spirit For it hath in it the Fiat whatsoever the Will-Spirit openeth in it that it driveth into a Substance through the harsh Astringency which is the Fiat all according to the Modell of the Will As the Will doth Modell it in the Wisdome so the desiring Magia receiveth it in for it hath in its Property the Imagination as a Longing Lubet Lust or Delight 74. The Imagination is soft and pliable and resembleth the Water but the Desire is rough and drie like to hunger it maketh that which is pliable to be hard and so findeth it self in all things for it is the greatest Substance in the Deity It driveth the Abysse into the Bysse or the Bottomlesse into a Ground and the Nothing into Something 75. In the Magia do lye all the Forms of the Substance of all Substances it is a Mother in all the Three Worlds and maketh every thing according to the Modell of its Will it is not the Understanding but it is the Creatrix or Maker according to the Understanding and Suffers it self to be used either to Good or to Evill 76. All whatsoever the Will doth Modell in the * Witz Inspective or Scientificall Faculty Ingenium Wit or Inventive Faculty of the Mind if the Will of the Understanding entereth in along with it that is by the Magia made into a Substance and serveth those that Love God in †The Divine Substance Gods Substance for it maketh in the Understanding Divine Substance and receiveth it from or out of the Imagination that is out of the Meekness of the Light 77. It is that which maketh divine Flesh and the Understanding is from or proceeds out of the Wisdome for it is a knower or discerner of the Powers Colours and Vertues the Understanding leadeth the true and right Spirit with a Bridle for the Spirit is volatile and fleeting and the Understanding is its Fire 78. The Spirit is not backsliding or departing away so as to backslide or depart from the Understanding but it is the very Will of the Understanding but the Sences or Thoughts in the Understanding they are fleeing forth or volatile and backsliding or departing away 79. For the Senses or Thoughts are the Flash out of the Fire-Spirit and they bring into it in the Light the Flame of the Majesty and in the Darknesse they introduce the Flash of the Terrour like a fierce wrathfull flash of Fire 80. The Senses or Thoughts are of so subtil a Spirit that they do enter into all Substances and force all Substances into them but the Understanding tryeth all in its Fire it rejecteth the Evill and reteineth the Good And then it receiveth the Magia its Mother and bringeth it into a Substance 81. The Magia is the Mother to Nature and the Vnderstanding is the Mother proceeding forth out of Nature the Magia leadeth into a fierce wrathfull Fire and the Vnderstanding leadeth its own Mother the Magia out of the fierce wrathfull Fire into its own * Love-Fire or Meeknesse Fire 82. For the Vnderstanding is the †Or Fire of the Power Power-Fire and the Magia is the Burning-Fire and yet is not to be understood that it is Fire but the Potentia possibility or Mother to the Fire The Fire is called Principium or a Principle and the Magia is called Desire 83. By the Magia are all things accomplished both Good and Evill it s own Working is Negromantia and yet it parts it self forth into all Properties in the Good it is Good and in the Evill it is Evill It serveth the Children of God to bring them to his Kingdome and it Serveth the Witches to bring them to the Kingdome of the Devill for the Understanding can make thereof what it will It is without Understanding yet it Comprehendeth ALL for it is the Comprehension of ALL Things 84. No Man can expresse its Depth or Profundity For from Eternity it is a Foundation or Ground and Preserver or Upholder of all Things it is a * School-Mistresse Mistresse of Philosophie and likewise a Mother thereof 85. Yet Philosophie leadeth its Mother the Magia according to its own Pleasure As the Divine Power viz the Word or Heart of God doth bring the severe Father into Meekness so doth Philosophie viz the Vnderstanding bring its Mother into a Meek Divine Source 86. The Magia is the Book of all Schollers All that will learn must first learn in the Magia whether it be a high or low Art The very Ploughman in the Field must go into the Magick School if he will till his Ground aright 87. The Magia is the Best †Theologia Divinity Theologie for in it the true Faith is both grounded and found and he is foolish that reproacheth it for he knoweth it not and reproacheth God and himself and is rather a Juggler then an understanding †Theologus Divine Theologist 88. Like one that fighteth before a Looking-Glasse but knoweth not what he fights with for he fighteth without the Looking-Glasse so the ungodly Theologist also looketh upon the Magia through Looking-Glasse as by a Glimpse and understandeth nothing of the Power for it is Divine and he is Ungodly and also Devillish according to the Property of each Principle In Brief The Magia is the Acting in the Will-Spirit or the performance in the Spirit of the Will The Sixt Point Of the Mystery What it is 89. THe Mysterie is no other then the Magick-Will which yet sticketh in the Desire It may Image it self in the Looking-Glasse of the Wisdom how it will And as it Imageth it self in the Tincture so it is comprehended in the Magia and brought into a Substance 90. The Mysterium Magnum or Great Mysterie is no other then the Hiddenness of the Deity together with the Substance of All Substances out of which Continually One Mysterie proceedeth after another and every Mysterie is the Looking-Glasse and Representation of the Other And it is the Greatest Wonder of Eternity wherein ALL is included and from Eternity made known in the Looking-Glasse of Wisdome And there is Nothing cometh to passe which is not known from Eternity in the Looking-Glasse of Wisdome 91. But you must understand this according to the Property of the Looking Glasse according to All the Formes of Nature viz according to Light and Darknesse according to the Comprehensibility and Incomprehensibility according to Love and Wrath viz according to Fire and Light as is clearly mentioned in other Places 92. The Magus hath Power in that Mysterie to deal according to his own pleasure and can make what he will 93. But he must be armed in that Substance which he
the Sharpnesse of the Smell is not the Cure which Cureth the Patient in his Sickness but that is the Cure from whence such Balsam or Smell ariseth originally viz the Tincture which Imprinteth or Imageth it self in such Balsam 57. Christ saith to the FIG-TREE be thou withered Math. 21. verse 19. But the outward sounding humane word viz the Noyse or Voice was not the Power that it took effect but that was the Power out of which the Word Came Else if the outward humane Noise or Voice did it then could other Men also doe it 58. So the like also is to be understood concerning Faith the Confession and Consent or Agreement concerning a Thing is not the right true Faith much lesse the Science or Knowledge but that is the true Faith out of which the Confession proceedeth viz the opened Spirit of God in the inward ground of the Soul which with the Confession imageth it self in the pronounced Word and maketh it self visible in the outward and worketh with the visible Elements of the Body and demonstrateth it self outwardly so that a Man understandeth that Gods Spirit in the Works of Faith co-worketh 59. Even as it worketh with and through the power of the Elementary World and maketh it self visible through the Substance of this World with an Object or Representation so that all whatsoever I look upon be it Evill or Good yet I can with truth say here by or as to this thing the hidden Spirit of the Seperatour of all Things or Substances Imaged it self in a property and hath here made to it self an Object or Image according to its Efflux either according to Evill or God all according to the properties of Nature according to Heat or Cold according to harsh bitter sweet or soure or howsoever it be 60. Thus in all such Imaging only outwardly there is such an Elementary kind or manner of thing viz such a Brimstone and Salt But in the inward ground in the Tincture it is Good and Profitable and belongeth to its Similitude for Nutriment of the Life which as to the Astrall and Elementary kind standeth in all Properties according to its outward Ground 61. Every thing whether it be Hearb Grasse Tree Beast Fowl Fish Worm or whatsoever it is is profitable and is gone forth out of the Seperatour of all Substances or things viz out of the Word or divisible willing of God wherewith the Seperatour of Every Things property hath made to it self a Similitude or Image wherein it worketh 62. For this visible World with all its Hoast and Substance is nothing Else but only an Object or Representation of the Spirituall World which is hidden in this Materiall Elementary as the Tincture in Hearbs and Metals 63. And as the Tincture with its vertue co-imageth it self in all things with its efflux and maketh it self visible that Man in the Figure as also in the Colours and Smell may see and know what kind of Seperatour or Efflux of divine willing in the Tincture is flown forth ex Mysterio Magno out of the Great Mysterie Thus also a Man may know and apprehend in and by the visible World the Sun Starres Elements Living Creatures and all Created things the inward Ground out of which it is sprung forth 64. No thing or substance of a thing is come from farre to the place where it is but in or at that place where it groweth is its Ground 65. The Elements have their cause in themselves whence they Spring forth so also the Starres have their Chaos in themselves wherein they stand 66. The Elements are nothing else but an Image-like movable Substance of the invisible unmoveable Thus also the Starres are an Efflux of the Properties of the spirituall World according to the divisibility of the Seperatour Whose Ground is the WORD or the divisible Will of God 67. The Substance and moving of the Elements is Fire Air Water and Earth Wherein is thick and thin or dense and rare moist and drie hard and soft or pliable these are set or put together in One Substance 68. Not that every one is from a severall originall and proceeding or descent but they all come solely out of One only Ground and that place whence they are proceeded is over all or every where 69. Only you are to think or consider how in one place there is somewhat more kindling according to one property effected then in another whence the Motion is become greater and the matter is become more in such form and substance then in an other As in the Matter of the Earth as also in the Water and Air is to be understood how there is a difference in Each Pole or Zenith viz in every place upon or above the Earth Whence also are the differences of Position Seat or Posture and Vertuès as also of Governments Dominions Orders and Creatures 70. But the distinguishing or differences of such Properties are all existed out of the Great Mysterie ex Mysterio Magno Through the once motion of the power of all things or Substances viz when the Eternall Will of all Substances had once moved and brought forth it self out of the imperceptibility into perceptibility and seperability or distinguibility of variety of powers and made the Eternall power working and willing So that in every Power there is an Object viz an own self desire Existed 71. That very own self desire in the Object of the Powers hath again brought forth it self into an Object whence the desire of such Efflux is become sharp strong or stern and Grosse and hath coagulated and brought it self into Matter 72. And now as the Efflux of the inward Power out of Light and Darkness out of Sharp and Mild out of the Fiery or Lights kind hath been such also are the Matters come to be The further the Efflux of a power hath stretched it self the more outward and grosse is the Matter become for there is ever one Object or Representation gone out of the other even unto the Grosse drossy Earth 73. But we must rightly deduce and explain the Ground of this Philosophy Whence hard and soft or pliant have taken their Ground Which we apprehend in Metals for every Matter which is hard as Metals and Stones are as also Wood Hearbs and such like hath in it self a very Noble Tincture and high Spirit of Power 74. As also is to be known or apprehended by the Bones of Creatures how the Noblest Tincture according to the Power of the Light viz the Greatest Sweetness lyeth in the Marrow of the Bones and on the other side in the Bloud only lyeth a fiery Tincture viz in the Brimstone Salt and Mercury This is to be understood thus 75. God is the Eternall ONE viz the Greatest Meeknesse so far as he is in himself Without or beyond or distinct from his Moving and Manifestation or Revelation 76. But his motion in that he is called a God in Trinity viz a Tri-une Substance Where a Man speaketh of THREE