into the ground of Hell and breake in pieces the Dark Gate in the ground of the soule and the chaines of the Devill and generate or beget the foule anew againe out of the ground thereof and present it as a new childe without sinne and wrath before God 113. And as the first sinne did passe or presse from one upon all so also the Regeneration passeth by one upon all and none are excluded except they will themselves whosoever saith otherwise hath no knowledge in the kingdome of God but telleth meere stories or speaketh but according to the History or Letter onely without the Spirit of Life 114. Here following wee will highly and orderly set downe Gods great deeds of Wonder for the comforting of the sick Adam which for the present sticketh in the Presse and must suffer r Squeezing oppression anguish yet this which is set downe shall stand against all the Gates of the Devill also against all Sects and Schismes and that in the ground of the Light as it is given to us of God and besides out of the ground of the holy Scriptures upon the highly precious words of the Promise in the Prophets and the Psalmes as also the Apostolicall writings which though wee doe not here alledge their Scriptures yet wee will sufficiently prove it to every one themselves which will not be contented with this summary description The Gate of the Å¿ Or becoming Man Incarnation of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God The firme Articles of the Christian Faith 115. Beloved Minde wee write no conceits and tales it is in earnest and 't is as much as our bodies and soules are worth wee must give a strict account of it as being the Talent that is committed to us if any will be t Or offended scandalized at it let them take heed what they doe truly it is high time to awake from sleepe for the Bridegroome cometh 116. u The Confession of Faith I. Wee Christians beleeve and acknowledge that the Eternall Word of God the Father became a true self-subsisting Man with body and soule in the body or womb of the virgin Mary without Mans z Or â—â—â—ing any thing to doe in it interposing for wee beleeve that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and borne of the body of the Virgin without y Or defiling blemishing of her virgin purity or chastity II. Also wee beleeve that in his humane body he dyed and was buried III. Also wee beleeve that he descended into Hell and hath broken the Bands of the Devil wherewith he held Man captive in pieces and redeemed the soule of Man IV. Also wee beleeve that he willingly dyed for our iniquities and reconciled his Father and hath brought us into z Or Grace favour with him V. Also wee beleeve that he rose againe from the dead on the third day and ascended into Heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God VI. Also wee beleeve that he shall come againe at the last day to judge the living and the dead and take his Bride to him and condemne the ungodly VII Also wee beleeve that he hath a Christian Church here upon Earth which is begotten in his bloud and death and so made one body with many members which he cherisheth and governeth with his Spirit and Word and uniteth it continually by the holy Baptisme of his own appointing and by the Sacrament of his body and bloud to be one onely body in himselfe VIII Also wee beleeve that he protecteth and defendeth the same and keepeth it in one minde And now wee will heere following set downe all out of the Deepe Ground according to every things own substance what our knowledge is as far as is now necessary CHAP. XVIII Of the promised seede of the Woman and Treader upon the Serpent and of Adams and Eves going forth out of Paradise or the Garden in Eden Also Of the Curse of God how he cursed the Earth for the sinne of Man 1. * That is wee must not speak of the mysteries w th the mouth onely but with an earnest zealous Heart WEE will not concoct the meate in the mouth and play with the mysteries to write one thing and conâ—â—â—â—e another with the mouth to please the câ—re as is used now adayes where they cover themselves continually with a strange cloake whereas all is nothing else but meere hypocrisie appearance and jugling or fighting with a shaddow The Spirit of God is not in such a one but he is a Theefe and a Murtherer and he useth his Pen for nothing else but his own Pride if he had a Or if he were from the true Spirit power then he would himselfe cast all away though he should under a strange cover acknowledge it but with halfe a mouth He is to speake freely out of the Abysse of his heart and to write without a cover for Christ hath done away his covering or vayle and his loving countenance appeareth to the whole world for a witnesse to all People 2. Therefore let every one looke to it and take heed of the appearing holy hyprocrites and flatterers for they are Antichrists and not Christs Ministers or servants for Antichrist hath set his foote upon the breadth of the Earth and rideth upon the abominable devouring Beast which is as Great as himselfe and indeed Greater Therefore it is highly necessary that every one feele or groape in his own bosom and consider his heart how it is inclined that he doe not deceive himselfe and unknowne to himselfe yeeld himselfe to be the servant or Minister of Antichrist and fulfill that Prophesie for b Antichrist he standeth now c Manifest in the light of the eyes the time of his visitation is at hand he shall be manifested in the light of the life And beware of covetousnesse for thou sha not enjoy it for the wrath of the Beast breaketh the Mountaines and Hills to pieces and thy covetousnesse will partake of the d Or Grimnesse wrath or plagues fiercenesse the time is neere 3. Now when poore fallen Man viz. Adam and Eve stood thus in great feare horrour and trembling being fast bound with the bands of the Devill and of Hell in great scorne and shame before the Heaven and Paradise Then God the Father appeared to them with his angry minde of the Abysse into which they were fallen and his most loving heart went forth through the Word of the Father 〈◊〉 Adam and Eve and e Or opposed placed it selfe before the wrath highly in the Gate of Mans life and enlightened the poore soule againe yet they could not comprehend it in the Essences of the soule but received the Rayes of the Almighty Power whereby Adam and Eve became f Or were comforted glad againe and yet stood trembling by reason of the wrath or fierce horrour or grimmesse that was in them and heard the sentence which God pronounced for God said because thou
for want of Examining what is in themselves yet they may well perceive that the Ground of what hath ever been lyeth in Man for whatsoever any Man hath been or can be must needs be in that Man that attaineth to it as the Ground of the Most Excellent Flower is in the Roote from whence it groweth and then sure the Ground of all that was in Adam or any since or shall be is in any one of us for whatsoever Ground lay in God the same lyeth in Christ and in him it lyeth in us because he is in us all There is nothing but may be understood if wee doe but consider how every thing that ever was or shall be knowne truly is feelingly understood by and in him that knoweth it as he ought and he that thus knoweth God within him cannot but know the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Angels Men and all other Creatures even the Devils and may well be able to speak the Word of God infallibly as the Holy Men that Penned the Scriptures and others also and he that can understand these things in himselfe may well know who speaketh by the Spirit of God and who speaketh his own Phansies and Delutions as our Saviour said He that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven shall know of my words whether they be of God but if that will of his Father in Heaven had not been in them from the beginning of their life in their Conception in their Mothers womb how could they to whom he said this have done that will whereby they might know whence his words proceeded and according to this Rule may any discerne the words and writings of All therefore such things as these are necessary to be knowne There are some who have desired his writings might be Epitomised for ease of those that have not leisure to reade so large Treatises truly the spare time they spend in any other outward thing may be spent with more benefit a thousandfold in this and where he hath written at large it would not be understood if it were contracted more in briefe all his Books as large as they are are but a small sparke of the Great Mystery and where he hath written more in briefe it is so obscure to some that they think it impossible to be understood which he wrote both so briefly obscurely as I conceive that none but such as would be diligent in the practise of that which he hath written plainly and at large should be able to understand it It is intended that the Booke of the Threefold Life which with the Three Principles and forty Questions are a Compleate contence of All the Mysteries should be published in English with the soonest conveniency and in the meane time for a Tast of the Spirit of Prophecy which the Authour had there is a little Treatise of some Prophecies concerning these latter times collected out of his writings by a Lover of the Teutonick Philosophy and Entituled Mercurius Teutonicus In turning the German into English I retaine in some places the propriety of the German Language because the Authour should be rendred as neere as might be in his own Expression that those Excellent Notions which he layeth down might not be slipt over as men doe common current English but that the strangenesse of the words may make them a little stay and consider what the meaning may be having some difference from the vulgar English phrase also where it is somwhat hard at first sight to know what some of the words meane I have set the Synonima's in the Margin and sometime the English rendring between two such Semiquadrates In the Preface to the Lovers of Wisdome set before the 40 Questions in English there are some of the many benefits mentioned that would arise from the studying this Authours writings which may be there Read among the Rest there is a hint about reforming the Lawes by Degrees in every Nation and there is no doubt but if those in whose hands it is to make Lawes did but consider that the Spirit of God is and may be stirred up in them they would stirre him up make a Reformation according to that Spirit of Love the Holy Ghost and then they would be Gods true Vicegerents they would be Fathers of their Countrey deale with every Obstinate rebellious Member in the Kingdom as a Father would doe with a disobedient childe first tell him lovingly and shew him his faults if that will not do he will inquire the Reason and study some course to remedy the cause that hindreth his amendment but if he should goe beyond the bounds of reason and be beside himselfe he would take care of his safety livelihood and cure God taketh such care for us all though we be most obstinate enemies against him and we should do so for all our Brethren the sonnes of Adam though they be our Enemies wee should Examine their wants in all things and supply them that necessity may not compell them to be our enemies still and offend God that they may but live If they will not be quiet when they have their wants supplied and their wrongs redressed but will turne Murtherers and so deserve to live no longer in mercy let them be provided for as other more friendly children of the Common-wealth and removed to live by themselves in some remote uninhabited Countrey where they may have no occasion to doe hurt among those whom they would not suffer to live quietly but let them not there want that which may give them honest subsistence as others who are willing to transplant themselves and for those that desire to live quietly and peaceably at home let all their Earthly things be so ordered that they may easily understand what right and wrong is by having most briefe plaine easie Lawes to be Governed by and have their wants considered and supplied then all Hearts will blesse the Hands of such Reformers and Love will cover All the Ends of the Earth and the God of Love will give us his blessing of Peace all the world over and then the King of Glory will dwell with Men and All the Kingdomes of the Earth will be his Who would not desire such a Thing with mee The unworthiest of the Children of Men J. S. The Authors Preface to this BOOKE 1. MAN can undertake nothing from the beginning of his youth nor in the whole course of his Time in this world that is more profitable and necessary for him than to learne to know himselfe What he is out of what from whence and for what he is Created and what his a Duty employment or businesse is Office is In such a serious Consideration he will presently finde that he and all the Creatures that are come all from God he will also finde among all the Creatures that he is the most Noble Creature of them all from whence he will very well perceive how Gods intent is towards him in that
the Holy Ghost To what purpose are they invented but for the pleasure of Antichrist who thereby doth strut in might and pomp and is God on Earth O flie from him thou childe of Man the time is come for us to awake from the sleepe of Antichrist Christ cometh with the faire Lilly out of Paradise in the valley of Jehosaphat it is time for them to trim their Lamps that will goe to the Marriage of the Lamb The Gate or the Exposition 18. Paradise consisteth in the power and vertue of God it is not corporeall nor a Palpable comprehensible but its corporeity or comprehensibility is like the Angels which yet is a bright cleere visible substance as if it were materiall but it is figured meerly from the vertue or power where all is transparent and shining where also the centre of the Birth is in all things and therefore the birth is without measure or end 19. I give you a similitude in the minde of man from which the thoughts are generated which have neither number nor end for every thought hath a centre to generate againe other thoughts and thus is the Paradise from eternity to eternity But being the light of God is eternall and shineth without wavering or hinderance therefore also in the birth there is an unchangeable substance wherein all things spring up in meere perfection in great love 20. For the spirit of knowledge intimateth this that there are fruits and things that grow in Paradise as well as in this world in such a forme or figure but not in such a source or property and palpability For the matter or body of it is power and it groweth in the heavenly b Soyle or earth Limbus its roote standeth in the Matrix wherein there is neither earth nor stone for it is in another Principle The fire in that Principle is God the Father and the light is God the Sonne and the Aire is God the Holy Ghost and the vertue or power out of which all springeth is Heaven and Paradise 21. As we see that here out of the earth there spring plants hearbs and fruits which receive their vertue from the Sunne and from the Constellation so the Heaven or the heavenly Limbus is in stead of the earth and the light of God in stead of the Sunne and the eternall Father in stead of the vertue of the Starres the depth of this substance is without beginning and end its breadth cannot be c Fathomed reached there is neither yeares nor time no cold nor heate no moving of the Aire no Sunne nor Starres no water nor fire no fight of evill spirits no knowledge nor apprehension of the affliction of this world no stony rock nor earth and yet a figured substance of all the creatures of this world For all the creatures of this world have appeared to this end that they might be an eternall figured similitude not that they continue in this spirit in their substance no not so All the creatures returne into their d Receptacle Ether and the spirit corrupteth or fadeth but the figure and the shadow continue eternally 22. As also all words both the evill and the good which were here spoken by a humane tongue they continue standing in the shadow and figured similitude and the Good reach Paradise in the Holy Ghost and the false evill and wicked ones reach the abysse of Hell and therefore it is that Christ said Man must give an account of every idle or unprofitable word and when the harvest cometh then all shall be seperated for the Scripture saith also That every ones works shall follow them and all shall be tried by the fire of Nature and all false or evill workes words and deeds shall remaine in the fire of Nature which shall be the Hell at which when the Devils heare it they tremble and quake 23. All shall remaine in the shadow and every thing in its own source or property therefore it will be an eternall shame to the wicked that they shall see in the eternity all their works and words as a menstruous cloath which shall stick full of the wrath of God and shall burne according to their essence and according to their here kindled source or property 24. For this world is like a field wherein good seed is sowne into which the enemy casteth weeds or Tares and goeth his way which grow together untill the time of the harvest when all the fruit shall be gathered and brought into the Barne of which Christ also faith That the Tares or weeds shall be tyed up in bundles and cast into the fire and the wheate shall be brought into the barne The Holy Gate 25 REason which is gone forth with Adam out of Paradise asketh Where is Paradise to be had or found Is it farre off or neere Or when the soules goe into Paradise whither do they goe Is it in this world or without the place of this world above the starres Where is it that God dwelleth with the Angels And where is that desirable Native Countrey where there is no death Being there is no Sunne nor Starres in it therefore it cannot be in this world or else it would have been found long agoe 26 Beloved Reason One cannot lend the Key to another to unlock this withall and if any have a key he cannot open it to another As Antichrist boasteth that he hath the keys of Heaven and Hell It is true he may have the keys of both in this life time but he cannot open with them for any body else every one must unlock it with his own key or else he cannot enter therein for the Holy Ghost is the key when he hath that key then he may goe both in and out 27. There is nothing that is neerer you than Heaven Paradise and Hell unto which of them you are inclined and to which of them you tend or walke to that in this life time you are most neere you are between both and there is a birth between each of them you stand in this world between both the Gates and you have both the births in you God beckneth to you in the one Gate and calleth you and the Devill beckneth you in the other Gate and calleth you with whom you goe with him you enter in The Devill hath in his hand power honour pleasure and worldly joy and the roote of these is death and hell fire On the contrary God hath in his hand crosses persecution misery poverty ignominy and sorrow and the roote of these is a fire also and in the fire there is a light and in the light the vertue and in the vertue or power the Paradise and in the Paradise are the Angels and among the Angels joy The e Or dimme fleshly eyes grosse eyes cannot behold it because they are from the third Principle and see onely by the splendour of the Sunne but when the Holy Ghost cometh into the soule then he regenerateth it anew in
The Second Booke CONCERNING The Three Principles OF The Divine Essence Of the Eternall Dark Light and Temporary VVorld SHEWING What the Soule the Image and the Spirit of the Soule are as also what Angels Heaven and Paradise are How Adam was before the Fall in the Fall and after the Fall AND What the Wrath of God Sinne Death the Devils and Hell are How all things have been now are and how they shall be at the Last Written in the German Language by Jacob Behmen Aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornhill 1648. ⧠To the READER SInce the Publishing of this Authours forty Questions in English the Mindes of severall Persons have had divers Thoughts concerning his Writings and yet have been of Searching apprehensions I would they were well acquainted with his Writings and then they would not onely be able to finde out the Truth in their own thoughts but also in the written words of him and others as in the Articles and confessions of Faith or any other Writings and it may be those thoughts they have though they be true if rightly understood yet if they may perhaps be misapprehended they may hinder themselves of inestimable Eternall Benefit Some have complained of the Hardnesse to understand his writings and therefore I have endeavoured the Englishing of this Booke of the Three Principles which the Authour saith is the A. B. C. to all his writings and if they reade it carefully they will finde it though hard at first easie at last and then all his other Bookes easie and full of Deep Understanding A Man cannot conceive the wonderfull knowledge before he hath read this Booke throughly and diligently which he will finde to be conteined in it when he is weighing and deliberating upon the Matter as he readeth and that without hard Study for it will rise in the Minde of it selfe with a ravishing sweetnesse and content and he will finde that the Threefold Life is tenfold deeper than this and the forty Questions to be tenfold deeper than that and that to be as deep as a Spirit is in it selfe as the Authour saith then which there can be no greater Depth for God himselfe is a Spirit And accordingly there appeare some Glimpses of the most Deepe Mysticall Orientall Learning heere and there which is not discovered in any Bookes and therefore some of the Learned Men of Europe think it may be past their Reach but they will finde that Ground in him which will make such things easie to be understood for the time of disclosing those Grounds so plainly was not till now that the Mysteries which have been hid since the wotld began should be revealed Those that had the Spirituall Understanding of the Naturall Mysteries were called Wisemen and they that understood the Divine Mysteries were called * Saints Holy Men and they were Prophets Preachers Apostles Evangelists and Beleevers The Wise Men of All Nations did write darkly of their Mysteries not to be understood but by such as were Lovers of those things and so the very Scriptures themselves which conteine all things in them cannot be understood but by such as love to follow practise and endeavour to doe those things which they finde in them ought to be done and those that led their Lives in such a way came to understand those Mysteries from which they were written and in severall Nations their wisdome hath had severall Names which hath caused our Age to take all the Names of the severall parts of wisdome and sort them into Arts among which the Magia and Cabala are accounted the most Mysticall the Magia consisting in the knowing how things have come to be and the Cabala in knowing how the words and formes of Things expresse the Reality of the Inward Mysterie But he that knoweth the Mysterie knoweth both these and all the Branches of the Tree of Wisdome in all Reall Arts and Sciences and the true Signification of every Idea in every Thought and Thing and Sound and Letter in every Language and therefore this Authour having the true knowledge could well expound the Letters of the Names of God and other words and Syllables the signification of which he saith is well understood in the Language of Nature and as one jot or tittle of the word of God shall not passe away till all be fulfilled so there is no tittle of any * As in the Revelations I am Α and Ω the beginning and the end Letter that is proceeded from that Eternall Essentiall Word as all things are but hath its weighty signification in the deepe understanding in that Word from whence it came even in the voices of All Men and sounds of All other Creatures also the Letters and Syllables of a word of some Language doe expresse something of the Mysterie more exquisitely than of another and therefore I conceive the Authour useth sometime to expound words borrowed from the Hebrew Greek and some Latine words and other words of Art as well as German words and not alwayes words of his own Native Language onely according to their signification in the Language of Nature for that Language doth shew in every ones Mother Tongue the Greatest Mysteries that have ever been in the Nature of any thing in the Letters of that word by which it is expressed therefore let every one esteem those expositions of his according to their high worth for the knowledge of that Language is onely taught by the Spirit of the Letter Some think it is unnecessary to know such Mysteries indeed every ones Nature is not fitted with a Capacity for the highest Depths therefore they need not search so farre nor trouble themselves to looke for the understanding of that they desire not to know but that they may see how necessary his writings are let them reade the Authours own Preface to this Booke and there they shall finde the necessity of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing themselves for else they can never know God and then they cannot know the way to God though they reade it never so plainly set downe in the Scriptures and besides the way to God is in his writings more easie to be understood by those of our Age than in the Scripture because that hath been so vayled by Doubtfull Interpretations Expositions Inferences and Conclusions and therefore it must needs be highly necessary that such a foundation be laid as may assure us of the true meaning of the Scriptures which teach that which is so Absolutely necessary to salvation Moreover his Grounds will teach us the way to Get such understanding that wee shall know and feele as well as they to whom the Apostle John wrote that wee shall not neede any Man to teach us any thing for we shall know and get that Unction which teacheth all things and leadeth into all Truth though it is thought People cannot have that now by such as know not what is in Man
knowledge or perception yet their soft operation in the water maketh a seething flowing forth or boyling up one of another and in the tincture of the bloud they cause a rising seeing feeling hearing and tasting Therefore consider from whence the tincture proceedeth wherein the noble life springeth up That thus becometh sweet from harshnesse bitternesse and fire and you shall certainly finde no other cause of it than the light but whence cometh the light that it can shine t Or upon a dark place in a dark body If you say it cometh from the light of the Sunne then what shineth in the night and enlighteneth your u Inward senses or thoughts senses and understanding so that though your eyes be shut you perceive and know what you doe Here you will say the noble minde doth lead you and it is true But whence hath the minde its originall You will say the x Or Thoughts or inward senses senses make the minde stirring and that is also true But whence come they both What is their birth or off spring Why is it not so with the Beasts 30. My deare Reader if you be able y Or answer this question breake open all and looke into the pith yet you shall not finde it though you should seek in the Deepe in the Starres in the Elements in all living Creatures in Stones Plants Trees and in Metalls also in Heaven and Earth you shall not finde it Now you will say Where then shall I finde it Deare Reader I cannot so much as lend you the Key that will lead you to it But I will direct you where you shall finde it it lyeth in the third Chapter of the Evangelist St John in these words You must be borne anew by water and by the Holy Ghost This Spirit is the Key when you attaine it receive it and goe before the first Principle out of which this world and all Creatures are created and open the first roote from which such visible and sensible things did spring 31. But you will say this is onely God and he is a spirit and hath created all things out of nothing T is very true he is a Spirit and in our sight he is as nothing and if wee had not some knowledge of him by the Creation wee should know nothing of him at all and if he himselfe had not been from all Eternity there could nothing have ever been 32. But what doe you thinke there was before the times of the world out of which the Earth and Stones proceeded as also the Starres and Elements That out of which these proceeded was the Roote But what is the Roote of these things Looke what doe you finde in these things Nothing else but fire bitternesse and harshnesse or astringent sournesse and these three are but one thing and hence all things are generated Now this was but a Spirit before the times of the world and yet you cannot finde God in these three formes the pure Deity is a light which is incomprehensible and unperceivable also allmighty and all-powerfull where is it then that men may finde God 33. Here open your noble minde see and search further seeing God is onely Good from whence cometh the Evill And seeing also that he alone is the life and the light and the holy power as it is undeniably true from whence cometh the anger of God From whence cometh the Devill and his evill will also Hell-fire from whence hath that its Originall Seeing there was nothing before the time of this world but onely God who was and is a Spirit and continueth so in Eternity From whence then is the first Materia or matter of Evill For reason giveth this judgement that there must needs have been in the Spirit of God a will to generate the source or fountaine of Anger 34. But now the Scripture saith The Devill was a holy Angel and further it saith Thou art not a God that willeth evill and in Ezekiel As sure as I live I will not the death of a sinner this is testified by Gods earnest severe punishing of the Devils and all sinners that he is not pleased with death 35. What then moved the Devill to be angry and evill What is the first matter of it in him seeing he was created out of the Originall Eternall Spirit Or from whence is the Originall of Hell wherein the Devils shall remaine for ever when this world with the Starres and Elements Earth and Stones shall perish in the end 36. Beloved Reader Open the eyes of your minde here and know that no other anguish source will spring up in him and torment him than his own z Or working propertie quality for that is his Hell out of which he is created and made and the light of God is his eternall shame and therefore he is Gods enemy because he is no more in the light of God 37. Now you can here produce nothing more that God should ever use any matter out of which to create the Devill for then the Devill might justifie himselfe that he made him evill or of evill matter for God created him out of nothing but meerly out of his owne Essence or Substance as well as the other Angels As it is written Through him and in him are all things and his onely is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory and all in him as the holy Scriptute witnesseth and if it were not thus no sinne would be a Or accounted sinne imputed to the Devill nor men if they were not eternall and both in God and out of God himselfe 38. For to a Beast which is created out of matter no sinne may be imputed for its Spirit reacheth not the first Principle but it hath its originall in the third Principle in the Elementary and syde-reall kingdome in the corruptibility and it reacheth not the Deity as the Devil and the soul of man doth 39 And if you cannot beleeve this take the holy Scripture before you which telleth you that when man was fallen into sinne God sent him his own heart life or light out of himself into the flesh and opened the gate of the birth of his life wherein he was united with God and being broken off in the light part yet continued in the originall of the first Principle he hath kindled that light and so united himself to man again 40. If the soul of man were not sprung out of God the Father out of his first Principle but out of another matter he could not have bestowed that highest earnest or pledge of his own heart and light upon him as himself witnesseth saying I am the light of the world and the life of Man but he could very well have redeemed or helped him some other way 41. But what do you think that he brought to man into the flesh when he came Nothing else but what Adam and our mother Eve had lost in Paradise the same did the treader upon the Serpent bring
in the qualification and flieth aloft no more but continueth in its mother and loseth its fiery right or propriety and trembleth and rejoyceth in its mother 51. And in this joy in the water-spring or source the pleasant n Or stream source of the o Unsearchable unfathomable or inconceiveable bottomlesse love riseth up and all that riseth up there is the second Principle for the whole begetting or generating falleth into a glorious love for the harshnesse now loveth the light dearly because it is so refreshing chearly and beautifull for from this pleasant refreshing it becometh thus sweet p Gentle or friendly courteous and humble or lowly and the bitternesse now loveth the harshnesse because it is no more dark nor so strongly eagerly or fiercely attractive to it selfe but is sweet milde pure and light 52. And here beginneth the taste whereby one continually trieth tasteth and proveth the other and with great desire mingle one within another so that there is nothing but a meer courteous embracing thus the bitternesse now rejoyceth in its mother and strengtheneth it self therein and for great joy riseth up through all the essences and declareth to the second Principle that the loving childe is q Begotten born to which then all the essences give heed and rejoyce at that dear childe from whence the hearing ariseth which is the sixth form where the wheel of the birth standeth in triumph And in this great joy the birth cannot contain it self within its bounds but expandeth it self flowing forth very joyfully and every essence or substance generateth now again a centre in the second Principle 53. And there beginneth the unfathomable or unsearchable multiplication for the flowing and springing spirit that proceedeth from the first and second Principle confirmeth fixeth and establisheth all and in the whole birth it is as a growing or multiplying in one will and the birth attaineth here the seventh form viz. the multiplication r Or in into an essence of love and in this form consisteth Paradise or the Kingdome of God or the numberlesse divine birth out of one onely essence Å¿ Or in all things into all essence 54 Although here the tongue of man cannot utter declare expresse nor fathome this great depth where there is neither number nor end yet we have power to speak thereof as children talk of their father but to dive into the whole depth that troubleth us and disturbeth our souls for God himself knoweth neither beginning nor end in himself 55. And now being to speak of the holy Trinity we must first say that there is one God and he is called the Father and creator of all things who is Almighty and All in All whose are all things and in whom and from whom all things proceed and in whom they remain eternally And then we say that he is three in persons and hath from eternity generated his Sonne out of himselfe who is his Heart Light and Love and yet they are not two but one eternall essence And further we say as the holy Scripture telleth us that there is a holy Ghost which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and that there is but one essence in the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which is rightly spoken 56. For behold the Father is the originall essence of all essences and if now the second Principle did not break forth and spring up in the birth of the Sonne then the Father would be a dark t Vacuum or valley of darknesse valley And thus you see that the Sonne who is the Heart the Love the brightnesse and the milde u Or Satiating rejoycing of the Father in whom he is well pleased openeth another Principle in his birth and maketh the angry and wrathfull Father as I may say as to the originality of the first Principle reconciled pleased loving and as I may say mercifull and he is another manner of person than the Father for in his x Or ground centre there is nothing else but meer joy love and pleasure And yet you may see that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne for when the heart or light of God is generated in the Father then there springeth up in the kindling of the light in the fift forme out of the y Or Welspring of water which is the ground of Humility Water-source in the light a very pleasant sweet smelling and sweet tasted Spirit and this is that Spirit which in the Originall was the bitter sting or prickle in the harshnesse or tartnesse and that maketh now in this Water-source many thousand z Centra Centres without number or end and all this in the fountaine of the Water 57. Now you may well perceive that the birth of the Sunne taketh its Originall in the fire and attaineth his personality and name in the kindling of the soft white and cleere light which is himselfe and himselfe maketh the pleasant smell taste and satisfaction or reconciliation and well-pleasing in the Father and is rightly the Fathers heart and another person for he openeth and produceth the second Principle in the Father and his own Essence is the power or vertue and the light and therefore his is rightly called the power or vertue of the Father 58. But the Holy Ghost is not a Acknowledged or manifest as the aire is not knowne or breathed forth in the originall of the fire before the light be kindled knowne in the Originall of the Father before the light breake forth but when the soft fountaine springeth up in the light then he goeth forth as a strong allmighty Spirit in great joy from the pleasant source of water and from the hight and he is the power and vertue of the source of water and of the light and he maketh now the forming shaping figuring and Images or species and he is the centre in all Essences in which Centre the light of life in the hight of the Sunne or heart of the Father taketh its originall And the Holy Ghost is a severall Person because he proceedeth as a living power and vertue from the Father and the Sonne and confirmeth the b Begetting generating or working Birth of the Trinity 59. Now wee pray thus Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed or sanctified be thy Name and in the first of Genesis it is written God created the Heaven out of the midst of the Water by which is meant or understood the Heaven of the third Principle and yet indeed he hath created it out of his own Heaven wherein he dwelleth Thus you may easily finde that the Birth of the Holy Deity standeth in the source of Water and the powerfull Spirit is moreover the former framer and fashioner or moulder therein 60. Thus now the Heaven in this forming or framing and the framing and generating out of it in infinitum or endlesly is the Paradise of God as the highly worthy Moses writeth The Spirit of God moved upon
would not generate a perfect Paradisicall Man out of himselfe but an infected poysoned Man according to the lust and would fall into corruptibility And the Text in Moses soundeth further very right thus And God let a deep sleep fall upon Man and he slept or fell asleepe CHAP. XII Of the Opening of the holy Scripture that the Circumstances may be highly considered The Golden Gate which God affordeth to the last world wherein the Lilly shall flourish and blossome 1. LOving Reader I had need have an Angelicall Tongue for this description and thou an Angelicall Minde and then wee should well understand one another But seeing wee have them not therefore wee will expresse the Great Deeds of God with the earthly Tongue according to our received gift and knowledge and open the Scripture to the Reader and give him occasion to consider further whereby the Pearle might be sought and found at last therefore wee will worke in our Day-labour a And leade them that come after us into it according to our duty till the b Or Gate Pearle of the Lilly be found 2. Reason asketh How long was Adam in Paradise before his Fall and how long did the Temptation last I cannot tell thee that out of Moses description of the Creation for it is for great cause concealed yet I will shew thee the wonders of God and c Or search into them expound them according to the knowledge that is given mee whereby thou mayst the better learne to d Or understand consider the Temptation and the Fall of Adam 3. Beloved Reason look into the Glasse of the actions and deeds of God When God appeared to Moses in the e Or fire flaming burning Bush he said Pull off thy shooes for here is a holy place What was that Answer God shewed Moses thereby his earthly Birth For he would give him a Law wherein Man should live if it were possible and attaine salvation But who was it that gave the Law and commanded Man to live therein Answer It was God the Father out of his Centre and therefore it was done with fire and thunder for there is no fire and thunder in the heart of God but kinde love 4. Hereupon Reason will say is not God the Father one and the same Essence with the Sonne Answer Yes they are one essence and will By what meanes then did he give the Law Answer By the Spirit of the great world because Adam after the Fall and all men lived f In the Spirit of the great world therein therefore it must be tried whether man could live g In the Law therein in confidence towards God therefore he established it with great wonders or miracles and gave h The Law it clarity shining brightnesse or glory as may be seene in Moses who had a glorious bright shining face and when he had chosen to himselfe this people he destroyed the children of unbeliefe and brought i His chosen them out with wonders into the Wâ—ldernesse and there it was tried whether men could live in perfect obedience under this clarity Glory or brightnesse 5. What was done there Answer Moses was called by God out from among the children of Israel up into Mount Sinai and stayed there forty dayes and then he would trie the people whether it were possible for them to put their trust or confidence in God that they might be fed with k Manna heavenly Bread that so they might attaine perfection And there now stood the minde Majoris mundi of the l Or Macrocosme great world and on the contrary the eternall minde of God in strife one against another God required obedience and the minde of this world required or desired the pleasure of this transitory life as eating drinking playing dancing therefore they chose them moreover their Belly-God a Golden Calfe that they might be free and live without Law 6. Here you see againe how the three Principles strove one against another about Man The Law that was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden brake forth againe and desired to have obedience in like manner also the Spirit of strong fiercenesse or wrath brake forth againe in the false fruit and voluptuousnesse and sought the corruptible life And this strife now lasted forty dayes before they set up the Calfe and fell wholly like Adam from God so long the strife of the three Principles continued 7. But now when they were fallen away from God as Adam was then came Moses with Josuah and saw the apostacie or falling away and brake the Tables in pieces and led them in the Wildernesse where they must all die except Josua and Caleb for the clarity or brightnesse of the Father in the fire in the first Principle could not bring them into the promised Land and although they did eate Manna yet it did not helpe in the triall onely Josua and at length JESUS must doe it 8. And when the time came that the true Champion or Saviour returned againe out of Paradise and became the childe of the Virgin then the strife of the three Principles m Was renewed came againe For there he was againe set before the tempting Tree and he must endure the hard brunt before the tempting Tree and stand out the temptation of the three Principles which was not possible for the first Adam to doe And there the strife continued forty dayes and forty nights just so long as the strife with Adam in Paradise continued and not an houre longer and then the Champion or Saviour overcame therefore open your eyes aright and look upon the Scripture aright although it be briefe and obscure to reason yet it is very true 9. You finde not in Moses that Adam was driven out of Paradise the first day the temptation of Israel and of Christ informeth us quite otherwise for the temptation of Christ is to a tittle in all Circumstances the same with the temptation of Adam 10. For Adam was tempted forty dayes in Paradise in the Garden of Eden before the tempting Tree and tried whether he could stand whether he could set his inclination on the heart of God and onely eate of the Verbum Domini the Word of the Lord and then if he had stood God would have given him his body the heavenly Limbus to eate that he should eate it in his mouth not into his body he should have brought forth the childe of the Virgin out of himselfe for he was neither Man nor Woman male nor female he had the Matrix and also the Man or masculine nature in him and should have brought forth the Virgin full of modesty and chastity out of the Matrix without rending of his body 11. And here is the strife in the Revelation of John where a Woman brought forth a sonne which the Dragon and the n Or Serpent Worme would devour and there stood the Virgin upon the earthly Moone and despiseth the earthinesse and treadeth it
of the soule figured by the Eternall Fiat 44. Now if the spirit of the soule remaine unregenerated in its first Principle which it hath inherited out of the Eternity with the beginning of its life then also at the breaking or deceasing of its body there proceedeth out of its Eternall Minde such a creature as its continuall will hath been here in this life 45. Now if thou hast had an envious spitefull dogged minde and hast grutched every thing to others as a Dog doth with a bone which himselfe cannot eate then there appeareth such a doggish minde and according to that source or property is its Worme of the soule figured and such a will it keepeth in the Eternity in the first Principle and there is no revoking all thy envious wicked proud works appeare in thy a Or active property source in thy own b Or kindling Tincture of the Worme of the soule and thou must live eternally therein nay thou canst not conceive or apprehend any desire or will to abstinence or forbearance of it but thou art Gods and the holy soules eternall enemy 46. For the doore of the Deepe to the light of God appeareth to thee no more for thou art now a perfect creature in the first Principle and now though thou dost elevate thy selfe and wouldst breake open the doore of the Deepe yet that cannot be done for thou art a whole Spirit and not meerly in the will onely wherein the doore of the Deepe can be broken open but thou fliest out aloft over the kingdome of God and canst not enter in and the higher thou fliest the deeper thou art in the Abysse and thou seest not God yet who is so neere thee 47. Therefore it can onely be done here in this life while thy soule sticketh in the will of the minde so that thou breakest open the Gate of the Deepe and pressest in to God through a New Birth for here thou hast the highly worthy noble virgin of the Divine Love for thy assistance who leadeth thee in through the Gate of the Noble Bridegroom who standeth in the Centre in the parting c Or limit of seperation mark between the kingdome of Heaven and the kingdome of Hell and generateth thee in the water and life of his bloud and Death and therein drowneth and washeth away thy false or evill works so that they follow thee not in such a source and property that thy soule be not d Or figured therein infected therein but according to the first Image in Man before the Fall as a new chast and pure noble virgins Image without any knowledge of thy untowardnesse or vices which thou hadst here 48. Thou wilt aske What is the New e Or second Birth Regeneration or how is that done in Man Heare and see stop not thy minde let not thy minde be filled by the Spirit of this world with its might and pompe Take thy minde and breake through the Spirit of this world quite f Or unite or give up thy minde incline thy minde into the kinde love of God make thy purpose earnest and strong to breake through the pleasure of this world with thy minde and not to regard it consider that thou art not at home in this world but that thou art a strange Guest captivated in a close Prison Cry and call to him who hath the key of the Prison yeeld thy selfe up to him in obedience righteousnesse modesty chastity and truth and seeke not so eagarly after the kingdome of this world it will stick close enough to thee without that and then chast virgin will meet thee in thy minde highly and deeply and will leade thee to thy Bridegroom who hath the key to the Gate of the Deepe thou must stand before him who will give thee to eate of the heavenly Manna which will g Or quicken refresh thee and thou wilt be strong and struggle with the Gate of the Deepe and thou wilt break through as the h Aurora Morning red or day-starre Day-breake and though thou liest captive here in the night yet the rayes of the breake of Day will appeare to thee in the Paradise in which place thy chast virgin standeth waiting for thee with the joy of the Angels who will very kindly receive thee in thy new-borne minde and Spirit 49. And though indeed thou must i Swimme or bath walke here with thy Body in the dark k In contempt dis-esteeme night among thornes and thistles so that the Devill and also this world doth read and teare thee and not onely buffet despise deride and vilifie thee outwardly but also many times stop thy deare minde and leade it captive in the lust of this world into the Bath or Lake of swines yet then the Noble virgin will help thee still and will call upon thee to desist from thy ungodly l Or doings wayes 50. Look well to it stop not thy minde and understanding when thy minde saith Turne doe m The evill it not then know that thou art so called by the deare virgin and turne instantly and consider where thou art lodged in how hard a house of bondage thy soule lyeth imprisoned seek thy native Countrey from whence thy soule is wandred and whither it ought to returne againe 51. And then if thou wilt follow n The Counsell of the wisdome of God it thou wilt finde in thy selfe not onely after this life but in this life also in thy Regeneration that shee will very worthily meete thee and out of what kinde of Spirit this Author hath written CHAP. XVII Of the horrible lamentable and miserable Fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise Mans Looking-Glasse 1. IF the Gate of the Deep were not opened to mee in my minde so that I can see the strife that is against the kingdome of God then I should also suppose that the matter of the Fall were meerly a Disobedience about the biting of an Apple as the Text in Moses barely passeth it over though Moses hath written wholly right 2. For the matter was about the earthly eating and drinking wherewith the Paradisicall Man was captivated by the Spirit of this world which now must qualifie or mix with all Men. This the Holy Scripture witnesseth and also Reason that Man is not at home in the Elementary kingdome of this world For Christ said My kingdome is not of this world and to his Apostles he said I have called you out from this world Also Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God 3. Also wee see that the kingdome of this world dieth to Man and passeth away or breaketh seeing then that Adam did beare the Image of the kingdome of God which was eternall and uncorruptible and stood in Paradise therefore wee can with no ground say that he a Before the Fall did beare the Image of the kingdome of this world For this world is transitory and b Or fragile corruptible but the Image
Therefore according to our knowledge wee will set downe an Exposition of the fall of Man which is very perfectly manifested and appeareth in the light of the Day and t Over-witnesseth convinceth us and wee have no need of the u Fopperies or foggy expositions fooleries of the Antichrist who with the bloud and death of Christ doth but seeke his own covetousnesse pride and voluptuousnesse and draweth the vaile of Moses before our eyes that wee should not see through the Tables that were graven through through Josua or Jesus into the promised Land of Paradise that he may onely sit and ride upon his horrible and devouring Beast of covetousnesse and pride which Beast is become so very great and strong that it shaddoweth the circuit of the Earth and ruleth so wonderfully over x High and low Mountaines and Valleys with his fiercenesse which Beast yet shall be broken by the Lilly without hands at which the People or Nations shall wonder and say How art thou O terrible and great might and power founded upon so weake and loose a ground 38. Now then if wee consider the miserable fall of Adam and Eve wee need not to runne long after the madde Antichrist to fetch or learne wisdome from him he hath none Let us onely consider our selves and compare the heavenly and earthly Image one with the other and so we shall see the whole y Or drift roote and ground thereof wee have no need of a Doctour nor of any strange language about it it standeth written in our body and soule and when we see it it terrifieth us so much that wee tremble at it as Eve and Adam did in their Fall 39. And if wee do not come to know or have a glimpse of the Treader upon the Serpent in the marke of the partition or limit of seperation in the Gate of the Deepe between the world and the Kingdome of Hell then wee see indeed nothing else but meere misery and Death which might z Perswade us to awake well awaken us from sleepe 40. Doe but behold thy selfe thou blinde Minde and consider thy selfe where is thy Angelicall a Or Image forme in thee Why art thou so angry sterne fierce froward and malicious Wherefore doest thou elevate thy selfe still in thy wickednesse in pride in might or authority and pomp and boastest thy selfe for a brave and potent Beast What is it that thou doest Wherefore hast thou let the Spirit of this world into thee which seduceth thee as it listeth into high mindednesse into proud stoutnesse into b Authoritie and stateliness potency and pomp into covetousnesse and lying into falshood and treachery as also into sicknesse and corruption or frailty 41. What is it now that thou c Keepest or takest with thee hast after thy corrupting when thou dyest Consider thy selfe what is it that thou art then Thou art a Spirit but what kinde of source or property is it that thou hast in thee surely thou hast in thee anger wickednesse pride self-seeking wilfulnesse in raising up thy selfe after temporall pleasure but finding none thou hast a false minde in the Spirit full of lyes and deceit and murtherous arising in thee out of the Essences as thou wert upon Earth towards Men just so it is then with such a Spirit as is gone forth from thee out of the corruptible body of the Elements And where shall that then remaine when this world perisheth Doest thou suppose that it shall then be an Angel hath it an Angelicall quality source or property is its source or quality in love humility and meeknesse is it in the Divine Obedience in the light of Joy 42. O thou blinde Minde with thy might and statelinesse full of wickednesse and devillish fierce wrath wilt thou know where thou art after that thy body perisheth thou art even with all the Devills in the Abysse of Hell if thou doest not turne and by earnest unfained sorrow and repentance for thy abominations enter into the Angelicall footsteps that the Saviour and Treader upon the Serpent of fierce wrath wickednesse lying and deceit may meet thee and embrace thee in his armes and that thou mayest be new-borne in him and be yeelded up into the bosome of the d The wisdome and mercy of God chast virgin and become an Angel or else thou art in the Eternall Death in the Eternall Darknesse and canst in all Eternity not reach the kingdome of God any more 43. Or doest thou suppose that write of the fall of Man without e Or knowledge light and understanding Or that I doe not look and see into the holy Scripture what that saith of it when I say that Man before his fall was Angelicall in his minde and body Then heare and see what Christ saith of it Matth. 13. vers 22. In the resurrection of the Dead they will neither marry nor be given in marriage but they are as the Angels of God and such an Image God created in the beginning according to his similitude 44. For an angry malicious proud self-seeking for honour and dignity mendâ—cious or lying theeving robbing murtherous lascivious lecherous minde is not the similitude of God but an humble chast modest pure courteous minde which inclineth it selfe with a longing desire and love to the Heart of God that is the similitude of God in which the fire flaming Spirit in the joy and the meeknesse goeth forth out of the will and for its brethren the will of its Spirit which goeth forth from it readily inclineth towards them and as the Proverb saith Imparteth the very heart to them which is done in Spirit wherein the heavenly joy in the Eternall Element springeth up and the Wonders of God are manifested in the virgin by a Hymne of praise to the Eternall Minde of God where the minde playeth upon the Harp of David an Hymne to God where then in the eternall holy Minde there springeth up knowledge and colours in the Eternall Element and in the Spirit wonders with works and powers or vertues 45. And this is the Image of God which God created for his glory and joy and no other and let not the madde Antichrist perswade thee concerning any other Image of God for there is no other thy body and soule convinceth thee of it as also Heaven and Earth the Starres and Elements look upon what thou wilt all things convince thee and if thou doest not turne and enter into that Image to which God created thee then in the breaking of thy body when thy minde in the Spirit of the soule shall stand naked without a body thou shalt be ashamed before all creatures this wee speake according to its high worth as it is highly knowne in the will of God 46. Thus it is highly necessary for us to know the miserable Fall of our first Parents wherefore it was so with God that his anger is in us and that wee must dye and if wee apprehend not the
learne with great earnestnesse to know the true way of Entrance into the Eternall Joy that wee may not with the Devils Dogges howle Eternally in the anguishing Inne 4. And now if wee look round about us every where upon Heaven and Earth the Starres and Elements yet wee can see and know no way or passage where wee may goe to our Rest wee see no other than the way of the entrance in of our Life and then of the end of our Life where our body goeth into the Earth and all our Labour also our Arts and Glory is inherited by another who also vexeth himselfe therewith for a while and then followeth after us and that continueth so from the beginning of the world to its end 5. Wee can in our misery never b Understand or comprehend know where our Spirit doth abide when the body breaketh and cometh to be a Carkasse except wee be againe new-borne out of this world that so wee may dwell in this world as to our body and as to our minde in another eternall perfect new life wherein our spirit and minde putteth on a new Man wherein he must and shall live Eternally and then wee first know what wee are and where our home is 6. Seeing then wee clearly see and understand that wee have our beginning altogether Earthly and are sowen in a field as Graine is sowne in the Earth where our life springeth up groweth and at length flourisheth as Corne or graine doth out of the Earth where wee can know in us nothing but an earthly life yet wee see very well that the c Or Starres Constellations and Elements qualifie or work in us and nourish drive governe and guide us also fill us and bring us up and so preserve our life a while and then breake it againe and turne it to dust and ashes like all Beasts Trees Plants and all things that grow but wee see not how it is with us afterwards whether all be ended with it or whether wee goe with our Spirit and Conversation into another life and therefore it is most necessary to learne and to seeke the right way 7. Now that is testified to us by the Writings of those who have been regenerated out of this d Or transitorinesse Earthlinesse and at length are entred into a holy and uncorruptible life who have written and taught of an Eternall joyfull Life and also of an Eternall perishihg and anguishing Life and have taught us how wee should follow after them and how wee should step into a new Birth where wee should be regenerated out of this Earthlinesse into a new Creature and that wee should doe nothing else about it but follow them and then wee should finde e Or really in deed and in truth what they had spoken written and taught yea even in this life wee should see our true Native Countrey in the new Regeneration and f Uunderstand or apprehend know it in the new-borne Man in great Joy whereas then our whole minde would incline to it and in our new knowledge in the new Man true Faith would grow and the hearty desire of the unfeigned love towards the hidden God for which noble knowledge sake many times g Holy people they have yeelded their earthly body and life to the unregenerated gainsayer according to his Devilish malicious revengefulnesse into Death and have taken it with great Joy and have chosen for themselves the Eternall uncorruptible Life 8. Seeing then there is the greatest and highest Love in the new Birth not onely towards God or ones selfe but also towards Men our brothers and sisters and seeing those that were unregenerated have had their desires and love so carried towards Men that they have very earnestly taught men with meeknesse and reproving and that their love to them in their Teaching hath been so great that they have even willingly yeelded their life up to Death and left their earthly goods and all they had in assured hope in their strong and firme knowledge to receive all againe in great honour and glory 9. And therefore wee also have longed to seeke after that Pearle of which wee write at present and though now the unregenerated in the Kingdome of this world will give no credit to us as it hath happened to our forefathers from the children of this world wee cannot help that but it shall stand for a witnesse against them which shall be a woe to them Eternally that they have so foolishly ventured and lost so great an Eternall Glory and holinesse for a little pleasure of the eye and lust of the flesh 10. And wee know in our deep knowledge that h The holy forefathers they have rightly taught and written that there is one onely God which is threefold in Personall Distinction as is before-mentioned And wee also know that he is the Creatour of all things that he hath generated all out of his own i Essence or Beeing substance both light darknesse as also the Thrones and k Or Regiments Dominions of all things Especially wee know as the holy Scripture witnesseth throughout tnat he hath created Man to his own Image and similitude that he should Eternally be and live in the Kingdome of Heaven in him 11. And then wee know also that this world wherein wee now are and live was generated out of the Eternall Originall in time through the pure Element in the Fiat and so created and so l The world of foure Elements it is not the substance of the holy pure Element but an issue or out-birth out of the Eternall Limbus of God wherein the Eternall Element consisteth which is before the cleere Deity wherin consisteth Paradise the Kingdome of Heaven yet the Limbus together with the pure Element is not the pure Deity which is alone holy in it selfe and hath the vertue of the Eternall Light shining in it but hath no Essences in the light of the Clarity in it for the Essences are generated from the vertue m Or of according to the Light as a Desire and the desire attracteth to it from whence the Essences proceede as also the Eternall Darknesse in the source as is before-mentioned 12. Seeing then God is all in all and hath created Man to his Image and similitude to live with him Eternally in his Love Light Joy and Glory therefore wee cannot say that he was meerly created out of the corruptibility of this world for therein is no Eternall perfect Life but Death and perplexity anguish and necessity but as God dwelleth in himselfe and goeth through all his works incomprehensibly to them and is hindred by nothing so was the similitude before him out of the pure Element it was indeed created in this world yet the Kingdome of this world should not comprehend that Image but the similitude Man should mightily and in perfect power or vertue Rule through the Essences with the Essences out of the pure Element of the
onely upon the Heart of God and m Or submit to it give it selfe up to that that it might be carried onely in the will of God and become an Angel in humility and not relie onely upon it selfe to flie in its own might or power 95. And here the Devils Master-piece is seene in that he n Alleadgeth Scripture useth the Scripture and saith The Angels will beare thee up whereas here the matter was not about the body but about the soule which he would bring into Pride that it might teare it selfe off from the love of God and relie upon the Angels bearing it up and that it should break it selfe off againe from the new body which can flie well enough with that and leap down in the old Body and relie upon the Angels and so should flie out from God into the Spirit of this world againe 96. But here his valour is seene though he stood with his earthly Body upon the pinnacle of the Temple yet he committed his Earthly Body to God and trusted in him and that he was every where in God and said to the Devill It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Here the Devils Pride in the Kingdome of wrath was rightly overcome and the humility the strength and the might remained to be our Christs and the soule of Christ is entered into the holy Ternary as into the humble Love and espoused it selfe with the humble chast virgin of the Divine Wisdome 97. Now when the Devill had lost twice then he came at last with his last powerfull Temptation as he did also to Adam he would give him the whole world if he would fall downe and worship him The businesse with Adam also was about this world he would draw this world to him and so be like God with it that as God had drawne this world to him to manifest his great Wonders therewith so the soule in Adam thought with it selfe thou art the similitude of God thou wilt doe so too and so thou shalt be like God but thereby he went forth from God into the Spirit of this world Now therefore the second Adam must hold out the standing of the first Adam whereby it was tempted or tried whether the soule would continue in the new holy heavenly Man and live in the Barmbertzigkeit the o Or Mercy Mercifulnesse of God or in the Spirit of this world 98. And thus stood the soule as a valiant Champion and said to Satan Get thee hence Satan thou shouldst worship the Lord thy God and serve him onely I have no more to doe with thee there the Devill Hell and the Kingdome of this world was commanded to be gone and the valiant Champion hath gotten the victory and the Devill faine to get him gone and the earthly part was overcome And here now the Noble Champion standeth upon the Moon and receiveth all might in Heaven Hell on Earth into his power and ruleth with his soule in the holy Ternary in this outward body over Death and life and here this world is become Christs owne for he had overcome it be could live in God and needed not the earthly food nor drink 99. And the Reader must know that the Combat with the Temptation was held in body and soule and that this Temptation concerneth us al 's ohe hath overcome for us if wee put our whole trust in him then wee have victory in him over sinnes Death Hell and the Devill and also over this world for he held the last victory in his Death when he brake the sword of the Cherubine and destroyed the Hell of the Devill and hath led captivity captive that thereby thou mightst live by the Death of Christ 100. And wee see that all is true as is above-mentioned for when he had overcome in the Temptation and had stood forty dayes then he had wholly overcome till the last victory in Death for so long Adam was in the Temptation in the Garden of Eden and p Viz. after the Temptation there he began his Priestly Kingdome as a King over Heaven and this world with signes and wonders and in his first Miracle turned water into good wine he also healed the sick made the blinde to see the lame to goe and cleansed the Lepers also he raised the dead and shewed himselfe to be the true King over the q Over the living and the dead quick and dead and face upon Davids Throne of Promise and was the true Priest in the Order of Melchisedech All whatsoever Aaron was in the Fathers might in a Type that this high Priest was in vertue and power with deeds and wonders which wee will cleerly describe in the other Book following this if wee live and God shall give us leave to doe it CHAP. XXIII Of the highly precious Testaments of Christ viz. Baptisme and his last Supper which he held in the Evening of Mandy Thursday with his Disciples which be left us for his Last Will as a Farewell for a Remembrance The most Noble Gate of Christianitie 1. IT is apparent how they have hitherto in Babell danced or contended about the Cup of Jesus Christ and about his holy Testaments for which they have caused many warres and bloud-sheddings but what kinde of knowledge concerning those Testaments they in Babell have appeareth by their works of Love among one another which their Councels have brought to passe where Men have stopt the mouth of the Holy Ghost and have made a worldly a Rule or Government Dominion out of the Priesthood of Christ 2. O you high Priests and b Or the learned in the Scripture Scribes what answer will you make to Christ when you shall be found thus at his comming Or doe you suppose you stand in the dark No you stand in the presence of the cleere countenance of Jesus Christ who is Judge of the quick and dead doe but open your eyes and rightly feed the flock of Jesus Christ he cometh and demandeth chem of you You are not all Shepheards or Pastours but intruded covetous Wolves you relie on your Schoole-Art or University Learning and Schollership O that avayleth nothing in the presence of God the Holy Ghost speaketh not from that he will not be bound up if you will be Pastours then you must hold out in the Temptation and put on the Garment of the Lamb in your heart you must not take the wooll of the sheepe onely from them but you must give them the food of the Holy Ghost in true Love and be practisers of it your selves c Note this But how will you give it if you be in the Wildernesse still and have chosen the Kingdome of this world to your selves in the Last Temptation What shall be said of you Is not the Anger broke out and burning carry fuell to it for Babell is on fire the d Humility and Love water is dried up or what have I to doe with thee that I must
to be beleeved and Christ saith By their works thou shalt know them for a good Tree bringeth forth good fruit and an evill tree bringeth forth evill fruit also he teacheth us plainly that we should not gainsay the Prophesie that is of God but should learne to try them by their fruits 15. Wee speake not of perfect Works done by the body which is captivated in the Spirit of this World but wee speake of their Doctrines that wee must trie them whether they be generated of God For if that Spirit teacheth blasphemies slanders and persecutions then it is not from God but it proceedeth from the covetousnesse and haughtinesse of the Devill For Christ teacheth us meeknesse and to walk in brotherly Love wherewith wee may overcome the enemy and take away the Might of the Devill and destroy his Kingdome 16. But when any fall to fireing killing with the sword to undoe people ruine Townes and Countreys there is no Christ but the Anger of the Father and it is the Devill that bloweth the n Or the Cole fire For the Kingdome of Christ is not found in such a way but in Power as the Examples of the Apostles of Christ declare who taught no revenge but they suffered persecution and prayed to God who gave then signes and great Wonders so that people flocked to them and so the Church of Christ grew mightily so that it overshadowed the Earth Now who is the Destroyer of this Church Open thy eyes wide and behold it is Day-light and it must come to the Light for God would have it so for the sake of the Lilly It is the Pride of the Learned 17. When the Holy Ghost spake in the Saints with power and Miracles and converted people powerfully then they flocked to them they honoured them greatly they respected them and submitted to them as if they had been Gods Now this was well done to the Saints for the honour was given to God and so humility and love grew among them and there was all loving Reverence as becometh the children of God and as it ought to be 18. But when the Saints comprised their Doctrine in Writings that therby in their absence it might be understood what they taught then the World fell upon it and every one desired to be such a Teacher and thought the Art skill and knowledge stuck in the Letter thither they came running old and new who for the most part onely stuck in the Old Man and had no knowledge of God and so taught according to their own conceits from the written words and expounded them according to their own meanings 19. And when they saw that great respect and honour was given to the Teachers they fell to ambition pride and greedinesse of money for the simple people brought them presents or gifts and they thought that the Holy Ghost dwelt in the Teachers whereas the Devill of Pride lodged in them and it came to that passe that every one called himselfe after his Masters name whose Doctrine he prized most one would be of Paul another of Apollo another of Peter and so forth And because the Saints used not the same kinde of words and expressions in their Teaching and Writings though they spake from one and the same Spirit therefore the Naturall Man which being without the Spirit of God knoweth nothing of God began all manner of strife and Disputations and to make Sects and Schismes and they set themselves up for Teachers among all sorts of People not for Gods sake but for temporall honour riches and pleasure sake that they might live brave lives For it was no very hard labour and worke to hang to the bare Letter and such strife and contention arose amongst them that they became the most bitter enemies and haters one of another and none of them were borne of God but their Parents held them close to the Scripture that they might come to be Teachers that so they might be honoured in and for their children and that their children o Might have good maintenance or great Livings for their Beastiall Man might live bravely 20. And so it fell out that every one would get the greatest conflux of people be could that he might be esteemed by most people and these Lip Christians did so multiply that the sincere hearty desire to God was lest and they onely looked upon the Lip Priests who did nothing but cause strife and contentions and they all vapoured and boasted of their own Art and skill which they had learned in the Schooles and Universities and cryed loe here is Christ come running hither thus and thus hath Paul written and another saith come hither here is Christ thus and thus hath Peter written he was the Disciple of Christ and had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven this cannot be amisse they doe but deceive you follow after mee 21. Thus the poore ignorant people looked upon the p Such as Apishly Teach the words of Holy Men without the understanding they had Mouth-Apes those greedy covetous Men which were no other than q Mock Priests Monsters of Priests or Priests in a Play vizard-Priests and so lost their deare Immanuel for Christ in them from whence the Holy Ghost goeth forth which driveth and leadeth Men and who at first had begotten them with power and Miracles must now be nothing but a History and they became but History-Christians yet so long as the Apostles and their true Disciples lived they stopped and reproved such things and shewed them the right way but where r The Apostles and their Disciples they were not there the History Priests mis-led them as may be cleerly seene in the Ephesians 22 And so the Kingdome of Christ grew not in Power onely but for the most part in the History the Saints borne in Christ they confirme that many times with great Wonders or Miracles and the History-Priests of Baal they alwayes built upon those Miracles of the Saints same that which was good for the promoting vertue and good manners many brought forth thistles and thornes that they might make strife and warres many sought onely great honour dignity and glory that it should be conferred upon the Church of Christ and her Ministers as it may be seene in Popery out of what Roote it is growne And it came so farre that they mingled the Jewish Ceremonies in their Doings as if the Justification of a poore sinner did lye in them because they were of Divine appointment for which cause the Apostles held the First Councell at Jerusalem where the Holy Ghost concluded that they should onely cleave to Christ in true Love one to another and that was the onely Justification before God 23. But it availed not Pride would erect its Throne and set it above Christ the Devill would be God and they made Å¿ Faire suttle pretences and Expositions of Scripture Glosses that they might bring it to passe in such a way that the simple people might not take