The First Apology to Balthazar Tylcken

The Reminder of Books written BY Jacob Behme viz.

• I. The Firſt Apologie to Balthazar Tylcken for the AVRORA written Anno 1621.
• II. The Second Apologie in Anſwer to Balthazar Tylcken; for Predeſtination. And the Incarnation and Perſon of CHRIST, and of the Virgin MARY. Dated 3. July 1621.
• III. The Fouer Complexions written in March: 1621.
• IV. The Conſiderations upon Eſaiah Stiefel's Booke concerning The Threefold State of Man and the New [〈◊〉]. Dated 8. April 1621.
• V. The Apologie in Anſwer to Eſaiah Stiefel Concerning Perfection. Dated 6. April 1622.
• VI. The Apologie in Anſwer to Gregory Rickter Primate of Gerlitz. for the way to Chriſt, &c. 10. April 1624.
• VII. Twenty five Epiſtles more then the 35. formerly Printed in Engliſh, with 2. as prefaces before other of his Bookes, the laſt of thoſe heere printed is Dated 23. May 1624. 5 more after without Date, which make 62. in all, alſo 1. Epiſtle more of his own hand writing: and 1. of Dr. Charles Weiſners, relating much of J. B's. Life.

Engliſhed BY JOHN SPARROW.

LONDON: Printed by M. S. for Giles Calvert, at the Sign of the Black Spread Eagle, at the Weſt End of St. Pauls. 1662.

The Engliſhers Preface to J. B's. Apologies.

Courteous Reader.

IN the Life time of Jacob Behme, ſome Learned Men there were of his own Country, that highly prized and Eſteemed his writings though others Judged and found fault with them; to whom the Authour in his Anſwers hath clcerly made it appeare, they have NOT underſtood his Meaning, but injuriouſly made their own miſtaken Sence, the Ground of their Cenſure; it is no wonder therefore, that among us of another Language, who have but a Tranſlation, wherein much of the accurateneſ[••] and apt expreſſion of an Author is loſt, that men here alſo finde ſuch fault with them as they doe; but if it be examined, their want of the true apprehenſion of them, will be known to have cauſed that negligent and heedleſs Opinion, that his writings are not to be underſtood, yet it hath proceeded ſo farre, that thoſe, who think they apprehend his Deepe Matter are ſuſpected by ſome Academick wits, to be but miſs-led into ſuch a conceit: But thoſe Eminent perſons his countryMen, and adverſaries have not once charged him with writing things not Intelligible, though indeed themſelves have not rightly perceived the Authors meaning, as is apparent in theſe FOUR Bookes of Apologie or Defence in anſwer to the few objections to ſome things contained in that Doctrine, ſet down at Large in the Treatiſes of his Sublime Myſteries, if they be read and weighed in the Balance of Due Conſideration.

The FIRST Apologie was an Anſwer to Balthaſar Tylcken, who wrote a treatiſe againſt ſeverall Clauſes in the Aurora, concerning the knowledge of God in and by Nature, whereas, though God in himſelf be totally Incomprehenſible and unmanifeſted in his Abyſſe; yet Nature is his Manifeſtation or Revelation; for if his Omnipotent power did not ſhew it ſelf by making it ſelf diſcernable, it would never be known, but remaine hidden Eternally, and indeed all the effects which we perceive to be wrought and produced at anytime in ſenſible things, are brought to paſſe, by the ſame Powers, that have and doe and will work from Eternity to Eternity perceptibly in GOD.

All that is in GOD is only Goodneſs, his very wrath is his Fire, and the cauſe of his Light and Glory in himſelf, and therein is moſt juſt and Good, alſo for the puniſhment of the perverſneſs of his Creatures, whom he made like himſelf very Good, and gave them power to Continue ſo; but they being Creatures were made out of Darkneſs and being Created and brought into the Light, could and did love themſelves, and all Creatures without the Light or that looſe the Light, are but Darkneſs, and by that meanes Exalted their Darkneſs above the Light in them, which is truly Selfe-Love, and the roote or ſpring of all Evill, which God cannot DOE, nor BE, but that we might be able to get out of the perdition we are fallen into, God in his infinite Love and Mercy, to all men in and from Adam and Eve, (they two being one Fleſh,) hath given, in the Light of their Life, the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of Chriſt his Sonne, the Seede of the woman, the Promiſed word, the word of Faith in our Hearts; which in US hath Power to overcome all the works of Darkneſs, and to bring us to his marvelous Light, the Light of Eternall Life; which alſo teacheth us to deny our ſelves, and all ungodly Luſts of the Fleſh, to take up our Croſſe with Patience and ſo follow or imitate Chriſt, in Newneſs of Life, and inward hearty Holineſs of Converſation; God indeed Cannot deny himſelf, becauſe his Darkneſs that is his wrath is alwayes, ſubſervient to his Light and Love which Eternally is his Life, and cannot be otherwiſe: but WE muſt Deny our ſelves, and then our Darkneſs will give it ſelf up into the Light, alſo, in us.

If we follow or be like, his Light, we are Children of the Light which ruleth in us, and if we live according to his Darkneſs we are Children of Wrath, and at length if we convert not ſhall be confirmed Children of Perdition; All that have the diſpoſitions or qualities inwardly or Outwardly, of Love and Gentleneſs, Kindneſs, lowlineſs or humility, ſincerity, Truth, righteouſneſs, vertue, honeſty, chaſtity, temperance, purity and Holineſs, are undeniably GOOD: On the Contrary, the wrathfull, fierce, Envious, proud, ſurly, churliſh, wanton, vaine, ſtubborne, obſtinate, crafty, falſe Lyars, injurious, intemperate, violent, are accounted bad or EVILL, and they are ſo indeed; now that which is Evill cannot be like Gods Love, but here is the generall miſtake, all Men conſiſt both of an Outward and Inward Man; that which the outward, Eſteemes Good, is ſo as it is a ſimilitude of that which is inwardly Good, but ſince the outward Man which is framed of the Earth, hath gotten the Predominancy in the Fall of Adam, who thereupon dyed to the Inward Man, that which moſt pleaſeth the outward, doth make it the more ſtrong and rebellious againſt the power of the Inward, and ſo by outward Good things, not knowing how to uſe them, by little and little, deſtroyeth the Inward, and therefore God in his Bowells of Compaſſion, ſends us that which is fitteſt for us, to the weakening or dayly Killing and ſlaying of our Outward Man, by tribulations afflictions Croſſes and Contradictions or oppoſitions, from others, for the making us Conformable to the Image of CHRIST, who was Tempted, perſecuted, and afflicted, and as the Apoſtle ſays, he that will live Godly in this world, muſt ſuffer Perſecution; this meaſure our Authour had from ſome, as is manifeſt by their Objections, and ſtriving to bring his marvelous Gifts into diſlike with thoſe that knew not but the Cenſures caſt upon him were right, thereupon, for the vindication of the Truth, and for the ſakes of thoſe that were but beginners in the ways of Chriſt, he then anſwered to the things that were laid to his charge, with ſuch evidence that even his adverſaries may be convinced and reconciled to acknowledg the ſame truth with him.

The SECOND Apologie was in anſwer alſo to a Booke of Balthazar Tylckens, againſt Jacob Behme's hints of Predeſtination, mentioned in ſome of his treatiſes written before the yeare 1621. whereby the greate Controverſies between the Lutherans and Calviniſts about the will of God, and of Man, are kindly Reconciled, but he not apprehending the Ground and depths in them, which reſolve thoſe Queſtions, did very much oppoſe this Author, alſo the Tutour to his children whoſe name was Dr. Charles Weiſner, did take greate diſtaſt at him likewiſe, as may be ſeen by a Letter at the End of the Epiſtles, herewith printed, but by perſonall Converſe with J. B. he received ſuch Satisfaction and Content, that he asketh God forgiveneſs, for his former hard Opinion of the Author: But Balthazar Tylcken, wrote alſo againſt the Booke of the Incarnation and Perſon of CHRIST and of the Virgin MARY, to all which, the Author hath anſwered particularly in this Apologie.

The Next Treatiſe is concerning the Four Complexions, Compiled at the Deſire of ſome friends upon the neceſſary Occaſion of a Perſon that was very much tempted afflicted and perplexed by Satan, and therein he hath very exactly deciphered the Nature of the Cholerick, Sanguine, Phlegmatick, and Melancholy, complexions, with their Effects upon the Soule that inhabits them as a Houſe, in this outward Tabernacle, alſo the Cures and Remedies to make them advantagious to the Soules progreſs in the way to Eternity, while it is in this Life: that, never any treatiſe was written before ſo fully briefely and yet convincingly, as far as hath been Commonly knòwn either among the bookes of Philoſophy or Divinity: it was formerly tranſlated into Engliſh by a worthy Perſon, in very Elegant language, which notwithſtanding was thought to be the writing of another authour, by thoſe that delighted to reade him, not having the ſame Phraſe with his other Bookes, for which cauſe I was induced to retranſlate it, though not in ſo good a ſtile, into that kinde of Expreſſion which makes it known to be one of his workes.

The following Piece, was his Conſiderations upon a Booke ſet forth by Eſaias Stiefel, concerning the Threefold State of Man, and of the Newbirth, of the River flowing out of Sion, and the New Jeruſalem, wherein are handled diſtinctly that Threefold State and Condition of Man; alſo of the Reſurrection at the Laſt Day, what that Body is, IN this Corruptible Body, which ſhall riſe againe and put on Incorruption, and in what Manner, with more plainneſs as I conceive then in his other Bookes.

After that, is here placed, his THIRD Apologie, in Anſwer to a Booke of the ſame Eſaias Stiefel, concerning Perfection: ſhewing what the Inward and Outward Perfection is, which is attainable in this Life, and which way we are to demeane our ſelves, for the avoyding of the Errours incident thereto, and for the eſtabliſhing and Conſirming the Truth: Great Perfection was attained by ſome mentioned in the Holy Scriptures; as Enoch, in his walking with God, and his Tranſlation; Moſes, when his Face ſhone like the Sun, when he deſecended from ſeeing but the glory that was left after God was paſſed by the Clift of the Rock, whereinto God himſelf had put him, leaſt he ſhould be conſumed before that Glory of Gods Face; Eliah in his Miraculous Life and taking up alive in a Chariot of Fire into Heaven; Chriſts Transfiguration when his Face alſo ſhone like the Sun and his Garments were Bright like lightening, in the preſence, of Peter, James, and John, in Mount Tabor, before his Death; Stevens Face ſhining as an Angell when they Stoned him that he dyed; and all the Prophets and Holy Men in their Miraculous Converſation upon Earth; All theſe attained High Perfection in this Life, our not ſuch as when Mortality ſhall be ſwallowd up of Life: yet the leaſt among the children of God are of a perfect Heart. Other many excellent enquiries are unfolded in this Treatiſe, about the purity and impurity of the Holy Matrimonial Propagation, as when Moſes ſayd to the outwardly Holy Miraculous people, after they were brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and were to have the Law declared to them, be ſayd come not at your wives; and David and his Men when he deſired Bread of the High prieſt, was asked by him if the young Men had kept themſelves at leaſt from women, to whom David anſwered, the women have been kept from us theſe three dayes, by which a great Myſtery is hinted, and exactly reſolved in this Treatiſe.

The FOURTH of his Apologies anſwereth the ſcandalous reproaches of Gregory Rickter Chiefe Miniſter of the City of Gerlitz, and Primate of the Country of Luſatia in Germany, under prince Electour of Saxony: wherein this Authors rare temper of Spirit, and his deepe deciſion of the Matters layd againſt him, are evident; In it Men may ſee as in a LookingGlaſſe, the great hurt any doe to their own Soules, who revile and reproach another contrary to the precept and example, of our bleſſed Lord and saviour Jeſus Chriſt, who ſayd, when men revile you, revile not againe: But Love your Enemies, doe good to them that Hate you and perſecute you, and pray for them that DESPITEFULLY uſe you, that you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven: If we did know, how the wrath gets the upper hand, when we forbeare earneſtly to exerciſe our ſelves in the ſincere love to every one, without partiality and by reſpects, we would be more diligent and watchfull over our own vile Hearts, that we might preſerve our Crowne of rejoycing which ſhall be put on to us in the World to Come, from being defiled here by our remiſseneſs, it is worth our watching, that neither the Devill nor Man may hinder or diſappoint us of it.

The Laſt treatiſe is the reſidue of his Epiſtles to his friends wherein are many heavenly advices and Inſtructions in the wayes of God, and of the New Birth, alſo they informe us, ſomewhat of his Converſation with Greate Perſons and Officers of the Emperour and of the Prince Electour of Saxony, a little after his Baniſhment out of Gerlitz: among whom he was lovingly received and his writings and diſcourſes well approved of, by the Prince Electour himſelfe, alſo by his Councillours and Learned Doctors and other; at the End of all is a letter from Dr. Charles Weiſner about the whole tranſaction of that affaire between Gregory Rickter and Jacob Behme, together with the opinion of Dr. Hoe, one of the Chiefe preachers to the Prince Electour: which ſignifieth how loath they were to Judg a Man whoſe Gifts they underſtood not, but it doth no were appeare they either thought the Author did not himſelf underſtand them, or that they could not be underſtood by others, as ſome among us do.

Theſe are the totall Remainder of of all his workes Extant either in Print or Manuſcript, which make up the Catalogue at the End of the 40. Queſtion of the ſoule: and here at the End of this Book; ſo that now all his workes are printed in the Engliſh Tongue.

Judg not according to the appearance, but read, weigh, examine, and Judg righteous Judgment; Or rather Judg not that we be not Judged, which was one of the precepts of CHRIST, and the Apoſtle Paul ſayes: If we would Judg our Selves, we ſhould not be Judged. Judgment is the Mentall framing or denouncing of the ſentence and ſeverity of the Conſuming fire of Gods wrath, what in Reallity any one is capable of and will certainly receive at the Laſt day: which to doe upon others whom we cannot know ſo well as we doe our ſelves, doth awaken that fiery wrath in our ſelves, which ought not to be, for if the Eternall Fire which is in our hearts and ſoules, be kindled, againſt a Perſon that is not lyable by his Guilt, if it burne not him, it may and will burne Our ſelves; but if we kindle that fire of Indignation againſt our ſelves, as juſtly and deſervedly we may, it will conſume Self-Love, and all the Dark matter of our Sonles; and ſo change it into Light as fire doth Iron; and then the Eternall fire will have no Fewell to kindle upon, in us, now, or, at the Laſt Day, but we ſhall be able to dwell with Everlaſting Burnings as the Light doth in the Fire, having Judged and Condemned our ſelves, for we ſhall walke in righteouſneſs, and ſpeake in uprightneſs, we ſhall deſpiſe the Gaine of Deceits, and ſhake our hands from holding of Bribes, and ſtop our Ears from hearing of Bloud, and ſhut our Eyes from ſeeing of Evill, and then we ſhall dwell on High; our Defence ſhall be the Munition of the Everlaſting Rock of Ages.

For a cloſe, I offer a Similitude of the Manner how the laſt Judgment will be effected, to be Conſidered of: All Seeds ſown, will come up the ſame that they were ſown, whether Good wheate or weedes, this Life time is the ſowing of Thoughts words and Actions, in our Spirits, ſoules, and Bodyes, whatſoever is retained and Nouriſhed, growes up in our Lives and Converſations, the other Dies, be it the Good or the Bad, and the power is fixed in the fruit of what Growes in us here, and at the time of the Laſt Harveſt the Seed will preſent its Fruit ready, and all will appeare in the Effect, what hath been ſuppreſſed & what hath been cheriſhed, if good, it is well with us; if Bad we are fit Fewell for the Eternall Fire, If our Deſires which are the ſprouting of our ſeede be infected with liking the Evill, or diſliking the Good, when the Flower or Fruit comes to appear, we ſhall ſee the Effect apparently in One Moment, of what was hiddenly in the Seede from the firſt being of the Thought, word or work, in us: Thus every Heart may Judg of it ſelfe in this Life and amend in time, but however then they will be layd Open to the Eyes of our Selves and All Others, as the FLOWER in one inſtant ſhewes the effect of all the vertues and powers that lay hid in the Seed, though they were really there before: as when we ſowe; it may be we Expect Rare Tulips, or whatſoever flower is moſt excellent; when it is full blown it appears either of a pale dead wan Colour, or of a Dull and diſtorted ſhape or figure, or elſe of Orient ſtrong various exact Colours and delightful Figures, which ſhewes, it ſucked in, and nouriſhed it ſelf with, barren cold juice of the Earth, or drew in the Infection of the Aire and Evil influences, or Elſe the ſtrong fat warme Sap of a fertile Soyle, and the Good Influences of the Stars of Heaven. Our Soule hath in it the Seede of Gods Image planted and ſown in the Inward word of the Heart, & it ſprings up in^[1] Good Thoughts, which Image is righteouſneſs and Holineſs, and will ſhine far brighter then the Sun: But if we ſuffer vices and Evill thoughts to poſſeſs our Hearts,^[2] our Image will be darke, and that will forme us into ugly deformed Beaſts or Devills, and we ſhall no more appeare in the right Colours, figures,^[3] formes, beauty and brightneſs, but be as the Blackneſs of Darkneſs in anguiſh and Torment thence ſorth and for Evermore:^[4] As when we have a Sickneſs, our beauty decayeth, the Blood is corrupt, lookes pale, yellow and ſometimes Black, by the diſtemper of the Feaver, which diſturbes the whole conſtitution of a Man, ſo that the Light of the Sun, Garden, Pictures, Muſick, or any thing that delights us moſt in health, is Irkſom to us, then Darkneſs, the Night and Sleepe doth moſt affect us, but then alſo the Fire of the Diſeaſe in the Corruption of our Mortall Body of Fleſh, troubles us within, and the moſt pleaſing Thoughts we have had, doe much moleſt us, which ſhewes that the inward Corruption and the wrath of God, hath gotten a life in Our Bodyes, ſo alſo if it get a life in our Soules, it is much more grievous, even to Eternity; which will manifeſt it ſelfe in the Judgment, when all the Good that now allayeth the Evill in us, ſhall be ſeparated diſtinct apart by it ſelfe, and will be the life of all Miſery, which is the ſecond or Never Dying Death: On the otherſide; Health in this Life, giveth alacrity, beauty and pleaſantneſs, which is a true Embleme of the health in the Soule, that ſhall make it full of Joy and bliſſe: If the matter that is growne in it here, be good and Holy, we ſhould be able to Endure the ſharpeſt Cold as a refreſhment, and the Greateſt heate Would be our life; as^[5] Shadrach, Meſhach and Abednego, walked in the Hot fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, and a Haire of their Head was not ſinged,^[6] nor the ſmell of fire upon their Cloathes, the Heavenly ſubſtance was but the more effectual and delightful to them by that Fire,^[7] though heat ſeaven Times hotter then formerly it uſe to be;^[8] whereas thoſe that caſt them in, in whom the Love of God had not Gotten a Life, were ſlaine by the Flame that caught hold of them; by this we may collect the great power of the Inward Heavenly Subſtance; Alſo of the Helliſh Fire; in their Effects, at the Great Day: But then Gods brightneſs in all Things, will be Joyned to himſelf, and his holy ones will enjoy it in their Meaſures, but the Darkneſs and filth of Corruption, will remaine with the Devill and his Angels, and ſo the SEPERATION, wil be undeniably of like to its Like: when the unquenchable Fire ſhall ſwallow up the Droſſe, Chaffe, and Weedes, and the Light receive that which is pure, ſolid, ſweete, and good Wheate, and retaine it for Evermore.

When I conſider how long have known, more then ſome others, the inevitable danger of loving my Sinfulneſs, together with my careleſs negligence, in my endeavours to forſake it, and in that regard, how ſhort I come of the preciſe Judging of my ſelfe, and of the amendment might be expected in me; and ſo how much I want of the Infinite effect of being able to dwell with the Eternall Burnings, I may well account my ſelf one of the unworthieſt of the children of Men,

John Sparrow.

The Firſt APOLOGIE To Balthazar Tylcken Being An Anſwer of the Authour, concerning his Book the AVRORA Oppoſed by an Enemicitious Paſquil or Opprobrious Libel.

This Anſwer Written Anno 1621.

By Jacob Behme Alſo called Teutonicus Philoſophus.

Engliſhed by JOHN SPARROW.

LONDON: Printed by M. S. for Giles Calvert, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the BlackSpread-Eagle at the Weſt end of St. Pauls. 1661.

A brief, and well intended Anſwer of the Authour concerning his Book AVRORA, againſt the enimicitions Paſquil or Libel; in reſpect of ſome oppoſed and falſly recited Articles or Concluſions, and ill-underſtood by this Libeller.

1. INto what Calamity, Miſery, Anxiety, and great Perplexity, we are plenged, by the heavy fall of Adam, is dayly demonſtrated, in that we have not only thereby obſcured and darkened our Noble Image; ſo that we cannot any more ſee or apprehend the Divine Light; unleſſe, we become borne of God againe; but alſo we have thereby, awakened and made ſtirring in US, the Originall fierce Wrath of the Eternall Nature, ſo that, the fierce wrath venome and poyſon thereof, is become Springing up and burning in us.

2. Which is rightly called GODS Anger-Fire, which ſhould not become ſtirring and Manifeſt, but continue ſhut up in the Center: for it ſhould remaine ſhut up in the Love in the Divine Light, and be only a cauſe of Life and Mobility.

3. Which ſo long as it remaineth ſhut up in the Light, is a Spring or Fountaine of Joy and Knowledge: but if the Light Extinguiſheth, is an Evill Oppoſite Poyſon, wherein nothing qualifyeth or operateth, but meere ſelf Enmity or Hatred; where inſtantly all Love and deſire of Good hath an End.

4. As we poor Children of Eve, muſt now feele in us with great paine ſorrow and Miſery, how that fierce wrath ſtirreth driveth and vexeth us; ſo that now we no more converſe one with another in Love as Children of God, but very venomouſly, ſpitefully, hatefully, murtheringly and enimicitiouſly, doe maliciouſly perſecute, diſpiſe ſlander and reproach, alſo rob Murther and doe all manner of Evill, and alwayes wiſh death, fierce wrath and all Evill one to another.

5. Which great Miſery and Evill is ſufficiently to be traced in this Libell, and out of what manner of Mind knowledge and Will it is flowen forth, in that he undertakes, not only to Miſconſtrue the words, but alſo to wreſt the whole underſtanding into a falſe meaning or ſenſe, and to pronounce the Authour to be a Devill, and in a very vaunting reproachfull, ſpitefull, Malicious and Odious manner, likeneth the Authours Will or Intent, thought or ſence and mind, to the Devill, without any knowledge of him, who he is, how he is, or what Spirit's Child he is; whether he ſeeks God, or this World.

6. Thus he takes upon him to infinuate his innate poyſon, into the Heart thought or ſenſe and Will or intention of the Authour; all which is very horrible, lamentable and Miſerable, in that he knoweth not himſelf, or from what Mind his Zeal proceeds, and in whoſe driving he runneth.

7. He cannot ſee, that his whole writing, is a meer venomons Paſquil or Libel: and Evill meaning or intention; for though that which is ſpoken is not reproveable by him, yet he can not leave it unreproached: whereby a man may cleerly ſee, out of what Spirit, and Mind it is flowen forth, and how the miſerable fierce wrath hath ruled in him; and yet he dares ſet in his Title; that it is Chriſtian-like, and well intended.

8. But if he would ſet any thing better in the room of it, it might indeed be born with. But I can find in all his Writing no Divine Knowledge and Light; which yet he highly boaſteth of; as if he had an enlightened Mind and Thoughts, and were Exerciſed therein.

9. An Enlightened Mind or thoughts (if the Light be from God) proceedeth friendly, and lovingly, and inſtructeth a Man, what he ſhould Doe and leave undone; it owneth others in a brotherly Duty; it hunteth not Mens Minds into the Jawes of the Devill, but they are Gentle in reproving and teaching, with Good inſtruction: They reprove in Generally, they catch not hold of a Man Privately particularly and Singly, and make not a Den of Theevery or Murther, by the Good Way ſide.

10. An Enlightened Mind, which hath Exerciſed Thoughts (as the Libeller would ſeem to have), knoweth the Gifts of God, that they are without End or Number; that God Leadeth his Children Wonderfully, and giveth to one a Divers gift to Expreſſe, than to another: as the Apoſtle alſo witneſſeth the ſame.

11. That^[9] God giveth to one from the gift of his Spirit to do Miracles or Wonders; to another, to interpret Tongues; to a Third to Propheſie; to a Fourth to ſpeak with Tongues, &c. and all from the One only Spirit of God: which thus ſpeaketh from the Great Wonders of the eternall Wiſdome of God, and thus Driveth and teacheth the Children of God, that the unmeaſurable Wiſdome of God may appear in his Children.

12. If the Spirit of God ruleth in a Man, then he is NOT Crafty ſuttle Deceitfull^[10] trecherous Lying, aſtoniſhing, ambitious, but reproveable teachable and Meek; he is not thorney prickley, Miſconſtruing and vainly frivolous, he ſuddenly apprehends what is in a Man, and from what Spirit he Speaketh: For the Spirit of God it ſelf knoweth it ſelf very well in a Man, it needeth no Witneſſe, it^[11] tryeth the Heart and the Reins, Soul and Body, it ſpeaketh the Truth and diſgraceth or reproacheth no man, it drives on all to that which is good, and proveketh Men to Righteouſneſſe.

13. But this whole Libell or Paſquil, is nothing Elſe but a Miſconſtruing, poyſoning and diſgracing; he draweth the Scripture by the hair of the Head, and corrupteth it, that he may but take occaſion to prick with Thorns: beſides he hath no right underſtanding of the Scripture, that muſt ſerve him as he will have it meane; that he may therewith ſatisfie his fierce wrath, and bring it as fuell to his ficrce Fire, that it may burn farre and neere, and ſo make ſhew of his Deep knowledge, though he ſhould thereby tread his Brother Abel under his feet.

14. And yet his knowledge which he hath here brought forth to the Day Light Concerning GODS Will, is as to one part in Bibell, and he largely buildeth the Babyloniſh Tower therewith, as it ſhall be ſet before his eyes: which for my part I doe unwillingly, but now neceſſity requires, I muſt doe it.

15. Not for my own ſake, but for the ſake of thoſe. whom he hath kindled with his envious fire, and poyſoned, and hath inſinuated into them very Erroneous Opinions, eſpecially concerning Gods ^[12] Election of Grace: therefore it behoveth me to cleere my meaning, how I have apprehended it, in Divine knowledge, and how alſo it is the True Ground, and Apoſtolick Foundation.

16. His reproaching and contempt, giveth me and My Conſcience no ſtumbling block, but it rejoyceth me that I ſhall ſuffer reproach and contempt for the ſake of the Deare Name of JESUS CHRIST; and I account it as ſent from God, and an Exerciſe of Faith.

17. For, our Saviour CHRIST left us this at laſt, that ^[13] when they would perſecute contemne deſpiſe reproach us, and ſpeak all manner of Evill of us for his Name ſake, if it be falſe, that we ſhould then rejoyce and be glad; ^[14]For if they have called the Maſter of the Houſe Beelzebub; what will they may they not doe concerning them of his Houſhold:^[15] the Diſciple is not better then his Maſter.

18.^[16] In Perſecution, the Croſſe, and Tribulation, we ſhall Enter into the Kingdome of God; ^[17] The Croſſe Driveth us on to Conſider, that we ſhould continually Cruefie our Corrupt periſhed Man, and give our ſelves up continually into the Love of God in Chriſt, that the New Man in us may ariſe, grow, and Live, in God.

19. Alſo I Deſire not to rage againſt the Writer of this Libel: or to contemne him, but to anſwer for my ſelf againſt his Malicious charge againſt me: for he treateth therein againſt God and the Love of our Neighbour, alſo againſt his own Conſcience, in that he layes to my charge, and falſly wreſteth my Writings, which he himſelf doth not underſtand; therefore he judgeth his own Heart, ſeeing he knoweth nothing of me, and yet pronounceth me a Devill.

20. Surely, that I ſhould write concerning my ſelf as if I were a Great Maſter of the Scriptures or Arts and Sciences of the Schools or Univerſities of this World, that is NOT ſo. I am a poor ſimple Man, and have my Skill and high knowledg, not from Art or from Reaſon, neither have I ſought ſo Great Art, but from my Youth up have ſought only the ſalvation of my Soul, how I might inherit and poſſeſſe the Kingdome of God.

21. But after I found in me, a powerfull Oppoſition, viz. the Driving in Fleſh and Bloud, and the Mighty ſtrife between the Womans and the Serpents Seed, I then once ſet my ſelf ſo hard in ſtrife againſt the Serpents Seed, and my own Corrupt Nature, yet through the aſſiſtance of God, that I ſuppoſed I ſhould overcome and break that innate evill Will and Inclination, and unite my ſelf to the Love of God in Chriſt, to hide my ſelf in the Heart or Boſome of God, from the terrible Tempeſt of the Anger of God, and the fierce wrath of the Devill, that, Gods Spirit might rule Drive and Lead me.

22. I purpoſed, to keep my ſelf as Dead in my innate forme and Condition, till the Spirit gat a form in me, and that I laid hold on him, that I might lead my Life through and in Him.

23. Alſo I purpoſed, to Will nothing, but what I apprehended in his Will and Light; he ſhould be my Will and Deed: which indeed was not poſſible for me to Doe, and yet I ſtood in the Earneſt purpoſe and reſolution, and in very earneſt ſtrife and Battle againſt my ſelf.

24. And what thereupon came to paſs, none may well know but God and my ownſoul: for I would rather loſe my Life, then Depart from that.

25. Thus I wreſtled in Gods aſſiſtance, a good ſpace of Time, for the victorious Garland or Crowne of Victory, which I afterwards with the breaking open of the Gate of the Deep in the Center of Nature, attained with very great Joy, whereupon in my ſoul a Wonderfull Light Sprung up, which was ſtrange to the wild Nature.

26. Wherein I firſt apprehended, what God, and Man, was, and what God had to Doe with Man; Which I never underſtood before, neither did ſeek in ſuch a way: but as a Child that hangeth to its Mother, and longeth after her, ſo did my ſoul after this Light, but with no knowledge beforehand, what ſhould or would come to paſſe, but as as a ſimple Child.

27. I little underſtood the high Articles of Faith; before only after the Manner of poor Lay people: much leſſe Did I underſtand Nature, till the Light in the eternall Nature began to ſhine to me, whence I became ſo very much Delighted and raviſhed, that I began, and would needs write downe my knowledge for a Memoriall.

28. For the Spirit picrced through and through like Lightning, and ſaw into the Ground of the Eternity, or as a Tempeſt paſſeth on, what it Driveth that it Driveth: ſo it went in me, I began to write as a Child at Schoole, and I wrote thus in my apprehenſion and zealous Driving, continually on and on, and only for my ſelf.

29. I ſuppoſed all my life Long, not to be knowne thereby to any Man, but minded, to keep it by me all my Life long for a Memoriall; though indeed it was continually given to me to write of Things to Come, as if it were for Many, as if it were a work laid upon me, which I muſt undergoe.

30. I found mightile the will of the New kindled Light-ſpirit: but my ſoul was, to it, and in it, as a Child, without underſtanding. It went thus into its Mothers Garden of Roſes, and Did as a Servant in Obedience; and all was given me after a,^[18] Magicall Manner, to ſet it Down in Paper.

31. For I wrote only my Mind ſenſe or Thoughts, as I underſtood in the Deep; and made no Expoſition upon it; for I ſuppoſed not, that it ſhould come to be read by other; I would keep it for my ſelf, elſe, if I had knowne, that it ſhould have been read abroad, I would have written more clearly.

32. Alſo the Labour of my Spirit in it and with it, was a continuall Exerciſe; wherein my ſoul Dived the longer the deeper into the Myſtery of the Eternall Nature, as a Schollar which goeth to School, and ſtrenuouſly execiſeth himſelf.

33. For, the Spirit of the Light loved my Soul exceedingly, as the impartiall Reader will ſee therein, how the Spirit hath exerciſed it ſelf, and repeated many things very often and ever Deeper and Cleerer, from one ſtep to another, it was the right Jacobs Ladder, upon which my ſoul climbed up, through Gods Will, whom it alſo pleaſed ſo to exerciſe me, and to bring me into the Heavenly School, into the Holy Ternary.

34, Concerning which, the Libeller knows Nothing, as his reproachfull writings teſtifie, that he underſtandeth nothing therein, but writeth, like a Hiſtory, from the School of this World, which I leave to its owne worth; but he boaſteth unjuſtly of Enlightened Eyes, ſeeing he uſeth them for a reproach againſt the Children of God.

35. Now this is THAT^[19] Book, which I wrote in my Childhood, when I was but an A. B. C. Schollar, which the Libeller takes upon him to Judge. But it was taken away from me by Satans Suttlety, who thought to make merry with it, ſo that I knew not of it in Three Years, where it was; I ſuppoſed it was quite gone a great while before.

36. Moreover I was bereaved of it before it was completed, ſo much did Satan haſten to make merry with it, or a Bonfire of it, and heaped Croſſes and tribulation, alſo Enemies enough upon me, of purpoſe to Rob me of my Noble Pearl.

37. He exceedingly alſo covered me with his Thorne buſh, by my Opponents, that he might bereave me of my Jewel: till after THREE Years, it was ſent to me Written from highly Learned People, out of my writings, who earneſtly exhorted me to finiſh it; Then I ſaw that ym writings were ſtill Extant, and wondered at it, that it had ſo hapened to them, and underſtood, that they had had them in their hands for TWO Years before, and that all along One Good Friend had given them to another to write out Copies of them.

38. I underſtood Alſo, that they were in the Hands of Many Men altogether unknowne to me, and that Many enlightened and Honeſt Pious Hearts had great ſatisfaction therein, who ſought not Poyſon, but a right may to the Divine Life and Chriſtian Converſation therein.

39. Who doubtleſſe had not ſuch venomous Eyes, that the Aſpect of the Serpent, ſo ſuddenly ſlipped into the Center of their Mind, and ſought to pervert it, but have left it to the Spirit of God, and asked Inſtruction, which alſo they obtained.

40. But ſome of them are ſo highly Learned and wiſe perſons that the Libeller may not well compare himſelf with them, but I have not heard that any of them ſhould ſay, that the Devill was ſitting therein. I firmly beleeve, that he is ſitting in the Libeller, in Mind Eyes Heart and Thoughts, and ſuddenly infected him, and drave him on to ſtrife.

41. For, he acknowledgeth himſelf, in the Introduction, that he read it over in haſte, and had not leiſure enough; ſurely, the Serpent had very ſuddenly captivated him, and after that left him no time to ponder it, but only to make Sport with it. Certainly, if the Libeller, had ſearched further, he had found out the Authour.

42. And if he had written to me never ſo little, to know how I came by ſuch Meanings and Writings, I would have written to him of it very friendly and Chriſtianly; this would have become a Chriſtian well, eſpecially an enlightened Mind.

43. But Sr Libeller, I conceive thereby, that your Artfull Mind, is ſtanding in BABEL, and would thereby ſlay ABEL, therefore you muſt anſwer it before the Judgment of God, let this betold you, you muſt know that you have oppoſed the A. B. C.

44. God hath beſtowed ſo much Grace, that in the^[20] Second Book which is made, we have written much cleerer then in the^[21] Pirſt, and alſo, then you have written in yours; The ſenſe is a little Deeper opened to US, then to YOU.

45. You muſt know, that I ſee YOUR Writings much better then your ſelf underſtand them; you would flee or ſoare aloſt, to ſhew your ſelf, and yet your writings are but a fighting with a ſhadow, in the Myſtery of God: all would be well, and men would be at peace, if you were not found to be a Scorner; as alſo having a proud unchriſtian Mind.

46. Read my Three Books of the Becoming Man or Incarnation of JESUS CHRIST, how we muſt be conceived and enter into, the becoming Man or Incornation of Chriſt, and become New-borne in Chriſt, and how we with Chriſt muſt enter into his Death, and be buryed with and in him, dye with him, and Continually ſlay the Old Man, alſo continually riſe with and in Him, and Eternally live in Him.

47. Alſo; read the Book of the Threefold Life of Man, and ye will find the Elernall Divine Nauture, and alſo the Outward Nature of the Starres and Elements a little deeper and More fundamentally Deſcribed, then in your Libell or Paſquill: you will well ſee what Divine knowledge is, Moreover, what man is to doe and leave undone, and What Faith and Bleſſedneſs or Salvation is.

48. Alſo you will find your Crippled, and altogether Miſexpounded ^[22]Gracious Election, rightly in the Ground: that will better accord with the Apoſtolick Faith and underſtanding, then yours.

49. Yours, bringeth Men to Deſperation, to vanity, and into meer anxiety of Spirit, and not out of it again; but mine brings them to the Light, that they may ſee what the Holy Scripture underſtandeth by Gods Election.

50. Alſo you find therein, right knowledge of God; and of the ſubſtance of all Subſtances; whereas, with you there is ſtill a great Miſt before it: you boaſt of your knowledge, yet Divine ſkill and knowledge ſtandeth not in Reaſon, but in the Light of God.

51. If you will ſpeak ſo highly of God, you muſt underſtand and fundamentally know ALL the THREE Principles; elſe your Speech continues to be only a fighting with a ſhadow, and ſatisfieth not the Hungry Mind; Read my Book of the Three Principles of the Divine Subſtance; what will that availe, you ſhall ſee, whether I am a Man or no, you ſhould not ſeek in ME for a Devill, as you have done in a very unchriſtian Manner, towards me, which ought highly to be reproved in you. If you will rightly ſeek the Heretick whom you reproach, you will find him in your own Boſome.

52. For he is a HERETICK, that wreſteth the Scriptures falſly: and you doe it not only to my meaning, and with my words, that are hidden to you, which ſtand yet partly in a Magick underſtanding, but you pervert the Scripture and draw it falſly to your Meaning, of the ^[23]Election of Grace, and caſt only a Miſt before Mens Eyes, driving them into Gods Anger and there let them Lye: and go your way, and moreover forbid any Man to ſearch further about it.

53. Yes indeed, the Devill might thereby be manifeſted or revealed; and that he would not have: or likely my Book hath hit you upon the Calviniſt Veine.

54. I cannot remedy that, if you or others will not read my Book, let it alone; it is not Printed; who bid any, write a Copy of it? leave it to me, I have written it only for my ſelf; it is nothing to you: I have not run about with it, and preſented it to any body, it is come forth without my will and Deſire, and without my knowledge; as they that firſt came by it, well know.

55. But now that you lay to my Charge; I have ſought my ſame by it; that is an untruth; A Chriſtian ſeeketh not his own honour, but Gods honour, and, in his Love, his Neighbour's; CHRIST ſought not his own honour but his Father's: He deſired no honour from Man: what ſhould it be deſired for then by me?

56. The True knowledge of God is not from this World, but from God, why ſhould a lodging then be ſought for it here: behold and Conſider your ſelf.

57. I ſay with good ground, in ſuch a way you have no underſtanding of my writings; you doe but fully them for me, with a ſtrange underſtanding; as here further ſhall be ſet before your Eyes: yet briefly, and for the Readers ſake; who readeth the reproachfull Paper of yours; that he may diſcerne us both.

58. He that deſireth a full Explanation, let him read the book of the Threefold Life: he will find more then he would ſearch for, eſpecially in the Three Principles; which the Libeller or Paſquiller, dare not well beleeve: yet if he will be called a Chriſtian, and Doe that which is right, let him read that, he will ſee what Spirit's Child I am: perhaps we ſhall come neerer together, and he may of a Saul become a Paul; which I doe heartily wiſh in his behalfe, and had much rather have a hearty good and Chriſtian Conference with him, concerning our IMMANVEL, then this Controverſie.

59. Truly I ſay, that my Book which he oppoſeth in ſome places needs a better Explanation, for the ſimple underſtanding; I am alſo very ready to doe it, if any deſire it; for it ſtands in ſome places yet in a very^[24] Magick underſtanding.

60. But there are alſo ſuch Myſteries therein, that the learned Schoolman,^[25] or Maſter^[26] Alexen, cannot number them, for it hath pleaſed God to have it ſo I look upon the writings of the Prophets, and ſee whether they be cleere in all places; beſides CHRIST himſelf taught alſo in Parables or Similitudes. † Men ſhould not caſt Pearls before Swine.

61. But what concerns the Articles of Faith, which in this Book are ſtill in a Magick underſtanding; thoſe in the other writings are ſet down cleer enough: more then the Libeller or Paſquill requires or underſtandeth: yet if any deſire more cleering, it ſhall be afforded him; and if he deſire proof thereof, it ſhall alſo be given him.

62. But he that deſireth it not, I have not written it for him, let him leave it to me; I write for my ſelf, and run after none; I have not put it out to any Bookſellers ſhop to ſell; if ſome people fearing God, had not intimately Earneſtly and in true Chriſtian intention asked and entreated for it, I had not given it to any at all.

63. But ſince honeſt hearts fearing God are found, whoſe Chriſtianity is indeed ſincere and in Earneſt; ſhould Chriſtian Love be withdrawen from them? Or hath God^[27] given me it, that I ſhould put it under a ſtool; or^[28] bury it in the Earth?

64. Chriſt faith; none Kindleth a Light or Candle, and ſetteth it under a Stool, or under a Buſhel: but ſetteth it upon a Table, that all that are in the Houſe may ſee by it: The Divine Light will not be covered, thoſe that God giveth it to, ſhould let it ſhine, for God will require an account of his Talent.

65. Moreover, what is it, that Men contend about in the Chriſtian Religion? and diſpute much? The Chriſtian Religion is no ſtriſe contention or Opinion, it conſiſteth in the New Regeneration out of Chriſt, in Faith, from the Holy Ghoſt, in Humility, Love and Righteouſneſſe.

66. A Chriſtian muſt be borne of Chriſt, he muſt have a Chriſtian Will and deſire, and lead a Chriſtian Converſation. It is not only knowing will doe it, and comforting ones ſelf with Chriſts ſufferings, and be a Diſſembling Hypocrite in the preſence of God; to ſpeak one thing, and Will, Deſire, and Doe another; and let the evill poyſonous Worm of the Corrupt Natures Fire, burn ſtill, and be but a Lip or Mouth-Chriſtian.

67. It lyeth not in knowing much, that a man ſhould tickle himſelf with Chriſts ſufferings, and ſet them aloſt on the Pinnacle, and yet reteine the Evill Envious kindled poyſonous worm Continually in the Heart, and continually carry Fewel to its Fire: I ſay, that very Mantle, will become helliſh fire to Many: that he hath known Gods will, and will not enter thereinto, and give up himſelf to him.

68. A Chriſtian muſt break his own Naturall Will, and give himſelf up into Gods Will; he muſt alwayes quench his Fire-will, and Continually, bring all the Thoughts of his Mind into the Obedience of God, into the Love and Mercy of God in CHRIST, into his becoming Man or Incarnation, Suffering, Dying, Death, and Reſurrection; he muſt will nothing, but Gods Will in Chriſt.

69. But this is his Deſire, that God may be his Will and Deed, that God in him may be his knowledge; he ſhould continually ſlay the will of his Fleſh, and deſire only GODS Will in himſelf: that it may rule, Drive, and be the Deed, in him.

70.^[29] For man of himſelf doth no good thing; but the Law of God, which God writeth in his Nature, that Doth the Good: that very Law is the Eternall Word of the Deity: and putteth on to it ſelf, Divine and heavenly ſubſtantiality, viz. the New Body; for it is become man, and muſt alſo become Man in us.

71. And in that Body ſtandeth the right, willing, and doing, and the performance and the ability of a Chriſtian Man; without that there is no Chriſtian, but the^[30] Antichriſt, and a ſpirituall Whoredome, as the Revelation of St. John Teſtiſyeth.

72. Therefore it lyeth not in Diſputing, flying high and being accute, deſ[••]ing and giving his brother to the Devill: for God ^[31] [〈…〉] as the V. Pſalme ſpeaketh: and ^[32] Ezekiel the 33. As truè as I live, ſaith the Lord, I will not the Death of a Sinner, &c. And Chriſt ſaith, ^[33] I am come to call ſinners to Repentance, and not the Righteous; Alſo Iſaiah faith; ^[34]Who is ſo ſimple as my Servant. Alſo, ^[35] the Kingdome of God conſiſteth in Power: What needs then ſuch high flying and Contention?

73.^[36] God reſpecteth a ſhiveered Broken Contrite and ſighing heart, that is affraid of his wrath, that would alwayes fain Doe well, that alwayes Deſireth God and goodneſſe, that Co-worketh with God: for what the Mind is deſirous of, that it receiveth, be it neceſſity or Death, or elſe the Kingdome of God; for the Kingdome of God is not far off, but within us, we muſt become born of God, if we will ſee God, or receive Gods Will.

74. In Adam we loſt Gods, will, and in the Promiſe of the Womans Seed we found it again: for it preſented it ſelf with or by the Promiſe to all Men in the Light of Life; and Eſpouſed it ſelf to the ſoul for a Bride: Whatſoever ſoul is Entered thereinto, out of that is the Noble^[37] Lilly Twig or Branch Sprouted up again, and that is become Elected or Choſen to be the Child of God.

75. But he that hath not willed, but let the fierce wrath of the Eternall Nature, deteing him; hath the fierce wrath and Anger ſwallowed up into it ſelf, and kept him in the Abyſſe of the Originall in the firſt Principle, out of which the Worme of the ſoul ariſeth Originally.

76. In that very regenerate will of God, Iſrael is become born in God, and in that very will, is, the Word of Eternall Life, which maketh Divine Eſſence, wherein the Divine Will becometh generated.

77. And that is entered into Mary's Eſſence, and Opened the, in Death, incloſed, Will, in MARY; and brought ſorth the Lilly of God: and therein is become a true Man; and hath received or aſſumed a ſoul out of the, in Death, incloſed, and now through Gods Motion, Sprouting forth, humane Eſſence, into it ſelf; in which now, Divine ability ſtandeth, for it is in the Word of the Light of Life: and to that very will we muſt unite and give up our ſelves; that it alſo may become MAN, in US.

78. In Adam, the Ability was ſhut up in Death, for the Divine Light Extinguiſhed in Alams ſoul; and in the Promiſe, it ſtood before the ſoul for an Eye-Mark; and in the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, it was brought again into the ſoul, and ſhone again in the Darkneſſe.

79. Though indeed in it ſelf, it was not Extinguiſhed, but Adams ſoul was entered into the ſpirit of this World; and gone forth out of the Divine Principle; it had received the ſpirit of this World for a Lodging: thus ſtood the Light in it ſelf in the Shining, and was covered as to the ſoul.

80. For the ſoul is another Principle then the Light, as the Fire hath another ſource or quality, then the Light; ſo the ſoul is a Magickfire, introduced into Adam out of the firſt Principle: and with the Moving of the Deity in the Divine Fiat, became generated a Creature.

81, For its Eſſence it hath been alwayes from Eternity, but in the Creature, in the time of the Bodies Creation, became formed to the Image of God: and yet it is not ſolely or entirely the right Image; but the Eſſentiall fire to the Image; if it attain the Divine Ligh, viz; the Second Principle, then the Divine ſimilitude groweth out of it, in which God Dwelleth, and in which Gods Will ſtandeth, which hath Divine Power Might or Strength.

82. But if not, and that it ſtandeth barely in his Magick-fire, and will not introduce Gods will into it ſelf; then it bringeth the Will of the Originall, viz: of the firſt Principle, or of the Kingdome of this World, which ſtandeth in the Ground of the firſt Principle, into it ſelf, the Image whereof, alſo the Magick fire of the ſoul receiveth whence ^[38]CHRIST called the Phariſees, a Generation of Adders and brood of Serpents, and Hered a Fox: underſtand according to the Image of the inward Man, which through the Imagination becometh generated and born.

83. Therefore it lveth in the Imagination, which when it receiveth the Divine Lightening in the aſpect or Countenance of [〈◊〉] Light of God, becometh impregnate of the Word of God; and then is FAITH generated, which then Eateth of Chriſts fleſh, and Drinketh of his Blood, and taketh the Divine ſubſtantiality into it ſelf, wherein the true ſimilitude and the Image of God ſtandeth, which then Eateth ex Verbo Domini, of the Word of the Lord, and of the bread of God, of which Chriſt ſaith; ^[39] Whoſoever eateth my fleſh and Drinketh my bloud, he continueth in me, and I in him,

84. Read the Book of the Threefold Life, there it is explained with all Circumſtances, and cleered; there a Man may underſtand, what a Principle is, and much more in the Three Books of the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt; and of or concerning his Mother MARY; and alſo of the Eternall Mother, where all is become brought forth out of the Center of Nature. Alſo, read the Three Principles, there thou haſt the Ground, which is here too long to write, neither doth the Libeller deſerve it.

85. Therefore I ſay ſtill, the true Chriſtain Faith, ſtands in no Conceit or Opinion, much leſſe in ſtrife, but in the New Birth, out of the Word of Eternall Life, which became Man, and that muſt become Man in us, or elſe we cannot ſee God: as CHRIST ſaith to Nicodemus; therein ſhineth the Light of God.

86. We muſt give Divine ſewell to our ſouls-fire, if it be to burn in a Divine ſource or quality, and if a Divine Light be to ſhine from it, earthly fewell giveth an earthly ſource or quality, and a Light according to that ſource or quality; whatſoever a man kindleth in himſelf, THAT burneth in him.

87. But Gods kingdome ſtandeth in Power, in Love, and Joy; it ſearcheth after nothing, for it hath all things beforehand: only the ſoul ſearcheth, it would enter into the kingdome of Reſt; and in the Earthly Body it ſticketh in unquietneſſe; and therefore it ſearcheth after its Native Country, out of which it went forth in Adam from Jeruſalem to Jericho, viz: into it ſelf, into the originall of the firſt Principle, and out of it ſelf, though the firſt Principle, into the ſpirit of the outward World, into the Multiplicity, viz: into the Stars and Elements, into the ſource or torment-houſe, where if findeth and learneth ARTS; It will needs be as God, and will know, Evill and Good;yes indeed; it experienceth that: It were better to be in Paradiſe.

88. Therefore is all contention and ſtrife, concerning the kingdome of God, only a fighting with a ſhadow, a Babyloniſh work in the kingdome of Antichriſt.

89. A True Beleeving Chriſtian, ought not to ſtrive or Contend with any about Religion; let him ſtrive only againſt himſelf, againſt Fleſh and Bloud, and Endeavour for this, how he may work the works of God in the Love of his Neighbour; let him ſeek only Gods will, and give himſelf up to that, and Lead his Life in Obedience to the Will of God: let him draw himſelf away from this World; for he is not at home in this world; and let him ſeek his brother as a Member of his own Soul, and take him along with him.

90. As one Member wiſheth and doth all Good to the other; ſo will alſo a Beleeving Soul, Continually have his fellow Member with it, and endeavoureth for this, how it may ſhew his Brother any Good; it alwayes ſheweth him its Light, and with or by its Imagination ſets it before the Eyes of the ſoul,^[40] to be looked upon, and ſaith, Come I pray hither; for which things ſake, this Pen hath written ſo very much, which the Paſquill or Libeller, doth not underſtand, for the Sting is in him.

91. O how miſerably and horribly hath he written, of the Propagation of Man, and Of the will of God: whereas a Man, whom the Devill aſſaulteth enough beſides, might Deſpair upon it; therein ſticketh Hereſie, that a man dares pervert the will of God, who only willeth Good; and make of Gods will, a will of Evill or Malice.

92. How very blind is he, as to the knowledge of God, how altogether Nothing doth he know of the Eternall Nature; and of the Originall of the Will, what the will to Good and to Evill is: He rejecteth my^[41] A. B. C. little Book, and ſets the Babyloniſh Grammar, in the [〈◊〉] of it: Art [〈◊〉] doe the thing.

[〈…〉] Mine is beſtowed upon me of Grace in the Love of God; I ſhall well ſtand with mine againſt your; it is as the Sun and the Moon, to one another. An honeſt Man, fearing God, who ſeeketh but Gods will, may very well diſtinguiſh my writings, and thine, aſunder.

94. Doſt thou ſuppoſe that men are ſatisfied by them? Can they ſatisfie the heart and poor captive ſoul, which ſticketh in the Priſon of Darkneſſe? (Thou Teacheſt, that God hath not Elected them all:) That God Hardeneth one part of them, and draweth them not, in Chriſt, to the Father, and giveſt the Similitude of a Potter: As if the SOUL were made or Created; and though indeed thou doſt not ſo ſtate it in tearms, yet it affordeth ſuch an Underſtanding.

95. Why doe you not ſet down the Originall of the will to Evill and to Good, what is in GOD, that Draweth Men to Good, and, to Evill? Wilt thou boaſt thy ſelf of an Enlightened Mind, then thou muſt know that, and ſet it down; for the Comfort of the poor ſoul; that it may not be wavering and unſetled, and to think that God hath not created it for a veſſel of Honour; that it is not born or generated in the Line of CHRIST; as thou bringeſt it in concerning Cain and Abel; and uſeſt the bowed perverted Scriptures and leaveſt out the Beſt, viz. the Love of God, which willeth not the Evill; and ſo thou Caſteſt a ſnare about the Neck of the Soul.

96. Well: thou art come to my warehouſe, to which I have invited the Children of God: But I tell thee, I have no ſuch ware as thou ſeekeſt after; I have only Comfort for the Children of God; and Not Deſperation for the Devils: I will ſet forth to thee, the Ware I promiſed, if thou wilt not buy, let it alone.

97. I have not invited the Devil's Advocates to it, but Chriſts Children, who would faine be ſaved: although thou boaſteſt Much, that the Election of Grace is not to be ſearched for out of Chriſt, but telleſt not how it is to be ſearched for, in CHRIST: but layeſt it aſide, as if God would not have all Men, as if he hardened ſome out of a Predeſtinate purpoſe.

98. In that reſpect I will ſhew you ſome of my Wares; if you will buy, well and good, and ſo you may be a brother in Chriſt: but if not, thou thy ſelf wilt not, God would indeed, but if thou thy ſelf wilt not, then thou hardeneſt thy ſelf.

99. The CENTER out of which Evill and Good, floweth, is IN thee; that which thou awakeſt in thee, be it Fire, or Light; that will be taken in again by its Like; either by Gods Anger-fire, or by Gods Light-fire: Each of them Electeth or chooſeth to it ſelf, that which is like its property.

100. Will any be a Devill, then Gods Anger will have him; for he is of its property: the Election or chooſing is ſuddenly there; but will he be an Angel, then is the Election or Chooſing alſo ſuddenly there.

101. But hath be been an Evill wicked Man, and likely that the Anger of God hath already choſen or Elected him to Damnation, and yet letteth in the ſparkle of Gods Love, again, into the Light of Life, which not withſtanding, all the while the outward Man liveth, ſtandeth preſented to him, and calleth him; then is alſo as ſuddenly, the Elector or chooſer to the Kingdome of Heven in THAT ſparkle, and beſides,^[42] with very great Joy and honour, more then for Ninety and Nine Elected which need no repentance.

102. The ſoul of Man, is from or out of that Center, which is called God the Father, underſtand out of the Eternall Beginning leſſe Nature: it hath the Center to the fire, and Light, in it ſelf; to evill and Good; what IT Electeth or chooſeth for it ſelf, of THAT it is re-Elected or choſen againe and taken up; which is to be ſeen by the Devills.

103. They were Angells in Gods Light; and their Center Moved it ſelf yet higher then the right of the Angelicall Nature was, and awakened in them the Mother of the Originall in the fierce wrath; and that alſo ſuddenly caught their will-ſpirit, and Elected or choſe them to be Creatures of the Dark world.

104. Doe you ſuppoſe now, that it was Gods Predeſtinate purpoſed will to have it ſo? then muſt God have a Devils will in himſelf, and alſo an Angelicall: which is quite contrary to the Holy Scripture, alſo againſt Gods Love, and againſt the Light of the Eternall Nature.

105. But the Paſquill or Libeller, underſtandeth NOT at all what Gods Love and Anger are; or what is called God. He will ſpeak of Gods will, and it is but a fighting with a Shadoe and a Jugling.

106. But ſince he underſtandeth it not, and that, through the Grace of God, I ſee his miſerable blindneſſe, how he burneth in the poyſon of the Originall, and thus affords a right Advocate to the Anger of God, as alſo to the Devill to bolt up and keep the poor foul in the Anger of God; therefore I will Diſcover ſomewhat to him. Now if he will buy, well and Good, then let IMMANUEL be for US, and the Dark world for the Devill.

107. But if he will NOT, then I have written for the Reader of his Paſquill or Libel; if the Reader be a Chriſtian, and Entendeth to be ſaved, he will be well able in his Underſtanding and Mind, to diſtinguiſh between US.

This ſhall be my Anſwer for this one Time.

Here followeth further Information, and Refutation of the Paſquil or Libel,

It is noted with the^[43] Number, where it is to be found in the Libel.

108. Firſt the Paſquil ſets down for an Entrance, a great Regiſter of the Propheſies of CHRIST concerning the laſt Times; How Seducers and HERETICKS, would come, and ſay, Here is Chriſt, and that we ſhould not then believe them: And that the Libeller doth to the End, that he may make to himſelf a ſtately Entrance and Dore of reproach to the Paſquill or Libel; That he may proclaime the Authour for a HERETICK: and a man may ſoon ſee what he hath in his Mind and Thoughts, and what Spirit's Child he is; his Chriſtian vein, ſuddenly appears, ſo that he may lay it upon the Authour.

109. Indeed Chriſt and his Apoſtles have rightly propheſied, and it is, or ſtandeth ſo, in the ſubſtance, and it proteedeth at preſent with great prevalency, when every one Cryeth, ^[44] Here is Chriſt, or There is Chriſt; Run after Me, you is a Heretick and Babel at preſent is quite kindled with Clamour: it burneth alſo in the fire of Gods Anger, in its ſenſeleſſe^[45] Sectarianiſme, ſo that indeed,^[46] if it were poſſible the Elect might be doveived.

110. But why doth the Paſquill or Libeller, wreſt the words of the Propheſie, and not ſay what an HERETICK is? He thinks he hath catched a Mouſe, and ſeeth not that he himſelf ſticks faſt in the Trap.

111. Certainly, HERETICKS are ſuch people as are generated or born out of or from Reaſon, out of or from ART which is from the Stars, which make an unſtedfaſt Matter or Subſtance, whereas to day one Conſtellation or Configuration, is made, and to Morrow that is broken by another; where a man muſt have many things to build with; where, a man doth but Exchange words, and Expounds words with words; where, the Mind never Experienceth what the Power and underſtanding of the words are, where a Man runs about with Reaſon and Art, and ſeeketh only favour and honour thereby; that the Man might have reſpect and repute.

112. And when a Man cannot reteine that, then they Cry in the Eares of the Worldly power and Authority, and raiſe, Calumnies, Perſecution, Wars and Shedding of Bloud; then the uproar-Maſter, danceth in his heart; now thou haſt gotten the day; and fall on to make Laws about Chriſtian Liberty; and to Eſtabliſh them with worldly authority, and put penalties upon Men, that they muſt believe and doe what thoſe uproar-Maſters have carved out.

113. And then when it comes into a Cuſtome, then they call him a Saint or Holy Perſon, and Men deviſe and ſaine Continually more and more to adde to it, how they may flatter and ſerve the uproar-Maſters; in the mean time not forgetting the Belly-Idoll, they draw all with ſuttlety and Tricks, and draw the SCRIPTURE of the Saints and Holy Men by the Haire of the Head to it, and that with great mixture of their own with it.

114. And there then is the right ANTICHRIST, for he doth what himſelf will, and not what God will; he is from or out of himſelf, born or generated out of or from the Starry-Reaſon, and not out of or from God.

115. Such, Men ſet up, for Teachers, to the World; and theſe now are meer Contenders, ſtrivers, boaſters, and HERETICKS, and ſtir up nothing but Wars, Plagues, and Vexation; they Teach only reproachfull words, they ſtrive about words, they diſpute about the Shell, and let the Kernel lye, alſo they know nothing thereof, for the kernel is a Myſtery to them;^[47] they Dance about the Calf as in Moſes time; and leave Moſes alone with God in the Mount, and likely ſlight whatſoever he ſhall ſay, when he cometh from the Mount.

116. They take not themſelves concerned, though Iſrael be deſtroyed nay rather they will help towards it, and put the Sword into the Hands of violence; thus the Anger of God will have it, that he may but devour THOSE, who are NOT Gods children, and ſeek not God, but their own honour.

117. But he is a ture Chriſtian, who is Obedient to CHRIST, And, when thoſe uproar-or Alarum-Maſters,^[48] Cry out, here is the Church of Chriſt, or there is the Church of Chriſt, Behold, he is in the Wilderneſſe, He is in the Chamber; Alſo in the Supper, And the other ſaith no, he is not there, goe not then forth; for CHRIST ſaith;^[49] Behold I am all the dayes with you, even to the End of the World; ^[50] as the Lightining Springs up in the Eaſt, and ſhineth to the Weſt; ſo will alſo continually and even in Eternity, be the Coming of the Sonne of Man: ^[51] for where a Carkaſſe is, thither the Eagles gather together.

118. CHRIST is alwayes the true Chriſtians, Carkaſs, his Lightning is continually IN them, they continually Eat his Fleſh and Drink his Bloud, and forſake boaſting and playing the Herotick; they contend with none, they have no contention; Chriſt is with them, they are generated or born out of Chriſt, and Live in him, they ſeek only how they may doe his Will.

119.^[52] Hath^[53] Chriſt made us free from the Law of Sinne, what need we then long hunt after any other? why ſhould we deſpiſe and perſecute others, ſince we are all extracted or begotten out of ONE Soul and Body?

120. In Adam we fell with thst ONE only ſoul, into Death and Eternall Darkneſſe; In Chriſt we become again New-born in that ſame ONE only ſoul: And nothing More is wanting, but that we all ſhould Enter again into THAT ONE only ſoul of Chriſt; and become ONE in CHRIST again and not Two.

121. As the Libeller, ſhamefully, falſifies it, as to Adam, and hides and obſcures the true Ground, and in the ſted thereof ſets up a plea as Advocate for the Devill: whereas he knoweth very well, that the Authour, in his Book hath rejected that thing, yet he will ſet it up again, and the Paſquill or Libeller is ready for that End and purpoſe, if any underſtand the Matter;^[54] Syrach ſaith, He that throweth emong the Dogs, and hits one, it will be diſcerned well enough which he hits.

122. Obſerve, I pray, his holineſſe, when he makes ſuch an Introduction, that he can give the Authour up to the Devill, then he holdeth it forth for a great piece of Holineſſe, that he will not Judge the Authour, but leave the judgment of him to them to whom it belongeth, where likely he means the Devill, or the Hangman; as he all along pronounceth the Authour to be a Devill.

123. O, Great Babyloniſh holineſſe! Mind repentance or elſe thou wilt not eat of Chriſts Carkaſſe: The Authour is no Devill, but ſeeketh his^[55] Carkaſſe CHRIST, and Deſtreth nothing Elſe.

124. Chriſt ſaith,^[56] How will you that are evill or wicked, ſpeak that which is Good; alſo^[57] Can a Man gather Grapes of Thorns, or ſigs of Thiſtles; If a Toad, did ſit under a ſweet-ſmelling Medicinall Hearb, or in an Apothecaries Shop of Precious Oyntments, or did Eat nothing but Sugar, and dainty Spice, yet it would ſuck only poyſon out of all, and continue an evill Toad ſtill.

125. And ſo it is alſo with an Envious Man, that ſucks only poyſon, out of all that is very Good; He turns all to the worſt, he cryeth down that thing for Evill, which is better then himſelf; for every property deſireth only its like, the other is contrary to it.

Number I. Page 5.

126. THere the Libeller begins to reprehend, that which ſtands written in my Preface,^[58] viz: Till the Prince of Light came, out of the Heart of God, and became a Man in Nature, and wreſtled in his humane Body, in the power of the Divine Light, in the wild Nature: that Kingly or Royall Branch or Twig, grew up in Nature, and became a Tree.

127. What fine knowledge he hath concerning the Soul of Man, and of the right Man, is here eaſie to be^[59] traced; he rejects this deſcription, and underſtandeth nothing thereof, how the Author's mind and thoughts are; for it is written in a Magick underſtanding: for the Author himſelf, who knew not of this Libeller, or of any other reader; He ſuppoſed, he had made a Labour for himſelf only, but God hath turned it otherwiſe.

128. But that, the Libeller, perverts the Authour's meaning and Mind and Thoughts, very ſooliſhly, and giveth it a ſtrange underſtanding, a ſimple Man may very well underſtand it; though indeed, the Libeller with Conſutation, is ſo blind, that he knoweth not what he babbles: He ſpeaks juſt nothing of the meaning of the Authour, but brings another ſenſe in to it, that he may have but ſomwhat to reprehend.

129. For, the Authours Text is very right, but the Paſquill or Libeller, underſtandeth nothing therein, which by the foregoing Words of that Text is Demonſtrated very well to him, what the Authour ſaw if he had rightly taken in, the Magick underſtanding, elſe he ſhould have let it quite alone.

130. The Authour, had under his Pen, the poor fallen Man, and the poor captive periſhed Soul, and ſhewed, how it becometh helped or ſaved again.

131. He looked in this Deſcription, not only into the outward Kingdome, into the 4 Elements and Stars, but into the inward Kingdome, into the firſt Principle, whence the ſoul originally ariſeth; He underſtandeth ſomwhat elſe by the Wild Nature, then the Paſquill or Libeellr underſtandeth. He meant not Stars and four Elements, alſo not the beaſtiall fleſh which is of this World, as the Paſquil or Libeller reproacheth: but he meant the Center, the fire-ſource of the ſoul, which had Extinguiſhed the Light of God, and introduced the earthly Imagination from the kingdome of this world.

132. He underſtood, how the poor ſoul after its fall became a Creaturely Magick-Fire in Gods Eternall Anger-fire: and THAT he called the wilde Nature; for the ſoul ſtandeth in the Eternall beginningleſs Nature, in the firſt Principle of God the Father, and is the Cauſe of the Image of God.

133. It hath all formes of the Eternall Nature in it, It hath in the Eſſence, ever been, from Eternity; but, in the Creation, paſſed into a Creature: It is from or out of the fire, wherein God the Father ever generateth forth his Light; And is in its Originall without beſides or beyond, the Light of God, an anxious horrible Subſtance, like a horrible brimſtone worme: for it is a Magick-fire, from or out of Gods fire, which is the Eternall Natures, Originall.

134. Which when the Eternall fire of God moved it ſelf, became deſirous to have its re-awakening, and Compriſed in its deſire, an awakened ſimilitude, according to and out of it ſelf; underſtand, out of the Deſire of the Eternall Fire, which is only a Spirit; and originateth in the will, which is the One-Element-fire, which ſtandeth in the inward re-awakening, and Conſumeth that againe continually in the Compriſed Subſtance of the Deſire; and continually thereby only awakeneth it ſelf, as is to be ſeen in the kindling in the outward Kingdome.

135. Out of that Eternall Nature, out of its properties, underſtand out of the Eternall, which is the Center, and a Principle in it ſelf; a Magick-fire of God, which it ſelf, is God the Father according to the Eternall Nature; the Eternall Light becometh Generated, and ſhineth in that Nature in its properties, that the properties of the fierce wrath and Anger become not manifeſt, but are only a cauſe of the ſhining of the^[60] Life.

136. For the Light maketh alſo a Center in it ſelf; with other properties; That which in the fires property is a fierce wrath, that in the Lights property is a deſire of the ſubſtance of the Light, and is called, Love, and Meekneſs: That draweth the fierce wrathfull fire into it ſelf, and Extinguiſheth the fierce wrath of the fire therewith, ſo that out of the fire, Joy cometh to be.

137. For the Anxious fires deſire is after Meekneſſe, and the Meekneſſes deſire, is after the fiery Eſſence, that it may be a Life; Thus each deſire maketh a Will-Spirit, one out of the Fire, and one out of the Light, and yet is but ONE only, but with TWO properties.

138. And God calleth himſelf a God, according to the Lights property, underſtand,^[61] a God of Love, Meekneſs and Mercy; and according to the Fires property, he calleth himſelf, an Angry Zealous or ^[62] Jealous God, and a Conſuming fire: and yet he is but ONE and not TWO: as in the Book of the Threefold Life, and in the Three Principles, is mentioned and expounded at Large with many Circumſtances.

139. This, thus briefly mentioned, is now the Moſt Originall Spirit, where, in the fires property the Eternall Nature is underſtood, and much more in the formes to Fire, which make the Eternall Center, as is mentioned in the Three Principles.

140. And underſtand further, That the Deſire in that Eternall Spirit, according to both properties, hath from Eternity Continually been a Delight Longing or Luſt, to ſeek and to finde it ſelf, and hath continually found it ſelf in it ſelf, each property its like, both according to the fierce Wrath and the Love, according to fire and light, and according to all formes to the Fire, and according to all formes in the Light, of the Love.

141. That which is found hath been the Spirits LookingGlaſſe: in the Love in the Light, the Looking Glaſſe is called Gods wiſdome; and in the fierce wrath of the fire, it is called Gods AngerEye.

142. In this Looking-Glaſſe, hath been ſeen from Eternity, the ſubſtance of this world, viz. the Third Principle: for it hath ſtood in the Magicall Deſire, indeed not in Subſtance, but in the LookingGlaſſe, in the Deſire of the Eternall Nature, wherein the Spirit hath diſcovered it ſelf, and with the beginning of this world, with the moving of the Eternall Nature, by the Spirit of God in the harſh or aſtringent Fiat, created it into a Subſtance, into a ſimilitude, according to the property of the Eternall Nature, according to all formes to Nature, and according to all Formes in Nature.

143. Whatſoever, became generated in Nature, viz. in the Principle, belonged to the kingdome of God, and hath the Name of God. But whatſoever became generated in the Formes to Nature; that belongeth to the dark angwiſh-world.

144. All properties became moved, and each property ſet it ſelf in its Looking-Glaſſe, for a^[63] FIGURE, according to its Eſſence; underſtand according to the Deſires Eſſence.

145. The harſh or aſtringent Mairix to Nature, was the Fiat, which ^[64]compriſed the ſimilitude and Image, and brought it into a ſubſtantiall Beeing, through Gods moving.

146. Underſtand, according to the will-ſpirit, which goeth forth out of the Lights Center, and according to the Will-ſpirit which goeth forth out of the fives Center; and yet is but ONE, But in TWO properties, viz. Two Magick deſires.

147. As Men ſee in the Creature, how Love and Anger ſtick in One Minde, and yet have Two Centers, all accordingly as the Outward Will-ſpirit diſcovers in any One, ſo is the awakening in Love and Anger: and Men ſee in this world in the Creatures, how there are Evill and Good, Wolves and Sheep, Serpents and good Fiſh, Poyſonous Toads and lovely handſome Beaſts and living Creatures; Every one out of its Mothers property, ſpringing from the Eternall Originall.

148. In this Eternall Looking-Glaſſe of the wiſdome of God, hath alſo the ſoul of Man, from Eternity by the Spirit of God, been diſcovered in the Eſſence, which with the beginning of the firſt Moving in the Fiat of God, became formed into a^[65] Creature, according to the ſimilitude of the Birth or Geniture of God.

149. The Spirit of God diſcovered in the Looking-Glaſſe of wiſdome, an Image, according to his ſimilitude or likeneſſe; underſtand out of both the Magick fires in the Principle of the Light, a Totall entire ſimilitude according to the Deity, as to all the Three Principles.

150. If we would conceive of the Eternall divine Birth or Geniture, in the Light of the Majeſty in its Tri-unity, and then of the ſoul of Man in its Image, Subſtance, and Beeing, we cannot perceive or think upon it better, in a ſimilitude, then in Fire and Light; that is a direct or Exact ſimilitude.

151. The Fire ſignifieth the Eternall Nature, which ariſeth originally in the Deſire in the Eternall Will, continually, from Eternity in Eternity, where the Eternall Will-ſpirit, out of the Eternall Nothing, viz. out of the Liberty of the Deity, manifeſteth or revealeth it ſelf, by or with its going forth into the Deſire of Nature, and divideth it ſelf, into two worlds or Principles, viz. Darkneſs and Light.

152. Where each World hath its Center to the ſource or quality in it ſelf, and yet neither departed away from the other, but ONE world is in the OTHER, the Light holdeth the darkneſs captive, but the darkneſs is a cauſe of the fire, and the fire is a cauſe of the Light: For in the Harſh or aſtringent and ſtern darkneſs, ariſe the Eſſences or the ſource or quality of fire and Nature.

153. Now we ſee plainly, in the fire and Light a twofold ſource or quality, and deſire; and we ſee alſo how the fire burneth out of a Dark Subſtance, which ſignifieth the Dark world dwelling in it ſelf.

154. The Fire ſignifieth the Eternall Nature, in the Fathers Will in the Deſire to Manifeſtation or Revelation; the Light ſignifieth the Eternall Liberty, without, beſides, or beyond, Nature, which manifeſteth Nature in Subſtance.

155. The Fire, hath in it ſelf, the dark worlds fierce wrathfull Eſſence, and the Light hath in it ſelf, the Eternall Liberty, viz. a meek, ſoft, quiet ſtill Habitation or delight.

156. But now the Liberty and Meekneſs without the fire, would not be manifeſted or revealed; but would be a ſtill Nothing, and the fire alſo would have no Glance or Luſtre, without the Liberty; and ſo the fire and Light would be Nothing without the Deſire; that is the Center to the Genetrix, and holdeth or containeth in it ſelf, the FIAT of the word.

157. And in the Deſire becometh Generated, the Eternall Word, or the underſtanding, alſo the wiſdome, as alſo the Anger-Looking-Glaſſe, out of the Root of the dark Center.

158. And we ſee further, how the Fire dwelleth in the Light, and the Light in the Fire, and one comprehendeth not the other; the Light becometh generated in the fire, viz. out of the dying or Conſumptibility, it ſhineth out of the Death, and ſincketh downe to the Death in it ſelf, and maketh in it ſelf another ſource or quality then the fire is: another Principle, where another Life goeth forth, viz. Meekneſs and amiable delight, whereas in the fire, there is only anguiſh and paine.

159. For, we ſee, that the Light is as it were a Nothing in reſpect of the Fire, and its Root: for it is incomprehenſible, and it ſignifieth to us, the Eternall Liberty, without, beſides, or beyond Nature, viz. the Divine Subſtance, and the Angelicall world; and yet it is All: for it is all power of all Eſſences out of the Fire, and out of Nature in the Light, and is a Life of the underſtanding, alſo of Reaſon and Senſibility or Thoughts; whereas in fire is nothing but an oppoſite or Coutrary will, to be underſtood.

160. For, the formes of the fire Nature, are themſelves at Enmity one with another, the Harſhneſs Bitterneſs and Anguiſh, are one againſt another, which are the fires Root, where, in the Deſire ſtandeth the harſhneſs, and in the harſhneſs the drawing, where the Nothing becometh brought into Somwhat, and the will overſhaddoweth it ſelf, with that which is drawn in.

161. Whence, in the Deſire, a darkneſs and Overſhadowing exiſts, and then alſo, out of the firſt deſire, the other or ſecond Will, to go out from the Darkneſs, and yet there is no flying away from one another, but the other or ſecond Will entereth into it ſelf, into the Liberty without beſides or beyond the Deſire in the Darkneſs, and ſo bringeth the property of Nature along with it.

162. That fiery property, is, the Liberties; viz: the Nothings Revelation or Manifeſtation, for thus exiſteth the Glance or Luſtre and ſhineing. For in the Liberty, is, the property which is brought along with the other or ſecond will, put into the ſtill meek delightfull habitation, and out of that very property, a Love-deſire cometh to be.

163. Thus, the Fire and the Light, in a ſunilitude, ſignifieth to us the divine Subſtance, alſo the Soul and its Image: The MATTER out of which the Fire burneth, ſignifieth the Forms to the Eternall Nature, and the Dark world, and the FIRE ſignifieth the property of the Father.

164. The GLANCE or Luſtre of the Fire, ſignifieth the Liberty without beſides or beyond Nature; The ſhining or the LIGHT ſignifieth the other or ſecond world, viz: another or ſecond Principle, which becometh generated out of the firſt, viz: out of the Fathers property, and the Sonne of God out of the Father.

165. The POWER or vertue of the ſhining of the Light, ſignifieth the Heart of God, viz: the Divine Center, as alſo the underſtanding, 'Ingenium or Wit, and Wiſdome: for in the power of the Light ſtandeth the Right Life.

166. The twofold Spirit which originateth in the Fire, with a twofold ſource or quality, viz: Heate and Aire, ſignifieth to us in a ſimilitude, the Spirit of God: the HEATE ſignifieth the Anger and fierce wrath of God, according to the Eternall Nature of the dark world, according to the property of the fierce wrath; And the Meek AIREY, ſignifieth the property of Meek Light, in the Lovedeſire, out of the ſource or quality of the Light.

169. The MEEKNESSE of the Light ſignifieth to us in a ſimilitude the Divine Subſtantiality, or the water of the Eternall Life, wherein Paradiſe is underſtood, and in the fiery property, Heaven.

168. Now we ſee, how all Fire draweth the Aire again to it ſelf, and burneth in the power of the Aire; for where Fire can have no Aire, there it extinguiſheth; for the Aire bloweth up the Fire, and bringeth the Subſtantiality of the Light into the Fire again, viz: the Meekneſſe of the Light, underſtand the Watery Matter, whence the Glance in the Fire Originateth.

169. For, the Meekneſſe originateth from the Liberty, without beſides or beyond the Fires Nature, viz: in the Nothing, and they ever pant the one after the other: The Fires or the Natures fierce wrath: panteth after the Meekneſſe; and the Liberty or the Nothing panteth after the Manifeſtation or Revelation, which in Nature becometh Manifeſted or Revealed.

170. Now we ſee, that the Light affordeth a very friendly richly Joyfull Spirit, out of the ſource or quality of the Fire; that friendly and richly amiable aſpect or Spirit, originateth out of the indrunk waters ſource or quality, of Meekneſſe, viz: out of the Liberty.

171. And, in that, the Fire draweth the Lights meek Subſtantiality into it ſelf, thereby it giveth forth that indrunk meek Spirit through the fierce wrath of Death, through the Conſumptibility, into the Light again, and bringeth the Nature-property along with it: as we may apprehend by the Aire, that it is a power of Every Life, and it is yet in it ſelf not Nature; but ruleth as a mighty potent Spirit IN Nature.

172. Thus in this Type or Reſemblance, is underſtood, the Divine Subſtance, and alſo the Eternall Naturér out of which, Deſire and Subſtance, is become generated the Third Principle, viz: this outward viſible World: and become Created in the beginning, into a Subſtantiall Beeing, together with all Creatures.

173. For, from the Eternall Mother, is the beginning or inceptive Mother come to be, for where there is nothing, there nothing comes to be: but where ever ſomewhat hath come to be, there it is come to be out of the Eternall, which hath been, without beginning, and it is the Eternalls Similitude, Image, Subſtance, and Propriety, and yet we cannot ſay, that it is ſundred from the Eternall, but it is diſtinguiſhed, the one world is in the other, and each poſſeſſeth it ſelf.

174. God is in Every thing or Subſtance, but every thing doth not comprehend him; That only comprehendeth him, that is gone forth out of his Eternall Subſtance; underſtand, that is of his Subſtance, that doth ſtand in HIM: For, God dwelleth not is the Out-birth of the outward Nature, but in the inward in himſelf.

175. God indeed is himſelf, ALL, but all is not called and acknowledged to be God, in reſpect of the difference of the ſource or quality: Nature is not God; but God is manifeſted or revealed through Nature; God is underſtood alone in the Eternall Light, according to the ſecond Center, viz. in the Liberty: and yet is not ſevered aſunder from the Eternall Nature.

176. For if a ſhining is to be, then there muſt be fire, and yet alſo there is ſhining of fire, without or beſides the Liberty; which the divine world ſignifieth.

177. The Glance or Luſtre of the Fire, ſignifieth God the Father, and the Formes to Fire ſignifie the Eternall Nature, and the power of the Light ſignifieth the Heart of God, viz: the true Deity, for it produceth another or ſecond Center, of another ſource or quality, then the fire, viz: a Love-Deſire, and Meekneſſe.

178. And the Out going Spirit, out of the Glance of the Fire into the power of the Light, out of the Lights Subſtance, drunk in by the Fire, viz: out of the Love and Meekneſſe, ſigniffeth to us rightly the Holy Ghoſt, which continually goeth forth from the Father and the Sonne into the Divine power and Subſtamiality: as the Aire from the Fire and Light, and ruleth in the Lights Subſtantiality.

179. The outward world is througly a ſimilitude of the Inward, for the Inward hath manifeſted or revealed it ſelf with or by the outward, whereby a Man may underſtand, what the Inviſible God, in the hidden Myſtery, is.

180. Man ought not to think, that God is ſomewhat abſent from any thing, or ſpace or place, for he filleth ALL, but in his own Principle, viz: in the^[66] Middlemoſt World, which he himſelf is.

181. And now when the Inviſible God once moved himſelf, according to the Eternall Magia, viz: in the Eternall Nature-Deſire, he generated to himſelf in his wiſdome, his likeneſſe out of the properties of all the Three worlds, and out of Every Eſſence and property, created Creatures and figures.

182. For the Work-Maſter, viz: his Spirit, was in all things or ſubſtances, viz. in the Divine Light world, Angells and pure ſpirits; underſtand out of the Eternall Nature, viz: out of the Eternall Fires and Lights property, out of Divine Subſtantiality.

183. For a Spirit hath the Eternall Center of Nature in it ſelf, if it be an Eternall Spirit: it hath all formes to Nature, viz: of the dark world, and alſo of the Light world, in it ſelf, for it is proceeded out of Gods Mouth, it is Nature, elſe it were no manifeſted or revealed Spirit, with or among the Spirits.

184. Out of the Eternall Nature, God hath manifeſted or revealed his wiſdome; for in the Eſſence, viz: in the divine wiſdome, hath the Subſtance of the Spirits and Creatures been from Eternity; but with the Moving of God the Father, it paſſed into a formed Creation, according to the property of the Eſſence, in Verbo Fiat, in the Word Fiat, in the word of Power, and therefore were the Angells called ^[67] Flames of fire, but throughly Enlightned with the Light of God.

185. The Light of God dwelleth in their fire-flames, ſo that the fireſource or quality, is nor manifeſted or revealed in them, but if it become manifeſted, then they have loſt the divine Subſtantiality, out of which the fires Glance Exiſteth, and that Spirit ſtandeth barely and nakedly in the Dark world, as is done by the Devills.

186. A Spirit, [proceeding] out of Nature, is a Magick Fire- ſource or quality, and is deſirous of ſubſtance, or of the Subſtantiality of its forme: the deſire maketh ſubſtance, and bringeth that ſubſtance into its Imagination; that is the Magick fires, viz: the Spirits, Corporeity, whence the Spirit is called a^[68] Creature; Alſo that Subſtantiality is the Spirits Food whereof the fire liveth or burneth.

187. Here now is underſtood, the Devills and alſo Mans fall, for according to the Eternall Nature, they are both out of one Originall; the Devill was an Angell, and ſhould have ſet his Imagination in the Light of God, viz: in Love and Meekneſſe, in the Divine Subſtantiality: and then he had conceived divine Subſtantiality in his Imagination, and his light had continued ſhining; his Magick fire-ſource or quality, had eaten of Gods Meekneſſe, and then alſo, had the fire-ſource or quality burned in ſuch an Eſſence and property, and then he had Continued an Angel.

188. But he turned himſelf back into the Center, after the Mother of the Genetrix, and ſet his Imagination, [to goe] after the formes to Nature, and would needs rule terribly in the might of the Fire; he contemned the Meekneſſe, viz: the Second Principle, and would domineere over God.

189. What he now deſired, that he received alſo into his fiery Deſire; viz: the Subſtantiality of the fiarce wrath, out of the formes of the Dark world, out of his own Center; Thus now is that Subſtantiality the food of his Spirits Fire, and his Fire-ſource or quality ſtandeth in a dark fierce wrathfull Eſſence, and can conceive no deſire more, in the Meekneſſe, viz; in Gods ſubſtance.

190. Thus he is a Devill, and dwelleth in the Center of the Darkneſſe, viz: in the formes to Nature; for his Light is extinguiſhed, he can not kindle that againe, it ſhineth no more out from his Eſſence, neither can his Imagination any more reach or attaine it. and he continueth a ſierce wrathfull fire-ſource or quality, in the Darkneſſe, and eateth of the dark Subſtantiality, and ſtandeth in another Principle.

191. The Word Fiat, Verbum Fiat, which figureth his forme or Image in him, is the Mother of the Dark world; viz: the ſterne formes to Nature, according to every Spirits property; as the ſource or quality in the Center is, ſo is alſo the Will-Spirit.

192. Now then, the light being withdrawne, he can frame no other will, then his mother is, in her formes: for as the Genetrix is, ſo is alſo the will-ſpirit out of the Genetrix.

193. Thus underſtand alſo concerning Mans Soule; which is alſo a Magick-fire-ſource or quality, out of the Eternall Center, out of the Eternall Nature; for after God created the body out of the Subſtantiality, then he introduced the Spirit out of all the Three Principles thereinto: He ſhould be a ſimilitude and Image of God; underſtand, according to, and out of, all the Three Worlds, viz; out of the Eternall Fires Nature, and out of the Lights Nature, and then out of this outward worlds Nature, wherein the outward Man liveth.

194. For, God breathed into him the Living Breath, and then Man became a living ſoul: Now what can God breath other out of himſelf, then himſelf; for God is the ſubſtance of all ſubſtances; but all is not called or known to be God: He calleth himſelf a GOD only according to his Heart, according to the property of the Light world, viz: according to the Love and Meekneſſe, according to the ſecond Principle.

195. God breathed into the Created Image the Spirit out of all the Three Worlds, viz: that is to ſay, Himſelf: viz: the Eternall beginningleſſe Magick fire-ſource or quality, out of all formes of the Eternall Nature, that is, the firſt Principle, and it is the property of the Father, who according to Nature calleth himſelf an Angry Zealous or Jealous God, and a Conſuming fire.

196. And then the Center of the Light, as a Sparkle out of his Heart, out of which the Divine Will goeth forth, which appropriateth or uniteth it ſelf to God againe: and Imagineth according to its Mother, viz: according to Gods Love and Meekneſſe; That is the Second Principle, wherein the Angelicall world conſiſteth.

197. And Thirdly, the Spirit-Aire, with the Spirit of this outward world, out of the Starres and Elements, viz: the Third Principle; Thus Man became an Entire Totall Image according to God, out of all the Three Worlds; An Image of God, wherein God dwelleth, wherein God beheld found and manifeſted or revealed himſelf.

198. Now the Eternall Word was his Law, of his ſpirituall Nature, that this introduced and in-breathed ſpirit of Man, ſhould introduce its Imagination, into no other ſource or quality, but only into Gods Love and Meekneſſe; It ſhould eate only of the Divine Subſtantiality, and drink the water of the Eternall Life, and then its Body had Continued Paradiſicall.

199. The Body had paradiſicall fruit to Eate, which grew for it IN all fruits: The outward Body of this world, was in the ſource or quality of the Light world, as it were ſwallowed up, and yet it was there: As the Light ſwalloweth up the Darkneſſe, and holdeth it captive in it ſelf, and yet the Darkneſſe remaineth, but, in the Light, is not Manifeſted.

200. So alſo ſhould the outward [〈◊〉] of this world; as alſo the inward ſource or quality of the Fire, out of the firſt Principle, ſtand hidden in the Paradiſicall Subſtantiality, and ſource or quality; and Man ſhould bring his life and will into the Paradiſicall ſource or quality.

201. He ſhould ſet or put his Spirits Imagination into the Heart of God, viz: into the Lights Center, and then had the Soul continually eaten of the Lights Subſtantiality; underſtand, the ſouliſh Fire had conceived or received the divine ſource or quality into it ſelf, and had burned forth, in the divine ſource or quality, viz: in Love and Meekneſſe.

202. Through that burning or Life, would the divine Subſtance have been introduced into the outward Body; viz: heavenly Feſh; and the Holy Body would have ſtood in the Tincture of the ſecond Principle; and the outward Dominion of the Outward World would have ſtood hidden in the Inward World, and have been manifeſted in the Outward.

203. Such a Body alſo was created in the Beginning, viz: out of the inward Subſtantiality of the pure Element, which is manifeſted in Paradiſe, and an outward Body of or from the Foure Elements, which ſtood manifeſted in the outward World; but the inward ſhould leade the Dominion, and hold the outward as it were ſwallowed up, as the Light doth the Darkneſſe.

204. Underſtand, each Principle ſhould ſtand free and barely in it ſelf, and ſet or put its Imagination or Deſire into God, and then would Gods light have filled all in All, and the Earneſt ſevere Fireſource or quality, of the firſt Principle, viz: the Eternall Nature of the Dark World; as alſo the outward Nature and ſource or quality of the Starres and Elements, would not have been manifeſted.

205. Man would have lived in the Divine Love ſource or quality, and would have continued Immortall and incorruptible, no ſickneſſe, neither want neceſſity nor Death would have touched him.

206. Therefore now if ſuch a deſire is to be in Man, out of which the Will-Spirit ſhould barely be inclined or directed into God, then muſt Divine Subſtantiality needs be in the Souls Fire: out of which ſuch a Will-Spirit might exiſt.

207. For, out of no Earthly ſource or quality, nor out of the Dark Worlds ſource or quality doth any divine deſire exiſt; Earthlineſſe, knoweth nothing of God; alſo the Dark World hath no Divine Love or Deſire in it ſelf.

208. Whereby we know, that we, according to the ſecond Principle. viz: according to the Paradiſicall Angelicall World, have had fleſh and bloud, out of the heavenly Eſſence and Subſtantiality, which was the right Body of the Soul; and therein ſtood the Image of Heaven.

209. And the Spirit [〈◊〉] the Magick-Fire of the Soul, which ſhined in the power of the [〈◊〉], was the true ſimilitude of God; according to the Trinity of GOD, the Image wherein God dwelleth; and wherewith God manifeſteth himſelfe: For that very Spirit is like all Angells in Subſtance and Beeing; of which Chriſt faith, Math. 22. 30. That^[69] in the Reſurrection they are like the Angells of God.

210. When God had created Adam, he then ſtood in the Paradiſicall World, viz: in the Image of God; but God knowing, how he with his Noble Jewell between the Inward Dark World, and then alſo the outward Elementary World, ſtood faſt bound to BOTH, therefore he gave to the Souls Nature, the Law and Cormandment, and ſaid;^[70] Thou ſhalt not eate of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill, for on what Day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye the Death, that is, dye away from the Divine World; and in THEE, will, the Dark World, and then alſo, the Outward world, become manifeſted, and get the Dominion in THEE.

211. As alſo then it was ſo done, when Adam began and ſet or put his Deſire and Imagination into the Outward World: then the ſouls fire did Eat of the forbidden Fruit, and brought the Earthly ſource or quality, and the ſubſtantiality of this World into his Noble Image, into the Paradiſicall Angelicall World.

212. He brought the earthly ſource or quality and ſubſtance, into the Pure Elementary Fleſh, which was created out of the Divine ſubſtantiality, ſo his light extinguiſhed; that is, he went with his will-ſpirit out of the Divine ſubſtantiality into the Earthly, into the Stars and four Elements.

213. Thus the Image became Earthly, and ^[71] fell among the Murtherours, who ſmote it, and wounded it, and left it lying half dead: thus Adam went out of Jeruſalem toward Jericho, as Chriſt ſaid.

214. The Stars and Elements, put on to the Body the fierce wrathfull earthly Cloaths or Garments of their Eſſence and ſubſtantiality; and the Dark-world gave to the ſouls fire alſo its fierce wrathfull ſevere or earneſt and ſtern ſource or quality, and now the Souls fire, burned in that fierce wrathfull property, and ſo God and the Kingdome of Heaven was Loſt; for the Divine Image diſappeared or vaniſhed, and the Earthly, began to appear; the Outward Fiat gat the predominancy.

215. As ſoon as Adam was overcome by the Spirit of this World, then he fell into ſleep, viz. into the outward Magia, which ſignifieth or reſembleth Death; for the outward Kingdome hath beginning and End, and muſt break off from the Inward; THAT, is its Death; for the outward Life goeth again into its Mother, out of which it is proceeded, viz: into the Myſtery of the Stars and Elements, and the Inward Life of the Soul, continueth in the Dark world, viz: in the Eternall Nature, whence it is Originated.

216. Therefore, the Regeneration from or out of the Heart of God is neceſſary for us, that the Dark Souls fire ſhut up in the fierce Wrath and Anger, might conceive or receive Divine ſubſtantiality againe, that its Light, might ſhine again.

217. And THAT is it which I wrote in my^[72] BOOK.

That all was ſhut up in the Anger; Till the Prince of Light, out of the Heart of God, came, and became a Man in Nature, and wreſtled in the Power of the Light in the Wild Nature.

218. By Nature, the Author, underſtood, the Eternall Souliſh Nature, the Center of Nature, which, in the Soul, after the Image became Earthly, became Wilde and Strange as to the Divine World.

219. And Adam and all his Children muſt needs have continued Eternally in the wild Nature and in the Anger and fierce wrath of God; if the Prince of Light out of Gods Heart had not come, and put upon the Souls Fire, Divine Subſtantiality, that is, the Garment or Body of Angels; again; if Gods Word or Heart it ſelfe had not become Man.

Here follow the Paſquils or Libellers Suppoſitions.

220. Now the Libeller ſets it down thus, and he (underſtand the ^[73]Authour) will thereby, make CHRIST, as to his Innocent or Immaculate, Holy, Pure Humanity; Naturall; and thereby prepare an Entrance and way for his Seduction from God, to Nature and Creature: eſpecially, and becauſe, as a Beaten and Expert Spirit, he knoweth, that this Tree of Life, will hence forward diſcover his Root out of which he is grown, but hath hitherto been covered with Earth: and will put an End to that, his Secret Myſtery: whereby he may bring to the people, a Root, which bears Gall and Wormwood: and ſtill ſeduce many from Chriſt, and catch them in his Net.

221. The Scripture ſaith of our wild humane Nature, thus, That^[74] we are all by Nature the children of wrath. And the Naturall Man perceiveth not that which is of the Spirit. Is Chriſt become a Man in the wild Nature? then he was by Nature vaine or corruptible, as all other Men. And how then hath he revealed the Myſtery of God, of which the Naturall Man knoweth and underſtandeth Nothing? could he pay our Debts, and offer an acceptible ſacrifice for us, and reconcile us to the Father?

222. With theſe ſayings, this Spirit, obſcureth the diſtinction between the heavenly pure, and the Earthly periſhed Corrupt impure Birth and Nature. Alſo between the Womans Seed and the Serpents, Abraham's and Adam's Seed, and will frame for us, A Naturall Chriſt, in whom is Good and Evill, Light and Darkneſſe,^[75] Yes and No; and ſet our Salvation on a Gog. But the Scripture diſcovereth his falſhood and Groundleſneſſe, and faith:^[76] That not all Abraham's Seed are alſo therefore Children, but in Iſaac ſhall thy Seed be called, and not in Adam, Cain, Iſhmael, and Eſau. The Children of the Promiſe are accounted for the Seed.

223.^[77] He ſaith not, through the Seeds, as through many, but as through One, through thy Seed, which is Chriſt; out of which, viz: out of the Eternall incorruptible Seed, the Living Word of God: all Children of the Promiſe are born, as the Dew out of the Morning.

224. For, as his Children are^[78] not born of Bloud, nor of the Will of the Fleſh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God: So alſo, according to his Humane Fleſh, he cannot be born of Adam's Naturall, but of Abraham's promiſed Seed, which he himſelf is; nor be of leſs Diſcent and Honour; then his children are, ſeeing^[79] they all come from ONE, both that which ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified.

225. Which Seed is not a Naturall Adamicall, but a Supernaturall Heavenly Seed, wherein God and Man is united; God in Man and Man in God, out of which, Mary, as a^[80] Daughter of the Promiſe, even according to her Fleſh muſt aforehand be born, e're Chriſt had aſſumed his body in her; as the Holy Apoſtle ſaith cleerly, that^[81] Chriſt proceeded from the Father according to the Fleſh, to whom belonged the Filiation, the Glory of the Covewant, the Law, the Oracles, Ordinances or Worſhip of God, and the Promiſe, which Promiſe belongeth Not to Abraham's Naturall, but to Abraham's Seed of Faith.

Hitherto the Libeller.

226.^[82] Are not theſe high inducing Vaunting Speeches: How ſhould a ſimple Man be otherwiſe then lead blindfold by them; who would ſay he doth the Authour wrong? But hearken Libeller! you will not with this Deſcription yet by a great deal lay bare the Root of the Covered Tree, as you ſuppoſe: you yet underſtand Nothing thereof, much leſſe, the Authour's Mind and Thoughts, only you falſifie, and pervert it with a ſtrange underſtanding.

227. Are you not a falſe Expoſitor; then tell me; where ſtands it written in my Book? that Chriſt became a man in this Worlds wild Nature, & that he was begotten of & proceeded from Sinful Seed, as thou explaineſt the meaning of the Authour to be ſo; and ſetteſt down a heap of contradictory ſenſleſſe meanings, and ſhamefully and reproachfully cryeſt out upon him for a Devil, very blindly contrary to his meaning and underſtanding.

228. Art thou he that muſt Judge me: then learn firſt the Authour's Mind and Sence: My Text ſaith. Till the Prince of Light came out of the Heart of God, and became a man in Nature, it is not, in the Wilde Nature, but it is, And wreſtled in his humane Body, in the Power of the Divine Light in the Wild Nature.

229. The Queſtion is. What is the Wilde Nature, wherein the Prince of Light out of the Heart of God, wreſtled in the Humanity; Is it earthly Fleſh? Or the ſource or quality of the Starres and Four Elements? No: For the Sake of that, the Prince out of the heart of God, came not. But it was the Soul, out of the eternall Fathers Nature, which had through its Imagination, and Luſt, introduced Death and Earthlineſſe into it ſelf; and awakened the Dark worlds fierce wrathfulneſſe in the Anger of God, and there was no Remedy, neither in Heaven, nor in this world, unleſſe the Prince of the Love of God, came, and wreſtled with the fierce wrathfull Anger of God, and quenched the ſame in the Humane Soul.

230. And therefore the Prince of the Love of God, viz: Gods own Heart, became A MAN, in the humane Nature, in humane Eſſence, not in a ſtrange One, as the Libeller wonderfully brings it in here: alſo not in the Wilde, of the Starres and Elements, not in Beaſtiall Fleſh of the Corrupt or periſhed out-birth of the Four Elements, it is not in that Eſſence, that the Deity is united; it is not the Wild Adamicall Fleſh which Chriſt aſſumed to himſelf, as the Libeller explaineth it, who yet hath no underſtanding at all of the Eſſence, wherein God is become MAN.

231. Adam's Soul had not an outward four Elementary Body on it; for it ſtood in Gods Love, in Paradiſe: Paradiſe is not Four-Elementary, it ſtandeth not in FOUR Elements but in ONE: It is the Divine delight or Habitation.

232. God dwelleth not in the Out birth of the Four Elements, but in Heaven in the pure Element, that is his Spirits Corporeall Subſtantiality, and that Subſtantiality Adam had alſo for a Body, and ſtood in the outward Body, as the Gold, hidden in the Courſe or droſſie Stone.

233. The Inward Body keepeth the outward body hidden, as the Light doth the Darkneſſe; and the Spirit of God dwelleth in the Inward body, for it containeth in it ſelf the Second Principle, viz: the Kingdome of Heaven; an Image of the Divine Subſtantiality; the Soul hath its Meekneſſe therein, it did Eate of that very Body wherein God dwelt: Its Fire became allayed or Meekened therefrom; for it received therein Gods Love and Meekneſſe.

234. But as ſoon as the Souls Fire, began, and Imagined according to the Earthlineſſe: and would Eat of the four Elements and Starres, then the outward Kingdome viz: the Third Principle, drew-in the firſt Principle, into the Souls Fire, and alſo into the heavenly Body; and obſcured the Noble Image, ſo that it fell, into inability, into Sleep; Then it was in inability, as it were captivated in Death, for the Earthly Source or Quality, dwelt now therein, whence the Souls Fire became fierce wrathfull, ſtinging, and Murtherous, for it muſt now eate Evill and Good, and the Noble Image of the Similitude of God Diſappeared.

235. Now when God ſaw, that the Noble Image was diſappeared or vaniſhed, and that the outward kingdome became Lord in it; His Mercy Pittied it, and promiſed it the Womans Seed and cruſher of the Serpent, and ſayd; * The ſeede of the Woman ſhall Cruſh or Bruiſe the Head of the Servent, which hath brought thee to Fall; He ſayd the Seed of the Woman, ſhould doe this.

236. Underſtand, in the right humane and heavenly Subſtantiality which in Adam was ſhut up in Death, would God become Man; Not in the Earthly, introduced into the Noble Image and Soul; into the right humane Nature of the ſecond Principle, in which God dwelt before Adams fall, into that very Eſſence ſhut up in Death, is Gods Word Entered: THAT, is the Seede of the Woman; and the Word, is Gods Seede.

237. God was the Man or husband of it, who ſowed his Word or Heart into the Womans humane Eſſence; underſtand, in the Eſſence of the Soul and of the Fleſh, is God become Man, Chriſt was One of the Perſons of the Holy Trinity, and is become Adam; underſtand, ^[83] the ſecond Adam, out of and in the Firſt, and yet remaines to be what he was.

238. He is not Strange to us, but is our Brother; as he ſayd after his Reſurrection;^[84] Goe, tell my Brethren, I aſcend to my God, and to your God.

239. If Chriſt had aſſumed on himſelf a ſtrange Seede, ſuch as I am not, and which in Adam I was not, what would that help me? where would my poor Soul remaine? How could he then be the Womans ſeede, or my Brother?

240. He promiſed to Abraham, not a ſtrange Seede of the Woman, but ſayd;^[85] In thy ſeede ſhall all People become bleſſed: that is, in Thine, underſtand,^[86] in the heavenly Subſtantiality, in Adam, ſhut up in Death; ſhall the Meſſiah deſtroy Death: And thy ſeede, that is, in which thou in Adam wert put to Death, ſhall in Chriſt, in Gods Bleſſing, Live againe: Chriſt ſhall live in THEE, in thy Image, and thou in HIM, thou and Chriſt ſhall become one; he the Body, thou his Member.

241. It concerned God not only as to a Sacrifice, whereby his Anger ſhould be appeaſed, that he let his Heart become Man, and let his Sonne be Cruciſied; that ſo his will might be reconciled; No, But it concerned him as to his ſubſtance, that in Adam, was become ſhut up in Death, that was it, his Sonne ſhould make living againe.

242. For we belive a^[87] Reſurrection of our Bodyes, which we had here; it is Not, the Earthly Body, that is the Image, which ſhall live eternally, but the Heavenly, which the Earthly Body HERE holdeth captive in Deaath.

243. But if Chriſt become born therein, then it is no more in Death, but liveth in Chriſt, and is only covered with the Earthly Body; and therefore muſt Chriſt, when he dyed on the Croſſe enter into Death, into the Anger of God.

244. The Love of God in Chriſt, went in the humane Soul into the firſt Principle, viz: into the ſource or quality of the Anger in the Fathers Nature, and kindled the fierce wrathfull Anger-ſource or Quality in the Soul with Gods Love and Meekneſſe; whence the Divine Light burnt forth again: That was^[88] Poyſon to Death, and a Peſtilence to Hell, for Love and Anger are Contraries.

245. Now if Chriſt had not aſſumed Adams and Abrahams Naturall ſeede, as the Libeller ſaith, how then is he^[89] the Sonne of Man? Is he only a Seede come from Heaven? and hath aſſumed nothing from Man, but a humane covering to himſelf, ſo that he only dwelt in Man, without any property of the humane Eſſence; ^[90] what would that availe my periſhed Soul?^[91]

246. Hath he not aſſumed the humane Nature to himſelf? then he it Not the Sonne of Man, or My Brother, ^[92] as he calleth himſelf every where the Sonne of Man.

247. The Libeller ſaith, I will make Chriſt Naturall, Is he not become Naturall? then can he not be the Sonne of Man, alſo not the Seede of Woman, much leſſe Abrahams Seede.

248. But that the ſuttle Libeller, will make the Virgin MARY ſupernaturall, and ſaith, ſhee was begotten or Extracted out of the Seede of God, e're Chriſt became conceived in her, and will thereby bring a ſtrange ſeede thereinto, which is not humane, that is very Hereticall and Antichriſtian, and he ſhould doe well to ſmell into his own Boſom, before he condemneth others, and paſſeth his judgement upon them.

249. Is not Mary extracted or begotten of Joachim and Anna, alſo Naturally conceived and borne, as all the children of Adam; then let him demonſtrate it, elſe his conceit will till then remaine untrue.

250. But if he ſay, if Mary were begotten of Joachim and Anna, then were Chriſt begotten of ſinfull ſeed; as his high flowne Spirit, runneth on and ſuppoſeth; Then I ſay to him once for all, that he is altogether blinde in the Divine Myſtery; and underſtandeth nothing thereof.

251. He ſpeakes indeed of the High Bleſſing of Mary, but he draweth it to a ſtrange Seede, out of which Mary was begotten or extracted: but he ſaith not with any ground what kinde of ſeede that was, whether it was barely the Spirit of God, or whether it was heavenly Subſtantiality, or the Seede in the Word, or was alſo ſomewhat of humane Eſſence.

252. For, the Humane Eſſence, is to Him throughout ſinfull, he will not at all be born of Man, but of God, in like manner as if God in Chriſt had introduced a ſtrange humanity: and he throughout explaines it ſo; He will only be born in Chriſt as the Dew of the Morning.

253. But Sir Libeller hearken! we will not be ſo evill as you are, we will readily of Good Will ſhew you the true Ground in the Myſterie, if you will not goe in that way, then goe aſide; we have other Eyes then you have; Have you Art? then have we Light.

254. You are not our Judge, though you condemne me, I am a childe of God in Chriſt, and my ſeeing is proceeded from Gods ſeeing; Therefore I will from a Good heart ſhew you my open Face; though you are not able to apprehend, how Chriſt is become conceived aad. born of Humane Eſſence, ^[93] without ſinne; and you conclude throughout, that I ſpeak of Chriſt, as if he were proceeded from ſinfull ſeed, though all indeed is very groundleſly Judged, and your meaning ſtandeth in Babell.

Therefore obſerve my Confeſſion of Faith, and acknowledgement, as it followeth Exactly.

255. God ſayd to Adam: when he ſtood in Paradiſe; and lived in the Divine ſource or quality and ſubſtantiality: What day thou eateſt of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evill, thou wilt dye the Death; by Dying, he meaneth not only, the Outward Body, which with the Beginning of Sinne, firſt became Living.

256. For the Outward Body, fell not down inſtantly, when Adam tranſgreſſed the Commandment and Dyed; but he gat now the Great Life, and became Lord: before, he was weak or impotent, and the right Man potent or Mighty: he formerly came behinde and waited on the Image of God, and was a ſervant, but when the Soul introduced Earthly ſource or quality, then he was Lord; and the Image was ſhut up in Death.

257. The Spirit is the Life, the Fleſh is not the Life, The heavenly Fleſhes Life was Gods Spirit, and the Earthly Fleſhes Life was this Worlds Spirit.

258. When the Earthly drew into the Heavenly, and took the Dominion, then the heavenly vaniſhed or diſappeared; for the Spirit of the heavenly, departed away out of the Earthlyneſſe, into its Principle; then ſtood the Image which was out of the Divine Subſtantiality, in Death, not in the fierce wrath of the Death of the Anger; ſo that the heavenly Subſtantiality were become kindled in Gods Anger; but as a vaniſhed diſappeared Subſtance without ſource or quality, and Life.

259. For, that which is generated out of the Love, that receiveth no fierce wrath into it ſelf: for the Lights Subſtantiality is water of Eternall Life; the water maketh no fierce wrath, but quencheth the Fires fierce wrath.

260. If now the heavenly Image or Subſtantiality, in Adam were taken out of the Heavenly Limbus, then ſurely its Originall Mother was the Water of the Eternall Life; which originateth from the Meekneſſe or Deſire of the Light of God: as the Water in the Deepe of this world, from the Meekneſſe of the Sun's Light, Through Venus's Deſire.

261. What fierce wrath or Anger then, would or could come into the heavenly Subſtantiality of the Holy Body in Adam? Alſo that Subſtantiality was not at all the Life it ſelf: but the Spirit of God was the right Life in the holy Body.

262. But when the Spirit of God departed: then ſtood that Image, as dead, without Life; and the Soul lived, of the Earthly Fire-fewell, though indeed it is not quite Earthly Eſſence, yet that Earthly Eſſence is generated from the firſt Principle, wherein alſo the Soul ſtandeth.

263. Therefore alſo the Soul luſted after that ſource or quality, there was given to the Soul a heavenly Body, of which it ſhould Eate, and Not of BOTH Body's: It ſhould ſet or put its Luſt or longing and Imagination, only into the Heavenly, then would the Soul-Fire have had the Earthly Body in the Dark World, only hanging to it.

264. But when it would eate of Both, then came the Dark Body to have power or ſtrength, and^[94] Light, and ruled over the right humane Body: Thus ſinne began in the Soul-Fire; for it became kindled with the fierce wrathfull Eſſence; and ſo now the Soul Fire burnt, in that very ſource or quality, and the Divine Light of the Soul, which ſhone in the meek heavenly Subſtantiality, extinguiſhed.

265. For in the Beginning, the right humane Eſſence of the Soul, was the fewell to its Life's burning, but afterwards the Earthly Eſſence was it: and that is now the Sinne and the Oppoſite Will, and the Soul hath no Image or Body, which remaineth Eternally, unleſſe it be through Chriſt Regenerated out of its firſt Subſtantiality, through the Death of Chriſt.

266. Therefore it is, that many kindes of Figures appeare in the Souls Image in the inward; all according to what its deſire is to a Subſtance, as, the Image of wilde Beaſts, alſo Serpents and Toads; In whatſover Eſſence and Will, the Souls-Fire liveth and burneth, according to that Eſſence is alſo, the FIAT in the Will-Spirit, and it Imageth or frameth ſuch an Image: ſo now, when the outward Body deceaſeth, then ſtandeth that Image, thus, in ſuch a forme and ſource or quality.

267. In the Time of the Earthly Life, it may alter its will, and then alſo its Fiat altereth the Figure, but after the Dying of the Body, it hath nothing more, wherein it can alter its Will; as is to be ſeene by the Devills.

268. Therefore ſayd Chriſt,^[95] To muſt become borne anew, through Water and the Holy Spirit, or ye cannot ſee the kingdome of God; underſtand out of Gods Water, out of the water of the firſt right Image, wherein the Holy Spirit dwelleth, in which chriſt is become conceived and born.

269. That Water, hath not taken ſinne into its Eſſence, for, that cannot be: for that which is out of or from Gods meekneſſe, becometh not kindled in the fierce wrath of God, but is as an impotency or weakneſſe ſhut up in Death, viz: in the ſtillneſſe, in the ſtill nothing.

270. Adam loſt the Life, underſtand, the right Divine Life of his Noble Image, and that hath Chriſt brought again, he hath generated that Image out of Death againe, the living Word, out of Gods Heart, is entered into the Image ſhut up in Death, and hath aſſumed or taken, THAT Eſſence, to himſelf, and become a true Man, ſuch a Man, to whom the outward Body only hung: which ſtood ſwallowed up in the right Image, but in the outward World, manifeſt.

271. He hath alſo therewith put on again to the Soul, the holy Body, viz: the Innocent or Immaculate; and into that holy Body, hath taken a humane Soul, out of Mary's Souls Eſſence-ſeede; therefore muſt^[96] Chriſt afterwards be Tempted, ^[97] and want the outward food for Forty Dayes.

272.^[98] For the Soul muſt be tempted, to try, whether now in that holy Body it would Eate of Gods Subſtance, and ſatiate it ſelf, and therefore it was permitted to the Devill, to Tempt the Soul.

273. Seeing he^[99] Excuſed himſelf, that he could not ſtand, becauſe the Matrix of the fierce wrathfull Nature had drawen him too hard, therefore now he ſhould tempt, and try it, with THIS Man, as he had alſo tempted and tryed it, with Adam, and overcame him.

274. Therefore God ſent another or ſecond Adam, and ſet him upon the Kingly Throne which he had, there he ſhould tempt or try with him, whether he could alſo give him a Fall:^[100] He now ſet before him, the Glory of this outward World, ^[101] viz: the outward Eating or foode.

275. And though indeed that was not at hand, therefore, that he ſhould with his Noble Image and Divine ſtrength, goe into the outward, and^[102] command Stones to become bread, to try whether he could bring it to that,^[103] that the Noble Image might yet become captivated and ſhut up in Death.

276. And then he ſet before him, the Great power and authority he had, he ſhould with the Divine Omnipotency in the outward kingdome, ^[104] flie from the Temple, to try whether he might introduce him into the outward Luſt,^[105] ſo that Gods Love Spirit might depart from this Image, whereas the Deity was only humble and Lowly he would introduce him into Pride.

277. Thirdly, he ſet before him, the Dominion of the Outward world; he ſhould be a Lord in the Third Principle, that he would let him only be a Lord in the Inward, ſhould fall downe and pray unto him or worſhip him.

273. For the Devill had to doe about the Kingly Seate, that this Man was to poſſeſſe: Therefore it was permitted to him, viz: to the Devill, to Tempt HIM, ſo that if he ſtood, the Devill ſhould remaine a Lyer, and his Judgement be upon his own Lying Mouth or Tongue.

The Conception and Becoming Man or Incarnation of Jeſus Chriſt, is with its Circumſtances as followeth.

279. WHen the Divine Image in Adam was vaniſhed or diſappeared, Then God pittied it, and would that this Image might be helped againe, and Promiſed to Adam and Eve, the Cruſher of the Serpent, viz: the Word and Power of the Deity, that ſhould take the Womans ſeede, underſtand, the diſappeared Image Eſſence, into it ſelf, and therewith deſtroy, the ſting of the Devill and the Anger of God, in the Soul.

280. That very Promiſed Word, ſtood nevertheleſſe preſented to the Noble Image, now ſhut up in Death, and deſired its former dwelling houſe of its ſimilitude for a Delightfull habitation.

281. But by or with the Promiſe, it hath ſet it ſelf before the Soul againe, in the Light of the Life of the Soul; and ſet a Limit or Mark thereto, whereby it would againe enter into the in Death incloſed right humane Eſſence; and awaken the Life from Death.

282. That Limit or Mark, was ſet in Mary the Virgin: and became bleſſed in the Word of Promiſe in Paradiſe; and ſtood as a Center or ^[106]Limit of the Humanity.

283. Gods Heart had promiſed and eſpouſed or united it ſelf: in that Limit or Mark, That Limit or Mark became adorned, with the highly precious Virgin of the wiſdome of God, viz: with the Looking Glaſſe or Eye of the Holy Spirit; indeed not with any ſtrange thing, but with the firſt Life, underſtand, the Divine, of the Noble Image in Adam, from which Adams Soul went forth into the Spirit of this outward world, viz: into the ſource or quality of the Starres and Elements, whoſe Center, is the Abyſſe of the firſt Principle.

284. This bleſſed Limit or Mark, was promiſed to the Fathers, viz: to Adam, Abraham, David, and others, O, how have the Prophets delighted and rejoyced at this Limit or Mark! the ſacrifices of the Jewes were a Type of this Limit or Mark.

285. For, when Adam had loſt the pure and faire Image, underſtand, the power of the Heart of God, which ſtood in his body of the Heavenly Subſtantiality, as a Center of the Deity; then ſtood the Soul barely in the Fathers Property, underſtand, the Eternall Nature, which without the Light of God is a fierce wrathfull, and Conſuming fire.

286. For the Soul is out of that Center; viz: out of the Eternall Nature of the Father; and therefore was that Soul in Iſrael lead ſo long a while, even unto the Limit or Mark in the Father Nature.

287. The^[107] Law on Mount Sinai, was given in Fire and Thunder in the Fathers Nature, and Moſes was alſo called in the^[108] Buſh by the Fire-flame in the Fathers Nature.^[109]

288. And Chriſt alſo ſayd thus when he came in the Fleſh, Father, the Men were thine, and thou haſt given them to ME, and I give them Eternall Life.

289. That highly bleſſed Limit or Mark, ſtood in the Grace Covenant of the Sacrifices with or in Iſrael; The Sacrifices were a Signe or Type of the Limit, which God ſet before them; and Iſrael became in the Sacrifices through the Limit or Mark ranſomed from ſinne.

290. Iſrael offered Sacrifice with the bloud of Beaſts, that, Gods Imagination looked upon, through the Limit or Mark of his Covenant; ſince Man was become Earthly, therefore God ſet the Limit or Mark before himſelf, for a Covenant of Grace, that his Imagination might not enter into the Earthly ſource or quality, and that his anger Fire might not be awakened, with Mans Earthlineſſe and Sinne, and ſo he devoure them, as was done by Eliah.

291. The Circumciſion of the Jewes was alſo this, that Iſrael muſt ſhed its Bloud, and, that, Gods Imagination looked on, through the Limit or Mark of his Covenant: For Chriſt ſhould deſtroy Death with the ſhedding of his bloud: It ſhould fall into the Anger of God, viz: into the Souls Fire, and quench the kindled Fire of God.

292. Therefore now God Imaged or repreſented to himſelf in the Covenant, the bloud-ſhedding of Chriſt, and quenched with this Imagination, the fierce wrath in the Soul: and through THAT, became Iſrael ſaved, ſuch as with earneſt ſincerity have ſet or put their Will and Imagination into the Covenant, they have received or conceived the power of the Limit or Mark in the Covenant, viz: in Gods repreſenting.

293. For in God, that which is done and paſt, and that which is to come is all one; And therefore was the New Regeneration out of Chriſt reckoned or imputed to the Children of the Covenant, as iif they ſtood already in the New Body of Chriſt, as if Chriſt had already drowned the Anger with his bloud-ſhedding, and that the Life were already become Generated out of Death againe.

294. For that very Life out of the Limit or Mark, ſtood in Gods Imagination: and with the Promiſe in Paradiſe it ſet it ſelf therein, that very Life was Promiſed to Abraham, that it ſhould be awakened againe in his ſeed: Not in a ſtrange ſeed, as the Libeller conceiteth, but in the ſeed of the Noble Image, which out of the Heavenly Subſtantiality, out of the Second Principle, was together given to Adam, for a Body.

295. And yet, with the Entrance of the Soul into the Earthlyneſſe, was become ſhut up in the ſtill Death, as in the Nothing; and that ſhould againe ſprout out of Death, and therein riſe againe and be borne, A New Man, ^[110] in holineſſe, innocency, and Righteouſneſſe: it ſhould againe be put on to the Soul.

296. Underſtand it highly and aright: The Life of God in the Covenant of the Limit or Mark, which in Mary aſſumed the humanity, that very Life muſt from Chriſt enter into us, underſtand into our diſappeared Image ſhut up in Death; That is the Graine, that is ſowen, into the Dead diſappeared Subſtantiality, that, draweth that humane Eſſence again to it, and becometh again the Life of that Image.

297. Thus the Noble^[111] Lilly Twig or Branch, groweth up; which firſt is ſmall as a Graine of Muſtard-ſeed, as Chriſt ſaith, and afterwards becometh as large as a ^[112] Bay Tree; That is the True New Regeneration out of Chriſt.

298. My Libeller; put you other Eyes into your^[113] Bride; and look upon the Old Teſtament and the Covenant of Promiſe, with or as to Adam and Abraham, rightly, doe not imbitter the Scripture; and drag it not about by the Haire of the head, in a ſtrange underſtanding: Your Meaning or Opinion, Obſcureth, the Noble Lilly or Branch, which now ſhould ſprout or Grow out of the Mother, or Roote; much more, then it doth ſerve, to the promoting of its growth.

299. If you would Judge in this Myſtery, then muſt you be born againe in Chriſt, you muſt ſee out of Chriſts Eyes, if you would apprehend the Great Myſtery Myſterium Magnum, but if you were born of Chriſt, then you would not be a^[114] Mote Judger, but a loving Brother.^[115]

300. Chriſt bids you^[116] not condemne, but meekly to converſe and friendly Inſtruct, not to wrangle, or ſcoffe, or pronounce Men to be in the Jawes of the Devill: My friend, you are yet very blinde concerning the kingdome of Chriſt: I will rightly ſhew you the Doore of the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt; as it is given to me from the Grace of God in the Love of Chriſt.

301. Not through my underſtanding, but in my reſignation in Chriſt, from Chriſts Spirit From Chriſts Spirit have I conceived or received the knowledge, the Great, Myſtery; Myſterium Magnum, I have not ſtudied in your Schoole, I have knowne nothing of that, neither have I ſought it in that way, I ſought only Gods Heart, and more is come to me then I ſought or underſtood.

302. Therefore if you would be brother in Chriſt, put your Buckshornes off, and then we may ſee one another with right Eyes, and a modeſt Mind, and inſtruct one another in the Feare of God.

303. Such Surlyneſſe and Scorne; is Babel, the Mother of Tyranny, and Great ſpirituall whoredom, whence Warres and Striſe is ariſen at all times: your Libell is, only a Bloudy provocation, and a ſcoffing, an unſeemly puffed up Pride, a Cainiſh property; goe out from it, if you would ſee the richly Amiable countenance of Chriſt in the Holy Ternary, in Ternario Sancto: if you would ſee, the Wonder-Branch of the hidden LILLY, which at preſent Sprouteth out of the Roote of the Tree.

304 If you would grow and ſprout, with the Noble Lilly Branch, out of the Old Tree, you muſt bring an humble Heart: and ſo you muſt ſtand in the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt; if you would grow ſpring or ſprout and ſpeak out of or from God.

305. For None know any thing of God,^[117] but only the Spirit of Chriſt which is in God, the Some in the Boſome of the Father, ſearcheth out in our ſpirit even the Depths of the Deity; Our ſpirit muſt ſtand in the Spirit of Chriſt, if we we would underſtand the Divine Myſterie.

306. It is not enough, for Men to put together or collect a heap of Scripture Texts, and Make an Opinion and Meaning out of them, no, my Friend, Opinion doth it not; but the Living Word, where the Heart experienceth the certainty, therein Conſiſteth Faith in the Holy Spirit.

307. In Opinions there is meere Doubting, whether it be right or not, Out of Opinions is the Antichriſt Generated: If we would ſpeak of God, then we muſt ſpeak from or out of the Spirit of Chriſt, which alone knoweth what God is, or elſe we are very Lyars.

308. Chriſts Spirit muſt ſpeak out of us, of the Divine Myſterie, elſe we ſpeak out of the Babel of Confuſion: Chriſt is in our right humane Eſſence, underſtand, in Adams Eſſence, become Man; not in the Eſſence of the Starres and Elements, but in the Eſſence of the^[118] One Element, through which before the fall, Paradiſe grew or ſprouted in Adam.

309.^[119] When the Angel Gabriel came to Mary, he Saluted her, and ſayd; Haile, Graciouſly Amiable, the Lord is with Thee, Thou bleſſed of all Women, thou ſhalt be impregnate in thy Body, and beare a ſonne, whoſe name thou ſhalt call JESUS.

310. Here it hath not that underſtanding, as the Libeller Explaines it, that Mary was borne out of God before-hand, Ere Chriſt in her became Man, No, ^[120] Chriſt is the firſt from the Dead, he firſt kindled the Life in Death, only the Limit or Mark, ſtood in Mary; that was the Bleſſing; For, in the Limit or Mark, was the Living Word, and the Spirit of God; Surrounded and Cloathed, with the Noble Virgin of the Wiſdome of God, in the Divine Subſtantiality.

311. When the Angel ſayd, thou ſhalt be impregnate in thy Body, And ſhee, the Virgin Mary, thereupon ſaid:^[121] Behold, I am the Maidſervant of the Lord; be it done unto me as thou haſt ſaid; then the Life in the Limit or Mark of the Covenant, viz; the Heart of God, moved in^[122] Maryes in Death included Eſſence: That word was cloathed or ſurrounded with divine Subſtantiality, out of the Water of Eternall Life, generated out of the Meekneſſe of the Light of the Majeſty of God.

312. And in that Subſtantiality, was the Tincture out of the Fire and Light of God, which is the Glance or Luſtre and Ornament of the Subſtantiality.

313. And in the Tincture, was the Chaſt Modeſt Eye of the wiſdome of God, and the Wiſdome is the Holy Spirits Corporeity, wherein he dwelleth: It is his Eternall Looking-Glaſſe; wherein he hath diſcovered or diſcerned the Great. Wonders, from Eternity.

314. And the Holy Spirit is gone forth or proceeded from the Word, viz; out of the Center or Heart of God, forth from the Father, viz: out of the Fire through the Light into the Majeſty, into the Eſſence of the Paradiſicall and Angelicall World; underſtand, into that Eſſence, or into the Pure Element, viz: into the Subſtantiality of the Heavenly Corporeity.

315. This very Subſtantiality or Corporeity, as is now mentioned, was Chriſts heavenly Fleſh and Bloud: For the Noble Tincture maketh the Water out of the Majeſty, [turne] into Spirituall Bloud.

316. That very Subſtantiality, which was in the Covenant, wherein the Promiſed Word of God, ſtood, is Entered into Maryes Subſtantiality, viz: into the in Death incloſed Subſtantiality, and is become a Body, and hath made that which was ſhut up, living againe: The divine and heavenly Paradiſicall Subſtantiality in the Covenant, and Maries Subſtantiality, is become ONE thing; the Life ſprouted or grew in Death.

317. Therefore is Chriſt become our Life and Spirit, alſo our Fleſh and Bloud, and therefore he giveth us, underſtand, our Souls-Fire, his heavenly Body and Bloud, to eate and to drink: Our Soul, hath with the Divine Subſtantialities Entrance, againe gotten heavenly fleſh for its Fire-Life: it burneth againe in the divine ſource or quality, out of the Love-Subſtantiality.

318. The Holy Tincture according to the divine Fires Property, belongeth to the Soul, and the Waters property, viz: the Lights Meekneſſe, belongeth to the Body, the Body is alwayes under or beneath the Soul.

319. For, the Soul it out of the Eternall Nature-Fire, it is the Principle between the Dark and Light World: it hath the Center of the Fire-World in it ſelf.

320. And the Subſtantiality is out of the Center of the Light-world, in the Divine deſire it cometh to a Subſtance, for it is the ſubſtance of the Deſire, the Deſire is^[123] Spirit, and that which is comprehended in the Deſire, is the Subſtance of the Deſire.

321. And what can the deſire comprehend, other, then it ſelf, that is, the Meekneſſe of the Light, that is, a ſinking downe of the Love and Meekneſſe towards the Fire-Spirit that riſeth up; That, the FireSpirit continually comprehendeth in its deſire, and conſumeth it, that is, it bringeth it through the ſharpneſſe of the Father, and there it goeth through death againe forth into the Liberty, and maketh the ſource or quality of the divine World, for the Spirit of God, is underſtood therein.

322. Not that there is a dying or Death therein, but the Fire ſource or quality, is accounted for a Death, for the Roote of the Fire, is the Dark World with its ſterne formes to the Fire-Nature: As in the Book of the Six Points of the Great Myſterie, is expreſly mentioned at Large.

323. Now underſtand the ſence, aright: Gods Subſtantiality, hath been from Eternity, it is unmeaſurable, and unſathomable, it is every where all over, whereſoever a Man can ſay here is God, there is alſo the Divine Subſtantiality, yet not in the Outward World in the Third Principle; but in the Heavenly in the Second Principle.

324. Therefore ſaid Chriſt, John 3. 13.^[124] None goeth to Heaven but the ſonne of Man which is come from Heaven, and which it in Heaven; his divine Subſtantiality was in Heaven, and yet it was come into the Humanity, and the Humanity, is without him, dead, in Adam.

325. Now, would any goe into Heaven, they muſt then have his ſubſtance on them; He is^[125] the Ladder that Jacob ſaw, which with one End reached to Heaven, and with the other End in the Humanity.

326. A Man is to underſtand it thus, that the Body of Chriſt, underſtand, the^[126] Corporeity of the divine Subſtantiality, which hath revealed or manifeſted it ſelf in the Corporized Subſtantiality of the Humanity in Mary, ^[127] is Greater then ALL.

327. The divine Subſtantiality is not totally gone into the Creaturely Image, that cannot be; for it is unmeaſurable, Only it hath revealed or manifeſted it ſelf, in the humane Subſtantiality in the Created Image, in the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt; and kindled the humane, and given its Life, underſtand, into Adam's Image, which alſo was in Mary, and in all Men.

Queſtion.

328. Now it may be asked: What kinde of Perſon was Mary: being the Limit of Gods Covenant ſtood in her? Or, how did CHRIST get Body and Soul in Her, and yet remained what he was from Eternity?

Anſwer.

329. Many was, Firſt, a Bodily Iſſue and Daughter of Eve the Mother of us all, and of her right Mother Anna, and of her right Father Joachim: no immaculate pure virgin, underſtand, according to the outward World, for the Anger of God ſtuck alſo in her, and ſhee is redeemed or reconciled through the Bloud of Chriſt.

330. And according to the Second Principle, her Image ſtood alſo ſhut up in Death; But the Limit or Mark ſtood in her, underſtand, in her Image, but undiſcernably and unperceivably; in that way and manner, as God is in all, and the Thing knoweth nothing of him: for God dwelleth not in the Thing, he poſſeſſeth Nothing, but only himſelf: Thus was the Limit or Mark in Mary; and Gods Promiſe in the Word of Life, was in the Limit or Mark, yet not dwelling in Mary, but in it ſelf.

331. God had never according to his Heart, moved himſelf, from Eternity, and when once he moved himſelf in Mary in the Limit or Mark, then Mary became highly bleſſed; and in the Bleſſing impregnate with the Saviour: For the Life came into Death, into the, in Death incloſed, Eſſence.

332. Now yet the Seed of Man qualified or operated with the Body, and now when the divine Life came into the Eſſence of the Seed of Mary, then her whole Body, viz: the Images Body, according to the Second Principle, became Highly Bleſſed, And in this new Wonderous Entrance and Moving of God, was brought to Life, ſo that her Eſſence became living, and the Tincture of her Bloud became kindled with the Divine Tincture, underſtand, the Seeds Tincture, which qualifieth or mixeth with the whole Body.

333. But the outward Kingdome of this World, was not at this time broken off from Mary, that held her ſtill captive, SHEE muſt through Dying, through her Sons Death, enter into the Eternall Life.

334. Her Body indeed, did not vaniſh or fall away, for it was in the Midſt, in the Bleſſing, only the Earthly ſource or quality muſt break or corrupt in her, and all Adam's Children muſt enter through One and the ſame Entrance into Life, viz: through the Dying of Chriſt: when Chriſt quenched the Soul-Fire on the Croſſe in Death, then alſo Maryes Soul-Fire became quenched, that is, rightly kindled in the Light of the Majeſty.

335. The outward Body remained to be a Covering before it, ſo long as it ſtood in the ſource or quality of the Stars and Elements; Through Dying, the outward Subſtance of the ſource or quality, becometh broken off, and then the Image of God appeareth or ſhineth.

336. Underſtand it right, Chriſt had in Mary aſſumed all the Three Principles on to himſelf, but in Divine Order or Ordinance, not mixed, as Adam did, who introduced the outward Kingdome through the Imagination into the Inward: into the Soul Fire, whence the Light extinguiſhed.

337. He had on himſelf, that is on to the Limit or Mark of the Living Covenant, aſſumed, on to the Living Subſtantiality, the Souls Eſſence, viz: the firſt Principle, and then the Eſſence of the Image, of the Second Principle; and then the outward Kingdome, the Third Principle; for he ſhould be Lord of All.

338. He became after the End of Four Months, a living Soul, which now ſtood in the Image; but the Deity was in the Image the Center, which neither receives Addition or Diminution: the Divine Subſtantiality alſo, receives neither Addition nor Diminution, it becometh neither leſſe nor bigger, only it hath manifeſted or revealed it ſelf in the Humane Image, and generated it to Life.

339. Thus in Maryes Conception in her Seed a Living Eſſence aroſe, no more ſhut up in Death, not a ſinfull One; for where Gods Light ſhineth forth, there is no ſin within: Sin originateth in that place, where Gods Light ſhineth Not; but where it ſhineth, there is meer Love and Meckneſſe.

340. The Heart of God was the Ce[•••] in the Perſon of Chriſt; the Eſſences were with the Moving of the [••]ity, ſanctified and Enlightened; underſtand according to the Second Principle: for the Divine and humane Eſſence became Fleſh and Bloud, and became a Man, One only Perſon.

341. The outward Kingdome hung to the inward, but the inward had now in this Perſon the Dominion, the outward was Servant; therefore ſaith the Scripture,^[128] he took upon him the Forme of a Servant, that he might releaſe us from Servitude, or Bondage.

342. Thus, I ſay, What Chriſt is according to our humane Image, and according to the Soul; therein he is a Creature, like us, aſſumed from us; but what he is according to the Deity, and according to the Divine Subſtantiality, with that he is above Nature, and higher then the Heaven, and is as to that, no Creature, but GOD himſelf.

343. But his Divine Subſtance is IN his Creature, viz: in the Humanity, manifeſt: he is according to the Humanity, ſuch a perſon as Adam was before his Imagination and Fall; he is the ſecond Adam.

344. The Firſt Adam ſhould poſſeſſe the Kingly Seate, but ſeeing he ſtood not; therefore God generated to himſelf another or ſecond Adam out of the Firſt: Now if he had not been Naturall, then he had been unlike the firſt Image, alſo he had not been the Sonne of Man; as the Libeller ſuppoſeth.

345. Had he not had a Naturall Soul, then he had not in the Perſon, had all the Three Principles: What ſhould he then have committed into the Hands of his Father at that preſent when he dyed on the Croſſe, or what had ſuffered on the Tree of the Croſſe, if he had not been Naturall.

346. When he was riſen from the Dead, he ſhewed himſelf to his Diſciples, and ſaid,^[129] Behold me; a Spirit hath not Fleſh and Bones as yo ſee me have: Why then doth the Libeller ſay that it is I that would make Chriſt according to his holy immaculate humanity, Naturall: I am not the firſt that make him Naturall: He is my Brother, and the ſonne of Man, therefore he muſt needs be Naturall, yes the very Angells are Naturall.

347. But That he ſaith: I have written: that he became a Man in the Wilde; viz: in the Outward Birth; that is NOT true: The Text in my writing ſaith thus: and he wreſtled in his humane Body in the Power of the Light, in the wilde Nature, Hath he not, in Hell and on the Tree of the Croſſe, wreſtled with Gods Anger? Hath he not Dyed and taken away from our Wilde Nature,^[130] the ſting of Death?

348. The Libeller ſaith; Chriſt is not from Adam's Naturall Seed, if that were true; then he is not the ſonne of Man; then hath not God aſſumed the humanity Naturally: the Word is indeed become Fleſh; and is it not become Fleſh in the Humanity? Then let the Libeller Tell me how Chriſt came to be the ſonne of Man; or where remaines our Salvation or Redemption, the Reſurrection of our Fleſh?

349. Is Chriſt not in our Fleſh; then he will not awaken or raiſeus up: What doth his Wounds help me if they are in ſtronge Fleſh? Hath not the blinde Libeller ſeen; that in my whole Book I have diſtinguiſhed the Earthly and the Heavenly Man? What need he mix himſelf in the Magick underſtanding, and find fault with that of which he hath no knowledge underſtanding or Ground: let him read my Book of the becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, he would find more then he can fathom.

350. But that he will ſay; that Chriſt is become Man in the promiſed Seed, and Not in Adam's and Abraham's; What is that Seed? You ſee that very Promiſed Seed hath breathed it ſelf into the Humanity, and God and Man is become ONE Perſon.

351. He ſaith, Chriſt, viz: the Eternall Word, hath aſſumed the Seed of the pure holy Virgin, Elected to it from Eternity, which dyed away from Nature, and was totally bleſſed in God: viz: the fore-mentioned Seed of Abraham: Tell me Libeller; Who is that Virgin that hath dyed away from Nature: then ſhe muſt be a Monſter without a Soul, without Fleſh and Bloud, and No Man-kind.

352. What need God aſſume to himſelf heavenly Seed into his Subſtance? was not his Subſtance for certain on him from Eternity: What doth that help us? But that he is Entered into our humanity and awakened or raiſed up, our in Death incloſed Seed, and make it Living againe; that I rejoyce at, that I may truly ſay; that my Fleſh ^[131] ſuteth at the Right hand, in the Power of God.

353. If Chriſt hath aſſumed to himſelf, any other Seed then my Inward Man is, how then can my inward Man Eat his Fleſh and Drink his Bloud?

354. Sir Libeller, Erre not, God will not ſuffer himſelf nor his children to be mocked: we ſuppoſe eaſily, that you are altogether blind ſtill in the Myſtery of God; you know nothing of the inward Man; much leſſe of the New Regeneration: learne firſt rightly to underſtand the Principles; and the Center of Nature, before you Judge; you will needs be one taught of God or Learned in God, and yet know not one Letter in THAT Schoole.

355. By, Nature, you underſtand, only, the outward Kingdome: what kinde of Nature then hath the Soul? I ſuppoſe here your Art will know nothing of it: you know Nothing of the inward Man, which is the ſimilitude of God: and yet will Judge: you underſtand not what God is: and yet you will Judge Gods Children: you are juſtly to be condemned in this.

356. You bring places of Scripture, and underſtand them not; and beſides you expound my ſence and Mind altogether falſly: Who hath called you, that you ſhould explaine my obſcure deep hidden Writing? I had written as a young child in the Myſtery of God; when I was firſt come into that Schoole, and hung ſtill to the A. B. C: come you or any other to this Dance, and you will well ſee, whether you can be inſtantly a Doctor or no.

357. Such a fooliſh underſtanding as you impute to me, I would ſcarce look for in a Cow: have a care and conſider, how you will be able to anſwer it in the preſence of God: If your Fiction, ſhould prevaile, then inſtantly would another Antichriſt be generated or born.

358. You come marching on with a twofold Seed in Adam, one muſt be Chriſts Seed and the other Adams Naturall Seed, and found the Election of God upon it; but you look upon this Myſtery, as a Cow looketh upon a New Barne Door; you underſtand nothing of it; you can not explaine, and ſet it downe with any ground, what the Seed of the Noble Image is, and yet you will Judge.

359. Indeed, thou layeſt a ſnare before Mens Souls, eſpecially the dejected ſad ſorrowfull Tempted Souls, ſo that many a one thinketh thus, with himſelf, ſaying who knowes whether I be begotten or extracted out of a right Seed, out of Chriſt; eſpecially when he feeleth the Aſſaults of Temptation: then he ſhould ſeek comfort, in this Libell.

360. You ſay, the Gracious Election is a great Comfort to the children of Chriſt, when they feele Gods Grace in them; viz: the Womans Seed; but where ſhall he reſt that is Aſſaulted and Tempted by the Devill? he may well in your writings deſpaire; he would think continually, he were out of or from Adam's Seed, and that God will none of him.

361. If you will ſpeak ſo of the Grace-Election, then you muſt not leave out the Love of God, which willeth not the Evill; you ſhould joyne with it that which Chriſt ſaith, ^[132] Father, the Men were thine, and thou haſt given them to Me,^[133] and I give them the Eternall Life: Alſo ^[134]Father, I will that thoſe whom thou haſt given Me, be where I am: Alſo;^[135] I am come to call the ſinners to repentance, and not the Righteous; ^[136]there is in Heaven among the Angells of God, more Joy at one ſinner that Repenteth, then at Ninety-nine righteous, that need Repentance: And ^[137]As true as I live, ſaith the Lord, I will not the Death of a ſinner, but that he turne and live.

362. If you will prove any thing with Cain and Abel, with Iſsac and Iſhmael, alſo with Eſau and Jacob; then learne firſt to underſtand the Three Principles, what the drawing to Good and to Evill is, reject not Nature, learne firſt to diſtinguiſh the Eternall Nature, from the beginning inceptive Nature; elſe you will but lay a ſnare upon the Bodyes and Souls of your Diſciples or Schollers, and will but tumble or Grope in the Dark in meere doubting.

363. You will build high, and yet a Man can find no ſufficient ground in all your writing: It is as to the Myſtery but a fighting with a ſhaddow: Tell me, if you be a Maſter, and have an enlightened Mind and Thoughts, as you ſuppoſe; What are the Two Seeds in Adam, out of one of which Cain, out of the other Abel is generated or borne: Is that the Predeſtinate Purpoſe of God, as you conceit it? then demonſtrate it.

364. You muſt underſtand the Birth or Geniture, of the Holy Trinity, if you will Judge thereof; alſo, the underſtanding of the Dark World; alſo of the fierce Wrath, and of the Love of God, what God is in Love and Anger; what a Devill or an Angel is, and how he came to be a Devill.

365. Alſo, you muſt underſtand the Myſterie of the Divine wiſdome; Eſpecially you muſt underſtand, how the Deare Name of God Originateth from Eternity; How the Nothing becometh introduced into Nature, ſo that out of the Nothing, a ſource or quality cometh to be; If you underſtand not THESE things, then ſtay with your conceits at home; read my Book of the Threefold Life of Man: and you will ſee with other Eyes.

366. Chriſt ſaith, You muſt be borne anew; through Water and the Holy Spirit, elſe you cannot ſee the Kingdome of God: He ſaith, YOU, not a ſtranger, YOUR SELF!

367. There doth not come another ſtrange Creature into us when we become born out of Chriſt; but, when we put our whole deſire, into God, into the becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, into his ſuffering and Dying: and become ſorry for our ſinnes and deſire Gods Mercy in Chriſt; then our Souls Will-Spirit goeth forth from ſinne and Evill or Malice, and entereth into the becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt; viz: into the Heavenly Subſtantiality, which is^[138] greater then all: and there the Will-Spirit cometh before the Center, viz: before the Heart of God.

368. That Heart of God is deſirous of the Humanity, and that graſpeth with its deſire into the Will-Spirit, after the Humanity, and thus the Will-Spirit receiveth the Power of the Center, viz: a Sparkle of the Divine Power.

369. And that Sparkle, hath on it ſelf the Divine Subſtantiality, viz: the Water of the Eternall Life, out of the Majeſty of God, and therein, the Wiſdome with the Heavenly Tincture: this the Will-Spirit which is become generated out of the Soul, bringeth againe with great Joy, into the Souls-Fire.

370. And when the Soul-Fire, taſteth the ſweet Love and Meekneſſe in it ſelf, in its own Eſſence, then the Eſſence is ſo very vehemently terrified, that it appeareth overcome, as it were dead, and loſeth its Fiery right, and the Fiery Eſſence falleth into the Meekneſſe of the Love, viz: into the Liberty of God, without beſides or beyond Nature, and yeeldeth it ſelf captive to the Meekneſſe, viz: to the Lights property; and is as if it were of the Fiery property, and yet were not of it: this is a terrour of Great Joy, and the Aſpect of God, in the Divine Power, whence Body and Soul doe tremble for Joy.

371. For thus the Souliſh Fire becometh put out of, the Earneſt ſevere paine of the fierce wrath of God, of the Eternall Fires Eſſence and property, into another ſource or quality: viz: into a Love-Deſire; for the Light of God kindleth it ſelf in the Souls-Fire; for when the Meekneſſe and Love Deſire cometh into the Magick Souls-Fire, then the Love and Meekneſſe feeleth the Great Life, out of the Fathers Nature.

372. For, the Meekneſſe is a Sinking downe, it is the Water-Spirit, and without the Great Life, is as it were dead, in compariſon of the Fire, but when it cometh into the Fire, it becometh, as vehemently terrified, as the Fire in it, and the terrour is the kindling of its Life and of the Light.

373. Seeing then the Soul in the beginning of its Creation, was cloathed and adorned with this Heavenly Subſtantiality; and it was the Souls right inward Body, and that the Soul, in Adam is gone forth, with its Imagination, away from this Subſtantiality; whence that Subſtantiality is againe become ſhut up in Death, viz: in the ſtill Nothing.

374. And it, the Soul, is entered with its Imagination into the Earthly Kingdome, viz: into the Subſtantiality of its Root: and nevertheleſſe, that very firſt Image, which became ſhut up in Death, viz: in the inability without the Life, yet hangeth to the Soul: but without its apprehenſion or underſtanding.

375. Therefore now, when the Light of the Soul becometh kindled againe, and the heavenly Subſtantiality out of Gods Majeſty receiveth the Life: viz; the Light in the Soul; then the dead Subſtantiality becometh Living againe in the Lights power; and becometh, together with the now new introduced Subſtantiality, one Subſtantiality, one ſpirituall Body, for it is of one only Eſſence, and here Death riſeth up in Chriſt, here God and the Inward Man become one Perſon.

376. Underſtand it aright: This new Light-Life, is Chriſt: He firſt introduced it againe into the Soul, and our right humanity, ſo that God and Man is ONE: Now we muſt follow after God, we muſt put our Imagination into him: for he hath put his into Us, and then we become impregnate with the Saviour; we become new-borne in his Limit or Mark, that God ſet in Paradiſe; wherein, he is become Man; Death riſeth up again in that very Limit or Mark: we muſt be true Members of Chriſt, if we would ſee God.

377. When the Water, or the Water-ſource or quality out of the Meekneſſe of God, cometh into the Souls-Fire, ſo that the Light kindleth it ſelf, then is the Noble Tincture already generated out of the Water in the Fire, which is the Glance or Luſtre and Ornament of Heaven, as a Paradiſicall Delight or Pleaſantneſſe, in which the Subſtantiality of God ſhineth or appeareth; and therein the Holy Spirit, and in the Spirit, the Divine Center, viz: the Power of Heart of God, and in the Heart of God the Myſterie, viz: the Principle or the Father; viz: the Fire-World; and in the Fire-World, the Dark World; and in the Dark World this outward World, together with the Starres and Elements.

378. Thus ALL goeth out of ONE fountain-Spring, but the Heart of God is the Center of All Subſtances, or of Every thing: it is all Magicall, and in the Magick-Deſire ſtandeth the Subſtance according to each Worlds property, and according to the deſire of each of them; for the Deſire maketh Subſtance, according to the Deſires property, therefore, is the Fire the ſtrongeſt, and the Light the Mightieſt in the Power; the Fire giveth Life, and the Light giveth power, and underſtanding.

379. Underſtand it aright; The Dark World is the Center of this outward World; The Dark World hath the formes to Nature, viz: the Great Magick Deſire; wherein the ſource or Torment and Anguiſh generateth it ſelf; It is the wheele to the Fire-Life, with its Formes, and hath in it ſelf, the ſtrong Magia of the Deſire: It laboureth in its own forme till to the Fire; and there its Principle^[139] ſhuts up it ſelf.

380. For, in the Fire, exiſteth the great Life, and another ſource or quality, and alſo another Principle, viz: the Light, with the quality or ſource of Meekneſſe: whereas in the Dark World, there is only Anguiſh and a meere hunger Deſire; The Light holdeth the Dark World captive: In theſe TWO now ſtandeth the Drawing to Good and to Evill: my Sir Libeller.

381. The Light or the Power of the Light is a deſire; and willeth to have the Noble Image according to Gods ſimilitude; for it is created to the Light World: ſo alſo the Dark World, viz: the Deſiring of the fierce Wrath, willeth to have it: for Man hath all the Three Worlds in himſelf, and there is a great Strife in Man: to which of theſe now he uniteth or giveth up himſelf with his Deſire and Willing, that getteth the Dominion in him; as the Apoſtle ſaith,^[140] To which you give your ſelf in Obedience, you are ſervant of that; either of ſinne unto Death, or of Obedience unto Righteouſneſſe.

382. Each world ſtandeth hidden in the other; for Each dwelleth only and barely in it ſelf, neither poſſeſſeth the other in the fource or quality thereof; as you ſee it in Light and Darkneſſe, how the Darkneſſe dwelleth in the Light, and is not manifeſt in the ſhining of the Light: but if the Light departeth or Extinguiſheth, then the Darkneſſe becometh manifeſt.

383. Thus you ſee alſo, the difference of the ſource or quality, how one ſource or quality mixeth not with the other; by the Fire and Light; The Light dwelleth in the Fire, and yet hath not the Fires ſource or quality, but a meek amiable one: and Herein ſticketh the Great Myſtery, Myſterium Magnum: My Sir Libeller, ſeek it, and then you will find it.

384. In this Myſterie ſeek the TWO ſort of Seeds and Wills, and leave free-will to Man: elſe you are the Dark Worlds Advocate; which World ſoever in Man, gets the upper Dominion, that extracts or begets Seed out of its own Eſſence; that beareth fruit and worketh, the other ſtands hidden, be it the Heavenly or the Helliſh.

385. When Adam's Soul went ſorth away from the Divine World out of Paradiſe into the Outward World, then the Soul wrought or boar fruit to Death in the Dark World: But when it apprehended the Curſher of the Serpent, in the Limit or Mark of the Covenant, then it wrought or boare fruit to Life againe.

386. But being his Noble Image, without the becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, could not riſe up our of the ſtill Death, therefore both Dominions remained qualifying or operating in him; viz; the Helliſh and the Heavenly, and are ſtanding the whole Time, in ſtrife one with another, about the Image; Each hath its Fiat in it ſelf, and many a Branch is become rent off from this Tree.

387. And here ſeek Cain and Abel, alſo Jacob and Eſou, Iſaac and Iſhmael; here you will find them, and not in the Light World in Gods Predeſtinate purpoſe: Here you will finde my deep hidden Magicall ^[141]Book, which the Authour at that time might not make more cleere, but now through Gods grace may doe it.

388. Read the Forty Queſtions of the Soul, I'le aſſure you, you will become ſeeing, unleſſe the Anger of God and the Devills malice hath wholly blinded you, and that you are a totall Cain: then you will ſee nothing but a Shell: And though you were ſuch a one, yet then the Doore of Grace ſtandeth Open towards you, and deſireth to have you, and you may IN Chriſt become generated anew.

389. The Poſſibility is in ALL Men, but^[142] in Gods Mercy, not that he would not have any that came to him, HE will alwayes readily, only it lyeth not in humane conceits, running and own doing, none can make himſelf the Child of God; he muſt wholly caſt himſelf into the Obedience of God, and then God maketh him a Child: he muſt be Dead, underſtand with the outward Reaſon, and then God in Chriſt liveth in Him.

390. He ſhould not feigne to himſelf wayes to the Kingdome of Heaven, and make Opinions, as the Autichriſtian Church doth; for, in the Opinion he runs of himſelf, yet^[143] It lyeth not in any Man's going or running, but in a lowly humble Penitent Heart, which goeth forth from ſinne, thoſe God hath Mercy on, for it lyeth in Gods Mercy.

391. When Man converteth, and goeth forth from ſinne, then he becometh IN Gods Mercy, Elected to be a Child of God: then the Spirit of Chriſt, draweth him to the Father, Chriſt ſaith ^[144] None cometh unto Me except my Heavenly Father draw him.

392. Now he draweth not the wicked Will, THAT, the Devill and the Dark world draweth; only Man hath Free will, if he caſt his Will into Righteouſneſſe into God, then the Spirit of God comprehendeth his Will, and bringeth it in Ternarium Sanctum into the Holy Ternary: and there the Noble Graine becometh ſowne in the Will, and then beginneth the Drawing of the Father to the Regeneration.

393. God hardeneth no Man, but the Dark world in the Devils Imagination and Inchantment, they harden Man, viz; the Souls-Fire, they are a Door ſhut againſt the Light.

394. Though indeed the Scripture ſaith,^[145] God hath Mercy on whom he will, and hardeneth whom he will: yet it hath not that underſtanding, as if God would not hear the Poor Sinner: For Chriſt ſaith:^[146] come all to me, that are weary and heavy laden, I will refreſh you: Alſo:^[147] I am come to call ſinners to Repentance. Alſo,^[148] The Son of Man is come not to Judge the World, but that he might ſave the World: He that runneth in his own conceit hardeneth himſelf, for he will needs be Chriſt.

395. Gods hardening is, when he letteth one run on whither he will; God knoweth his, very well, why ſhould a Man pour Oyle into thoſe wounds to which it is poyſon, the Soar will be but the Larger.

396. Who will help him, who himſelf will NOT: Or ſhall Men ^[149] caſt Pearls before Swing; If a man lets the free-will goe whither it will, then it cometh into its Fathers Native Country, out of which it is gone forth; why doth Man lend the Devill his heart, that he may introduce an Evill Will or Deſire thereinto:^[150] A good Tree bringeth forth good fruit.

397. Why did Adam bring his Imagination into the Serpents Poyſon, into Pride of Multiplicity, into the wonder of the fierce wrathfull Nature: He had the Command not to do it, why was he diſobedient? who compelled him? Even the Luſt or Longing which came from the Devil: and therefore is HE Guilty of Mans Fall.

398. He muſt indeed ſtand in the Temptation, to try into which World he would give up himſelf; all the Three Worlds drew him, each had him on a Band, there he ſhould ſhew his valour as a Prince: he was free.

399. But that he was overcome by the Outward World, that the Devill cauſed by his Infection, as ſtill at this very day he teareth many a little Sprout from the Tree: Therefore Man ſhould not be ſecure, alſo not rely on, or be of himſelf; but continually give up himſelf into Gods Mercy.

400. He can not better wreſtle with the Devill then when he caſts himſelf into Gods Mercy, then he relyes not on, or is not of, himſelf, but he is Gods; the Devill may dance in his Smoak Hole how he will, a Man can not hinder him of that, only let him not give his Will to the Devill, as Adam did.

Number II. Page 18.

401. THe Paſquil or Libeller begins here again to Reprehend, but he perverteth the Authour's Mind and Senſe quite and cleane; and caſts Gall into it, where it ſtands written thus.

402.^[151] But they that became generated or born in the Light of^[152] Nature and of the Spirit, and upon Earth never rightly knew the Tree of Life, but were growne in ITS Power, which hath overſhadowed ALL Men upon Earth, as indeed many Heathen and People and Infants; they were alſo taken up, in that very power, wherein they were Growne, and their Spirit became cloathed therewith, and they ſung the Song of their Power.

Now thus ſaith the Libeller.

403. And as this^[153] Spirit, determines of a Naturall Chriſt, ſo will he alſo have the knowledg of him to be Naturall, and from that, though they knew not the Tree of Life in Spirit and in Truth; might attaine Eternall Life Externally; as if there were more wayes then One to it.

Thus far the Libeller.

Anſwer.

404. Is not the Libeller ſent. that he ſhould Judg the People Tongues and Languages? and ſhall he not Judge the Child in the Mothers body or Womb? alſo the deaf and blind, which are born Deaf, eſpecially, the Heathen and Turks? he letteth none of theſe into Heaven, for he hath the Keyes of Peter; O thou miſerable Blindneſſe, how many will enter into the Kingdome of God before thee.

405. Is not the Father in the Sonne, and the Sonne in the Father and the Holy Spirit in them both? Now if the Heathen People, are, without underſtanding, Zealous for the Living God, and yet have not the knowledge of Chriſt among them, and know nothing thereof, but with a totall earneſt ſincerity Deſire the Love and Mercy of God: will God then caſt them all away, becauſe they have not Chriſts Name.

406. He that apprehendeth the ONE only living God; he hath apprehended the Holy Trinity: The Publican in the Temple, knew not how to ſay any thing elſe but only this: O God be Gracious to me poor Sinner! If now a Turk or Heathen ſhould come in ſuch a Manner, with ſincere earneſt Supplication and Repentance, and yet knew nothing of the Kingdome of Chriſt: Sir Libeller, wouldſt not thou admit him to the Mercy of God?

407. How doe you know what God would do for you? or what have you given to him? that he hath of Grace beſtowed his Sonne upon you; may he not then alſo receive Turks and Heathens to Grace, eſpecially little Children: Hearken thou blind Libeller: thou underſtandeſt not the Authour's ſaying.

408. My Text ſaith: Thoſe who were become Born or generated in the Light of Nature and of the Spirit: The Light of the Eternall Nature is the Heart of God, the Light of the Majeſty of God, and the Spirit from or out of the Light is the Holy Spirit: with this Deſcription, the^[154] New Birth.

409. Now if a man be generated or born out of THAT, then it is well and good; for he is born of God: there will be many people thus born in God, which knew nothing of the Name of Chriſt, viz; How God is become Man or Incarnate.

410. Doth now the blind Libeller underſtand Nothing, then I ſuppoſe the Devill hath blinded him: See further: But thoſe that were grown in ITS Power, underſtand in the Power of the Tree of Chriſt, they were received: Doeſt thou here underſtand, the Naturall Growth with or as to Fleſh and Bloud? then thou art blind indeed.

411. Doe you not ſee my Text ſaith, Thoſe who were born in the Light of Nature and of the Spirit; that is no fleſhly Birth, that which is born in the Spirit of the Light, is born of God. Sir Libeller you have the Property of a Toad, which ſucketh Evill out of Good, what ſhall I ſay, or write much thereof.

Number III. Page 26.

It ſtandeth thus.

412.^[155] But if a Man will ſpeak of God, what GOD is, he muſt diligently conſider the Powers in Nature; as alſo the whole Creation of Heaven and Earth, as the Starres and Elements, and the Creatures which are proceeded from them, then alſo, the Holy Angels Devils & Man, alſo Heaven and Hell.

413.^[156] Hearken Libeller; when thou rightly knoweſt, what an Angel is, then thou knoweſt thy ſelf in thy Noble Image, and knoweſt God in his Love according to the Second Principle.

414. And when thou rightly knoweſt what a Devil is, then thou knoweſt Gods Angor and the Dark World.

415. And when thou rightly knoweſt, the Stars & Elements, then thou haſt in the Outward Nature, the Similitude of the Inward Eternal Nature.

416. And when thou rightly conceiveſt of the Creatures, thou then ſeeſt by the Creation, Gods wonderfull Wiſdome, and when thou rightly conceiveſt of the Heaven, then thou knoweſt the difference or diſtinction of the Principles.

417. But Hearken Libeller, why ſhould I talk long with thee about it; thou art indeed wholly blind as to my Writings, thou brigeſt every where other meanings thereinto, then I entended by it: Thou ſayſt; ^[157] Fleſh and Bloud cannot Conceive of God, thou oughteſt not to oppoſe me in that, I ſay ſo too: and that^[158] the Outward Man knoweth, or underſtandeth Nothing of God, but the Inward Man, eſpecially the Spirit, ſearcheth even the Depths of the Deity.

418. I ſay not; That a Beaſt ſhould Conſider the Angells, Devills, Heaven, Hell, Starres, Elements and Creatures: But an underſtanding Man, who is the Child of God, who ſhall have his refreſhing therewith, that Gods Love Groweth in Him.

419. But that which is ſaid concerning the LAW of Nature, that thoſe who live or have lived therein, and are growne in that Light's that, the blinde Libeller expounds all concerning the outward Nature: he underſtandeth nothing in it.

420. The Law of Nature, is Gods Commadment, when God ſaid to Adams Nature, Thou ſhalt not eate of the Tree; that Law is alſo written in our Minde: ſo that we know we ſhould doe right; the very beathens, and little Children underſtand THAT.

421. Now if a Man live in that Law; and doth that which he well knoweth, that it is RIGHT; and is generated or born out of the Light of the Eternal Nature, out of the Spirit, viz: out of Gods Heart: who will Judge him? Thou Moate-Judger, ſtay thou at home.

422. When I in that Place ſpeak of the Tree of^[159] vegetation, viz: of the ſweet Tree; then I underſtand or meane not the will of the Fleſh, but the Dominion of the Spirit of God, I alſo ſpeak not of the Corporall and inceptive or beginning Birth, but of the Spirituall.

423. The ſweet Tree is Gods Spirit, as is formerly mentioned at Large, underſtand, it is the heavenly Subſtantiality, which the Word or Heart of God brought along with it; into the Eſſence of Mary, which became Man in Mary, that ſweet Tree of the Divine Subſtantiality is greater then all; and moveth in the ſecond Principle, over US ALL.

424. My whole meaning Aimes at this, and though thou underſtandeſt it not, yet I know it, and ſay with aſſured Truth, that many a Heathen, Turk, and Infant, hath eaten of this Tree in Gods Mercy, and though he hath not knowne it plainly by Name, that which the outward Man knoweth not, that the inward Man knoweth, yea the Outlandiſh People have even Adames Body and Soul as well as we.

425. Hearken Libeller: what ſaith Paul,^[160] Rom. 2. 11. to the 16? There is no reſpect of Perſons with God:^[161] they who have ſinned without Law, ſhall periſh without the Law; and they who have ſinned againſt the Law, they ſhall be judged by the Law;^[162] for in the ſight of God not the hearers of the Law are juſtified, but thoſe that doe the Law ſhall be juſtified;^[163] for if the Heathen that have not the Law, and yet by Nature doe the work of the Law, thoſe having not the Law are a Law unto themſelves,^[164] whereby they ſhew, that the Law is written in their Hearts, ſeeing their Conſcience witneſſeth, as alſo their Thoughts, which accuſe or exeuſe one another, ^[165]till the Day wherein God will Judge, the ſecrets of Manking, through JESUS CHRIST, according to my Goſpel.

426. Why then doth the Libeller reject this which I have written, that the Law of Nature is written in Mans heart, and Every one by Nature Knoweth well, and his Conſcience witneſſeth to him, that he ſhould doe Right: now if there were a Stranger, who knew Nothing of Chriſt, and did from his whole Soul, chriſtian works, in hope of the Divine Wages; Wilt thou condemne him?

427. Doeſt thou not underſtand, that they ſhall be judged by the Goſpel, which hear the Goſpel and do it not; and they which hear it not and do Evill, ſhall be ſo too: and they which heard not Chriſt Preached, nor knew of him, and yet were zealous in the Love, in the fear of God; ſhall in their zeale, enter into the kingdome of God, before the ſtiffe necked Chriſtians, which only bear the Name of Chriſt.

428. If thou canſt, then blame Saint Paul to his face, as thou doeſt me; Thou unintelligent fierce wrathfull envious Libeller; Thou Judgeſt me and Condemneſt me, Contrary to the Commandment of Chriſt, who ſaith;^[166] Judge not and you ſhall not be Judged, condemn'not, ſo you ſhall not be condemned; ^[167] With what Meaſure you Meet to others, will others Meet unto you again. ^[168]

429. What need you ſpread abroad ſuch a reproachfull Libel among the People, and Judge my written unprinted Writings, which I wrote only for a Memoriall to my ſelf, which are come to Light without my will; and to condemn me in ſuch a vaine frivolous and altogether Diabolicall manner.

430. Thou Moate-Judger; was this commanded thee it was not done in reſpect of the Authour of the Book; but that thou mighteſt make ſhew of thy fine high underſtanding Thoughts, what a Maſter of Scripture, and Man of underſtanding thou art: but I find thee in^[169] Babel with an unchriſtain Mind, go on ſo, and thou wilt be found, a very faithfull Labourer to our Lord God in his Vineyard, will you not think you?

431. Thou haſt in thy diſgracefull Libel ſet it down thy ſelf, that men ſhould condemn none, but it is free for THEE only, what thou forbiddeſt to another, THOU only mayſt Judge that which is ſecret.

432. Had I known that my Book ſhould have been read, likely it had been written clearlier, with plain words, though it is clear enough, but thou art blind: The Moat or Splinter of the Thorne of Pride, to ſhew himſelf to his brother Abel, like Cain, ſticketh in thy Eyes.

433. But I tell thee, that thy Book the Libel, affordeth a good Root for a New Antichriſt; I underſtand therein very new Things, which I ſuppoſe, to run quite contrary to the Holy Scripture: Eſpecially concerning the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, and concerning his Mother Mary.

434. I believe, if men did not Read the Libel, it would be more conducing to their happineſſe, then for any to grope far after your new conceits, which are contrary to the Ground of the Scripture; it hath ſuch an aſpect, that it filleth the Eyes of the People, but not of thoſe that underſtand aright, they do not all account thee a Maſter for it, it is even called Babel, and an untirnely or abortive unprofitable Libel.

435. Is this thy Chriſtian Heart, that thou judgeſt and condemneſt a zealous Man, who is zealous after Salvation: and if I did indeed erre in my zeal, and yet in a right heart and ſincere meaning, and that, really led with Ignorance and ſimplicity: ſhouldeſt thou condemn Me? Doeſt thou not Obſerve what Saint Paul ſaith of the zealous Heathens, as above-mentioned, Rom. 2.

436. Art thou a Maſter and a Chriſtian, why doeſt thou not firſt Inſtruct me, and teach me what is better; Doeſt thou not know me, I think it is not hidden to thee who I am, viz: a ſimple Man, and unlearned: Art thou highly learned, expert, and skilfull, ſhouldſt thou then deal ſo Tyrannically with me, as to caſt me to the Devill?

437. Where is thy Chriſtian Heart? ſhew it me in thy Libel? ſhouldeſt thou condemn a Simple Man? I would have friendly conſerred with thee, and given thee a good account of my doings, if thou hadſt done as befits a Chriſtian, with friendly Information.

438. But thy high puſt up Mind would not; now I have anſwered to it; it deſerves no better; ſince thou proclaimeſt me a Devill, I proclaime thee a Lyar, for I am a Child of God, and am zealous day and night after my God, with Sapplication to his Mercy for Chriſts ſake, and ſtedfaſtly believe, that I am a Child of God, and Member of Chriſts Body: I am alſo very certain in the power of the Holy Spirit, that he will preſerve my Depoſited Treaſure, viz: the Noble Pearly Jewel in Chriſt, till that Day.

439. Thou proud Phariſee, thou ſhalt not take away the Noble Garland of Victory from me, which my Saviour Chriſt hath ſet upon me; but if thou deſireſt to take it away from me, have a care what thou doeſt, and where thou abideſt, that the Anger of God do not devoure thee.

440. I would as a Chriſtian have thee warned, to abſtain from ſuch reproaching, and ſhamefull condemning: for the kingdome of God, conſiſteth not is knowing much, but in an Earneſt ſincere obedient humble Mind and Will, in the preſence of God, that we be Chriſtains in the Deed, and not with the Mouth only.

441. A Chriſtian hath no ſtrife but only againſt HIMSELF, againſt his EVILL Nature: God ſaith,^[170] Vengoance is mine, I will repay it, we live and are in God,^[171] why will we then ſtrive about HIM? Let every one but judge himſelf, and turn to God. The Strife is alwayes about the Shell; and the Kernell which belongeth to the Soul, men let that lye.

442. Hath any Learned ſomwhat, let him uſe it to the Honour of God, and the profit of his Brother; he ſhould not deſpiſe any: God hath regenerated us in his Love, without all our knowledge or deſert, through his Heart, viz; his great Mercy; when as formerly we were all of us blind, and knew nothing of his bringing us back again; we were^[172] all under ſinne: and he hath beſtowed on us the childſhip out of Grace:^[173] ſhall we then out ſelves judge one another.

443. Or, can we all ſpeak with one and the ſame Tongue? There are, you know, many Gifts, and but One only Spirit, which giveth them, as Saint Paul ſaith; Shall we then call that very Spirit a Devill, which openeth Gods Wonders to us, doeſt thou not know what the Scripture ſaith,^[174] Whoſoever blaſphemeth or reproacheth the Spirit of God, hath no forgiveneſſe Eternally.

444. Thou draweſt the Judgement of God wilfully upon thy ſelf, and makeſt the people the worſe, that look upon thy Reproaching, ſo that they alſo become ſlanderers from your Mouth, whereas otherwiſe they would be quiet, that Sinne might be brought forth with Sinne, and ſo be reſerved to the ſevere^[175] Judgement of God, who will give to every one according to his Deeds.

Number IV.

445. THe Libeller ſets it down thus: All men are created by God, according to the Fleſh; and in that very ^[176] Maſſe or Lump, they are all ſhut up under Sinne, diſobedience, and Darkneſs, and none better then the other: but they are diſtinguiſhed according to the Spirit: and the Children of the Light generated from or out of HIM: whom he delivereth out of the Naturall Darkneſſe; and maketh their Darkneſſe Light; But the Children of the World he letteth ſit in Darkneſſe, and letteth their Light go out in the Midſt of the Darkneſſe; for he loved Jacob, and hated Eſau.

446. Hearken Libeller; why doeſt thou boyle the Broth in thy Mouth, and telleſt not all freely forth, as it ſitteth in thy heart; you have it within you, I would have you fully give it forth: What mean you by the Two ſorts of Spirits from the Mothers Body or Womb; are there two ſorts of Souls generated or born? one out of God; the other out of the Fleſh, as thou ſuppoſeſt: O thou blind Reaſon, what doſt thou Teach? Wilt thou judge? when thou thy ſelf underſtandeſt it not.

447. Of the Fleſh, no Soul becometh Generated, but Soul of Soul, and Fleſh of Fleſh; we are from Adam all extracted or begotten of one Soul and Spirit: and no other; Adam is the Tree, we are the Branches; we ſtand all in that Tree as to the Root, and he hath deſtroyed us all.

448. Elſe, if it were ſo, that one Man did receive in the Mothers Body or Womb, an Earthly Spirit, and the other, one out of or from God, then were he which is Generated or born out of or from God, not guilty of Adams fall; alſo he were no Sinner from the Mothers womb, and the other from the Fleſh, were from the Mothers womb, Damned: as he finely Court-like applyes it to Jacob and Eſau: this is his meaning, and the underſtanding ſoundeth juſt ſo; only he boyles the broth in the Mouth.

449. For what ſhould God ſuffer, ſo long a while, that there is teaching and Preaching to the Damned; or what would it be profitable to the totally perfect? Is the Spirit, from the Mothers womb, of God, and hath it Gods Light PERFECT; then it is without Sinne, and needs no Teaching: But the Scripture ſaith,^[177] They are all Sinners, and come ſhort of the boaſting which they ſhould have in God. The Holy Apoſtles ſay;^[178] O Lord, thou haſt redeemed US with thy Bloud.

450. ANd the Libeller ſaith further; Who then dare ſay that this is done without the command of the Lord; and that neither Good nor Evill cometh out of the Mouth of the Moſt High; Hath not a ^[179]Potter power, to make of One Lump what he will, one veſſel to Honour, and the other to Diſhonour? And cannot GOD do ſo with US Men.

451. Yes indeed; that were a fine thing from one of underſtanding, who will produce Texts of Scripture, eſpecially ſuch ſayings which give offence to the ſad ſorrowfull tempted Mind, and that he alſo expoundeth it ſo, that he caſteth a Snare about his Neck, and goeth away laughing at it, this is falſe wicked fraud.

452. Thou ſtill ſuppoſeſt; that God makes One happy out of his Predeſtinate purpoſe, and Damneth the other out of his Predeſtinate purpoſe; whereas God ſaith in Exekiel 33.^[180] As true as I live, I deſire not the Death of a ſinner, but that he turne and live.

453. If thou underſtandeſt not the Principle, between Light and Fire; which belongeth to the Soul, then be ſilent about the Election ſtill; thou underſtandeſt nothing thereof.

454. Thou ſuppoſeſt God hardeneth the Soul, and it is not true; the hardening ſticketh in the Principle, ſo that many become apprehended by the dark Center of Nature, from the fierce wrathfull Formes to Nature.

455. For the Principles ſtand in a Continuall Wreſtiling, as the Fire in the ſource or^[181] quality; As it hath ſo happened to Lucifer, that he hath framed the Will of Pride in the Fires-Matrioc in reſpect of the Dark world: alſo it is to be ſeen by Cain and Abel.

456. The Light World, which is God himſelf, hath no deſire to Evill or deſtruction: there is not the leaſt ſparkle in God, that deſireth the Evill; God calleth himſelf God, according to the Light, according to the Love, and not according to the Fire-ſource or quality, much leſſe according to the Dark World.

457. The Fire-ſource or quality, is fierce wrathfulneſſe, and devouceth all whatſoever cometh into it, and the Dark World is a meere fierce wrathfull hunger: and the Light World is a meere Love, Man hath all the Three in the Center.

458. When the Life becometh kindled, then is in the Center the Strife in the Formes to Nature; there many a Soul becometh apprehended in the Eſſence; THAT is not Gods predeſtinate purpoſe.

459. God willed not, that Adam ſhould fall, elſe he had given him no Commandment; alſo he willed not the Devills Fall: But, that his fierce wrath, hath apprehended Lucifer, as alſo Adam, that is the Creatures fault.

460. The Souls Spirit knew indeed very well, where its home was; It was free, as God alſo is free; he hath the Center of Nature according to the ſubſtance of all Subſtances; why did he put his Imagination into the fierce Wrath? Pride and State bringeth ^[182]dejectedneſſe of Minde; ſo it went with the Devill and alſo Adam.

461. The Devill would be a Fire-Lord, and Adam, Lord in this world, God did ſuffer it to be done, ſeeing they both had free-will.

462. The Soul is not made as a Potter maketh a pot, it becometh Generated, the Childs Soul is generated out of the Eſſence of the Parents; That would the Libeller faine obſeure; only that he might out of Gods predeſtinate purpoſe, Elect an Evill and Good Spirit, and thruſt Gods Anger-will into the ſad ſorrowfull heart, for Deſpaire.

463. No, hearken Libeller: Let me have them proceed. ALL out of ONE Soul; and then we have ALL equally together; ONE Doore of Grace open; this I will have from thee, elſe I ſay, thou art a Heretick, and a perverter of the Scripture, and would bereave us of the Mercy of God.

464. I ſay in the Power of my high knowledge given me of God; that the Doore of Grace is not yet barred up to the poor Soul, and though the Devill had it on his chains, and would go away with it, if it be yet in Fleſh and Bloud, in this world, there is remedy for it, if it bewaile the Evill, and Convert, God forſaketh it NOT.

465. He hath Created but ONE only Soul; not to perdition but to Life, to his Honour and Glory; this he requireth alſo from all Men, and Man ſhall give an account, how hath uſed it; for it is his Nobleſt Jewel.

466. And according to the Soul and its Image, he is Gods Child; and according to the Spirit and Body of this World, he is become a Beaſt, according to the ſource and quality of the Starres and Elements; As in the Book of The Threefold Life is expreſſed largely enough: The Reader himſelf may ſeek there, he will find the GraceElection a little otherwiſe, and the Mark neerer, then in this Libel.

467. I may not here repeat the Deep Myſterie with ſo large a Diſcourſe: The frivolous ſcornfull diſcourſe in this Libel, alſo, is not worthy of it; a Man ſhould not caſt Pearls before ſwine; the Libeller hath made a heap of ſcornfull expreſſions, to trim his conceit; but all that which is not very neceſſary, I count not worth an anſwer.

Number. V.

468. THe Libeller produceth alſo the Text, Math. 24. where Chriſt ſaith;^[183] If it were poſſible even the Elect would be deceived, this he doth alſo upon pretence of the Election: but No, friend, that belongeth not to it; If any vematus ſtedfaſt in Chriſt; then it is not poſſible for the Devill or any Heretick, to be able to ſeduce him, and pluck him out of Chriſt's hands.

469. But if an enlightned Chriſtian, though he be indeed in Gods Love, will be ſecure or careleſſe, and Dance to the Devill after his Pipe, and receive him in for a Gueſt; there it is very poſſible; but though it were poſſible, that the firſt Man, as alſo the Devill, did fall; yet cannot the Libeller be convinced with THAT.

Number VI.

470. Then ſaith the Libeller; Gods WILL, whereby he Electeth one and rejects another, a man ſhould not ſearch for out of Chriſt; there thou haſt it, make no more adoe, ſearch no further then ſo; but conſider, when thou lookeſt upon any body, who knoweth? whether he be Elected? whether he be a child of God or of the Devill?

471. O thou Miſerable Reaſon, wilt thou COMMAND^[184] the Spirit which ſearcheth even the Depths of the Deity, as Saint Paul ſaith? The Spirit ſearcheth it ſelf; and when it comes to the very Center, it knoweth its Father; for the Soul Originateth out of God the Father; out of the Eternall Nature.

472. O, Blindneſſe and own-ſelf Reaſon, who hath forbidden us to ſearch? The Devill forbiddeth us it, that we might not ſearch out his Kingdome, elſe we might flie away from him; what if thou forbiddeſt me, that I ſhould not dare ſo much as to cough? how hath the Miſt of obſcurity blinded thee? ſhould not the ſonne dare to ſee what the Father doth in the Houſe where he muſt needs manage all his works?

473. Why ſhould I not enquire afteer my fathrs or my Native Country? out of which my Soul in Adam is gone forth, but IN Chriſt is introduced into it againe? I ſay, it will of neceſſity be forbidden you, WITHOUT the Spirit, to ſearch what God is: Gods Spirit ſearcheth it ſelf, elſe none can ſearch God. If God be not in the Spirit; the Libeller needs not forbid it to ſearch.

Number VII.

574. THe Libeller ſaith further: But why do not all ſeek Grace in Chriſt, but endeavour to ſet up their own righteouſneſſe? THAT, a Man muſt leave to the Secret Councill of God, which is poſſible for No Man to reach.

475. Hearken Libeller: Make thy breath longer: Put away Pride and State, Covetouſneſſe, Envy, and Malice, and the brave little ſonne Falſhood out of the way, and then the wicked would ſeek^[185] it, the Luſt and pleaſure of this world Lyeth in the way; Take a Beſom, and ſweep^[186] Feare out of the World; and then all Men would ſeek the Grace.

476. Yet thou ſeekeſt alſo with all thy diligence, how thou mayſt Condemn me: alſo thou wilt ſet up only thy own righteouſneſſe, againſt thy brother, whom thou ſhouldſt Love as thy ſelf; Thou ſearcheſt into many Scriptures, that thou mayſt judge him; Smell but into thy Boſome.

Number VIII.

477. THere the Libeller, ſuppoſeth he hath catched a Mouſe: which muſt crouch under him, upon that where the Authour ſets it down; That^[187] God knew not of Lucifers Fall beforehand: there he hath certainly got him in his clutches, O now he will tumble and touſe him.

478. Hearken Libeller: That place is not expreſſed out of the Magick underſtanding: I will ſtand to it with you, in what I have written: but hearken; doeſt thou ſuppoſe, it is not true? doeſt thou underſtand the Principles? doeſt thou know what is done in the Dark World? The Will of the Dark world is not manifeſt in Heaven: God doth not cumber himſelf with the will of the firce wrath.

479. His fierce wrath and Anger hath known it very well, the fierce wrath is a cauſe of the Fall, but no ſuch Imagination Entereth into his Love, there is not the leaſt ſparkle of the Devill or Darkneſſe manifeſt in his Love: but a Meere Love deſire: ſo alſo God calleth himſelf a God, according to the Love and Meekneſſe; and according to THAT, now, the Queſtion is Anſwered

480. Elſe if a Man ſaith:^[188] To God are all his works Manifeſt from Eternity, then a Man muſt ſay; God hath been in all things from Eternity: He is in every thing in the Eſſence, as the ſource or quality in every thing is: Pſal. 18. 26, 27. as it is there written,^[189] With the perverſe thou art perverſe.

481. The very Abyſſe and alſo Hell, is Gods: in Hell there is helliſh Skill and knowledge; and in Heaven heavenly, and in this World^[190] Hiſtoricall: according to the Firſt Principle, all Malice is from Eternity known to God: but Men call not that, God, but Gods Anger: according to ſuch a meaning was the Authours Mind, thought, or ſence, ſo written only for himſelf.

482. He underſtood the ſence well, but he knew not of the Libeller, elſe he had ſet it down more ſimply and plainly: When a Man ſpeaks of the Totall God according to Love and Anger, according to ALL Worlds, then he ſaith rightly:^[191] To God hath all his works been knowne from ^[192] Eternity.

483. But hearken Libeller: haſt thou not ſeen, how the Center of Nature was deſcribed in my Book; couldeſt thou not ſearch after it, aſſuredly thou hadſt come to the Ground or foundation? It is not my meaning here now at this time to metion any thing further of the Myſterie, of Omniſcience: read The Three Principles, and thou wilt find it: it would here require too long a Diſcourſe, and beſides it is not neceſſary.

484. But a Man cannot ſay, that God is the Eſſence;^[193] but in the Eternall Nature, the Eſſences Exiſt: and in Gods Magia, Nature doth exiſt: He is IN All; but nothing apprehendeth him, as is before-mentioned; He poſſeſſeth himſelf; as the Light poſſeſſeth it ſelf,^[194] it dwelleth in the Fire without Source or Torment.

Number IX.

485. THe Libeller hath many Conceits, and a totall ſtrange underſtanding, eſpecially, upon that where it ſtandeth written by the^[195] Authour thus: ^[196]That Lucifer was a Part, of, or out of God: there he will be ſimply blind and underſtand nothing as it is moant; he will know nothing of Gods Eternall Nature, he underſtandeth, by Nature, only the Outward World; he will by no means underſtand; that an Eternall Spirit, as Angells and Souls of Men, is proceeded out of Gods Eternall Nature and Subſtance.

486. My Libeller; Open thou thy Eyes, and obſerve, that I. by the Eternall Nature, out of which the Angells are Created, underſtand, not the Divine Principle: can you not ſee a ſimilitude of it, in Fire and Light? Thou ſeeſt, thy ſelf, very well, that the Fire is Nature, and not the Light: out of the Light can nothing be created; only out of the Subſtantiality, viz: out of the Meekneſſe, can a thing be created, that, is Subſtance.

487. Yet now a living Spirit cannot be made out of Subſtance, the Life is not Subſtance, but a deſire of Subſtance.

488. A Spirit, as Angells and Souls are, is out of the Magia or Deſire, of the Fire-ſource or quality, proceeded out of the Formes to Nature, viz: out of the Center: for Nothing is Eternall, unleſſe it be proceeded out of the Center of the Eternall property.

489. The Center is a Deſire to the Manifeſtation of the Abyſſe in a Ground, of the Nothing, in ſomewhat, to manifeſt or reveale the hidden Myſtery of the Eternall Divine Subſtance.

490. The Light hath another Center: God is underſtood or meant, by the Light: the Heart of God, is the Center of the Light, and the Magick Deſire is the Center of the Fire; and in the Fire, is the Liberty, viz: the Nothing, manifeſt; ſpoken after a Creaturely Manner.

491. God is in reſpect of the Creature, as a Nothing: and yet he is indeed ALL: in the Fire, his Majeſty becometh manifeſt: in the Fire is the finding of the Nothing: God himſelf findeth himſelf from Eternity in himſelf: He is not Nature, as to what concernes the Name God; The Nature becometh born or Generated in the Will of the Eternall Nothing.

492. There is but ONE only Will, which is the ABYSSE, which is deſirous of the foundation or Ground; viz: of the Manifeſtation or Revelation of it ſelf: and in that deſire becometh the Nature manifeſted: and the deſire maketh the Nature, that driveth it ſelf from one deſiere to another, one forme of the Deſire maketh the other, even to the Fire: there is the Principle and Life generated.

493. The Fiat is the Mother; viz: the deſiring or the hunger, as a Man may call it; It maketh the Deſire to be Subſtance, according to the forme of the Property, it figureth the Willing into a forme or ſhape, wherein we underſtand the Center of the Spirit.

494. Now then GOD himſelf, is the Abyſſe and alſo the Byſſe, or Ground, in the Fire all becometh Manifeſt, both the Nature and alſo the Light of the Majeſty: In the Fire is the Seperation between^[197] Gods Name, and^[198] Natures Name, alſo between the Love-ſource or quality, and the Naturall fierce wraths ſource or quality.

495. In the Fire, exiſt Two Principles, viz: Two Magia's, Two deſirous Wills viz: the Lights and the Fires.

496. The Light is a deſire of Love, Meekneſſe, and Subſtantiality, and that is in the Eternity called God: The Light is the Majeſty, the Lights deſire is the Other or ſecond Center, or the Heart of God: the Subſtantiality is Gods Subſtance; it is the Water ſource or quality, or the Spirit of the Eternall Joys Life.

497. And the Fire maketh in the Water-ſource or quality, the Tincture, or Life, ſo that Gods Subſtantiality is a Life: That very Lights Subſtantiality, is the Words or Hearts Cerporeity, wherein the Great Myſtery of the Will of the Abyſſe, viz: the Wiſdome, becometh Manifeſt.

498. And the Fire is another Principle then the Light, it hath a fierce wrathfull, ſtinging, conſuming, Deſire, climing up in Might and Pomp; it willeth to conſume and ſwallow up all into it ſelf, it is a cauſe of the Covetouſneſſe, its Bitterneſſe is a Cauſe of the Envy, for it is the ſting of Death and Anger.

499. And here goe back into the Formes to Fire, and then thou wilt find the Dark World, and the helliſh fierce Wrath, and in the Fire, GODS Anger, which the Light, viz: his Heart holdeth captive in the Love-Source or Quality, and allayeth or meekeneth the Fires fierce-Wrath.

500. For, the Water of the Eternall Life, generated or born out of the Meekneſſe, viz: Gods Subſtantiality, maketh out of the Divine Fireſource or quality, another ſource or quality, viz: the climibing up of the Divine Joys Kingdome: The Fire-ſource or quality, muſt only be a cauſe of the Life and of the Light, as alſo of the Spirit and of the Joys Kingdome.

501. And heare the Name God ſevereth it ſelf in the Trinity; viz: In the Firſt Center to Nature, viz: the Eternall Will of the Fiat, which in the Fire is a ſterne ſevere zealous Subſtance, and in the Light, the cauſe of the Joys Kingdome, and of the Spirit of Life; That is the Father of all Subſtances, alſo of his Sonnes, viz: of the ſecond Centers, of the Love-deſires.

502. And The Other or ſecond Center, of the power of the Light, is his Sonne or Heart, and maketh in himſelf and in the Father the Second Principle, viz: the Angelicall World, that, is our right Fathers or Native Country, which Chriſt brought into US againe.

503. And The Spirit going forth from the Fire in the Light, is the Third Perſon: in the Light, in the Love, and the Joy-ſource or quality, He is called God, the Holy Spirit, underſtand according to the Sonnes Center: and according to the Fires Center, he is called, The Anger-Spirit of the Father.

504. In the Dark World HE is the Life of the Helliſh ſource or quality, out of all Formes to Nature, In the Fire HE is the Flame of the fierce wrathfull Anger of God the Father; and in the Light HE is the flame of the Great Love of God; He is the right Life of God, and is alſo the Life of all the Three Principles, of all the Three Worlds, in each World according to its property; and is only knowne or acknowledged and rightly called God the Holy Spirit, according to the Love, viz: according to property of the Sonne of God: Elſe he is called the Spirit of the Nature of all things or Subſtances.

505. Seeing we here goe ſo deep, we will therefore ſhew you ſomewhat more, out of true Love, and not out of a Deſire ſo totally to reproach you, becauſe of your unskilfulneſſe or ignorance: for we know you better then you do your ſelfe: and though we are zealous over you, yet it ſhould be underſtood heartily, as a reproofe of your high climbed ſtately proud Will, over, the Spirit of God, from which I have my knowledge.

506. Conſider of the Principle of Fire, and ſee how the Dead ariſeth and how he dieth: Behold! the Fire is a great hungry deſire after Subſtance, and if it cannot have that, then it extinguiſheth.

507. Here conſider the Great deſire of the Father after the Sonne, viz. of the firſt Principle after the ſecond: how the Father thus in great deſire, loveth the Sonne: for he is his life, elſe were the Fathers Life a dry fainting hunger, like the Devills and the Dark World; for the Fire burneth not without the Subſtance of the Water-Spirit.

508. Here conſider what befell the Devill when he loſt Gods Love and Meekneſſe; then he remained to be a dry hunger in the fierce Wrath of the Eternall Nature: thus it goeth alſo with the Soul of Man, for they originate all alike out of the Eternall Nature.

509. Now ſee further, what in the Center of the Fire, is the Poſſibility and Subſtance; you underſtand now, that the fierce wrathfull Fireſource muſt have Subſtance, and that the Fire-ſource or quality it ſelf longeth after Subſtance, and if the Fire get the Subſtance, or the Subſtantiality of the Water-ſource or quality, into it ſelf, then the Fire conſumeth that Subſtantiality, and then is the dying of the Subſtantiality, for the Subſtantiality goeth againe into the Still Eternity, without, beſides, or beyond Nature, viz: into the Nothing.

510. And you ſee rightly, that yet there is no Dying, but the Light goeth forth out of that very Death, out of the Conſumtibility forth, and the Light is then firſt the power of the underſtanding and of the Thoughts or Senſes: Thus Death ariſeth, out of the Fire-Life, viz: into another World, viz: into the Eternall Nothing, into the Liberty, without, beſides, or beyond Nature.

511. And you ſee now, that the Light dwelleth in the Fire without Source, Quality, or Torment, and knoweth nothing of the fierce wrath of the Fire, for it is in its Eſſence a Love Deſire: Thus have I written that the Deity, viz. Gods Center, knew nothing of the fall of the fierce wrathfull Devills; but the firſt Principle know it, viz: the Father according to the Fires Nature, and according to the Deſire, and according to the hunger in the Dark world.

512. Here conſider, beloved, Men and brethren in Chriſt, what the ſuffering and dying of CHRIST, as alſo OUR Dying, is: How our Soul, muſt in Chriſts Death, be introduced into the Center of the Hell of Gods Anger, into the Principle of Gods Fire, and go quite through the ſource or quality of the conſumptibility; into the other World, viz: into the Liberty, into the Center of the Love of God.

513. For, Adam's Soul had turned it ſelf out, and was Dead to the Light in the Subſtantiality: and therefore the ſecond Adam, brought the Soul againe into the Fire, viz: into Gods Anger-ſource or quality, and kindled the Light againe in Death, and there the Light ſhone againe in the Darkneſſe;^[199] That was Death to Death, and a Peſtilence to the Anger, viz: to Hell.

514. The Soul was gone forth out of the Liberty of God into the Nature of this World, viz: into the Subſtantiality of this World, and there the Divine Light ſhineth not.

515. And then it had nothing in this Worlds Subſtance, wherewith it could kindle the Eternall Fire ſource or quality, but only the Earthly Subſtance, wherewith the Soul kindled its Fire-ſource, ſo now alſo there ſhone a Sun-and Starre-Light, according to the Principle of this World, in the Soul; and Extinguiſhed the Light of God; it gat a SunLight inſtead of the Eternall Light, wherein it had been an Angel.

516. But as to what belonged to its Center or Originall, it was in the Dark World, that was its Ground, and according to the outward Light, it was in this world: and ſo now when the Body decaſeth, then the Sun-Light is deſtroyed, and the Soul ſtandeth Naked in the Dark World.

517. Therefore God brought Divine Subſtantiality, into the faded diſappeared Image of Man, and brought it into the Anger, viz: into the Fire of the Fathers Nature, and kindled againe the faded diſappeared Subſtantiality of the Image, ſo that the Soul could againe eat of the Divine ſubſtantiality; and allay or meeken its Fire, whence the Noble Image riſeth againe out of Death, into another World, viz: into the Liberty, without, beſides, or beyond Nature, into the Light of the Majeſty.

518. As the Power, viz: the Second Center, ariſeth up out of the Death of the Fire of the Father into another World, viz: into it ſelf: ſo alſo doth the Noble Image of Man; It is all but one and the ſame Entrance into the Divine Life.

519. And this letteth the Great Myſterie Myſterum Magum befound by you, through Gods Grace, this letteth the Root of the Tree ſtand open to you, if you be ſeeing and Not blinde, not through conceits of Stories, but through a kindled Spirit, out of Gods Grace: through ſeeing, and not by conjecture whether it be true or no.

520. I need no wreſted forced ſtrange cited Scriptures, to demonſtrate it; I can demonſtrate it in all things, I have all the THREE Worlds, together with all Creatures, for a witneſſe, and yet I am Dumb or Mute to the unenlightened: I ſee and am NOT ſeen my ſelf.

521. My Sir Libeller: Whence will you then take the Originall of the Devill? you will not allow, the Devill to be a Great part of the Deity according to the Fathers Nature, whereas yet Luciſor, is by Chriſt himſelf called a Great Prince: Now if you will not allow that, then ſhew me another Nature out of which the Devill was Created, than, out of the Divine?

522. You muſt neceſſarily allow, that the Devills were Angells, now then Angells are children of God, out of Gods Subſtance; they are Creatures, and a Creature muſt needs be out of or from Nature; now if they be Eternall Creatures, then they are alſo proceeded out of the Eternall Nature, and that is God the Fathers in the Firſt Principle.

523. For you indeed know, that the Devills have the properties of Gods Anger and of the Dark World, and ſo alſo have all wicked Souls of Men: From whence elſe will they have their properties, than from their Mother which hath generated them, if here you will not underſtand, then God help you.

524. The wicked Soul goeth certainly out of this World into the Dark World, into the Eternall Nature, into its Mother out of which it is gone forth and proceeded, and wherein it ſtandeth Naturally: why ſhould God elſe be willing to caſt the Soul into Hell-Fire, into that ſource or quality, if it were not proceeded out of that ſource?

525. The Soul of the wicked goeth together with the Devills, againe into that place, out of which it went forth in the beginning of its Creation, viz: into the Center to Nature: and the Righteous go through the Death of the Fire, through Chriſts Love-Fire into the Eternall Life, into the Liberty, without, beſides, or beyond, Nature, in the Light.

526. When God Created the Angells, then the Father moved himſelf according to the Eternall Nature, his deſire compriſed the Eſſence out of his Subſtance, wherein ſtood the Wiſdome of all Wonders: Thus out of Nature are Creatures come to be, according to the Property of every Eſſence.

527. In the Eſſence, have the Angells and Devills, and alſo Souls, been from Eternity, and have been ſeen in the Wiſdome, but they went into Creatures in the beginning of the Moving of God the Father.

528. What have I now done to the Libeller, in that I have written, it was God, againſt God? Do you not underſtand that? The Devill was a Great Prince of the Place of this World, Created in the Moving of the Fathers Nature; he Imagined according to his Mother: He ſhould have^[200] ſet his Imagination in the Light in the Love and Meekneſſe of God; And then he would have continued Gods child and an Angel.

529. But he let the fierce Wrath draw him, and looked back into his Mother, and Imagined into the Fires property, and would be a Lord of the Light World, he would be above God; thus with his Elevation he kindled; the Subſtantiality of his Throne, of the place or ſpace of this World; out of which Earth and Stones are come to be, which God with the Moving in the Fiat afterwards Created.

530. Wilt thou know this in very plain termes in brief; then obſerve it. When the Subſtance of all Subſtances had once moved it ſelf, then all Formes would be Creaturely; for out of the One only Will which hath been from Eternity, hath in the Subſtance of all Subſtances, gone forth the Wills Forme, according to Every Property, in the Wreſtling Wheele of Nature.

531. But Luciſer had the Light, if he had not now gazed Back into the Center of Nature, he had been one of the Brighteſt Princes, for where there is Great Fire, there is alſo great Light.

532. Enough concerning Him: we ſhall be enough underſtood by thoſe that are OURS: but for the proud ſelf-conceited Spirits, we have ſet a faſt Lock and Seale before it, that they cannot apprehend our ſence or thoughts: alſo we ſhall herein mention no more to the Wanton, in pleaſure and voluptuouſneſſe, but let it remaine for the^[201] Lilly.

533. The Libeller Blames me very much; He ſaith, I have written that the Devill is like God; if he did ſet that down with Truth; it is, when he was an Angel; for then he was indeed like God, for God had through and in him, made himſelf Creaturely, but when he became a Devill, then he loſt the Divine Principle, and became, like Gods Wrath.

534. Now therefore the Strife was effected only in Gods Anger: For, with the firſt Imagination, he loſt the Love, and could no more reach the Heart of God: What ſhould God now doe to the falſe or wicked apoſtate or revolted Will? He gave him Helliſh-Fire which he deſired, to devoure, inſtead of the Love, ſince he would not have the one, he muſt have the other; they were indeed both his; what he choſe, that he had.

535. But that it is ſaid; God could not withſtand the Malicious Devill: that, the Libeller perverts, as one that underſtandeth nothing of my Writings, or elſe of meere Malice: Did he not ſee? how I have deſcribed with all Circumſtances, that Gods Heart or Love, went not into the Devill, for he, the Devill would not himſelf have it; now where the Will it ſelf willeth not, there, is, an Eternall Death.

536. The Will-Spirit was indeed in the Originall out of Gods Nature, but when it demerſed it ſelf into the Center, to hide it ſelf from the Light of God; then remained fierce wrathfulneſſe IN fierce wrathfulneſſe. With what now ſhould reſiſtance be made, it was now in its moſt Originall MOTHER.

537. Should Gods Love goe into the Helliſh Fire, that is not to be; ſhould God in his Wrath ſtrive againſt it: it ſate already in the Helliſh Fire: Had not fierce Wrath ſtriven with fierce Wrath, then had not Gods Anger yet moved, in the place of this World.

538. Conſider but the Earth, thou wilt well finde it, thou blinde World, with all thy Texts of Scripture which thou haſt produced, thou wilt not put one word in my Book back from its place, only that thou ſetteſt a ſtrange vizard upon me, that the people might not know me, which I eſteem not, for I am to YOU a very ſtrange Man.

539. Thou canſt not in thy Hood look me in the Face, thou muſt put off thy skinne, if thou wilt ſee the Spirit of the Myſtery; Thou underſtandeſt Not, what thou writeſt againſt me, thou diſcourſeſt not concerning my apprehenſion, and that maketh that thou, ſeeſt ſomewhat that is ſtrange; thou wilt not ſee, that it is the Roote of the Tree; Thou wilt ſooner leap into Hell, as Lucifer did, e're thou toucheſt one little twig thereof.

540. Thou runneſt againe into thy Center, towards Babel, and ſetteſt upon an^[202] Academy, out of which, Opinons and the Greateſt Babel is growne; out of which, all Strife hath followed, where Men have contended about Words, about the Shell, and let the Kernell lye, but hearken friend; tell but^[203] TEN, and thou wilt find it by Experience.

541. God hath Elected ALL of us in ONE Soul and in ONE Spirituall Body to be his Children; God hath not breathed into Adam TWO Spirits, but One only, which is the Spirit of all the Three Principles; of all Three Worlds, viz: a Fire-Light-and-Aire-Spirit.

542. Adam ſhould have managed his Dominion with the Light-Spirit; then would the Fire-ſource or quality, have been hidden in its Principle, and have ſtood in great joy, it had burned only in it ſelf.

543. Thus alſo the^[204] Spirit of this World, that ſhould alſo have ſtood only in it ſelf, and have been manifeſt in this World, and the Fire, and alſo, the Outward World, ſhould have ſtood as if were ſwollowed up into the Light, and have been manifeſt only in it ſelf, all deſires ſhould have been ſet in the Light, and then the Light had ſhined in all Eſſences and deſires, and had filled all, as in ONE Will.

544. But when the Will of the Center, viz: the Fiery Will, which is called the Soul, went into the Earthly kingdome, and Imagined after Evill and Good, then it received alſo the^[205] ſame, then its Light Extinguiſhed, and it remained in its Mother, a dark dry hunger, and muſt help it ſelf with the Spirit of this World, as with a Sun-Light.

545. Therefore it comes to paſſe, that many times when a Man goeth in the dark, he is aſtoniſhed and terrified, and alwayes afraid ſomewhat ſhould lay hold on him, that is the feare of the Soul, whèn it perceiveth it ſelf to be without the Light of the Sun in a dark Dungeon, it is afraid of Gods fierce Wrath in the Center, and of the Devills that dwell in the Darkneſſe.

546. Since then the Divine Light is Extinguiſhed in the Soul, therefore Mans Life and Spirit, at preſent without the New Birth, ſtandeth in two Regiments or Dominions, viz: in the Souls Fire, it is the Dominion of Gods Anger, and of the fierce Wrath, as the Fires property is.

547. And according to the Spirit of this World, it is Evill and Good, according to the Sun, and according to the Conſtellation of the Outward Starry and Elementary Spirit, it is alwayes according to its Conſtellation which ſtood in its Birth, as alſo hath ſtood in its Conception; As that it is at all times aſpected with the Conjunction of the Conſtellatiſon, with the Imagination of the Conſtellation; ſo is alſo the outward Will-Spirit: unleſſe it be, that the Soul doe attaine the Divine Light againe in the New Birth, and then the Soul conſtraineth the outward Spirit with the power of the Light, and leadeth it captive.

548. My Libeller; your conceit deceiveth you; I know of no more but ONE only Spirit, according to the Property of ALL THREE Worlds, which is in Man, and when the Light Extinguiſheth, then it is in TWO Properties: that which receiveth the Light of God, that is Elected to be a childe of God.

549. Now it lyeth indeed in Man, that he ſhould ſeek and deſire it; for Chriſt ſaith; ^[206] Knock and it will be opened unto you, ſeek, and you will finde, Ask and you will receive;^[207] Your Father will give the Holy Spirit, to him that asketh for it; Alſo, ^[208] There is no ſonne, that asketh for an Egge, and the Father giveth him a Scorpion:^[209] God willeth that all Men be ſaved.

550. Where now remaines in theſe words and Promiſes, the predeſtinate purpoſe of God to the Hardening; or where are the Two Spirits, whereof God loveth the one, and hardeneth the other? We have indeed All, but One only Soul, and that is free, it may frame its Will in Gods Love or Anger, into which ſoever it caſteth it ſelf with its deſire, there it is.

551. It cometh to paſſe many times, that a Soul hath demerſed it ſelf with its Will-Spirit into Gods Anger into the Dark World, in its fierce Wrath to all Devills, with its ſinnes, and yet many in the time of this world, goe out againe and convert, and God receiveth them to Grace; He hardeneth them not.

552. Have you not an Example in the Prodigali loſt ſonne, who had conſumed all his righteouſneſſe of his Fathers Inheritance, with the Devills Swine: and was become a Swinheard: What the Father did with him when he came againe, how he fell about hu neck, and kiſſed him, and ſaid,^[210] This is my beloved ſonne, whom I had loſt, he was dead, and is become living: it is likely thou wilt ſay; God drew him, elſe he had not come.

553. The Soul is Free, God draweth every one; who incline towards him, when it entereth into him, then it is Elected to the Light World: ſo long as the Will remaineth in the fierce Wrath in the Dark World covered with the Outward; ſo long God willeth it not, and it is not drawne, but when it inclineth it ſelf towards Gods Face, and doth but a little Imagine into Gods Love, then the Divine Life becometh ſtirring.

554. Underſtand, the Word is become Man or Incarnate, and ſtandeth in the Soul, viz: in the Fathers Principle, in the ſound; for it hath by its entrance into the Anger, ſet the Looking Glaſſe of his Covenant, viz: the Virgin of the Divine Wiſdome, before the Soul, that it ſhould behold it ſelf therein.

555. The Wiſdome ſaith continually, Come; then ſaith the Devill behinde it alſo; Come: now to which ſo Ever it goeth, thereby it becometh Elected for a Childe.

556. God letteth no Soul, (which hath Light) to Extinguiſh its Light out of his predeſtinate purpoſe: The Free-Will Extinguiſheth it: The Devill ſet himſelf in the forme of an Angel before the Soul, that it might Imagine in Evill and Good, thus then its Imagination eateth of Evill and Good, and ſo the Soul becometh blinde, and captivated in its Imagination.

557. Elſe if God did harden any out of his predeſtinate purpoſe, and did let his Light Extinguiſh out of his predeſtinate purpoſe, then would not that be true which David ſaith in the 5. Pſalme, Thou art not a God that willeſt Evill: indeed he permitteth it to come to paſſe, that an honeſt vertuous Man becometh Evill, when the Will inclineth into Evill, then he letteth his Light Extinguiſh.

558. But not out of his predeſtinate purpoſe; ſo that he would not ſaine have that very Man: ſurely he receiveth him if he cometh againe: ſo long as a Man liveth in this Tabernacle, he hath power to become the Childe of God: for the Apoſtle ſaith alſo thus;^[211] He hath given us power to become the Children of God.

559. Underſtand, not out of or from the Will of the Fleſh, viz: of the outward World; that belongeth not to Gods Kingdome, but out of or from the Will of the Souls Spirit, which becometh Generated or born in God: For, Gods predeſfinate purpoſe is, that the right Divine Will, ſhould alwayes become Generated out of the Soul, which is done, when the Soul entereth into the becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, in that it becometh Generated or born againe to be Gods childe.

560. For the Souls-Fire becometh introduced into Chriſts Death, and Sprouteth againe with a New faire bloſſome, out of the Death of Chriſt forth into the Divine Liberty, into the Angelicall World.

561. That very Bloſſome or Spirituall Will, is Gods Will, and in that very Will-Spirit the Soul is an Angel, for it poſſeſſeth the Second Principle, viz: Gods Majeſty; it continually introduceth Divine Subſtantiality, viz: Chriſts Fleſh, which filleth the Heaven, ſo that the Soul ^[212] eareth of Chriſts Fleſh, and drinketh his Bloud, John 6. out of the Water of the Meekneſſe of the Eternall Life.

562. Therefore, I ſay with good Ground: It is not Gods predeſtinate purpoſed Will, that any one Man becometh Loſt; but it is from the Will of his fierce Wrath and Anger, and of the Dark World and of the Devill.

563. Therefore he is a falſe or wicked Judger, and an Advocate of Gods Anger; who will Judge, and blame God, and knoweth not, the difference, of what God is in Love and Anger, and knoweth not whence an Evill, and Good, Will, Originateth: and yet will be a Judger: he cryeth continually, God, God, it is, that doth a thing.

564. The Prophets and Apoſtles, have often, called the Totall God according to Love and Anger, as alſo according to all the Three Principles, by ONE WORD; but yet a Man ſhould uſe a right underſtanding, and make a diſtinction between Gods Love-Will and his Anger-Will.

565. We ſee very plainly in Man, that he willeth Evill and Good: he would alwayes ſaine be an Angel, and would alſo faine have the Pride, in Covetouſneſſe and the Power of this World; Men ſhould ſearch, whence every Will taketh its Originall; and not alwayes ſay, God, God, God, willeth it.

566. He willeth only that which is like himſelf; his Love, viz: the Right Name of God, willeth only, that we ſhould Love God, and our Neighbour, and Continue in his deſire and will; HE willeth nothing elſe, but that all Men ſhould turne to him, and goe out from fierce Wrath into the Love; For,^[213] the Love of God and of our Neighbour is the whole Law and the Prophets.

567. On the Contrary, his fierce Wrath and Anger, which is the Roote of the outward World, willeth its like, to have ſewell or wood for its Fire.

568. Now being Gods Love, hath ſet before Man, the LookingGlaſſe, of his Wiſdome, in the becoming Man, or Incarnation of himſelf; why then doth he goe into the Anger Looking-Glaſſe, and letteth the Devill ſway him? God indeed ſendeth Prophets and Teachers, out of his predeſtinate purpoſe; who reveale and ſignifie, to the World, his Anger: why doth Man follow Sinne?

569. That muſt needs be a wonderfull thing: that God ſhould cauſe any to be called to come to HIM, and yet would harden him out of his predeſtinate purpoſe, that he Could not: then God would be unrighteous; Indeed the Luſt of the Fleſh and of the Devill hardeneth the Soul, and holdeth it Captive.

570. If God had willed the Evill or the Fall of Man, then he would not have forbidden Adam the Tree of Good and of Evill, viz: the Luſt or Pleaſure of this World: But if he hath forbidden him, and hath alſo hardened him, that he could not doe Gods Will; who would now be righteous, God, or Man?

571. As the Libeller ſuppoſeth, that it is out of Gods predeſtinate purpoſe, that two unlike ſonnes were generated out of Adam, an Evill and a Good, and will make thereof two ſorts of Seed: hearken, make two ſorts of Souls, and then it may be.

572. When Adam became Earthly, then he became drawne of the Spirit of this World, and Gods Anger became Stirring in him, then did the Soul give way, that the Devill through the Spirit of the Outward World, thruſt in Evill Seed into the Souliſh Eſſence, for propagation, which the Conſtellation of the Configuration hath increaſed, ſo that a fratricide or brother Murtherour, became generated: but was that Gods predeſtinate purpoſe?

573. Had not Adam made himſelf Earthly, then would not Gods fierce wrath have become Manifeſt or revealed in him, alſo then would the Conſtellation have had no power over the Souliſh Seed.

474. For, the outward Kingdome, ſhould not have poſſeſſed and governed Man in the inward Image, it ſhould have been as an impotency or weakneſſe in Man: He was Paradiſicall.

575. But that it ſtandeth written, the ^[214] Outward Man was Created to a Naturall Life, thereby it is underſtood, that Nature is a Ruler or Manifeſter of the Wiſdome of God: and then in the Mortall fall, Eve is underſtood to be a Woman, (and not a Virgin) of this World.

576. Whereas it could not be otherwiſe; and that Adam ſtood not in the Proba or Tryall; he let him fall into the^[215] ſleep of the Eternall Life, and made a Naturall fleſhly Woman, out of him, out of his Matrix and Rib.

577. For the ſpirit of the outward World had captivated Adam, and introduced its ſubſtantiality into his Imagination; whence he is ſuch a Naked, ſfinking, hard, palpable, cold, bitter, and hot, Man, like a Beaſt, and is not the Noble Image, which is ſaded and diſappeared in Death, which is created out of heavenly ſubſtantiality.

578. But, that thou wilt not allow me this, that in Man, underſtand in the Third Principle, a humane Image according to the Angelicall World, out of the Heavenly ſubſtantiality, hath ſtood, in the Inward: yet I ſay, that Gods Spirit, that in the Second Principle goeth forth out of the Firſt, viz: out of the Souls Fire of the Father, into the Second, out of the Love and Light Fire into the Sonne, was never at all without ſubſtance; for it is the Driver forth of the Divine power and ſubſtantiality.

579. Hath now the Light and Spirit of God, been in Man? viz: in Adam? then alſo hath Gods ſubſtantiality been therein: For, no Fire burneth in Gods Love, unleſſe it have DIVINE ſubſtantiality.

580. Therefore ſaith Chriſt:^[216] Whoſoever eateth NOT the Fleſh of the Son of Man: he hath no part in HIM: He underſtandeth, the Corporeity of his unmeaſurable Eternall Divine Subſtantiality in the Water of the Eternall Life; and in the Tincture of the Power out of the Fire and Light, in the Glance or Luſtre of the Divine Wiſdome out of the Words Body.

581. Now if Adam hath been a totall ſumilitude according to God, then he muſt not only have had Earthly Subſtance for his Body, if the Soul had had only Earthly ſource or quality to Eat, then it had not had the prohibition, but it had alſo the Corporeity of the Second Principle, out of the Heavenly Subſtantiality, that was the right Angelicall Image, which became created in the Fiat of the Word.

582. But the Outward Fiat, according to the Outward Principle, Created the Outward Man, and God the Holy Spirit, breathed himſelf thereinto, according to the ſource or quality and property of all the Three Principles, into the outward Image, according to its outward Property, viz: the Spirit of the Great World, Majoris Mundi, of the outward World; and the Angelicall Divine World, according to the Love of Gods Heart, and according to the Eternall Nature, viz: according to the Fire-World; viz: according to the Fathers Property, the right Souliſh; viz: the Center of the whole Man.

583. In Brief, what is it, that Men ſhould make many words? Man was a Totall ſimilitude according to God, according to all the Three Worlds, and their Properties, and that he muſt be againe, or muſt be a hunger-Spirit in the Dark World.

584. What he maketh^[217] of himſelf, that he is. He ſtandeth here in the Field or Soyle, either there groweth out of him an Herb on Gods Table, or an Herb in Gods fierce Wrath; what kind of Eſſence ſo ever he will bring in the growing according to the reliſh of that, it will alſo get a Mouth, for it will eat, either of the Love or of the Anger.

585. The matter is not about the high knowledge only, but about the taſt or reliſh, that any becometh the Bread of God which God Eateth; It lyeth little in the knowing, but all in the DOING, it muſt be DOING, the Evill Branches muſt be Cut off, that good Wine may grow.

586. We ſhould not judge and condemn one another for the knowledge ſake: The Plow-Man knoweth leſſe then the Doctor, but he goeth many times before the Doctor, into the kingdome of Heaven: let us fall upon DOING, that we may get Divine Eſſence into our Sprout: let us reach after the LOVE, and then we have ALL.

587. MY high Knowledge maketh me not happy or ſaved; for I know not my ſelf; it is not Mine, but Gods Spirit knoweth it ſelf in ME, he allures Me therewith to himſelf; when he departeth or withdraweth, then I know Nothing.

588. I have not my knowledge at all from Man, why ſhould I then long contend with Man about it, no Man can either give it me or take it away from me.

589. I deal fooliſhly, in that I Strive with thee, for thou canſt take nothing from me; but it is done, for the ſake of other people, which through thy Mouth abuſe my knowledge, elſe I would, for thy Curſings and Judgings; not lift up a Finger.

590. Thou ſhoudſt Converſe in Love as a Chriſtian if thou wouldſt be Gods childe; but if thou Judgeſt thy brother into Hell-Fire, for the ſake of his Gift, what will become of thee; how doeſt thou know what is befallen him, that he runneth on thus: How doſt thou know, upon what Branch or Roote God hath ingraſted him? Thou wert not at all by, when he did ſow the Spirit of his Wiſdome.

591. You ſay it is from the Devill: and there was Joy in Heaven in Ternario Sancto in the Holy Ternary, eſpecially in the Fathers Nature, when this Seed was ſowne; I would NOT give the little Graine that was ſowen into me, for all this worlds good; It is more deare to me, than Heaven and Earth, and thou treadeſt it underfoote, do but ſee what manner of Angel thou art.

592. Thou writeſt much, and if thou ſhouldſt goe with thy writings to the Center, there would be no body at home; thou gathereſt many Texts of Scripture together, which in themſelves are GOOD, that thou mightſt ſettle a framed Opinion, concerning that thou knoweſt no Ground for.

593. Thou canſt not bring the Opinion into the Center, and then bring it out againe, there is no Spirit of Depth in thee, but collected Matter, from others Mouthes, and thy own Mouth underſtandeth it not.

594. But I write, what I my ſelf underſtand, and what I can bring into the Ground of the Center.

595. Art thou a Maſter? then ſhew thy ſelf one: give me a writing concerning the Center of the Eternall and alſo of the outward Nature, let it be ſeen what thou canſt do: prove it in the Light of Nature, and not from a ſtrange Mouth; Speak from your own knowledge, and then I will Anſwer thee.

566. Let thy contemining alone, and do thou direct it to the honour of God, and make if ſerve the profit and ſalvation of Man, that it may be a Sprour upon Gods Table: and I will Anſwer thee that thou wilt Wonder, and if thou meaneſt piouſly, wilt highly rejoyce: thou wouldſt neither ſeek nor find any Devill in Me.

597. There is a great earneſtneſſe, in me to ſeek my Eternall kingdome in God; God hath not promiſed me a Scorpion inſtead of an Egge: he would not give me to the Devill when I prayed ſo earneſtly to him for his Holy Spirit.

598. The Devill ſets not upon a Man, a ſpirituall high Triumphant Crowne or Garland of Victory in Ternario Sancto in the Holy Ternary, when a Man Fights againſt him: He hath none, of THAT which hath been done to this Spirit, which thou calleſt a Devill; and whence its knowledge proceeded.

599. I write not for my own Fame, which is in God, but to Teach Men, what they may expect from God, if they will but come to the Ring or Liſts of this Earneſt Fight: unleſſe the outward voluptuouſneſſe in ſoft pleaſure of the Fleſh, be preferred.

Number X.

600. THe Libeller hath very fleſhly or carnall Eyes: upon that which I have written, which is; that The Man Adam, before his firſt Imagination, before the Woman was made, had a Powerfull Body, and that he had no ſuch Members for Propagation; he will meerly have it to be an Earthly Man.

601. The Libeller underſtandeth not, that^[218] the kingdome of God Conſiſteth in Power, and that the Image of God was Created out of heavenly Subſtantiality, and that the bright Angellicall Image was Lord over the Outward Life, that Man had not ſuch groſſe Beaſtiall Fleſh, till the Image became ſhut up in Death, as God ſaid:^[219] The Day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye.

602. He underſtood, or meant, not the Outward, he dyed not, to the Outward Life, but to the Noble Image of Gods power: the Spirit of God departed from him; thus the Image out of Gods Subſtance, came to be in the Nothing, viz: in the Eternall Death, without ſource, quality, or operation.

603. If ADAM had not Imagined according to the Earthlineſſe, then had not EVE been made out of him; but he himſelf would have been able to have generated after a Magicall Manner; He had the Matrix, and alſo the Limbus, he was Man and Wiſe before his Eve was, a pure chaſt Maſculine Virgin of God.

604. Therefore muſt the Second Adam againe, be borne or generated of a Virgin without the concurrence of any Man, and be like the firſt Image, in which the Divine Light exerciſed the Dominion.

605. Though likely it was not manifeſted to Mens Eyes in Chriſts Time, we had not heavenly Eyes: yet^[220] then he was the Light of the World; as himſelf ſaith: Such a one alſo was Adam before his ſleep, before the Imagination into the Earthly kingdome; I underſtand in my Book, not a power-body according to the outward World, but according to the Image; although the^[221] outward was totally much otherwiſe then it is.

606. My Libeller: you ſuppoſe, that at the Laſt Judgement day, another Man will ariſe, other than Adam was before the Fall: Gods purpoſe muſt ſtand; the firſt Image muſt come againe, and even in † ſuch a forme as God Created it, to Eternall Life.

607. Or, can you not in the Light of Nature, underſtand ſomewhat thereof? how the Soul is aſhamed of the Members of the Beaſtiall Birth, and the Beaſtiall Impregnation: doe you not feele it in you.

608. Tell me; if we were Created Beaſtiall in Adam, whence the ſhame proceeds? that the poor Soul is aſhamed of the Bodyes deſormity, and of its propagation.

609. Do you not ſay, that thoſe Members became manifeſted on Adam and Eve after Sinne; and that^[222] they were aſhamed, that according to the Outward Man they were become Beaſts; they ſaw not what the Outward Fiat had made in the Sleep, till the Earthly ſource or quality awaked, then the Soul became aſhamed that out of an Angel a Beaſt was come to be.

610. While the Earthly Kingdome ſtood hidden, ſo long the Soul knew it not, but when it drew into the Soul, then began ſorrow and horrour before the Abyſſe: for the Soul ſaw its Roote, which the Outward Body and Spirit underſtood not.

611. Or do you ſuppoſe: that Adam was created to Mortality? O no! But to the Eternall Life in Paradiſe; with Paradiſicall ſource or quality: and with a Body, which was ſit for Paradiſe; which was like to Paradiſe. But of this no more here. In the Book of the Becoming Man or Incarnation of Chriſt, and in the Book of the Threeſold Life, alſo in the Three Principles, it is expreſſed at Large, read it there.

Number XI.

612. COncerning the Laſt Words in the Book, where it ſtandeth written thus;^[223] Though Peter or Paul had written otherwiſe; and that I had ſet it down thus;^[224] That Moſes was not by at the Creation,^[225] but wrote the Creation from his predeceſſours Mouths; the Libeller takes on at it, and braggeth ſtoutly with a ſtorme againſt Abel, he will ſuddenly kill him, and have in Hell.

613. Hearken Libeller! that which is ſaid of Peter and Paul, though Poter or Paul had written otherwiſe: is ſpoken in way of a Proverb: it is not; that Peter and Paul have written otherwiſe; but the Cryers at Babel, the^[226] Grace Electioners, the Cripple Electioners, at Babel, Cry out, thus hath Paul written, thus Peter; thus another; and draw it to their Conceits: againſt THOSE I ſet THAT,^[227] though Peter or Paul had written otherwiſe, Men ſhould look to the HEART upon Gods Grace, and his Promiſe, and not hang or depend upon their Conceits that urge the Apoſtles words for them.

614. It is not my entention to blame the high Apoſtles, but the Cripple Electioners, ſuch as thou art; who draw the Scripture about by the haire of the head, and leave out the Love of God, which willeth not the Evill; thou perverteſt my Minde and Thoughts, therefore thou art a falſe wicked Evill Electioner.

615. As to Moſes, ^[228] where I ſay: there^[229] ſticketh yet much in the Myſtery in Moſes Writings: I have NOT ſaid that he hath written wrong, it is^[230] briefly and ſummarily written, and needeth an enlightened explanation.

616. For a Philoſopher, reſteth not, unleſſe he have the Cemer of a thing, after ſuch a meaning, have I written of Moſes, that a richly ſpirituall explanation were neceſſary: what have I done to the Libeller thereby; he ſeeketh cauſe where he can, he muſt be a right Contender, ſeeing he fouldeth up all and wheeleth it about; it is no otherwiſe with him, than in an Academy, where he gets cauſe of contention; likely ſome other might come who would wipe his Noſe, for him, who alſo had^[231] Hornes.

617. He need not contend with me, I have written for my ſelf, and not for the^[232] Grace-Electioners: much leſſe for the New Babel, which Sprouteth up in the Libeller: it thruſteth out the Hornes already, it will ſoone be borne, only it ſticketh yet in the Margin: it is now high time to prepare for the^[233] Goſſips Gift.

618. If the Libeller had not a Minde to reade my Book, he might have throwne it away at the firſt Leafe, what need he ſeek in it for ſo much Evill: Sure he hath an Evill Minde, full of fierce Wrath, that thus venteth it ſelf, whereas it is not his Calling or Employment: He might only have that while thought upon his Mammon, or have taken care of his Soul, before he had Judged and Condemned other people; But Pride hath ſet him on Horſeback, to ride over-a Weak Man.

619. But it cometh to paſſe many times, that a Little one beateth a Great one; let him not rely too much upon Art, for it expoſeth many a Man to deriſion.

wer Gott vertraut,

bat, woll gevaut,

ob with vſe welt thut baſſen:

Ich traſſ auſf Goft

Et wird mith nit berlaſſen.

Who in God truſts

Builds ſure, not Luſts,

Though the vaine World do hate me.

I truſt in God;

He, never will forſake me.

^[234] If they have called the Father of the Houſe Beelzebub, what will they doe to thoſe of his Houſhold? faith Chriſt. ^[235] When they perſecute you, and hate you for my Names ſake, then doe you rejoyce, for great is your Reward in the Kingdome of Heaven.

620. Men ſay, an Enemies Mouth, never ſpeaks Good; there is nothing ſo Evill but ſome men make it worſe. My Book is not Evill, it meddles with none; only thou makeſt it Evill, thou expoundeſt it in an Evill ſence, and my ſence was right and Good when I made it.

621. Thou fayeſt there is an evill ſpirit in me, if there were a good ſpirit in thee, then thou wouldſt make the Evill to be Good, and wouldſt not pervert all.

622. Gods Spirit ſeeketh only Good, he contends with none: he Loveth Man; and where he is in a Man, there he driveth on to Love and Humility towards his Neighbour, he Teacheth and inſtructeth Gently and Meekly, he lifts not up the Horns; alſo he comes not with Thunder and Ligntning; as the Anger in the Fathers Nature, upon Mount Sinai, and with Elias, did: but with a ſtill meek Voyce, as at the day of Pentecoſt.

623. God hath in Chriſt regenerated us in the Love, not in his fires property; that we ſhould meet together one with another, with a Modeſt and amiable condiſcention and behaviour in a friendly Will and intention: and heartily admoniſh one another, as brethren.

624. We ſhould help up the weak and erroneous, and friendly inſtruct them in the way, and not from the narrow path, plunge them into the Water, or elſe caſt them into Gods Anger in Hell-fire, as the Libeller doth, where he ſaith: Hell Fire is thine.

625. Chriſt ſaith;^[236] Whoſoever ſaith unto his Brother thou Fool, he is guilty of Hell Fire, or Raiha, he is guilty of a Councill; what is he worthy or guilty of, who calleth his Brother a Devill, and judgeth or condemneth him to Hell fire? O Man! Conſider thy ſelf, convert from ſuch uncouth Paths.

626. We have indeed here is this valley of Miſery; before hand in the way of our Pilgrimage, a very ſmall narrow^[237] Bridge into Gods Kingdome, why ſhould we our ſelves firſt throw one another down; doth one goe aſtray, then let the other ſhew him the way; let us deal one by another as Brethren.

627. We all are born blind, now then if ſight be afforded us of Grace, why then doth not one Brother afford Eyes to the Other? Every one ſeeth, as God hath favourably afforded him, according as ſight is given to him, why will one brother hate the other, for the ſake of that, becauſe he knoweth not what the Lord hath given to him.

628. O how Miſerable is this Time of Ours, how the Devill hunteth for us with Snares and Nets, ſo that one Brother reproacheth diſpiſeth contemneth and ſlayeth, the Other, that he may captivate us in Gods Anger: How doth he not afford us the high honour, which he had, but loſt it with Pride.

629. Dear Brethren, beware of Pride, eſpecially thoſe that are generated out of much Learning & Knowledge; it is the Pride of Reaſon, and it is Mans worſt Enemy, it hath ſet up nothing but Wars and contemning of others.

630. Syrach ſaith,^[238] The higher thou art, the humblyer behave thy ſelf,^[239] Pride goeth before a Fall;^[240] Our Reaſon-knowledge is^[241] folly, if Gods Spirit in us kindle not the knowledge: if I knew all Scriptures outwardly, and had not the Spirit of underſtanding, what were my knowledge other, then a Conceit.

631. That, is not Divine knowledge, that any confirm an Opinion with many Texts of Scripture collected and put together; for every Text hath its proper underſtanding, in the place it ſtandeth, according to the Matter treated of; oftentimes it ſignifieth much otherwiſe, then the purpoſe it is drawn by one for to HIS Opinion.

632. The Right knowledge, ſtandeth in this, where any will Judge, there his knowledge in him ſhould be confirmed from the Spirit of God; it muſt goe forth from the Center, and not from a ſtrange Mouth.

633. Or doſt thou ſuppoſe, that Gods Spirit hath ceaſed to ſpeak? or that it is Dead? ſo that the Spirit, which moveth in Gods ſeeing, dare not ſay any more; Thus ſaith the Lord.

634. The Spirit ſheweth it what it ſhould ſpeak; only it bewares and defends it ſelf from the intermixture of the Spirit of this World, and from the Imagination of the Devill, that the right humane will ſpirit, which goeth forth out of the ſouls fire into the Light, be not infected with its Malignity or Curſe.

635. There is no better Medicine or Antidote, then the Deſire of Love, and the Humility: ſo long as it goeth on and judgeth, in Love and Humility in the ſeeing of the Divine Power, ſo long is his Word, GODS WORD, for it is approved by the Spirit of God: it goeth upon the wings of the Wind, in the pure humane will-ſpirit: as David ſaith, ^[242] The Lord Rideth upon the Wings of the Wind.

636. You find by no Prophet or Apoſtle, that any hath ſpoken from anothers Mouth, but from his own Gift: ſomtime, the Spirit hath brought in a Text, and thereby cleered other Scriptures, but the Maine Matter hath been ſet downe out of his own Spirit and Mouth.

637. Who hath prohibited us, that we ſhould not dare to ſpeak out of the Gifts of our Spirit, but that we ſhould only ſpeak with a ſtrange Mouth from our Spirit: as the Libeller would have it.

638. Who hath made a Law, that a man ſhould take away the Speech from the Spirit; and change it into another Forme, but even, the Antichriſt, who hath ſet himſelf to be Lord over Gods Spirit, and hath changed the Mouth of the holy Children into his Colour and Will.

639. Indeed the High Apoſtles have not commanded it: but they ſaid:^[243] Keep in Remembrance JESUS CHRIST, who dyed for us and roſe againe, and did bid us Teach and Preach that: they have barred up the Spirit of no Man, or commanded his Tongue to be altogether changed into THEIR Words: They have all of them indeed ſpoken together every one out of his own Tongue, and yet out of ONE Spirit, which was CHRISTS.

640. We have ſtill at this very Day, the very SAME Spirit, if ſo be, we are born or generated out of HIM; dare it not then now ſpeak, what is Neceſſary at this Time: what is the Cauſe, that the Center of the Holy Trinity Manifeſteth or Revealeth it ſelfe? even Mens Seeking, their Deſiring.

641. Men ſtrive now about the Perſon of Chriſt, about Gods Election, and Men raiſe Wars and reproaches about it, and that, Gods Love will have no more, to be, and he will rather manifeſt or reveale himſelf, that Men ſhould yet ſee what he doth, and ſo goe out from ſtriſe about Gods Will, into a right Apoſtolick life, and no more contend about the knowledge, as is done hitherto for a long time in Babel.

642. But, that now thus, a ſimple Mouth, muſt ſpeak ſuch great Things; and NOT one highly Learned: Aſk that of God, why he doth it? If now a Shepheard as David was, ſhould be a King, from the Command of God; the World would not beleeve it, at all, till he did ſit in Kingly Honour and Glory.

643. CHRIST indeed came in a meek-lowly Forme or Condition, alſo his Apoſtles were meane People: God can doe ſo ſtill; that he may bring to nothing the own ſelf-Reaſon of this World.

I ſay we ſpeak what we Know and Witneſſe what we ſee.

644. There groweth a Lilly in the Humane Eſſence, which will in its own Tongues or Languages ſpeak the Great Deeds and Wonders of God, which ſhall Sound over the Circuit of the Earth Halelu-jah.

This Tranſlation finiſhed in Engliſh out of the High-Dutch and Low-Dutch Copies, September 4. 1659.

FINIS.

Marginal notes

1. Good Thoughts Words and Works are Gods. ↩
2. Evill Thoughts Words and Works only are our Own. ↩
3. Iſai. 55. 7. 8. ↩
4. Ch. 59. 7. ↩
5. Daniel's Companions, Hananiah, Miſhael and Azariah. ↩
6. Dan. 1. 5. 7. 17. ↩
7. Ch. 2. 17. 49. ↩
8. Ch. 3. 22. 27. 28. ↩
9. 1 Cor, 12. 10, 11. ↩
10. Tuckiſch. ↩
11. Pſal. 7. 9. ↩
12. Predeſtination. ↩
13. Math. 5. 11. ↩
14. Math. 10. 25. ↩
15. Math. 10. 24. ↩
16. Acts 14. 22. ↩
17. Note. ↩
18. After a hidden Myſticall Manner or by way of Similitudes. ↩
19. The AVRORA. ↩
20. The Three Principles. ↩
21. The Avrora ↩
22. Predeſtination. ↩
23. Predeſtination. ↩
24. Myſticall Typicall. ↩
25. Propheticall or in Parables or Similitudes. ↩
26. Math. 7. 6. ↩
27. Math. 5. 15. ↩
28. Math. 25. 25. ↩
29. Note wherin Mans ability of doing Good conſiſts. ↩
30. Rev. 17. 1, 2. ↩
31. Tim. 2. 4. [〈…〉] ↩
32. Ezek. 33. 11. ↩
33. Luk. 5. 32. ↩
34. Iſa. 42. 1. ↩
35. 1 Cor. 4. 20. ↩
36. Pſal. 51. 17. ↩
37. The New Regenerate Man. ↩
38. Note, Why Chriſt called the Phariſees Generation of Vipers, and Herod a Fox. ↩
39. Joh. 6. 56. ↩
40. For an Object. ↩
41. The AVRORA. ↩
42. Luk. 15. 7. ↩
43. The Number and Page of the Libel. ↩
44. Math. 24. 23. 26. ↩
45. Turbulency. ↩
46. Math. 24. 24. ↩
47. Exod. 32. 19. ↩
48. Math. 24. 23. 26. ↩
49. Math. 28. 20. ↩
50. Math. 24. 27, 28. ↩
51. Luke 17. 23. 24. ↩
52. Note. ↩
53. Rom. 8. 2. ↩
54. Syrach. or Eccleſiaſtions. ↩
55. Math. 24. 28. ↩
56. Math. 12. 34. ↩
57. Math. 7. 16. ↩
58. In the Preface to the Avrora. Verſ. 27. ↩
59. Perceived or Diſcovered. ↩
60. Or Light. ↩
61. Exod. 34. 6. ↩
62. Deut. 4. 24. ↩
63. Note. ↩
64. Formed or faſhioned. ↩
65. NOTE. ↩
66. Light world ↩
67. Heb. 1. 7. ↩
68. NOTE. ↩
69. Math. 22. 30. ↩
70. Gen. 2. 17. ↩
71. Luke 10. 30. ↩
72. Avrora. ↩
73. Of the Avrora J. Behme. ↩
74. Eph. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 14. ↩
75. Yea & Nay. ↩
76. Rom. 9. 7. 2. ↩
77. Gal. 3. 16. ↩
78. Joh. 1. 13. ↩
79. Heb. 2. 11. ↩
80. Gal. 3. 28, 29. ↩
81. Rom. 9. 4. 5. ↩
82. J. B. Anſwer. ↩
83. 1 Cor. 15. 46. to the 49. ↩
84. Joh. 20. 17. ↩
85. Gen. 22. 10. ↩
86. Acts 3. 25. ↩
87. NOTE. what Body ſhall riſe againe; ſee verſ. 3. II. Rom. 8. II. ↩
88. Heb. 2. 14. See verſ. 513. ↩
89. Math. 8. 20. and in Mark. ↩
90. Luke. ↩
91. John, in many places. ↩
92. Acts 7. 56. ↩
93. Heb 4. 15. ↩
94. The outward Light of this world. ↩
95. Joh. 3. 5. ↩
96. Math. 4. 1, 2. ↩
97. Mark 1. 12. ↩
98. Luk. 4. 1, 2. ↩
99. The Devill. ↩
100. Math. 4. 8. ↩
101. Luke 4. 5, 6. ↩
102. Math. 4. 3. ↩
103. Luke 4. 31. ↩
104. Math. 4. 6. ↩
105. Luke 4. 9. ↩
106. Or Mark to the humanity ↩
107. Exod. 19. 16. ↩
108. Exod. 3. 2. ↩
109. Acts 7. 30. ↩
110. Eph. 4. 24. ↩
111. Note the New Regeneration. ↩
112. Lorber. Baum. ↩
113. Wiſdome. ↩
114. Math. 7. 3. ↩
115. Luk. 6. 41. ↩
116. Luk. 6. 37. ↩
117. [•] J[•]h. 1. 18. ↩
118. The one Eternall Element. ↩
119. Luke 1. 25. to the 31. ↩
120. Acts 26. 23. ↩
121. Luk. 1. 38. ↩
122. NOTE. what was Quickened that ſhall ariſe againe; as verſ. 2. 2. ↩
123. NOTE. ↩
124. Joh. 3. 13. ↩
125. Gen. 28. 12. ↩
126. Gen. 28. 12. ↩
127. Joh. 10. 29, 30. ↩
128. Phil. 2. 7. ↩
129. Luke 24. 39. ↩
130. Joh. 15. 55. ↩
131. Luk. 22. 69. ↩
132. Joh. 17. 5, 6. ↩
133. Joh. 10. 28. ↩
134. Joh. 17. 24. ↩
135. Luk. 5. 32. ↩
136. Luk. 15. 7. ↩
137. Ezek. 33. 11. ↩
138. NOTE. ↩
139. Schleuſſet ſich. ↩
140. Rom. 6. 16. ↩
141. Avrora written, 1612. ↩
142. Rom. 9. 16. ↩
143. Rom. 9. 16. ↩
144. John 6. 44. ↩
145. Rom. 9. 18. ↩
146. Math. 11. 28. ↩
147. Luke 5. 32. ↩
148. John 12. 47. ↩
149. Math. 7. 6. ↩
150. Math. 7. 17, 18, ↩
151. Avrora Preface, verſ. 77. ↩
152. Nature-ſpirit. ↩
153. The Author J. B. ↩
154. Jacob Behme. ↩
155. Avrora Ch. 1. verſ. 2. diſliked by Bolthator Tylcken. ↩
156. Juſtified by Jacob Behme. ↩
157. Avrora Ch. 1. Verſe 1. ↩
158. 1 Cor. 2. 10. 14. ↩
159. Or Tree of Life. ↩
160. Rom. 2. II. ↩
161. Verſe 12. ↩
162. Verſe 13. ↩
163. Verſe 14. ↩
164. Verſe 15. ↩
165. Verſe 16. ↩
166. Luk. 6. 37. ↩
167. Math. 7. 2. ↩
168. Mark 4. 24. ↩
169. or Confuſion ↩
170. Rom. 12. 19. ↩
171. Deut. 32. 35. ↩
172. Rom. 3. 9. ↩
173. Gal. 3. 22. ↩
174. Luk. 12. 16. ↩
175. Rom. 2. 5, 6. ↩
176. Same Meaſure. ↩
177. Rom. 3. 23. ↩
178. Rev. 5. 9. ↩
179. Rom. 9. 21. ↩
180. Ezek: 33. II. ↩
181. Or Operation. ↩
182. [〈◊〉] ↩
183. Math. 24. 24. ↩
184. 1 Cor. 2. 10. ↩
185. The Grace in Chriſt. ↩
186. Feare and dread of ſearching into Opinions and Tenents in Spiritual matters how right they are. ↩
187. Avrora, Ch 14. from verſe 41. to the 51. ↩
188. Acts 15. 18. ↩
189. Pial. 18. 26. ↩
190. Starry or 4 Elementary. ↩
191. Acts 15. 18. ↩
192. The Eternall Beginning. ↩
193. Note whence Nature and the Eſſences Exiſt. ↩
194. How God poſſeſſeth the Evill as the Light poſſeſſeth the Fire. ↩
195. J. B. ↩
196. Avrora Ch. 14. verſe 36. ↩
197. The Name God. ↩
198. The Name Nature. ↩
199. Heb. 2. 14. See verſ. 244. ↩
200. Or put his Imagination into the Light into the Love. ↩
201. Time of the Lilly in the New-Birth. ↩
202. Or Univerſity. ↩
203. See the Apologie to Gregory Rickter verſe 127. ↩
204. NOTE. ↩
205. Evill and Good. ↩
206. Math. 7. 7. Luk. 11. 9. 12. ↩
207. Luk. 11. 13. ↩
208. 1 Tim. 2. 4. ↩
209. 1 Tim. 2. 4. ↩
210. Luk. 15. 24. ↩
211. Joh. 1. 12. ↩
212. Joh: 6. 54. ↩
213. Math. 7. 12. Ch: 22. 37. to the 40. ↩
214. 1 Cor. 15. 45. to the 47. ↩
215. Gen. 2. 21. ↩
216. Joh: 6. 53. ↩
217. Out of himſelf, or himſelf to be. ↩
218. 1 Cor. 4. 20. ↩
219. Gen. 2. 17. ↩
220. Joh: 8. 12. ↩
221. The outward was then ſuch as ſhall ariſe at the Reſurrection. ↩
222. Gen. 3. 7. ↩
223. Avroroe, Chap: 26. verſe 152. ↩
224. Chap: 18. verſe 1. Chap: 26. verſe: 122. ↩
225. Chap: 19. verſe 100 ↩
226. Predeſtinatours. ↩
227. Avrora, Chap: 26. verſe 152. ↩
228. Aurora. Chap: 18. verſe 1. ↩
229. * Chap: 21. verſ 1. & 11. ↩
230. Chap: 20. verſe 2. ↩
231. For offence and defence ↩
232. Or Predeſſinators. ↩
233. The Gift which Goſſips give at Chriſtenings. ↩
234. Math. 10. 25. ↩
235. Math. 5. 11, 12. ↩
236. Math. 5. 22. ↩
237. Or Ladder. ↩
238. Eccluſ. 3. 18. ↩
239. Verſ 28. ↩
240. Prov. 16. 18. ↩
241. A fooliſh Virgin. ↩
242. Pſal. 18. 10. ↩
243. NOTE. ↩