31. But now the Deity is not so separated from the outward birth or geniture, as if they were two things in this world; if so, man could have no hope, and then this world did not stand in the power and love of God. 32. But the Deity is in the outward birth, hidden, and hath the fan or casting shovel in its hand, and will one day cast the chaff and the kindled Salitter upon a heap, and will draw away from it its inward birth or geniture, and give them to lord Lucifer and his crew of followers for an eternal house. 33. In the meanwhile lord Lucifer must lie captive and imprisoned in the outermost birth in the nature of this world, in the kindled wrathfire; and therein he hath great power, and can reach into the heart of all creatures with his animated or soulish spirit in the outermost birth or geniture, which standeth in the wrathfire. 34. Therefore the soul of man must fight and strive continually with the devil, for he still presents before it the crabapples of Paradise— [" That is, the fierce source of malignity, " wherewith the soul is infected."] —and invites it also to bite thereof, that he thereby may also bring it into his prison. 35. If that will not succeed to his purpose, then he strikes many a hard blow at the head, and that man must continually lie under the cross, affliction and misery in this world. 36. For he hideth the noble grain of mustardseed, so that man doth not know himself. And then the world supposeth that the man is thus plagued and smitten of God, whereby the devil's kingdom remaineth always hidden and undiscovered.
37. But stay a little; thou hast given me also many a blow, I have experimental knowledge of thee, and here I will open thy door to thee a little, that another also may see what thou art. THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER Of the Creation of Heaven and Earth; and of the first Day. 1. MOSES writeth in his first book [Genesis] as if he had been present, and had beheld all with his eyes; but without doubt he received it in writing from his forefathers: It may be he, in the spirit, might well have discerned somewhat more herein than his forefathers did. 2. But because at that time, when God created heaven and earth, there was yet no man who saw it, therefore it may be concluded that Adam before his fall, while he was yet in the deep knowledge of God, knew it in the spirit. 3. But yet when he fell, and was set into the outward birth or geniture, he knew it no more, but kept it in remembrance, only as a dark and veiled story; and this he left to his posterity. 4. For it is manifest, that the first world before the deluge or flood knew as little of the qualities and birth or geniture of God as this last world wherein we now live knoweth: For the external fleshly birth or geniture could never apprehend or understand the Deity, otherwise somewhat more would have been written of it.
5. But seeing through the divine grace in this high article this great mystery hath been somewhat revealed to me, in my spirit, according to the inward man, (which qualifieth, mixeth and uniteth with the Deity), therefore I cannot forbear to describe it according to my gifts. And I would have the Reader faithfully admonished not to be offended at the simplicity of the author. 6. For I do it not out of a desire of boasting and vainglory, but in a humble information to the Reader, (that thereby the works of God might be somewhat better known, and the devil's kingdom revealed and laid open, seeing this present modern world moveth and liveth in all malice, wickedness and devilish vicious blasphemies) and that the world might once see in what kind of power, impulse or driving it liveth, and in what kind of inn it taketh up its lodging. 7. I do it to try whether I may, with the entrusted talent, happily get gain of usury, and not return it to my God and Creator again singly and empty, without improvement, like the lazy servant who had stood idle in the vineyard of the Lord, and would require his wages without having laboured at all. 8. But if the devil should raise mockers and despisers, who would say it doth not become me to climb so high into the Deity, and to dive so deeply thereinto: 9. To all of them I give this for an answer. That I am not climbed up into the Deity, neither is it possible for such a mean man as I am to do it; but the Deity is climbed up into me, and from its love are these things revealed to me, which otherwise I, in my halfdead fleshly birth or geniture, must needs have let alone altogether.
31. But now the Deity is not so separated from the outward birth or geniture, as if they were two things in this world; if so, man could have no hope, and then this world did not stand in the power and love of God. 32. But the Deity is in the outward birth, hidden, and has the fan or casting shovel in its hand, and will one day cast the chaff and the kindled Salitter upon a heap, and will draw away from it its inward birth or geniture, and give them to lord Lucifer and his crew of followers for an eternal house. 33. In the meanwhile lord Lucifer must lie captive and imprisoned in the outermost birth in the nature of this world, in the kindled wrathfire; and therein he has great power, and can reach into the heart of all creatures with his animated or soulish spirit in the outermost birth or geniture, which stands in the wrathfire. 34. Therefore the soul of man must fight and strive continually with the devil, for he still presents before it the crabapples of Paradise— [" That is, the fierce source of malignity, " wherewith the soul is infected."] —and invites it also to bite thereof, that he thereby may also bring it into his prison. 35. If that will not succeed to his purpose, then he strikes many a hard blow at the head, and that man must continually lie under the cross, affliction and misery in this world. 36. For he hides the noble grain of mustardseed, so that man does not know himself. And then the world supposes that the man is thus plagued and smitten of God, whereby the devil's kingdom remains always hidden and undiscovered.
37. But stay a little; you have given me also many a blow, I have experimental knowledge of you, and here I will open your door to you a little, that another also may see what you are. THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER Of the Creation of Heaven and Earth; and of the first Day. 1. MOSES writes in his first book [Genesis] as if he had been present, and had beheld all with his eyes; but without doubt he received it in writing from his forefathers: It may be he, in the spirit, might well have discerned somewhat more herein than his forefathers did. 2. But because at that time, when God created heaven and earth, there was yet no man who saw it, therefore it may be concluded that Adam before his fall, while he was yet in the deep knowledge of God, knew it in the spirit. 3. But yet when he fell, and was set into the outward birth or geniture, he knew it no more, but kept it in remembrance, only as a dark and veiled story; and this he left to his posterity. 4. For it is manifest, that the first world before the deluge or flood knew as little of the qualities and birth or geniture of God as this last world wherein we now live knows: For the external fleshly birth or geniture could never apprehend or understand the Deity, otherwise somewhat more would have been written of it.
5. But seeing through the divine grace in this high article this great mystery has been somewhat revealed to me, in my spirit, according to the inward man, (which qualifies, mixes and unites with the Deity), therefore I cannot forbear to describe it according to my gifts. And I would have the Reader faithfully admonished not to be offended at the simplicity of the author. 6. For I do it not out of a desire of boasting and vainglory, but in a humble information to the Reader, (that thereby the works of God might be somewhat better known, and the devil's kingdom revealed and laid open, seeing this present modern world moves and lives in all malice, wickedness and devilish vicious blasphemies) and that the world might once see in what kind of power, impulse or driving it lives, and in what kind of inn it takes up its lodging. 7. I do it to try whether I may, with the entrusted talent, happily get gain of usury, and not return it to my God and Creator again singly and empty, without improvement, like the lazy servant who had stood idle in the vineyard of the Lord, and would require his wages without having laboured at all. 8. But if the devil should raise mockers and despisers, who would say it does not become me to climb so high into the Deity, and to dive so deeply thereinto: 9. To all of them I give this for an answer. That I am not climbed up into the Deity, neither is it possible for such a mean man as I am to do it; but the Deity is climbed up into me, and from its love are these things revealed to me, which otherwise I, in my halfdead fleshly birth or geniture, must needs have let alone altogether.
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