Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
faculties] of [or to] the life of man, and without it there would not be one member [to, or] of the life of man generated. For when we search [into] the beginning and kindling of life, we find strongly with clear evidences all manner of [faculties or]
p. 264
members ; so that when the clear light of the soul kindleth, then the Fiat standeth in very great joy, and in the twinkling of an eye doth in the matrix sever the pure from the impure, of which the 1 Or work- tincture of the soul in the light is the l worker, which there reneweth it, but the Fiat createth it.
15. And now when the [sour] harsh matrix is [made] so very humble, thin, and sweet, by the light, the [stern or] strong horror (which was so very poisonous before the light [kindled]) flieth upward ; for it is terrified at the meekness of the matrix ; and it is a terror of great joy, yet it retaineth its strong [or stern] right [or property], and cannot be changed ; neither can it get far from thence (for it is withheld by the Fiat) but it raiseth itself suddenly aloft, and the terror maketh it a film from the [sour or] harsh Fiat which holdeth the
8 about, or terror fast, and that is now the gall2 of the heart.
16. But when the matrix (from which the terror was gone forth) was thus loosed from the terror of the anxiety, and became so very sweet, like sweet water, then the spirit of the great world figured [or imprinted itself] instantly, in the matrix, and filleth the four elements also within it, and thinketh with itself, now I have the sweet virgin ; and the
» that which Fiat createth 3 it, and severeth the elements, which was brought . .
in. also are in strife : And each 01 them would have the virgin, and are in a wrestling, till they overcome one another, and that the fire (being the mightiest and most strong) stayeth above, and theCh. 14] BIRTH AND PROPAGATION OF MAN 265 water sinketh down ; and the earth, being a hard gross thing, must stay below: But the fire will have a * region of its own. J kingdom or
17. For it saith, I am the spirit, and the life, I will dwell in the virgin ; and the [sour] harsh Fiat attracteth all to it, and maketh it a Mesch [massa,
2 concretion], and moreover [it maketh it] flesh ; 2 Or snband the fire keepeth the uppermost region, viz. the heart : For the four elements sever themselves by their strife, and every one of them maketh itself a several 3 region ; and the Fiat maketh all to be 3 Or dominflesh : Only the air would have no flesh ; for it said, I dwell in no house ; and the Fiat said, I have created thee, thou art mine, and closed it in with an enclosure, that is, the bladder.
18. Now the other regions set themselves in order ; first the stern flash, that is, the gall ; and beneath the flash, the fire, whose region is the heart ; and beneath the fire, the water, whose region is the liver ; and beneath the water, the earth, whose region is [in] the lungs.
19. And so every element qualifieth [or acteth] in its own source [or manner of operation], and one could do nothing without the other, neither could one have any mobility without the other. For one generateth the other, and they go all four out of one original, and it is in its birth but one only [thing or] substance, as I have mentioned before at large about the creation, concerning the 4 birth of * Or generthe four elements.
p. 266
20. The [sour, strong, or] bitter gall (viz. the terrible poisonous flash of fire) kindleth the warmth in the heart, or the fire, and is itself the cause, from whence all else take their original.
21. Here we find again, in our consideration, the lamentable and horrible fall in the incarnation, because when the light of life riseth up, and when the Fiat in the tincture of the spirit of the soul reneweth the matrix, then the Fiat thrusteth the death of the stifling [choking, checking, or stopping] and perishing, in the sternness (viz. the impurity of the stifled [or checked] blood) from itself, out of its essences, and casteth it away, and will not
1 corpus. endure it in the l body, but as a 2 superfluity ; the
faculties] of [or to] the life of man, and without it there would not be one member [to, or] of the life of man generated. For when we search [into] the beginning and kindling of life, we find strongly with clear evidences all manner of [faculties or]
264 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 14 members ; so that when the clear light of the soul kindls, then the Fiat stands in very great joy, and in the twinkling of an eye does in the matrix sever the pure from the impure, of which the 1 Or work- tincture of the soul in the light is the l worker, which there renews it, but the Fiat creates it.
15. And now when the [sour] harsh matrix is [made] so very humble, thin, and sweet, by the light, the [stern or] strong horror (which was so very poisonous before the light [kindled]) flies upward ; for it is terrified at the meekness of the matrix ; and it is a terror of great joy, yet it retains its strong [or stern] right [or property], and cannot be changed ; neither can it get far from thence (for it is withheld by the Fiat) but it raises itself suddenly aloft, and the terror makes it a film from the [sour or] harsh Fiat which holds the
8 about, or terror fast, and that is now the gall2 of the heart.
16. But when the matrix (from which the terror was gone forth) was thus loosed from the terror of the anxiety, and became so very sweet, like sweet water, then the spirit of the great world figured [or imprinted itself] instantly, in the matrix, and fills the four elements also within it, and thinks with itself, now I have the sweet virgin ; and the
» that which Fiat creates 3 it, and severs the elements, which was brought . .
in. also are in strife : And each 01 them would have the virgin, and are in a wrestling, till they overcome one another, and that the fire (being the mightiest and most strong) stays above, and the
Ch. 14] BIRTH AND PROPAGATION OF MAN 265 water sinks down ; and the earth, being a hard gross thing, must stay below: But the fire will have a * region of its own. J kingdom or
17. For it says, I am the spirit, and the life, I will dwell in the virgin ; and the [sour] harsh Fiat attracts all to it, and makes it a Mesch [massa,
2 concretion], and moreover [it makes it] flesh ; 2 Or snband the fire keeps the uppermost region, viz. the heart : For the four elements sever themselves by their strife, and every one of them makes itself a several 3 region ; and the Fiat makes all to be 3 Or dominflesh : Only the air would have no flesh ; for it said, I dwell in no house ; and the Fiat said, I have created you, you are mine, and closed it in with an enclosure, that is, the bladder.
18. Now the other regions set themselves in order ; first the stern flash, that is, the gall ; and beneath the flash, the fire, whose region is the heart ; and beneath the fire, the water, whose region is the liver ; and beneath the water, the earth, whose region is [in] the lungs.
19. And so every element qualifies [or acts] in its own source [or manner of operation], and one could do nothing without the other, neither could one have any mobility without the other. For one generats the other, and they go all four out of one original, and it is in its birth but one only [thing or] substance, as I have mentioned before at large about the creation, concerning the 4 birth of * Or generthe four elements.
266 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 14
20. The [sour, strong, or] bitter gall (viz. the terrible poisonous flash of fire) kindls the warmth in the heart, or the fire, and is itself the cause, from whence all else take their original.
21. Here we find again, in our consideration, the lamentable and horrible fall in the incarnation, because when the light of life rises up, and when the Fiat in the tincture of the spirit of the soul renews the matrix, then the Fiat thrusts the death of the stifling [choking, checking, or stopping] and perishing, in the sternness (viz. the impurity of the stifled [or checked] blood) from itself, out of its essences, and casts it away, and will not
1 corpus. endure it in the l body, but as a 2 superfluity ; the