Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
similitude, and they now which received the will, they became angels, for they set their imagination, in the will, in the heart of God, and they did eat of the Verbum Domini [of the Word of the Lord] ; but they that set their imagination in the dark mind, as Lucifer [did, that he might] fly out above the Deity and meekness in the might of the fire in the flash, in the sharp might of God, and be lord alone, they became devils, and they have that name from their being thrust [or driven] out of the light ; for they were in the light when the Fiat created them, for the Fiat which created them stood in the light.
6. Thus the devil is the fault, and guilty of his own fall, for he suffered himself to be moved by the matrix of the 2 sternness [fierceness, sourness, or 2 Or gnmness. wrath], whereas he yet had his own will to take hold of light or darkness. And Lucifer was a throne (that is, a 3 source [or fountain] of a great 3 a fountain essence) from whence went forth all his servants many veins, [or ministers], and they did like him ; and so they with many were thrust back into the darkness, for the light of God goeth not into the [grimness, wrath or] fierceness.
7. And there the Fiat (which created the fierce [wrathful or grim] devils, in hope that they would of devils become angels, who set their imagination therein, that thereby they might domineer over
God and the kingdom of heaven) was infected in
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the figuring of the similitudes ; and so instantly kindled the element in the similitude, viz. in the out-birth [or procreation], in the speculating [or beholding], so that the essence hath generated to the highest essences, from whence go forth the four elements of this world, of the third Principle ; and the sharp Fiat of God (which" stood in the outbirth [or procreation]) hath created the out-birth, out of which the earth and stones are proceeded.
8. For when the Fiat kindled the element in the out-birth, then the kindled materia [or matter] became palpable [or comprehensible], this was not now fit for paradise, but it was ex-created, [or made external]. Yet that the element with its out-birth might no more generate thus, therefore
1 the one pure God created the heaven out of the 1 element, and [caused or] suffered out of the element (which is the heavenly limbus), the third Principle to spring up ; where the spirit of God again discovered [or revealed] itself in the virgin, viz. in the eternal wisdom, and found out, in the out-birth, in the corruptible substance, the similitude again. And the discovering stood in the sharp attraction of the Fiat, and the Fiat created it so that it became essential [or substantial] ; and the same are the stars, a mere quinta essentia, an extract of the Fiat's, out of the limbus of God, wherein the hidden element standeth.
9. But that the sharp and severe essence with the attraction might cease, therefore God generatedCh. 15] KNOWLEDGE OF THE ETERNITY 307 a similitude according to the fountain of the Heart of God, viz. the sun ; and herewith sprang up the third Principle of this world, and that [viz. the sun] put all things into meekness and 1 well-fare. 1 well-doing,
10. Seeing then that the eternal wisdom of God °r kindne88' (viz. in the chaste virgin of the divine virtue) had discovered itself in the Principle of this world, in which place the great prince Lucifer stood in the heaven, in the second Principle, therefore the same discovering was eternal, and God desired to shed forth the similitude out of the essences, which the Fiat created according to the kind of every essence, that they should (after the breaking [or dissolution] of the outward substance) be a figure and image in paradise, and a shadow of this substance.
11. And that there should go nothing in vain out of the substances of God, therefore God created beasts, fowls, fishes, worms, trees and herbs out of all essences; and besides [created] also figured spirits out of the quinta essentia, in the elements, that so, after the fulfilling of the time (when the out-birth [shall] go into the ether) they should appear before him, and that his eternal wisdom in his works of wonder might be known.
similitude, and they now which received the will, they became angels, for they set their imagination, in the will, in the heart of God, and they did eat of the Verbum Domini [of the Word of the Lord] ; but they that set their imagination in the dark mind, as Lucifer [did, that he might] fly out above the Deity and meekness in the might of the fire in the flash, in the sharp might of God, and be lord alone, they became devils, and they have that name from their being thrust [or driven] out of the light ; for they were in the light when the Fiat created them, for the Fiat which created them stood in the light.
6. Thus the devil is the fault, and guilty of his own fall, for he suffered himself to be moved by the matrix of the 2 sternness [fierceness, sourness, or 2 Or gnmness. wrath], whereas he yet had his own will to take hold of light or darkness. And Lucifer was a throne (that is, a 3 source [or fountain] of a great 3 a fountain essence) from whence went forth all his servants many veins, [or ministers], and they did like him ; and so they with many were thrust back into the darkness, for the light of God goes not into the [grimness, wrath or] fierceness.
7. And there the Fiat (which created the fierce [wrathful or grim] devils, in hope that they would of devils become angels, who set their imagination therein, that thereby they might domineer over
God and the kingdom of heaven) was infected in
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306 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 15 the figuring of the similitudes ; and so instantly kindled the element in the similitude, viz. in the out-birth [or procreation], in the speculating [or beholding], so that the essence has generated to the highest essences, from whence go forth the four elements of this world, of the third Principle ; and the sharp Fiat of God (which" stood in the outbirth [or procreation]) has created the out-birth, out of which the earth and stones are proceeded.
8. For when the Fiat kindled the element in the out-birth, then the kindled materia [or matter] became palpable [or comprehensible], this was not now fit for paradise, but it was ex-created, [or made external]. Yet that the element with its out-birth might no more generate thus, therefore
1 the one pure God created the heaven out of the 1 element, and [caused or] suffered out of the element (which is the heavenly limbus), the third Principle to spring up ; where the spirit of God again discovered [or revealed] itself in the virgin, viz. in the eternal wisdom, and found out, in the out-birth, in the corruptible substance, the similitude again. And the discovering stood in the sharp attraction of the Fiat, and the Fiat created it so that it became essential [or substantial] ; and the same are the stars, a mere quinta essentia, an extract of the Fiat's, out of the limbus of God, wherein the hidden element stands.
9. But that the sharp and severe essence with the attraction might cease, therefore God generated
Ch. 15] KNOWLEDGE OF THE ETERNITY 307 a similitude according to the fountain of the Heart of God, viz. the sun ; and herewith sprang up the third Principle of this world, and that [viz. the sun] put all things into meekness and 1 well-fare. 1 well-doing,
10. Seeing then that the eternal wisdom of God °r kindne88' (viz. in the chaste virgin of the divine virtue) had discovered itself in the Principle of this world, in which place the great prince Lucifer stood in the heaven, in the second Principle, therefore the same discovering was eternal, and God desired to shed forth the similitude out of the essences, which the Fiat created according to the kind of every essence, that they should (after the breaking [or dissolution] of the outward substance) be a figure and image in paradise, and a shadow of this substance.
11. And that there should go nothing in vain out of the substances of God, therefore God created beasts, fowls, fishes, worms, trees and herbs out of all essences; and besides [created] also figured spirits out of the quinta essentia, in the elements, that so, after the fulfilling of the time (when the out-birth [shall] go into the ether) they should appear before him, and that his eternal wisdom in his works of wonder might be known.