Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
" From time to time, however, an opening took place " within me, as of a growth. I kept this to myself for " twelve years (1600-1612), being full of it, and experi- " enced a vehement impulse, before I could bring it out " into expression ; but at last it overwhelmed me like a " cloud-burst ; what it smites, it smites indeed. And so " it went with me : whatsoever I could grasp sufficiently " to bring it out, that I wrote down."
This book, which saw the light in 1612, and which the author meant to write only for himself, was entitled Morning Redness; later, a friend gave it the title Awrvra.
xlii THE THREE PRINCIPLES
The MS. of the unfinished (and never-to-be finished) work having been entrusted as a loan to a follower of Schwenkfeld, a nobleman named Karl von Ender, he caused a number of copies to be taken and further circulated. In this wise the book came under the notice of the Pastor Priiuarius, or chief pastor of Gorlitz, Gregorius Richter, an orthodox and fanatical Lutheran, who took great offence thereat, and resolved to make of Jacob Boehme an example to frighten the many sectaries of the time ; all the more as he had to deal with a simple workman, of whom moreover he had no very pleasant remembrance, owing to an incident that had taken place presumably some time previously. The story is so characteristic of both the men concerned, that we cannot afford to overlook it. True enough, we must not forget that the report comes from one of Boehme's friends (Dr Wiesner of Breslau), and cannot claim to be an original or direct statement of facts; yet, discounting all possible exaggeration or distortion, enough is left to be of interest.1
It would seem that a young baker, a relative of Boehme, being short of money, had borrowed one thaler from the chief pastor in order to buy wheatmeal for Christmas cakes. He made one of these fairly large, and presented it as a sort of thank-offering. Soon after the holidays he returned the money, hoping that the reverend gentleman would require no interest, since the loan had been only for a fortnight. The reverend gentleman, however, meant nothing of the sort. He threatened the young man with God's anger and terrible curse, and frightened him to such an extent that for several days afterwards the poor simple fellow went about in great despondency, and in fear for his soul's eternal welfare, sighing deeply and speaking to no one. His wife at last implored the intervention of her cousin, Jacob Boehme ; and the latter, having inquired into the whole matter, spoke kindly to the troubled young man,
1 See Dr C. Wiesner's Epistle Narrative, in The Remainder oftlie Books of Jacob Boehme. Sparrow, 1662.
INTRODUCTION xliii
" From time to time, however, an opening took place " within me, as of a growth. I kept this to myself for " twelve years (1600-1612), being full of it, and experi- " enced a vehement impulse, before I could bring it out " into expression ; but at last it overwhelmed me like a " cloud-burst ; what it smites, it smites indeed. And so " it went with me : whatsoever I could grasp sufficiently " to bring it out, that I wrote down."
This book, which saw the light in 1612, and which the author meant to write only for himself, was entitled Morning Redness; later, a friend gave it the title Awrvra.
xlii THE THREE PRINCIPLES
The MS. of the unfinished (and never-to-be finished) work having been entrusted as a loan to a follower of Schwenkfeld, a nobleman named Karl von Ender, he caused a number of copies to be taken and further circulated. In this wise the book came under the notice of the Pastor Priiuarius, or chief pastor of Gorlitz, Gregorius Richter, an orthodox and fanatical Lutheran, who took great offence thereat, and resolved to make of Jacob Boehme an example to frighten the many sectaries of the time ; all the more as he had to deal with a simple workman, of whom moreover he had no very pleasant remembrance, owing to an incident that had taken place presumably some time previously. The story is so characteristic of both the men concerned, that we cannot afford to overlook it. True enough, we must not forget that the report comes from one of Boehme's friends (Dr Wiesner of Breslau), and cannot claim to be an original or direct statement of facts; yet, discounting all possible exaggeration or distortion, enough is left to be of interest.1
It would seem that a young baker, a relative of Boehme, being short of money, had borrowed one thaler from the chief pastor in order to buy wheatmeal for Christmas cakes. He made one of these fairly large, and presented it as a sort of thank-offering. Soon after the holidays he returned the money, hoping that the reverend gentleman would require no interest, since the loan had been only for a fortnight. The reverend gentleman, however, meant nothing of the sort. He threatened the young man with God's anger and terrible curse, and frightened him to such an extent that for several days afterwards the poor simple fellow went about in great despondency, and in fear for his soul's eternal welfare, sighing deeply and speaking to no one. His wife at last implored the intervention of her cousin, Jacob Boehme ; and the latter, having inquired into the whole matter, spoke kindly to the troubled young man,
1 See Dr C. Wiesner's Epistle Narrative, in The Remainder oftlie Books of Jacob Boehme. Sparrow, 1662.
INTRODUCTION xliii