Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
6. The text in Moses saith he was created in the paradise in Hebron ; that is, in the gate of the deep between the Deity and the abyss of the kingdom of hell. His body was out of the [one pure] element, and his spirit was breathed into him out of the eternal mind of God the Father, from the chaste virgin of the divine wisdom and love.
7. For the element 2is without understanding, 2 As man's and that is that [which is attracted or] concreted X sphitT' in the will of God, wherein the eternal wisdom of Jading nder" God doth [sparkle or] discover itself in infinitum [infinitely], and in that spring up colours, arts, virtues, and the eternal wonders ; out of which [element] in the beginning (in the kindling of the fire in the stern fierceness) are the four elements proceeded.
8. For this is very well to be apprehended and perceived in the earth and stones, that the four elements are of one only substance, and that the earth and stones were generated in the fierceness from the kindling of the elements. For a stone is but water; and therefore we should do well to consider what kind of fierceness
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THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 17
1 congealed or knit.
2 Or body.
3 the four elements.
4 That which hath gone forth.
5 kindling or life.
6 Or appearance.
7 out of the heavenly extract, seed, or substantiality.
there must have been, that hath l drawn the water so hard together.
9. Moreover, the issue of the four elements may be perceived in the fierceness of the fire, how instantly the strong air goeth forth from the fire ; and the stone or wood is nothing else but a 2 sulphur from the water and from the earth ; and if the tincture be consumed by the fierceness, then the [wood or stone] would come to ashes, and at last to nothing ; as indeed, at the end, this world with the four elements will come to nothing, and there shall remain nothing else of 3 them in the eternal element, but the figure and the shadow in the wonders of God. How then canst thou think that God hath created the eternal man out of the four elements, or 4 issues, which are but corruptible?
10. Yet as concerning Eve, we must acknowledge that she was created to this corruptible life, for she is the woman of this world ; and at this time it could not be otherwise. For the spirit of this world, with its 5 tincture, had overcome and possessed Adam, so that he fell down into a sleep, and could not generate out of himself the image of the virgin according to the 6 discovery of the noble and chaste virgin (the wisdom of God), which was the matrix in him, which was joined [or espoused] to him out of the heavenly 7 limbus ; where according to which (in his being overcome) the elementary woman was given to him, viz. Eve, who (inCh. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 373 the spirit of the world's overcoming) was figured after a bestial form.
11. But that we may, in a brief sum, give the Reader to understand what our knowledge and high
1 sense in the light of nature hath highly appre- l Or percephended, we therefore set it down thus, according to our knowledge. Adam was the image of God, according to the similitude of God, which God (the holy Trinity in one only divine substance) through the virgin of his eternal wisdom, in the wisdom had [manifested or] 2 discovered [or purposed] (in 2 foreseen or the eternal element) to have in the room of the Ie fallen devil. For his counsel (in the eternal will) must stand ; there should and must be a throne and princely region in this place, which should manifest the eternal wonders.
12. And so now God created the image, and similitude, out of the eternal element, (in which the eternal wonders are originally), and [God] breathed into him the spirit of the essences, out of his eternal original will, out of the throughbroken gate of the deep, where the wheel of the stirring and breaking - through standeth in the eternal mind, which reacheth the clear, true, and pure Deity of the Heart of God.
13. This [image] is not the Heart of God, but it reacheth into the Heart of God, and it receiveth virtue, light and joy from the Heart and light of God. For it is in the eternal will of the Father, out of which he [the Father] continually generateth
p. 374
p. 17
6. The text in Moses says he was created in the paradise in Hebron ; that is, in the gate of the deep between the Deity and the abyss of the kingdom of hell. His body was out of the [one pure] element, and his spirit was breathed into him out of the eternal mind of God the Father, from the chaste virgin of the divine wisdom and love.
7. For the element 2is without understanding, 2 As man's and that is that [which is attracted or] concreted X sphitT' in the will of God, wherein the eternal wisdom of Jading nder" God does [sparkle or] discover itself in infinitum [infinitely], and in that spring up colours, arts, virtues, and the eternal wonders ; out of which [element] in the beginning (in the kindling of the fire in the stern fierceness) are the four elements proceeded.
8. For this is very well to be apprehended and perceived in the earth and stones, that the four elements are of one only substance, and that the earth and stones were generated in the fierceness from the kindling of the elements. For a stone is but water; and therefore we should do well to consider what kind of fierceness
p. 372
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 17
1 congealed or knit.
2 Or body.
3 the four elements.
4 That which has gone forth.
5 kindling or life.
6 Or appearance.
7 out of the heavenly extract, seed, or substantiality.
there must have been, that has l drawn the water so hard together.
9. Moreover, the issue of the four elements may be perceived in the fierceness of the fire, how instantly the strong air goes forth from the fire ; and the stone or wood is nothing else but a 2 sulphur from the water and from the earth ; and if the tincture be consumed by the fierceness, then the [wood or stone] would come to ashes, and at last to nothing ; as indeed, at the end, this world with the four elements will come to nothing, and there shall remain nothing else of 3 them in the eternal element, but the figure and the shadow in the wonders of God. How then can you think that God has created the eternal man out of the four elements, or 4 issues, which are but corruptible?
10. Yet as concerning Eve, we must acknowledge that she was created to this corruptible life, for she is the woman of this world ; and at this time it could not be otherwise. For the spirit of this world, with its 5 tincture, had overcome and possessed Adam, so that he fell down into a sleep, and could not generate out of himself the image of the virgin according to the 6 discovery of the noble and chaste virgin (the wisdom of God), which was the matrix in him, which was joined [or espoused] to him out of the heavenly 7 limbus ; where according to which (in his being overcome) the elementary woman was given to him, viz. Eve, who (in
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 373 the spirit of the world's overcoming) was figured after a bestial form.
11. But that we may, in a brief sum, give the Reader to understand what our knowledge and high
1 sense in the light of nature has highly appre- l Or percephended, we therefore set it down thus, according to our knowledge. Adam was the image of God, according to the similitude of God, which God (the holy Trinity in one only divine substance) through the virgin of his eternal wisdom, in the wisdom had [manifested or] 2 discovered [or purposed] (in 2 foreseen or the eternal element) to have in the room of the Ie fallen devil. For his counsel (in the eternal will) must stand ; there should and must be a throne and princely region in this place, which should manifest the eternal wonders.
12. And so now God created the image, and similitude, out of the eternal element, (in which the eternal wonders are originally), and [God] breathed into him the spirit of the essences, out of his eternal original will, out of the throughbroken gate of the deep, where the wheel of the stirring and breaking - through stands in the eternal mind, which reaches the clear, true, and pure Deity of the Heart of God.
13. This [image] is not the Heart of God, but it reaches into the Heart of God, and it receives virtue, light and joy from the Heart and light of God. For it is in the eternal will of the Father, out of which he [the Father] continually generats
p. 374
THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 17