Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
hooped, crying, Ho, ho ! we have gotten the game, we are princes over men, we will torment them soundly, because they would have possessed our throne; we should have been their footstool, and now we are their judges ; what care we for God, he dwelleth not in our kingdom ; wherefore hath he thrust us out ? We will be sure to wreak our spleen upon his image.
The most pleasant, and most lovely Gate [or Exposition] of the Promise of the Treader upon the Serpent, highly to be considered.
97. Now when no counsel [or remedy] was found, and that man was sunk down into hell, to the great triumph of the devils, then said God to the serpent (the devil), Because thou hast done thus, be thou cursed ; and the Seed of the Woman shall tread upon [or break] thy head, and thou shalt bruise
Or sting. [or * wound] his heel ; at which the abyss of hell did quake and tremble, but the devil understood not wholly what that should be ; only he saw that the Word imagined [or represented itself] in Adam and in Eve, in the centre of life, and that it opposed the fierceness of the kingdom of hell, of which he stood in fear, and his jollity was lessened, for he did not relish that.
98. Moses writeth here as if the serpent had beguiled Eve, because God cursed it, [and said,] That it should eat earth, and creep upon its belly ; but Moses here putteth the veil before our eyes,
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 413
that he cannot be looked in the face. For all prophecies stand in dark words, that the devil may not know [nor apprehend them], and learn / the times, and that he may not strow his false seed, before the wonders of God appear ; as may be seen in all the Prophets, who prophesied of the Treader upon the Serpent.
99. We know, that the devil slipped into the serpent, and spake out of the serpent; for God did not mean [by it] that the Treader upon the Serpent should tread upon the head of the bestial serpent ; but that he should destroy the devil and the abyss of hell. But that was the punishment of the bestial serpent, that it should remain a poisonous worm without feet, and eat earth, and have communion with the devil ; for so all evil spirits in hell appear, in their own form, according to their source [or quality], as serpents, dragons, horrible worms, and evil beasts.
100. This now the devil did not understand; because God spake of the serpent, and cursed it to [be] a horrible worm, and he supposed that it did not concern him; neither doth he yet know his own judgment, he knoweth only what he learneth from men, that l declare [things] in the 1 Or prophesy. spirit of God ; yet the spirit of God doth not wholly intimate his judgment to him, but all in the depth, afar off, so that he cannot wholly understand it. For to the enlightened men all prophecies (even concerning the wickedness of men)
414 THE THKEE PRINCIPLES [Ch. l7 are thus given, and they dare not set them down clearer, that the devil may not wholly learn the counsel of God, and strow his sugar upon it ; though in this place there are very excellent things, that ought not to be revealed to the world, for they remain till the judgment of God ; that the devil may bring no new sects into it, and lead men into doubt ; and therefore they shall be passed over till the time of the lily.
101. So now when we consider the great love and mercifulness, in that God hath turned to man, we find cause enough to write and teach these
1 matters, or x things ; for it concerneth our eternal salvation and works'and redemption out of the jaws of hell ; therefore I will set down the ground of the promised Messiah, that the following writings may be the better understood, especially Moses in his Book of the Law, where there is need of it. Now he that will see nothing, God help him, he must needs be blind ; for the time of the visitation of the hardened Jews, Turks, and Heathens, cometh now. Whosoever will see, let them see ; the lamps for the bridegroom are shortly to be kindled. He cometh, whosoever desireth to be a guest, let him prepare him a wedding-garment.
102. Now, saith reason, How could Adam and Eve know what God meant by the Treader upon the Serpent? Indeed, they did not wholly and altogether know ; only they saw that the devil must depart from them, and not shew himself
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 415
hooped, crying, Ho, ho ! we have gotten the game, we are princes over men, we will torment them soundly, because they would have possessed our throne; we should have been their footstool, and now we are their judges ; what care we for God, he dwells not in our kingdom ; wherefore has he thrust us out ? We will be sure to wreak our spleen upon his image.
The most pleasant, and most lovely Gate [or Exposition] of the Promise of the Treader upon the Serpent, highly to be considered.
97. Now when no counsel [or remedy] was found, and that man was sunk down into hell, to the great triumph of the devils, then said God to the serpent (the devil), Because you have done thus, be you cursed ; and the Seed of the Woman shall tread upon [or break] your head, and you shall bruise
Or sting. [or * wound] his heel ; at which the abyss of hell did quake and tremble, but the devil understood not wholly what that should be ; only he saw that the Word imagined [or represented itself] in Adam and in Eve, in the centre of life, and that it opposed the fierceness of the kingdom of hell, of which he stood in fear, and his jollity was lessened, for he did not relish that.
98. Moses writes here as if the serpent had beguiled Eve, because God cursed it, [and said,] That it should eat earth, and creep upon its belly ; but Moses here putts the veil before our eyes,
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 413 that he cannot be looked in the face. For all prophecies stand in dark words, that the devil may not know [nor apprehend them], and learn / the times, and that he may not strow his false seed, before the wonders of God appear ; as may be seen in all the Prophets, who prophesied of the Treader upon the Serpent.
99. We know, that the devil slipped into the serpent, and spake out of the serpent; for God did not mean [by it] that the Treader upon the Serpent should tread upon the head of the bestial serpent ; but that he should destroy the devil and the abyss of hell. But that was the punishment of the bestial serpent, that it should remain a poisonous worm without feet, and eat earth, and have communion with the devil ; for so all evil spirits in hell appear, in their own form, according to their source [or quality], as serpents, dragons, horrible worms, and evil beasts.
100. This now the devil did not understand; because God spake of the serpent, and cursed it to [be] a horrible worm, and he supposed that it did not concern him; neither does he yet know his own judgment, he knows only what he learns from men, that l declare [things] in the 1 Or prophesy. spirit of God ; yet the spirit of God does not wholly intimate his judgment to him, but all in the depth, afar off, so that he cannot wholly understand it. For to the enlightened men all prophecies (even concerning the wickedness of men)
414 THE THKEE PRINCIPLES [Ch. l7 are thus given, and they dare not set them down clearer, that the devil may not wholly learn the counsel of God, and strow his sugar upon it ; though in this place there are very excellent things, that ought not to be revealed to the world, for they remain till the judgment of God ; that the devil may bring no new sects into it, and lead men into doubt ; and therefore they shall be passed over till the time of the lily.
101. So now when we consider the great love and mercifulness, in that God has turned to man, we find cause enough to write and teach these
1 matters, or x things ; for it concerns our eternal salvation and works'and redemption out of the jaws of hell ; therefore I will set down the ground of the promised Messiah, that the following writings may be the better understood, especially Moses in his Book of the Law, where there is need of it. Now he that will see nothing, God help him, he must needs be blind ; for the time of the visitation of the hardened Jews, Turks, and Heathens, comes now. Whosoever will see, let them see ; the lamps for the bridegroom are shortly to be kindled. He comes, whosoever desires to be a guest, let him prepare him a wedding-garment.
102. Now, says reason, How could Adam and Eve know what God meant by the Treader upon the Serpent? Indeed, they did not wholly and altogether know ; only they saw that the devil must depart from them, and not show himself
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 415