Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
p. 446
open the gate of the deep, and shineth [or appeareth] in the eternal light.
50. Now then as the Word of God is in the Father, and goeth forth out of the Father into the [pure] element, and that the same Word was given to man again in the fall (from out of the [holy] element, through the voice of the Father, with the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent) out of grace, in the centre of the light of life ; so the natural soul of Christ, with its first kindling in its centre of the light of life (where the Word, with the consent of the Virgin Mary, had set itself, by the Word in the Father of eternity) received the Principle of the Father in the light.
Ma this man- 51. Thus Christ (l according to this form) was the natural eternal Son of God the Father; and the soul of Christ (in the Word) was a self-subsisting natural Person in the holy Trinity.
52. And there is in the depth of the Deity no such wonderful Person more, as this Christ is, which the Prophet Isaiah calleth (in the spirit highly known by him) Wonderful, Power [or Virtue, Champion, or] Saviour, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace ; whose dominion is great, and upon his
2 over the shoulders ; 2 understand [upon] the creatures of the creatures of the inward element.
53. And the second birth of the soul of Christ stood in the natural propagation, like [the souls of] all men ; for he also as well [as other men] was in six months wholly figured [framed or formed], withCh. 18] PROMISED SEED OF THE WOMAN 447 a natural body and soul, with all the gates of the mind and senses; the soul in the first Principle, and the body in the third Principle; and then Christ (the true breaker-through) continued standing in the second Principle, in the kingdom of God, and after nine months was born a man, out of the body [or womb] of the Virgin Mary, and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God the Father.
54. And here the light shone in the darkness of the natural outward body, as Saint John witnesseth ; he came into [or to] his own, and his own received him not, for they knew him not ; but those which received him, [to them] he gave the mitfht to be the children of God ; they were
O *^
through him begotten to the kingdom of heaven. For his is the kingdom, the [power or] might, and glory in eternity. Amen.
55. Thus consider here, thou beloved mind, thou shalt here find the * root, whereb)^ men (before the i the foundav -, . , -, . . . r. tion ; hit the
2 birth of Christ) entered into salvation ; if you mark, or get understand this writing aright (as the same is known by the author in the grace of God) then you understand all whatsoever Moses and the Prophets have written ; as also all whatsoever the mouth of Christ hath taught and spoken ; thou hast no need of any 3mask or spectacles about it. That knowledge needeth not to be 4 confirmed by the antichristian throne [or stool], who saith, The divine ordinances must be established byp. 448 his see or throne, and whatsoever men must teach
1 that wl"ch and believe, fas if] l he could not err.
we call I, or self, in our 56. The light of nature sheweth us now (in the reason.
love of God) quite another throne, which God the Father with his Son Jesus Christ hath established ;
2 the throne the same is the eternal 2 throne in for of] grace, of resignation in the mercy where our soul may be new regenerated, and not of God. J , in the anticnristian throne ; that is nothing else but the throne of Babel the confusion, where he may continue to be the ape of Christ upon earth,
3 Or degree with his brave 3 hood ; where of late we saw a of Master, or
Doctor. young lad [disciple, or scholar], who plucked the
4 his might, Pearl from his 4 hatband, and his hatband broke ;
power, and authority. and then he became as another earthly man, and none saluted [reverenced or regarded] him.
446 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 18 open the gate of the deep, and shines [or appears] in the eternal light.
50. Now then as the Word of God is in the Father, and goes forth out of the Father into the [pure] element, and that the same Word was given to man again in the fall (from out of the [holy] element, through the voice of the Father, with the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent) out of grace, in the centre of the light of life ; so the natural soul of Christ, with its first kindling in its centre of the light of life (where the Word, with the consent of the Virgin Mary, had set itself, by the Word in the Father of eternity) received the Principle of the Father in the light.
Ma this man- 51. Thus Christ (l according to this form) was the natural eternal Son of God the Father; and the soul of Christ (in the Word) was a self-subsisting natural Person in the holy Trinity.
52. And there is in the depth of the Deity no such wonderful Person more, as this Christ is, which the Prophet Isaiah calls (in the spirit highly known by him) Wonderful, Power [or Virtue, Champion, or] Saviour, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace ; whose dominion is great, and upon his
2 over the shoulders ; 2 understand [upon] the creatures of the creatures of the inward element.
53. And the second birth of the soul of Christ stood in the natural propagation, like [the souls of] all men ; for he also as well [as other men] was in six months wholly figured [framed or formed], with
Ch. 18] PROMISED SEED OF THE WOMAN 447 a natural body and soul, with all the gates of the mind and senses; the soul in the first Principle, and the body in the third Principle; and then Christ (the true breaker-through) continued standing in the second Principle, in the kingdom of God, and after nine months was born a man, out of the body [or womb] of the Virgin Mary, and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God the Father.
54. And here the light shone in the darkness of the natural outward body, as Saint John witnesses ; he came into [or to] his own, and his own received him not, for they knew him not ; but those which received him, [to them] he gave the mitfht to be the children of God ; they were
O *^
through him begotten to the kingdom of heaven. For his is the kingdom, the [power or] might, and glory in eternity. Amen.
55. Thus consider here, you beloved mind, you shall here find the * root, whereb)^ men (before the i the foundav -, . , -, . . . r. tion ; hit the
2 birth of Christ) entered into salvation ; if you mark, or get understand this writing aright (as the same is known by the author in the grace of God) then you understand all whatsoever Moses and the Prophets have written ; as also all whatsoever the mouth of Christ has taught and spoken ; you have no need of any 3mask or spectacles about it. That knowledge needs not to be 4 confirmed by the antichristian throne [or stool], who says, The divine ordinances must be established by
448 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 18 his see or throne, and whatsoever men must teach
1 that wl"ch and believe, fas if] l he could not err.
we call I, or self, in our 56. The light of nature shows us now (in the reason.
love of God) quite another throne, which God the Father with his Son Jesus Christ has established ;
2 the throne the same is the eternal 2 throne in for of] grace, of resignation in the mercy where our soul may be new regenerated, and not of God. J , in the anticnristian throne ; that is nothing else but the throne of Babel the confusion, where he may continue to be the ape of Christ upon earth,
3 Or degree with his brave 3 hood ; where of late we saw a of Master, or
Doctor. young lad [disciple, or scholar], who plucked the
4 his might, Pearl from his 4 hatband, and his hatband broke ;
power, and authority. and then he became as another earthly man, and none saluted [reverenced or regarded] him.