Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

82. God indeed (in former times) permitted much for the conversion-sake of the heathen ; but he hath not ordained the Antichrist to be so, in his covetousness, ordinances [or laws], and babble in their councils ; where men have stopped the mouth of the spirit of God, that it should speak

1 Viz. those no more, but that the x spirit of this world should learned in speak, and build a kingdom of heaven upon earth, universities, in laws, disputations, and great talkings ; and therefore that kingdom of heaven, upon earth, must be bound up with precious oaths or covenants, (because it stood not in the liberty of the Holy Ghost), that so it might be fat and lusty, great and wanton, and never be broken. But it is come to be a Babel of confusion thereby, and in the confusion it breaketh [or destroyeth] itself.

83. If now thou wilt behold the Virgin Mary, with her Son Jesus Christ, then thou shalt find that she hath been justified and saved through her Son ; although she is come into great perfection,

2 a holy or as a 2 bright morning-star, above other stars. And half morning star, or as a therefore also the angel called her blessed among l 1 - T O O half Lucifer . .. _, 7 . . 7 7 before he fell, women, and said, 1 /ie Lord is witfi mee : But she hath not the divine omnipotence.

84. For the Word (which God promised in the Garden of Eden) sprang [and budded] in the light of her life, in the centre of God ; and when the

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angel Gabriel (from the command of the Father) stirred that [Word of the promise] with the message, theii it let itself into the chaste virgin 1 in the element ; and not so wholly and altogether J in the

1-1 element into the soul of the virgin, or into the earthly before God. body, that she was deified. No; for Christ himself saith, None goeth into heaven but the Son of man, who is come from heaven, and who is in heaven; all others must go through him into heaven ; 2 he is their heaven, and the Father 2 he is in the

Father, and

is his heaven, he was in the heaven ; and also MS members (in the bosom of the virgin) in ' this world : the world was made through him, how then could it comprehend him ?

85. The virgin comprehended [or contained him] as a mother doth her child, she gave him the natural essences which she inherited from her parents ; those he assumed to the creature, which was God and man, the essences of his mother (in her virgin-matrix, out of flesh and blood) he assumed to the limbus of God (out of the [holy] element) and in these became a living soul, without blemishing of the [holy] element ; and the Word was in the midst ; the might [strength], height and depth of the soul, reacheth even into the Father ; and the outward kingdom of this world hung to the inward, as the four elements hang to the [one] element, 3 which in the end shall pass away again, 3 four and go through the fire.

86. And as the child is another person than the

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THE THEEE PRINCIPLES

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1 it shall be manifested.

a Or the impregnation.

mother, and as the child's soul is not the soul of the mother, so also here in this place. For the outward virgin could not comprehend, that she did bear the Saviour of the world ; but she committed that (in her virgin-chastity) to God ; whatsoever he did with her, she would still be contented with it.

87. But thou abominable antichristian beast, that wouldst devour all, this thou shalt know concerning the holiness of the Virgin Mary ; that the Virgin Mary is higher, and hath a greater fulness of the glance [or lustre] than another child, out of another body. Although thou (evil beast) art scarce worthy to have this told thee, thou art such a devourer, yet because the counsel of God hath concluded so, Mt shall stand for a witness against thee in thy judgment.