Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
he is himself a wolf, and there hangeth a fox behind him, and in the fox there groweth up an [other] Antichrist again, never a whit better than the first ; he goeth flattering with his 2 fox's skin, 2 Or fox's tail.
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smelling about (and the wolf sticketh therein) till he getteth the kingdom [or dominion]. If he should come to be old enough, how would he devour the poor people's hens, in the fierce [cruelty] : Therefore the lily in the wonder destroy eth him, which groweth towards the north [or midnight], in the [bitter or] fierce storm.
103. Seeing the world forgeth so much concerning purgatory, therefore I will also set down the ground of it in the light of nature, and see how it will be endured, and whether we can search it out or no ; for we must look upon life and death, and upon the gate where the soul entereth through death into life, and [upon] all the three Principles, because the root [the pith or kernel] lieth therein.
THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
Of the Entering of the Souls to God, and of the wicked Souls Entering into Perdition.
Of the Gate of the Body's Breaking off [or Parting] from the Soul. '
1. TF we consider now (in the light of nature) of -L man, the image of God, of his beginning, and of his eternal enduring, being [or substance], and then of the breaking of his body, how body and soul part asunder, and whither the souls go, when the spirit of their breath doth break [or dissolve] in them, and the springing or moving in the tincture of this world doth cease, then we find the ground of the unquietness of the soul, when it is separated from the body, [being] unregenerated ; from whence lamentation and desiring arise ; from whence then the Babel of confusion hath arisen, so that very many things have therefore been invented to ransom souls [out of distress].
2. Many of which [things] have no foundation in the light of nature, nor can be found [therein], but were rather invented for covetousness, and for
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1 for livings. l filling of the belly, and for deceit, upon which the antichristian kingdom is founded. And thereout is a right Babel of confusion come to be, out of which then also the [grim] fierce, cruel enmity and hatred is arisen, from whence Babel is broken in
2 wrangling, herself, and [enmity] is generated out of 2 Babel-, dissension, .
and waning, and it is the fierce wrath of God which appeareth in the breaking [or destruction] of Babel, because she is generated in the deceit.
3. But now that the wrath devoureth all, and wholly darkeneth the Hysteria [Mysteries or hidden secrets], and maketh the source [or quality] of the eternal birth [to be] a darkness, only that it may exalt its wrath, and seeth nothing in the birth of eternity, but bringeth all things that are therein to nothing ; that is a very great Babel, for it not only devoureth itself, but maketh itself
3 Or stock- 3 stark blind in nature ; and it maketh of man's blind.
image mere evil wolfish beasts, which think that they are gone out from Babel, and yet are begotten in Babel, and are in the body of the evil devouring beast, and so devour the house of their mother, and manifest it to be a vile stinking lake ; and yet themselves will not go out from it, and it is altogether a kingdom, which continually generateth itself, in its own voluptuousness and pride, and also continually manifesteth its own shame, and devoureth itself in the wrath of its own sins, and is rightly called Babel.
4. But if we go out from Babel into the newCh. 19] ENTERING OF THE SOULS TO GOD 473 regeneration, and consider our corruption, wherein the poor soul lieth captive, and also consider our regeneration in Christ Jesus, how we are regenerated out of God, and then, how man must enter into this new regeneration, and be regenerated in the birth of Christ, then we shall well find what the unquietness of the soul is after the [departure or] breaking off of the body.
he is himself a wolf, and there hangs a fox behind him, and in the fox there grows up an [other] Antichrist again, never a whit better than the first ; he goes flattering with his 2 fox's skin, 2 Or fox's tail.
470 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 18 smelling about (and the wolf sticks therein) till he getts the kingdom [or dominion]. If he should come to be old enough, how would he devour the poor people's hens, in the fierce [cruelty] : Therefore the lily in the wonder destroy eth him, which grows towards the north [or midnight], in the [bitter or] fierce storm.
103. Seeing the world forgs so much concerning purgatory, therefore I will also set down the ground of it in the light of nature, and see how it will be endured, and whether we can search it out or no ; for we must look upon life and death, and upon the gate where the soul enters through death into life, and [upon] all the three Principles, because the root [the pith or kernel] lies therein.
THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
Of the Entering of the Souls to God, and of the wicked Souls Entering into Perdition.
Of the Gate of the Body's Breaking off [or Parting] from the Soul. '
1. TF we consider now (in the light of nature) of -L man, the image of God, of his beginning, and of his eternal enduring, being [or substance], and then of the breaking of his body, how body and soul part asunder, and whither the souls go, when the spirit of their breath does break [or dissolve] in them, and the springing or moving in the tincture of this world does cease, then we find the ground of the unquietness of the soul, when it is separated from the body, [being] unregenerated ; from whence lamentation and desiring arise ; from whence then the Babel of confusion has arisen, so that very many things have therefore been invented to ransom souls [out of distress].
2. Many of which [things] have no foundation in the light of nature, nor can be found [therein], but were rather invented for covetousness, and for
p. 471
472 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 19
1 for livings. l filling of the belly, and for deceit, upon which the antichristian kingdom is founded. And thereout is a right Babel of confusion come to be, out of which then also the [grim] fierce, cruel enmity and hatred is arisen, from whence Babel is broken in
2 wrangling, herself, and [enmity] is generated out of 2 Babel-, dissension, .
and waning, and it is the fierce wrath of God which appears in the breaking [or destruction] of Babel, because she is generated in the deceit.
3. But now that the wrath devours all, and wholly darkens the Hysteria [Mysteries or hidden secrets], and makes the source [or quality] of the eternal birth [to be] a darkness, only that it may exalt its wrath, and sees nothing in the birth of eternity, but brings all things that are therein to nothing ; that is a very great Babel, for it not only devours itself, but makes itself
3 Or stock- 3 stark blind in nature ; and it makes of man's blind.
image mere evil wolfish beasts, which think that they are gone out from Babel, and yet are begotten in Babel, and are in the body of the evil devouring beast, and so devour the house of their mother, and manifest it to be a vile stinking lake ; and yet themselves will not go out from it, and it is altogether a kingdom, which continually generats itself, in its own voluptuousness and pride, and also continually manifests its own shame, and devours itself in the wrath of its own sins, and is rightly called Babel.
4. But if we go out from Babel into the new
Ch. 19] ENTERING OF THE SOULS TO GOD 473 regeneration, and consider our corruption, wherein the poor soul lies captive, and also consider our regeneration in Christ Jesus, how we are regenerated out of God, and then, how man must enter into this new regeneration, and be regenerated in the birth of Christ, then we shall well find what the unquietness of the soul is after the [departure or] breaking off of the body.