Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

p. 496

THE THREE PRINCIPLES

[Ch. 19

1 pope or ministers.

2 Or is founded.

8 in thy unrepentant garment of sins.

* Or between time and eternity.

6 princely potentates.

6 pope or minister.

54. But concerning the feigned masses for souls which the 1 priests say for money, without any true devotion, and without hearty pressing in to God, that is altogether false, and 2 standeth in Babel ; it helpeth the soul little or nothing ; it must be an earnest fight that must be had with the devil, thou must be well armed ; for thou enterest into combat with a [mighty] prince, look to it that thyself (in thy 8 rough garment) be not beaten down.

55. I will not say, that one that is a true believer [or truly faithful] in the new birth, cannot (with earnest combating) help a soul, which moveth in the * door of the deep between heaven and hell ; but he must have sharp weapons, when he hath to do with 6 principalities and powers, or else they will deride and scorn him ; as it is done for certain, when the 6 priest, with his glistering cope [or other fine clothes], cometh between heaven and hell, and will [undertake to] fight with the devil.

56. 0 ! hear thou 6 priest, there belongeth neither gold nor money, nor any self-chosen holiness about it ; there is a very worthy Champion which assisteth the soul ; and if it getteth no victory in him, then thy hypocrisy will not help it. Thou takest money, and sayest mass for every one, whether they be in heaven or in hell, thou dost not inquire after that ; and besides, thou art altogether uncertain of it, but only thou mayest be sure, that thou appearest before God to be a perpetual liar.

Ch. 19] ENTERING OF THE SOULS TO GOD 497

57. But that they have hitherto ascribed such acute knowledge to the soul, after the departure of the body, that thing is very various, according as the soul is variously armed. If it here (in this body) entered into the new birth, and if itself was entered, with its noble Champion [Jesus Christ], through the gates of the deep, to God, so that it hath received the crown of the high wisdom from the noble virgin, then indeed it hath great wisdom and knowledge, even above the heavens, for it is in the bosom of the virgin, through whom the eternal wonders of God are opened. This [soul] hath also great joy and clarity [brightness or lustre], above the heavens of the elements ; for the glance of the holy Trinity shineth from it, and clarifieth [brighteneth, or glorifieth] it.

58. But that they should ascribe great knowledge to a soul (which scarce at the end, with great danger, is loosed from the band of the devil, and which in this world did not so much as once care for the wisdom of God, but looked after its pleasure only, and which hath not in this world been once crowned with the Holy Ghost) that is not so. Doth not Christ himself say, The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light ?

59. If the soul be freed from the bands of the devil, then it liveth in meekness, and in great humility, in the stillness of the 1 element, without » eten.ai the springing-up of any works ; it doth no miracles

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[or sheweth no works of wonder], but humbleth itself before God. Yet it is possible for the highlyworthy champion-like souls to do wonders ; for they have great knowledge, and power [or virtue], though they all appear (in the humble love) before the countenance of God, and there is no grudging among them.

The true Door of the Entrance into Heaven , or into Hell.

60. Reason always seeketh for paradise, out of which it is gone forth, and it saith, Where is the place whither the souls go to rest in? Whither flieth it when it departeth from the body ? Doth it go far, or doth it stay here ?

61. Although we may be hard to be understood, in our high knowledge, (because a soul that desireth

1 Or under- to x see it, must enter into the new birth, or else