130. 0 no : But the devil, who is a cause of the
1 wrathfulness. Adam was made good out of the
pure element, but the longing [desire or lust] of
the devil deceived him^ so that he went into the
spirit of this world.
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVE'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 515
31. And now it cannot be otherwise, the two
kingdoms wrestle one with another in the children
O
of men ; the one is the kingdom of Christ, [generated] through the new birth into paradise ; that
(in this world) is miserable and contemned, there
are not many that desire it, for it hath mere scorn
and contempt from the devil and his followers ; it
consisteth in righteousness and truth, and that is
not valued in this world, and therefore it must lie
at the rich man's door with poor Lazarus, and at
his feet. If any do but let it appear that they are
the children of God, then the devil' will away with
them presently, or else will put them to such scorn
and disgrace, that they cannot be known ; that
so the devil may continue to be the great prince
upon earth, and that the world may not learn to
know him.
232. The other kingdom is that of Antichrist, with
a golden [splendour or] glance, prancing in state,
glistering on every side. Every one saith, It is a
happy thing, for it adorneth itself most sumptuously,
and setteth its seat over the hills and mountains ;
every one saluteth it [or doeth it reverence]. It
draweth the tincture of the earth to itself, that it
may glister alone ; it bereaveth the kingdom of
Christ of its temporal [food, livelihood, or] bread ;
it devoureth the sweat of the needy, and saith to
him, You are mine, I am your God, I will set you
where I please ; you are the dog that lieth at my
feet ; if I had a mind to it, I could hunt you out
516 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20
of my house, you must do what I will. And the
needy worm must say, I am your poor servant,
do but spare my life. And if he squeeze out
the sweat of his brows, so that he smarts, which
1 lord or his J master consumeth [or spendeth], then he
superior. , . . . ..
growetn impatient with his master, and curseth
him, and seeketh out ways of lying and deceit,
and by what way he might make his heavy
burthen lighter.
33. And then if he findeth his master so unjust,
that he riseth up against him, and taketh away
32 Or false. his 2 unrighteous bread, which he thinketh to eat
* Or piagueth. under a soft yoke, and 3 worrieth him to the uttermost, and leaveth him no time to escape, he sticketh
full of impatience under that heavy burthen, and
grumbleth and murmureth, and seeketh all evil
devices to ease his yoke, that he might eat hisbread in quietness ; and yet it will not be, the
driver [hunter, cruel tyrant his master] is behind
him, and taketh away his bread, and feedeth him
with sorrow under his yoke.
34. And then he studieth cunning and deceit,
and casteth about [to find] which way he may, by
shifts and tricks, fill his belly and live ; he curseth
his master secretly, and though he stealeth away
covertly by some slight the bread of another needy
man, yet that must be right [with him] ; and his
master doth not regard it, so he eateth not of his
cost, and so that he continue to be his dog under
his yoke. Thus the master [lord or superior] ia
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVE'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 517
unrighteous and l wicked, and maketh also that 1 evil or false,
his servant is unrighteous and * wicked ; whereas
otherwise (if he might eat his bread under an
easy yoke) he would not be so cursed, and
cunning in thievery.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.