Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
89. But if any say, that God doth [abhor or] loathe the great tyranny and oppression, when they domineer and take away the sweat of the poor and needy, and consume it in pride and stateliness, that, Cain cannot endure ; if the terrible example of the flood [or deluge] did not stand there, then [tyranny] would be accounted holiness; but thy 2 kingdom, 2 The time
0 Cain ! is set up in Babel, and thy beast ruleth the exposition in Sodom and Gomorrah ; there is a fire from the every one find lord of heaven in it ; it is time to go with Lot out own' eyes!* of Sodom, sin is awakened in Cain.
90. Now when Cain had murdered his brother, then he went securely as a lord, and thought, nowp. 542 thou art sole prince on earth ; but the voice of the fierce anger of God came, and said, Where is thy brother Abel f And he answered, / know not. Shall I be my brother s keeper-? And
1 God's anger. l he said, What hast thou done f Behold, the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth ; and now thou art cursed upon the earth, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hands. When thou shalt till the ground, it shall not yield its strength to thee henceforward ; thou shalt be a vagabond and fugitive upon earth.
91. And now when the anger of God stirred the sin in Cain, then it became awakened, and he was perplexed [or troubled], and then his false faith was seen ; for he despaired, and said, My sins are greater than that they can be forgiven me ; behold thou drivest me away from the Lord this day, and
2 Or before. / must hide myself zfrom thy countenance, and I must be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth ;
3 Or meeteth. and it shall so befall me, that whosoever 3Jindeth me will slay me.
92. Here there appeareth to us the most terrible, lamentable, and miserable gate of despair, upon the
4 This con- committing of sins ; for when God said, 4 Cursed tendomto art thou upon the earth, which hath opened its mouth, and received thy brother's blood from thy hands; then the lofty, self-potent, glistering, hypocritical, flattering kingdom of Antichrist was rejected of God ; and it hath (with its enteringCh. 20] ADAM AND KVfi's GOING OUT OF PARADISE 543 into the fierce wrath, in the murder) separated itself from God.
93. Therefore said God, Be thou cursed. And the distinction of this cursing or flying out of the fierceness l is, that the love of God will not dwell J Or sheweth. in the fierceness, and that kingdom must not be called after his name ; for God consented not to the murder, but the fierceness [or wrath] of which
God warned Cain at his sacrificing, [saying], Be thou upright, and thou shalt be accepted; if not, then sin (and the kingdom of fierce wrath)
lieth at the door ; he should not let 2 it have * the wickedany power, but should rule over it ; but when fierceness.
he letteth it have power, then it ruleth and vanquisheth him.
94. Thus also God withdrew, that is, Cain went out from God, from the kingdom of God into the kingdom of the fierceness of the driver ; therefore also his affairs (which he further [managed, held forth, and] pretended) were not of God, but from the kingdom of the fierce wrath ; that [fierceness] led him, and generated or awakened its 8 wonders through him, that the [kingdom of 3 the wonders the] fierceness might be also manifested, even as wrath. it was a great wonder, 4how the noble image in4 Or that. Abel, by the fierceness of hell, and of this world, 6 could be separated in the 6 breaking of the body ; » or was. whereas the kingdom of hell would fain have 6 dissolution, found [or felt] it; and therefore the first death must be hastily [or suddenly], where then the
p. 544
1 scholarship. Treader upon the Serpent shewed his first l master2 Or was piece, when the kingdom of this world 2 parted from Abel, when the Cherubim did this first time
3 with his 8 cut off the four elements from the holy element.
sword.
89. But if any say, that God does [abhor or] loathe the great tyranny and oppression, when they domineer and take away the sweat of the poor and needy, and consume it in pride and stateliness, that, Cain cannot endure ; if the terrible example of the flood [or deluge] did not stand there, then [tyranny] would be accounted holiness; but your 2 kingdom, 2 The time
0 Cain ! is set up in Babel, and your beast ruls the exposition in Sodom and Gomorrah ; there is a fire from the every one find lord of heaven in it ; it is time to go with Lot out own' eyes!* of Sodom, sin is awakened in Cain.
90. Now when Cain had murdered his brother, then he went securely as a lord, and thought, now
542 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20 you are sole prince on earth ; but the voice of the fierce anger of God came, and said, Where is your brother Abel f And he answered, / know not. Shall I be my brother s keeper-? And
1 God's anger. l he said, What have you done f Behold, the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth ; and now you are cursed upon the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brothers blood from your hands. When you shall till the ground, it shall not yield its strength to you henceforward ; you shall be a vagabond and fugitive upon earth.
91. And now when the anger of God stirred the sin in Cain, then it became awakened, and he was perplexed [or troubled], and then his false faith was seen ; for he despaired, and said, My sins are greater than that they can be forgiven me ; behold you drivest me away from the Lord this day, and
2 Or before. / must hide myself zfrom your countenance, and I must be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth ;
3 Or meets. and it shall so befall me, that whosoever 3Jindeth me will slay me.
92. Here there appears to us the most terrible, lamentable, and miserable gate of despair, upon the
4 This con- committing of sins ; for when God said, 4 Cursed tendomto art you upon the earth, which has opened its mouth, and received your brother's blood from your hands; then the lofty, self-potent, glistering, hypocritical, flattering kingdom of Antichrist was rejected of God ; and it has (with its entering
Ch. 20] ADAM AND KVfi's GOING OUT OF PARADISE 543 into the fierce wrath, in the murder) separated itself from God.
93. Therefore said God, Be you cursed. And the distinction of this cursing or flying out of the fierceness l is, that the love of God will not dwell J Or shows. in the fierceness, and that kingdom must not be called after his name ; for God consented not to the murder, but the fierceness [or wrath] of which
God warned Cain at his sacrificing, [saying], Be you upright, and you shall be accepted; if not, then sin (and the kingdom of fierce wrath)
lies at the door ; he should not let 2 it have * the wickedany power, but should rule over it ; but when fierceness.
he letts it have power, then it ruls and vanquishes him.
94. Thus also God withdrew, that is, Cain went out from God, from the kingdom of God into the kingdom of the fierceness of the driver ; therefore also his affairs (which he further [managed, held forth, and] pretended) were not of God, but from the kingdom of the fierce wrath ; that [fierceness] led him, and generated or awakened its 8 wonders through him, that the [kingdom of 3 the wonders the] fierceness might be also manifested, even as wrath. it was a great wonder, 4how the noble image in4 Or that. Abel, by the fierceness of hell, and of this world, 6 could be separated in the 6 breaking of the body ; » or was. whereas the kingdom of hell would fain have 6 dissolution, found [or felt] it; and therefore the first death must be hastily [or suddenly], where then the
544 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20
1 scholarship. Treader upon the Serpent showed his first l master2 Or was piece, when the kingdom of this world 2 parted from Abel, when the Cherubim did this first time
3 with his 8 cut off the four elements from the holy element.
sword.