Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
her body, which is called Tei^narius Sanctus [the holy Ternary], the holy earth ; and into this holy
p. 614
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 22
1 formerly.
a the image of God.
Ternary the invisible Deity is entered, that she may be an eternal espousal [or union] ; so that (in a similitude) the Deity is in the pure element, and the element is the Deity ; for God and Ternarius Sanctus are become one thing, not in spirit, but in substance, as body and soul. And as the soul is above the body, so also God is above the holy Ternary.
64. And this now is the heavenly virgin, of which the spirit of God spake, in the wise men l of old ; and Ternarius Sanctus is our true body in the 2 image which we have lost, which now the Heart of God hath taken to him for a body ; and this noble body (as also the virgin of God) was put upon Mary, not as a garment, but very powerfully in her essences ; and yet incomprehensible as to the essences of this world of flesh and blood in the body of Mary, but comprehensible as to the soul of Mary ; for the soul did pass into the holy Ternary ; and yet she could not so be severed
3 Or cormpti. from the 3 fierce wrath, but that was to be in the breaking of the earthly body from the heavenly, in the death of Christ.
65. Thus the Word in the holy Ternary let itself into the earthliness, and received to it a true soul out of the essences of the soul of Mary (like all other men) in the time, viz. in the end of three months, not out of the holy Ternary, but our soul ; yet not our body, wherein the kingdom of this world and sin did stick.
Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 615
66. It is true indeed he took our body on him, but not mingled with the holy Ternary ; for death stuck in our body, and the Ternarius Sanctus was
1 his death, and victory ; and in the holy Ternary 1 Or its death i • -TV • -. , . PI The death of was his Deity ; and that man is come irom heaven, the death of and hath put on the earthly [man,] and brought to °l pass the redemption (between the earthly and the heavenly), whereby the soul was 2 severed from the 2 Or freed, anger and wrath.
67. You must not say that whole Christ with body and soul came from heaven. He brought no soul out of the holy Ternary ; the heavenly virgin was the soul in the holy Ternary ; and that he brought with him for a bride to our soul, as this whole book doth treat of it. For what would it help me, if he had brought a strange soul with him ? Nothing at all. But that he hath brought my soul into the holy Ternary, I rejoice at that ; and thus I can say, that Christ's soul is my brother, and his body is the food of my soul ; as he saith in the sixth chapter of John, My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
68. Come hither, ye contentious 3 shepherds of3 pastors, Babel, open your eyes, and consider what his presbyters, or Testaments of the Baptism and his Last Supper are : I shall shew you well enough, if you be but worthy ; however, we write for the children of the lily ; therefore let every one see where he harboureth ; it is in earnest. We slight not the understanding of the ancients. It may be, it wasp. 616 purely generated in the beginning, but we find how Antichrist hath set up himself upon it, and made gods of the creature.
her body, which is called Tei^narius Sanctus [the holy Ternary], the holy earth ; and into this holy
p. 614
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 22
1 formerly.
a the image of God.
Ternary the invisible Deity is entered, that she may be an eternal espousal [or union] ; so that (in a similitude) the Deity is in the pure element, and the element is the Deity ; for God and Ternarius Sanctus are become one thing, not in spirit, but in substance, as body and soul. And as the soul is above the body, so also God is above the holy Ternary.
64. And this now is the heavenly virgin, of which the spirit of God spake, in the wise men l of old ; and Ternarius Sanctus is our true body in the 2 image which we have lost, which now the Heart of God has taken to him for a body ; and this noble body (as also the virgin of God) was put upon Mary, not as a garment, but very powerfully in her essences ; and yet incomprehensible as to the essences of this world of flesh and blood in the body of Mary, but comprehensible as to the soul of Mary ; for the soul did pass into the holy Ternary ; and yet she could not so be severed
3 Or cormpti. from the 3 fierce wrath, but that was to be in the breaking of the earthly body from the heavenly, in the death of Christ.
65. Thus the Word in the holy Ternary let itself into the earthliness, and received to it a true soul out of the essences of the soul of Mary (like all other men) in the time, viz. in the end of three months, not out of the holy Ternary, but our soul ; yet not our body, wherein the kingdom of this world and sin did stick.
Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 615
66. It is true indeed he took our body on him, but not mingled with the holy Ternary ; for death stuck in our body, and the Ternarius Sanctus was
1 his death, and victory ; and in the holy Ternary 1 Or its death i • -TV • -. , . PI The death of was his Deity ; and that man is come irom heaven, the death of and has put on the earthly [man,] and brought to °l pass the redemption (between the earthly and the heavenly), whereby the soul was 2 severed from the 2 Or freed, anger and wrath.
67. You must not say that whole Christ with body and soul came from heaven. He brought no soul out of the holy Ternary ; the heavenly virgin was the soul in the holy Ternary ; and that he brought with him for a bride to our soul, as this whole book does treat of it. For what would it help me, if he had brought a strange soul with him ? Nothing at all. But that he has brought my soul into the holy Ternary, I rejoice at that ; and thus I can say, that Christ's soul is my brother, and his body is the food of my soul ; as he says in the sixth chapter of John, My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
68. Come hither, you contentious 3 shepherds of3 pastors, Babel, open your eyes, and consider what his presbyters, or Testaments of the Baptism and his Last Supper are : I shall show you well enough, if you be but worthy ; however, we write for the children of the lily ; therefore let every one see where he harbours ; it is in earnest. We slight not the understanding of the ancients. It may be, it was
616 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 22 purely generated in the beginning, but we find how Antichrist has set up himself upon it, and made gods of the creature.