Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
1. ~TT is apparent, how they have hitherto in -J- Babel danced [or contended] about the Cup of Jesus Christ, and about his holy Testaments, for which they have caused many wars and blood-sheddings ; but what kind of knowledge concerning those [Testaments] they in Babel have, appeareth by their works of love among one another, which their Councils have brought to pass, where men have stopped the mouth of the
1 rule or Holy Ghost, and have made a worldly * dominion out of the priesthood of Christ.
2 Or the 2. 0 you high-priests and 2 scribes, what answer the Scripture, will you make to Christ, when you shall be found thus [at his coming]? Or do you suppose you stand in the dark '? No, you stand in the presence of the clear countenance of Jesus Christ, who is
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Cll. 23] THE PRECIODS TESTAMENTS OF CHRIST 633 judge of the quick and dead ; do but open your eyes, and rightly feed the flock of Jesus Christ, he cometh and demandeth them of you. You are not all shepherds or pastors, but intruded covetous wolves ; you rely on your school-art [or universitylearning and scholarship]. 0, that availeth nothing in the presence of God ; the Holy Ghost speaketh not from that, he will not be bound up. If you will be pastors, then you must hold out in the temptation, and put on the garment of the Lamb in your heart ; you must not take the wool of the sheep only from them, but you must give them the food of the Holy Ghost in true love, and be practisers of it yourselves. But xhow will you i Note this, give it, if you be in the wilderness still, and have chosen the kingdom of this world to yourselves in the last temptation ? What shall be said of you ? Is not the anger broke out and burning? Carry fuel to it, for Babel is on fire, the 2 water is dried 2 humility
I'll T
up. Or what have 1 to do with tnee, that 1 must write thus ?
3. We have shewn in few words the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and yet we are so very earthly, and cannot apprehend it, but are continually asking, Where is Christ with his body? Where shall we seek for him? And therefore our soul longeth to write of his omnipresence, and that, notwithstanding all the raging and fury of the devil, and of Antichrist.
4. We having clearly described, how God, out of
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his love and mercifulness of grace hath turned his beloved Heart to us again, and how he hath opened the gate to the kingdom of heaven for our souls, therefore now we are further to consider of the body of Christ. For reason saith continually, The body of Christ is gone up into heaven, he is far 1 government, from us, we must erect a kingdom, that we may or form of serve him in his absence, as Jeroboam did with the calves ; and so that kingdom is rightly called Babel.
5. Dost thou boast thyself to be a Christian, why dost thou not then believe his word, when he said, He would be with us to the end of the world ; and said, moreover, He ivould give us his body for meat, and his blood for drink ; also his body is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed] What do you understand by this, an absent [Christ]? 0 thou poor sick Adam, wherefore art thou gone again out of paradise ? Hath not Christ brought thee in again, wherefore then didst thou not stay there ? Dost thou not see, that the Apostles of Christ and their successors (who dwelt in the paradise of Christ with their souls) did great wonders 1 Wherefore art thou again entered into the spirit of this world ? Dost thou suppose that thou shalt find the paradise with thy reason in thy art ? Dost thou not think it hath another Principle, and that thou shalt not find it, except thou be born anew ?
6. Thou sayest, Christ is ascended into heaven,
1. ~TT is apparent, how they have hitherto in -J- Babel danced [or contended] about the Cup of Jesus Christ, and about his holy Testaments, for which they have caused many wars and blood-sheddings ; but what kind of knowledge concerning those [Testaments] they in Babel have, appears by their works of love among one another, which their Councils have brought to pass, where men have stopped the mouth of the
1 rule or Holy Ghost, and have made a worldly * dominion out of the priesthood of Christ.
2 Or the 2. 0 you high-priests and 2 scribes, what answer the Scripture, will you make to Christ, when you shall be found thus [at his coming]? Or do you suppose you stand in the dark '? No, you stand in the presence of the clear countenance of Jesus Christ, who is
p. 632
Cll. 23] THE PRECIODS TESTAMENTS OF CHRIST 633 judge of the quick and dead ; do but open your eyes, and rightly feed the flock of Jesus Christ, he comes and demands them of you. You are not all shepherds or pastors, but intruded covetous wolves ; you rely on your school-art [or universitylearning and scholarship]. 0, that avails nothing in the presence of God ; the Holy Ghost speaks not from that, he will not be bound up. If you will be pastors, then you must hold out in the temptation, and put on the garment of the Lamb in your heart ; you must not take the wool of the sheep only from them, but you must give them the food of the Holy Ghost in true love, and be practisers of it yourselves. But xhow will you i Note this, give it, if you be in the wilderness still, and have chosen the kingdom of this world to yourselves in the last temptation ? What shall be said of you ? Is not the anger broke out and burning? Carry fuel to it, for Babel is on fire, the 2 water is dried 2 humility
I'll T
up. Or what have 1 to do with tnee, that 1 must write thus ?
3. We have shown in few words the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and yet we are so very earthly, and cannot apprehend it, but are continually asking, Where is Christ with his body? Where shall we seek for him? And therefore our soul longs to write of his omnipresence, and that, notwithstanding all the raging and fury of the devil, and of Antichrist.
4. We having clearly described, how God, out of 634 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 23 his love and mercifulness of grace has turned his beloved Heart to us again, and how he has opened the gate to the kingdom of heaven for our souls, therefore now we are further to consider of the body of Christ. For reason says continually, The body of Christ is gone up into heaven, he is far 1 government, from us, we must erect a kingdom, that we may or form of serve him in his absence, as Jeroboam did with the calves ; and so that kingdom is rightly called Babel.
5. Dost you boast yourself to be a Christian, why do you not then believe his word, when he said, He would be with us to the end of the world ; and said, moreover, He ivould give us his body for meat, and his blood for drink ; also his body is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed] What do you understand by this, an absent [Christ]? 0 you poor sick Adam, wherefore art you gone again out of paradise ? Has not Christ brought you in again, wherefore then did you not stay there ? Dost you not see, that the Apostles of Christ and their successors (who dwelt in the paradise of Christ with their souls) did great wonders 1 Wherefore art you again entered into the spirit of this world ? Dost you suppose that you shall find the paradise with your reason in your art ? Dost you not think it has another Principle, and that you shall not find it, except you be born anew ?
6. You say, Christ is ascended into heaven,