Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

15. The priests in Babd have after that no key to open the kingdom of heaven for thee ; thou must enter in thyself and be new-born, or else there is no remedy for thee in this world, nor in heaven; thou standest here in this [life] time, in the ground, and art a plant ; but when death cometh and cutteth down the stock, then thou art no more in the growing, but art a fruit ; and then if thou art not food for God, thou dost not belong to his table, and then God will not dwell in thee.

16. For we know that the Deity only is the virtue to the new birth, which [virtue], if thou longest for it, and desirest it with earnestness, sowest itself in thy mind, and in thy soul, out of which the new man in the life of Christ groweth, so that in this world the earthly [man] doth but hang to it. Thus the new man is in God in the life of Jesus Christ, and the old man is in this world ;

of which St Paul writeth clearly in his 2 letter to the 2 Or Epistle.

Romans, that if we thus live in the new birth, we live to God, but as to the old Adam, we are in this world ;

where then the source of the eternal band in the soul is also changed, and the soul entereth in itself into the life of Christ, into the holy and pure element; which in some places of my 3 second book I call the Temarius » The Three

Sanctus. Principles.

17. This is not according to the understanding of the Latin tongue, but according to the understanding of the divine nature ; by which words is excellently expressed the life of Jesus Christ in God the Father; as also the characters or letters themselves and the spirit in the syllables do signify ; wherein the birth [unigeniture or eternal working] of the Deity is excellently understood. Though indeed it is hidden to the historical man of

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1 Or univer- the l school of this world, yet it is wholly comprehensible sitiei. fo those that are enlightened from God, who then also understand the source [or working property] of the spirit in the letter, which at this time is not fit to be set down here, and yet it shall be brought to the understanding.

18. And there is nothing more profitable for man for his beginning to the new birth, than true, earnest, sincere repentance, with great earnest purpose and resolution; for he must press into the kingdom of heaven, into the life of Christ ; where then his Regenerator is ready, deep in his mind, in the light of life, and with desiring and earnestness helpeth [to wrestle], and so soweth himself as a grain of mustard-seed into the soul of man, as a root to a new creature. And if the earnestness in the soul of a man be great, then the earnestness in his Regenerator is also great.

19. And it is not possible to describe the New Birth in Christ fully ; for he that cometh into it, can find it only in himself by experience; there groweth another bud in his mind, another man with other knowledge, he is taught of God, and he seeth that all the labour in the history, without the spirit of God, is but a confused work of Babel. From whence strife and contention (in self -pride) come, for they aim only at pride and advancement, to recreate themselves in the lusts of the flesh, and in self. They are no shepherds or pastors of Christ, but ministers or servants of the Antichrist, they have set themselves upon Christ's throne ; but they have erected it in this world.

20. Yet the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, but consisteth in power. And there is the true knowledge of God in no man, except he be regenerated in God, out of his corrupted house of sins. Where then the fierceness changeth itself into love, and he is a priest of God in the life of Jesus Christ, who always seeketh that which is in heaven in the wonders of God. And the New Man is hidden in the old man, and is not of thisp. 769 world, but he is in Temario Sancto, in the holy body of Jesus Christ, understand, in the virtue of his body.