Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
3. And although I write now, as if there were a beginning in the eternal birth, yet it is not so ; but the eternal nature thus begetteth [or generateth] itself without beginning. My writings must be understood in a creaturely manner, as the birth of man is, who is a similitude of God. Although it be just so in the eternal being [essence or substance], yet that is both without beginning and without end ; and my writing is only to this end, that man might learn to know what he is, what he was in the beginning, how he was a very glorious eternal holy man, that should never have known the gate of the strong [or austere] birth in the eternity, if he had not suffered himself to lust after it through the l infection of the devil, and had not eaten of that 2 fruit which was forbidden him ; whereby he became such a naked and vain man in a bestial heavenly garment of the divine power, and liveth now in the kingdom of the devil
3 Or poisonous in the 8 infected Salnitre, and feedeth upon the infected food. Therefore it is necessary for us to learn to know ourselves, what we are, and how we might be redeemed from the anguishing austere birth, and be regenerated or born anew, and live in the new man (which is like the first man before
* who bring, the fall) in Christ our 4 Regenerator.
eth us forth ° out of the 4. For though I should speak or write never so wrath into the love of much ot the fall, and also of the regeneration in
God.
1 Or tempta tion.
2 Viz. the fruit of the austere ma-
££ or gene- fornlf ^fl lost
Ch. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 21
Christ, and did not come to the root and ground, what the fall was, and by what it was we came to perish, and what that property is which God abhorreth, and how that was effected, contrary to the command and will of God, what should I understand of the thing ? Just nothing ! And then how should I shun or avoid that which I have no knowledge of? Or how should I endeavour to come to the new birth, and give myself up into it, if I knew not how, wherein, nor wherewith to do it ?
5. It is very true, the world is full of books and sermons of the fall, and of the new birth : But in the most part of the books of the * divines, there : theology, is nothing but the history that such a thing hath been done, and that we should be regenerated in Christ. But what do I understand from hence ? Nothing, but only the history, that such a thing hath been done, and done again, and ought to be done.
6. Our divines set themselves hand and foot, with might and main, with their utmost endeavour, by persecution and reproach, against this, [and say] that men must not [dare to] search into the deep grounds what God is ; men must not search nor curiously pry into the Deity. But if I should speak plainly what this trick of theirs is, it is the dung and filth wherewith they cover and hide the devil, and cloak the injected malice and wickedness of the devil in man, so that neither the devil, nor
p. 22
1 Or evil will, the anger of God, nor the l evil beast in man, 2 can
2 But remain- i j • i eth hidden DC discerned.
7. And this is the very reason, because the devil smelleth the matter, and therefore he hindereth it, that his kingdom might not be revealed, but that he might continue to be the great prince [of the world still]. For otherwise, if his' kingdom were known, men might fly from him. Where is it more needful for him to oppose, than on that part where his enemy may break in? He therefore covereth the hearts, minds, thoughts, and senses of the divines ; he leadeth them into covetousness, pride, and wantonness, so that they stand amazed with fear and horror at the light of God, and therefore they shut it up, for they are naked, nay they grudge the light to those that see it ; this is rightly called the service and worship of the devil.
3. And although I write now, as if there were a beginning in the eternal birth, yet it is not so ; but the eternal nature thus begetts [or generats] itself without beginning. My writings must be understood in a creaturely manner, as the birth of man is, who is a similitude of God. Although it be just so in the eternal being [essence or substance], yet that is both without beginning and without end ; and my writing is only to this end, that man might learn to know what he is, what he was in the beginning, how he was a very glorious eternal holy man, that should never have known the gate of the strong [or austere] birth in the eternity, if he had not suffered himself to lust after it through the l infection of the devil, and had not eaten of that 2 fruit which was forbidden him ; whereby he became such a naked and vain man in a bestial heavenly garment of the divine power, and lives now in the kingdom of the devil
3 Or poisonous in the 8 infected Salnitre, and feeds upon the infected food. Therefore it is necessary for us to learn to know ourselves, what we are, and how we might be redeemed from the anguishing austere birth, and be regenerated or born anew, and live in the new man (which is like the first man before
* who bring, the fall) in Christ our 4 Regenerator.
eth us forth ° out of the 4. For though I should speak or write never so wrath into the love of much ot the fall, and also of the regeneration in
God.
1 Or tempta tion.
2 Viz. the fruit of the austere ma-
££ or gene- fornlf ^fl lost
Ch. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 21
Christ, and did not come to the root and ground, what the fall was, and by what it was we came to perish, and what that property is which God abhorrs, and how that was effected, contrary to the command and will of God, what should I understand of the thing ? Just nothing ! And then how should I shun or avoid that which I have no knowledge of? Or how should I endeavour to come to the new birth, and give myself up into it, if I knew not how, wherein, nor wherewith to do it ?
5. It is very true, the world is full of books and sermons of the fall, and of the new birth : But in the most part of the books of the * divines, there : theology, is nothing but the history that such a thing has been done, and that we should be regenerated in Christ. But what do I understand from hence ? Nothing, but only the history, that such a thing has been done, and done again, and ought to be done.
6. Our divines set themselves hand and foot, with might and main, with their utmost endeavour, by persecution and reproach, against this, [and say] that men must not [dare to] search into the deep grounds what God is ; men must not search nor curiously pry into the Deity. But if I should speak plainly what this trick of theirs is, it is the dung and filth wherewith they cover and hide the devil, and cloak the injected malice and wickedness of the devil in man, so that neither the devil, nor
22 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 3
1 Or evil will, the anger of God, nor the l evil beast in man, 2 can
2 But remain- i j • i eth hidden DC discerned.
7. And this is the very reason, because the devil smells the matter, and therefore he hinders it, that his kingdom might not be revealed, but that he might continue to be the great prince [of the world still]. For otherwise, if his' kingdom were known, men might fly from him. Where is it more needful for him to oppose, than on that part where his enemy may break in? He therefore covers the hearts, minds, thoughts, and senses of the divines ; he leads them into covetousness, pride, and wantonness, so that they stand amazed with fear and horror at the light of God, and therefore they shut it up, for they are naked, nay they grudge the light to those that see it ; this is rightly called the service and worship of the devil.