Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
operation at last, the earth and stones come forth, or concretion For in the second Principle (viz. in the holy birth) there is only spirit, light, and life ; and the eternal wisdom hath wrought in the eternal inanimate genetrix, which is void of understanding (viz. in her own property) before the original of the light ; out of which came the 3 dark chaos, which in the 3 Just, dirt, elevation of Lord Lucifer (when the light of God departed from him, and the fierceness of the source of the fire was kindled) became hard matter (viz. stones and earth), whereupon followed the gathering together of the earth, as also the spewing out of Lucifer from his throne, and the creating of the third Principle ; and thereupon it followed, that he was shut up in the third Principle as a prisoner, expecting henceforth the [judgment or] sentence of God. Now whether it be not a shame, disgrace, and irksomeness to him to be so imprisoned between paradise and this world, and not to be able to comprehend either of them, I propose it to be considered.
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8. Thus now if we will speak of the third Principle, viz. of the beginning and birth of this world, then we must consider the root of the genetrix, or begettress, seeing every Principle is another birth, but out of no other essence ; and so we may find, that in the first Principle in the indissoluble band (which in itself is inanimate, and
1 Or working hath no true life, but the l source of the true life is born by the moving spirit of God, which from eternity hath its original in the first Principle, and goeth forth from eternity in the second Principle, as in the birth of the Heart or Son of God) the matrix of the genetrix is set open, which is originally the
2 astringency, 2 harshness ; yet in the light it is the soft mother or tartness. . . _.
of the water-spirit. I bus it is seen and found clearly and plainly before our eyes, that the spirit of God hath wrought there in the matrix, so that out of the incomprehensible matrix (which is but a spirit) the comprehensible and visible water is proceeded.
9. Secondly, you [may] thus see the separation clearly by the stars and fiery heaven, that the eternal separation [or distinction] is in the eternal matrix ; for you may see that the stars and the fiery heaven, and the watery, the airy, and earthly, are generated out of one mother, that they qualify with [or have influence upon] one another, and that the birth of their substance is in one another, also that one is the case or vessel to hold the other in, and yet they have not one and the same [property]
Ch. 5] OF THE THIRD PRINCIPLE 69
qualification [or condition]. Thus here in the separation you [may] know, that the eternal matrix hath a separation in itself, as is mentioned before in the third chapter concerning the eternal birth of the four anguishes, where the fire is generated between harshness and bitterness, and the light in the flash of fire, and so every source retaineth its own due.
10. Understand it thus : as the spirit moved this matrix, so the matrix wrought, and in the kindling from the spirit of God in the fifth form of the matrix, the fiery heaven of the constellations did exist, which is a mere quinta essentia, or quintessence, born in the fifth form of the matrix, in which place the light hath its original ; out of which at last the sun is born [or brought forth], wherewith the third Principle becometh opened and manifested, which [sun] now is the life in the third Principle, and the opener of the life of every life in the matrix, in this place, or locus ; as the Heart of God in paradise, in the immaterial heaven and birth, openeth the eternal power of God, wherein the eternal life continually springe th up, and wherein the eternal wisdom continually shineth. ) Thus also the light of the sun (which is sprung up in the inanimate matrix) by the [flowing, hovering, or] moving spirit in the matrix, openeth the third Principle of this material world, which is the third and beginning Principle ; which as to this form taketh an end, and returneth into its
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operation at last, the earth and stones come forth, or concretion For in the second Principle (viz. in the holy birth) there is only spirit, light, and life ; and the eternal wisdom has wrought in the eternal inanimate genetrix, which is void of understanding (viz. in her own property) before the original of the light ; out of which came the 3 dark chaos, which in the 3 Just, dirt, elevation of Lord Lucifer (when the light of God departed from him, and the fierceness of the source of the fire was kindled) became hard matter (viz. stones and earth), whereupon followed the gathering together of the earth, as also the spewing out of Lucifer from his throne, and the creating of the third Principle ; and thereupon it followed, that he was shut up in the third Principle as a prisoner, expecting henceforth the [judgment or] sentence of God. Now whether it be not a shame, disgrace, and irksomeness to him to be so imprisoned between paradise and this world, and not to be able to comprehend either of them, I propose it to be considered.
68 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 5
8. Thus now if we will speak of the third Principle, viz. of the beginning and birth of this world, then we must consider the root of the genetrix, or begettress, seeing every Principle is another birth, but out of no other essence ; and so we may find, that in the first Principle in the indissoluble band (which in itself is inanimate, and
1 Or working has no true life, but the l source of the true life is born by the moving spirit of God, which from eternity has its original in the first Principle, and goes forth from eternity in the second Principle, as in the birth of the Heart or Son of God) the matrix of the genetrix is set open, which is originally the
2 astringency, 2 harshness ; yet in the light it is the soft mother or tartness. . . _.
of the water-spirit. I bus it is seen and found clearly and plainly before our eyes, that the spirit of God has wrought there in the matrix, so that out of the incomprehensible matrix (which is but a spirit) the comprehensible and visible water is proceeded.
9. Secondly, you [may] thus see the separation clearly by the stars and fiery heaven, that the eternal separation [or distinction] is in the eternal matrix ; for you may see that the stars and the fiery heaven, and the watery, the airy, and earthly, are generated out of one mother, that they qualify with [or have influence upon] one another, and that the birth of their substance is in one another, also that one is the case or vessel to hold the other in, and yet they have not one and the same [property]
Ch. 5] OF THE THIRD PRINCIPLE 69
qualification [or condition]. Thus here in the separation you [may] know, that the eternal matrix has a separation in itself, as is mentioned before in the third chapter concerning the eternal birth of the four anguishes, where the fire is generated between harshness and bitterness, and the light in the flash of fire, and so every source retains its own due.
10. Understand it thus : as the spirit moved this matrix, so the matrix wrought, and in the kindling from the spirit of God in the fifth form of the matrix, the fiery heaven of the constellations did exist, which is a mere quinta essentia, or quintessence, born in the fifth form of the matrix, in which place the light has its original ; out of which at last the sun is born [or brought forth], wherewith the third Principle becomes opened and manifested, which [sun] now is the life in the third Principle, and the opener of the life of every life in the matrix, in this place, or locus ; as the Heart of God in paradise, in the immaterial heaven and birth, opens the eternal power of God, wherein the eternal life continually springe th up, and wherein the eternal wisdom continually shines. ) Thus also the light of the sun (which is sprung up in the inanimate matrix) by the [flowing, hovering, or] moving spirit in the matrix, opens the third Principle of this material world, which is the third and beginning Principle ; which as to this form takes an end, and returns into its
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