Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
dark harshness is terrified, and sinketh back as vanquished. And so when the bitterness findeth the mother overcome, and as it were half dead, or soft [or meek], it is terrified more than the mother. But the shriek or terror being past in the harsh mother, which is now half dead, or soft [pliable or meek], then the bitterness loseth its terrible right [or property], and becometh white, light, and clear ; and thus is the kindling and birth of the fire, as is mentioned before.
23. Dear Reader, account not this ridiculous ; that this birth (which also is just so in the l begin- i in the ning of your life) may not trouble or confound womb, you ; and observe it further.
24. When God in the first matrix moved himself to create, and created the angels, he created them in paradise, in the light holy matrix (which is this and no other) ; but the matrix, with its fiery, dark, and harsh bitter property, remained altogether hidden ; for the light of God from eternity preserved it, and kept it pleasant, clear, and bright. But when God moved himself to create, then it became manifested ; for the angels were created out of the indissoluble band, out of the matrix, and were bodified from the moving spirit of God.
25. Now when God .had created great potent princely angels, and that in the place of the fourth form in the matrix, where the source of fire hath its original, they stood not, neither did they cast
p. 76
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 5 their imaginations forward into the fifth form, wherein the sprouting forth of paradise consisteth ; but they cast their imaginations back into themselves, and formed [or created] a will [or purpose] in the matrix, to domineer in the fire over the light of God and paradise. For the fiery matrix (viz. the abyss of hell) moved itself in £he creation so hard, that Lucifer (that great prince) hath formed his will out of it, and is continued therein, supposing that so he should be a great and terrible lord in his whole place [of dominion].
26. Thus the devil moved the matrix, and the fiery form moved the devil ; for 2 that also would be creaturely, as [well as] all the other forms in the matrix, which yet was opposite to the fifth form in the matrix, where in the meek and clear light the pleasant source of love springeth up, wherein the second Principle standeth eternally.
27. When this storm was in the creation (in the first Principle) the matrix became very big [or much impregnated] and kindled ; and every form in the matrix wrought [stirred or acted]. But because the anger and wrath had there elevated itself, and that this place could not thus subsist in paradise, therefore God moved this place yet more in the matrix, which was yet the more kindled, where then is to be the devil's bath [repository or dwelling-place], and the fourth form stood in the flash of the fire, which reflected back into the
Oh. 5] OP THE THIRD PRINCIPLE 77 mother, and l found the spirit of God in the l felt or peri* • r -i i r ceived.
forming [or creation], where in a moment [that fourth form] lost its wrathful [smart, fierce property, authority or] right, and became in great joy, white, clear, and 2 light : and in this place [or thing con- a Or bright sisteth or] standeth the Fiat, by which God created heaven and earth : for before the Fiat, the third Principle was not manifested, but there was merely paradise in the place of this world.
28. But God seeing that the great prince Lucifer would domineer in the matrix, in the strength of the fire in his place, therefore he shut up the fifth form in the matrix of paradise from him, for it is shut up both in its inward corporeal form, and outwardly also.
29. For when the matrix became 3 thin again, 3 rarefied. dead and vanquished, from the risen light, then the material [matrix] turned to water, as we may perceive ; and in this kindling before the light of the sun (when the matrix was still in the harsh fierceness) the matrix attracted that which was wrought together into a water-spirit, out of which came the rocky cliffs, stones and the dark earth, which before the time of the creation was but a
4 chaos ; and in that time sprang forth the third « dust, ciond,
Principle, the fiery heaven, in the fifth form in puddle.
the matrix, by the Fiat, which the Father spake through his Heart, or Son, by and in the going
dark harshness is terrified, and sinks back as vanquished. And so when the bitterness finds the mother overcome, and as it were half dead, or soft [or meek], it is terrified more than the mother. But the shriek or terror being past in the harsh mother, which is now half dead, or soft [pliable or meek], then the bitterness loses its terrible right [or property], and becomes white, light, and clear ; and thus is the kindling and birth of the fire, as is mentioned before.
23. Dear Reader, account not this ridiculous ; that this birth (which also is just so in the l begin- i in the ning of your life) may not trouble or confound womb, you ; and observe it further.
24. When God in the first matrix moved himself to create, and created the angels, he created them in paradise, in the light holy matrix (which is this and no other) ; but the matrix, with its fiery, dark, and harsh bitter property, remained altogether hidden ; for the light of God from eternity preserved it, and kept it pleasant, clear, and bright. But when God moved himself to create, then it became manifested ; for the angels were created out of the indissoluble band, out of the matrix, and were bodified from the moving spirit of God.
25. Now when God .had created great potent princely angels, and that in the place of the fourth form in the matrix, where the source of fire has its original, they stood not, neither did they cast
p. 76
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 5 their imaginations forward into the fifth form, wherein the sprouting forth of paradise consists ; but they cast their imaginations back into themselves, and formed [or created] a will [or purpose] in the matrix, to domineer in the fire over the light of God and paradise. For the fiery matrix (viz. the abyss of hell) moved itself in £he creation so hard, that Lucifer (that great prince) has formed his will out of it, and is continued therein, supposing that so he should be a great and terrible lord in his whole place [of dominion].
26. Thus the devil moved the matrix, and the fiery form moved the devil ; for 2 that also would be creaturely, as [well as] all the other forms in the matrix, which yet was opposite to the fifth form in the matrix, where in the meek and clear light the pleasant source of love springs up, wherein the second Principle stands eternally.
27. When this storm was in the creation (in the first Principle) the matrix became very big [or much impregnated] and kindled ; and every form in the matrix wrought [stirred or acted]. But because the anger and wrath had there elevated itself, and that this place could not thus subsist in paradise, therefore God moved this place yet more in the matrix, which was yet the more kindled, where then is to be the devil's bath [repository or dwelling-place], and the fourth form stood in the flash of the fire, which reflected back into the
Oh. 5] OP THE THIRD PRINCIPLE 77 mother, and l found the spirit of God in the l felt or peri* • r -i i r ceived.
forming [or creation], where in a moment [that fourth form] lost its wrathful [smart, fierce property, authority or] right, and became in great joy, white, clear, and 2 light : and in this place [or thing con- a Or bright sists or] stands the Fiat, by which God created heaven and earth : for before the Fiat, the third Principle was not manifested, but there was merely paradise in the place of this world.
28. But God seeing that the great prince Lucifer would domineer in the matrix, in the strength of the fire in his place, therefore he shut up the fifth form in the matrix of paradise from him, for it is shut up both in its inward corporeal form, and outwardly also.
29. For when the matrix became 3 thin again, 3 rarefied. dead and vanquished, from the risen light, then the material [matrix] turned to water, as we may perceive ; and in this kindling before the light of the sun (when the matrix was still in the harsh fierceness) the matrix attracted that which was wrought together into a water-spirit, out of which came the rocky cliffs, stones and the dark earth, which before the time of the creation was but a
4 chaos ; and in that time sprang forth the third « dust, ciond,
Principle, the fiery heaven, in the fifth form in puddle.
the matrix, by the Fiat, which the Father spake through his Heart, or Son, by and in the going