Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
22. You have a similitude [of this] in yourself. Your soul which is in you giveth reason to you, whereby you think [consider, and perceive] ; that representeth God the Father : The light which shineth in your soul, whereby you know the virtue [or power in you], and lead [and direct and order]
Ch. 7] THE FOUR ELEMENTS 99
yourself with ; that representeth God the Son, or the Heart, the eternal power and virtue : And the mind, in which the virtue of the light is, and that which proceedeth from the light wherewith you govern your body ; that representeth the Holy Ghost.
23. The l darkness that is in you, which longeth l Or blindness
ITT • i -r* • • i i °f underafter the light, that is the first rrmciple ; the standing, virtue or power of the light which is in you, whereby you can see in your mind without [bodily] eyes, that is the second Principle ; and the longing [power or] virtue, that proceedeth from the mind, and attracteth and filleth [or impregnateth] itself, from whence the material body groweth, that is the third Principle. And you [may] understand very exactly, how there is an inclosure [stop, or knot] between each Principle ; and how God is the beginning and the first virtue [or power] in all things ; and you understand, that in this gross [sluggish, or dull] body, you are not in 2 paradise. For that 2 Or in the [outward body] is but a misty [excrementitious, wherein God
11 . . i , i • i • , i and the angels dusky, opaque procreation, orj out-birth in the dwell. third Principle, wherein the soul lieth captive, as in a dark dungeon : Of which you shall find a very large description, when we come to write about the fall of Adam.\
24. Now mark, when God would manifest himself by the material world, and the matrix stood in the anguishing birth, wherein the Creator moved the first Principle to the creating of angels, thenp. 100 the matrix stood undivided in the inward l essence ; for there was then no comprehensibility, but spirit only and the virtue of the spirit. The spirit was God, and the virtue was heaven, and the spirit wrought in the virtue, so that thereby the virtue became attracting and longing, for the spirit beheld itself in the virtue ; and therein the spirit created the virtue from whence the angels came to be. And thus the virtue became the dwelling of the angels, and the paradise wherein the spirit wrought ; and the spirit longed after the light, and the light shone in the virtue ; so there is a paradisical joy, and pleasant sport therein ; and thus God is manifested.
25. Now thus the eternal light, and the virtue of the light, or the heavenly paradise, moveth in the eternal darkness ; and the darkness cannot comprehend the light ; for they are two several Principles ; and the darkness longeth after the light, because that the spirit beholdeth itself therein, and because the divine virtue is manifested in it. But though it hath not comprehended the divine virtue and light, yet it hath continually with great lust lifted up itself towards it, till it hath kindled the root of the fire in itself, from the beams of the light of God ; and there arose the third Principle : And it hath its original out of the first Principle, out of the dark matrix, by the 2 speculating of the virtue [or power] of God. But when the kindled virtue in this springing up [of the third Principle]
Ch. 7] THE FOUR ELEMENTS 101
in the darkness became fiery, then God put the Fiat therein, and by the moving spirit, which goeth forth in the virtue of the light, created the fiery source in a bodily manner, and severed it from the matrix, and the spirit called the fiery created properties stars, for their quality.
26. Thus it is plain to our sight how the starry heaven (or as I may better render it to the enlightened Reader), the quintessence (or the fifth form in the birth), is severed from the watery matrix ; or else there would have been no ceasing from the generating of stones and earth, if the
22. You have a similitude [of this] in yourself. Your soul which is in you gives reason to you, whereby you think [consider, and perceive] ; that represents God the Father : The light which shines in your soul, whereby you know the virtue [or power in you], and lead [and direct and order]
Ch. 7] THE FOUR ELEMENTS 99
yourself with ; that represents God the Son, or the Heart, the eternal power and virtue : And the mind, in which the virtue of the light is, and that which proceeds from the light wherewith you govern your body ; that represents the Holy Ghost.
23. The l darkness that is in you, which longs l Or blindness
ITT • i -r* • • i i °f underafter the light, that is the first rrmciple ; the standing, virtue or power of the light which is in you, whereby you can see in your mind without [bodily] eyes, that is the second Principle ; and the longing [power or] virtue, that proceeds from the mind, and attracts and fills [or impregnats] itself, from whence the material body grows, that is the third Principle. And you [may] understand very exactly, how there is an inclosure [stop, or knot] between each Principle ; and how God is the beginning and the first virtue [or power] in all things ; and you understand, that in this gross [sluggish, or dull] body, you are not in 2 paradise. For that 2 Or in the [outward body] is but a misty [excrementitious, wherein God
11 . . i , i • i • , i and the angels dusky, opaque procreation, orj out-birth in the dwell. third Principle, wherein the soul lies captive, as in a dark dungeon : Of which you shall find a very large description, when we come to write about the fall of Adam.\
24. Now mark, when God would manifest himself by the material world, and the matrix stood in the anguishing birth, wherein the Creator moved the first Principle to the creating of angels, then
100 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Cll. 7 the matrix stood undivided in the inward l essence ; for there was then no comprehensibility, but spirit only and the virtue of the spirit. The spirit was God, and the virtue was heaven, and the spirit wrought in the virtue, so that thereby the virtue became attracting and longing, for the spirit beheld itself in the virtue ; and therein the spirit created the virtue from whence the angels came to be. And thus the virtue became the dwelling of the angels, and the paradise wherein the spirit wrought ; and the spirit longed after the light, and the light shone in the virtue ; so there is a paradisical joy, and pleasant sport therein ; and thus God is manifested.
25. Now thus the eternal light, and the virtue of the light, or the heavenly paradise, moves in the eternal darkness ; and the darkness cannot comprehend the light ; for they are two several Principles ; and the darkness longs after the light, because that the spirit beholds itself therein, and because the divine virtue is manifested in it. But though it has not comprehended the divine virtue and light, yet it has continually with great lust lifted up itself towards it, till it has kindled the root of the fire in itself, from the beams of the light of God ; and there arose the third Principle : And it has its original out of the first Principle, out of the dark matrix, by the 2 speculating of the virtue [or power] of God. But when the kindled virtue in this springing up [of the third Principle]
Ch. 7] THE FOUR ELEMENTS 101
in the darkness became fiery, then God put the Fiat therein, and by the moving spirit, which goes forth in the virtue of the light, created the fiery source in a bodily manner, and severed it from the matrix, and the spirit called the fiery created properties stars, for their quality.
26. Thus it is plain to our sight how the starry heaven (or as I may better render it to the enlightened Reader), the quintessence (or the fifth form in the birth), is severed from the watery matrix ; or else there would have been no ceasing from the generating of stones and earth, if the