Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

7. For there is none that can excuse himself, and plead ignorance, because the will of God is put into, and written in our minds, so that we very well know what we should do ; and all the creatures bear witness against us. Moreover, we have God's Law and Commandments, so that there is no excuse, but only our drowsy, lazy negligence and carelessness, and so we are found to be slothful, unprofitable servants in the Lord's vineyard.

8. Lastly, it is in the highest measure most needful for us to learn to know ourselves, because the devil dwelleth with us in this world, who is both God's enemy and ours, and daily misleadeth us, and entrappeth us, as he hath done from the beginning, that we might fall away from our God and Father, that so he might enlarge his kingdom, and bereave us of our eternal salvation ; as it is written, He goeth about as a roaring lion, and seeketh whom he may devour.

9. Seeing therefore we are in such horrible danger in this world, that we are environed with enemies on every side, and have a very unsafe pilgrimage or journey to walk ; and above all, we carry our worst enemy within us, which we ourselves hide, and desire not to learn to know it,

THE THREE PRINCIPLES

i viz. our evil though l it be the most horrible guest of all, which nature""? casteth us headlong into the anger of God ; yea inclined to ail itself is the very anger of God, which throweth us into the eternal fire of wrath, into the eternal, unquenchable torment ; therefore it is most needful for us to learn to know this enemy, what he is, who he is, and whence he is ; how he cometh into us, and what in us is his proper own ; also what right the devil hath to us, and what access of entrance into us ; how he is allied with our own enemy that dwelleth in us, how they favour and help one another, how both of them are God's enemies, and continually lay wait for us to murder us, and bring us to perdition. ] 0. Further, we must consider the great reasons why it is very necessary to learn to know ourselves, because we see and know that we must die and perish for our enemy's sake, which is God's enemy and ours, which dwelleth in us, and is the very half of man. And if he groweth so strong in us, that he get the upper hand, and be 2 predominant, then he throweth us into the abyss to all devils, to dwell there with them eternally, in an eternal, unquenchable pain and torment, into an eternal darkness, into a loathsome house, and into an eternal forgetting of all good, yea into God's contending will, where our God and all the creatures are our enemies for ever. 11. We have yet greater reasons to learn to know ourselves, because we are in good and evil and have the promise of eternal life, that (if we overcome our own enemy and the devil) we shall

PREFACE XXV

be the children of God, and live in his kingdom, with and in him, amoug his holy angels, in eternal joy, l brightness, glory, and welfare, in meekness l clarity, and favour with him, without any touch of evil, and without any knowledge of it, in God eternally. Besides, we have the promise, that if we overcome and bury our enemy in the earth, we shall rise again at the Last Day in a new body, which shall be without evil and pain, and live with God in perfect joy, loveliness, and bliss.

12. Also we know and apprehend, that we have in us a reasonable soul, 2 which is in God's love, 2 Or which

God hath a

and is immortal ; and that it it be not vanquished love to.

by its adversary, but fighteth as a spiritual champion against its enemy, God will assist it with his Holy

Spirit, and will enlighten and make it powerful, and able to overcome all its enemies ; he will fight for it, and at the overcoming of the evil, will glorify it as a faithful champion, and crown it with the

3 brightest crown of heaven. 3 Or fairest.

13. Now seeing man knoweth that he is such a twofold man, in the 4 capacity of good and evil, 4 9r potentiality of being and that they are both his own, and that he him- good or evil.