Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
wisdom availeth nothing. God giveth it to him whom he loveth, for nothing. It cannot be bought for money nor favour, as king Solomon will tell you.
37. If we will be still so very earthly minded, as to think that God made all the beasts of a lump of earth, of what then is their spirit made ? seeing that earth is not very flesh, and the blood is not mere water. Besides, the earth and the water is not
2 Or breath, life; and though the 2air cometh in it, yet it still remaineth such an essence as springeth only in the Fiat, and the tincture which riseth up in the fire, and from whence the noble life is stirred, is hidden.
38. Moses writeth, Let there come forth all s animals, or manner of 3 beasts, every one according to its kind.
living crea- __ . , • • r\ «• i 1111 turea. JNow then the question is, (Jut ot what should they come forth ? Answer, Out of the matrix. What is the matrix out of which they should come forth ? It is the four elements, which are together in the earth. The Fiat brought forth the beasts [or living
4 without creatures] very 4 indigestedly, as they are in the or(^er' <* i i /> • essence, not from heaven, but out of the matrix of the earth ; and the matrix of the earth is one [and the same] thing with the matrix in the deep above
6 rule or the earth, and [hath] one [and the same] 5 dominion.
The constellation ruleth in all [things], and it is
6 Mars. the limbus, or the 6 masculine, wherein the tincture consists, and in the matrix of the earth is theCh. 8] OF THE CREATION OF THE CREATURES 123 aquastrish [or watery] spirit ; they come forth only out of the matrix of the earth, that they might be of the essence of the earth, that so they might eat of the fruits that grow out of the earth. For every spirit lusteth after its mother from whence it came.
39. Now then if the beasts [or animals' nature] were merely out of a lump of earth, then they would eat earth, but seeing 1 it is proceeded out of : thr bestial
Hd.tu.F6
the matrix of the earth by the Fiat, therefore it desireth also such food as the matrix affordeth out of its own essence ; and that is not earth, but flesh.
Yet this flesh now is a 2mass whence the 3 body 2 Or coucrecometh, and the spirit of the constellation maketh 3 corpua.
the 4 tincture therein ; which [spirit] ruleth over all 4 Or penetrai
,, , . ,.» ., .., ,, ing the life as m one mother, and in every hie it maketh the and the bioo understanding. For the spirit of the constellation ruleth in all things, in the earth, stones, metals, elements and creatures.
40. For in the beginning of the creation, at the time when the earth became material, all was generated out of one only substance, and there was no more done but a separation made of one
8 from another : therefore in every separation there 5 part. must needs be always a vehement hunger of one 6 after another. An example whereof you have in 6 part propagation ; for the sake whereof the separation was so made : For you see that there is a male and a female ; and that the one continually desireth copulation with the other, that they may 7 generate. 7 engender. This is a great hidden secret. Observe, when the
p. 124
Creator by the Fiat separated the matrix from the aquaster [or watery mother] ; for the first form is heavenly and incorruptible, as long as the kingdom of this world standeth, and the root of
1 touch*th or the first form * holdeth paradise.
reacheth.
/ will set it down more intelligibly [or plainly] for the simplest Reader's' sake.
wisdom avails nothing. God gives it to him whom he loves, for nothing. It cannot be bought for money nor favour, as king Solomon will tell you.
37. If we will be still so very earthly minded, as to think that God made all the beasts of a lump of earth, of what then is their spirit made ? seeing that earth is not very flesh, and the blood is not mere water. Besides, the earth and the water is not
2 Or breath, life; and though the 2air comes in it, yet it still remains such an essence as springs only in the Fiat, and the tincture which rises up in the fire, and from whence the noble life is stirred, is hidden.
38. Moses writes, Let there come forth all s animals, or manner of 3 beasts, every one according to its kind.
living crea- __ . , • • r\ «• i 1111 turea. JNow then the question is, (Jut ot what should they come forth ? Answer, Out of the matrix. What is the matrix out of which they should come forth ? It is the four elements, which are together in the earth. The Fiat brought forth the beasts [or living
4 without creatures] very 4 indigestedly, as they are in the or(^er' <* i i /> • essence, not from heaven, but out of the matrix of the earth ; and the matrix of the earth is one [and the same] thing with the matrix in the deep above
6 rule or the earth, and [has] one [and the same] 5 dominion.
The constellation ruls in all [things], and it is
6 Mars. the limbus, or the 6 masculine, wherein the tincture consists, and in the matrix of the earth is the
Ch. 8] OF THE CREATION OF THE CREATURES 123 aquastrish [or watery] spirit ; they come forth only out of the matrix of the earth, that they might be of the essence of the earth, that so they might eat of the fruits that grow out of the earth. For every spirit lusts after its mother from whence it came.
39. Now then if the beasts [or animals' nature] were merely out of a lump of earth, then they would eat earth, but seeing 1 it is proceeded out of : thr bestial
Hd.tu.F6
the matrix of the earth by the Fiat, therefore it desires also such food as the matrix affords out of its own essence ; and that is not earth, but flesh.
Yet this flesh now is a 2mass whence the 3 body 2 Or coucrecoms, and the spirit of the constellation makes 3 corpua.
the 4 tincture therein ; which [spirit] ruls over all 4 Or penetrai
,, , . ,.» ., .., ,, ing the life as m one mother, and in every hie it makes the and the bioo understanding. For the spirit of the constellation ruls in all things, in the earth, stones, metals, elements and creatures.
40. For in the beginning of the creation, at the time when the earth became material, all was generated out of one only substance, and there was no more done but a separation made of one
8 from another : therefore in every separation there 5 part. must needs be always a vehement hunger of one 6 after another. An example whereof you have in 6 part propagation ; for the sake whereof the separation was so made : For you see that there is a male and a female ; and that the one continually desires copulation with the other, that they may 7 generate. 7 engender. This is a great hidden secret. Observe, when the
124 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 8
Creator by the Fiat separated the matrix from the aquaster [or watery mother] ; for the first form is heavenly and incorruptible, as long as the kingdom of this world stands, and the root of
1 touch*th or the first form * holds paradise.
reaches.
/ will set it down more intelligibly [or plainly] for the simplest Reader's' sake.