Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
mi minister, or look after it, they must answer for it. Thus the learned, who take upon miud carelessly passes it over, like a whirlwind or them euro, f • i • i ^(L • ^ -j animarum.
stream of water ; concerning which Christ said, The devil stealeth the word out of their hearts, that they do not apprehend it, nor believe it, that they might be saved ; so that it taketh no root.
33. Or else if the Pearl should grow, and the lily bud forth, 4 he should be revealed, and then 4 the devil. every one would fly from him, and he should stand in great shame. This trade he hath driven ever since the beginning of the world : And though he resisteth never so vehemently, yet a lily shall grow in his supposed kingdom, whose smell reacheth into the paradise of God, in spite of all his raging and tyranny ; this the spirit of God doth witness.
34. Behold, thou child of man, if thou wilt easilyp. 168 draw near to this knowledge, take but thy mind before thee, and consider it, and therein thou wilt find all. You know, that out of it proceedeth joy and sorrow, laughter and weeping, hope and doubting, wrath and love, lust to a thing and hate of the thing : you find therein wrath and malice, also love, meekness, and well-doing.
35. Now the question is, May not the mind stand in one only will (viz. in mere love) like God himself? Here sticketh the mark, the ground, and the knowledge : Behold, if the will were in one only essence, then the mind would also have but one quality that could give the will to be so, and it should be an immovable thing, which should always lie still, and should do no more but that one thing always : in it there would be no joy, no knowledge, also no art or skill of anything at all, and there would be no wisdom in it : also if the quality were not in infinitum, it would be altogether a nothing, and there would be no mind nor will to anything at all.
36. Therefore it cannot be said, that the total God in all the three Principles is in one only will and essence ; there is a distinction [or difference to be observed] : Though indeed the first and the third Principles be not called God, neither are they God, and yet are his essence [or substance], out of which from eternity the light and Heart of God is always generated, and it is one essence [or being], as body and soul in man are.
p. 169
37. Therefore now if the eternal mind were riot, out of which the eternal will goeth forth, then there would be no God. But now therefore there is an eternal mind, which generateth the eternal will, and the eternal will generateth the eternal Heart of God, and the Heart generateth the light, and the light the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, and this is the Almighty God, which is one unchangeable will. For if the mind did no more generate the will, then the will would also not generate the Heart, and all would be a nothing. But seeing now that the mind thus generateth the will, and the will the Heart, and the Heart the light, and the light the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, therefore now the spirit again generateth the mind ; for it hath the virtue, and the virtue is the Heart ; and it is an indissoluble band.
The Depth.
38. Behold now, the mind is in the darkness, and it conceiveth its will to the light, to generate it ; or else there would be no will, nor yet any
1 birth : This mind standeth in anguish, and in a l working, longing [or is in labour] ; and this longing is the will, and the will conceiveth the virtue ; and the virtue fulfilleth [satisfieth or impregnateth] the mind. Thus the kingdom of God consisteth in the virtue [or in power], which is God the Father, and the light maketh the virtue longing to [be] the
p. 170
mi minister, or look after it, they must answer for it. Thus the learned, who take upon miud carelessly passes it over, like a whirlwind or them euro, f • i • i ^(L • ^ -j animarum.
stream of water ; concerning which Christ said, The devil steals the word out of their hearts, that they do not apprehend it, nor believe it, that they might be saved ; so that it takes no root.
33. Or else if the Pearl should grow, and the lily bud forth, 4 he should be revealed, and then 4 the devil. every one would fly from him, and he should stand in great shame. This trade he has driven ever since the beginning of the world : And though he resists never so vehemently, yet a lily shall grow in his supposed kingdom, whose smell reaches into the paradise of God, in spite of all his raging and tyranny ; this the spirit of God does witness.
34. Behold, you child of man, if you will easily
168 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 10 draw near to this knowledge, take but your mind before you, and consider it, and therein you will find all. You know, that out of it proceeds joy and sorrow, laughter and weeping, hope and doubting, wrath and love, lust to a thing and hate of the thing : you find therein wrath and malice, also love, meekness, and well-doing.
35. Now the question is, May not the mind stand in one only will (viz. in mere love) like God himself? Here sticks the mark, the ground, and the knowledge : Behold, if the will were in one only essence, then the mind would also have but one quality that could give the will to be so, and it should be an immovable thing, which should always lie still, and should do no more but that one thing always : in it there would be no joy, no knowledge, also no art or skill of anything at all, and there would be no wisdom in it : also if the quality were not in infinitum, it would be altogether a nothing, and there would be no mind nor will to anything at all.
36. Therefore it cannot be said, that the total God in all the three Principles is in one only will and essence ; there is a distinction [or difference to be observed] : Though indeed the first and the third Principles be not called God, neither are they God, and yet are his essence [or substance], out of which from eternity the light and Heart of God is always generated, and it is one essence [or being], as body and soul in man are.
Cll. 10] THE CREATION OF MAN, AND HIS SOUL 169
37. Therefore now if the eternal mind were riot, out of which the eternal will goes forth, then there would be no God. But now therefore there is an eternal mind, which generats the eternal will, and the eternal will generats the eternal Heart of God, and the Heart generats the light, and the light the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, and this is the Almighty God, which is one unchangeable will. For if the mind did no more generate the will, then the will would also not generate the Heart, and all would be a nothing. But seeing now that the mind thus generats the will, and the will the Heart, and the Heart the light, and the light the virtue, and the virtue the spirit, therefore now the spirit again generats the mind ; for it has the virtue, and the virtue is the Heart ; and it is an indissoluble band.
The Depth.
38. Behold now, the mind is in the darkness, and it conceives its will to the light, to generate it ; or else there would be no will, nor yet any
1 birth : This mind stands in anguish, and in a l working, longing [or is in labour] ; and this longing is the will, and the will conceives the virtue ; and the virtue fulfills [satisfies or impregnats] the mind. Thus the kingdom of God consists in the virtue [or in power], which is God the Father, and the light makes the virtue longing to [be] the
170 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 10