Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
1. ~^T"OW the highest question is, What that is -1-N which caused the mind of the devil so to elevate itself, and that so great a number of them are fallen in their high-mindedness [or pride] ? Behold, when God set the Fiat in the will, and would create angels, then the spirit first separated all qualities, after that manner as now you see there are many kinds of stars, and so the Fiat created them [several]. Then there were created the princely [angels], and the throne angels, according to every quality (as hard, sour, bitter, cold, fierce, soft, and so forth, 1 in the essences, till to the 1 in the end of nature) out of the source of the fire ; a simili- essential tude whereof you have in the stars, how different ^ they are.
2. Now the thrones and princely angels, are every one of them a great fountain ; as you may perceive the sun is, in respect of the stars, as also in the blossoming earth. The great fountain-vein [or well-spring] in the source, was in the time of the Fiat in the dark mind, the prince or throne177 12
p. 178
angel : There out of each fountain came forth again a centre in many thousand thousands ; for the spirit in the Fiat manifested itself in the nature of the darkness, after the manner of the eternal wisdom. Thus the manifold various properties that were in the whole nature, went forth out of one only fountain, according to the ability of the eternal wisdom of God ; or as I may best render it to be understood by a similitude ; as if one princely angel had generated out of himself, at one time, many angels ; whereas yet the prince doth not generate them, but the essences ; and the qualities go forth with the centre in every essence, from the princely angels, and the spirit created
1 by them 1 with the Fiat, and they continue standing
2 Or company, essentially. Therefore every 2host (which proceeded out of one [and the same] fountain) gat a will in the same fountain, which was their prince (as you see how the stars give all their will into the virtue [or power] of the sun) ; of this, much
3 The learned must not be said to my 3 Master in Arts, he holdeth it impossible to know such things, and yet in God all things are possible, and to him a thousand years are as one day.
3. Now of these princely angels one is fallen (for he stood in the fourth form of the matrix of the genetrix in the dark mind, in that place in the mind where the flash of fire taketh its original) with his whole host that was proceeded from him : Thus the fiery kind [condition or property] moved in reason.
Ch. 11] CIRCDMSTANCES OP THE TEMPTATION 179 him to go above the end of nature, (viz. above the
Heart of God), that kind stood so l hard kindled J Or fiercely.
in him.
4. For as God said to the matrix of the earth, Let there come forth all kinds of beasts, and the Fiat created beasts out of all the essences ; and first divided the matrix, and after that the essences and qualities ; and then he created them out of the divided matrix, male and female. But because the creatures were material, therefore every kind [species or generation] must thus propagate itself from every essence ; but with the angels not so, but [their propagation was] sudden and swift ; as God's thoughts are, so were they.
5. But this is the ground : every quality [or source] would be creaturely, and the fiery [property] elevated itself too mightily, into which Lucifer had 2 brought his will ; and so it went 2 Or set his
. , . 7 , . . delight or
1. ~^T"OW the highest question is, What that is -1-N which caused the mind of the devil so to elevate itself, and that so great a number of them are fallen in their high-mindedness [or pride] ? Behold, when God set the Fiat in the will, and would create angels, then the spirit first separated all qualities, after that manner as now you see there are many kinds of stars, and so the Fiat created them [several]. Then there were created the princely [angels], and the throne angels, according to every quality (as hard, sour, bitter, cold, fierce, soft, and so forth, 1 in the essences, till to the 1 in the end of nature) out of the source of the fire ; a simili- essential tude whereof you have in the stars, how different ^ they are.
2. Now the thrones and princely angels, are every one of them a great fountain ; as you may perceive the sun is, in respect of the stars, as also in the blossoming earth. The great fountain-vein [or well-spring] in the source, was in the time of the Fiat in the dark mind, the prince or throne177 12
178 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 11 angel : There out of each fountain came forth again a centre in many thousand thousands ; for the spirit in the Fiat manifested itself in the nature of the darkness, after the manner of the eternal wisdom. Thus the manifold various properties that were in the whole nature, went forth out of one only fountain, according to the ability of the eternal wisdom of God ; or as I may best render it to be understood by a similitude ; as if one princely angel had generated out of himself, at one time, many angels ; whereas yet the prince does not generate them, but the essences ; and the qualities go forth with the centre in every essence, from the princely angels, and the spirit created
1 by them 1 with the Fiat, and they continue standing
2 Or company, essentially. Therefore every 2host (which proceeded out of one [and the same] fountain) gat a will in the same fountain, which was their prince (as you see how the stars give all their will into the virtue [or power] of the sun) ; of this, much
3 The learned must not be said to my 3 Master in Arts, he holds it impossible to know such things, and yet in God all things are possible, and to him a thousand years are as one day.
3. Now of these princely angels one is fallen (for he stood in the fourth form of the matrix of the genetrix in the dark mind, in that place in the mind where the flash of fire takes its original) with his whole host that was proceeded from him : Thus the fiery kind [condition or property] moved in reason.
Ch. 11] CIRCDMSTANCES OP THE TEMPTATION 179 him to go above the end of nature, (viz. above the
Heart of God), that kind stood so l hard kindled J Or fiercely.
in him.
4. For as God said to the matrix of the earth, Let there come forth all kinds of beasts, and the Fiat created beasts out of all the essences ; and first divided the matrix, and after that the essences and qualities ; and then he created them out of the divided matrix, male and female. But because the creatures were material, therefore every kind [species or generation] must thus propagate itself from every essence ; but with the angels not so, but [their propagation was] sudden and swift ; as God's thoughts are, so were they.
5. But this is the ground : every quality [or source] would be creaturely, and the fiery [property] elevated itself too mightily, into which Lucifer had 2 brought his will ; and so it went 2 Or set his
. , . 7 , . . delight or