Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

with Adam as to the tempting tree, as it is pleasure in it written ; and God suffered all sorts of trees to spring up in the Garden of Eden ; and in the midst of the garden the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

6. Moses saith : God suffered to spring up out of the earth all sorts of trees pleasant to look upon, and good for food. But here is the veil in Moses, and yet in the Word it is bright, clear, and manifest, that the fruits were pleasant to behold, and good to eat, wherein there was no death, wrath, or 'corruptibility, but [it was] paradisical fruit, of "corruption.

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which Adam could live in clarity [or brightness] in the will of God, and in his love in perfection in eternity ; only the death stuck in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that only was able to bring man into another image.

7. Now we must needs clearly [conceive, or] think, that the paradisical fruit which was good, was not so very earthly, for (as Moses himself saith) they were of two sorts ; the one good to eat and pleasant to behold, and the other had the death and corruptibility in it : In the paradisical fruit there was no death nor corruptibility ; for if there had been any death or corruptibility therein, then Adam had eaten death in all the fruits ; but seeing there was no death therein, therefore the fruit could not be so altogether earthly ; though indeed it sprang out of the earth, yet the divine virtue of the second Principle was imprinted therein, and yet they were truly in the third Principle, grown [or sprung] out of the earth, which God cursed as to the earthly food, that no paradisical fruit did grow any more out of the earth.

8. Besides, if Adam had eaten earthly fruit, he must then have eaten it into his body, and have had guts [or entrails] : And how could such a stink [and dung] (as we now carry in the body) have been in paradise in the holiness of God ? Moreover, he would, by eating earthly food, have eaten of the fruit of the stars and elements, which would presently have infected [or qualified] in

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him, as was done in the fall ; also so his fear over all the beasts would have ceased. For the essences of the beasts would presently have been like the human essences in virtue [and power], and l one1 Or the would have domineered more strongly over the would have domineered Other. over the

9. Therefore it was quite otherwise with Adam ; he was a heavenly paradisical man, he should have eaten of the heavenly paradisical fruit, and in the virtue [or power] of that [fruit] he should have ruled over all beasts [or living creatures], also over the stars and elements : No cold nor heat should have touched him, or else God would not have created him so naked, but like all beasts, with a rough [or hairy] skin [or hide].

10. But the question is, Wherefore grew the earthly Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? For if that had not been, Adam had not eaten of it : Or wherefore must Adam be tempted ? Hearken, Ask your mind about it, wherefore it so suddenly generateth and conceiveth in itself a thought of anger, and then of love ? Dost thou say [it cometh] from the hearing and seeing of a thing ? Yes, that is true, this God also knew very well ; and therefore he must be tempted. For the centre of the mind is free, and it generateth the will from hearing and seeing, out of which the imagination and lust doth arise.

11. Seeing Adam was created an image and

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