7. And so there is a natural strife with man therein, for no creature but man can bring the wonders of the world to light; and therefore also the spirit of this world hath so very much longed after man, and hath drawn him to it, that it might shew forth its wonders in him, that man should produce all arts and languages in it; moreover, the spirit and heart out of earths and metals, viz. that Precious Stone, the Philosophers Stone, which indeed, since Solomon 's time, hath been found by few, but now at the end shall be found more clearly, as we know and understand.
8. For he that rightly understandeth our writings concerning the centre of nature, and its progress to the Number Three upon the cross, and to the glance of the Majesty, may well find it in metals, it is not difficult; if he learn but the right entrance, he hath the end at hand, of which we shall not here make mention; for it belongeth to the Magi, which are born magically, we speak only of the ground of nature, and of the spirit of this world.
9. And we declare unto you, that the spirit of this world is created with such an inclination, and that it hath a natural will to reveal itself and all its mysteries, as we see before our eyes by what it hath built or brought forth, how it hath erected a dominion and kingdom upon earth.
10. Do but look upon the doings of man, from the highest to the lowest: the spirit of this world hath thus built the whole order of them, and God hath permitted it. For God is not a destroyer, but a preserver of that which his power buildeth up, and accounteth it for his ordinance: for there is nothing brought forth which hath not stood in the eternity.
11. But you must understand it rightly; hell and the anger are the abyss which mingleth its wonders also therein, as we see where there is good ground, and that the sower also soweth good seed, yet thistles and thorns grow up amongst it; according as Christ hath given us a similitude of the sower: and as it is in the mind of man, so it is also in the spirit of this world.
12. You are to know, that all weeds, as thistles and thorns, also serpents, toads, evil beasts and worms, have their original from the wrathful matrix: For in the time of the creation, all, both good and evil, came forth, every thing according to its kind and property: there is good and evil in every thing, and the kingdom of anger hath also wholly imprinted itself therein [Or formed its image] ; and therefore the fruit is good and evil, and Adam should not have eaten thereof.
13. 1 give you to understand, by the fruits of the earth, how good and evil are in one another, and have each of them their usefulness, the evil as well as the good: All serve to manifest God's deeds of wonder; and each is serviceable to the spirit of this world; what the one hurteth, the other healeth, and that also is a wonder.
14. Furthermore, we see the Mysterium Magnum, the Great Mystery, in the trees; though indeed they are different and mixed, yet we discern the paradisical form [or condition in them] ; for they bear their fruit upon twigs, and the fruit is a thing different from the tree: The tree is bitter, and the fruit is sweet: And we give you to understand, that the trees and fruit we have nowadays were paradisical, if the curse did not stick in them: the paradise is flown from them, and now all fruit is but such as the apple was from which Eve did eat death. And you are to know, that the kingdom of anger did also press into the Garden of Eden, which brought forth a tree that did bear such fruit, as all the trees nowadays which we feed upon.
15. Only we are to consider, that the fruits for man do not grow of themselves, he must plant and dress them, as you see in all trees, both in the wood and stalks of them: and man desireth not willingly [to eat of] the [first] essences of the earth; except it be a very pleasant herb, but he desireth the second birth out of the earth, viz. the
7. And so there is a natural strife with man therein, for no creature but man can bring the wonders of the world to light; and therefore also the spirit of this world has so very much longed after man, and has drawn him to it, that it might show forth its wonders in him, that man should produce all arts and languages in it; moreover, the spirit and heart out of earths and metals, viz. that Precious Stone, the Philosophers Stone, which indeed, since Solomon 's time, has been found by few, but now at the end shall be found more clearly, as we know and understand.
8. For he that rightly understands our writings concerning the centre of nature, and its progress to the Number Three upon the cross, and to the glance of the Majesty, may well find it in metals, it is not difficult; if he learn but the right entrance, he has the end at hand, of which we shall not here make mention; for it belongs to the Magi, which are born magically, we speak only of the ground of nature, and of the spirit of this world.
9. And we declare unto you, that the spirit of this world is created with such an inclination, and that it has a natural will to reveal itself and all its mysteries, as we see before our eyes by what it has built or brought forth, how it has erected a dominion and kingdom upon earth.
10. Do but look upon the doings of man, from the highest to the lowest: the spirit of this world has thus built the whole order of them, and God has permitted it. For God is not a destroyer, but a preserver of that which his power builds up, and accounts it for his ordinance: for there is nothing brought forth which has not stood in the eternity.
11. But you must understand it rightly; hell and the anger are the abyss which mingls its wonders also therein, as we see where there is good ground, and that the sower also sows good seed, yet thistles and thorns grow up amongst it; according as Christ has given us a similitude of the sower: and as it is in the mind of man, so it is also in the spirit of this world.
12. You are to know, that all weeds, as thistles and thorns, also serpents, toads, evil beasts and worms, have their original from the wrathful matrix: For in the time of the creation, all, both good and evil, came forth, every thing according to its kind and property: there is good and evil in every thing, and the kingdom of anger has also wholly imprinted itself therein [Or formed its image] ; and therefore the fruit is good and evil, and Adam should not have eaten thereof.
13. 1 give you to understand, by the fruits of the earth, how good and evil are in one another, and have each of them their usefulness, the evil as well as the good: All serve to manifest God's deeds of wonder; and each is serviceable to the spirit of this world; what the one hurts, the other heals, and that also is a wonder.
14. Furthermore, we see the Mysterium Magnum, the Great Mystery, in the trees; though indeed they are different and mixed, yet we discern the paradisical form [or condition in them] ; for they bear their fruit upon twigs, and the fruit is a thing different from the tree: The tree is bitter, and the fruit is sweet: And we give you to understand, that the trees and fruit we have nowadays were paradisical, if the curse did not stick in them: the paradise is flown from them, and now all fruit is but such as the apple was from which Eve did eat death. And you are to know, that the kingdom of anger did also press into the Garden of Eden, which brought forth a tree that did bear such fruit, as all the trees nowadays which we feed upon.
15. Only we are to consider, that the fruits for man do not grow of themselves, he must plant and dress them, as you see in all trees, both in the wood and stalks of them: and man desires not willingly [to eat of] the [first] essences of the earth; except it be a very pleasant herb, but he desires the second birth out of the earth, viz. the
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