provoketh [to copulation] in the male and female, of all kinds, as also in man? Behold, in the eternity all hath been in one being, viz. the tincture, which is the centre and cause of life, as hath been mentioned at large before; and also the substantiality, which is generated out of the tincture, which hath also all the forms of the centre, yet without fire, for it [substantiality] is a sinking down, and cannot kindle the life in it, it is corporeal, and affordeth body, but not life; for the fire affordeth life.
44. And we give you to understand, in the copulation, that the man hath the tincture, and the woman the substantiality, viz. the matrix, which is generated out of the tincture: Now observe, in the eternity they were in one another, and this world stood therein as a figure; for the wisdom had overshadowed the tincture, and received it into itself as the body doth the spirit; and this could not be brought to a substance visible to the angels, unless God did move the eternity, for the angels are in a substance.
45. Now when God, viz. the Number Three, moved himself, there was moved therewith also the centre of nature in the eternity, whereby all became essential, substantial: The tincture became substantial, and prevailed; and the substantiality became material, and yet was not divided, for that cannot be, it is one only substance.
46. And now when God placed the Fiat in the material substantiality, or, as I may better say, did awaken [the Fiat therein], so that the word in the substantiality said, Let there come forth all sorts of beasts, according to their hind; then there went forth out of the material substantiality two kinds [male and female], and that corporeally; for through the Word of the
Lord, the tincture took on it substantiality, and the spirit of the substantiality took also to it a body, and so there were two sexes or kinds. The body of the tincture had in it the centre of the life;
and the body of the substantiality had not the centre to the striking up of the fire; indeed it had the life, but an impotent life.
47. This we demonstrate thus, that you may rightly understand it: Look upon a flaming [red hot] iron, which sendeth two spirits forth from itself, one hot one, which hath the centre, and can kindle and awaken another fire; and one airy one, from which water proceedeth, which hath also all powers of the fire; yet the tincture therein is not fire, but it is an eternal bar that no fire can be therein, and yet is the spirit of the fire, which hath its source out of the fire, and its life like to the fire, for in the eternity there is no death. Therefore, in the female kind no life can proceed out of their tinctures, but the matrix must get the tincture from the seed of the male.
48. Thus we declare unto you also the ground of the difference between the male and the female kind: for when God created the material substance, there went forth the kinds of all essences in the centre of nature, according to all the properties:
for as you see the stars, that one hath a property different from another, which all are created out of the centre of nature, according to the material substantiality;
and so all essences stood in the material substantiality, and the Fiat attracted all towards the created earth.
49. And there hath every form of the tincture, and of the spirit of the several kinds, figured every one its own body, according to its properties, as to be beasts, fowls, worms, fishes, trees and herbs, also to be metals and earth, all according as the life was in them. And this you may well perceive by the difference of each day's work [of the creation].
50. For on the first day, God created the material water, (which hath an impotent life, and is a bar upon the fire of the anger, and upon the devil's smoky pit, where he thought in the burning fire to domineer over God). Also [he then created] the earth and the stones, and so the gross part [dross] was separated, which consisted in mortal and fierce essences, whereby Lucifer supposed to be king and creator {therein).
provoks [to copulation] in the male and female, of all kinds, as also in man? Behold, in the eternity all has been in one being, viz. the tincture, which is the centre and cause of life, as has been mentioned at large before; and also the substantiality, which is generated out of the tincture, which has also all the forms of the centre, yet without fire, for it [substantiality] is a sinking down, and cannot kindle the life in it, it is corporeal, and affords body, but not life; for the fire affords life.
44. And we give you to understand, in the copulation, that the man has the tincture, and the woman the substantiality, viz. the matrix, which is generated out of the tincture: Now observe, in the eternity they were in one another, and this world stood therein as a figure; for the wisdom had overshadowed the tincture, and received it into itself as the body does the spirit; and this could not be brought to a substance visible to the angels, unless God did move the eternity, for the angels are in a substance.
45. Now when God, viz. the Number Three, moved himself, there was moved therewith also the centre of nature in the eternity, whereby all became essential, substantial: The tincture became substantial, and prevailed; and the substantiality became material, and yet was not divided, for that cannot be, it is one only substance.
46. And now when God placed the Fiat in the material substantiality, or, as I may better say, did awaken [the Fiat therein], so that the word in the substantiality said, Let there come forth all sorts of beasts, according to their hind; then there went forth out of the material substantiality two kinds [male and female], and that corporeally; for through the Word of the
Lord, the tincture took on it substantiality, and the spirit of the substantiality took also to it a body, and so there were two sexes or kinds. The body of the tincture had in it the centre of the life;
and the body of the substantiality had not the centre to the striking up of the fire; indeed it had the life, but an impotent life.
47. This we demonstrate thus, that you may rightly understand it: Look upon a flaming [red hot] iron, which sends two spirits forth from itself, one hot one, which has the centre, and can kindle and awaken another fire; and one airy one, from which water proceeds, which has also all powers of the fire; yet the tincture therein is not fire, but it is an eternal bar that no fire can be therein, and yet is the spirit of the fire, which has its source out of the fire, and its life like to the fire, for in the eternity there is no death. Therefore, in the female kind no life can proceed out of their tinctures, but the matrix must get the tincture from the seed of the male.
48. Thus we declare unto you also the ground of the difference between the male and the female kind: for when God created the material substance, there went forth the kinds of all essences in the centre of nature, according to all the properties:
for as you see the stars, that one has a property different from another, which all are created out of the centre of nature, according to the material substantiality;
and so all essences stood in the material substantiality, and the Fiat attracted all towards the created earth.
49. And there has every form of the tincture, and of the spirit of the several kinds, figured every one its own body, according to its properties, as to be beasts, fowls, worms, fishes, trees and herbs, also to be metals and earth, all according as the life was in them. And this you may well perceive by the difference of each day's work [of the creation].
50. For on the first day, God created the material water, (which has an impotent life, and is a bar upon the fire of the anger, and upon the devil's smoky pit, where he thought in the burning fire to domineer over God). Also [he then created] the earth and the stones, and so the gross part [dross] was separated, which consisted in mortal and fierce essences, whereby Lucifer supposed to be king and creator {therein).
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.