faith which went out of the opinion into God, that hath awakened the wonders; for the spirit: of God is in the faith, and not in the opinion; and the faith is from God; for the soul inclineth itself in the opinion into God, and layeth hold on the spirit of God: The opinion is the fire, but the soul stayeth not in the fire, but presseth out from thence into God; it blossometh out of the fire, as a fair flower [out of the earth] .
24. The opinions have been tolerable enough, in God, and God rejected them not, so long as the soul sought God through the opinion; and so long also the church of Christ stood in a government; but when the devil crept into it, and made a stately glistering kingdom of it, when the priests sought only honour, covetousness, and voluptuousness in it, and did lead men away from God merely into their works [ceremonies], and so the opinions became altogether blind; for they themselves went out from God into the works of their hands, in forged and invented ways, therefore God let them go, seeing they would not be directed by his spirit.
25. And Asia, Africa, and Greece, are to be accounted happy, in that they are gone out from the works of men into the one only God again: Although indeed they have been blind concerning the kingdom of Christ, yet their mind continued in the one only God, and in concord one among another; and have not so vehemently scandalised and reproached one another about the dear name of Christ, as these have done who have been led blindfold in the darkness of their works; for these have not only hated those that departed from them, but they themselves have reproached and snarled at one another in their opinions, as dogs about a bone, and have led the laity astray, who go groping in the dark, and know not which opinion is the best.
26. Thus you hang to opinions, and are perfidious to God, so that when a simple man cometh to die, he knoweth not whither his soul shall enter: He hangeth to his works and opinion, and forsaketh the will of God, and so remaineth without God: And where now do you suppose the poor soul remaineth, when it is without God's will? Behold, we will tell you, for we know certainly, for the spirit of our mother openeth it to us, so that we see with both eyes.
27. Behold, Christ saith, Where your treasure is, there is your heart also. Behold, the soul is involved in the opinion, and so runneth with it to the patron [or author of it] who hath so taught it, and seeketh him, and if it findeth him not, then it becometh sorrowful, and hath no rest, and so hovereth between heaven and hell, and would fain escape the devil; therefore it happeneth that many times the poor souls have appeared again in the congregation, or else in houses, fields, and churches, and have cried to the congregation for help with their prayers, and have submitted themselves to the orders, and supposed to find ease; from whence Purgatory was framed; for that soul hath the purgatory indeed, if it cannot attain the will of God; and in such fervent casting itself down in the opinion, it is sunk down through the opinion, and at length come into the still eternity. But we understand here those souls which in their opinions have imagined [or sought] after the kingdom of God; and not the souls of the deceivers, who have sought their profit and pleasure therein; those are quite gone a- whoring with Antichrist, for they are bound to him with an oath; and though they sit in hell-fire a- whoring with him, yet they flatter him with their hypocrisy, and reproach God as if ho, had dealt unjustly with them; for what the soul doth here in this [life] time, into which it involveth itself, and taketh it into its will, that it taketh with it in its will, and after the ending of the body cannot be freed from it; for afterwards it hath nothing else but that, and when it goeth into that and kindleth it, and seeketh with diligence, that is but an unfolding of the same thing [substance of the work it has wrought in this life], and the poor soul must content itself with that: Only in the time of the body can it break off that thing which it hath wrapped up in its will, and that standeth afterwards as a broken wheel, which is broken and useless, and no soul entereth into it any more, neither doth it seek any more therein.
faith which went out of the opinion into God, that has awakened the wonders; for the spirit: of God is in the faith, and not in the opinion; and the faith is from God; for the soul inclins itself in the opinion into God, and lays hold on the spirit of God: The opinion is the fire, but the soul stays not in the fire, but presses out from thence into God; it blossoms out of the fire, as a fair flower [out of the earth] .
24. The opinions have been tolerable enough, in God, and God rejected them not, so long as the soul sought God through the opinion; and so long also the church of Christ stood in a government; but when the devil crept into it, and made a stately glistering kingdom of it, when the priests sought only honour, covetousness, and voluptuousness in it, and did lead men away from God merely into their works [ceremonies], and so the opinions became altogether blind; for they themselves went out from God into the works of their hands, in forged and invented ways, therefore God let them go, seeing they would not be directed by his spirit.
25. And Asia, Africa, and Greece, are to be accounted happy, in that they are gone out from the works of men into the one only God again: Although indeed they have been blind concerning the kingdom of Christ, yet their mind continued in the one only God, and in concord one among another; and have not so vehemently scandalised and reproached one another about the dear name of Christ, as these have done who have been led blindfold in the darkness of their works; for these have not only hated those that departed from them, but they themselves have reproached and snarled at one another in their opinions, as dogs about a bone, and have led the laity astray, who go groping in the dark, and know not which opinion is the best.
26. Thus you hang to opinions, and are perfidious to God, so that when a simple man comes to die, he knows not whither his soul shall enter: He hangs to his works and opinion, and forsaks the will of God, and so remains without God: And where now do you suppose the poor soul remains, when it is without God's will? Behold, we will tell you, for we know certainly, for the spirit of our mother opens it to us, so that we see with both eyes.
27. Behold, Christ says, Where your treasure is, there is your heart also. Behold, the soul is involved in the opinion, and so runns with it to the patron [or author of it] who has so taught it, and seeks him, and if it finds him not, then it becomes sorrowful, and has no rest, and so hovers between heaven and hell, and would fain escape the devil; therefore it happens that many times the poor souls have appeared again in the congregation, or else in houses, fields, and churches, and have cried to the congregation for help with their prayers, and have submitted themselves to the orders, and supposed to find ease; from whence Purgatory was framed; for that soul has the purgatory indeed, if it cannot attain the will of God; and in such fervent casting itself down in the opinion, it is sunk down through the opinion, and at length come into the still eternity. But we understand here those souls which in their opinions have imagined [or sought] after the kingdom of God; and not the souls of the deceivers, who have sought their profit and pleasure therein; those are quite gone a- whoring with Antichrist, for they are bound to him with an oath; and though they sit in hell-fire a- whoring with him, yet they flatter him with their hypocrisy, and reproach God as if ho, had dealt unjustly with them; for what the soul does here in this [life] time, into which it involvs itself, and takes it into its will, that it takes with it in its will, and after the ending of the body cannot be freed from it; for afterwards it has nothing else but that, and when it goes into that and kindls it, and seeks with diligence, that is but an unfolding of the same thing [substance of the work it has wrought in this life], and the poor soul must content itself with that: Only in the time of the body can it break off that thing which it has wrapped up in its will, and that stands afterwards as a broken wheel, which is broken and useless, and no soul enters into it any more, neither does it seek any more therein.
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