No man's own wit can do it; much less the pride of the high schools [or universities], which yet they cloak with hypocrisy, and hide it under the mantle of the Holy Ghost: Why do you make conclusions about the body and the person of Christ? Have you power and authority to do so? Is it not a Mystery to you? And you understand nothing in it unless you be new born again in Christ; Doth he not say, Behold, I am with you even to the end of the world? Is he with you? Why then do you set yourselves upon his throne, and deny his presence? Are you not Pilate who sentenceth Christ? From whom have you the might and authority to make conclusions and articles? Are you his lords? Then you are not children: have a care you prove not the eldest son in the house, who striveth about the inheritance, and about the power and authority, and yet continueth to be a proud angry murmurer against the Father. Dear children, it availeth nothing to go such a way: Christ said to his disciples, when he drave the devil out of the lunatic that was possessed, which the disciples could not do in their own reason, This kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer.
30. Dear brethren, you will not [be able to] drive the devil out of us, if you have not Christ with you; your art and conclusions of reason will do nothing else but cause people to go out from God into their own self-will: We must fast and pray, that we fall not into temptation, and into the nets and snares of the devil in our reason: for the devil always holdeth his net before reason, and he that falleth into it, supposeth he is caught in Christ's fishing net: but he is taken in Antichrist's net: Reason comprehendeth nothing of the kingdom of God but the husk; the virtue and power of it remaineth hidden to reason, unless it be born in God, and then reason goeth forth as a burning fire in the spirit of God; but the spirit letteth it not fly aloft, but boweth it to the earth [in humility], for he knoweth the warrior [Satan] that fighteth against reason.
31. A watchful life is requisite, which is chastened and not overflown with the fleshly voluptuous spirit of this world, and not a life always drunken and full: for as soon as the soul is inflamed with the vigour and power of the earthly spirit, then God's spirit passeth into its own Principle; and the soul is captivated by the spirit of this world, and the devil gaineth an access to it; and then its former wit and understanding (known in God) is changed into outward reason, and then man supposeth still that it is God's spirit.
32. O no friend! the constellation [of the stars within us], which should rest in the spirit of Christ, lusteth also to possess such a heart and soul, where the spirit of God hath been sitting; for every creature longeth after the virtue and power of God: but the constellation, though it come into the temple of God, driveth on its own matters that lie in its power, it knoweth nothing of divine wisdom: it hath a wisdom, and constituteth the spirit of this world: indeed it hath great art and learning: for the earthly and elementary Mysterium Magnum lieth therein: but it hath not the key to the Principle of the liberty of God without and beyond nature; for it hath a beginning and end, and looketh no further; it maketh and seeketh only a hypocritical bestial life.
33. Therefore let us not be proud [stout, surly] and nor rely upon art and learning, much less upon the letter: for the spirit thereof is hidden to us, without the spirit of God: we have the will of God in the Holy Scripture: yet without the spirit of God we have but the husk and the dead word (except God's spirit first awaken the living word in us, that we may understand the letter and the written word); which is plain enough, in that the learned in arts are but learned in the letter, and not learned in God, otherwise they would not contend and wrangle about Christ's honour and doctrine, nor so dispute about the cup of Christ.
34. Though there were a thousand men learned in God, who are born in the spirit of Christ, and
No man's own wit can do it; much less the pride of the high schools [or universities], which yet they cloak with hypocrisy, and hide it under the mantle of the Holy Ghost: Why do you make conclusions about the body and the person of Christ? Have you power and authority to do so? Is it not a Mystery to you? And you understand nothing in it unless you be new born again in Christ; Does he not say, Behold, I am with you even to the end of the world? Is he with you? Why then do you set yourselves upon his throne, and deny his presence? Are you not Pilate who sentencs Christ? From whom have you the might and authority to make conclusions and articles? Are you his lords? Then you are not children: have a care you prove not the eldest son in the house, who strives about the inheritance, and about the power and authority, and yet continues to be a proud angry murmurer against the Father. Dear children, it avails nothing to go such a way: Christ said to his disciples, when he drave the devil out of the lunatic that was possessed, which the disciples could not do in their own reason, This kind goes not out but by fasting and prayer.
30. Dear brethren, you will not [be able to] drive the devil out of us, if you have not Christ with you; your art and conclusions of reason will do nothing else but cause people to go out from God into their own self-will: We must fast and pray, that we fall not into temptation, and into the nets and snares of the devil in our reason: for the devil always holds his net before reason, and he that falls into it, supposes he is caught in Christ's fishing net: but he is taken in Antichrist's net: Reason comprehends nothing of the kingdom of God but the husk; the virtue and power of it remains hidden to reason, unless it be born in God, and then reason goes forth as a burning fire in the spirit of God; but the spirit letts it not fly aloft, but bows it to the earth [in humility], for he knows the warrior [Satan] that fights against reason.
31. A watchful life is requisite, which is chastened and not overflown with the fleshly voluptuous spirit of this world, and not a life always drunken and full: for as soon as the soul is inflamed with the vigour and power of the earthly spirit, then God's spirit passes into its own Principle; and the soul is captivated by the spirit of this world, and the devil gains an access to it; and then its former wit and understanding (known in God) is changed into outward reason, and then man supposes still that it is God's spirit.
32. O no friend! the constellation [of the stars within us], which should rest in the spirit of Christ, lusts also to possess such a heart and soul, where the spirit of God has been sitting; for every creature longs after the virtue and power of God: but the constellation, though it come into the temple of God, drivs on its own matters that lie in its power, it knows nothing of divine wisdom: it has a wisdom, and constituts the spirit of this world: indeed it has great art and learning: for the earthly and elementary Mysterium Magnum lies therein: but it has not the key to the Principle of the liberty of God without and beyond nature; for it has a beginning and end, and looks no further; it makes and seeks only a hypocritical bestial life.
33. Therefore let us not be proud [stout, surly] and nor rely upon art and learning, much less upon the letter: for the spirit thereof is hidden to us, without the spirit of God: we have the will of God in the Holy Scripture: yet without the spirit of God we have but the husk and the dead word (except God's spirit first awaken the living word in us, that we may understand the letter and the written word); which is plain enough, in that the learned in arts are but learned in the letter, and not learned in God, otherwise they would not contend and wrangle about Christ's honour and doctrine, nor so dispute about the cup of Christ.
34. Though there were a thousand men learned in God, who are born in the spirit of Christ, and
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