8. 1 am dead and as nothing [as to my own self] when I speak and write thus, also I write not from myself, but from the mother, out of her knowing and seeing: and yet I live in anguish, cares, and labour, in fear and trembling, and in affliction, like all other men; for I am also clothed with Adam's skin, and yet live also in the hope of Israel.
9. Know therefore, upon this description, that our father Adam in paradise was in the divine body, and is gone out from it into the body of this world, into the dominion of the stars and elements, which have now captivated the [Adamical] body and spirit, so far as to the poor soul, which is in the root of this world between heaven, and hell: and hell and the anger have bound it fast to the darkness, and to the source [or property] of the anger, with a strong chain, which is called Centrum Naturae, [the centre of nature].
10. And God is come to help it again, and is become man, and hath received the human soul again into his heavenly body, and hath bound it fast to him (in [or to] Christ) again. Thus the soul standeth in the midst, [being] beneath, in the hellish fire, and above, in God in heaven: and so whithersoever it casteth its will, and into what it yieldeth it3elf, there it is, and is a servant to that; there is no recalling out of hell.
11. Thou great whore of Babel, if thou hast divine power [Jus Divinum], help us and thyself: Behold thyself here with thy dreams; if thou canst, then break this chain, viz. the centre of nature, asunder: But we are told, we must be born anew: the divine fire must be kindled in you, like a flaming iron;
for, as the workman will not touch it with his bare hand, no more can the devil touch the soul;
for it burneth him, he is in darkness, and if he should come to the light, his evil envious tricks would be discerned, which he is ashamed of, and slideth back into the darkness, as Adam and Eve crept behind the trees; he doth not relish this bit
[of the New Birth,] he doth not love to smell such
[divine] fire: for it is poison to him: if he knew but of one such spark of fire in his habitation, he would not endure it there, but would run away from it; as indeed he must fly away from man, when the divine fire, with the New Birth, cometh into him.
12. O how cowardly and faint is he when the soul beginneth to storm his fort! How many hundred thousand tricks doth he study to keep the soul off from storming! O how he fawneth, and streweth sugar before the soul, and ascribeth great holiness to it, as if it had divine power, that it is no sinner any more; that he might by any means bring it to the top of the pinnacle of the temple, that it might elevate itself: O how busy is he! what good companions doth he bring to it! till the good companions [or hypocrites] begin to play with their own holiness and ability, as the Antichristian church hath done for a long while.
13. All the while, [that the soul goeth on in its own security], the devil is at quiet, none storm his hell: and he gets good fat venison, which he sendeth to St Peter with good passports [or absolutions]; and if Peter be in the abyss, he will read them well enough; but if he be not there, then the great prince Lucifer will read them, they will please him very well.
14. O dear children, see but in what misery we lie captivated, in what lodging we are; for we are captivated by the spirit of this [outward] world; it is our life, for it nourisheth and bringeth us up, it ruleth in our marrow and bones, in our flesh and blood; it hath made our flesh earthly, so that we lie captivated in death.
15. We swim in water up to our very lips, (as the prophet and king, David, saith: The water reacheth up to my soul: great bulls have compassed me round about; I dwell among serpents and dragons: O thou lamentable, miserable, and toilsome life; how dead art thou! thou swimmest in the water in a handful of blood, and yet art so proud and lofty.
16. What is thy beauty, thy state, honour, and riches? Do but consider thyself, seek and find thyself; go forth from this dangerous life of adders and serpents, into the eternal: you have it fully in your power.
17. Whosoever teacheth otherwise, teacheth from the devil, who will not allow that it lieth in man's power [or possibility] to turn to be a child of God, though the Scripture saith: That God hath given man
8. 1 am dead and as nothing [as to my own self] when I speak and write thus, also I write not from myself, but from the mother, out of her knowing and seeing: and yet I live in anguish, cares, and labour, in fear and trembling, and in affliction, like all other men; for I am also clothed with Adam's skin, and yet live also in the hope of Israel.
9. Know therefore, upon this description, that our father Adam in paradise was in the divine body, and is gone out from it into the body of this world, into the dominion of the stars and elements, which have now captivated the [Adamical] body and spirit, so far as to the poor soul, which is in the root of this world between heaven, and hell: and hell and the anger have bound it fast to the darkness, and to the source [or property] of the anger, with a strong chain, which is called Centrum Naturae, [the centre of nature].
10. And God is come to help it again, and is become man, and has received the human soul again into his heavenly body, and has bound it fast to him (in [or to] Christ) again. Thus the soul stands in the midst, [being] beneath, in the hellish fire, and above, in God in heaven: and so whithersoever it casts its will, and into what it yields it3elf, there it is, and is a servant to that; there is no recalling out of hell.
11. You great whore of Babel, if you have divine power [Jus Divinum], help us and yourself: Behold yourself here with your dreams; if you can, then break this chain, viz. the centre of nature, asunder: But we are told, we must be born anew: the divine fire must be kindled in you, like a flaming iron;
for, as the workman will not touch it with his bare hand, no more can the devil touch the soul;
for it burns him, he is in darkness, and if he should come to the light, his evil envious tricks would be discerned, which he is ashamed of, and slids back into the darkness, as Adam and Eve crept behind the trees; he does not relish this bit
[of the New Birth,] he does not love to smell such
[divine] fire: for it is poison to him: if he knew but of one such spark of fire in his habitation, he would not endure it there, but would run away from it; as indeed he must fly away from man, when the divine fire, with the New Birth, comes into him.
12. O how cowardly and faint is he when the soul beginns to storm his fort! How many hundred thousand tricks does he study to keep the soul off from storming! O how he fawns, and strews sugar before the soul, and ascribs great holiness to it, as if it had divine power, that it is no sinner any more; that he might by any means bring it to the top of the pinnacle of the temple, that it might elevate itself: O how busy is he! what good companions does he bring to it! till the good companions [or hypocrites] begin to play with their own holiness and ability, as the Antichristian church has done for a long while.
13. All the while, [that the soul goes on in its own security], the devil is at quiet, none storm his hell: and he gets good fat venison, which he sends to St Peter with good passports [or absolutions]; and if Peter be in the abyss, he will read them well enough; but if he be not there, then the great prince Lucifer will read them, they will please him very well.
14. O dear children, see but in what misery we lie captivated, in what lodging we are; for we are captivated by the spirit of this [outward] world; it is our life, for it nourishes and brings us up, it ruls in our marrow and bones, in our flesh and blood; it has made our flesh earthly, so that we lie captivated in death.
15. We swim in water up to our very lips, (as the prophet and king, David, says: The water reaches up to my soul: great bulls have compassed me round about; I dwell among serpents and dragons: O you lamentable, miserable, and toilsome life; how dead art you! you swimmest in the water in a handful of blood, and yet art so proud and lofty.
16. What is your beauty, your state, honour, and riches? Do but consider yourself, seek and find yourself; go forth from this dangerous life of adders and serpents, into the eternal: you have it fully in your power.
17. Whosoever teaches otherwise, teaches from the devil, who will not allow that it lies in man's power [or possibility] to turn to be a child of God, though the Scripture says: That God has given man
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