The Forty Questions of the Soul
342. For no spirit can sound itself: It seeth well its deep, even into the abyss, but it comprehendeth not its 3 maker; it beholdeth him indeed, and diveth into him, even to the abyss; but it knoweth not its 4 making, this is only hidden to it, and nothing else.
1 Or created, or formed.
2 Or not to be dived into by us.
3 former, or moulder.
4 forming, or fashioning.
343. For a child knoweth its father and mother well, but it knoweth not how its father made it; it is also as 1 highly graduated as its father; but it is hidden to it, how it was in the seed: and though it soundeth that, yet it knoweth not the time and place; for it was in the seed, in the wonders, and in the life a spirit in the wonders:
And here we are commanded to leave off diving any further, and to be silent.
344. For we are a creature, and should speak but so far as belongeth to a creature to know, in the inward and outward, in body and soul, in God, angels, men, and devils; also in beasts, fowls, worms, in plants and grass, in heaven and hell; all this we are able to sound, but not our own making.
345. * And yet we know and find the first Fiat in 2 that; though indeed we know not that which first moved God to create: we know well the making of the soul, but how that which 3 was in its essence from eternity is become movable, we know no ground of that, for it hath nothing that could f awaken that; and it hath an eternal will, which is without beginning, and unchangeable.
1 That is, as perfectly a man. Quoad genus humanum.
2 Viz. our own making.
3 Or stood.
* "And yet we know and find," etc. Lit., "and though we knew the Fiat and knew how we have been made, yet we should not [or do not] know the first motion of God towards creation." The present tense is used in the original, but a condition is implied by the construction of the sentence, and the conditional mood should be used in English. St Martin's rendering is also in the conditional form.
f "awaken" (erregen), "to excite," or "set in motion."
346. But if we should say, The angels and souls have been from eternity in the spirit: the propagation of the soul will not permit that, as we see by experience: Therefore *this is only God's Mystery; and the creature should continue in humility and obedience under God, and not soar higher, f for it is not God.
347. God is a spirit from eternity without ground and beginning; but the spirit of the soul and of angels hath a beginning, and are in God's hand: the Ternary hath the l casting shovel, which will purge the 2 floor.
348. We must only have patience and humility in obedience, here in this life, or else our proceeding from God availeth nothing; the devil was indeed an angel, but his pride threw him into darkness: Let none climb 3 above the cross, or if he do, he will fall into hell to the devil.
349. God will have children near him, and not 4 lords; he is Lord, and none else: We have received of his fulness, we are born out of his essences, we are his true children, not step-children out of a strange glass; also not a similitude only, but children; the body is a similitude, and the spirit is a similitude of God's spirit, but the 5 true soul is a child born out of God.
1 Or fan.
2 Or threshing floor.
3 We should not go beyond obedience, patience, humility and chastity, and live according to our own self-will, and desire.
4 such as wdl domineer.
5 Or right.
* "this is only God's Mystery," lit., "this is the Mystery of God alone." f "for it is not God," lit., "for it is not equal with God" (Gott gleich).
350. God's spirit witnesseth to our spirits, that we are the children of God, 1 not in that manner which Babel * 2 teacheth, who would so willingly be God upon earth; but our souls are children begotten of God's seed; our heavenly body, which the heavenly soul 3 weareth, cometh out of the divine body, and is hidden from the devil, and the old Adam.
351. Therefore, my beloved Brother in the divine body, know this clearly; and it is our Answer to your first Question, Whence the soul proceedeth. It proceedeth from God, out of eternity, without ground and number, and endureth in its own eternity; [352.] but the beginning to the moving of the creature, which is done in God, that should be mentioned no further.
342. For no spirit can sound itself: It sees well its deep, even into the abyss, but it comprehends not its 3 maker; it beholds him indeed, and divs into him, even to the abyss; but it knows not its 4 making, this is only hidden to it, and nothing else.
1 Or created, or formed.
2 Or not to be dived into by us.
3 former, or moulder.
4 forming, or fashioning.
343. For a child knows its father and mother well, but it knows not how its father made it; it is also as 1 highly graduated as its father; but it is hidden to it, how it was in the seed: and though it sounds that, yet it knows not the time and place; for it was in the seed, in the wonders, and in the life a spirit in the wonders:
And here we are commanded to leave off diving any further, and to be silent.
344. For we are a creature, and should speak but so far as belongs to a creature to know, in the inward and outward, in body and soul, in God, angels, men, and devils; also in beasts, fowls, worms, in plants and grass, in heaven and hell; all this we are able to sound, but not our own making.
345. * And yet we know and find the first Fiat in 2 that; though indeed we know not that which first moved God to create: we know well the making of the soul, but how that which 3 was in its essence from eternity is become movable, we know no ground of that, for it has nothing that could f awaken that; and it has an eternal will, which is without beginning, and unchangeable.
1 That is, as perfectly a man. Quoad genus humanum.
2 Viz. our own making.
3 Or stood.
* "And yet we know and find," etc. Lit., "and though we knew the Fiat and knew how we have been made, yet we should not [or do not] know the first motion of God towards creation." The present tense is used in the original, but a condition is implied by the construction of the sentence, and the conditional mood should be used in English. St Martin's rendering is also in the conditional form.
f "awaken" (erregen), "to excite," or "set in motion."
346. But if we should say, The angels and souls have been from eternity in the spirit: the propagation of the soul will not permit that, as we see by experience: Therefore *this is only God's Mystery; and the creature should continue in humility and obedience under God, and not soar higher, f for it is not God.
347. God is a spirit from eternity without ground and beginning; but the spirit of the soul and of angels has a beginning, and are in God's hand: the Ternary has the l casting shovel, which will purge the 2 floor.
348. We must only have patience and humility in obedience, here in this life, or else our proceeding from God avails nothing; the devil was indeed an angel, but his pride threw him into darkness: Let none climb 3 above the cross, or if he do, he will fall into hell to the devil.
349. God will have children near him, and not 4 lords; he is Lord, and none else: We have received of his fulness, we are born out of his essences, we are his true children, not step-children out of a strange glass; also not a similitude only, but children; the body is a similitude, and the spirit is a similitude of God's spirit, but the 5 true soul is a child born out of God.
1 Or fan.
2 Or threshing floor.
3 We should not go beyond obedience, patience, humility and chastity, and live according to our own self-will, and desire.
4 such as wdl domineer.
5 Or right.
* "this is only God's Mystery," lit., "this is the Mystery of God alone." f "for it is not God," lit., "for it is not equal with God" (Gott gleich).
350. God's spirit witnesses to our spirits, that we are the children of God, 1 not in that manner which Babel * 2 teaches, who would so willingly be God upon earth; but our souls are children begotten of God's seed; our heavenly body, which the heavenly soul 3 wears, comes out of the divine body, and is hidden from the devil, and the old Adam.
351. Therefore, my beloved Brother in the divine body, know this clearly; and it is our Answer to your first Question, Whence the soul proceeds. It proceeds from God, out of eternity, without ground and number, and endures in its own eternity; [352.] but the beginning to the moving of the creature, which is done in God, that should be mentioned no further.
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