The Forty Questions of the Soul
17. But as to its tincture proceeding from the light, which existeth out of the fire and light, l it is a spirit, in which the original of the soul, and of the spirit, cannot part asunder in eternity: It is an eternal band, and when the blood is 2 gone, and the body dieth, then that band remaineth in eternity.
18. As to the soul only, the body belongeth not to the essence of the soul, they are two several essences; for the body is the glass and the dwelling house of the soul, also its 3 proper portion; and it is also a cause, that the 4 mere soul altereth the spirit according to the lust of the body, or of the spirit of this world.
19. Whereby the image in the spirit is altered, altogether according to what is contained in the will, which the soul hath 5 brought out of the centre of fire, also out of the wrath into the light, and all according to the imagination.
1 the soul.
2 run out.
3 inheritance, or possession.
4 Or poor.
5 Or created, or formed.
20. And we give you to understand, that the spirit, 1 while it stays here in the body, can alter itself; which is done without its knowledge by the imagination, viz. by the desire of 2 lust, so that the desiring figureth such a form in the will of the soul, as the lust is, either to evil or good.
21. And we further say, that the mere soul is not corporeal, but in its tincture a body groweth, whether it be a heavenly or a hellish body; and yet it is not a body which can be comprehended outwardly, but a virtual body, the divine body, Christ's heavenly body, the heavenly flesh, which he giveth us to eat in his 3 Testament.
22. It is such a body as the turba cannot touch or apprehend, it is immortal and incorruptible, comprised in nothing, but only in the noble tincture, which is without 4 essence, or materiality; and this body is incomprehensible to the outward flesh.
23. But the outward spirit (if the soul doth not hinder it, but letteth it in) bringeth its imagination into it, and spoileth it, so that another strange image cometh to be in the spirit, in the tincture, according to the contents of the lust: as the covetous cometh to be a wolf, the envious a dog, the proud a horse, peacock, or other beast; also toads, adders, serpents, and other worms and creeping things: Now God's spirit receiveth not their images, so long as they continue such.
1 Or in this time of the body.
2 Lust-sucht.
3 The Lord's Supper.
4 Or substance.
24. And therefore Christ said, You must be bom anew of water and of the spirit, if you would see the kingdom of God: and therefore God became man, and brought the divine image again into the tincture of the soul, when it was spoiled in Adam; so that now we must be born anew in Christ, if we will see God.
25. And this is done by the imagination, or faith, for faith is an eating of the divine body; and every body groweth by eating.
26. And the new birth is not at all after such a manner as Babel teacheth, *her matters are only as it were a glass of the true way to God; but that glass must be broken, for Moses' veil is gone; we shall see henceforward with clear paradisical eyes; we mean the children of God.
* "her matters" (ihr Ding), "her business," or "her work."
THE EIGHTH QUESTION
After what manner doth the Soul come into the Body of Man?
1. MY beloved Friend; I understand this question to be meant concerning its propagation; for Moses telleth you how it came into Adam, and we have declared that before: But if you ask concerning its propagation, how it cometh into a child in the 1 mother's womb, we must 2 put on another habit.
2. You know what is written in our third book, very punctually and at large, with many circumstances concerning its propagation; how Adam was created one image, he was both man and woman before Eve, he had both the tincture of the fire, and of the water, that is, soul and spirit, and he should have brought forth his similitude out of himself, an image 3 of himself, out of himself, by his imagination and his own love; and that he was able to do, without rending of the body.
17. But as to its tincture proceeding from the light, which exists out of the fire and light, l it is a spirit, in which the original of the soul, and of the spirit, cannot part asunder in eternity: It is an eternal band, and when the blood is 2 gone, and the body dies, then that band remains in eternity.
18. As to the soul only, the body belongs not to the essence of the soul, they are two several essences; for the body is the glass and the dwelling house of the soul, also its 3 proper portion; and it is also a cause, that the 4 mere soul alters the spirit according to the lust of the body, or of the spirit of this world.
19. Whereby the image in the spirit is altered, altogether according to what is contained in the will, which the soul has 5 brought out of the centre of fire, also out of the wrath into the light, and all according to the imagination.
1 the soul.
2 run out.
3 inheritance, or possession.
4 Or poor.
5 Or created, or formed.
20. And we give you to understand, that the spirit, 1 while it stays here in the body, can alter itself; which is done without its knowledge by the imagination, viz. by the desire of 2 lust, so that the desiring figures such a form in the will of the soul, as the lust is, either to evil or good.
21. And we further say, that the mere soul is not corporeal, but in its tincture a body grows, whether it be a heavenly or a hellish body; and yet it is not a body which can be comprehended outwardly, but a virtual body, the divine body, Christ's heavenly body, the heavenly flesh, which he gives us to eat in his 3 Testament.
22. It is such a body as the turba cannot touch or apprehend, it is immortal and incorruptible, comprised in nothing, but only in the noble tincture, which is without 4 essence, or materiality; and this body is incomprehensible to the outward flesh.
23. But the outward spirit (if the soul does not hinder it, but letts it in) brings its imagination into it, and spoils it, so that another strange image comes to be in the spirit, in the tincture, according to the contents of the lust: as the covetous comes to be a wolf, the envious a dog, the proud a horse, peacock, or other beast; also toads, adders, serpents, and other worms and creeping things: Now God's spirit receives not their images, so long as they continue such.
1 Or in this time of the body.
2 Lust-sucht.
3 The Lord's Supper.
4 Or substance.
24. And therefore Christ said, You must be bom anew of water and of the spirit, if you would see the kingdom of God: and therefore God became man, and brought the divine image again into the tincture of the soul, when it was spoiled in Adam; so that now we must be born anew in Christ, if we will see God.
25. And this is done by the imagination, or faith, for faith is an eating of the divine body; and every body grows by eating.
26. And the new birth is not at all after such a manner as Babel teaches, *her matters are only as it were a glass of the true way to God; but that glass must be broken, for Moses' veil is gone; we shall see henceforward with clear paradisical eyes; we mean the children of God.
* "her matters" (ihr Ding), "her business," or "her work."
THE EIGHTH QUESTION
After what manner does the Soul come into the Body of Man?
1. MY beloved Friend; I understand this question to be meant concerning its propagation; for Moses tells you how it came into Adam, and we have declared that before: But if you ask concerning its propagation, how it comes into a child in the 1 mother's womb, we must 2 put on another habit.
2. You know what is written in our third book, very punctually and at large, with many circumstances concerning its propagation; how Adam was created one image, he was both man and woman before Eve, he had both the tincture of the fire, and of the water, that is, soul and spirit, and he should have brought forth his similitude out of himself, an image 3 of himself, out of himself, by his imagination and his own love; and that he was able to do, without rending of the body.
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