The Forty Questions of the Soul
7. So also 3 an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit; that is, if both the parents be evil, and held captive by the devil, then an evil soul is sown; but the Principles cannot yet judge it, nor the turba either: It is indeed an evil child, yet if it turn, it may, with the imagination, enter into the 5 Word of the Lord.
1 Or twig springeth.
2 Or wrestling, or contending.
3 Matt. vii. 18.
4 Or by.
5 in Verbum Domini.
8. But it is rare, and seldom cometh to pass, that a black raven becometh white;
but where there is but l half in half, there it may more easily be done; but however, it is possible, it may very well be; God casteth no soul away, unless it cast itself away; every soul is its own judgment.
9. Consider this, ye evil parents; you gather 2 money for your children; get them good souls, that is more necessary for them.
1 one parent good, the other evil.
2 goods, riches.
THE ELEVENTH QUESTION
How and where is the Soul seated in Man?
1. A THING which is l unsearchable, and yet seeketh and maketh a ground in itself, that hath its original and seat in its first 2 conception, where it conceiveth itself in itself, therein is its limit, viz. in the most innermost, and it goeth forth out of itself, and seeketh forwards, where then it always maketh one 3 glass according to the other, until it findeth the first again, viz. the unsearchable limit.
2. Thus also is the soul; it is in God 4 conceived in the 5 Heart, and the Word which comprised it was in the Heart, viz. in the centre; and so it continued in the figure and in the seat, as it was comprehended by the Fiat; and so it is still at this day.
3. It dwelleth in three Principles, but the Heart is its original; it is the inward fire in the heart, in the inward blood of the heart; and the spirit of it, which hath a 6 glance from the fire, is in the tincture; for it is clothed with the tincture, and burneth in the heart.
1 Or without ground.
2 forming, or making, compaction, or comprehension.
3 Or resemblance.
4 Or formed.
5 Or Son, or Word.
6 Or splendour.
4. And the spirit moveth upon the heart in the l bosom of the heart, where both Principles part themselves; and it burneth in the tincture as a brimstone light, and diffuseth itself abroad into all the members of the whole body; for the tincture goeth through all the members.
5. But the true 2 fire-smith in the centre sitteth in the heart, and governeth with the spirit in the head, where it hath its counsel-house, viz. the mind and 3 senses; also the five chief counsellors, viz. the 4 five senses, which exist out of the five spirits of the original, as we have declared in our 5 third book, and in our 6 second, and also in our 7 first.
6. The soul is indeed seated in the inward Principle, but it ruleth also in the outward, viz. in the stars and elements; and if it be not an ape, and suffer itself to be captivated, it hath power enough to rule them; and if the soul sinketh itself down into God, the outward must be obedient to it.
7. And if it cometh again into the outward, riding upon the chariot of the bride, and so hath the Holy Ghost for an assistant, no assault of the devil is of any consequence, it destroyeth his nest, and driveth him out, and he must stand in scorn and shame.
8. And this is our answer to this question; it must not be so understood, as if when a man is beheaded, and so his blood gusheth out, and the outward life perisheth, that this reacheth the soul and killeth that; no, it loseth 8 one Principle indeed, but not the 9 essence of that Principle; that followeth it in the tincture, in the spirit, as a shadow.
1 Or concavity, or hollow pit of the heart, prcecordia. <^piveq'l.<payq.
2 ignis faber, Vulcanus.
3 inward senses.
4 Or outward senses.
5 Threefold Life.
6 Three Principles.
7 Aurora,
8 Viz. the third Principle.
9 Or outward works.
9. For the outward essence reacheth not the inward in the soul, but only by the imagination: there is nothing else in this world, no fire, nor sword, that can touch the soul, or put it to death, but only the imagination; that is its poison.
10. For it originally proceeded from the imagination, and remaineth in it eternally.
7. So also 3 an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit; that is, if both the parents be evil, and held captive by the devil, then an evil soul is sown; but the Principles cannot yet judge it, nor the turba either: It is indeed an evil child, yet if it turn, it may, with the imagination, enter into the 5 Word of the Lord.
1 Or twig springs.
2 Or wrestling, or contending.
3 Matt. vii. 18.
4 Or by.
5 in Verbum Domini.
8. But it is rare, and seldom comes to pass, that a black raven becomes white;
but where there is but l half in half, there it may more easily be done; but however, it is possible, it may very well be; God casts no soul away, unless it cast itself away; every soul is its own judgment.
9. Consider this, you evil parents; you gather 2 money for your children; get them good souls, that is more necessary for them.
1 one parent good, the other evil.
2 goods, riches.
THE ELEVENTH QUESTION
How and where is the Soul seated in Man?
1. A THING which is l unsearchable, and yet seeks and makes a ground in itself, that has its original and seat in its first 2 conception, where it conceives itself in itself, therein is its limit, viz. in the most innermost, and it goes forth out of itself, and seeks forwards, where then it always makes one 3 glass according to the other, until it finds the first again, viz. the unsearchable limit.
2. Thus also is the soul; it is in God 4 conceived in the 5 Heart, and the Word which comprised it was in the Heart, viz. in the centre; and so it continued in the figure and in the seat, as it was comprehended by the Fiat; and so it is still at this day.
3. It dwells in three Principles, but the Heart is its original; it is the inward fire in the heart, in the inward blood of the heart; and the spirit of it, which has a 6 glance from the fire, is in the tincture; for it is clothed with the tincture, and burns in the heart.
1 Or without ground.
2 forming, or making, compaction, or comprehension.
3 Or resemblance.
4 Or formed.
5 Or Son, or Word.
6 Or splendour.
4. And the spirit moves upon the heart in the l bosom of the heart, where both Principles part themselves; and it burns in the tincture as a brimstone light, and diffuses itself abroad into all the members of the whole body; for the tincture goes through all the members.
5. But the true 2 fire-smith in the centre sitts in the heart, and governs with the spirit in the head, where it has its counsel-house, viz. the mind and 3 senses; also the five chief counsellors, viz. the 4 five senses, which exist out of the five spirits of the original, as we have declared in our 5 third book, and in our 6 second, and also in our 7 first.
6. The soul is indeed seated in the inward Principle, but it ruls also in the outward, viz. in the stars and elements; and if it be not an ape, and suffer itself to be captivated, it has power enough to rule them; and if the soul sinks itself down into God, the outward must be obedient to it.
7. And if it comes again into the outward, riding upon the chariot of the bride, and so has the Holy Ghost for an assistant, no assault of the devil is of any consequence, it destroys his nest, and drivs him out, and he must stand in scorn and shame.
8. And this is our answer to this question; it must not be so understood, as if when a man is beheaded, and so his blood gushes out, and the outward life perishes, that this reaches the soul and kills that; no, it loses 8 one Principle indeed, but not the 9 essence of that Principle; that follows it in the tincture, in the spirit, as a shadow.
1 Or concavity, or hollow pit of the heart, prcecordia. <^piveq'l.<payq.
2 ignis faber, Vulcanus.
3 inward senses.
4 Or outward senses.
5 Threefold Life.
6 Three Principles.
7 Aurora,
8 Viz. the third Principle.
9 Or outward works.
9. For the outward essence reaches not the inward in the soul, but only by the imagination: there is nothing else in this world, no fire, nor sword, that can touch the soul, or put it to death, but only the imagination; that is its poison.
10. For it originally proceeded from the imagination, and remains in it eternally.
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