The Forty Questions of the Soul
41. Therefore ye elect children of God, who are born again in Christ, take it into consideration, depart from covetousness and self-will: you have been a long time led blindfold in Babel; go out from her, you are called with a 1 shrill voice, it will shortly raise the dead; let it prevail with you, that you may obtain eternal joy in God.
42. The spirit sheweth plainly, that whatsoever will not grow forth, together with the new sprout which groweth in the 2 mother, shall and must be cast into the lake of brimstone, with the dragon's whore in Babel.
43. There is a time of earnestness at hand; and though thou seest it not with earthly eyes, yet it will certainly come upon thee: thou wilt see well enough in thy death, what kind of judgment this is, and in what time, and under what turba thou hast lived; we speak in good earnest, as we ought.
1 strong, or loud- sounding voice.
2 Viz. the eternal Word.
THE THIRTEENTH QUESTION
How doth the Soul feed upon the Word of God?
1. IF the soul entereth thus (as above mentioned) into the light of the Majesty, and receiveth the light of God, then it hath wholly a longing and lusting, and continually attracteth in its desire the divine power, viz. the divine body, into itself; and the Holy Ghost is the power of God's spirit, and so it obtaineth the body and spirit of God, and eateth at God's table: All that the Father hath is the Son's, and whatever the Son hath, that belongeth to his image.
2. It eateth God's flesh and Christ's body, and by this eating the divine body doth also grow 1 in it, so that it thus gets the divine body, and so becometh God's child, not only a similitude, but a child born in God out of his essences, and liveth in God.
3. When it heareth God's children teach and speak God's 2 word (even in this world), it receiveth it, and eateth it.
4. The outward man eateth earthly bread, and the soul eateth the bread of God; of which Christ said, that he giveth us his body for meat, and his 3 Testaments are nothing else.
1 Or from, or out of it, or as a chicken groweth in an egg.
2 Note the food of the soul.
3 The author calleth Baptism and the Supper of the Lord two Testaments.
5. Indeed we eat not spirit without body; for the soul is spirit already, and desireth to have a body, and so it getteth both body and spirit.
6. Let this be spoken to thee, Babel, and see how thou managest Christ's Testaments, and what thou teachest; when thou sayest Christ's Testaments are spirit without body, thou behest God, and deniest God's substantiality, Christ's heavenly body, which is greater than all things, which is the fulness of all things, but in its own Principle.
7. O earthly mouth, thou shalt not chew it with thy teeth: the soul hath another mouth, which receiveth it under the outward element: the outward receiveth the outward, and the inward receiveth the inward.
8. The Supper of Christ with his disciples was so: the outward is a remembrance; the inward is the substance; for the kingdom of God consisteth in power, it is magical; not as a thought; but essential, substantial.
9. The magia maketh substance: for in the eternal nothing there is nothing; but the magia createth l where nothing is.
10. Now in God there is not only spirit, but nature, substance, flesh and blood, tincture, and all: this world outwardly is a similitude of the inward world.
11. We tell you, we speak what we feel, see, taste, and know, and not a fiction or opinion, and that not for ourselves only, but for your sake, as one member is bound to do for another, that so our joy may be in you, and we also may enjoy you again, as brethren together in one essence: He that desireth to know further of this, let him read our 2 third book, and there he shall find the circumstances, concerning the
3 souls meal, and Christ's Testaments.
1 something.
2 Threefold Life, 13th Chap.
3 Seele-Messe, the food, mess, supper, or eating of the soul.
THE FOURTEENTH QUESTION
Whether is such a new Soul without Sin?
We understand here, the propagated Soul in a Child newly born.
41. Therefore you elect children of God, who are born again in Christ, take it into consideration, depart from covetousness and self-will: you have been a long time led blindfold in Babel; go out from her, you are called with a 1 shrill voice, it will shortly raise the dead; let it prevail with you, that you may obtain eternal joy in God.
42. The spirit shows plainly, that whatsoever will not grow forth, together with the new sprout which grows in the 2 mother, shall and must be cast into the lake of brimstone, with the dragon's whore in Babel.
43. There is a time of earnestness at hand; and though you seest it not with earthly eyes, yet it will certainly come upon you: you will see well enough in your death, what kind of judgment this is, and in what time, and under what turba you have lived; we speak in good earnest, as we ought.
1 strong, or loud- sounding voice.
2 Viz. the eternal Word.
THE THIRTEENTH QUESTION
How does the Soul feed upon the Word of God?
1. IF the soul enters thus (as above mentioned) into the light of the Majesty, and receives the light of God, then it has wholly a longing and lusting, and continually attracts in its desire the divine power, viz. the divine body, into itself; and the Holy Ghost is the power of God's spirit, and so it obtains the body and spirit of God, and eats at God's table: All that the Father has is the Son's, and whatever the Son has, that belongs to his image.
2. It eats God's flesh and Christ's body, and by this eating the divine body does also grow 1 in it, so that it thus gets the divine body, and so becomes God's child, not only a similitude, but a child born in God out of his essences, and lives in God.
3. When it hears God's children teach and speak God's 2 word (even in this world), it receives it, and eats it.
4. The outward man eats earthly bread, and the soul eats the bread of God; of which Christ said, that he gives us his body for meat, and his 3 Testaments are nothing else.
1 Or from, or out of it, or as a chicken grows in an egg.
2 Note the food of the soul.
3 The author calls Baptism and the Supper of the Lord two Testaments.
5. Indeed we eat not spirit without body; for the soul is spirit already, and desires to have a body, and so it getts both body and spirit.
6. Let this be spoken to you, Babel, and see how you managest Christ's Testaments, and what you teachest; when you say Christ's Testaments are spirit without body, you behest God, and deniest God's substantiality, Christ's heavenly body, which is greater than all things, which is the fulness of all things, but in its own Principle.
7. O earthly mouth, you shall not chew it with your teeth: the soul has another mouth, which receives it under the outward element: the outward receives the outward, and the inward receives the inward.
8. The Supper of Christ with his disciples was so: the outward is a remembrance; the inward is the substance; for the kingdom of God consists in power, it is magical; not as a thought; but essential, substantial.
9. The magia makes substance: for in the eternal nothing there is nothing; but the magia creates l where nothing is.
10. Now in God there is not only spirit, but nature, substance, flesh and blood, tincture, and all: this world outwardly is a similitude of the inward world.
11. We tell you, we speak what we feel, see, taste, and know, and not a fiction or opinion, and that not for ourselves only, but for your sake, as one member is bound to do for another, that so our joy may be in you, and we also may enjoy you again, as brethren together in one essence: He that desires to know further of this, let him read our 2 third book, and there he shall find the circumstances, concerning the
3 souls meal, and Christ's Testaments.
1 something.
2 Threefold Life, 13th Chap.
3 Seele-Messe, the food, mess, supper, or eating of the soul.
THE FOURTEENTH QUESTION
Whether is such a new Soul without Sin?
We understand here, the propagated Soul in a Child newly born.
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