The Forty Questions of the Soul

4. Thus also the children and servants of God ought not to say, the knowledge is mine, the understanding is mine, but give God the glory: and in their manifestation of the wonders of God, should speak of two, viz. of the Giver and of the receiver.

5. Neither should so any understand this our manner of writing, as if the hand did glory or boast itself of its human authority and worthiness; though indeed we are worthy in Christ: but as to the outward man we will have no honour or renown, for the renown is God's.

6. We are children of the Father, and must do as he will have us, and not 1 bury the talent which he giveth us in the earth, for the Father will require it with increase; and if there be no increase of it, he taketh away that which he hath given, and giveth it to him who hath gained much: which would be a very lamentable taking away from me; for me to know and enjoy God, and then to lose him again, it were much better for me to lose the whole world and the outward life, than God and the kingdom of heaven.

7. Neither is it a light matter to be disobedient to God: see what befel Corah, Dathan, and Abiram about Moses: we say the same shall come upon the disobedient and scorners.

8. Indeed the scorner seeth not his punishment instantly, but *his 2 turba taketh it in; if he hath in derision been a scorner and reviler, and now would fain be delivered from his 3 turba, then he must bewail it in bitter lamentation and sorrow in the sight of God, or else he will carry his scorn with him into the fire of anger, and then it will gnaw him for ever: we would have this spoken for a warning.

1 Matt. xxv. 25, 28.

2 Viz. his perturbation, malice, and wickedness make a figure of it.

3 Or sin.

* "his turba taketh it in," or "contains it," "absorbs it" (einfassen). St Martin renders it, sa turba s'impregne.

9. For we shall here describe a very earnest matter; 1 be not deceived, God is not mocked: the wrathful anger is in his power; he hath heaven and hell in his power; the Last Judgment is an 2 earnest work.

10. And because we are to set down the resurrection of the dead, we must write the manner of it, what it is, and by what power this world shall 3 perish, and the dead arise; it will be earnest, account it no jesting matter; we shall speak of the very ground of it.

11. Do not think it is a fable, it proceedeth from the 4 turba 5 upon the crown; the turba of your own 6 spirit declareth this unto you; for the end hath found the beginning: thus the 7 essences of the whole world are brought to 8 light in the middle; and thence your prophet ariseth, viz. from the 9 wonders which you have wrought, and he speaketh of the destruction.

12. For the spirit of the turba shall not govern, but the spirit of Christ: he hath overcome death, and taken the turba captive: w He leadeth captivity captive as a conqueror.

1 Gal. vi. 7.

2 severe.

3 Or pass away.

4 disturbance or confusion.

5 Or when the measure of your sin is full.

6 The spirit of the awakened wickedness.

7 Or works.

8 that they may be seen.

9 Or works.

10 Eph. iv. 8.

13. But the turba will execute l judgment; for it is God's servant in the anger; not his master, but his servant; therefore that thunder which shall make the earth tremble will proceed out of the mouth of God; which shall set the elements and firmament on fire.

14. The Last Judgment belongeth to the Judge Christ and the Holy Ghost; for here the centre of the eternal spirit will stir up itself, having also divided itself into three Principles, whereof one is the spirit of anger, and the other the divine spirit of love, and the third is the air spirit of the outward world.

15. The last 2 moving belongeth to him, who, according to the Deity, is in the mouth of Christ; but according to the wrath he is in the hellish 3 source of anguish; and according to the 4 wonders he is in the spirit of this world.

16. And as he was the 5 work-master of all essences, so also it is he that shall give everything *its own mansion, and gather everything into its granary.