Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings

11. These alphabets take their origin from the colours of the great Mystery, and distribute themselves moreover into seventy-seven languages; although we recognize only five for chief languages, and seventy-two for the marvels wherein Babel is understood, as a mouth of a confusedness. There reason abandoned her guide and willed to go alone, and to climb aloft into the Mystery.

12. As is to be known by the children of Nimrod at the tower of Babel, when they had fallen from obedience to God into their own individual reason; then they had lost their guide and did confound reason, so that they comprehended not their own language.

13. Thus many languages, viz. seventy-two, grew out of confused Babel, and each entered into itself and sought knowledge, each in its own reason and iniquity; for they had forsaken God and were become heathens. And he suffered them to walk in their wonders, for they would not cleave unto him, but would be a special self-ful growth. And their own reason (which was mixed of all the colours) had to rule them.

14. Then the turha was born, so that they were not of one mind; for every one would live under guidance of his own colour. And yet these were not the true chief colours, but only their evil selfhatched children, who hatched themselves out in reason. And they ran without the right guide, who

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had created all in one tongue, and revealed no more than one, — one tree with the branches and the power together with the fruit.

15. For the four alphabets are in one tree, and proceed from one another. But the multitude of languages must have recourse to their characters as members of the same family, and yet also will be their very own. And all shoot forth in opposition to the tree.

THE EIGHTH TEXT

1. We see here the origin of two sorts of rehgions, from which Babel as an idol-god is born, and that in heathens and Jews.

2. For Babel is in both, and they are two races in one. One, under guidance of its reason (as of the life and spirit of Nature), goes forward and seeks to elevate itself. It makes itself a way in its being; for its will proceeds out of its own craving and seeks its magic, as a great number for its government, and goes simply out of itself forward. Its will remains in its plm-ality, and is the god and guide of its plurality.

3. And though the Free-will of God oppose it and reprove it, yet the idol-god only flatters with its lips the Free-will, viz. the Spirit of God, and honours its own will in the number of plurality. For this will is generated from its treasure, from its own magic, and comprehends not the Free-will of God. It is born therefore from flesh and blood, from its own nature ; and is a child of this world, and regards its treasure as its love. Hence it is a hypocrite and a confused Babel. The number of plurality and its own magic confuse it, in that it goes out from one number into many. This multiplicity is a confused Babel; and its hypocritical mouth, with which it gives good words and solemnly promises much to the Spirit of Unity, is an antichrist and ap. 168p. 169 liar. For it speaks in one way and acts in another. Its heart is a craving, and the spirit of its heart has turned itself to the craving.

4. Thus the Magician of multiplicity is a proud, aiTOgant, covetous, malignant devourer, and a spirit from the desiring plurality; and is a false god. He is not attached to the Free-will of Nature, which hath the might of wonders at its command, and he has no understanding in the Divine Mystery, for he cleaves not with his will to that Spirit. Else, if his will were turned towards Freedom, the Spirit of God would reveal his magical mystery, and his wonders and works would, with his will, stand in God.