59. Thus likewise men do prate in the stone houses of the mantle and offering of Christ, and yet in the meanwhile, in this prate and babble, do murder the children of Christ, condemn and judge them, and make a whole heap and crew of reviling devouring wolves, that do all cry out, snarl and snap; and none knows where the hind is which they hunt, save only that the devil does thus act and drive on his sport by them; so that the true, real offering of Christ may remain covered and hidden, and be only as a mystery in this world.
60. For we poor children of Eve do sojourn here in this cottage in a strange lodging, wherein the devil in God's anger is host. We dwell upon the cursed earth, where the devil rides over our soul and body, and at all times tempts us: we had need be wary and watchful, and at no time secure: it costs body and soul.
The Twenty-Eighth Chapter
Of Cain's Killing of his Brother, viz. of the Proud, Haughty, Antichristian, hypocritical Church upon the Earth;
and also of the True Christendom hidden under this Antichristian Church
1. WHEN the devil in God's anger, in the wrath of the eternal nature, had introduced his throne and seat into the human property, and awakened the centre of the wrathful nature in him, there forthwith arose up such a desire out of the awakened anger's property in the human ens or seed, in the propagation; out of which property Babel, viz. the antichristian Church, is begotten and brought forth.
2. And now as God had incorporated and promised the SerpentBruiser of this false property (who should bruise the head of the Serpent's ens and will or desire) unto the heavenly ens of man, which disappeared in and to Paradise, which word of promise was a mystery, and a very secret hiddenness to the earthly man;
even so also the false Cainical Church of hypocrisy and seeming holiness, whose heart and desire is only [of] the outward world, has gotten aloft this whole time, and has the outward dominion and name as if it offered to God. But the true, real Christian Church is hidden under it, as a very secret Mystery, and is not known of the Cainical Church.
3. Cain's Church sets forth itself very devoutly, and glisters on all sides with specious ceremonies and pompous ostentation; giving forth that it is holy, righteous, and good;
that it also offers in the Covenant of Christ; but its heart is only a glozing, soothing, bravely attired harlot, full of Cainical murder, reviling and blasphemy, full of censure and self-speculation in pride, in covetousness and high mindedness. But Abel's Church is hidden under it in great plainness, and with no respect and reputation, and is accounted but foolish in reference to the glittering show of Cain; and is continually slain by Cain in its simplicity.
4. Now says reason, What, had God any pleasure herein, that he suffered Cain to kill Abel; and why is it still to this day that the children of God are slain, despised, contemned, reproached, mocked, scorned, and cried down for false by Cain, viz. by his posterity? One cause hereof is this:
5. Prince Lucifer was a hierarch in the kingdom or place of this world (as Christ even calls him a prince of this world, viz. in the kingdom of darkness in the anger of God), and was cast for his pride's sake out of the light into the darkness.
6. But seeing God then created another prince, viz. Adam, in and for this place, with whom he bound himselfeven with his deepest love before the foundation of the world in the dear and precious name Jesus, that he would break down and destroy the throne and kingdom of proud prince Lucifer in the human property, and overcome and be predominant with love; thence forthwith arose his envy and wrath against man.
59. Thus likewise men do prate in the stone houses of the mantle and offering of Christ, and yet in the meanwhile, in this prate and babble, do murder the children of Christ, condemn and judge them, and make a whole heap and crew of reviling devouring wolves, that do all cry out, snarl and snap; and none knows where the hind is which they hunt, save only that the devil does thus act and drive on his sport by them; so that the true, real offering of Christ may remain covered and hidden, and be only as a mystery in this world.
60. For we poor children of Eve do sojourn here in this cottage in a strange lodging, wherein the devil in God's anger is host. We dwell upon the cursed earth, where the devil rides over our soul and body, and at all times tempts us: we had need be wary and watchful, and at no time secure: it costs body and soul.
The Twenty-Eighth Chapter
Of Cain's Killing of his Brother, viz. of the Proud, Haughty, Antichristian, hypocritical Church upon the Earth;
and also of the True Christendom hidden under this Antichristian Church
1. WHEN the devil in God's anger, in the wrath of the eternal nature, had introduced his throne and seat into the human property, and awakened the centre of the wrathful nature in him, there forthwith arose up such a desire out of the awakened anger's property in the human ens or seed, in the propagation; out of which property Babel, viz. the antichristian Church, is begotten and brought forth.
2. And now as God had incorporated and promised the SerpentBruiser of this false property (who should bruise the head of the Serpent's ens and will or desire) unto the heavenly ens of man, which disappeared in and to Paradise, which word of promise was a mystery, and a very secret hiddenness to the earthly man;
even so also the false Cainical Church of hypocrisy and seeming holiness, whose heart and desire is only [of] the outward world, has gotten aloft this whole time, and has the outward dominion and name as if it offered to God. But the true, real Christian Church is hidden under it, as a very secret Mystery, and is not known of the Cainical Church.
3. Cain's Church sets forth itself very devoutly, and glisters on all sides with specious ceremonies and pompous ostentation; giving forth that it is holy, righteous, and good;
that it also offers in the Covenant of Christ; but its heart is only a glozing, soothing, bravely attired harlot, full of Cainical murder, reviling and blasphemy, full of censure and self-speculation in pride, in covetousness and high mindedness. But Abel's Church is hidden under it in great plainness, and with no respect and reputation, and is accounted but foolish in reference to the glittering show of Cain; and is continually slain by Cain in its simplicity.
4. Now says reason, What, had God any pleasure herein, that he suffered Cain to kill Abel; and why is it still to this day that the children of God are slain, despised, contemned, reproached, mocked, scorned, and cried down for false by Cain, viz. by his posterity? One cause hereof is this:
5. Prince Lucifer was a hierarch in the kingdom or place of this world (as Christ even calls him a prince of this world, viz. in the kingdom of darkness in the anger of God), and was cast for his pride's sake out of the light into the darkness.
6. But seeing God then created another prince, viz. Adam, in and for this place, with whom he bound himselfeven with his deepest love before the foundation of the world in the dear and precious name Jesus, that he would break down and destroy the throne and kingdom of proud prince Lucifer in the human property, and overcome and be predominant with love; thence forthwith arose his envy and wrath against man.
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