6. As at this very day titulary Christendom is full of such magi as have no natural understanding, either of God or of nature more among them, but only an empty babbling of a supernatural magic ground, wherein they have set up themselves for idol-gods, and understand neither the divine nor natural magia, so that the world is made stock blind by them. Whence the contention and strife in faith [and religion] is arisen, that men talk much of faith, one drawing this way, another that way, and make a multitude of opinions, which are altogether worse than the heathenish images, which indeed had their ground and foundation in nature. But these images have no ground, either in nature or in the supernatural divine faith, but are dumb idols, and their ministers are Baal's ministers.
7. And as it was highly necessary and good that the natural magia was discontinued amongst the Christians, where the faith of Christ was manifest: so now at present it is much more necessary that the natural magia were again manifest; that indeed titulary Christendom's idols which it makes to itself might, through nature, be made manifest and known, that man might know in nature the outspoken or expressed formed Word of God, as also the new regeneration, and also the fall and perdition. That thereby the contrived supernatural idols might be suppressed, that men might at length in nature learn to understand the Scriptures, seeing men will not confide in the spirit of God in the divine magia of true faith, but lay their foundation upon the tower of Babel, in the contention and contrived idolopinions, viz. in the edicts and traditions of men.
8. 1 do not say that men should seek and preach the heathenish magia again, and take up heathen idols again, but that it is needful to learn to search the ground of nature, viz. the formed Word of God in love and anger, with its re-expression; that men might not be so blind concerning the essence of all essences.
9. For the Fathers of the first faith were not so blind concerning the kingdom and dominion of nature, but did know in and by nature that there was a hidden God, who had made himself visible by the Word of his exhalation and information of the created world, and have known God's Word by the creation; which is now at present much the more necessary, that the opinion-idols might come to light and be known, that man might at length see what faith is, that it is not an opinion and conceit, but a divine substance or essence (Heb. xi. I), which substance or essence in the visible man is hidden to outward eyes, as the invisible God is hidden in the visible substance of this world.
10. But that the magi naturales [the natural magicians], could not expound Pharaoh's dreams, this was the cause: Pharaoh's dreams sprang from the centre of nature, which the heathenish magicians understood not; for their magic ground in their understanding was only in the working and figure 1 of the constellation or asterism, and in the elements. They understood not the ground of the eternal nature, out of which the nature of this world had its original, and wherein it stands: but the dreams of Pharaoh had their original out of the eternal nature, and were represented in a visible image in the outward nature of time, and in the outward figure of man. 2
6. As at this very day titulary Christendom is full of such magi as have no natural understanding, either of God or of nature more among them, but only an empty babbling of a supernatural magic ground, wherein they have set up themselves for idol-gods, and understand neither the divine nor natural magia, so that the world is made stock blind by them. Whence the contention and strife in faith [and religion] is arisen, that men talk much of faith, one drawing this way, another that way, and make a multitude of opinions, which are altogether worse than the heathenish images, which indeed had their ground and foundation in nature. But these images have no ground, either in nature or in the supernatural divine faith, but are dumb idols, and their ministers are Baal's ministers.
7. And as it was highly necessary and good that the natural magia was discontinued amongst the Christians, where the faith of Christ was manifest: so now at present it is much more necessary that the natural magia were again manifest; that indeed titulary Christendom's idols which it makes to itself might, through nature, be made manifest and known, that man might know in nature the outspoken or expressed formed Word of God, as also the new regeneration, and also the fall and perdition. That thereby the contrived supernatural idols might be suppressed, that men might at length in nature learn to understand the Scriptures, seeing men will not confide in the spirit of God in the divine magia of true faith, but lay their foundation upon the tower of Babel, in the contention and contrived idolopinions, viz. in the edicts and traditions of men.
8. 1 do not say that men should seek and preach the heathenish magia again, and take up heathen idols again, but that it is needful to learn to search the ground of nature, viz. the formed Word of God in love and anger, with its re-expression; that men might not be so blind concerning the essence of all essences.
9. For the Fathers of the first faith were not so blind concerning the kingdom and dominion of nature, but did know in and by nature that there was a hidden God, who had made himself visible by the Word of his exhalation and information of the created world, and have known God's Word by the creation; which is now at present much the more necessary, that the opinion-idols might come to light and be known, that man might at length see what faith is, that it is not an opinion and conceit, but a divine substance or essence (Heb. xi. I), which substance or essence in the visible man is hidden to outward eyes, as the invisible God is hidden in the visible substance of this world.
10. But that the magi naturales [the natural magicians], could not expound Pharaoh's dreams, this was the cause: Pharaoh's dreams sprang from the centre of nature, which the heathenish magicians understood not; for their magic ground in their understanding was only in the working and figure 1 of the constellation or asterism, and in the elements. They understood not the ground of the eternal nature, out of which the nature of this world had its original, and wherein it stands: but the dreams of Pharaoh had their original out of the eternal nature, and were represented in a visible image in the outward nature of time, and in the outward figure of man. 2
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