A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme.

CHAP. XX. Of Adam and Eve's going forth out of the Pa∣radise, and of their entring into this world. And then of the true Christian Church upon Earth, and also of the Antichristian Cainish Church.

1. HEre wee shall not be acceptable to the Antichrist, much lesse to his stout Horse [or stately Beast]: but seeing it thus ap∣peareth to us, (in the wonder,) wee will describe it for a Memoriall to out selves, and behold how the beginning and end of every thing is; that wee also (in our Combat) may labour in the a Gate of the Deepe, although it be plaine, that wee have nothing else to expect, in this world (for this Revelation [or Manifestation]) from Antichrist and his Beast, but scorne, [contempt] disgrace, and danger of our temporall life, yet wee comfort our selves with the E∣ternall Conquest in our Saviour Christ: wherein wee have to expect our great recompence: the glimpse of which appeareth to us here, b in the great Wonder: for which cause wee will proceed, and not

look upon this world, but esteeme that which is to come greater than all.

2. Our writing also will serve in its due time, when the c Lilly-Rose shall blossom: for in these [writings] there is many a Noble Rose-Bud, which at present (because of the great darknesse in Babell) can∣not be knowne: but there is a time, wherein it shall d stand according to its Spirit.

3. Now if wee here discover the Antichrist, the Devill (e in his Beast) will mightily resist us, and cry out upon us, as if wee would stirre up [sedition] tumults and uproares; but that is not true: doe but earnestly consider what a Christian is: it belongeth not to him to make uproares, for he is a sheepe, in the midst among Wolves: and must be in the forme and minde of a sheepe, and not of a Wolfe.

4. Though indeed the Spirit of God (in zeale and in the great might of the Father) armeth many in the fiercenesse [or wrath], as may be seene by Elias: where sometimes the sword of the wrath of God is given to the Angel, for the slaying of Baals Priests in Babell by Elias: Also, where Moses Brake the Tables, and imployeth the sword against the sinne of the worshippers of the Calse; which neither Mo∣ses doth, nor Elias; but the fire of the wrath of God, by Elias, on the Mount.

5. Now when God the Lord had pronounced Adam and Eves sen∣tence, about their Earthly misery, labour, cares, and hard burthen, which they must beare: and [that he had confirmed them] husband and wife: and also bound them in the Oath of Wedlock, to keep to∣gether as one [onely] body, and to love and help one another, as the Members of one [and the same] body; they were then wholly na∣ked, they stood and were ashamed of their earthly Image, and especi∣ally, of the Members of their f shame: also [they were ashamed] of the g excrement of the earthly food of their bodies; for they saw that they had a Beastiall condition, according to the outward body with all its substance; also heat and cold fell upon them: and the chast I∣mage of God was h extinct: and now they must propagate after a Beastiall manner.

6. And then God the Lord, (through the Spirit of this world made them cloaths of the skinnes of Beasts, and put those on them (through the Spirit of this world:) that they might see that (according to this [outward] world,) they were Beasts; and [he] taught them how they should seek the wonders, (in the Spirit of this world,) and mani∣fest them, and cloath themselves out of the wonders.

7. And here it may be seene very perfectly, that Man in this world, is not at home, but he is come into it as a Guest, and hath not brought the cloaths of this world with him (as all other creatures, that are at home therein, doe;) but must borrow cloathing from the i children

of the Starres and Elements, and must cover himselfe with strange cloathing, which he brought not along with him when he entred into the Spirit of this world; with which he strutteth it like a proud Bride: and sheweth himselfe, supposing that he is very fine and brave in it: and yet it is but borrowed from the Spirit of this world, which in its due time taketh it away againe, and lendeth it him but for a while, and then consumeth it againe.

8. And this is done to the end (because the Spirit of this world continually seeketh the Noble virgin of the Divine Wisdome, and knoweth that shee is in Man,) that Man should seek the great won∣ders (that are in k it) and bring them to light: k It still supposeth, that it shall through Man, bring the noble Tincture to light, that the Paradise might appeare, and that l it might be freed from vanity.

9. For the holy Element continually m longeth [or groaneth] through the foure Elements, to be released from the vanity, of the foure Elements; in like manner also the qualifying [or influence] of the grimme [constellations or] Starres [laboureth:] and there∣fore it driveth man to seek such wonderfull formes [or wayes] that the Eternall wonders of God might be n manifested, which (in the breaking of the world) shall stand all (in the o figure) in the sha∣dow.

10. Therefore all Arts and Sciences [or Trades] are (through the Starry Spirit of this world) from God, p manifested in Man, that they may appeare in wonders: and to that end God created this world, that his wonders might be made q manifest: and therefore God per∣mitted, that Man is entred into the Spirit of this world, that he might manifest his wonders through him. Yet he desireth also that r he should not misuse this world, but that he should goe againe out of this world into him: he desireth that Man should be where he is. And therefore he instantly shewed Adam and Eve their monstrous forme, by the s Beast all clothing which he put on them, per spiritum majoris mundi, [by the Spirit of the great world].

11. But now if Adam had continued in Paradise, he should have been able to manifest the wonders much better, for they should have been much neerer to the forme of Angels, and such great sinnes and abominations had not been brought to effect with t many, as is usually done now.

12. But the Spirit of the Grimnesse [or fiercenesse] (in the Eter∣nall source [or working property]) would also be manifested, and open its wonders: of which much may not be written, for it is a My∣sterium [mystery or hidden secret] that belongeth not to us to open, though indeed wee have the knowledge of it: let it stay till the time of the Lilly; wherein then the Rose will blossom, and then the Thornes (in Babell) will not prick us.

13. When the u chaines of the Driver are broken, and the Thorny-Bush is burnt, then one may goe more safely by the Thornes of the Burner; and then this Mysterium [or hidden secret] may well stand in the light: for it is great and wonderfull: and reacheth into the Gate of the Father.

14. The Rose-branch in the wonders, will understand us well: but Babell is not worthy of it: shee seeketh nothing but the Thornes, and loveth to strike with them; therefore wee will give the x Driver no cause [to doe so]: but rather y let these Mysteries stand, for the children of the Lilly Rose: they are z wise, and have the Noble Tin∣cture a in the light, the lustre of the Driver, will be no more so estee∣med, for the Guests of this world have that [Government] in hand.

15. Thy proud Horse [or Beast] (thou shamefull Whore) shall ride no longer alone, over the bended knees; in that time it will no more be said, The power [might or Authority] sticketh in my Chist of money: that Minerall [or Metall] becometh a blossome in the light: and the Tincture standeth in the blossome of the Lilly: stones are of as much worth [as that mettall is:] b the clothing of the vir∣gin is brighter than thy pride: how finely doth the ornament of this world stand on modesty and the feare of God, if the heart be humble? How doe thy silken and golden cloaths adorne thee? Doest thou not appeare in Gods deeds of Wonder? Who will call thee a false Wo∣man, if thou beest so very chast? Doest thou not stand to the honour of the Great God? Art thou not his work of Wonder? Is there not a friendly c laughter before thee? Who can say that thou art a wrath∣full Woman? Thy modest countenance shineth over d mountaines and valleys: Art thou not at the end of the world, and [will not] thy Glance [or lustre] be espied in Paradise? Wherefore standeth thy Mother in e Babell, and is so very malicious? O! thou shamefull Whore; Get thee out (for Babell is f on fire) or else thou wilt be burnt thy selfe.

16. Or doest thou suppose that wee are mad? If wee did not see thee, wee would be silent: thou boastest now, (by thy flatterers;) of a Golden Time: but they are most of them Wolves of Babell: when the Day breaketh, then they will be knowne. Or should I not tell thee this, thou proud Whore? Behold, when thou with Adam and Eve wentest out of Paradise into the Spirit of this world, then thou wert as a God in the Spirit of this world: thou mightest seek all My∣steries, and use them for thy Ornament: If thou haddest alwayes gone cloathed in silk and purple [or scarlet] yet thou haddest not [there∣by] offended God: but thou haddest gone [in them] to the honour of the Great God in his Deeds of Wonder; Wherefore hast thou for∣saken the g Love, and art become a Murtherer? Was not covetous∣nesse thy sinne, in that thou affordest not thy Members so much as thy

selfe? thou desirest to be onely fine thy selfe alone: thy way onely h should be holy; Wherfore was the fratricide between Abel and Cain? The selfe-honouring pride brought it about, so that Cain envied A∣bels i uprightnesse (for the sake of which he was so much beloved of God;) wherefore was not Cain also humble and pious?

17. Wilt thou say, the Devill beguiled him? Yes indeed, and he beguileth thee too, so that thou enviest the comelinesse and beauty of others: Hath God made thee a degree higher? art thou not a childe of Eve? Prethee tell mee the truth; art thou not the Antichrist, which under a cloake [of being counted the Minister and servant of God] ridest upon the Devils Horse? Mee thinkes I see thee. Hearken! When thou wentest out of Paradise into this world, wherefore didst thou not continue in one [onely] Love? Wherefore didst thou not rejoyce in thy Neighbour? Wherefore didst thou not love the mem∣bers of thy body? Why doest thou not adorne thy brother with thy ornament? Didst thou not see him plainly? Was not the Earth thy own? thou mightest have made what thou wouldest of it: who did hinder thee in it? Why didst thou not eate with thy Brother? thou mightest have had fully enough; there would never have been any want: if thy humility towards thy brother had continued, then his also had continued towards thee: and then what a fine habitation and dwelling had there been upon Earth? what need had there been for thee to have coyned silver and gold, if unity had continued? thou mightest have made thy ornaments of it well enough: if thou haddest adorned thy Brother and Sister, then they would have adorned thee againe (with their ready serviceable Love:) doest thou think it had been a sinne, if thou hadst gone in pure silk and gold, for the benefit of thy Brother, and to the honour of the Great God?

18. O thou blinde Babell! I must tell thee, how thou becamest thus mad; thou hast suffered thy selfe to be possessed by the Region of the Starres, and to be lead by the abominable Devill, and art become a perjured [or forsworne] whore to God: and neverthelesse, thou hast built thy selfe a Kingdome upon Earth: as k they lead their Region, thou leadest thine: as they generate by the Elements, and consume it againe, so doest thou with thy children also: thou generatest them and killest them againe: thou makest warre: and art a murtherer for thy pride and covetousnesse sake, so that thou hast no roome at all up∣on the Earth.

19. Doest thou suppose that God taketh pleasure in it? Yes Sir, the Spirit of the Great World is pleased with it; and through that Spirit the fierce anger of God [is also pleased], because they qualifie [or mingle] one with another, and out of one and the same roote.

20. Doest thou suppose that all the Prophets have spoken from the pleasant kinde love of God, from the Heart of God, when they said to

the Kings of Israel; Enter into Battell, thou shalt overcome, God shall give you victory? Indeed they spake from God, but from his fierce wrath against sinnes, through the Spirit of the Great World, which would devoure againe what it hath made, because the Love was ex∣tinguished.

21. Or doest thou suppose that God sent Moses, to slay the Kings of the Heathens in the Promised Land, and that he is so well pleased with murtherings? No friend, look under the vayle of Moses, and thou shalt finde it cleane otherwise.

22. Why did God keep Israel forty yeares in the Wildernesse, and fed them with l Heavenly Bread? that they should be a people, full of love, such as love one another, and should depend on God in one Love; and therefore he gave their Lawes brightnesse [or clarity] to see if they could live in the Love of the Father, and then he would have sent them among the Heathens, to turne them with their won∣ders; as was done at the time of the Apostles: and in that he fed them from the Heaven, and that none of them (which gathered much or little) had any want; thereby they ought to have knowne, that the Kingdome [the power and all] is Gods, and that they were in him: they ought to have left their covetousnesse, and to converse among one another with brotherly Love, none ought to look after covetous∣nesse: because he horribly punished m it.

23. Also when the Heathens should heare, that God would send this People (which he had brought out of Egypt with great Wonders [or Miracles]) among them to destroy them, that they should turne to God, and depart from covetousnesse, and enter into brotherly love: therefore he gave n them a long time of respite; as also to Israel (whom he fed from Heaven) for an Example, that one people should be an Example to the other, that there is a God that is Allmightie. But they being earthly both of them, and onely evill, and being they did live in the Fathers fierce anger, therefore the anger and severity of God lusted also to devoure them, because they continually kind∣led o it.

24. Therefore he said to Joshua, Passe over Jordan, and destroy that people: and leave none of them among you, that you be not polluted. This (saying of his) proceeded not out of his Love, when he did bid him to kill the Heathens: as also the Prophets did not all speak from his Love, but from his Anger, which was awakened by the wickednesse of Man; so also he speaketh many times through the Spirit of the Pro∣phets in the Great World (in the Prophets and in Moses) in the fire, or in other terrors in an angry Zeale.

25. And should wee therefore say that God is well pleased with anger and strife? No: the Prophets complained often (in the Holy Ghost [or Spirit] of God) that this evill people offended their God,

when they moved him to anger, so that accordingly his severe wrath went forth and devoured them. David saith in the fift Psalme: Thou art not a God that are pleased with wicked wayes.

26. Now if Man awaken sinne, then the fierce anger [or severity] of God is stirred in himselfe (viz. in Man) which otherwise (if Man did stand in humility) would rest and be turned into great Joy, as was often mentioned before: But now when he burneth [in wrath] then one people devoureth the other, and one sinne destroyeth another; if Israel had been p upright, they had not been put to make warre, but they should have entred in with Wonders, and have converted the People, Moses should have lead them into the [promised Land] with his [Miracles] or Deeds of Wonder: but because they were wicked, they could not enter in (with the brightnesse of Moses; with deeds of wonder, in the lustre [or glance] of the Father) to convert the Heathens: but Moses (with his deeds of wonder) must stay in the Wildernesse: and the whole People was consumed and devoured in the wrath: and Joshua must warre with the Heathens, and destroy them, for one q wrath devoured the other.

27. Whereas Joshua was an Image and similitude, that Israel (be∣cause they could not subsist in the Fathers clarity and love) should be led by the second Joshua (or Jesus) out of the wrath into the Love, through the breaking of his body, and entring into Death. Moses must enter through Death into life, and bring his clarity, through Death in∣to life: even as he appeared with Elias, on mount Thabor, to the se∣cond Joshua (or Jesus), in the claritie of the Father, and shewed him the pleasure of the Father, [viz.] that he (the second Joshua) should bring Israel (through his Death and clarity) into the Promi∣sed Land of Paradise.

28. Yet it could not be (how vigorously soever it was sought after) that Man (in his own power) could enter into Paradise: and there∣fore poore captive Man must sit in this world in the Devils murther∣ing Denne: where now the Devill hath built his Chappell close by the Christian Church, and hath quite destroyed the love of Paradise, and hath in the stead thereof set up meere covetous proud selfe-wil∣led [or selfe-conceited] faithlesse, sturdy, malicious Blasphemers, Theeves and Murtherers, which lift themselves up against Heaven and Paradise, and have built themselves a Kingdome (according to the Dominion of the fierce soure [Starres or] Constellations,) wherein they domineere (with silver and gold, and consume the sweat one of another, whosoever is but able, oppresseth the other to the ground. And though he flie before him, yet then he onely putteth forth his Dragons tongue, and spitteth fire upon him: he terrifieth him with his harsh voyce, and plagueth him day and night.

29. What can he said of thee O Cain? doest thou suppose that God

doth not see thee? Thou Monstrous Beast, thou shalt stand naked, as the Spirit in the Wonders doth signifie, that thy Ornament may be made knowne. How art thou become thus? O Eve! are not all, thy children which thou hast brought forth? all come out of thy loynes. Was it then the purpose of God that the evill should domineere a∣mong the Good, and one plague another?

30. O no: But the Devill who is a cause of the r wrathfulnesse. Adam was made good out of the pure Element: but the longing [de∣sire or lust] of the Devill deceived him, so that he went into the Spi∣rit of this world.

31. And now it cannot be otherwise, the two Kingdomes wrestle one with another in the children of Men; the one is the Kingdome of Christ, [Generated] through the New Birth into Paradise: that (in this world) is miserable and contemned, there are not many that desire it, for it hath meere scorne and contempt from the Devill and his followers: it consisteth in righteousnesse and truth: and that is not valued in this world: and therefore it must lie at the Rich Mans doore with poore Lazarus, and at his feete: if any doe but let it ap∣peare that they are the childe of God, then the Devill will away with them presently: or else will put them to such scorne and disgrace, that they cannot be knowne; that so the Devill may continue to be the Great Prince upon Earth, and that the world may not learne to know him.

32. The other Kingdome is that of Antichrist, with a Golden [Splendour or] Glance, Prancing in state, Glistering on every side: every one saith, it is a happy thing: for it adorneth it selfe most sump∣tuously, and setteth its seate over the Hills and Mountaines: every one saluteth it: [or doth it reverence:] it draweth the Tincture of the Earth to it selfe, that it may glister alone: it bereaveth the Kingdome of Christ of its temporall [food, livelihood, or] bread, it devoureth the sweat of the needy: and saith to him, You are mine, I am your God, I will set you where I please: you are the dogge that lieth at my feete: If I had a minde to it, I could hunt you out of my house: you must doe what I will; and the needy Worme must say, I am your poore servant, doe but spare my life; and if he squeeze out the sweat of his browes, so that it smarteth, (which his s Master consumeth [or spendeth]) then he groweth impatient with his Master, and curseth him, and seeketh out wayes of lying and deceit, and by what way he might make his heavy burthen lighter.

33. And then if he finde his Master so unjust, he riseth up against him, and taketh away his t unrighteous Bread, which he thinketh to eate under a soft yoake, and u worrieth him to the uttermost, and lea∣veth him no time to escape, but sticketh full of impatience under that heavy burthen: he grumbleth and maundereth, and seeketh all evill

devices to ease his yoake, that he might eate his bread in quietnesse, and yet it will not be, the Driver [Hunter, cruell Tyrant his Master] is behinde him, and taketh away his bread, and feedeth him with sor∣row under his yoake.

34. And then he studieth cunning and deceit, and casteth about, [to finde] which way he may by shifts and tricks fill his belly and live: he curseth his Master secretly, and though he steale away closely by some slight the bread of another needy Man, yet that must be right [with him]: and his Master doth not regard it, so he eate not of his cost, and so that he continue to be his dogge under his yoake. Thus the Master [Lord or Superiour] is unrighteous and x wicked: and maketh also that his servant is unrighteous and x wicked: whereas o∣therwise (if he might eate his bread under an easie yoake) he would not be so cursed and cunning in Theevery.

35. But what will the Spirit of this Kingdome say? Art thou not shining in Bravery? Hast thou not taken possession of all? Hast thou not the Earth in possession freely as God gave it thee? Doest thou not right? Doest thou not punish the wicked, and lookest to it, where the enemy breaketh it? Doest thou not defend thy Countrey? Art thou not a light to the blinde, and appointest Teachers for them, which y drive them to patience? The Kingdome is thine indeed, thou hast purchased it, the poore is thy servant indeed, that [in thy opinion] cannot faile, [but be right].

36. But the Divine Answer in the Light of Nature saith to mee; Behold, out of what art thou growen? Have I planted thee? art thou not growen in my wilde Garden? When Adam went into the wilde Garden, there he z planted thee, how art thou growen so great? who hath given thee vertue [or sappe] thou wilde Tree? My Love never stirred thee up, all thy branches are wilde, and thy fruit is wilde; Doest thou think that my soule lusteth after thy food? I will not eate of thy fruit; I am strong, and the Kingdome is mine, he that cometh under my a wings, I will shelter him, no storme can touch him: more∣over, the Countrey is mine: I have left it to you, to be used in una∣nimous Love: and have set you out of one [and the same] roote, that you should be alike, and love one another, and prevent one ano∣ther in chast Love.

37. Thou wilde Beast, how comest thou so great and strong? Hast thou not trampled in my Garden of Roses, and there made thee a Coutch? Where are thy Brothers and Sisters? How cometh it to passe, that they lie at thy feete? and that they are so leane, and thou onely art strong [and lusty]? Hast thou not devoured my Branches, and brought forth young Wolves, which devoure thy b Cattle also? and thou art a Beast with thy young ones: should I suffer thee in my Garden of Roses? Where is the Noble fruit which I did sowe? Have

you not turned them all into wilde branches? And where now shall I seeke for the fruit and profit of my Garden of Roses? And my soule would faine eate of the Good fruit: but thou hast trampled all under∣foote, and made it a denne of Murther.

38. Besides, I heare a great howling, and lamentation, that all thy servants cry woe over thee, because thou plaguest them: and more∣over, thou hast shed my Noble seede, and not sowen it, but [thou hast sowen] thy wilde [seede] for [the promoting of] thy great de∣vouring and pomp; behold, I have spewed thee out towards Babell in the Presse of my fierce wrath, and there I will presse thee: and I will plant my Lilly-Branch in my Garden of Roses, which bringeth mee forth fruit, after which my soule lusteth, of which my sick Adam shall eate, that he may be strong, and may goe into Paradise.

Of the Thrusting Adam and Eve out of the Paradise, of the Garden in Eden.

39. And when God had thus provided Adam and Eve a Beastiall Garment, to cover their shame, and to defend them against the cold: then he let them out of the Garden, and set the Cherubine with a na∣ked c two edged sword before it, to keep the way to the Tree of Life, and he [Man] must now till the Ground. But the understanding of us poore children of Adam and Eve is d sunk so much, that at our last old age, wee scarce reach [the understanding of] any thing con∣cerning the lamentable Fall of Adam and Eve: Seeing wee must seeke very deep for it in the Centre of the Light of Life: for it is very won∣derfull which Moses saith, God set the Cherubine before the Garden, to keep and guard the way to the Tree of Life. Who could understand it? If God did not open our eyes, wee should speak simply of a keeper with a sword: and Reason seeth nothing else.

40. But the Noble virgin sheweth us the Doore, [and] how wee must enter againe into Paradise, through the sharpnesse of the sword: yet the sword cutteth the Earthly Body cleane away from the Holy Element: and then the New Man may enter into Paradise by the way of Life. And the sword is nothing else, but the Kingdome or Gate of the fiercenesse in the anger of God, where Man must presse in, through the fierce [bitter] Death, through the Centre, into the second Prin∣ciple, into the Paradise of the holy Element before God; where then the fierce [grimme] Death, cutteth off the Earthly Body (viz. the foure Elements) from the holy [one] Element.

41. And the keeper of the Garden, is the Cherubine, the cutter off of the source [or quality] of the Starres, which holdeth the foure Elements for a while, and then breaketh them, and with its bitter sharpnesse severeth them from the soule, and passeth away it selfe also

with its sword: this [keeper] is here in the way, that wee cannot come to the Tree of the Eternall Life, he is in the middest, and suffe∣reth us not to come into Paradise: the grosse Garden of Eden (which is our Earthly Flesh) is the hedge [or fortification] before the Garden.

42. Now if any body would come into the Garden, he must presse in through the sword of Death; though indeed Christ hath broken the sword, so that now wee can much easier enter in with our soules; yet there is a sword before it still: but he that findeth the way aright, him it doth not cut very much: for it is blunt, and it is bent; and if the soule goe but into the Gate, into the Centre, then it is presently helped by the Noble Champion Christ; for he hath gotten the sword into his e hands: he is the slaine Lambe of the House of Israel, in the Revelation of John; which took the Book of the f first Principle, out of the hand of the Ancient [of Dayes] who sate upon the Throne, with his foure and twenty Elders (which [Book] had seven seales, or se∣ven Spirits of the g Birth of God) and opened them: where the El∣ders fell down before him, and worshipped the Lamb that was slaine: and gave praise and honour to him which sate upon the Throne, be∣cause the Champion of the House of Israel had overcome. The seven Golden Candlesticks are his Humanity, the seven Starres are his Dei∣ty, as the Divine h Birth in it selfe standeth in a sevenfold forme, as it is expounded in the beginning of this Book, in the first foure Chapters.

43. Thus Moses hath a vayle before his eyes: and if thou wouldst see his face, then thou must onely set Christ thy Champion before thee, that he may lift up his vayle, and then thou shalt see, that Moses hath i no Hornes, but that he is a patient Lamb, fast bound to the Death of Christ: and that his vayle was the Book that was shut: so that wee could not be well enough, till the Champion came, and brake its seven seales with his entring into Death: and there the vayle [or co∣vering] was done away: and in that Book there stood the holy k Go∣spel of the Kingdome of God, which our worthy Conquerour Jesus Christ hath l left us.

44. Now when Adam and Eve went out of the Garden, they kept together, as now married People doe, and now would make tryall of their beastiall condition, [to trie] what wonders might proceed from them: and the Spirit of the great world did well enough teach them, in their Reason, what they were to doe. And Adam knew his wife Eve, and shee conceived and bare a sonne, and called him Cain: for shee said, I have a Man from the Lord; These are sealed words which Moses writeth, that shee said, I have a Man from the Lord: ([for] then said the m Major Mundus, I have the Lord,) of this world. Eve spake no otherwise, than as the Apostles thought, that Christ was to

erect a worldly Kingdome: so Eve thought that her sonne (as a strong Champion) should break the Head of the Devill, and set up a Glori∣ous Kingdome: from whence instantly a twofold understanding [or different conditions) followed, and two sorts of Churches: the one [built or relying] upon the mercy of God; and the other, upon their own might; [authority or power]; and therefore Cain could not endure his brother, because Abel pressed hard upon the mercy of God, and Cain [relyed] upon his own power [might and authori∣ty]. He thought himselfe to be the Lord of the whole world, as his Mother had instructed him: and therefore now he would breake the Head of the Serpent in his own might as a Warriour [or Souldier] and began with his brother Abel, for his Faith relyed not on God, but on his own power; and here the Serpent did sting the Treader upon the Serpent in the Heele the first time.

The Gate of the Mysteries [or the Exposi∣tion of the hidden secrets.]

45. Reason saith how might that come to passe, that the first Man borne of a Woman was [so evill] a malicious Murtherer? Behold, thou immodest vile whorish world, here thou shalt finde a Glasse, be∣hold thy selfe [and see] what thou art. Here againe the great secrets meet us, in the light of Nature, very cleerly and plainly to be under∣stood. For Adam and Eve were entred into the Spirit of this world, and the Region of the foure Starres, with the infection of the Devill, had miserably possessed them: and although they did somewhat stick to the word of the promise, yet the true longing and love towards God was very much extinguished, and on the contrary, the longing and desire after this world, was kindled in them, and besides, they gat (from the Region of the Starres) a Beastiall lust [or wanton desire] towards one another, so that their Tincture thus became a fierce bea∣stiall [lust or] longing: for they had no Law but the Light of Na∣ture, which they suppressed, and kindled themselves in wanton [lust], to which the Devill helped them.

46. And now when Eve n was impregnated, her Tincture was wholly murtherous and false, for her Spirit in the Love, looked not upon God with a totall trust and confidence: Also the wisdome of God stood hidden in the Centre of the light of her life: Eve did not o unite [or yeeld her selfe] to it with love and confidence, but much rather to the lust of this world: shee must bring it to passe, if any thing were to be done: and being her Trust was not in God, so also God was not in her, but in his own Centre [or Principle]: and the wrath began to flow forth [boyle or worke]; and this is that which Christ said, An evill Tree bringeth forth evill fruit, and so out of a false Tincture

grew a soure evill roote, and consequently such a Tree and fruit. Also that which goeth forth [is] as the Tincture in the p mixture was, and such a childe is generated, for the Spirit of the life, genera∣teth it selfe out of the Essences.

47. And seeing Adam was gone out of Paradise into the Spirit of this world, therefore now the strife was already between the two Kingdomes (viz. the Kingdome of Heaven, and the Kingdome of Hell) about the children of Eve: and here it is seene that the wrath had the victorie; and the Spirit of God complaineth, not without cause; [saying]; I am as a Grape-gatherer that gleaneth, and yet would faine eate of the best fruit.

48. But the fault lyeth in Man; if he did put his Trust in the love of God, then the Kingdome of God would have the victorie: but if he put it in his evill lust and wantonnesse, in himselfe in his own abi∣lity [or power] then he is captivated by the wrath, and his body and soule is in the wrath. But when he putteth his minde and confi∣dence in God, then he goeth out from the wrath, and the Kingdome of God worketh (in him) to righteousnesse: and thus it is seene as cleere as the Sunne, what the cause is, that the first Man borne of a Woman became a murtherer.

49. For as the Tree was, so was the fruit: and though the Tree was not wholly evill [or false]: yet as to the q becoming Man, the Tincture (by the wrestling r of the two Regions) became false [or evill [And besides, afterwards Eve (his Mother) helped s him for∣ward very much, because shee sought after an Earthly Lord and Treader upon the Serpent, and instructed him, [telling him] that he was the Warriour [or Souldier to overcome] against the Devill, he must doe it; and so the wrath held him captive, and his offering [or sacrifice] was not acceptable to God, because (in wrath) he built up∣on himselfe, and so his Prayer reached not the Gate of Heaven, but the t Driver did take it up, because it proceeded out of selfe-pride (like the proud Pharisee) out of an [evill or] false minde.

50. And u here (thou lascivious Whore in Babell, full of immode∣sty and lechery in such whoredome) thou hast a Glosse, in thy [evill or] false Copulation without the feare of God: thou shouldst looke [well to it] what thou sowest, that there grow not a Tree in Hell fire. Thou supposest that it is a small matter to commit whoredome: But I pray consider thy selfe, whither doest thou send thy Tincture? Which (if it be true [or faithfull]) reacheth the Element of God: and now if you powre it forth thus, in such a false [or evill] way (in the im∣pulsion of the Region of the Starres, with the infection of the Devill), and also into such an uncleane vessell, what doest thou suppose shall accept it? Doest thou not know that the Tincture in the seede is a blossome of the life which qualifieth [or mingleth] with thy body

and soule? Which (as often as it is generated) is a figure before God: how doest thou think, whether doth it stand in th love or anger of God?

51. O thou Babylonish Whore, when thou thus committest whor∣dome, and x breakest afterwards the Limbus, together with the Ma∣trix (wherein the figure of the Image of God standeth,) onely for thy filthy lechery sake; What doest thou think, how shall this figure ap∣peare? seeing all (whatsoever is generated at any time out of the Tin∣cture) shall after the breaking of this world, stand before God: and will not these figures appeare in the anger of God? Or hast thou an Absolution for that which thou sowest in Hell? Looke to it that this figure doth not qualifie [or mingle] with thy body and soule; for the Tincture [then] is not yet become a Spirit: it reacheth thy selfe: if thou art not new-borne (through the bloud of Christ), then thou must bath [swimme or swelter] therein Eternally; 'Tis not I that say this, but the High Spirit in the bosome of the Virgin.

52. Therefore consider thy selfe: and say not, I stand in the darke, and y exercise Love, none seeth it: thou standest before the cleare countenance of God: also thou standest before the Abysse of Hell, be∣fore the Councell of all Devills, who mock at thee; and besides, thou hast an evill [false] or unfaithfull Love, and it is no other than a [wanton] Lechery; if z it were faithfull, thou wouldst not defile thy brother or sister: both of you miserably defile the Image of God: and are the worst enemies one of another: you cast one another into the Devils murthering Denne, and are in the wrestling; but the Devill tickleth you, and stroweth Sugar, that he may catch you and binde you fast: and then he leadeth you a to Jericho, and scourgeth [wound∣eth] and plagueth you sufficiently.

53. And then when the poore soule shall travaile [home] there are great Mountaines in its way: and then thy faire Tincture will ap∣peare before the [holy] Element like a defiled cloath; and there standeth the Devill and readeth the b Law to you about it: and then the poore soule quaketh, and beginneth to doubt: and when it is to breake through the bitter Gate [of the Cherubine], then it conti∣nually feareth that the fierce anger of God shall seize upon it [as up∣on hellish Brimstone] and kindle it; as it cometh to passe for cer∣tain, if it be not borne anew in Christ, through earnest repentance.

54. Therefore O Man, consider; what thou sowest here, that thou shalt reape; take an Example in Cain. Or doest thou suppose, that it is an invented Fable? [which I here write] doe but aske thy owne minde, that will convince thee: except thou art too much captiva∣ted by the Devill: behold the horrible punishments from the anger of God, fince the beginning of the world: the Floud [or Deluge] was a punishment for the unchastity, [or uncleannesse], whereby God

would drowne the c Matrix of the burning lust of lechery: and there∣fore he punished the World with Water; for the Water is the c Ma∣trix of all things.

55. Therefore God established the state of wedlock with Adam and Eve, and bound it fast with a strong chaine, in that he said; A Man shall leave Father and Mother, and cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. And God tolerateth their d lust, because it is to be bound with faithfull chast Love, as one body, e and its members: and must aime (in the feare of God) at the getting of children: or else the wantonnesse [or lust] in it selfe, (without that true love, of the state of wedlock) is f continually a Beastiall lust, [infection] and sinne: and if you, (in the state of wedlock,) seek nothing, but the lust and lechery, then in such a condition, thou art not a jot better than a Beast: and doe but consider it rightly, that without this, thou standest [already] in a Beastiall Birth [or Generation] (contrary to the first Creation) like all Beasts. For the holy Man in Adam, was not fore-appointed to have propagated so, but in great modest Love, out of himselfe.

56. Therefore O Man looke to it! [have a care] how you use the beastiall lust: it is (in it selfe) an abomination before God, whither it be in the state of wedlock, or out of it; But the right love and fide∣litie [or faithfulnesse] (in the feare of God) covereth it, before the countenance of God: and (through the Sonne of the Virgin) it is Re∣generated to be a pure undefiled creature againe, in the Faith, if thy confidence be in God.

57. But for the Whores and Rogues (who run a whoring without marrying in lustfull lechery) wee have no other Language for them g: neither can wee finde any otherwise in the Light of Nature, than that it is an abomination [or loathing] in the anger of God: and if ear∣nest Repentance (with Mary Magdalen) be not there performed in the Regeneration [then wee finde nothing else but] the anger of God and Hell-fire, to be their wages,

Amen.

Of the innocent and righteous Abel.

The Gate of the Christian Church.

58. Seeing then that Adam and Eve, had yeelded themselves to the Spirit of this world, and did live in two [Kingdomes] (viz. in the holy Element before God; and also in the Out-Birth [viz.] the foure Elements, which reacheth that which is most outward, [viz.] the Kingdome of the [soure, fierce] grimnesse) so there were also two sorts of children generated out of them; viz. one a Mocker [or scor∣ner] and another a plaine honest Man; as is sufficiently to be seene by Isaack and Ishmael [the sonnes of] Abraham; also by Jacob and Ejan.

59. And although the Church in Babell will prattle much here, about the Election from the purpose of God: and yet hath as little knowledge thereof as the Babylonish Tower (whose top should reach to Heaven) [had] of God. As if it were not possible that a childe could goe out of the Anger into the Love of God, whereas the Love in the breaking of the Anger doth h fully appeare [or shine forth]: and tis for want of repentance: that Man suffereth himselfe to be held by the Devill.

60. And the hardening is not so wholly in the Birth, that the soule (from the Mothers womb) should be quite dead to God, or that God did not desire it. The anger is in the flowing [working or boyling] of the Father, and the Father is God indeed, and generateth his deare Heart and Love (in the breaking of the Gate in the Habitation) out of himselfe: should he then be at oddes with himselfe, because his an∣ger is under the roote of his Love? Should he be at Enmity against himselfe? his Anger is his Strength and Omnipotence [or Allmighti∣nesse], and Consuming fire: and his heart in the Love, is his i meek∣nesse; and so now, that which approacheth and entereth into his An∣ger, is captivated in the Anger.

61. But it is possible to goe out from the Anger; as his deare heart is generated out of the Anger; which [cooleth, pacifieth, or] stilleth the Anger: and is rightly called the Paradise, or the Kingdome of Heaven. And his Anger is not knowne in the Heaven: and so there also; his Election goeth alwayes over the children of Love, which be∣long to the Kingdome of Heaven; and S^t Paul speaketh no otherwise of his Election: but meaneth [it of] them that draw neere to him, and enter into his Covenant, and give up themselves to him: and these the Father draweth with the Holy Ghost, through the Death of Christ into the pure Element [that is] before the Father: Isa 44. 2. Feare not thou [O] my servant Jacob, and thou k upright [one] whom I have chosen.

62. But that God (out of his purpose) should harden the will of any, and make it darke, that is not true; the Spirit of God is with∣drawen from the wicked, who onely wrestle for the might [or power] of the fire, for he himselfe goeth out from God, and desireth not [to enjoy] God. God withdraweth himselfe from none: Man hath a free will, he may lay hold on what he will: but he is held by two (by Hea∣ven and by Hell) to which he yeeldeth, he is in that.

63. Cain was not rejected in the Mothers womb [or body,] though it be plaine, that God doth not love such a false [or evill] seede, yet it standeth free, it may presse into the Love, or into the Anger, and l the one as well as the other, will receive it; as Paul also saith; To whom you yeeld your selves servants in obedience, his servants you are, whom you obey; whether it be in the obedience of God to righteousnesse, or of sinne unto Death.

64. Now God have no malicious soule [to be] in the Love but in the Anger: and he is the m Searcher of the Hearts, and knoweth well what is in Man, and what he will doe (even while [Man] is in the seede) and will not cast the Pearle before swine; and yet the false [or evill] seede is not [come] out of his will and purpose, else he must also have willed the Devill [to be a Devill.)

65. And know you not that the band of the Eternity standeth free, and maketh it selfe? but that which inclineth to him is also n genera∣ted in God. And yet the Love presseth not into the Anger; o but the Love is generated out of the Anger, and is wholly free; and therefore the Heart of God in the Love, is p another Person than the Father, and the q issue [or going forth from them] is the Holy Ghost, who goeth not [back] againe into the Anger.

66. Then wherefore doth not the soule of Man goe also [there∣with] out of the Anger into the Love, and so it should be generated [to be] another creature in the Love? Saint Paul saith; Whom he hath foreseene, those he hath sanctified, that they may be like his Image; the foreseeing, is in his Election: he alwayes electeth [or chooseth] his Sheepe. Those who come to him, he assureth them the Eternall Life. But that he hardeneth (those that desire r earnestly to come to him) and will not foresee [Predestinate or elect them] that is not so. His will is to helpe all Men: and Christ himselfe saith: Come yee all to mee that are weary and heavy laden, (here it is, those that are laden with sinnes) I will refresh you; that is, certainly, foresee [or Elect] and draw [them] to mee: and there wanteth but to Come.

67. What is it now, that lyeth in the way of the wicked, that he cannot come? It is the Angry-Sword of the Angel (or Cherubine) which he will not breake, the faire, glistering, hypocriticall, dainty world in his bosom [malice or wickednesse] in flesh and bloud, plea∣seth him too well: he will not breake his minde, which yet he is able to doe: and if he doe breake it, then he is drawne of God (by Christ) to the Father: and instantly is chosen to [be] a childe of God: and out of the Image of the Serpent there cometh [to be] the Image of an Angel.

68. For so long as the Image standeth in the Anger, it is the Image of the Serpent; but if it goe forth [from the lust of sinne, or desire of evill], into the breaking [or destroying thereof] then a Heavenly Image is figured (by the Treader upon the Serpent); and s the Ser∣pents Head is broken; the two Kingdomes fight [or wrestle] one with another, and that which overcometh figureth the Image.

69. Whereby it is seene, how great the Anger was in Adam and Eve, in that the wrathfull Kingdome sooner overcame, than the King∣dome of Heaven: and the scorner is sooner generated than the t up∣right. But yet the fault of this was in the Parents: had they not sin∣ned,

and let the Anger into them, then it had not been so, as at this Day.

70. Although indeed, Nature taketh hold of the childe (in the Mothers body [or womb]) and [shapeth, figureth, or] Imageth it: yet the u Region of the Starres hath no other than the x Image in the foure Elements, and not [that] in the Holy Element. And although indeed it Image [or frame] a Man in the outward Beastiall Minde with a little understanding many times, yet that is no matter: the out∣ward Man is the Beast of the Starres; but the inward (in the [one] Element) is the Image of God: and the divine framing [figuring or Imaging] is not performed in the y outward, but in the inward Ele∣ment.

71. For a Man is many times (in the outward) so very evill natu∣red [or malicious froward conditioned] from the Starres, that he be∣cometh z loathsome to himselfe; but when he considereth himselfe, then he entereth into himselfe (into the inward Man) and reacheth after Abstinence [or for bearance of evill] and yet cannot be quite loosed from, [or rid off] the outward wicked malicious Man: but must continually (with the inward) breake the head of (the out∣ward) the Serpent.

72. For the Serpent stingeth many in the outward: but if it a get the Inward Man, then the Image of God is gone. The evillnesse [or malice] of the Starres driveth many [strongly] to murther, steale, lye, and b deceive; till they come to the Gallowes, and sword, [or block], and yet have not wholly [captivated] the inward: he is yet in the Gate, and is able (through Repentance) to goe into another Image, which is not like the outward: Man cannot judge the inward Man so wholly according to the outward▪ except they see that he de∣spiseth God, and blasphemeth the Holy Ghost; in such a one there is c no Divine Image. And it is hard [d with him]; yet his Judgement is not [in the time of] this body: the Gate of the Mercifulnesse standeth open towards him, while he is in this Tabernacle.

73. But after this life he shall attaine it no more, except he hath [hold of] the Mercifulnesse [of God] by a Threed: for God will not quench the smoaking flax, as Isaiah saith; though indeed he must bathe [swimme or swelter] in his sinnes, e till the Anger (through the Death of Christ) be overcome; on which Threed he must hang: and the Putrefaction is his Purgatory in his sinnes, and no strange [or distinct Heterogene Purgatory] (of which Antichrist feigneth and prateth) but his own selfe, [Purgatory,] in his sinnes.

74. And it is all vaine and idle [which is said,] concerning Pur∣gatory, as the Wolfe of the Whores Beast seigneth, [or conceiteth]: for it is well knowne, that after the [outward] life, there is an Eter∣nall life, and that all sinnes are f remitted here; but as long as thou

art between the Doore and the Hindges, and hangest by a small haire, thou art yet not wholly in the g Eternall Life: but if thou be once in the Eternall Life, then thou art perfect; [or fully there] whether it be in the Heaven or in the Hell, out of that there is no Redemption, for it is the g Eternall Life.

75. But while wee are thus speaking of the h upright Abel, we can∣not say, that the Kingdome of Heaven was not assisting in him, and that he meerly out of his own might and power, made himselfe such an upright [honest] Man; for i it was in the wrestling, and overcame the Anger: for Man is weake, and k ignorant, and can doe little by his own Power [or ability]; l yet he hath the Imagination, and the choosing, or the free yeelding, [to a thing] where then the Maker is ready before hand, which maketh him [to be] according as his lust [or desire] is: as is to be seene by Adam, for when he longed and lu∣sted in the Spirit of this world, there instantly the Maker was present, and made (of an Angelicall Image,) a Man.

76. The Lust [or longing Desire] is the introducing m into a thing, and out of the Lust cometh the forme [or Image] of the Lust, (viz. a Body,) and the source [or active quality] of sinnes sticketh therein; and you may easier hinder the Lust, than breake the Body, which is very hard; therefore it is good, to turne away the eyes, and then the n Tincture goeth not into the Essences by which the Spirit is impregnated; for the lust indeed is not the minde wholly, but they are sisters: for when the lust impregnateth the minde, then it is al∣ready a halfe o substance, and there must necessarily follow a break∣ing, or there cometh to be a whole substance, and an Essence of a thing.

77. Now Abel is the first Christian Church in Patience, which God established, that the Cainish Church should be converted by Abel: he hath not therefore so rejected the Cainish Church, that he would have no member out of it. Understand it thus; the true Christian Church standeth like a sheepe among Wolves; though indeed wee are Men and not Wolves, but in Minde and in Figure. p It teacheth the wicked: and if he be converted, then it hath gained him, and he is figured into an Image [of God]: and thereby Joy is caused among the Angels of God, that the Kingdome of Heaven hath the victory.

78. Or doest thou suppose, that the word in Daniel is nothing, Chap. 10. concerning the Angel Gabriel, who said; that the Prince in Persia withstood him one and twenty dayes, and that our Prince Michael came to helpe him. Thereby it may be seene how the Princes and Throne-Angells strive against the Kingdome of the fierce wrath, and assist Men; the cause whereof is this; The Devill awakeneth the An∣ger against Men: and the Angels of God (viz. the Throne-Princes) keepe it back, because God q yet willeth not Evill.

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79. Wee are especially to observe in Cain and Abel, what their pur∣pose was. Cain was a Plowman [or Tiller of the Ground] and Abel was a Shepheard [or keeper of sheepe]: Abel relyed upon the bles∣sing of God towards his flock, to maintaine himselfe by the blessing of God: Cain relyed upon his own labour, to maintaine himselfe by his own skill and industry. Eve tooke part with Cain, and Adam with Abel; for Eve counted him to be the Prince on Earth, to whom the Kingdome did belong, and supposed that he (as a Champion) would chase and hunt away the Devill; although shee knew r him not.

80. But if Men search very Deepe, this [that followeth they will finde] is the very Ground. Eve was the Childe in the Matrix of A∣dam, which Adam (if he had not been overcome) should have gene∣rated out of himselfe, in great modesty [purity] and holinesse; but because Adams Matrix was impregnated from the Spirit of this world, therefore God must frame a fleshly woman out of it, which afterwards (in her first fruit) became lustfull, and infected from the Devill, as well as the Limbus in Adam.

81. And therefore they also generated such a towardly childe as looked onely after covetousnesse: as Eve also did, who would be like God: and surely Adam had some minde that way, or else he should not have entred into the spirit of this world.

82. And such also now was their Sonne Cain: he supposed that he was Lord on Earth; and therefore he grutched that his Brother should have any thing: especially when he saw that he was accepted before God, that vexed him; and he thought that Abel should come to be Lord on Earth: in his sacrifice, he regarded not the feare of God, though he (as an appearing holy Man [or hypocrite]) sacrificed also; but he regarded onely the s Region.

83. And here the Antichristian Kingdome tooke its beginning, where Men t give God good words, and their heart is possessed with covetousnesse, and seek after nothing but power and authority, to do∣mineere over the needy and miserable, who trust and relie upon God. Therefore Antichrist hath his God in his Chist, and in the strength of his power: and behinde his cloake there hangeth a Fox. He prayeth, yet he desireth nothing else but the Kingdome of this world: his heart doth not leave off to persecute and to hunt poore Abel. But Abel prayeth to the Lord, and his heart inclineth it selfe to the Love of God, in the true Image, for he desireth the Kingdome of Heaven, and the Blessing of God here, for his u maintenance.

84. Now the Devill cannot endure that a holy Church should grow up in his Dominions, he will murther Abel still, as he did then; be∣cause Cain feared not God, therefore the Devill gat an accesse to him, and stirred up the inbred wrath in Cain against Abel, that he slew him. Here surely all the Devills danced at it, and thought, now is the King∣dome

ours againe: whereat Adam and Eve were much amazed and affrighted, when they saw that he whom they accounted for a Prince became a murtherer; and as the History saith, they copulated [or knew one another] no more in seaventy yeares after.

85. Now it being thus, therefore they sought for quite another Treader upon the Serpent: also now they inclined their heart to God, so that seventy yeares after this murther, they begat a very upright [vertuous] holy Sonne that feared God, (who established againe the pure Church of the feare of God and promised seede of the Wo∣man;) whose name was Seth; who also begat a very upright [vertu∣ous] Sonne, whose name was Enos, and then Men began to preach openly [or plainly] of God: and the Christian Church alwayes rose up like a small flock, in spite of all the Regings of the Devills.

86. But Cain exalted himselfe to be a Lord over his kindred: from whence arose the Dominion, and Rule or Government of this world, all (according to the influence of the Starres) generated per Spiritum Majoris Mundi, [by the Spirit of the x Great world]: and is not as Cain supposed, so ordained, by the cleere Deity.

87. It is true indeed, when the world became so evill, malicious, and murtherous, then there must needs be Judges and Magistrates that the fierce wrath might be stopped by punishment and feare; but if thou haddest continued in Love, then thou shouldst have had no Lords, but loving Brothers and Sisters O Cain! thy potent Kingdome cometh not from God, but hath its influence from the starry Heaven in Anger, which domineereth over thee, and many times giveth thee Tyrants, who consume thy sweat in Pride, and this thou hast for thy Paradise.

88. Saint Paul writeth very well, that there is no [power, autho∣rity, or] Magistracy but of God; but he saith, it is an y avenger of the wicked, and beareth not the sword in vaine; herein thou hast ground enough, that God useth the worldly Government, and the sword thereof for the wicked's sake, under which thou must now (for the sake of sinne) beare thy yoake, because thou art a continuall de∣vourer and murtherer: doe but behold thy selfe, together with the avenging sword, perhaps thou wilt see, thy selfe.

89. But if any say, that God doth [abhorre or] loath the Great Tyranny and Oppression, when they domineere and take away the sweat of the poore and needy, and consume it in pride and stateli∣nesse; that Cain cannot endure: if the terrible Example of the Floud [or Deluge] did not stand there, then [Tyranny] would be ac∣counted holinesse; but thy z Kingdome O Cain! is set up in Babell, and thy Beast Ruleth in Sodom and Gomorrha, there is a fire from the Lord of Heaven in it: it is time to goe with Lot out of Sodom, sinne is awakened in Cain.

90. Now when Cain had murthered his Brother, then he went se∣curely as a Lord: and thought, now thou art sole Prince on Earth; but the voice of the fierce anger of God came, and said; Where is thy Brother Abel? and he answered, I know not, Shall I be my Brothers keeper? And a He said, What hast thou done? Behold the voyce of thy Bro∣thers bloud, cryeth to mee from the Earth: and now thou art accursed upon the Earth, which hath opened its mouth, to receive thy Brothers bloud from thy hands: When thou shalt till the Ground, it shall not yeeld its strength to thee henceforward; thou shalt be a vagabond and fugitive upon Earth.

91. And now when the Anger of God stirred the sinne in Cain, then it became awakened: and he was perplexed [or troubled]: and then his false Faith was seene: for he despaired, and said; My sinnes are greater, than that they can be forgiven mee: behold thou drivest mee away from the Lord this day, and I must hide my selfe b from thy Countenance, and I must be a fugitive and vagabond upon the Earth: and it shall befall mee so, that whosoever c findeth mee will slay mee.

92. Here there appeareth to us the most terrible Lamentable and miserable Gate of despaire, upon the committing of sinnes: for when God said; d Cursed art thou upon the Earth, which hath opened its mouth, and received thy Brothers bloud from thy Hands: then the lof∣ty, selfe-potent, glistering, hypocriticall, flattering Kingdome of Anti∣christ was rejected of God: and it hath (with it entring into the fierce wrath, in the Murther) seperated it selfe from God.

93. Therefore said God; Be thou accursed; and the distinction of this cursing or flying out of the fiercenesse, e is, that the Love of God will not dwell in the fiercenesse, and that Kingdome must not be cal∣led after his Name: for God consented not to the Murther, but the fiercenesse [or wrath] of which God warned Cain, at his sacrificing, [saying,] Be thou upright, and thou shalt be accepted; if not, then sinne (and the Kingdome of the fierce wrath) lyeth at the Doore; he should not let f it have any power, but should rule over it, but when he let∣teth it have power, then it ruleth, and vanquisheth him.

94. Thus also God withdrew, that is, Cain went out from God: from the Kingdome of God, into the Kingdome of the fiercenesse of the Driver: therefore also his affaires (which he further [managed, held forth, and] pretended) were not of God, but from the King∣dome of the fierce wrath; that [fiercenesse] lead him, and generated or awakened g its wonders through him, that the [Kingdome of the fiercenesse] might be also manifested, even as it was a great wonder, h how the Noble Image in Abel, by the fiercenesse of Hell, and of this world i could be seperated in the k breaking of the body: whereas the Kingdome of Hell would faine have found [or felt] it: and there∣fore the first Death must be hastily [or suddenly], where then the

Treader upon the Serpent shewed his first l Master piece, when the Kingdome of this world m parted from Abel: when the Cherubine did this first time n cut off the soure Elements from the holy Ele∣ment.

95. And there the Word, or the Treader upon the Serpent, stood in the new regenerated Element, in the soule of Abel, in the Centre, in the Gate of the Deepe, and did breake the Serpents (that is, the Kingdome of the fiercenesses) head of its might; for the Head, signi∣fieth, the strong Might of the fierce Anger. And there the Love of God (out of the Heart of God o let it selfe into the Hell of the Anger, and did smother, the kindled fire of the poore soule, in the Love againe: and here the first worke was proved, according as was promised from God to Adam and Eve.

96. Secondly, also, the terrible work of the entring into the fierce∣nesse [or Anger] was proved in Cain, for each Kingdome, proved its owne. And now when Cain went into the Anger, then the Love of God stood in the Centre before him, wholly hidden; there Cain (as a Champion) should have broken the Serpents Head: which he before supposed that he was the Man that should doe it, and would doe it in his own power and might; and here it was rightly tryed, whether it were possible in ones own selfe-power (through the lustre of the Fa∣ther in the fire) to possesse the Kingdome of God.

97. But it was miserable, and all in vaine, for Cain (in his tender humanity) cryed woe woe is mee; his sinnes were greater than p he, he could not in his own power presse in to God: he trembled and at length stood amazed before the Abysse of Hell, which had captivated him, and held him in it: he q severed himselfe now also from [the company of] Men: and said, Now whosoever shall finde mee will slay mee, for I must flie from thy face.

98. And here is seene the seperating of the Christian Church from the Cainish, where God expelled Cain, that he must dwell in another place; and the true understanding of these high hidden secrets stick∣eth wholly in the Word, under the vayle [of Moses] and was almost never knowne [yet], but (in the time of the Lilly) it shall r stand in the Wonders; and thou Antichristian Church on Earth, shouldst know, that all (whatsoever thou inventest without the Spirit of God, for thy trimming and pride, also for thy strength and power) is gone forth with Cain from Abel, out from the Church of Christ, beyond E∣den, into the Land of Nod: if thou art so highly learned, and doest understand s this in the Language of Nature, what it is, as thy flatter∣ers in their Bonnet [or promotion] suppose [they doe]; but they apprehend nothing but the t foure Elements in the going forth with Cain, and not the [One] Element before God; therefore the same is the Babell of Confusion and of various Opinions, and not the Ground

u in the [One] Element, which standeth in one alone, and not in multiplicity.

99. Thou hast been a cleere x Glasse (in him) of Mens own con∣ceits [or opinions], what ones own good meaning (without the Spi∣rit of God) is. Cain went not into the Sheepfold at the Doore (which God made for Adam and Eve with the Word, and Treader upon the Serpent) but climed into it another way, by his strong Lyonish minde, and would be a Lord over the Sheepe, and became a theefe and murtherer of the Sheepe, and the Sheepe followed him not, but they went (with Abel) through the sword of the Angel [or] Cheru∣bine (out of this fraile and corruptible life) with the Treader upon the Serpent into their resting sheepfold, where there is not one wolfe: for the Cherubine will let none of them in: and if any of them doe come, then he cutteth their Wolves heart of the fiercenesse of the Kingdome of this world cleane away, and then they also become Sheepe, and lay themselves patiently among the Sheepe, and seek no more after the Wolfe, for y he is beyond Eden in the Land of Nod: but they are gone through the sword of the Cherubine into Paradise: where no Wolfe entereth in; there is a Wall of a Principle and whole z Birth before it.

100. And thou Cainish Church (with thy Lawes and Pratings, thy acute Comments, and Expositions of the Writings of the Holy Men (or Saints], who have spoken in the Spirit of God) should look well upon thy selfe, and doe not build thy voluptuous and soft Kingdome so much upon those things: for a they b are most of them in Paradise: they speake out of the Roote of the Holy Element through the c out-Birth of the foure Elements, and many times apprehend (in the out-Birth) the fierce wrath, which Men had awakened: therefore look to it, that thou build no stubble, straw, or weeds thereupon: if thou hast not the Spirit of understanding out of the Holy Element, then let them alone, doe not d daube them with the foure Elements, or else those things stand in Babell, it is not good to build the foure Elements thereupon: for the Cherubine standeth between, and he will cut off whatsoever doth not belong to the Sheepfold: thou wilt have no be∣nefit of it, for thy labour [or work] stayeth e in the Land of Nod.

101. O Cain! look but upon thy Kingdome, and consider what be∣sell thy Great [Grand] father Cain, who built this Kingdome, who cryed out woe is me! my sinnes are greater than can be forgiven me, when he saw himselfe (with his Kingdome) to be without God, in the Abysse of Hell. And if the loving Word of God, had not recalled it, (when it said, No; whosoever killeth Cain, it shall be avenged sevenfold, and God made a mark upon him, that none that met with him should kill him) he had been quite lost. Those are wonderfull words, Moses face is so very much under the vayle: for the vayle is rightly the Cainish Church, which covereth the Kingdome of Christ.

102. Here is the cleare and plaine ground and roote of the false Cainish Church; for Cain had made himselfe a Lord of this world, and built [or relyed] upon himselfe. Yet now he had in himselfe nothing for a propriety, but the first and the third Principle: for as to his soule, he was in the first Principle, as all Men [are]: and as to the body, he was in the third Principle in the Kingdome of this world. And now he should with his soule goe out of the Kingdome of this world, and presse into the second Principle (viz. into the Trust in God, into the Word of the Promise) to God, as Abel did: and labour with his hands in this world, and Plant and Build; but his minde should be directed to God in confidence, and should commend the f Kingdome of this world to God, and carry himselfe therein as a travailing stranger, which onely with this strange body is in his propriety, as to the body, and a stranger onely as to the soule, and besides as an ashamed Guest like a Prisoner in it: whose onely study should be, to get againe into his true Native Countrey, out of which he is gone forth with his father Adam; but he let the second Principle, the Kingdome of Heaven goe, and yeelded himselfe wholly with his soule into the Kingdome of this world, where he would be Lord; and so the Anger took hold on him: for he went out from the Word, the Promise of Grace.

103. And then the Word stood against him, in the Centre of the Heaven: and he stood (in the Roote of the fiercenesse) against the Word; for his Spirit went out of the Gate of the Centre of Heaven, and stood in the source [or active property] of the Originall of the Creation in the fierce Roote of the fire, and desired the Out-Birth out of the Holy Element, (which also stood in the kindling in the fierce∣nesse;) viz. the foure Elements.

104. His Anger against Abel came from hence, because Abel g stood not in this Birth, and his Spirit would not endure the Kingdome of Abel in his Kingdome: for he would rule (as by his own power,) in the h two Principles (wherein he stood:) and therefore he slew Abel.

105. Yet God would not have it so: but i kindled the Anger in Cain, which rested before in the swelled Kingdome of the foure Ele∣ments, and was onely climed up in great and mighty Joy, whereas Cain did not know the Anger, nor understand any thing of it; onely the Essences of the soule knew that they dealt falsly: but they knew not the fierce source in the kindling of the fire, till that they went forth from the Centre of God into the k falshood, and there they felt the fire of the Anger with great horrour, trembling and crying; for they were gone out from God, and neither saw nor felt the heavenly source any more: and therefore they despaired, because they found [or felt] themselves in the source of the wrath: and the Body with all its Essences cryed; My sinnes are greater than that they can be for∣given.

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106. And here is apparently seene the Glasse of the Abysse of Hell, and [of the] Eternall despaire; when the Anger of God riseth up in the source, that the malice [and wickednesse] is made stirring, and there beginneth trembling, galling, and crying, and despaire in it selfe as to God: there the soule seeketh abstinence in the Kingdome of this world, and findeth l none: and then it leaveth the Kingdome of this world also, and runneth into the Originality, into the Roote of the E∣ternall Birth, and seeketh abstinence, and yet findeth nothing; and then casteth it selfe into the abominable Deepe, supposing to reach the Originall of the Abstinence, or the Gate of the breaking in; but it mounteth onely above the Heaven, out (into the most uttermost) in∣to the fierce [wrathfull, grimme] Eternity.

107. Then it beginneth venomously to hate the body, wherein it hath borne the Image of God: and many run headlong into the wa∣ter, or take a roape, or a sword, and murther the body, which hath bereaved it of the Image of God, through temporall pleasure, through false confidence, standing upon it selfe, to contemne and scorne its brother and sister, to murther him, to take away his daily bread, and also to give occasion of wantonnesse to their brethren and sisters.

108. And thou Cainish Church, here thou hast a Glasse, in thy ri∣sing up in pride, and selfe power, also in thy voluptuous selfe-honour∣ing life; behold thy selfe [in it:] for thou art gone into the Spirit of this world, and thou hast made the Kingdome of this world thy King∣dome of Heaven, and thou trustest onely in thy selfe: thou makest thy selfe a Lord over Babell, and thou drawest the Kingdome of this world to thee onely by m cunning [subtilty]; and thou makest thy selfe a Patron therein, and therewith thou goest out from God: thou suppo∣sest that thou art holy, though thou suppressest the poore Abel under thy yoake, and vexest him day and night: he must here be thy Bloud∣hound, and thou accountest him thy slave, though thou hast not right to the least haire of his head as thine owne: and therefore thou art no other than his Driver [or Hunter] in Jericho, thou art his mur∣therer, who strippest him, beatest and killest him.

109. Doest thou aske wherefore? Behold, I will tell thee: thou art Can the Lord of the world, for thou hast made thy selfe so; and now Abel is thy servant, who is entered into this world as a Guest, yet he standeth, and desireth to be n gone out of this world into his Na∣tive Countrey, which thou canst not endure, thou pressest him to the ground, two manner of wayes, very subtilly and in selfe power. First, with thy hypocriticall false Doctrine [Teaching or Preaching] Ba∣bell, where he shall and must beleeve whatsoever thou o prescribest him, without the Spirit of God, that thereby thou mayst but streng∣then thy gorgeous p fat Kingdome, whereby thou drawest him away from God, into the Spirit of this world, so that he must q gape upon

thy Prating: and if he doe not so, then thou murtherest him, as Abel [was murthered].

110. And secondly, thou hast set thy selfe to be Lord over him, and hast made him thy slave; and so bravest it over him, as the proud woman of this world, thou r vexest him day and night, and consumest his sweat in high mindednesse; all according to the s fury of the wrath [or fiercenesse]. And so he sticketh not onely in the t Darknesse, but [also] in great misery, cares, and perplexity, and seeketh wayes to get out of them, and how to come to the light againe, and escape the Driver.

111. But he findeth nothing in thy Gates but the way of falshood, Bribery, cunning, subtlety, lying, and deceit, also covetousnesse, and to winde himselfe about so under thy yoake, that he may but live: and so himselfe murthereth his own poore soul, under thy yoake, and rendeth himselfe off thus, from the Kingdome of God, and giveth himselfe up to the u Kingdome of this world, kneeling and praying before thy Beast, and honoureth thy proud Bride that rideth upon thy Beast, as the Spirit of God in the Revelation of John witnesseth.

112. Thus thou continually murtherest poore Abel, two manner of wayes▪ and givest him great occasion of stumbling, by thy pomp and power thou drawest him away from God into the Spirit of this world, where he then groweth stalk blinde, and so he will continual∣ly ride x after thee, he will still sit upon thy Beast, and be Lord also, and ride over the bended knees: and thus the Kingdome of this world is a right Denne of Theeves, and in the presence of God a Lake of A∣bominations.

113. The Spirit of thy stout Beast, is the Hellish y Worm; The Crowned B••••de that fitteth upon it, is the false Woman [or Whore] of Babell: shee drinketh onely out of the Cup of Whoredome and A∣bominations, her drink in that Cup is the fiercenesse of the Anger of God, of which the People [or Nations] drink, and become drunk, and so in their drunkennesse, they become Murtherers, Robbers, Theeves, false perfidious mockers, jeerers, scorners, proud, high∣minded, selfe honourers, sterne malicious people; there is no end of the number of those that hate one another: every one supposeth, his way is right, and that he walketh in the right Path: if his brother and sister goe not in the same way with him, he scorneth them and calleth them Hereticks; and so one Wolfe biteth another: his way is in his own Opinion, as his Master teacheth him, who yet never regardeth any thing but his z Belly-God; that his esteeme and glory may be great among Men; thus one hypocrite deceiveth the other, and are scorners and persecutors one of another among themselves: and one is a Wolfe as well as another: and the poore Abel (who standeth in true Resignation, and relyeth upon God) must continually be their

a footstoole, he is continually murthered in a two-fold manner.

114. One is, that he is deceived, and goeth along into Babell, and is murthered, as to the Kingdome of Heaven. The other is, that if he remaine constant, then the Devill, (with Cain,) will not endure him, but murthereth him outwardly, as to the body, or taketh away his good name and credit, and b covereth him so that he may not be knowne, that so the Kingdome of Cain and the Antichrist may remaine in Babell: of which wee know well how to speake by our own experi∣ence, if wrath and anger did please us. But it fareth very well with our Abel, and our being scorned springeth up in the blossoming of the Lilly, whereat wee will rejoyce well enough, when wee returne againe from Jericho to Jerusalem, to our Father Abel.

115. And now what hast thou to expect, (thou proud Bride of Babell) for thy stately Pride (from the Spirit of this world) that thou servest it so faithfully? Behold, thou hast a threefold [reward to ex∣pect]; First, that the Spirit of this world leave thee, and departeth from thee, and teareth away thy proud body from thee, and turneth it to dust and ashes, and it taketh thy goods, power, and pomp, and giveth them to another, and tormenteth him for a while therein.

116. And secondly, that it receiveth all thy purposes and deeds, and setteth them in the Tincture of thy soule, and maketh of it ano∣ther dwelling house for thy soule, that it may not send thee so naked away from it.

117. And then thirdly, that he hath brought thy soule out of Hea∣ven into the pleasures of this world: and now leaveth it in its misery, wholly naked and bare, sitting in its filthinesse, and goeth away, and regardeth no more, where the soule is, or how it is with it, if it c were in the Abysse of Hell [it were all one to the spirit of this world;] this thou hast to expect for thy recompence from the spirit of this world, because thou hast so truly served it.

118. Therefore O Cain! fly away from the Spirit of this world, there is a fire (out of the Roote of the Originality) from the Lord of Heaven in it: thy swelled secret Kingdome is kindled, that Men may see [or know] thee in every place: thou shalt stand quite open [or naked] with all thy d secresies; for the Spiritus Majoris Mundi [or Spirit of the Greater World] hath found the Tincture, and its Roses blossome in the Wonders.

Notes

• a

  Or, in the hidden My∣steries.
• b

  Or, in great wondering.
• c

  The blossome of the sweet smelling Pu∣rity.
• d

  Or, be known.
• e

  Or, by.
• f

  Or, privities.
• g

  The dung.
• h

  Or, lost.
• i

  Or, from the creatures of the foure E∣lements.
• k

  The Spirit of this world.
• k

  The Spirit of this world.
• l

  The Spirit of this world.
• m

  Or, labour∣eth.
• n

  Or, discove∣reth.
• o

  Figure of the world.
• p

  Or, brought to light.
• q

  Or, knowne.
• r

  Man.
• s

  The cloathing of the skinnes of Beasts.
• t

  Many Arts, and Sciences or Trades.
• u

  Or, snares of the Hunter.
• x

  Hunter or oppressour.
• y

  Or, reserve these mysteries.
• z

  Or, under∣standing.
• a

  Or, in their knowledge.
• b

  Or, the humi∣lity of the Di∣vine Wisdome.
• c

  Mirth or cheerfulnesse.
• d

  High and low.
• e

  Or, in confu∣sed jangling.
• f

  With wrath, or with the devouring sword.
• g

  Or, God and Goodnesse.
• h

  Or, must.
• i

  Honesty.
• k

  The Starres order their government.
• l

  With Manna.
• m

  Covetousnes.
• n

  The Hea∣thens.
• o

  His wrath.
• p

  Honest ver∣tuous, or had feared the Lord.
• q

  Or, one sinne.
• r

  From the grimme wrath the Devill or Weeds or Tares are sowen a∣mong the Wheate.
• s

  Lord, or Su∣periour.
• t

  Or, false.
• u

  Or, Plagueth.
• x

  Evill or false.
• x

  Evill or false.
• y

  Or, Exhort.
• z

  Grifted or inoculated.
• a

  Or, fatnesse.
• b

  Kine, Calves, Sheep, Lambs, &c.
• c

  Or, warning flaming sword
• d

  Darkened, chilled, shut up, or frozen so hard.
• e

  Into his pow∣er or jurisdi∣ction.
• f

  Shut, barred, or closed.
• g

  Generation or operation.
• h

  Working or revelation.
• i

  No harsh Law.
• k

  Evangelium.
• l

  Instead of the Law, or read or declared it to us.
• m

  The great world, or Ma∣crocosme.
• n

  Nor began to be conceived with childe.
• o

  Or, incline.
• p

  Or, Copula∣tion.
• q

  Or, incarna∣tion.
• r

  Or, Kingdoms.
• s

  Cain.
• t

  The Hunter the Devill.
• u

  In Eve's fruit.
• x

  Or, destroyest.
• y

  Or, play a trick of youth.
• z

  The Love.
• a

  Or, into the world.
• b

  Or, the sen∣tence of the Law concern∣ing it.
• c

  Mother or Roote.
• c

  Mother or Roote.
• d

  Or, their bur∣ning unchasti∣ty.
• e

  Or, in.
• f

  Or, every way
• g

  Then that which is men∣tioned a little before.
• h

  Or, imper∣fection.
• i

  Or, humility.
• k

  Honest, sin∣cere, obedient, faithfull one.
• l

  Or, both will receive it.
• m

  Or, knower of the hearts.
• n

  Or, borne of God.
• o

  As the light is generated out of the bur∣ning of the fire, and is free from the fire.
• p

  As the light is another thing than the fire.
• q

  As the Aire goeth forth from the fire and the light.
• r

  Sincerely, or unfeinedly.
• s

  The Evill is overcome with Good.
• t

  Honest or In∣nocent.
• u

  Or, Domini∣on.
• x

  Or, the foure Elementary Image in the Holy Element.
• y

  Foure Ele∣ments, but in the one holy Element.
• z

  Or, angry, or vexed with, and abborreth himselfe.
• a

  Or, overcome the inward.
• b

  Or, cheate.
• c

  Or, no Image of God.
• d

  Or, for him to attaine the Image of God.
• e

  Between Time and Eter∣nitie: see more Chap. 19.
• f

  Or, forgivenes
• g

  The Eternall hellish or hea∣venly life.
• g

  The Eternall hellish or hea∣venly life.
• h

  Innocent.
• i

  The Heaven.
• k

  Or, voyde of understanding.
• l

  Note what Free-will is.
• m

  Or, of.
• n

  The kindling is not brought into the issuing Essentiall powers.
• o

  Or, Body.
• p

  The Abellish Church.
• q

  For all the Devils stirring up, or awaken∣ing of his An∣ger.
• r

  The Devill.
• s

  The highest place of Earth∣ly Dominion.
• t

  Or, speake good words before God.
• u

  Necessitie, or subsistence of the body.
• x

  Or, Macro∣cosme.
• y

  Or, for the punishment of evill doers.
• z

  The time will not beare the Exposition of this, let every one finde it with their own eyes.
• a

  Gods Anger.
• b

  Or, Before.
• c

  Or, meeteth.
• d

  This concern∣eth Christen∣dome to consi∣der it.
• e

  Or, sheweth.
• f

  The wicked∣nesse or fierce∣nesse.
• g

  The wonders of the fierce wrath.
• h

  Or, that.
• i

  Or, was.
• k

  Dissolution.
• l

  Schollership.
• m

  Or, was se∣vered.
• n

  With his sword.
• o

  Or, put.
• p

  Or, above his power.
• q

  Seperated.
• r

  Or, be known.
• s

  This speech of Moses.
• t

  Or, the strife, contention, & wrangling dis∣putations.
• u

  In the agree∣ing love and unity.
• x

  Or, Example.
• y

  The wolfe.
• z

  Or, a great claffe or gulfe before Para∣dise.
• a

  They that have spoken and written in the Spirit of God.
• b

  When they speak & write in this world.
• c

  Or, strife.
• d

  Defile them with siding & divisions.
• e

  In selfe.
• f

  Rule or Go∣vernment.
• g

  Or, tooke no pleasure in the Kingdome of this world.
• h

  The first and the third.
• i

  Or, awakened the gnawing worme.
• k

  Or, wicked∣nesse.
• l

  Or, no com∣fort.
• m

  Tricks, de∣vices, or de∣ceit.
• n

  Regenerated.
• o

  Or, enjoynest him as Ortho∣dox.
• p

  Or, stately Dominion.
• q

  Or, must e∣steem your ar∣tificiall teach∣ing as the meanes of sal∣vation.
• r

  Plaguest or tormentest.
• s

  Kingdome, vengeance, or rage.
• t

  Contempt and scorne.
• u

  Or, Spirit.
• x

  Use all the might and au∣thority he can as thou doest.
• y

  Dragon or Serpent.
• z

  His own E∣lected God Mausim.
• a

  As the dust under their seate.
• b

  With all man∣ner of standers and lyes.
• c

  Or, should goe into Hell.
• d

  Or, Mysteries.