Mysterium magnum, or An exposition of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Concerning the manifestation or revelation of the divine word through the three principles of the divine essence; also of the originall of the world and the creation. Wherein the kingdome of nature, & the kingdome of grace are expounded. For the better understanding of the Old and New Testament, and what Adam and Christ are. Also, how man should consider and may know himselfe in the light of nature, where he is, and where his temporall and eternall life, consist; also, where his eternall blessednesse, and damnation, consist. And is an exposition of the essence of all essences for the further consideration of the lovers, in the divine gift. Comprised in three parts: written anno 1623. By Jacob Behm. To which is added, The life of the author. And his Foure tables of divine revelation.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of Cains killing of his brother; viz. of the Proud Haughty Antichristian hypocriticall Church, upon the Earth; and al∣so of the true Christendome hidden under this Antichristian Church.

WHen the Devill in Gods Anger, in the wrath of the Eternall na∣ture, had introduced his Throne, and Seat, into the humane property, and awakened the Centre of the wrathfull nature, in him, there forthwith arose up such a desire out of the awakened Angers property in the humane 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 Serpent-bruiser of this false property, (who should bruise the head of the Ser∣pents Ens and will or desire) unto the heavenly Ens of man, which disappeared, in and to Paradise, which word of promise was a Myste∣ry, and a very Secret hiddennesse to the earthly Man; even so also the false Cainicall Church of hypocricie and seeming holinesse, whose heart and desire is onely [of] the outward world, hath gotten aloft this whole time, and hath the outward dominion and Name as if it of∣fered to God: but the true reall Christian Church is hidden under it, as a very secret Mystery, and is not known of the Cainicall Church.

3. Cains Church sets forth it selfe very devoutly, and glysters on all sides with specious Ceremonies, and pompous ostentation; giving forth, that it is holy righteous and good; that it also offers in the Co∣venant of Christ, but its heart is onely a glozing soothing bravely at∣tired Harlot, full of Cainicall murther, reviling and blasphemy, full of censure and selfe-speculation, in pride, in covetousnesse, and high mindednesse; but Abels Church is hidden under it in great plainnesse and with no Respect and Reputation, and is accounted but foo••ish in reference to the glittering shew of Cain; and is continually slain by Cain in its simplicity.

4. Now saith Reason; what, had God any pleasure herein, that he suffered Cain to kill Abel; and why is it still to this day that the chil∣dren of God, are slaine, dispised, contemned reproached mocked scorned and cryed down for false, by Cain, viz. by his posterity; one cause hereof is this.

5. Prince Lucifer was an Hierarch in the Kingdome or place of this world, (as Christ even calleth him a Prince of this world, viz. in the Kingdome of darkness in the Anger of God) and was cast for his pride sake out of the light into the darkness.

6. But being God then created another Prince, viz. Adam in and for this place, with whom he bound himselfe even with his deepest Love before the foundation of the world in the deare and pretious Name JESVS,

that he would break down and destroy, the throne and Kingdome of proud Prince Lucifer in the humane property, and overcome and be predominant with Love; thence forthwith arose his Envy, and wrath against man.

7. Secondly, the Cause is this; In the fall of man, the wrath of the Eternall and also of the Temporall and inchoative nature, obtained the Superiour Sway and dominion in the humane property; for the Kingdome of Heaven did extinguish in Adam and Eve when as they became Earthly; and in the roome and stead thereof the Kingdome of the Devill did awake, in the Serpents wit and pride, in them: for the a humane will had broken it selfe off from God, and was entered in∣to selfehood, and no longer understood any thing of the Mystery of Gods Kingdome.

8. But seeing that the Kingdome of God did againe bud, and break forth in the ATM of the Covenant in Abel and the children of God; the Devills Kingdome and will in the Serpent-Monster could not brooke it; Also the Love-Kingdome, is a great Enmity against the wrath of the Eternall nature according to the darke property, for the humane Essence was become according to the darke worlds property, as to the Soule an halfe Devill, and as to the outward worlds vanity an halfe Beast, in which Beast the false suttle crafty wicked lustfull proud covetous envious and angry Serpents worme, did sit, infected with the Devills will.

9. This wrathfull vile malicious monstrous beast would live in its owne selfe property; therefore the Angelicall virgin-childe which should destroy and possesse the Kingdome of this Evill Beast, did ap∣peare against him in Abell; This was now a Great Enmity, for the Anger of God had captivated Man, and would worke and rule in him; therefore Gods Love brake forth out of the Anger, as a light out of the fire, and would kill the Anger, and change it into Love, and help againe poore mans Image, and redeeme it from the Eternall Anger and death.

10. But being the Anger had got the upper hand and sway in man; and yet the virgin-childe of the Angelicall worlds Essence should spring forth and grow out of the Covenant of God, out of the disap∣peared Ens, through the Anger, as a clear delightfull light, shines forth out of the Candle, through the wrathfull fire, which depriveth the darknesse of its power and prevalency; therefore the outward bo∣dy in [Abel, and] the children of God must suffer it selfe to be slaine, and persecuted by the wrath of God; for b it was a strange figure on the virgin childe.

11. For Abel in his outward flesh had the Awakened vanity lying in him as well as Cain; he was also Sinfull as to the outward man, but internally the Angelicall word and Image of Paradise did spring and bud forth againe in the Covenant; this was now a great enmity against each other; the inward man bruised the Serpent-Monster upon the head of its false desire, and the Serpent-Monster stung him on the heel of his Angelicall will, and openly mocked the Angeli∣call Image; as it is so still to this day; so soon as the virgin-childe is borne in the Spirit of Christ, the outward earthly body together

with the virgin-childe, is by the children of Cain persecuted, contem∣ned, reviled, and accounted as a strange childe of the world.

12. For the Serpents-Monster is as a foole before God, and being the noble and pretious virgin-childe must beare such a Monster on it in the outward flesh, to which the Devill hath yet continuall accesse, therefore this body is strongly assaulted and struck at by the Devill in the Anger of God, and its children; they would continually slay it; for the virgin-childe worketh through the outward man, as a light through the fire, and manifesteth it selfe: it teacheth and reproveth the wicked Sort: and this the Devill cannot endure, for it is against his Kingdome, as the offring of Abell was against Cains.

13. For Cain offered in the proud Serpents desire as an hypocrite, and would be an honest demure devout and Godly childe in his Ser∣pents desire; but Abel humbled himselfe before God, and set his de∣sire into Gods mercy: Gods Love-fire tooke his offering, and pene∣trated through the earthly offring and fire; and the like also is to be understood in the Body of Abel; as the Incorruptible [being] shall swallow up the corruptible, so also the heavenly tooke the earthly captive in it selfe.

14. But that Cain slew the outward body of Abel hath this c type and figure; that the outward body shall be d slaine in the Anger of God; the Anger must devoure and mortifie the outward Image which is grown up in the Anger; and out of Death springeth forth the Eternall life.

15. Abel was a figure of Christ; the children of Gods Anger must execute the Right of Gods Anger upon the outward earthly, and also beastiall Image of the children of the holy One; even as the Pharisees, (who before God were onely false Serpent-children as Christ called them) must persecute, and kill the humanity of Christ; so likewise was Cain a type of these Serpentine wolvish Pharisees, and also of the verball Titular Christendome.

16. As the false Serpents-child is a monster and fool before the An∣gelicall world, so likewise the children of darknesse doe account and esteeme the children of the light for fooles; for there must be a con∣trary, that the one might be manifest in the other; if the Anger had not taken hold of the humanity, and devoured it into it selfe, then the deepest Love of God would not have been manifest in Man.

17. But thus the Love taketh Cause by the Anger to overpower and prevaile over the same with its motion and manifestation; as the same may be known in Christ: the true Son of God gave himselfe into our Image which was awaked in the Anger, that so he might be made manifest with his Love in the Anger, and change the same into joy.

18. Christ gave our humane Image to the Anger of his father to be devoured in death, and brought his life into death, and yet manifested his Love in the life which death had devoured, and brought forth the life in Love through the death; as a Grain of corn which is sown into the earth, the same must dye in the earth, but out of that mortifyed grain growes a fair new body; even so the corrupt body of Adam shall and must be offered to death, and the Anger; and out of the Death and Anger the body of the divine Love shall be manifest.

19. It was exactly Typified, and prefigured in Cain and Abel, how it would be in the Succeeding and future generations; being Abel out∣wardly did beare the Earthly Image; and yet in the Spirit he was an Image of heaven; his outward body in the Corruption was onely a e visard before the outward world; for there was another Spirit hidden therein, which was not of the outward worlds Essence and property, therefore because he was not wholly a right childe of the earthly world, it would not suffer him (being as a strange childe) in it; for the De∣vill was Prince in the wrathfull Essence in this world, who would not that a childe of the light should spring forth through the wrathfull Es∣sence [and be in his Garden.]

20. Thus the Image or person of Cain and Abel is a true figure of the false, and then also of the holy and true children of God; of the outward Sinfull corrupt and mortall Man, and of the inward now regenerate holy man, when Christ with his Love-Kingdome ariseth from death out of the disappeared Ens, then Adams earthly Image must dye in Christs death; and if it now be, that the outward body must yet live, it is onely a scorne and foole before the Heavens Image, and so also before the naturall f life of this world.

21. For so soon as Christ is borne, the Sinfull life is condemned to death; and standeth in scorne, and open shame before all the false children in the Anger of God, as an whore in g Bridewell, whom other whores likewise help to deride and scoffe at, and yet they doe but onely judge, and condemn themselves thereby; for if Christ be born, then the judgement passeth upon the false beastiall life, and that man must stand in the judgement of God, as a malefactour, and be termed a foole, a Heretick; and be jeered scoffed and reviled, yea even utterly defyed and slaine, that the Monster may be judged before Gods An∣ger: but those that doe it, are the children of the lusty, pampered, and well-fatned, Anger of God, whom the wrath of God useth for its Instrument, for God is a Spirit, therefore he accomplisheth his judgement by a materiall h Image.

22. For so soon as Abell did in his Offring put on, or attract the Love of God in the Covenant anew into his humane desire, and compre∣hended [or amassed] the same into his Essence, then forthwith the judgement passed upon the externall mortall Man; and Gods Sword of Anger tooke him, which Cain executed, and slew the outward bo∣dy of Abel, and at this time also the judgement passed upon the false Image of the Anger in Cain, for he stood there, and cryed My Sins are greater then can be forgiven me.

23. This doth now hint, and point at the figure of Christ, how the Anger of the Father must i devoure the life of Christ in death, and when as the Anger had devoured the life in death, then the holy life of the deepest Love of God moved it selfe in the death and the Anger, and devoured the death and anger into it selfe, whereat the Earth trem∣bled, and the Rocks clove asunder, and the Graves of the Saints opened.

24. And so likewise the Love-fire k and the Anger-fire in the place of this world (which wrathfull fire was enkindled in the Cre∣ation when the Apostate [Lucifer] fell) shall at the Last Day be again changed into the Divine joyfulnesse, and be Avalled or swallowed up

in the Love; understand it shall be thus in the third Principle where Love and anger doe strive this Time one with anorher: but l HE remaineth in the darknesse in the first Principle.

25. The true Cause wherefore Cain murthered Abel was by reason of their Offrings and worship of God, viz. Religion; as this Contenti∣on continueth still to this day; the Cainicall Church is not yet one with the Abelicall.

26. Now saith reason, I see it well enough, that all contention and strife ariseth from Religion, but what is the ground and most un∣doubted cause and reason thereof: behold! this is the Cause: set be∣fore thee the false Serpents childe which is Evill and good, and then set before thee the virgins-childe borne of Christ, and then thou hast the fundamentall Cause exactly drawn to the life, before thine eyes.

27. The Cainicall Church drives a suttle Trade with externall Ce∣remonies, and will appease God with some externall thing or other: it will be outwardly an accepted and adopted child, it must down right be called honest godly holy and heavenly, it adorneth and trimmeth up it selfe very finely, and standeth mightly upon its Calling, which it hath it selfe Ordained, and Instituted, it makes a very specious and Renowned shew in the white sheepes cloathing, and therein lodgeth the High Priest of selfehood without Christs Spirit, and rules and masters the worke of the outward letters, and whosoever learneth to transpose and compose the same boldly and bravely [according to their forme of forged opinions] he is an high Priest in their Office and Order: he putteth Christs garment of innocency on him for his Cloake and Covert.

28. The other party of the confused cainicall Church cryeth out, and holdeth forth the Goodly glistering childe to m sale for Money; and hath bound the Kingdome of Heaven to its Ceremonies, and will sell it for Money; so that the Man may but fat himselfe in this world under the white Garment [of its hypocricie.]

29. The third party giveth forth that they have so holy an Order, that it doth even Sanctifie and save them, and they above all others will be esteemed holy.

30. The fourth party (or Sect) will obtaine the Kingdome of God by their n lip-labour with muchnesse of Speaking, Reading, Singing, Preaching and Hearing, and it rebukes, censures, and reviles, all that will not approve of, prayse, and give diligent attention to its lip-la∣bour [and fine conceited long Prating.]

31. This Party hath cloathed it selfe with the (white) Garment, and set it selfe upon the letter [or writings] of Gods children, and therewith it doth so lustily bestir and lay about it, as a Beggar, that casteth stones at the Dogs; and sometimes hits a churlish one, sometimes a quiet one, and he that is hit at makes him heare of it, and then others fall on pell mell, and bite and wurry him; and there is a continuall biting tearing confounding, reviling reproaching, cavilling and jangling about the Letter, a meere externall worke, whereby men [blindely zealous] suppose to serve God, and obtaine Grace; a very Cainicall Offring.

32. The Cainicall Church, is in the outward world, evill and good,

it buildeth, and breaketh down, and is onely a figure o of Gods Love and Anger; what one party buildeth and calleth holy, that, another pulleth down and revileth, with one mouth it buildeth and with an∣other it teareth down; what One hypocrite praiseth, that, another dis∣praiseth; and thus there is onely a Confused [shattered] Babylon; Evill, and Good; a wonder of nature and time.

33. All these run on in their selfe-contrived and devised Orders, and rely upon their received Orders, and so they offer the Letter of the word and the worke of their own hands before God, and will needs be outwardly adopted and accepted children before God, God must have respect unto their Offring, and forgive them their Sins by a word speaking, as a Lord out of favour and clemency freely gives a male∣factour his life; such an unmeasurable matchless heap of Grace they have brought into their literall Offerings, and into the workes of their hands; so that their Teaching, and the hearing of them is account∣ed for the most holy way wherein salvation is to be had, and whosoe∣ver doth not worship and honour this their way with exceeding dili∣gence, and subject himselfe thereunto; him they reproach persecute and kill, or else hold him for an Heretick.

34. But Abels children in Christ have far another worship and Ser∣vice of God, they dwell indeed among Cains children, and doe also appeare in their Orders and Offrings; they Offer to God a broken and bruised heart, and an humble Contrite minde, in true Sorrow for, and Conversion from, their committed Sins; and with their Spirituall will doe goe out from and forsake all their creature-selfefullnesse and selfish interests and arrogation, and dye to their selfehood in the Death of Christ; and become as children who neither know nor will any thing but onely their mother which hath brought them forth; they cast their selves into her bosome, and they take in Patience whatsoever she pleaseth to doe with them.

35. For their internall will is quite mortified to the outward world with all its glozing shew and alluring glory; they account them∣selves very unworthy before the great Grace of God, and their vanity which the flesh desireth is alwayes in their sight; and to this the in∣ward spirituall will is a deadly opposite Enemy, and yet it cannot be wholly separated from it in this life-time; their whole course through this world is a meere work of Repentance, for their Sins and Impurity doe appeare continually in their Sight.

36. There is a continuall, and constant Combate in them, of the flesh in the earthly desire against the divine desire, and of the divine de∣sire against the lust of the earthly flesh, for the divine desire doth amasse it selfe into Gods Grace and Mercy, and brings it selfe into a Centre of a working life, and penetrates through the earthly false lustfull life, and striketh the false lust and Imagination down; and then the false Imagination falls into great Sadnesse, when as it contem∣plates and beholds the voluptuous pompous stately brave glistering Course of this world, and findes it selfe so mean and foolish, that it must forsake and forgoe that, wherein it might have its chief joy plea∣sure and delight.

37. Also the Devill he cometh forthwith with his temptation, and

bringeth his desire into the false Imagination; and shewes him the fair Kingdome of the world, and rebuketh his Intent as a false Phancy and meere conjecture; stirreth up the crew of the wicked against him, who scorne jeere reproach and contemn him; and then sometimes the Sprackling glimps, and divine desire, doth even lose it selfe, for Christ, viz. the virgins-childe in the Spirit of Christ, is lead into the wildernesse, and is tempted of the Devill and of the Anger of God, and also of the Carnall worlds spirit, and oftentimes the Spirit of Christ doth hide it selfe, as if the virgins-childe were quite gone and past Hopes, also the Devill makes his addresse thereto, and brings him into Doubt as if the virgins childe were not borne.

38. For the virgins childe is hidden in the Desart, and then the poore captivated Soule is in great Sorrow and lamentation, sigheth, and cryeth to God, also it cannot love, or away with, the beastiall Image, but it doth stir up it selfe as a great assaulting Storme in the Body, and seeketh the Gates of the deep in its Originall; and forceth with might [or holy violence] into that word which hath formed it to be a creature, and diveth it selfe thereinto as an Impotent, will-lesse childe, and desireth its first mother, whence the first Soule was born, for its Nurse, and makes it selfe wholly will-lesse in this mother, and lyeth onely at her Breasts, and sucketh her Love and grace into it, the mother may doe with it, what she please: this is the true meaning, and the right manner of dying to selfehood and selfefull Imagination and lust in ones selfe, and becoming as to the will of the Soule as a childe in ones selfe; as Christ saith, unlesse yee be converted and become as children, yee can in no wise see the Kingdome of God; selfe, and selfefull Reason in the lust of the flesh, can neither taste or see it.

39. From this mortification, of the Selfefull will, and earnest Re∣signation into Gods mercy, the virgins-childe doth again Spring forth out of the Desart with its faire and glorious Pearl-blooming Tree with very excellent and new fruit, for so it must be tryed in the fire of Gods Anger, that the Abomination of the introduced earthly will, may dye in it.

40. For the fire-soule, viz. the first Principle, hangeth upon the Band of the outward world, and continually and eagerly introduceth Something of vanity into it, whereby the virgin-childe of the Angeli∣call worlds Essence, viz. of Christs essentiality, is defiled, obscured, and darkned, therefore it must be so refined purified and purged again; and many a cold piercing rautish wind of tribulation Anguish and great perplexity, bloweth upon this child; it must be continually as an off-scouring of the world, for its Kingdome is not of this world; as Christ said, my Kingdome is not of this world.

41. But the effect is this; when the fair morning Star doth dawn and arise in the virgin-child, then the outward life is even illuminated in this time, and it giveth it selfe up unto the obedience of the Inter∣nall [life] as an instrument and Servant of the internall.

42. And then the holy Spirit of God shineth forth through the vir∣gin-child, and preacheth Christ crucified, and reproveth the world for its Sins and wicked malicious doings, and shewes them their false hypocriticall erroneous way, that they will needs be the children

of God in the outward Kingdome, in their selfe-contrived and de∣vised wayes, and will seeke an externall forgivenesse of Sin, in their owne conceited, and received wayes; and yet will still remaine in the vanity, and in the pleasure of their flesh; and desire onely to make devout shewes before God, and give good words in a soothing glozing glosse of fine hypocrisie, as if they served God, in their contrived Conjectures, and Opinions, but still they will continue in selfehood in the outward shew and Ostentation.

43. These, the holy Ghost doth rebuke and reprove by the Virgins child in Christs Spirit, and calls them hypocrites and wolves in sheeps cloathing, and crafty Foxes borne of the Serpents Ens, in whom there is the very property of Toads, Dogs, and wilde Beasts; and shewes them, that they draw neer to God with their lips, but their Heart is full of murther, gall, and Serpent-desire, and hath no true upright Love-de∣sire in it; also it shewes them, that they are but meer flatterers and dissemblers in their Office, who onely seeke pleasure and Temporall Honour and Respect thereby, that so they might be able to domineer and Lord it over mens bodies and Soules Goods and Estates, and thus they serve God onely from without with hypocriticall mouthes, but their heart hangeth to the whoredome of Babylon, full of devillish murther and poyson against him, that doth but touch their Con∣science.

44. Such children in the Serpents craft, who are best able as cun∣ning Crafts masters in Sophistry, to turne this Suttlety most takingly and artificially, the children of the world doe set up unto themselves for Teachers, and will learne the way of God from them.

45. These Teachers doe assume unto themselves [and presume up∣on] the writings of the Saints, and proclaime with open mouth, that they teach Gods word, the holy Spirit is poured forth by their teach∣ing and preaching; and though their conscience doth even convince them, that they are not capable of the Office of the Ministry, and that they are in no wise the Temples of the holy Spirit, who should teach in and by them, yet they care not for that, it brings them mo∣ney and Honour; Christ is gone up to heaven, and hath placed and Ordained them to be Stewards and Vicars in his office, they must com∣pose, and contrive their Doctrine out of the writings of the Saints, and out of their Reason upon the Letter of the Scripture; their heap∣ing together and composing of the words [in the forme of their Suttle Reason] must be the voice of the holy Spirit, they say the holy Spi∣rit is thereby poured forth into the Hearts of men.

46. And though they themselves be onely Cain, and in their q lit∣terall and Bookish rapsody in their Sermons, doe cast forth a great deal of light lewd Cainicall scorne, and brother-slaughter, and oftentimes mix lies and truth together, yet the holy Spirit must have taught, and the Congregation must thanke God for such holy [sound orthodox Evan∣gelicall] Doctrine as they call it, and after their killing of their bro∣ther there, they must also help with boldnesse courage and zeale, to murther and slay Abel, and the little childe Jesus, in his members, with words, and deeds.

47. Such Teachers the world sets up to learn the Kingdome of God

from, and whosoever can but lustily cavill, censure and condemne others in their Gifts; and propose it with fine Distinctions, and suttle Arguments; and cloath them with the mantle of Reason, and hide the Wolfe (which thereby murthereth, and devoureth Christs flock) under the purple mantle of Christ; to him they give diligent atten∣tion, for the fleshly Serpents Heart doth therewith sooth up and flatter it selfe in its evill property; It hath even such an Artificiall nature and Constitution.

48. Such Seed these Teachers chosen of men doe sow, who onely de∣sire the Calling for temporall Honour and pleasure but are not called of God, and are also without divine knowledge, [and understand not what true divinity is] they enter not by the doore of Christ; but they come into place by the Election and favour of men; through the means of their own willing, walking, and running: these can no way be acknowledged for the shepheards of Christ, for they are not borne of Christ, and chosen to this Function and divine calling.

49. They are onely the great Master-builders of Babylon, where the Languages are confounded, and men thereby set at ods and variance, and they set up war and contention upon the Earth, for they wrangle, and jangle about the meer Husk, viz. about the written word and Letter, and they have not the living word of God dwelling in them, from which they ought to teach, the Spirit of Christ it selfe must be the teacher in the word with the living voice [or Expression] the Spirit r of man must know and feelingly finde Christ in it, otherwise none teacheth the words of Christ, onely dumb [sencelesse] words without power and Spirit.

50. Now the Spirit of Christ in his children doth reprove these, and shewes them the true way viz. how we must dye wholly in Christs death to the selfehood and the false selfe-full desire of temporall plea∣sure, and honour, and be borne again of Christs Spirit with another new will and desire out of Christs s Love in peculiar Reall know∣ledge, and preach and teach Christ from our [own peculiar, and sin∣gular knowledge of him in our] selves.

51. This, Babel in Cain cannot endure, that one should teach, that Christ himselfe must be the teacher in the humane Spirit; they plead their Cause from the forewritten Apostolicall word, and say, if they teach the same, then the Spirit of God is poured forth; yes forsooth! very right, I say so too, if the same be taught in Christs Spirit and power, then tis so indeed.

52. But the Spirit of Christ in his children is not bound to any cer∣taine forme, that it need not [or ought not] to speak any thing which stands not in the Apostolicall Letter; as the Spirit in the Apostles was free, and they spake not all one and the same words, but from one Spirit and ground they did all speak, every one as the Spirit gave him utterance; even thus likewise the Spirit speaketh yet out of its chil∣dren, it needeth no forme aforehand composed and gathered together out of the Literall word, it indeed doth put mans Spirit in minde of what is comprehended and contained in the letter; for Christ said; the holy Ghost shall take of mine, and declare it unto you.

53. Christ is Alone the Word of God that teacheth the way of truth

through his children and members; the literall word is onely a ma∣nuduction, and manifestation of Christ; that we should have the same before us as a Testimony and witnesse of Christ [shewing] what he is and what he hath done for us that we should conceive set and fasten our Faith therein, and yet with the desire, enter into the living word▪ Christ; and be our selves borne to life therein.

54. None is a shepheard of Christ, but he that hath Christs Spirit and teacheth from him; no Art nor University makes one a shepheard of Christ, unlesse he be capable of the office in Christs Spirit, if he hath not that, living, and working in him, then Man hath onely chose him to be a Carver and builder of the Great Babylon; a letter changer, [a verball jangler and wrangler] without divine understanding, and knowledge; for the Scripture saith, the naturall man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God; how will then he teach the way of God, who him∣selfe understands nothing thereof.

55. And Christ saith; he that entereth not into the sheepfold by him, viz. by the doare of his Spirit, but climeth up some other way, as by Art, and Reason, or by the favour of man, into the same: whosoever set∣eth up himselfe not being called of Gods Spirit to be a sheepheard of Christ, for humane and temporall repute, and Revenue's sakes, he is a Theefe and Murtherer, and the sheep hear not his voyce, for he hath not Christs voice, and cometh onely that he may rob and steale.

56. But they say, the written word is Christs voice, yea, it is indeed the Cabinet thereof, viz. a forme of the word: but the voice must be living which opens the same, and likewise acts it in due motion as a watch-worke: the Letter is as an Instrument thereunto, as a Trumpet, but there must be a true and right breath and aire which agrees with the air or tune in the letter.

57. The word of the letter is a prepared Instrument, what kinde of Trumpetter takes it in hand to play thereon, even such a sound it gives: Is not I pray the Great Babel built out of this worke, every one hath sounded the Trumpet of the Letter, as his own Aire and Tone hath been in him, and so it hath been approved and received by each Trum∣petter, and brought into a Substance, and this same substance is the Great Babylon, where evill and good is built into a building.

58. But if men had not introduced any Exposition upon the Aposto∣licall Word, and brought or contrived the same into other formes, then the Instrument had remained Pure: but the un-illuminated minde hath set it selfe up to be a master therein, and bowed the same according to its own Imagination and well-liking; for the humane pleasure hath thereon set it selfe, and formed and expounded the same according to the Rule of fat Benefices for the Belly sake and worldly pleasures. And thus the Spirit is extinct; and 'tis turned to an antichri∣stian Order and Custome; men have taken and formed the word as an Organ, and so they have brought it into a fashion, and custome that a man must play thereon and others must hear the Sound and tune which he makes; and thus for the most part such Organists are onely used, who strike the Organ from without, and make a fine contrived and composed Peece which they willingly and readily heare, but the Organ Soundeth onely as the Master t strikes it.

59. But to this Christ saith: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up: also whosoever is of God he heareth Gods word: Christ said; the Son of man speaketh nothing but what he heareth the Father speake in him: so likewise must a teacher of Christ heare the Fathers Spirit in Christ speak in him; he must heare Gods Word in the Spirit of Christ in him; as David saith, I will hear what the Lord speaketh in me; he must be a Temple of God in whom God dwelleth, and from whom he speaketh, being only an Instrument thereto; for Christ said; we will come to you and make our Abode in you also I will put my word into your mouth; saith the Prophet; also the word is nigh thee namely in thy mouth, and heart; heere the Spirit of God speaketh of the living Word; and not of a Bell without a clapper.

60. This, the Spirit of Christ in his children, doth teach, and re∣proves the woodden clapper in the right bell, which hath hung it selfe up to be a clapper in the Bell of the divine word, and yet hath no power to make the Bell sound: this, Cain in his offring, can by no means brook, that one should tell him, his offring doth not please God.

61. He setteth forth himselfe with very faire glozing and glistering outside shewes, and hath made himselfe such a brave glorious forme; moreover he is chosen of the high schooles and worldly might thereto, and if a mean Lay-man without humane calling should come thereinto (as Christ was accounted for a Carpenters Son) and offer to reprove such an High Priest in such great dignity Honour and Respect; the same the world beleeveth not that it is from God; that he is sent.

62. The Great Beare thinketh presently, this is onely a sheep which I will take into my mouth, and devoure him, what? shall a sheep re∣prove me who am a Bear? will a disesteemed sheep nullifie my Repu∣tation and esteeme among men, and dare to quetch at me, I will soon rid him out of the way, and so defile him, that he shall not be known that he is a sincere and single-hearted Lamb of Christ and speaketh from Christs Spirit, I will so wallow and mire him in the Dirt dis∣grace and scorne, that he shall be held for a filthy Beast, or a very de∣filed Swine.

63. In the meane time I live in my delicious Dayes of pleasure, and remaine Lord over Soule and Body, but if the sheepling shall offer to stir, and shew more then a sheepling of Christ, then I will help the Butcher drive it to the slaughter-house.

64. Thus it goeth with the Simple single-hearted children of Christ, whom the Spirit of Christ driveth, and out of whom he teacheth heere in this world &c. they are onely as sheep among Wolves, as Christ said I send you as sheep among Wolves, the earthly man is a Serpentine Wolfe, under whom the virgin-childe viz. Christs Lamb must dwell; and then beginneth and ariseth murthering slaying, and killing.

65. But it doth not at all hurt the virgin-childe; Its Externall Wolfe is also by this meanes bitten off, by another: for the outward Wolfe of all men is growne from the Anger of God, and arisen with the Sin in Adam; therefore it must be given for food to the Anger of God that the virgin-childe of the womans Seed may become manifest.

66. For thus they doe Separate themselves as two Enemies, and are continually opposite Enemies one against another in the time of

this outward life, for the Judgement is given to the virgin-childe against the introduced Serpents childe of Sin; In the Resurrection the virgin-childe shall condemne the Serpent-childe into the Fire of God, there the limus of the Earth shall be proved and purged from the Serpents Ens, and againe put upon the virgins-childe.

67. Now saith reason; what pleasure hath God in this murther∣ing of his children, can he not defend them from the Enemy? thus it must be, that the light may be manifest in the darknesse, else the light would stand still in the darknesse and bring forth no fruit: seeing then the light receiveth into it selfe Essence and perceivancy, also Sensation, from the darknesse, viz. from the Source of the fire, there∣fore, one is set against the other, that so one might be manifest in the other: the joy against griefe, and griefe against joy; that it may be known what Evill or good is.

68. For if there were no griefe then the Joy were not manifest to it selfe; but yet all is in the Free-will, as every thing doth introduce it selfe into evi••l or good, so it runneth on its Course, and the one is but the manifestation of the other, for if there were no night or darknesse, then we should know nothing of the Light or Day: thus the great God hath introduced himselfe into Severation, to his owne contemplation and Sport of joy.

69. The like also is to be understood in the various diversity and Severalty of Men touching evill and good; The Evill must be a Cause, that the good be made manifest to it selfe; and the Good must be a cause to manifest the Evill in its wicked malicious Suttlety and iniqui∣ty; that all things may come into their contemplation, [and visible ken,] and every thing might manifest its judgement in it selfe unto the Great Separation-Day of the LORD of all beings, where every thing shall give in it selfe into its Barne for its usefulnesse and profit, that, in the Eternity, the Great God may be known, in a creaturall and formall man∣ner, according to light, and darknesse.

70. For all things were created by the word, and brought into a forme; seeing then God is an angry jealous God, and a consuming fire, and also, a mercifull-Loving meek God of light and Giving, [or Free-Grace] in whom there cannot be any Evill at all, therefore he hath introduced fire, and light, Evill and good one with another in the Verbum Fiat, into a free-will, whereby, the will may u forme either in the evill or good; and yet he hath created all things good, and to the light, and set them into the free-will, to multiply themselves in the free-will, to conceive in Evill or good; and yet hath associated to each thing its likenesse, viz. to a male its female, that so nothing hath cause to x degenerate, and to man he hath given Commands what to doe and leave undone.

71. Thus all things stand to the judgement of the Great God, and in this time they must be in Contest, that one may be manifest in the other, but then in the Great Harvest every thing shall have its own Seat in it selfe; when strife shall be taken up and cease, and all things must stand to the Honour and Admiration of the wonderfull works of the great God, who Alone knowes whereunto every thing shall be good, and for what he will use it.

Notes

• Fatricide.
• a

  Mans will.
• b

  The out∣ward Body.
• c

  Significati∣on.
• d

  Or morti∣fied.
• e

  Text, Larva or strange dis∣gu••sed per∣son.
• f

  All naturall men.
• g

  At the house of correction. or whipt through the streets.
• h

  By some outward sub∣stantiall meanes or Persons.
• i

  Or swallow up.
• k

  Good and evill now mixed and in contest one with the other.
• l

  Lucifer.
• m

  Makes good mer∣chandise of its religious ceremonies.
• n

  Text, mouth-cry.
• Or Evill.
• Or Good.
• o

  Or accord∣ing to.
• Betake.
• Or while it ••ives here.
• q

  Or com∣posing of the texts, or bare letter of Scripture.
• r

  The humane Spirit.
• s

  Or body.
• Or worke.
• t

  Or playes on it.
• Or robbing.
• u

  Or worke.
• x

  Or fall from its place and order into Destruction.