Jacob Behmen's theosophick philosophy unfolded in divers considerations and demonstrations, shewing the verity and utility of the several doctrines or propositions contained in the writings of that divinely instructed author : also, the principal treatises of the said author abridged, and answers given to the remainder of the 177 theosophick questions, propounded by the said Jacob Behmen, which were left unanswered by him at the time of his death : as a help towards the better understanding the Old and New Testament : also what man is with respect to time and eternity, being an open gate to the great mysteries / by Edward Taylor ; with a short account of the life of Jacob Behmen.

A Brief Summary of the Earthy and Heavenly My∣steries Contracted and Comprised in Nine Texts.

THE Abyss is an Eternal Nothing, but a seeking: Which seeking is meerly* 1.1 a Will, and a giving of Somewhat, and that Somewhat, is the Eternal Magia.

1. The Will or seeking in the Abyss, is a Spirit like a Thought, and being gone* 1.2 out, findeth its Mother the Seeking. So the Seeking is a Magia, and the Will a Magus.

2. The Seeking is Inoperative, but the Will a Life without Original. So may be considered Nature and the Spirit of Nature, to have been from Eternity.

Thus the Will ruleth the Seeking, for the Seeking hath a moving, desiring Life* 1.3 without Understanding, and the Will doth therewith what it will; therefore we apprehend the Eternal Will-spirit to be God, and the Eternal Seeking to be Na∣ture, the Eternal Will-spirit is the knowing of the Abyss, and the life of the Seek∣ing, an Eternal knowing of the willing.

1. The Will is no Substance but Lord in it, which Substance desireth Substance.* 1.4 The desiring is a strong Magical attracting of Substance, and an Eternal proceed∣ing Life.

2. And because this Magical Impregnation hath no Substance, it self is a Voice or Word in the Original of the Spirit, in which Word is a Will, and the Life of the Original going into Nature, opening the unintelligent Life of the Magia, which is the Mystery of Substance, the Abyssal Wonder, where infinity of Lives are generated.

3. Of this the Threefold Spirit is Master, of whom the Word is the Heart. And the Spirit of the Word in the first Will (viz.) God, openeth the Essential Life (viz.) Nature.

4. In the desiring of the Spirit Life, the Divine Substance or Heart of God is ge∣nerated from Eternity to Eternity.

Thus apprehend we both, what God and Nature are, and both, in an Abyssal Endurance from Eternity in Eternity.

1. The two Eternal Substances are not sundered, but the Spirit life in it self is* 1.5 turn'd inward, and the Nature▪life 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forward, like a Globe the Nature-life worketh to the Fire the Spirit-li••e 〈…〉〈…〉he Light and Glory.

2. In the one t••e consumin•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in the other the generating of Water; their commixture, gives a light, 〈…〉〈…〉zure; or like a Cherubin or Ruby and Chrystal, &c.

3. Thus we may see that the Will can create a Source, out of the Magick Sub∣stance or great Mystery: especially in the Fires Property, which before the awa∣kening lay hidden, as did the Devils; for in the Eternal Nature lyeth the Turba, though unawakable, unless the Creature in the fierceness do it.

4. Also we see when the Eternal Nature awaked it self with the creating, the Wrath also awakened, in some Creatures more evidently, as in poisonous Herbs, evil Trees and venomous Creatures; as Toads, Serpents, &c. which the Eternal Nature loatheth, and willeth to forsake, spewing it out, that the Malignity may stand in its own anguishing Mystery.

1. The desire every Will hath of Purity without Turba from without (though it* 1.6 hath the Turba in it self) is the cause of loathing, and that the stronger ruleth and oppresseth the weaker till it become Monarchy, which Nature must acknow∣ledge to be in its Essence. Yet was not commanded in the Beginning by the ••ighest Good.

2. And whereas the seeking in the beginning, was by one parting it self into many: So the Multiplicity seeketh the one again, and findeth it when a Lord shall be generated governing the whole World through man. Offices which shall be in the hour of the Worlds Creation the sixth day in the Afternoon, when the purity shall drive out the Turba for a time, till the beginning pass into the end, and then is the Mystery shew'd in various Figures.

1. Seeing from the Eternal Nature all evil and good have proceeded; by that* 1.7 it appears the one Property hath lusted and magically produced the other; for Gods Spirit hath not predestinated the evil

2. And in the four Colours lye the great secresie, viz. Blue, Red, Green and Yellow; the White is Gods Colour, which only subsisteth in the Fire. The Black is only a Vail.

3. So in Languages, are first that of Nature, then Hebrew, Greek, Latine, and the fifth the Spirit of God, the Opener of all Alphabets. But the multiplicity of Speeches or Languages sprout and grow all against or contrary to the Tree.

1. From what hath been written resulteth the Original of two Religions, out* 1.8 of which Babel and Antichrist are generated. In Heathens, Jews and Christians. The Heathen going forward out of themselves and their own seeking, into the Magia of Multiplicity, for outward Rule and Kingdoms, tho' Gods free will re∣buke them, the Magus of the Multiplicity not comprehending the will of the Uni∣ty, is an Idol, and a Malignant Devourer; for the will hath its Treasure in the Multiplicity, because by Lucifer's Apostasie the Magia of Nature is eager after falshood.

2. Hence spring Cove••ousness and Wars. But those that went away from the seeking of Perdi••ion, into the Light of Nature, tho' they knew not God, yet liv'd in pu••ity; the Spirit of the Liberty led those Children of the Free-will into the Mystery, as may be seen by the Wisdom left behind them.

3. T••us also the Jews and Christians, whose wills were poyson'd by their Cove∣tous Magia, while their Hands only are about the works of Gods Law, do Crown the Whore, Generate Antichrist, and Build Babel.

1. As there are two Magia's, that of the Unity, and that of the Multiplicity:* 1.9 So there are two Magi in Man, viz. The Spirit of God, and that of Reason, into which the Devil insinuates.

2. Hereby may Man most clearly try himself to which of these is his longing.

But Man, being Magical, hath might, by sincere earnestness to subdue his Starry Spirit, by a temperate, sober and quiet Life, with continual giving up to the will of God, and going out of the Influxes to evil Lusts and Passions; which is effected not without great Toil, fiery Tryals, continual Sacrifice of the Fleshly Will, and working in the Will of God. To which the Lord help us.

Of the Divine Vision or Contemplation.

CHAP. I. Reason, Because it seeth not God with the outward Eyes, and observeth the Good and Vertuous, go often afflicted to the Grave, saith there is no God.

ANswer. Reason is a Natural Life, and hath a Natural Will, yet proceedeth out of the Supernatural.

1. It willeth evil, and judgeth it self for it, fearing a Judgment which it seeth not, this is the reproof of the unseen and unapprehended God.

2. When it suffereth wrong, it hopeth for Rest in that which Created it.

3. Thus God reproving the evil in the Conscience, draweth the Sufferer by suf∣fering to hate it self, and the Natural Will, and return, that it may attain the Su∣pernatural Life, out of which it is gone forth.

Argument 2. 1. Seeing God is the beginning of all things why is opposition permit∣ted, and not the Good only to be in all?

Answer. Contraries manifest contraries; for were a thing only one, without separability, it would have no Motion, Knowledge or Skill; for one only thing hath nothing in it to make more than one only thing perceptible.

2. And had not God, who is one only substance and Will, brought himself forth out of the Eternal Wisdom in the Temperature into Divisibility, and that the same Life stood in strife, how would his hidden Will be reveal'd to himself?

3. The strife is in the departed sever'd wills, going into infinite variety, from one only Unity or Root. The Mind, as a Tree or Fountain, is not broken, but intire; but the Exit of the Thoughts or Senses is it only that divides into evil or good, as Twigs or drops.

Argument 3. What good ariseth from this, that with the good there must be an evil?

Answer. The evil opposite will, causeth the good to press again after its Ori∣ginal.

1. God, so far as he is called God, can Will nothing but himself, and what he willeth floweth out from him, as his Copy or Counterportraiture, which is divi∣ded and compressed into substance.

2. So also if Mans Mind did not flow forth, it would have no Senses nor Thoughts, nor know it self, nor ought else.

3. Now if in the Centres of the Thoughts, representing the Mind, there were only one will, and no will contrary, how would the Wonders of the

Divine Wisdom be figur'd; for the Mind is an Image of the Divine Revela∣tion.

4. From the strife of Contraries exist Substances; thence also the will is caused to sink down from tormenting Anguish into the Eternal Rest, its Original, whence Exist Faith and Hope. That Nature being unvoluntarily over-laden, may be freed from Vanity into a clear Chrystalline Nature; and then it will appear that Nature was subjected, because the Eternal Power might introduce it self into Forms and Perception by Separation.

5. Wisdom must be manifest through Folly, and Eternal Stability be known in Mortality; for the Mortal is only a Play, Scene or Object of the right Life, and the wise breaketh the folly, dying to it, and giveth its will to God, tho' it be not deliver'd till it come to the Grave, nor is the Mortal Body of the wise to be re∣garded, for he that Buildeth on the Flesh shall of the Flesh Inherit Perdition.

CHAP. II.

Argument I. Seeing the Mind and Senses, or Thoughts is a beginning Natural Life subject to Corruption, how may the Super∣sensual Divine Life be in this Life?

ANswer, Tho' Mans Life is a Form of the Divine Will, and its Imaged Word, yet by the Devil and Temporal Nature it is poysoned in its Earthy Image: Now in three Principles. The first according to its true Original in the Exit of Divine Knowledge, which in the beginning was a Temperature or sensible work∣ing of the Divine Power, a Paradise. But the fierce wrath of the Devil drove it into Dissimilitude and Inequality, wherein the Multiplicity strove against the Uni∣ty. When this was done the Wisdom of God, viz. his substantial Will or second Principle disappear'd.

1. The Eternal Abyssal Will of the Life or cau••e of the Motion of the holy sub∣stance had perverted it self to Earthiness, Gods Kingdom became (as to it) ex∣tinguished, and the third Principle (viz. that of the Constellations and four E••e∣ments) took place, making the Thoughts and Senses Earthy, and the Body Gross and Bestial, and the Life to seek rest in Mortality, and to be its own God; who by this domineering became foolish. And when this fragil Kingdom breaketh (as a Vapour) the Life continueth as a Contrariety, and becometh an unquench∣able painful Fire in the dark Property.

2. But the great Love of God, instantly after the Apostacy, came, and still com∣eth to help, breathing it self again into the disappear'd Divine Property, and into all the three Properties of the Humane, even to the Thoughts and Senses, break∣ing the will of self and of the Devil, and hath brought the holy Life through Death into a Paradisical sprouting; making Death and the Devil a reproach, and shewing how the Eternal one can rule mightily over the Multiplicity, and give an open Grace Gate for us poor Men to enter the Life of Christ.

3. We are therefore to come with ou•• captivated will out of the Prison of Earth* 1.10 and Self, and solely sink down into this Incorporated Grace, which pressed from one, viz. the first Man upon all, and with the resign'd will sink down into the Hy∣perbyssal, Supersensual, Unsearchable Eternal one, into the ground out of whi••h Life first sprung, and then it reacheth the Temperature and true Rest.

Argument. How can a Man do that; (viz. that last above written) being the Scripture saith, The first Man is made to a Natural Life to rule the Creatures, therefore m••st the Life go into the Earthy Properties.

Answer 1. The Humane Life is set in a reflex Image of the Divine Will, in and with which God willeth, and the Earthy Creatures are set in a representation of the Humane.

2. And though Mans Life was set in Nature, yet it was in the Temperature. Without Christ we can do nothing, but if Man sink into the Incorporated Grace of God, and in Divine Hope rest from self-will, and work, and resign its will to work only what God speaketh, it is beyond Nature: And the Abyss God himself speaketh through him and manifesteth himself in and with him, thus new-born in Christ, who now ruleth over the outward Reason Life.

3. Till this be done Man is no Child of Heaven, but his will an Apostate just as the Devil and his Body an evil Beast, and gathereth not with Gods Incorporated Grace, but scattereth.

4. As an Herb without Sap is burnt by the Sun, while the Herb that hath Sap is warn'd. So if Mans Essence hath not Ens from Gods Love and Meekness, it im∣presseth it self into a fierce, wrathful, fiery sharpness, and the Mind is totally rough, covetous, envious and stinging.

5. Yet if the fiery Life eat of the Divine Love, it is no more receiving as the Fires Property is, but giving and working good in all, as the Property of the Light, for having eaten of the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, it is quick∣ned by it.

The Sun in a hard Stone (where the Water is coagulated) cannot work, as in Metals, Herbs and Trees, because his Light and Vertue penetrateth not, so is it in this.

CHAP. III. How Nature representeth and maketh visible the Divine Eternal and Abyssal Knowledge.

1. THE Word is the Efflux of the Divine Will and Knowledge; as the Thoughts and Senses are of the Mind, yet the Mind remaineth totally but one. So the Word was, is and ever will be the Eternal Beginning, flowing out, and revela∣tion of the Eternal one.

2. And the Wisdom is the Eternal out-flown Beginning, and cause of all Powers, Colours, Vertues and Properties.

3. Their Powers are again an Efflux into the various Self-properties, whence come the Multiplicity of Wills, thence the Creaturely Life of the Eternal springeth, viz. Angels and Souls.

4. Not that Nature and Creature is here, but the Spirit of God sporteth him∣self in forming Similitudes of the Powers of the Wisdom; as doth the Mind with reflex Images, which are the Thoughts; and every Property hath its own Sepa∣rator, as hath the Eternal Unity; whereby the Efflux of the Unity becomes per∣ceptible in Infinite Multiplicity.

5. For the Efflux sharpeneth it self superlatively by the Magnetick longing of the receiving Powers, in the fiery kind wherein the Eternal One becomes Majestick and Light. And the inkindling through Fire makes it a Kingdom of Joy. The visible World with its Hosts, is the out-flown word of Fire, Light and Darkness separated by the Officer of Nature, who hath imprinted each Body according to its own Property.

Of the Twofold Life in the Representation of the Divine Will.

1. An Eternal. 2. A Temporal.

1. The Eternal is the sensible Life in the Eternal Fire and Light, a spark of the out-flown or out-breathed will of God, bound to will nothing but the out-breath∣ed will of God, a Separator and Instrument of Gods Omnipotent Glory, where∣with he will rule all things, having therefore given it Divine Understanding.

2. The Temporal and Mortal Existence, is the Efflux of the Separator of all Powers call'd the Soul of the World, making the visible Creatures such a Simili∣tude, as wherein the Spiritual World of Fire, Light and Darkness beholdeth it self; hidden in and working through the Elementary World. But the Visible possesseth not the Invisible so as to be chang'd thereinto, but is only an Instru∣ment whereby the Inward Powers Image themselves, as in Herbs, Trees, Me∣tals, &c.

Of the Threefold Spirit in the Growing Powers.

1. The outward Spirit is the gross Brimstone, Salt and Mercury, which coagulating it self in the four Elements, and by drawing the Spiritual Separator to it, the Signature is instantly perform'd.

2. The second Spirit or Quintessence hath a Centre of its own, viz. a Root of the four Elements, being the Meek Joy of the painful Brimstone and Salt Spirit, nourished from within of the Light of Nature, and from without of the subtle Power of the Spirit of the World, which fifth Essence, is the right cause of all Vegetation, and such a Joy of Nature as the Sun to the Elements.

3. The third's the Tincture, of which see Chap. 12. of the three Principles.

The Tincture is that wherein all Powers lye in equality, a Spiritual Fire and Light in one substance, a Paradise, the Mansion of Divine Power, and of the E∣ternal Soul, known to the Creature only in the Regeneration, and to no ungodly one, for such drive on a false will.

4. It is not Elementary, but issueth through the gross Elementary Spirit, even into Taste and Smell. But the Elements are a cause of the motion of the Tincture; the sharpness of the Smell is Elementary, but the vertue in the Smell is the Tin∣cture which in Medicines Cureth; for it imprinteth it self in such Balsams.

5. As the voice to the Fig-tree, Be thou withered, did not that Miracle, but the Power whence the voice proceeded. As neither is the Confession of a thing Faith, but that Intellectual Power is Faith out of which the Confession proceedeth wherewith Gods Spirit Co-worketh.

6. Thus all whatsoever, whether evil or good, represent in their several Pro∣perties the hidden Spirit of the Separator of all things, and the Elementary is the Efflux of the Tincture, and Spiritual World, for the visible, moveable, material World is the substance of the invisible, immoveable, spiritual World.

7. So the desire of the Efflux out of the darkness is become sharp, stern and gross, and hath coagulated it self into Matter, even unto the drossy Earth. So out of the Light cometh the Noble Tincture of Love, Mildness, Softness, Sweet∣ness. Yet in hard Bodies as of precious Stones, Metals, Trees, &c. is a high Tincture, as we see the greatest sweetness in Marrow.

8. God, distinct from his moving manifestation, is the greatest meekness, but in his motion is called a God in Trinity, for here the Divine will maketh it self an Object, viz. the Wisdom through which the Original of all things descend∣ed.

9. Now all things in the World that are soft, meek, rare or transparent, as Air and Water is without pain, and according to the unity of Eternity.

10. And hard impressing Bodies, as Wood, Metals, Stone, Bone, Fire, Earth, &c. originate from the divine Inclusion, from the Efflux introducing the Self-will of Nature, as a noble Jewel and Sparkle of the Divine Motion of Divine Power, caused by the Effluence of Divine Desire.

11. Thus the Tincture hideth it self in the hardness, but In transparency is alike equal to all things; as in Water and Air. But the dry Water is the pearly Matter, where centreth the subtile potent Unity.

12. Therefore seek not the grand Secret in soft, without the fiery Kind.

For as Rare and Transparent is next the Unity, so the fiery Hardness is a dry Unity and Temperament, and the noblest Concret of divine powerful Manifesta∣tion, because where the Will is rent, rests no great Might; for there the Tincture is volatile, whereby a Cure is attempted by the Salt or Soul only, without the Spi∣rit, which unites not the Life's Enmity, but kindles its Contrariety.

But unite the Properties in the Love, so have ye the Pearl of the whole World.

CHAP. IV. Of the Will of God flowing OUT, and in the percepti∣bility IN again into the ONE.

JOhn 1. 11, &c. He came into [or unto] his own, &c. In which words lyeth the Divine Manifestation, viz. the hidden Power or speaking Word of the Unity, out-flown into his own the Creaturely Word, or averted Will of Flesh and Blood; which Self-power received not the Efflux of Divine Grace, but would be its own Self-lord, for it cannot inherit the Filiation.

But that Will which turneth it self about and coingenerateth with the Unity, hath Power to become the Child of God. For it is like or equal to all things which God willeth and worketh.

Hujus Argumenti hic scripsit Huc Autor & Nil amplius.

A Brief Explanation of the Knowledge of God and of all things, also of the true and false Light.

1. THE hidden God out-breathing his distinguishable Power, made his speak∣ing Word substantial, by creating the Body, Soul and Spirit of Man, who is an Abstract of all the three Principles, and an Image of the speaking and spoken word.

2. Whence so great knowledge of all things is in Him, as to know the com∣position and dissolution of Nature; for every Creature can see into its Mother, those of the Elements into the out-spoken word.

3. So Man, after the manner as the out-breathing of the Eternal Will intro∣duceth it self into the manifold Properties of Love and Anger, Good and Evil, and can frame it self into the multiplicity of Properties, those into the desire, and that into substance, forming its Self-will out of the great Mystery.

4. So, if in this out-speaking there were no Divine Free Will, the speaking would be under compulsion, void of longing delight, and be finite and inchoative, which it is not. But a breathing of the Abyss and Eternal Stilness, a distributing it self into Powers, and in them a several Self-will existeth, whence originateth Nature, and the creaturely Life, with their various centers, impressions, magnetick desires, perception and bodies, according to the manner of the third Principle of Divine manifestation, producing bodies evil and good, manifold Earths, Salts, Stones, Minerals, in which the three Principles are mixt, where every Centre breatheth it self, yet all originate out of the Eternal One.

5. The first Centre is the out-breathing of the Abyss, God bringing himself in∣to* 1.11 Trinity.

The second Centre is called the Wisdom of God, through which the Eternal* 1.12 Word breatheth it self into Infinity of multiplicity, and that into longing delight, the delight into desire, the desire into Nature and Strife, and Strife into Fire. And through the dying of the Self hood through Fire into the Light. The which Light is a second Principle, and true great Mystery. And the Fire is the first, (viz.) the Eternal Nature.

6. The first giveth Soul; the second Spirit, and this Lights Power through the Fire is the Mother of the Eternal Spirits, Angels and Souls of Men. Also the hidden Spiritual Angelical Power-world, the Mother of the outward World

The third Centre is the Verbum fiat, the natural Word of God, the separator and* 1.13 maker of all Creatures in the inward and outward World. The same speaker hath out of the Fire, the Light and the Darkness, made it self ••••••erial moving and perceptible, out of which existed the third Principle, the Visible World, the life and substance whereof is come out of the Eternal Nature the Fire, and out of the great Mystery the Light, also out of the Darkness, w••ich is the separation of Fire and Light, Love and Enmity, Good and Evil, Joy and Pain.

7. There are two sorts of Fire, and two sorts of Light, viz. according to the dark impression a cold Fire, and a false Light, originating in the stern might and imagination, desiring a Self-will dominion.

The second Fire, is a hot Fire and true Light, originating in the Eternal One, in the substance of Divine Geniture, and that Light shineth in the Darkness, and illustrateth it; stan••ing in a perceptible Life. The Life of Man is in it, and he is the Light of the World.

8. Therefore should Man lift up the Eyes of his understanding, wherein God's Light desireth to shine into him, and not be like a Beast which hath a temporary Light in a finite Separator, in which Man's palpable Body is.

9. For his Spiritual Body is the true substantial word of Divine Property, in which God speaketh and imageth himself; into which, if Man giveth not up his own will, he is more hurtful to himself than the rude Earth, which yieldeth to be made what its Separator will.

10. But from the Devil False Will, a false Light hath raised a false Separator, in which the Stars and Elements have dominion.

11. In this Man finding no quietness, seeks his first Native Countrey; for the true Man finds himself oppressed with a monstrous Separator environed with Enemies, as a Rose in a bush of Thorns.

12. Yet all his seeking brings not any true Life, unless Grace become awakened, to do which Man must sink down into a willing of nothing but Grace, that it may overcome and mortifie him as the Sun doth the night.

13. In that true Light the Man may see himself, and the separation of every thing and work magically and divinely, if he see the breathing, in its inward ground, according to the manner of speaking, how out of one all proceed, and one Centre out of another.

14. Reason lighted at this Sun, is the true house of Knowledge, else but a Con∣stellation of the Visible World; all other seeking out of the resignation to the Divine Love, Grace and Will, is a shadow; for it cannot know how God hath through his Word made himself perceptible, findable, creatural and formal.

15. He is the Bottom and Bottomless, and to the Creature in its ability as a no∣thing, yet through all Nature and Creature is the somewhat wherewith he makes himself visible both according to Time and Eternity.

All things, even the four Elements, exist from the Divine Imagination.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Text.
• * 1.2

  2. Text.
• * 1.3

  3. Text.
• * 1.4

  4. Text.
• * 1.5

  5. Text.
• * 1.6

  6. Text.
• * 1.7

  7. Text.
• * 1.8

  8. Text.
• * 1.9

  9. Text.
• * 1.10

  Rom. 5. 12, 18.
• * 1.11

  1 Centre.
• * 1.12

  2 Centre.
• * 1.13

  3 Centre.