The third booke of the authour, being The high and deepe searching out of the threefold life of man through (or according to) the three principles by Jacob Behmen, aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus ; written in the Germane language, anno 1620 ; Englished by J. Sparrovv ...

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Title
The third booke of the authour, being The high and deepe searching out of the threefold life of man through (or according to) the three principles by Jacob Behmen, aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus ; written in the Germane language, anno 1620 ; Englished by J. Sparrovv ...
Author
Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.
Publication
London :: Printed by M.S. for H. Blunden ...,
1650.
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Subject terms
Mysticism.
Theology, Doctrinal.
Cite this Item
"The third booke of the authour, being The high and deepe searching out of the threefold life of man through (or according to) the three principles by Jacob Behmen, aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus ; written in the Germane language, anno 1620 ; Englished by J. Sparrovv ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A28536.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 6, 2024.

Pages

A short Summary Appendix OF THE SOULE, The Image of the soule, and of the TURBA, which is the De∣stroyer of the Image.

In a Short Summary Appendix, of which in the other writings of this Author is written fundamentally, and at large.

.1 THE soule is an Eye in the Eternall Abysse, a similitude of Eter∣nity, a perfect figure and Image of the first Principle: and re∣sembleth God the Father in his Person, as to the Eternall Nature.

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2. The Essence and substance of it, (meerely and purely, as it is in it selfe) is first, the wheele of Nature, as to the first foure Formes.

3. For, the Word of the Lord,q comprised the soule, by the E∣ternall Fiat in the Eternall will of the Father, in the Center of the Eternall Nature: and opened it with the Holy Ghost, or blew it up like a fire (which lay hid in the Eternity, and wherein all formes of the eternall Nature stood from Eternity:) andr is alone known in the wisdome, in the Divine Magia as a figure, or Image without substance.

4. Yet thats thing hath not been substantiall, but Essentiall, and hath been knowne in the Principle, in the flash, where the fire ari∣seth; But the shadow of it hath (from Eternity in a figurative Image,) figured it selfe in the Desiring will of God; and hath stoodt before the Ternary of God in the Magia in the wisdome of God, as a simi∣litude of the Holy Trinity: in which, God hath manifested himselfe as in a Glasse.

5. The substance and Image of the soule, may be resembled to the Earth, having a faire flower growing out of it, and also to the fire and Light: as we see that Earth is au Center, but no Life; yet it is Essentiall: and a faire flower groweth out of it, which is not like Earth, neither hath it the smell and taste of the Earth, much lesse the figure of it: and yet the Earth is the Mother of the flower.

6. And so the soule alsox appeared out of the Eternall Center of Nature, out of the Eternall Essence, with the word Fiat in the will of God; and was held in the Fiat, so that itx appeared as a fie∣ry Eye, and similitude of the first Principle in a creaturely forme, and substance.

7. And from this Eye went the Glance of its Fire, as Light doth from fire: and in this Glance of its owne Fire, the Eternall Image (which is in the wisdome of God) was seen and conceived by the will of the Heart of God in the second Principle: that is, by the word Fiat of the second Principle, in the Love and Pow∣er of the Holy Trinity, whence the Holy Ghost procee∣deth.

8. And thus the soule was a whole similitude and Image of the Holy Trinity: here we must take the soule for the Center of Nature, and its fiery Life for the first Principle: but the sprout, or the Image of the soule, which is a similitude of God, buddeth forth from the soule, as a flower from the Earth, and is comprised by the Holy Ghost; for it is his Mansion.

9. Now if the soule put its Imagination out from it selfe, (wee meane out from itsy source of fire) into the Light of God, then it receiveth the Light, as the Moone doth the glance of the Sunne:

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and so its Image is in the Majesty of God, and the soule, in the Light of God, and its fiery Property is changed into meeknesse and fervent Love, and then it is knowne to be the child of God.

10. But seeing the soule is Essentiall, and its owne substance a Desire; it is plaine that it consists in two Fiats, one of them is its corporeall propriety, and the other is the second Principle, procee∣ding from Gods will which is in the soule, in which God desireth to havez it his Image and similitude.

11. To which End Gods desiring, is as a Fiat in the Centre of the soule, and continually draweth the will of the soule towards the Heart of God: for thea Longing of God would have the soule: and on the contrary the Center in the power of the Fire would have it.

12. For, the life of the soule hath its originall in the Fire, and that makes the striving for the Image of the soule: and which of these two Formes whether it be the Fire, or meeknesse of Love that overcommeth, that will be the quality of the soule, and as the qua∣lity of the will of the soule is: such an Image will the soule have.

13. And we must know, that if the will of the soule change it selfe, then its Forme will be also changed: for if theb source of the soule be fiery, then it hath also a fiery Image.

14. But if the soule turne its Imagination into the Center, into the strongc Astringency and bitternesse, then its faire Image is also captivated in the darke astrengency; and infected with the Astrin∣gent wrath.

15. And then this wrath is a Turba, which possesseth the Image, and destroyeth the similitude of God: for in God there is Love, Light, and meeknesse: but in this Image there is Darknesse, astrin∣gency and bitternesse, and the Essentialld source is fire, proceeding from the Essences of wrath; and then this Image belongeth not to the Kingdome of God, so long as it continueth in thise source and forme in the Darknesse.

16. Fire is a further similitude of the soule: the soule is an Essen∣tiall Fire, and the flash of the Fire is the Life of it: The soule re∣sembleth a Globe, or an Eye of Fire.

17. The burning Fire in the source signifieth the first Principle, and the Life, yet the Fire is not the Life: but the Spirit of the source which ariseth from the Fire, and goeth forth from the firelike Aire, that is the true Spirit of the source of the Life of the Fire, which continually bloweth the fire up again, and maketh it burne.

18. Now the fire shineth, and giveth Light out of the source, and dwelleth in the source where it shineth: and the source compre∣hendeth not the Light, and this signifieth the second Principle, wherein God dwelleth.

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19. For we know that thef Power is in the Light, and not in the Fire, the fire onely giveth Essences to the Light, and the Life, or the Light produceth meeknesse and substantiality, viz. water.

20. Now we understand, that there is ag meeke Life in the Light, withouth source, and yet it selfe is an insensibleh source, it is nothing but a Longing, or desire of Love.

21. Which Source we account a Tincture, in which the budding and blossoming hath its Originall, yet the Fire is the cause of it, and the meeknesse is a cause of the substantiality: for the Desire of Love in the Light attracteth it, and keepeth it, so that it becommeth a substance, but the Desire of Fire consumeth the substantiality.

22. Also we must conceive that, (as the soule is purely and alone in the Center) it is an Essentiall Fire in the Eye of Eternity, and yet that Eye desireth a figure and Image of the wisdome of God.

23. And the Image is in its desire, in its Imagination, for thei word Fiat hath comprehended it, that it might be a similitude of the Eternall wisdome of God, wherein he dwelleth, and wherein he may manifest himselfe by his Spirit, and what ever hath been in his Eter∣nall Counsell.

24. Thus the Majesty of God flameth in the Image, in the Essen∣tiall Fire, if the Essentiall Fire putteth its desire into the Majesty, but if not, then the Image isk raw and naked without God, and the Tincture is false.

25. For the Image is in the Tincture, and hath its originall in the Tincture, in the Light, not in the source of the Fire: and as the Heart or word of God hath its Originall in the Light of the Majesty, in the Eternall Tincture of the fire of the Father, so hath the Image of the soule,

26. Indeed the Image dwelleth in the fire of the soule, as Light dwelleth in the Fire, but it hath another Principle, as the Light is such a source as is different from Fire.

27. And so the true Image of God dwelleth in the Light of the Fire of the soule; which Light the fiery soule must create in the fountaine of the Love of God, in the Majesty, by putting and yeil∣ding its Imagination into it.

28. And if the soule doe not so, but putteth its Imagination in∣to it selfe, into its wrathfull forme of the source of the fire, and not into the fountaine of Love, into the Light of God, then its owne source ofl fourcnesse, astringency, and bitternesse riseth up: and the Image of God becommeth a Turba, and swalloweth up the simili∣tude of God in the wrath.

29. And then the Astringent Fiat in the fiery Essence of the soule, figureth for the soule an Image, of the Imagination that is in its will: whatsoever the Essentiall fire of the soule desireth, that

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will be figured in the soule; viz. Earthly Figures: that which the will of the Heart casteth it selfe into, that Image the Fiat of the soule will make: that is, as farre as the third Principle, and the Spirit of the Starres and Elements hath power.

30. So that if the will of the soule doe cast it selfe into the King∣dome of this world, then the outward Kingdome hath power to bring its Imagination into the inward Principle, and if the inward Fiat per∣ceive that in the fire of the soule, then it becommeth pregnant with it, and keepeth it.

31. And then the soule hath the Image of a Beast in the third Principle, and that cannot be destroyed for ever, except the will of the soule returne againe out of the earthly Lust, and pierce into the Love of God againe, and then it getteth the Image of God againe: which may be done onely in this life, while the soule is Essentially in itsm Ether, in the growing of its Tree: but after this Life it can∣not be done.

32. Thus you may understand what the soule, Spirit, Image, and Turba are the soule dwelleth in it selfe, and is an Essentiall Fire, and its Image standeth in it selfe, in the Imagination in the Light of the soule, if it cleave to God, if not, then it is in Anxiety in the wrath of darknesse, and is ann abominable Image, or an Image of the Devill.

33. The Turba of the soule which destroyeth the Divine Image, is the Essentiall wrathfulnesse, and it is caused by the Imagination, or false Love, ando Representation: and therefore all lyeth in the Ima∣gination, the Image consisteth in that which we suffer to come into our Desire.

34. It is very necessary for us to strive continually against the Earthly Reason of flesh and bloud; and to yield the Spirit of our wills into the mercy and Love of God, and alwayes cast our selves in∣to the will of God, and not count Earthlyp goods and pleasure our treasure, setting our desire upon it: which will destroy the Image: for it is a Turba of the Image of God; and bringeth Earthly pro∣perties into the Image.

35.q To summe up all: Christ said, where your treasure is there will your Heart be also, according to which God will judge the se∣crets of Mankinde, and sever the cleane from the uncleane; and give that which is false to the Turba of the Fire to be devoured, and bring the Holy thing (which is entred into God) into his King∣dome. AMEN.

Notes

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