Theologia Germanica.: Or, Mysticall divinitie : a little golden manuall briefly discovering the mysteries, sublimity, perfection and simplicity of Christianity, in belief and practise. Written above 250 years since in high Dutch, & for its worth translated into Latine, and printed at Antwarp, 1558. Whereto is added definitions theologicall and philosophicall. Also a treatise of the soul, and other additions not before printed.

CHAP. V. Of the putting off the Old Man.

SOme men say, that a man ought to be∣come void of wisdom, will, desire, know∣ledg, and all other things, which is not to be understood, that in man there should be no knowledg, or that God should not be known, loved, willed, desired, praised, or ho∣nored in him, for this were a mighty fault, and man should become like to a beast: but we must proceed so far, that our knowledg may be so clear and perfect as to understand that this knowledg belongeth neither unto man nor unto the creature, but unto the e∣ternal Wisdom, about which is the eternal Word; and thus man and the creature va∣nisheth, and doth not arrogate to its self as its own; and the less knowledg that the creature doth arrogate, it becometh the more perfect: the like we must conceive of will, love, desire, and all such things, for the less that man doth arrogate these to him∣self, the nobler, the excellenter, and diviner he becometh; and the more he doth assume these unto himself, so much he is made the more blockish, base and imperfect. Thus then ought man to become void of al things,

that is, not to arrogate them to himself: When then man in this manner is made void of these, it comes to pass that this is the most excellent and clearest knowledg that can be in man, and the excellentest love and desire; the cause whereof is this, All things being only Gods, it is better and more excel∣lent that they should appertain to God then to any creature; and the cause why I do challenge any goodness to my self, is by reason that I suppose that it is mine, or that I am it: If I knew the truth, I should also know that the thing is not mine, nor that I am it; it proceeds not from me, &c. and so mine Arrogancy would fall to nothing. It is better that God, or that which is be∣longing to God, should be known, loved, prayed and honored as much as may be pos∣sible, and that man should conceive that he doth praise or love God, then that God should not be praised, loved, honored and known; for when opinion and ignorance are turned to knowledg and understanding of this, then Arrogancy vanisheth; for a man will then say on this wise, Wretch and fool that I am, I supposed my self to be that thing, but now I perceive that it was and is God only.