* Scorn of the World? Thou needest the outward World to ' maintain this Life. Beauty, Power, and Glory are thy proper ' Happiness; wherein only thou canst rejoice and take Delight. *Why wilt thou cast thyself into Anguish, Misery, and Re- * proach? Take thy Pleasure, which will do both thy Flesh and * thy Mind good.'
110. With such Filth the true Man is often defiled; that is, the outward Man defileth himself, as a Sow in the Mire, and obscureth his noble Pearl. For the more vain the outward Man groweth, the more dark the inward Man cometh to be, until at length it disappeareth altogether.
111. And then the fair Paradisaical Tree is gone, and it will be very hard to recover it again. For when the outward Lights viz., the outward Soul is once enlightened, so that the outward Light of Reason is kindled by the inward Light; then the outward Soul commonly useth to turn Hypocrite, and esteem itself Divine y even though the Pearlhe, gone; which lamentable Error sticketh hard to many a Man.
112. And thus it comes to pass that the Tree of Pearl in the Qarden of Christ is often spoiled; concerning which the Scripture maketh a hard Knot or Conclusion, viz,. That those who have once tasted the Sweetness of the World to come, and fall away from it again, shall hardly see the Kingdom of Qod 113. And though it cannot be denied, but that the Qates of Qrace still stand open, yet the false and dazzling Light of the outward Reason of the Soul so deceiveth and hindereth such Men, that they suppose they have the Pearl, while they yet live to the Vanity of this World, and dance with the Devil after his Pipe.
Chapter V.
How a Man may call himself a Christ tan y and how not.
HERE therefore a Christian should consider why he calleth himself a Christian^^XiA examine truly whether he be one or not. For surely my learning to know and confess that I am a Sinner ^ and that Christ hath destroyed my Sins on the Cross ^ and shed His Blood for me, doth not make me a Christian.
115. The Inheritance belongeth only to the Children, A Maid Servant in a House knoweth well enough what the Mistress would have to be done, and yet that maketh her not the Heiress of her Mistress' Goods. The very Devils know that there is a Of ^generation. 79 God, yet that doth not change them into Angeh again. But if the Maid Servant in the House shall be married to the Son of her Mistress, then she may come to inherit her Mistress* Goods And so it is to be understood also in the Matter of being a Christian, 116. The Children of the History ^x^ not the Heirs of the Goods of Christ, but the legitimate Children, regenerated by the Spirit of Christ are the only true Heirs. For GOD said to Abraham, Cast out the Son of the Bondwoman, he shall not inherit with the Son of the Free, For he was a Scorner, and but an Historical Son of the Faith and Spirit of Abraham; and so long as he continued such a one, he was not a true Inlieritorol the Faith of Abraham, and therefore GOD commanded he should be cast out from inheriting his Goods; which was a Type of the Christendom which was to come.
117. For the Promise of Christendom was made to Abraham; therefore the Type was then also set forth by two Brethren, Iscuic and Ishmael, in order to show how Christendom would behave Itself, and that two Sorts of Men would be in it, viz., true Christians and Lip Christians, Which latter under the Title oi Christianity would be but mockers, as Ishmael was and Esau, who also was a Type of the outward Adam^ as Jacob was a Type of Christ, and His true Christendom, 118. Thus every one who will call himself a Christian, must cc^t out from himself the Son of the Bond- Woman, that is, the earthly Will, and be ever-more killing and destroying it, and not settle it in the Inheritance, 119. Nor give the Pearl to the Bestial Man, for him to sport himself with in the outward Light, in the Lust of the Flesh; but we must with our Father Abraham being the Son of the right Will to Mount Moriah, and be ready in Obedience to GOD to offer it up, ever in Will dying from Sin in the Death of Christy giving no Place to the Beast ^ Vanity in the Kingdom of Christ, nor suffering it to grow wanton, proud, covetous, envious, and malicious. For all these are the Properties of Ishmael the Son of the Bond' Woman, whom Adam begat in his Vanity on the wanton Whore the false Bond- Woman, by the Devil's Imagination, out of the earthly Property in Flesh and Blood, 120. This Mocker and Titular Christian is the Son of the false Bond- Woman, and must be cast out; for he shall not possess the Inheritance of Christ in the Kingdom of GOD. He is not fit, he is but Babel, a Confusion of that one Language into many Lan» guages. He is but a Talker and a Wrangler about the Inheritance; he means to get it to himself by Talking and Wrangling,hy the Hypocrisy of his Lips and seeming Holiness, although he is 8o I'he Way to Qhrist.
no better than a blood-thirsty Murderer ol his brother Abel, who is the right Heir.
121. Therefore we say what we know^ that he that will call himself a true Christian must try himself, and find what Kind of Properties drive and rule him, whether the Spirit of Christ moveth him to Truth and Righteousness, and to the Love of his Neighbour, so that he would willingly do what is right, if he knew but how.
122. Now if he find that he hath a real Hunger after such Virtue, then he may justly think that he is drawn. And then he must begin to practise accordingly, and not be content with a Will only, without Doing. The drawing of the Father to Christ consisteth in the Will, but the true Life consisteth in the Doing; for the right Spirit doeth that which is right.
123. But if there be the Will to do, and yet the Doing followeih not, then the true Man is still shut up in vain Lust, which suppresseth the Doing. And therefore such a one is but an Hypocrite3ind an Ishmaelite; he speaketh one Thing and doth another, and witnesseth thereby that his Mouth is a Liar; for he himself doth not that which he teacheth, and consequently only serveth the Bestial Man in Vanity.
124. For he that will say, I have a Will, and would willingly do good, but the earthly Flesh, which I carry about me, keepeth ine back, so that I cannot; yet I shall be saved by Qrace, for the Merits of Christ. I comfort myself with His Merit and Sufferings; ivho will receive me of mere Qrace, without any Merits of my own, and forgive me my Sins. Such a one I say, is like a Man that knoweth what Food is good for his Health, yet will not eat of it, but eateth Poison instead thereof, from whence Sickness and Death will certainly follow.
125. For what good doth it to the Soul to know the Way to Qod, if it will not walk therein, but go on in a contrary Path? What good will it do the Soul to comfort itself with the Filiation of Christ, with His Passion and Death, and so flatter itself with the Hopes of getting the Patrimony thereby, if it will not enter into the Filial Birth, that it may be a true Child, born out of the Spirit of Christ, out of His Suffering, Death and Resurrection? Surely, the Trickling and Flattering itself with Christ's Merits, without the true innate Childship, is Falsehood and a Lie, whosoever he be that teacheth it.
126. lihis Comfort belongeth only to th% penitent Sinner, who ^striveth against Sin and the Anger oi GoD. When Temptations cohie, and the Devil assaulteth such a poor repentant Soul, then it must wholly wrap itself up in the Merits and Death of Christ, as its sole Armour of Defence.
Of ^generation. 8i Of ^generation. 8i 127. Christ alone indeed hath merited Redemption for us; but not in such a Way as that for His own proper Merit* s Sake, He will freely grant us His Childship by an outward Adoption only, and so receive us for his Children^ when we are none. No. He himself \s the Merits He is the open Qate that leadeth through Death; and through that Qate we must enter. He receiveth no Beast into his Merits but those only that tum^ and become as Children. Those Children that thus come to Him are His Reward^ which he hath merited, 128. For thus he said, * Father, the Men were thine and thou * hast given them to me/ [as my Reward] * and I will give them * eternal Life/ But the Life of Christ will be given to none, unless they come to Him in His Spirit y into His Humanity^ Sufferings y and Merits and therein be bom true Children of the Merit.
129. We must be bom of His Merits and put on the Merit of Christ in his Passion and Death; not outwardly with verbal Flattery only, and bare comforting of ourselves therewith, while we still remain Aliens and strange Children, of a strange Essence or Nature. No, the strange Essence inheriteth not the Childship^ but the innate Essence inheriteth it.
130. This innate Essence is not of this Worlds but in Heaven^ of which St. Paul speaketh saying. Our Conversation is in Heaven. The filial Essence walketh in Heaven^ and Heaven is in Man.
131. But if Heaven in Man be not open^ and the Man stand without Heaven flattering himself, and say, / am. still without^ but Christ will take me in through his Qrace; is not his Merit mine? Such a one is in Vanity and Sin with the outward Man^ and with the Soul in Hell^ viz., in the Anger of GOD.
132. Therefore learn to understand rightly what Christ hath taught us, and done for us. He is our Heaven; He must get a Form in us, or else we shall not be in Heaven. Thus then the Soul's inward Man^ with the Holy Body of Christ, viz., in the New Birth, is in Heaven^ and the outward mortal Man is in the World, of which Christ spake, saying, *My Sheep are in my 'Hand, and none shall pluck them away; the Father who * gave them to me is greater than all.'
82 I'he Way to Qhrist, Chapter VL Of the Right and of the Wrong going to Churchy receiving the Sacrament Sy and Absolution.
BELOVED Brethren, we will teach you faithfully^ not with flattering Lips to please the Antichrist, but from our Pearl, the Virtue, Power, and Spirit of Christ in us, from a Christian Essence and Knowledge; not from the Husk and History, but from a New-bom Spirit, from Christ s Knowledge, as a Branch growing on the Vine Christ; from the Measure of that Knowledge '^\x\iAi is opened in us, according to the Will and Counsel of GoD.
134. Men tie us in these Days to the History, and to the material Churches of Stone; which Churches are indeed good in their Kind, if Men did also bring the temple of Christ into them. They teach moreover that their Absolution is a Forgiving of Sins ^ and that the Supper of tJie Z^r^^taketh away Sin: Also that the Spirit of Qod cometh into Men through their Ministry. All which hath a proper Meaning, if it was rightly understood; and if Men did not cleave merely to the Husk.
135. Many a Man goeth to Church twenty or thirty Years, heareth Sermons, receiveth the Sacraments, and heareth Absolu^ tion read or declared, and yet is as much a Beast of the Devil and Vanity at the last as at the first. A Beast goeth into the Church, and to the Supper, and a Beast cometh out from thence again.
136. How will he eat that hath no Mouth? can any Man eat that Food which is so shut up that he cannot get it? How will he drink that can come at no Water? Or how will he hear that hath no Hearing?
137. What good End doth it answer, for me to go to the material Churches of Stone, and there fill my Ears with empty Breath? Or to go to the Supper, and feed nothing but the earthly Mouth, which is mortal and corruptible? Cannot I feed and satisfy that with a Piece of Bread at Home? What good doth it to the Soul, which is an immortal Life, to have the Bestial Man observe the Form^ and venerate the Shell, of Christ s Institution, if it cannot obtain the Kernel thereof? For St. Paul saith of the Supper, — * You receive it to Condemnation, * because ye discern not the Lord's Body.'
138. The Covenant stands firm, and is stirred in the Use of the Institution. Christ proffereth His Spirit to us in His Word (viz., in His preached Word) and his Body and Blood in the Of ^generation. 83 Sacrament y and His Absolution in a Brotherly Reconciliation one to another.
139. But what good doth it to a Beast to stand and h'sten, who hath no Hearing to receive the inward living Word, nor any Qround wherein to lay the Word^ that it may bring forth Fruit? Of such Christ saith, * The Devil plucketh the Word * out of their Hearts, lest they should believe and be saved/ But how can he do so? Because the Word findeth no Place in the Hearing Mind to take Root in.
140. And thus it is with Absolution also: what Benefit is it to me for one to say, I pronounce or declare to thee the Forgiveness of thy Sins, when my Soul is wholly shut up in Sin? Whosoever saith thus to a Sinner so shut upy erreth; and he that receiveth it without the Voice of God within himself confirming the same, deceiveth himself. None can forgive Sins but Qod only.
141. The Preacher hath not Forgiveness of Sins in his own Power; but it is the Spirit of Christ in the Voice of the Priest that hath the Power, provided the Priest himself is a Christian.
142. What good did it to those that heard Christ Himself teaching on Earth, when he said, * Come unto me all ye that are * weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Rest *? What good did this blessed Promise to those that heard it, if they laboured not, nor were heavy laden? What became of the Refreshment or Rest then? Seeing they had dead Ears, and heard only the outward Christ, and not the Word of the Divine Power, certainly they were not refreshed. Just so much good the Bestial Man hath of his Absolution and Sacraments.
143. The Covenant is open in the Sacraments; and in the Offi^ce or Ministry of teaching also the Covenant is stirred; the Soul doth receive it, but in that Property only of which the Mouth of the Soul is.
144. That is, the outward Beast receiveth Bread and Wine, which it may have as well at Home. And the^r;' Soul receiveth the Testament according to its Property, viz,, in the Anger of God it receiveth the Stibstance of the eternal World, but according to the Property of the dark World; it receiveth therefore, as the Scripture saith, to its own fudpnent or Condemnation, For as the Mouth is, so is the Food which is taken in by the Mouth. And after this Manner also it is, that the Wicked shall behold Christ at the last fudgment as a severe fudge; but the Saints shall behold Him as a loving Immanuel.
145. God's Anger standeth open in his Testaments towards the Wicked; but towards the Saints the Heavenly Loving KindnesSy and in it the Power of Christ in the Holy Name fesus^ 6—2 84 The Way to Qhrist, standeth open. What good then doth the Holy Thing do to the Wickedy who cannot enjoy it? Or what is it there, that can take away his SinSy when his Sin is only stirred and made manifest thereby?
146. The Sacraments do not take away Sin; neither are Sins forgiven thereby. But it is thus: When Christ ariseth, then Adam dieth in the Essence ol the Serpent; as when the Sun riseth, the Night is swallowed up in the Day, and the Night is no more: Just so are Sins forgiven.
147. The Spirit of Christ eateth of his Holy Substance ^ the inward Man is the Receiver of the Holy Substance; he receiveth what the Spirit of Christ bringeth into him, viz.^ the Temple of God, Christ s Flesh and Blood. But what doth this concern a Beast? Or what doth it concern the Devils? Or the Soul that is in the Anger of GOD? These eat of the Heavenly Bloody that is in the Heaven wherein they xlwell, which is the Abyss^ or Bottomless Pit.
148. And thus it is also in the Office or Ministry of Preaching: The Ungodly Man heareth what the outward Soul of the outward World preacheth; that He receiveth, viz.^ the History; and if there be Straw or Stubble in that which is taught, he sucketh the Vanity out of that. Yea, if the Preaching be mere Calumny^ Railing, and uncharitable Abuse, as is sometimes the Case, then his Soul sucketh the venomous Poison, and the murdering Cruelty of the Devil from it, wherewith it tickleth itself, and is pleased with learning how to judge and condemn others.
149. Thus if the Preacher be one that is dead^ and hath no true Life in him, but soweth only Venom and Reproach proceeding out of his evil Affections, thep it is the Devil that teacheth^ and the Devil that heareth. Such teaching is received into a wicked Hearty and bringeth forth wicked Fruits. By which means the World is become a mere Den of murdering Devils. So that if you look among the Herd of such Teachers and Hearers ^ there is little to be found but RevilingSy Slanderings, and Reproachings; together with Contention about Words, and Wrangling about the Husk.
1 50. But the Holy Qhost teacheth in the Holy Teacher ^ and the Spirit of Christ heareth through the Soul, which is the Divine House of the Divine Sound or Voice in the Holy Hearer, 151. The Holy Man hath his Church in himself wherein he Heareth and Teacheth. But Babel hath a Heap of Stones, into which she goeth with her seeming Holiness and real Hypocrisy. There she loveth to be seen in fine Clothes, and maketh a very cfevout and godly Show; the Church of Stone is her Qod, in which she putteth her Confidence.
Of ^generation. 85 152. But the Holy Man hath his Church about him everywhere, even in himself; for he always standeth and walketh, sitteth and lieth down in his Church, He liveth in the true Christian Church; yea, in the Temple of Christ; the Holy Qhost preacheth to him out of every Creature. Whatsoever he looketh upon, he seeth a Preacher of GOD therein.
153. Here now the Scoffer will say that I despaie the Church of Stone ^ where the Congregation meeteth; but 1 say that I do not. For I do but discover the Hypocritical Whore of Babylofty which committeth Whoredom with the Church of Stone^ and termeth herself a Christian^ but is indeed a Strumpet.
1 54. A true Christian brings his Holy Church with him into the Congregation. For the Heart is the true Churchy where a Man must practise the Service of Qod, If I should go a thousand Times to Church, and to the Sacrament every week, and hear Absolution declared to me every Day, and have not Christ in me, all would be false, an unprofitable Fiction and graven Image in Babel, and no forgiving of Sins.
155. A Holy Man doth Holy Works from the Holy Strength of his Mind. The Work is not the Atoftement of Reconciliation, but it is the Building which the true Spirit buildeth in his Substance; it is his Hesitation, But the Fiction and Fancy is the Habitation of the false Christian, into which his Soul entereth with Dissimulation. The outward hearing reacheth but to the outward, and worketh in the outward only; but the inward Hearing goeth into the inward, and worketh in the inward.
156. Dissemble, roar, cry, sing, preach, and teach as much as thou wilt; yet if thine inward Teacher and Hearer be not open, all is nothing but a Babel, a Fiction, and a graven Image, whereby the Spirit of the outward World doth model and make to itself a graven Image in Resemblance of the inward; and maketh a Holy Show therewith, as if he performed some Divine or Holy Service to GoD. Whereas many Times in such Service and Worship, the Devil worketh mightily in the Imagination, and very much tickleth the Heart with those Things wherein the Flesh delighteth. Which indeed not seldom happeneth to the Children of Qod, as to their outward Man, if they do not take great Heed to themselves; so busily doth the Devil beset and sift them.
Chapter VII.
Of Unprofitable Opinions^ and Strife about the Letter.
A TRUE Christian, who is bom anew of the Spirit of Christy IS in the Simplicity of Christ, and hath no Strife or Contention with any Man about Religion, He hath Strife enough in himself^ with his own Bestial evil Flesh and Blood. He continually thinketh himself a great Sinner, and is afraid of GoD: But the Love of Christ by degrees pierceth through, and expelleth that Fear^ as the Day swalloweth up the Night.
159. But the Sins of the Impenitent Man rest in the Sleep of Death, bud forth in the Pity and produce their Fruit in HeU.
160. The Christendom that is in Babel, striving about the Manner how Men ought to serve GOD, and glorify Him; also how they are to know Him, and what He is in His Essence and Will. And they preach positively, that whosoever is not one and the same with them in every Particular of Knowledge and Opinion^ is no Christian, but a Heretic.
161. Now I would fain see how all their Sects can be brought to agree in that One which might be called a true Christian Church; when all of them are Scorners, every Party of them reviling the rest, and proclaiming them to be false.
162. But a Christian is of no Sect: He can dwell in the midst of Sects, and appear in their Services, without being attached or bound to any. He hath but one Knowledge, and that is, Christ in him. He seeketh but one Way, which is the Desire always to do and teach that which is right; and he putteth all his knowing and willing into the Life of Christ, 163. He sigheth and wisheth continually that the Will of GOT> might be done in him, and that His Kingdom might be manifested in him. He daily and hourly killeth Sin in the Flesh; for the Seed of the Woman, viz., the inward Man in Christ, continually breaketh the Hecui of the Serpent, that is, the Power of the Devil, which is in Vanity.
164. His Faith is a Desire after Qod and Qoodness; which he wrappeth up in a sure Hope, trusting to the Words of the Promise^ and liveth and dieth therein; though as to the true Man, he never dieth.
165. For Christ saith, * Whosoever believeth in me, shall never * die, but hath pierced through from Death to Life; and Rivers * of living Water shall flow from him,' viz., good Doctrine and Works.
Of ^generation. 87 166. Therefore I say, that whatsoever fighteth and contendeth about the Letter^ is all BabeL The Letters of the Word proceed from, and stand all in, one Root^ which is the Spirit of Qod; as the various Flowers stand all in the Earth and grow by one another. They fight not with each other about their Difference of Colour, Smell, and Taste, but suffer the Earth, the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Heat and Cold, to do with them as they please; and yet every one of them groweth in its own peculiar Essence and Property, 167. Even so it is with the Children of GOD; they have various Qifts and Degrees of Knowledge, yet all from one Spirit. They all rejoice at the great Wonders of GOD, and give Thanks to the most High in His Wisdom. Why then should they contend about Him in whom they live and have their Beings and of whose Substance they themselves are } 168. It is the greatest Folly that is in Babel^ for People to strive about Religion, as the Devil hath made the World to do; so that they contend vehemently about Opinions of their own Forging, viz,, about the Letter; when the Kingdom of Qod consisteth in no Opinion, but in Power and Love.
169. As Christ said to his Disciples, and left it with them at the last, saying, * Love one another, as I have loved you; for * thereby Men shall know, that ye are my Disciples.* If Men would ^.s fervently seek after Love and Righteousness as they do after Opinions, there would be no Strife on Earth, and we should be as Children of One Father, and should need no Law, or Ordinance, 170. For God is not served by any Law, but only by Obedience, Laws are for the Wicked, who will not embrace Love and Righteousness; they are, and must be, compelled and forced by Laws, 171. We all have but one only Order, Law, or Ordinance, which is to stand still to the Lord of all Beings, and resign our Wills up to Him, and suffer His Spirit to play what Music He will. And thus we give to Him again as His own Fruits, that which He worketh and manifesteth in us.
172. Now if we did not contend about our different Fruits, Gifts, Kinds and Degrees of Knowledge, but did acknowledge them in one another, like Children of the Spirit of Qod, what could condemn us } For the Kingdom of Qod consisteth, not in our knowing and supposing, but in Power, 173. If we did not know half so much, and were more like Children, and had but a Brotherly Mind and good Will, towards one another, and lived like Children of one Mother, and as Branches of one Tree, taking our Sap all from one Root, we should be far more Holy than we are.
88 "The Way to Qhrist.
174. Knowledge serves only to this End, viz,^ to know that we have lost the Divine Power^ in Adanty, and are become now inclined to Sin; that we have evU Properties in us, and that doing Evil pleaseth not GOD; so that with our Knowledge we might learn to do Right. Now if we have the Power of God in us, and desire with all our Hearts to act and to live aright^ then our Knowledge is but our Sporty or Matter of Pleasure, wherein we rejoice.
175. For true Knowledge is the Manifestation of the Spirit of God through the eternal Wisdom, He knoweth what He will in liis Children; He showeth his Wisdom and Wonders by his Children^ as the Earth putteth forth its various Flowers.
176. Now if we dwell one with another, like humble Children^ in the Spirit of Christ, one rejoicing at the Gift and Knowledge of another, who would judge or condemn us? Who judgeth or condemneth the Birds in the Woods, that praise the Lord of all Beings with various Voices, every one in its own Essence? Doth the Spirit of Qod reprove them for not bringing their Voices into one Harmony? Doth not the Melody of them all proceed from His Power, and do they not sport before Him.
177. Those Men therefore that strive and wrangle about the Knowledge and Will of Qod, and despise one another on that Account, are more foolish than the Birds in the Woods, and the wild Beasts that have no true Understanding. They are more unprofitable in the Sight of the Holy GOD than the Flowers of the Field, which stand still in quiet Submission to the Spirit of Qod, and suffer Him to manifest the Divine Wisdom and Power through them. Yea, such Men are worse than Thistles and Thorns that grow among fair Flowers, for they at least stand still and are guiet, whereas those Wranglers are like the ravenous Beasts and Birds of Prey, which fright the other Birds from singing and praising GOD.
178. In short; they are the Issue, Branches or Sprouts of the Devil in the Anger of GOD, who, notwithstanding must by their very tormenting be made to serve the Lord; for by their plaguing and persecuting, they press out the Sap through the Essence of the Children of Qod so, that they move and stir themselves in the Spirit of Qod, with praying and continual sighing, in which Exercise of their Powers the Spirit of Qod moveth Himself in them.
179. For thereby the Desire is exerted, and so the Children of Qod grow green, flourish, and bring forth Fruit; for the Children of Qod are manifested in Tribulation; as the Scripture saith, * When thou chastiseth them, they cry fervently to thee.'
Of '^generation, 89 Chapter Fill, Wherein Christian Religion consistethy and how Men should serve God and their Brethren, ALL Christian Religion wholly consisteth in this, to learn to know ourselves: Whence we are come, and What we are; how we are gone forth from the Unity into Dissension^ Wickedness^ Unrighteousness; how we have awakened and stirred up these Evils in us; and how we may be delivered from them again, and recover our original Blessedness, 181. Firsty how we were in the Unity ^ when we were the Children of Qod in Adam before he fell. Secondly, how we are now in Dissension and Disunion^ in Strife and Contrariety. Thirdly^ whither we go when we pass out of this corruptible condition; whither with the immortal^ and whither with the mortal Part.
182. And Ictstly, how we may come forth from Disunion and Vanity, and enter again into that one Tree, Christ in us, out of which we all sprung in Adam, In these Four Points all the necessary Knowledge of a Christian consisteth.
183. So that we need not strive about any Thing; we have no Cause of Contention with each other. Let everyone only exercise himself in learning how he may enter again into the Love of Qod and his Brother, 184. The Testaments of Christ are nothing else but a loving Bond or Brotherly Covenant^ wherewith God in Christ bindeth himself to us and us to him. All teaching, willing, living, and doing, must imply, aim at, and refer to, that. All teaching and doing otherwise, whatsoever it be, is Babel and a Fiction; a mere graven Image of Pride in unprofitable Judgings, a disturbing of the World, and an Hypocrisy of the i?m/, wherewith he blindeth Simplicity.
185. TS^w^vy Preacher vo\A of the Spirit of Qod, who without Divine Knowledge, setteth himself up for a Teacher of Divine Things, pretending to serve GOD thereby, is false, and doth but serve the Belly, his Idol, and his own proud insolent Mind, in desiring to be honoured on that Account, and esteemed Holy, or a Divine in Holy Orders, He beareth an Office, to which he is set apart and chosen by the Children of Men, who do but flatter him, and for Favour have ordained him thereunto.
186. Christ said, 'Whosoever entereth not by the Door,* that iSy through his Spirit, ' into the Sheepfold, but climbeth up some 9© T'he Way to Qhrist.
* other Way, the same is a Thief and a Murderer, and the Sheep * follow him not, for they know not his Voice.* 187. He hath not the Voice of the Spirit ofQod, but the Voice of his own Art and Learning only; the Man teacheth, and not the Spirit of Qod. But Christ saith, * Every Plant which my * Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be plucked up by the * Roots/ 188. How then will he that is Ungodly^iasiX. Heavenly Plants, when he hath no Seed alive in its Power in himself? Christ saith expressly, * The Sheep hear not his Voice, they follow him not.'
189. The written Word is but an Instrument whereby the Spirit leadeth us to itself within us. That Word which will teach, must be living in the literal Word, The Spirit of Qod must be in the literal Sounds or else none is a Teacher of God, but a mere Teacher of the Letter^ a Knower of the History^ and not of the Spirit of Qod in Christ.
190. All that Men will serve GOD with, must be done in Faithy viz., m the Spirit. It is the Spirit that maketh the Work perfect, and acceptable in the Sight of GoD. All that a Man undertaketh and doeth in Faith^ he doeth in the Spirit of Qody which Spirit of Qod doth co-operate in the Work, and then it is acceptable to GOD. For He hath done it Himself and His Power and Virtue is in it: It is Holy.
191. But whatsoever is done in Self without Faith, is but a Figure and Shelly or Husk, of a true Christian Work.
192. If thou servest thy Brother, and doest it but in Hypocrisy, and givest him unwillingly, then thou servest not God. For thy Faith proceedeth not from Love, nor entereth into Hope, in thy Gift. Indeed thou servest thy Brother, and he for his Part thanketh GOD and blesseth thee, but thou blessest not him. For thou givest him thy Gift with a grudging Spirit, which entereth not into the Spirit of Qod, into the Hope of Faith; therefore thy Gift is but half gwtxi, and thou hast but halfXhy Reward for it.
193. The same is true of receiving a. Gift. If axiy giveth in Faith, in Divine Hope, he blesseth his Gift by his Faith: But whoso receiveth it untfiankfully, and murmureth in his Spirit, he curseth it in the Use or Enjoyment of it. Thus it is, that everyone shall have his own; ' Whatsoever he soweth, that shall he * also reap.'
194. So likewise it is in the Office of teaching; * whatsoever a * Man soweth, that also he reapeth.' For if any Man sow good Seed from the Spirit of Christ, it sticketh in the good Heart, and bringeth forth good Fruit; but in the wicked, who are not capable of receiving t\iQ good Seed, the Anger of GOD is stirred.
195. If any sow Contentions, Reproaches, and Misconstruetions, all ungodly People receive that unto them; which sticketh in them also, and bringeth forth Fruit accordingly. So that they learn thereby to despise, revile, slander, and misrepresent Ode another. Out of which Root the great Babel is sprung and grown; wherein Men, from mere Pride and Strife, contend about the History, and the Justification of a poor Sinner in the Sight of God; thereby causing the simple to err and blaspheme, insomuch that one Brother revileth and curseth the other, and excommunicateth, or casteth him to the Devil, for the Sake of the History and Letter.
196. Such Railers and Revilers fear not GOD, but raise the great Building of Dissension, And seeing corrupt Lust lieth in all Men, in the earthly Flesh still, therefore they raise and awaken Abominations even in the simple Children of Qod, and make the People of God, as well as the Children of Iniquity, to blaspheme. And thus they become Master-Builders of the great Babel of the World, and are as useful in the Church, as a fifth Wheel in a Waggon; yea, what is worse than ^ that, they erect the Hellish Building too.
197. Therefore it is highly necessary for the Children of Qod to pray earnestly, that they may learn to know ^v& false Building, and go forth from it with their Minds, and not help to build it up, and persecute their Fellow-Children of God. For by that means they keep themselves back from the Heavenly Kingdom, and turn aside from the right Way.
198. According to the saying of Christ to the Pharisees, ' Woe * unto you Pharisees; for you compass Sea and Land to make * one Proselyte, and when he is one, you make him two-fold * more the Child of Hell than yourselves.' Which is truly too much the Case with the modem Factions and Sects among these Criers and Teachers of Strife, 199. I desire therefore, out of my Qifts which are revealed to me from God, that all the Children of Qod, who desire to be the true Members of Christ, be faithfully warned to depart from such abominable Contentions and bloody Fire-brands, and to go forth from all Strife with their Brethren, and strive only after Love and Righteousness towards all Men.
200. For he that is a good Tree must bring forth good Fruits, and must sometimes suffer Swine to devour his Fruits, and yet must continue a good Tree still, and be always willing to work with God, and not suffer any Evil to overcome him. And then he standeth and groweth in the Field of GOD, and bringeth forth Fruit to be set upon GOD's Table^ which he shall enjoy for ever. Amen. *A11 that hath Breath praise the Name of the Lord. ' Hallelujah.'
THE THE FOURTH BOOK.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN A Scholar and his Master.
Concerning the SUPER-SENSUAL LIFE.
How the Soul may attain to Divine Hearing and Vision^ and what its Childship in the Natural and Supernatural Life is; and how it passeth out of Nature into God^ and out of God into Nature and Self again; also what its Salvation and Perdition are.
Written in the German Language, (Anno. 1624.)
By JJCO'B "BO EH ME TyF^^ speak the hidden Mystical Wisdom of Gody i^f^ which God ordained before the World unto our Glory: Which none of the Princes of this World knew: For had they known //, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Buty as it is written^ Eye hath not seen^ nor Ear heard^ neither hath it entered into the Heart of Man^ to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: For the Spirit searcheth all things ^ yea^ the deep 'Things of God. For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man save the Spirit of a Man which is in him? even so the Things of God knoweth no Many but the Spirit of God. NoWy we have receivedy not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the Things which are freely given us of God. Which Things also we speaky not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teachethy but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual Things with spiritual. But the natural Man receive th not the Things of the Spirit of God: For they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know themy because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgethy or discernethyall Things. — i Corinthians ii. 7,8,9, 10, II, 12, 13,14,15.
OF THE SUPER-SENSUAL LIFE, OR THE JLife which is above Sense.
In a Dialogue between a Scholar or Disciple and his Master.