Three Principles of the Divine Essence Chap. 8-16 - meuser
Three Principles of the Divine Essence Chap. 8-16 - meuser
Three Principles of the Divine Essence Chap. 8-16 - meuser
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Night: Also he made <strong>the</strong> Stars. And God set <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong><br />
Firmament <strong>of</strong> Heaven, that <strong>the</strong>y might shine upon <strong>the</strong> Earth,<br />
and rule <strong>the</strong> Day and <strong>the</strong> Night, and separate <strong>the</strong> Light from <strong>the</strong><br />
Darkness.<br />
15. And though Moses has written very rightly, that <strong>the</strong>y should<br />
govern <strong>the</strong> Day and <strong>the</strong> Night, and should separate <strong>the</strong> Light<br />
from <strong>the</strong> Darkness, and make Times and Seasons, Years and<br />
Days, yet it is not plain enough to be understood by <strong>the</strong> desirous<br />
Reader. For <strong>the</strong>re is found a very high Thing in <strong>the</strong> Virtue and<br />
Power <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Stars; [which is,] that every Life, Growth, Colour,<br />
and Virtue, Thickness, and Thinness, Smallness, and Greatness,<br />
Good, and Evil, is moved and stirred by <strong>the</strong>ir Power. For this<br />
Cause <strong>the</strong> wise Hea<strong>the</strong>ns relied upon <strong>the</strong>m, and honoured <strong>the</strong>m<br />
as Gods. Therefore I will write something <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir Original, as<br />
far as is permitted to me at this Time, for <strong>the</strong>ir Sakes that seek<br />
and desire <strong>the</strong> Pearl. But I have written nothing for <strong>the</strong> Swine,<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r bestial Men, who trample <strong>the</strong> Pearl into <strong>the</strong> Dirt, and<br />
scorn and contemn <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> Knowledge; such as <strong>the</strong>y may,<br />
with <strong>the</strong> first World, expect a Deluge, or Flood <strong>of</strong> Fire; and seeing<br />
<strong>the</strong>y will bear no angelical Image, <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong>y must bear<br />
<strong>the</strong> Images <strong>of</strong> Lions, Dragons, and o<strong>the</strong>r evil Beasts, and Worms,<br />
[or creeping Things.] And if <strong>the</strong>y will not admit <strong>of</strong> good Counsel<br />
that God may help <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y must look to find by Experience,<br />
Whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> Scriptures <strong>of</strong> Prophesy lie to <strong>the</strong>m or no.<br />
<strong>16</strong>. The Evangelist St. John writes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Originality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Essence</strong> and Creatures <strong>of</strong> this World, so very highly and exactly,<br />
as may be read in no o<strong>the</strong>r Place <strong>of</strong> Scripture in <strong>the</strong> Bible: In <strong>the</strong><br />
Beginning was <strong>the</strong> Word, and <strong>the</strong> Word was with God, and that<br />
m Midnight.<br />
Word was God: This was in <strong>the</strong> Beginning with God, all Things<br />
were made by it, and without it was nothing made that was made.<br />
In it was <strong>the</strong> Life, and <strong>the</strong> Life was <strong>the</strong> Light <strong>of</strong> Men, and <strong>the</strong><br />
Light shone in <strong>the</strong> Darkness, and <strong>the</strong> Darkness hath not comprehended<br />
<strong>the</strong> Light.<br />
17. Mark what John says: In <strong>the</strong> Beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Creation,<br />
and before <strong>the</strong> Times <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> World, was <strong>the</strong> Word, and <strong>the</strong> Word<br />
was God, and in <strong>the</strong> Word was <strong>the</strong> Light, and it shone in <strong>the</strong><br />
Darkness, and <strong>the</strong> Darkness could not comprehend <strong>the</strong> Light.<br />
Wherein may be clearly understood, that <strong>the</strong> eternal Light is<br />
God; and that it has its eternal Original in <strong>the</strong> eternal Virtue or<br />
Power; and that it is <strong>the</strong> eternal Word which shone in <strong>the</strong> Darkness.<br />
Seeing <strong>the</strong>n that Word created all Things in all Places,<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore it was in all Places, for without it was nothing made.<br />
18. Now that Word had no Matter out <strong>of</strong> which it made any