Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	nature_n	power_n	1,617	5	4.8157	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55474	Theologia mystica, or, The mystic divinitie of the aeternal invisibles, viz., the archetypous globe, or the original globe, or world of all globes, worlds, essences, centers, elements, principles and creations whatsoever by a person of qualitie, J.P., M.D.	Pordage, John, 1607-1681.; Lead, Jane, 1623-1704.; Hooker, Edward.	1683 (1683)	Wing P2968; ESTC R8838	181,392	278

ordering and governing of it And also the Holy Trinity's introducing of themselves into Eternal Nature The wide space within the Circle type's forth the Chaos or the Abyssal nothing the ground of all Essences and yet no Essence to be seen in it Now because I have in the foregoing discourse oft made mention of the word Principle without having any where declar'd what I meant by it I think it proper in this place to give you the signification of it according to the sense in which I take it And in the first place I shall tell you negatively in what sense it is not in this place taken by me By the word Principle I do not understand the first constitutive beginnings of things whereof they consist and from whence they take their Being in the same sense in which the four Elements by some and Salt Sulphur and Mercury by others are called the Principles of all things But by a Principle I mean an Original Source and Fountain-Essence formed by an Agent into a Sphaerical Circumference by which it is distinguished from all others 1. To explain this definition a little I say in the first place that a Principle is an Original and Fountain-Essence for it is not every Essence doth make a Principle but such an one only as is th● fruitful Mother of all the Essences conteined within its own Circumference and Kingdom and affords them being and sustenance from its own Bowels 2. In the second place it is said to be formed by an Agent becaus a Principle of it self is Passive considered without the Active Spirit in the Center which is the Mover of it 3. In the third place you have the form and figure of a Principle a Sphaerical Circumference which is the common form of all Principles 4. In the last place you have the end why a Principle is formed into a Sphaerical enclosure viz. that thereby it might be distinguished from all other Principles Worlds and Centers for all these are the same with me in this place and therefore many times one of these is put for the other Having thus given you the Definition of a Principle in general I shall now subjoyn the particular definition of Eternal Nature in these words Eternal Nature is a Principle created by God out of the Abyssal Chaos containing the seven operative powers for the production of all things The Genus or general Notion of this definition is the word Principle which but just now we have explained to you The difference of this definition contains the four Causes of Eternal Nature viz. the efficient material formal and final The efficient Cause which is God is expressed in these words of the definition created by God The material which is the Abyssal Chaos is expressed in these words out of the Abyssal Chaos The formal Cause are the seven operative Powers which the definition tells you that Eternal Nature doth contain The final Cause of Eternal Nature is that it might be the fruitful Mother of all things which the definition expresseth in these words for the production of all things What Eternal Nature is The Third Head Which makes the third Part of this Discourse What Eternal Nature is I. THE subject of this Part is concerning Eternal Nature's Essence it is a most noble Subject to look into I acknowledge that none could lay a deeper ground as to this Subject than divine Behme hath done yet I find withal that he hath brought it forth something obscurely so that he is understood by few and misunderstood by most This hath moved me to search into the Nature of this Subject for my own private satisfaction according to the innate light of my own intellect and the inward discoveries of the Triune Deity to the Spirit of my Soul In this Third Part I shall confine my discourse to these two general Heads The First What Eternal Nature is in its first original purity The Second What kind of Essence or Principle pure Eternal Nature is I begin with the first of these II. Quest. What is Eternal Nature's Essence in its first original birth and being as it came out of Wisdom's hand Answ. Eternal Nature was a pure Essence and then called pure Nature being free from sin and evil and all mixture of imperfection she was then all fair clear spotless faultless and sinless Now for the manifestation of this great mystery of Eternal Nature what it is I will open it in the original Causes of it viz. the efficient material formal and final III. Concerning the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature Who can be the Author and Creator of Eternal Nature but the Triune Deity The Father Son and Spirit must be the Creator of Eternal Nature not the Father without the Son and Spirit nor the Son without the Father and Spirit nor the Spirit without the Father and Son but the Triune Deity in joynt Co-operation Therefore the Triune Deity in the Globe of Eternity subsisting in their own pure Deity must be before Eternal Nature by way of efficiency as the Cause is before the Effect and are distinct as the Cause and Effect God therefore is not Eternal Nature nor Eternal Nature God because Eternal Nature is formed by God as the efficient And thus we see that God can subsist without nature but Eternal Nature's Essence cannot subsist without the Triune Deity God comprehends Eternal Nature but Eternal Nature cannot comprehend him who as being the efficient cause of Eternal Nature is higher essenced in his own Eternal Vnity and Simplicity Now that God is the Creator of Eternal Nature Scripture teacheth us when it tells us That by the Word all things were created and that without him nothing was made that was made Now if the Triune Deity was the Creator of Eternal Nature he must needs in order of Nat●re be before it and distinct from it and subsist in a far higher graduated Essence than Eternal Natu●●'s Essence is For if any should ask me what is above before and beyond Eternal Nature's Essence I can only reply the Triune Deity in the Globe of Eternity who is the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature and here we must st●p for we cannot go beyond the first Cause of all things IV. We proceed to sp●●k of the efficient Cause of Eternal Nature which is God and will briefly declare how God doth not only create Eternal Nature by way of efficiency but also that he creates it out of and from himself by way of Essentiality Thus the Divine Philosophy instructs us Rom. 8. 36. Of him and from him and to him are all things That is all things proceed essentially from him and if all then Eternal Nature must proceed materially and essentially out of God's Essence 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God by whom are all things efficiently and of whom are all things essentially Neither can it be otherwise for when God was to create Eternal Nature there was nothing besides Himself out of or from

it the ground whence it proceeded the manner how it was brought forth and the end for which it was produced which are the same with those which are mentioned in the Element of Fire The essential properties of this Earth are Ponderosity Corporeity and Transparency For you must know that this Eternal Earth is not like the outward Elementary Earth so gross and opacous but it is a transparent Crystalline Earth yet it gives essentiality and Corporeity to the three forementioned Elements and it was therefore created by God to make Eternal Nature's Essence substantial For Fire Water and Air must have one ground or substance to subsist in and to move in and through one another which substance is the Element of Earth This Element Behme makes the seventh property in which he saith all the six do move in one only ground as the Soul in the Body which is very well expressed by him And thus much concerning the matter of which Eternal Nature doth consist viz. Fire Water Air and Earth XVIII Concerning the formal Cause of Eternal Nature The formal Cause of Eternal Nature's Essence is nothing else but the mixture and harmonical composition of the four Eternal Elements for they are one in another and flow one through another Let us now consider who is the mixer of these Eternal Elements and their properties for they would never mix of themselves to all Eternity becaus of the Contrariety of their Natures wherefore we must conclude that the Divine Wisdom is the Artist who mingles these Elements together XIX In the mixture of these Eternal Elements observe with me these following Particulars First Wisdom's Art appears in the manner of their mixture they are mixed one with another and one thro●gh another Fire with Water Light with Darkness and penetrate through and through one another neither can their contrariety hinder or oppose the Art and Power of Wisdom Secondly The Art of Wisdom appears not only in mixing them but in reducing them to a harmony and equal temperament she doth proportion them to an equality in Number Weight and Measure Thirdly Wisdom's Art appears in that being thus proportionally tempered together they qualifie act and move in and through one another and that in the greatest harmony and friendship as the members of one body the fierceness of the fire is mitigated and allayed by the Water the harsh astringency of the Darkness is dissolv'd in the meekness of the Light and so of the rest Fourthly Wisdom's Art appears in this that in the harmonizing of these four Eternal Elements she hath made all their contrary properties to be useful one to another The Harsh Darkness is serviceable to the Meek Light for Darkness is the subject through which Light displays it self were there no Darkness there would be no Light the fierceness of the Fire gives strength to the Meek Water-Essence and meekness of the Water allays the fierceness of the Fire so Air is very useful to the Fire to keep it from being suffocated and the Earth is useful to them all becaus it gives them a Body to act and move in We may yet further consider the usefulness of the Elements to one another as they stand harmonized and tempered together by the Hand of Wisdom The Fire gives Life Mobility and Strength to the Meek Wat●r and the Water gives Food and Nourishment to the Fire● and thereby allays the fierce hunger of the Fire so that Darkness subsists in the Light and the Light in the Darkness and satisfieth the harsh bitter hunger of the Darkness being as food unto it and in this their serviceableness to one another consists their Natural Goodness for how can any evil be in them since they all serve the Will of their Creator and are useful to one another the Darkness is as useful as the Light and the Fire as the Water and consequently they are all good their contrarieties being harmonized and reconciled by the skilful hand of omnipotent Wisdom Fifthly Wisdom's Art appears in that in this temperature of the Eternal Elements she makes them qualifie and serve one another in triumphing joyfulness and to rejoyce in each other 's qualifying for though these Eternal Elements are not understanding Spirits yet they have an innate hunger in themselves which is their intrinsecal form which makes them desire each other thus the Fire-Essence hunger's after the Meekness of the Water as its dayly food wherewith its ravenous fierceness may be satisfied and allayed and again the Water hunger's after the Fire as its Life Strength and Motion The astringent Darkness hunger's after the Meek Light and the Light after the Darkness that it may shine through it and subsist in it And from this inbred Hunger it is that they rejoyce to qualifie one with another it is as their sport and past time to penetrate one through another and to be sometimes above and sometimes under another in this wrestling wheel of Nature For you must know that all these qualifyng powers of Nature have sensibility and mobility in themselves whereby they can feel and taste one another's properties and are sensible of the pleasure and satisfaction they receive one from another which continually awakens the hunger in every property to qualifie one with another So the Fire is sensible that the Meek Water doth allay its fierceness and therefore it doth hunger after it the anguishing Darkness is sensible that the amiable pleasantness of the Light is a refreshment to it and thus each property feels and taste's the other's goodness and this makes them still to hunger after one another and to penetrate one another with all triumphing Ioyfulness Oh let us for ever admire this unsearchable Art of the Divine Wisdom who alone can pe●form this Masterpiece Sixthly Wisdom's Art appears in nothing more than in the orderly placing of these Elements for Wisdom makes the Fire with all is Harsh Bitter Dark Anguishing and Brimstony properties to descend and makes it elevating pride to buckle bow and become a Servant to the Water-Essence and causeth the Water with it Meekness Gentleness and Ponderosity to ascend and command the Fire the Light to rule over the Darkness the Meekness over the Fierceness and the joyfulness of the Light over the Anguish For Divine Wisdom well understood the force of self elevating Fire and therefore she caused it to sink down and become a Servant to the Meek Light she foresaw that the Fire-life with its fierce properties would be but an ill Governor therefore she made the elder viz. the Fire-Spirit ●o serve the younger viz. the Water and Light-Essence which could be done by no other Hand but that of Omnipotent Wisdom If we proceed to consider of this order how incomprehensible will the Skill of Wisdom appear For the Darkness was hid in the Light and though it was there with all its properties yet nothing of it was to be see● or felt for it was swallowed up of the Light as the night is swallowed up of

of them equal in Fun●●ion Charge and Dignity all being obedient Chil●●en and Servants of the Deity they are all alike in ●●eir external form and figure appearing all like bright ●●ints Sparks or Eyes In the fifth and last place The Figure shews us that ●●ey all resemble and are like the central Eye of the Dei●● from which they do not differ but as a less from a ●●●ater for as the Spirit of Eternity represents him●●lf by the sight or black of an Eye so these simplified ●●irits the Inhabitants of the still Eternity appear ●●ke so many bright Points Sparks or Eyes all multi●●ied and derived from the Eye of Eternity So that these ●pirits are true resemblances of the Spirit of Eternity ●eing of the same nature only with the abovesaid dif●rence of greater and lesser and of original and copy 〈◊〉 they are Lights from Light and nothing else but the 〈◊〉 of Eternity multiplying it self through the unmeasu●●ble extent of the still Eternity Having thus opened the figure I proceed now to ●ive you a definition of simplified pure Spirits and it 〈◊〉 this Simplified Spirits are Spirits generated ●y God immediately out of himself 〈◊〉 the likeness and similitude of himself ●nd for himself This definition is made up of a genus and diffe●ence the genus or general comprehensive notion is Spirits which is common to these simplified Spirits with all others the difference or that whereby these ●ure Spirits are distinguished from all others is laid ●own in the causes viz. the efficient material formal ●nd final causes of simplified Spirits We shall begin with the first of these viz. the ●●●ficient Cause which is expressed in these words 〈◊〉 the Definition generated by God which intimates t● us that God is the efficient Cause and sole generat●● of those pure Spirits which are the Inhabitants of th● still Eternity I have told you before that these S●●●rits are simple pure Powers and no wonder since her● you see that they are the off-spring of the Deity who 〈◊〉 all pure Power they partake of his Nature and E●●sence as Children partake of the Nature and Essence 〈◊〉 their Parents and therefore it is that God is called the F●●ther of Spirits in reference to these pure simplified Spi●●●● who resemble him in the Vnity Simplicity and Purity 〈◊〉 his Divine Nature But you will say How and af●●● what manner were these pure Spirits generated by God● This I confess is a great Mystery yet for the satisfaction of the inquiring mind we shall speak somethin● of it We are to know that these simplified Spirits● did from all Eternity exist ideally in the Eye of Eternity and the said I●eas were actually and essentiall● manifested by production before all Worlds The m●ner of their generation we may thus conceive of their Id●●● being conceived in t●● Divine mind rais'd a desire fo● their manifestation and this desire awakned the omnipotent will of God to their actual production for in the will of God stands the Omnipotence which effecteth all things This all-effecting power is the power of the Holy Ghost who is the producer and actual manifester of whatsoever lie's hid in the Eye of the Father Ideally Neither could the Spirit of Pow●● ever have brought forth these pure Spirits had not thei● Ideas pre-existed in the Eye of the Father as their first ground and original pattern according to which they were brought forth actually by the Holy Ghost I next proceed to speak of the material Cause of thes● simple Spirits the Inhabitants of the still Eternity● which is expressed in these words of the definition immediately generated out of himself Though these pure Spirits be immaterial that is free from all gross materiality and corporeity yet are they not without a material cause from whence they derive their substance and Essence so that materiality in this s●nce is taken for essentiality Now this material cause is expressed to be God himself for there was nothing in the still Eternity but the blessed Trinity and the seven Spirits immediately proceeding from them therefore they must needs be generated out of God himself for there was no other subject matter no Eternal Nature out of which they might b● taken The Word immediately is added in the Definition to distinguish these pure simplified Spirits from the Angels who were brought forth out of Eternal Nature as their material cause and not immediately out of the Divine Essence as these are Now this Divine Nature out of which these Spirits are generated is no other than the Heart of God which as I told you is the Central Heart of the Deity and this Heart of God is the Eternal flaming Heart of God's Love it is Love it self and the fulness and perfection of Love and accordingly St. Iohn gives us this account of God that He is Love and that he that dwells in Love dwells in God and God in him Though this Scripture has relation to man litterally yet we may here apply it for illustration that God is Love which Love is the Generator of these simplified Spirits And it is out of this Love 's Eternal Substantiality that the numberless number of the Inhabitants of the still Eternity were actually manifested for the Glory of the supreme Majesty Now because I have told you that Love 's Eternal Essentiality is that out of which all pure simplified Spirits were brought forth I think it not amiss to open to you the nature and properties of this Divine Love to the end you may have a clearer understanding concerning the Nature and quali●ic●tions of thos● pure Spirits which did proceed from it for by opening unto you the Nature of this Divine Love which is the Cause I must needs at the same time lead you to the knowledge of these Spirits which are the effect or product of it 1. In the fi●st place then I find the Nature of Divine Love to be a perfect Unity and Simplicity There is nothing more one undivided simple pure unmixed and uncompounded than Love You will say how do I prove this Very well for this Love is God himself now it is well known that there is nothing more essential to God than Unity and Simplicity nothing more contrary to the Divine Nature than duality division or composition Besides it is this Love which gives Unity and Harmony to all things There is no Unity in Heaven nor on Earth but what derive● from Love and must acknowledge him the Author● and do you think Love can want that Unity which it gives to all others No certainly rather conclude that that which makes all things one which harmonizeth and agrees the most different and discordant Natures must needs be Unity it self 2. In the second place I find Love to be a most perfect and absolute Liberty Nothing can move Love but Love nothing touch Love but Love nor nothing constrain Love but Love It is free from all things it self only gives Laws to it self and those Laws are

form but also of the same bigness so that there is no distinction between them but only a numerical distinction whereby one of them is not the other And one of the greatest Wonders of the still Eternity is this to behold this innumerable number of Spirits bearing the exact and perfect resemblance with the Deity both outwardly and inwardly At which sight my Spirit was in a manner all absorbed quite swallowed with wonder and amazement Having thus spoken concerning these qualifications and adjuncts of these pure Spirits I should now draw to a conclusion of this Subject but becaus some it may be will be curious to know what the manner of living and employment of these Spirits in the still Eternity is As to the first We must know that being living Spirits their life requires to be maintained with food fo● no life though the most spiritual can be continued without a supply of meat and drink according to its kind It is not to be thought that we speak here of any gross way of eating and drinking but of that which is purely and highly Spiritual for the food of these Spirits is nothing else but living powers or rather powers of Life proceeding from the Holy Trinity Their Eternal Mother that brought them forth to be living Spirits doth feed nourish and maintain them with her Divine influences and distilling powers which Mother of theirs is the Eternal Heart of Love which is the Center of the blessed Trinity from whence proceed these impregnating penetrating powers which do feed and maintain these Spirits which powers are the very Blood Life and Spirit of Love which is the food of those Inhabitants of the still Eternity And thus much shall suffice concerning the manner and way of Living of these Spirits in the still Eternity I shall now come to speak a word or two concerning their Employment Their employment is to attend in the presence of the Holy and everblessed Trinity being ready to perform the will of the supreme Majesty Their Minds are continually taken up and delighted with the Beatifical Vision of the Deity their Wills fully satisfied in the immediate enjoyment of the chiefest Good their Senses pleased with most suitable and ravishing objects and they continually bathing themselves in those Rivers of unknown delights ● which proceed from the Heart of the Deity without intermission Thus they spend that Eternal day in never ceasing Praises and Hallelujahs to the ever blessed and incomprehensible Trinity Quest. If any one do further enquire concerning these Spirits what Speech or Language they have or how they communicate their thoughts to one another Answ. I answer That their speaking to one another is 〈◊〉 thought what ever they do but think is answered ●●mediately their thoughts are all known to one another 〈◊〉 forthwith answered which awful silence adds ●uch to the Glory of this Presence-chamber of the su●●me Majesty But it is not only their Language which is Won●erful they being full of Wonders for they all see 〈◊〉 through one Eye hear through one ear they all live 〈◊〉 one Heart and from one Center of Life they move ●rom one moving Cause they all breath from one ●reath they all will from one Spirit and they all stand ●n one Body For God the Holy Ghost who is a breath ●ir life and power proceeding from the Father's Eye through the Son's Heart of Love is all in all 〈◊〉 these Spirits so that the will of the Trinity is fully ●erformed in them and by them I have but little more to add and that is concerning the Nature of ●his still Eternity and the ends why 〈◊〉 was brought forth To the first of these I shall speak ●n these following particulars 1. In the first place then I say That the still Eternity is a Principle now what a Principle is I shall afterwards set down to which therefore I refer you 2. Secondly The still Eternity is the first Eternal Principle becaus there is none before above or beyond it But God alone who is the Cause of it 3. In the third place This still Eternity is the Original Principle of all Principles becaus all other Principles proceed from it 4. In the fourth place This still Eternity is the original Principle of Eternal Love and therefore it is called the Kingdom of Love becaus here is the birth of Love and here the blessed Trinity dwell in the Eternal Unity of their Love-essence which is the first and last of all Beings and Essences whatsoever But you will object That Mount Zion the New Ierusalem and the Angelical World are called by the sa●● Names viz. the Kingdom and World of Love To which I answer by granting That it is true Mount Zion c. are called by the same Names as i● the still Eternity but yet with this difference that the still Eternity is the Kingdom and Mansion of the Love as it exists without and before Eternal Nature's Principle but Mount Zion the New Ierusalem and Angelical World are called the Kingdom of Love manifested in and through Eternal Nature so as the 〈◊〉 is the Kingdom of Love out of Eternal Nature and the others are the Kingdom of the said Love brought forth i● Eternal Nature's Principle 5. In the fifth and last place The still Eternity is ● simple undivided Principle without any distinction of parts composition or mixture whatsoever It is all Light and all Love without any thing of Contrariety ●● Disagreement whatsoever I now come to speak briefly concerning the second head I just now propounded viz. the ends why this still Eternity was brought forth 1. In the first place The still Eternity was brought forth that it might be the Palace and Habitation of the ever blessed Trinity in their abstracted and solitary Being 2. Secondly The still Eternity was brought forth t● be the Council-chamber of the Holy Trinit when all their Eternal Decrees Counsels Purposes and Predestinatious are agreed upon and from whence they proceed And because we here have made mention of the Decrees and Counsels of the blessed Trinity it will not be amiss if we speak something concerning the Nature of these Decrees c. We are to know that all the Decrees and Counsels of the Holy Trinity do wholly and solely depend on the Will of their Eternal Love wit●out the least regard to any thing without themselves being nothing else but the pure results of the will and purpose of their Love But if we consider the Holy Trinity as being invested with the Principle of Eternal Nature so their Decrees and Counsels concerning Angels and Men may be said to have a conditional regard to Faith Obedience Perseverance c. which distinction if well understood will put an end to all those disputes which have been concerning the Decrees and purposes of God whither they be absolute and independent or conditional and with regard to things without them for both opinions are true if rightly and distinctly taken In the still Eternity all the

Eternal something viz. to be essential Fire not only by and from God's Will but also through his Will yet I do not find it necessary ●o explain it any further at this time XIV In the next place let us consider what is the Nature of Eternal Fire This Eternal Element is created by God to be a fierce mighty penetrating consuming Essence as appears from its essential and inseparable properties it is created with all which do manifest the nature of this created Fire-essence The first of these properties is Darkness which consists in astringent harshness from which dark harshness doth arise Bitterness with its prickliness and out of this bitter prickliness doth arise the Eternal woe and tormenting Anguish called the sting of the bitter Anguish and from this bitter sting is born the fierce Fire-essence Thus Behme sets it forth to whom I subscribe thus he makes the Fire-Essence the fourth form of Eternal Nature The Dark astringent harshness is the first form to the bringing forth of the fire the Bitter sting the second the Anguish the third and the fire-flash out of the Anguish the fourth form which compleats this Eternal fire-essence But to make the Nature of this Fire-essence more plain I will add to the former these following properties To the Fire-essence do belong Fierceness Fieriness Wrathfulness Sternness Sulphureousness Salnitrousness Consuming Devouring Flying up and Elevating it self these are the essential properties of the Eternal Anguishing Fire-spirit becaus it cannot subsist without them nor be separated from them Now it is easie by these properties to give a Description of the Nature of this Fire-essence viz. that it is a Dark Harsh Bitter Anguishing Fierce Fie●y Wrathful Stern Brimstony Salnitrous Consuming Elevating Fire-Spirit and the strength and force of this Essence consists in the forementioned properties and more particularly in its Fierceness Consumingness and self-elevation for ●ithout these it would be weak and feeble Quest. If you ask me wherein the Goodness of this ●ire-essence doth consist Answ. I answer in all its essential properties for ●hey are all good and serviceable to the end for which ●●ey were created and the Eternal Fire-essence by ●eans of them becomes a fit instrument for God to ●ork with Therefore there is no evil property to be ●und in this Fire-essence for if there were God must be the Author of it he being the Sole Creator of the ●●re But indeed God created it to be a good Servant ●o serve his Eternal Will not that it might Lord it ●nd reign over the Deity for this would not have s●ited with his Eternal Wisdom by which all things were brought forth since therefore it was created by God it must needs be good for no evil can proceed from God by way of efficiency XV. We will now proceed to the Element of Eternal Water This Element is the next matter of Eternal Nature's Essence and consequently to be handled next to the Fire It s efficient Cause is the same with that of the Fire-essence viz. the Eternal Will of God the Center from whence it is produced is the same viz. the Eternal Nothing or Abyssal Essence and the manner how is also the same viz. by the Divine Power and Wisdom wherefore we refer you to what hath been said before concerning the Eternal Element of Fire But our present work is to consider What the Nature of this Eternal Element of Water is The Eternal Element of Water is a Meek Mild Soft Gentle Essence for as the Fire-essence is the ground of Fierceness so the Water is the ground of Meekness and this will appear if we consider the essential Properties of it The first of which is Meekness the next Sweetness then Softness Mildness Gentleness Coldness Refreshingness Sincking down Heaviness so that we see from these properties that the Water must needs be a Meek and Mild Essence and this Meek Essence is the Ground of Eternal Light it is the Womb of the Meek Light from whence springs Pleasantness Delightfulness Ioyfulness and Gladness All which properties are in one another inseparably and make up but one Meek Essence as the several properties of the Fire make up one fierce Essence which Meek Essence we may call the Meek Water-Essence the Meek Light-Essence or the Meek Love-fire-Essence This Essence Divine Behme makes to be the fifth form of Eternal Nature and so it is But I would have you further to consider the end of its production which is to mitigate and allay the fierceness of the Fire-Essence and to be its Antagonist So to the fierce fiery harsh darkness the Water opposeth its meek soft gentle and pleasant Light to the bitterness and prickliness of the Fire it opposeth its sweetness and pleasantness to the anguish wrathfulness and devouring property of the Fire it opposeth the joyfulness of its Love-fire-Essence and to the Mounting elevation of the Fire it opposeth its ponderosity and sinking down Here you see that the Beauty Excellence and Strength of the Water consists in its Meekness Mildn●ss Softness Gentleness Sweetness Its riches are the Meek Light and the trium●hing joy of the Love-fire's-Essence which stop 's the fury of the devouring anguishing Fire It s goodness consists in this that it is a serviceable instrument in the Hand of its Creator to stop the pride and flying up of the Fire by its ponderosity And thus it appears that both these Essences are good in their kind as proceeding both from God's Will and fro● one ground viz. the Divine Chaos or Abyssal Essence And thus much concerning the Ele●ent of Water XVI We now proceed to the third Element of which Eternal Nature doth consist viz. the Element of Air. It s efficient Cause its ground from whence and manner of production are the same with those of the two former Elements But if you would know the Nature of this Eternal Air I say it is a Brisk Cooling Refreshing Reviving Quickening Pleasant Essence Breath or Wind. It is very useful and serviceable in Eternal Nature's Essence to blow up the Fire lest it should be suffocated and therefore it is appointed by God to blow up the Fire to give motion to the Water and to drive away the dark clouds from the Light-Essence when need requires It is a necessary Instrument to blow up the Love-Fire-Essence that so it may penetrate through all Properties when it is too weak and passive it maketh it blossom and break forth it is the food of all the Properties it is also the Chariot of the Spirit of God who rides upon the wings of this wind and is a good separator in his hand to separate between the precious and the vile between the wheat and the chaff It s essential properties are Clarity Transparency Volatility Levity Celerity and Penetrability Behme refers this Air-Essence to the sixth Property to which we assent XVII We now proceed to the last Element viz. Eternal Earth To know what this Element is we may consider the efficient of

as hath been but even now declared at large Neither indeed could it be otherwise except we will make God to be the Author of contrariety Misery Pain and Death which is directly contrary to his Nature and to what the Holy Scriptures testifie concerning him No Eternal Nature as she came out of the Hand of her great Creator was all Beautiful all Spotless all Happy no Strife Misery or Death to be found in any borders of her Dominion Neither do I in this Assertion contradict Iacob Behme becaus he speaks of Eternal Nature in her divided properties as she was after the fall of Angels but I speak of her as she came out of God's Hand all Good Harmonious Perfect and Blessed Now since it hath been declared before that the Perfection Happiness and triumphant joyfulness of Eternal Nature is chiefly placed in her sixth and last active form the seventh being only as the body or hou●e wherein they operate viz. in the Love-essence the Question may be put Quest. Why God placed the happiness of Eternal Nature neither in the beginning nor middle but in the end of it Ans. To which I answer That the Holy Trinity created Eternal Nature to be a Palace for them to dwell in now as in a Royal Palace we must pass through many rooms and apartments before we come to the Presence-chamber of the Prince so in Eternal Nature the forms of darkness must be pass'd through and after these the Fire and Water before we can come to the Love-fire which the Holy Trinity hath chosen for his Presence-chamber out of all the forms of Eternal Nature God will not have his Creatures to rush in of a suddain into his all-glorious presence and therefore hath so ordered it that many doors must be passed by them and many locks opened before they can come to His Presence whom to see and know is Eternal bliss and happiness Wherefore thrice happy is the man who by walking this path of pure Nature hath pass'd the Gates of Darkness Bitterness and Anguish and after them the Gate of the Fierce-fire and at length through Water Light and Air hath made his way to the Love-fire-essence where he meets with Eternal Rest Liberty and triumphant Ioy as being come to that point where the end hath found the beginning and where the beginning and the end are joyned together never to be parted again for ever Ans. 11. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a Passive Principle the Active power of it being derived from the Holy Trinity who have introduced themselves to act and work in the same and to bring forth Creatures out of it She is indeed the Mother of all beings but as a Woman cannot bring forth without a Man so Eternal Nature would have continued barren for ever without the Active power of the Deity had impregnated her to the end she might be the fruitful Mother of all things Ans. 12. The Principle of Eternal Nature is a subjected and subordinated Principle as appears becaus she is created by God and therefore cannot be co-equal with the Deity no more than the Creature can be with the Creator she is placed below the Globe of Eternity is influenced from the same and doth depend upon it therefore must needs be a subjected and subordinated Principle We may hence gather the absurdity of that Athiehical Principle which makes All-mighty Matter to be the Cause of all things for we see here clearly that Eternal ●ature the matter of all things is wholly Passive and subordinate to the will and power of her Great Creator in whose Hand she is as clay in the Hand of the Potter Ans. 13. In the last place if it be asked what kind of Principle Eternal Nature is I answer that it is an useful and serviceable Principle and that becaus it fully answer's to all those ends for which it was created by God but more especially the usefulness thereof appears in these following particulars First Becaus the Principle of Eternal Nature is as it were the body of the Holy Trinity wherein they live act and move as the Soul doth in our Bodies and is therefore called the Eternal Humanity and Eternal pure substantiality for without this Principle of pure Nature the Holy Trinity is all pure Deity without any covering whatsoever whereas in this Principle the Deity is cloathed upon with Eternal Humanity which conjunction of the Deity with Humanity is the greatest mystery n●xt to that of the Holy Trinity by means of which the Holy Trinity convey their pure Deity which is all Life Power and Virtue through the Principle of Eternal Nature Secondly The usefulness of E●ernal Nature's Principle appears in that it is become the Palace and Habitation of the Holy Trinity God's first and most glorious Palace is the still Eternity or the Eternal World which he generated out of himself that it might be the first and most proper habitation for himself but his second Palace or dwelling place is the Principle of Eternal Nature Thirdly In the third place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is God's work-house wherein the great and wonderful Potter hath laid up not only a sufficiency of Materials but also of Tools and Instruments for all Creations Here is the great and Vniversal treasury of that Clay of which all things are made and here is the Eternal turning wheel with which they are framed and fashioned Fourthly Eternal Nature's Principle is the Wardrobe of the Deity where all the variety of vestures and cloathing wherewith the Holy Trinity are pleased at any time to cover themselves are laid up All the forms of Eternal Nature Darkness Fire Light Water c. are but so many vehicles or rather vestures of the Deity wherewith he vaileth his pure-naked essential Glory Wherefore he is also termed a God that hideth himself even his pure Deity with and under the forms of Eternal Nature Fifthly In the fifth place the usefulness of Eternal Nature's Principle appears in that it is the Conduit-pipe through which the golden oil and water of Life together with the Divine Virtue of the Heavenly Tincture is conveied to the Creature Pure Nature's Principle is the silver-pipe through which the Golden oil of the Holy Tincture which flows from the Union of Fire and Light is conveied and is the mean by which the Holy Trinity with the wonders of Eternity come to be manifested felt tasted and enjoyed and therefore must needs be a very useful and necessary Principle Sixthly In the sixth and last place Eternal Nature's Principle is the field wher●in is hid the inestimable Pearl of the Holy Trinity it is the Cabinet wherein is contained the Iewel of wonder viz. the Deity in pure Humanity whosoever it is that finds this Pearl doth together with it find all the wonders of the Holy Trinity The ●earl indeed is one thing and the field or rich Cabinet another yet is both field and Cabinet very useful to keep and conceal the