(31) For without the illumination thereof you will not understand this Mystery; for there is a strong lock and bar before it in the spirit of man, that must be first unlocked or opened; and that, no man can do, for the Holy Ghost is the only key to do it withal.

(6) One was of gold, and the other was of silver; First with the white, and after with the yellow, Plied he the door, so that I was content. "Whenever faileth either of these keys So that it turn not rightly in the lock," He said to us, "this entrance doth not open. More precious one is, but the other needs More art and intellect ere it unlock, For it is that which doth the knot unloose. From Peter I have them; and he bade me err Rather in opening than in keeping shut, If people but fall down before my feet." Then pushed the portals of the sacred door, Exclaiming: "Enter; but I give you warning That forth returns whoever looks behind."

(52) Therefore to him the porter openeth not, for he is a thief and a murderer, as Christ saith. Now, behold and mark, whether one can be in the right Way, and enter in by the right Door, if one be living in lawless freedom or license, or disregard of ordinances, virtue or vice, order or disorder, and the like. Such liberty we do not find in Christ, neither is it in any of His true followers.

(1) Those, then, that adhere to impious words, and dictate them to others, inasmuch as they do not make a right but a perverse use of the divine words, neither themselves enter into the kingdom of heaven, nor permit those whom they have deluded to attain the truth. But not having the key of entrance, but a false (and as the common phrase expresses it), a counterfeit key (antikleis), by which they do not enter in as we enter in, through the tradition of the Lord, by drawing aside the curtain; but bursting through the side-door, and digging clandestinely through the wall of the Church, and stepping over the truth, they constitute themselves the Mystagogues of the soul of the impious.

(2) "For this cause, therefore, have I brought the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; otherwise no flesh in the world would be saved. For without mysteries no one will enter into the Light-kingdom, be he a righteous or a sinner. "For this cause, therefore, have I brought the keys of the mysteries into the world, that I may free the sinners who shall have faith in me and hearken unto me, so that I may free them from the bonds and the seals of the æons of the rulers and bind them to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, in order that he whom I shall free in the world from the bonds and the seals of the æons of the rulers, may be freed in the Height from the bonds and seals of the æons of the rulers, and in order that he whom I shall bind in the world to the seals and the vestures and the orders of the Light, may be bound in the Light-land to the orders of the inheritances of the Light. "For the sake of sinners, therefore, have I torn myself asunder at this time and have brought them the mysteries, that I may free them from the æons of the rulers and bind them to the inheritances of the Light, and not only the sinners, but also the righteous, in order that I may give them the mysteries and that they may be taken into the Light, for without mysteries they cannot be taken into the Light.

(94) That the spirit first goeth over the astringent and bitter qualities unperceived, signifieth that the gate of God is everywhere in this world all over, wherein the Holy Ghost ruleth; and that the heaven stands open everywhere, even in the midst or centre of the earth; and that the devil nowhere can either see or comprehend or apprehend the heaven, but is a grumbling and snarling hellhound, which afterwards, when the Holy Ghost has built or raised to himself a Church and Temple, first cometh out from behind and destroyeth it in the wrath, and hangeth behind at the word as an enemy, who will not endure that a Temple of God should be raised or built in his land or country, whereby his kingdom might be lessened or diminished.

(111) For he goeth and penetrateth through all shut or closed doors, closets and births, and needs no opening of them; as the teeth cannot stay or hinder the spirit or breath from going or passing through them.

(17) Only the spirit sheweth thus much: that to them is delivered and entrusted the weighty talent, and the key; and they are drowned in the pleasures of the flesh, and have buried their weighty talent in the earth, and have lost the key in their proud drunkenness.

(77) Thou needest not to ask where that heaven is. It is in thy heart, do but open thy heart, the key is here shewn to thee.

(54) And this will happen to that man who hath not entered, or refuseth to enter in by the right Way and the right Door (which is Christ, as we have said), and imagineth that he would or could come by any other way to the highest truth. He may perhaps dream that he hath attained thereunto, but verily he is in error. And our witness is Christ, who declareth: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”59 A thief, for he robbeth God of His honour and glory, which belong to God alone; he taketh them unto himself, and seeketh and purposeth himself. A murderer, for he slayeth his own soul, and taketh away her life, which is God. For as the body liveth by the soul, even so the soul liveth by God. Moreover, he murdereth all those who follow him, by his doctrine and example. For Christ saith: “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”60 And again: “Why call ye Me Lord, Lord?”61 as if he would say, it will avail you nothing to Eternal life. And again: “Not every one that saith unto Me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven.”62 But He saith also: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”63 And what are the commandments?

(113) It further signifieth that the Holy Ghost in like manner has an open gate in the wrathhouse of this world, where he may drive and perform his work, incomprehensibly as to the gates of hell, and where he gathereth or congregateth a holy seed to his eternal praise, against or without the will of the strong, fast, hellish gates, and altogether incomprehensibly as to them.

(47) For the soul, which apprehendeth the word, has an open gate in heaven, and can be prevented by nothing; neither does the devil see the soul, because it is not in his country or dominions.

(112) But that the lips stand open, when it is come hissing through the teeth, signifieth that he [The Holy Ghost] with his going forth out of the heart of God, in the creation of this world, has opened again the gates of heaven, and is gone through the gates of God's wrath, and has left the wrath of God strongly shut and bolted up, and has left the devil his eternal kindled wrathhouse close locked up, out of which he cannot come eternally.