(24) This Birth or Geniture is more intelligible and comprehensible, but yet also only to the Children of this Mystery; the Plowman does not understand it, though he fees, smells, tastes, hears, feels it, yet he looks on it, but knows not how the Being thereof is. [decorated W] Now if this be meant or understood the corrupt Reason in its own Wit, Ingenuity, or Capacity, without the Spirit of God. The Doctor, as well as the Plowman, is here meant, the one is as blind concerning the Deity as the other, and sometimes the Peasant or Plowman exceeds the Doctor in Knowledge, if he adheres close to God. [By this is meant or understood the corrupt Reason in its own Wit, Ingenuity, or Capacity, without the Spirit of God. The Doctor, as well as the Plowman, is here meant, the one is as blind concerning the Deity as the other, and sometimes the Peasant or Plowman exceeds the Doctor in Knowledge, if he adheres close to God.]

(127) Of which the Sophister will know nothing: For he is not generated of God, but is born of Flesh and Blood: and though indeed the Birth stands open for and towards him, yet he will not enter; for the Devil with-holds him: God blinds none.

(95) Hearken, there belongs more than so to this; thy animated or soulish Spirit must first qualify, operate or unite with the innermost Birth or Geniture in God, and stand in the Light, that it may rightly know and understand the astral Birth or Geniture, and that it may have a free and open Gate into all the Births or Genitures, else thou wilt not be able to write a holy and true Philosophy, but as it were full of Lice and Fleas, and to wit be found a Mocker against God. [Or many evil Beasts and creeping Vermine.]

(3) A young disciple in God’s school new turned from the world, the same weeneth that for a little time that he hath given him to penance and to prayer, taken by counsel in confession, that he be therefore able to take upon him ghostly working of the which he heareth men speak or read about him, or peradventure readeth himself. And therefore when they read or hear spoken of ghostly working—and specially of this word, “how a man shall draw all his wit within himself,” or “how he shall climb above himself”—as fast for blindness in soul, and for fleshliness and curiosity of natural wit, they misunderstand these words, and ween, because they find in them a natural covetyse to hid things, that they be therefore called to that work by grace. Insomuch, that if counsel will not accord that they shall work in this work, as soon they feel a manner of grumbling against their counsel, and think—yea and peradventure say to such other as they be—that they can find no man that can wit what they mean fully. And therefore as fast, for boldness and presumption of their curious wit, they leave meek prayer and penance over soon; and set them, they ween, to a full ghostly work within in their soul. The which work, an it be truly conceived, is neither bodily working nor ghostly working; and shortly to say, it is a working against nature, and the devil is the chief worker thereof. And it is the readiest way to death of body and of soul, for it is madness and no wisdom, and leadeth a man even to madness. And yet they ween not thus: for they purpose them in this work to think on nought but on God.

(58) This Birth can neither see, hear, feel, smell nor comprehend the Heart of God, but is a foolish Virgin, which King Lucifer in his Pride has caused to be so. [Or Folly,] And

(11) This indeed is very rightly and properly described, but the true Ground sticks hidden or concealed in the Word, and has never been understood by Man. For Man since the Fall could never comprehend or apprehend the inward Birth or Geniture, to perceive how the heavenly Birth or Geniture is; but his Reason lay captivated in the outward Comprehensibility or Palpability, and could not penetrate and press through Heaven, and see the inward Birth or Geniture of God, which also is in the corrupted Earth, and every where, in all Places. [See ch. 19. v. 55, 92.]

(123) Therefore this is a very difficult Article to be understood; nay it cannot be understood at all, unless it be by Experience in this Fight. Though I should write many Books thereof, yet thou wouldst understand nothing of it, unless thy Spirit stands in such a Birth or Geniture, and that the Knowledge is generated in thyself; otherwise thou canst neither comprehend nor believe it.

(65) I know very well, that the Word concerning the three Births cannot be comprehended or apprehended in every Man's Heart, especially where the Heart is too much steeped, soaked, or drowned in the Flesh, and bolted or barred up with the outtermost Birth. Or fleshly Matter. [Or fleshly Matter.]

(19) Let no one suppose, that we may attain to this true light and perfect knowledge, or life of Christ, by much questioning, or by hearsay, or by reading and study, nor yet by high skill and great learning. Yea, so long as a man taketh account of anything which is this or that, whether it be himself, or any other creature; or doeth anything, or frameth a purpose, for the sake of his own likings or desires, or opinions, or ends, he cometh not unto the life of Christ. This hath Christ Himself declared, for He saith: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”23 “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.”24 And if he “hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”25 He meaneth it thus: “He who doth not forsake and part with everything, can never know My eternal truth, nor attain unto My life.” And though this had never been declared unto us, yet the truth herself sayeth it, for it is so of a truth. But so long as a man clingeth unto the elements and fragments of this world (and above all to himself), and holdeth converse with them, and maketh great account of them, he is deceived and blinded, and perceiveth what is good no further than as it is most convenient and pleasant to himself and profitable to his own ends. These he holdeth to be the highest good and loveth above all. Thus he never cometh to the truth.