(36) But what can be said? The Devil will have it no otherwise. When his Kingdom begins to be stormed [battered and assaulted] at one Place, then he blows up the Storm all over, [as well in one as another,] in the Children of God; the Spirit of Punishment [Vengeance or Reproof] is stirred up; and in the worldly bestial Man, the Devil blows up mere scorning and disgracing Mockers; for they have the Kingdom of Christ in the History, and the Devil's Kingdom in themselves, as their own Possession.

(66) It is not without a Cause, that Christ calls the Devil a Prince of this World, for he is so, according to the first Principle, according to the Kingdom of Wrath, and continues so to Eternity. But he is not so according to the Kingdom of the four Elements and Stars; for if he had full Power in that, then there would be no vegetative [Fruit] nor living Creature upon the Earth. He cannot master the P Exit of the four Elements; for he is in the Originality, and there is a [whole] Principle between; only when the Constellations awaken the fierce Wrath of the Fire, in the Elements, as in a tempestuous Storm, then he is Master- Juggler [in Mischief,] and rejoices himself [therein.] Though indeed he has no Power there neither, except it be permitted him from the Anger of God, then he is the Hangman [or Executioner,] and executes the Right as a Servant [Minister or Officer;] but not as a Judge, but as an Executioner.

(28) And though the Devil (in thy Sins) says it cannot be now, thou art too great a Sinner; let not any Thing terrify thee, he is a Liar, and makes thy Mind fearful; he makes as if he was not present, but he is present, and snarls like a mad Dog; and thou mayest know for certain, that all doubting whatsoever, that comes into thy Mind, is nothing else but his Suggestions [and Objections.]

(7) And this is the very Reason, because the Devil smells the Matter, and therefore he hinders it, that his Kingdom might not be revealed, but that he might continue to be the Great Prince [of the World still.] For otherwise, if his Kingdom was known, Men might fly from him. Where is it more needful for him to oppose, than on that Part where his Enemy may break in? He therefore covers the Hearts, Minds, Thoughts, and Senses of the Divines; he leads them into Covetousness, Pride, and Wantonness, so that they stand amazed with Fear and Horror at the Light of God, and therefore they shut it up, for they are naked, nay they grudge the Light to those that see it; this is rightly called the Service and Worship of the Devil.

(28) Yet it could not be (how vigorously soever it was sought after) that Man (in his own Power) could enter into Paradise. And therefore poor captive Man must sit in this World in the Devil's murdering Den; where now the Devil has built his Chapel close by the Christian Church, and has quite destroyed the Love of Paradise, and has in the Stead of it set up mere covetous, proud, self-willed, [or self-conceited,] faithless, sturdy, malicious Blasphemers, Thieves and Murderers, which lift themselves up against Heaven and Paradise, and have built themselves a Kingdom according to the Dominion of the fierce sour [Stars or] Constellations, wherein they domineer (with Silver and Gold) and consume the Sweat one of another; whosoever is but able, oppresses the other to the Ground. And though he flies before him, yet then he only puts forth his Dragon's Tongue, and spits Fire upon him; he terrifies him with his harsh Voice, and plagues him Day and Night.

(25) Now, after that a man hath walked in all the ways that lead him unto the truth, and exercised himself therein, not sparing his labour; now, as often and as long as he dreameth that his work is altogether finished, and he is by this time quite dead to the world, and come out from Self and given up to God alone, behold! the Devil cometh and soweth his seed in the man’s heart. From this seed spring two fruits; the one is spiritual fulness or pride, the other is false, lawless freedom. These are two sisters who love to be together. Now, it beginneth on this wise: the Devil puffeth up the man, till he thinketh himself to have climbed the topmost pinnacle, and to have come so near to heaven, that he no longer needeth Scripture, nor teaching, nor this nor that, but is altogether raised above any need. Whereupon there ariseth a false peace and satisfaction with himself, and then it followeth that he saith or thinketh: “Yea, now I am above all other men, and know and understand more than any one in the world; therefore it is certainly just and reasonable that I should be the lord and commander of all creatures, and that all creatures, and especially all men, should serve me and be subject unto me.” And then he seeketh and desireth the same, and taketh it gladly from all creatures, especially men, and thinketh himself well worthy of all this, and that it is his due, and looketh on men as if they were the beasts of the field, and thinketh himself worthy of all that ministereth to his body and life and nature, in profit, or joy, or pleasure, or even pastime and amusement, and he seeketh and taketh it wherever he findeth opportunity.

(55) 1 will not say, that one that is a true Believer, [or truly faithful] in the new Birth, cannot (with earnest Combating) help and Hell; but he must have sharp Weapons, when he has to do with Principalities and Powers, or else they will deride and scorn him; as it is done for certain, when the Priest, with his glistering Cope [or fine Cloaths,] comes between Heaven and Hell, and will [undertake to] fight with the Devil.

(93) Therefore it is not good to tattle with the Devil, he is a Liar and Murderer from the Beginning of his Kingdom, and a Thief also; he comes only to murder and to steal, as here [with Eve.] And the Devil is the highest Cause of the Fall; for he strewed Sugar upon Adam, so that he imagined [or lusted] Adam and Eve. after the Kingdom of this World; though Adam indeed did not see him, yet he slipt into the Essences of the [fierce, sour] Sternness; and did there throw Hell's paradisical Sugar before him, so that Adam lusted.

(10) Behold, we understand by Jerusalem the Paradise, and by the Way to Jericho the Going forth out of Paradise into this World, where then the World captivated us in her Garden, where continually the great Sea of Misery is wherein our Soul swims. Also the Devil is therein, who has bound us with the Chains of the Anger of God, and he leads the poor Soul captive (in the dark Garden of Flesh and Blood) into his fierce Garden of Anger; where the new-born Souls continually break out of his Garden, and break his hellish Kingdom in Pieces; also they have taken Possession of his royal Throne, where he was an Angel, and with their Horns (which are the Spirit of God) have broken in Pieces his hellish Kingdom which he set up; also they oppose him with their Storm out of Hell into Heaven, and assault his Kingdom; but he holds the poor Soul captive with the Chains of the Anger, in this evil Flesh and Blood, and continually sets on the Crew of the Wicked, that they seduce it, and baptize it in the Anger of God up to the very Lips; and there the poor Soul stands up to the Neck in the Sea of Misery, ready to be drowned; and there the Devil thrusts it down with the Vices and Sins of the Body, and would drown the poor Soul in the Anger of God in the Abyss of Hell.

(11) Instil many vain fancies into men's minds. But, on the contrary, 'tis his perverseness and want of faith The philosopher denies the existence of the Devil; At the same time he is the Devil's laughing-stock. If thou hast not seen the Devil, look at thyself, Without demon's aid how came that blue turban on thy brow? Whosoever has a doubt or disquietude in his heart Now and then he displays firm belief, Beware, O believers! That lurks in you too; All the seventy and two heresies lurk in you;

(21) Therefore none should be so presumptuous, as to mock and despise the Children of God, who are in the Combat against the Devil. But think that it will come to thy Turn also; if thou wilt not go about it when thou art well and in Health, thou must come to it at thy Death; when the poor Soul comes to part from the Body, then it must enter into the Combat, there is no Remedy; for it must depart from the Body out of the Spirit of this World, and then two Gates stand open, viz. Heaven and Hell, it must go in at one of them, there is no other Place out of this World.

(24) I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

(24) But because the Souls of Adam and of Eve, and of all the Children of Men, were too rough, wild, and too hard kindled from the first Principle, so that they had the Source of Hell in them, being inclined to all Evil, [Malice, or Mischief,] therefore the Word and the Treader upon the Serpent did not so instantly image [or imprint] itself in the Soul of Adam, but stood opposite to the Kingdom of the Devil and of Hell, and [against] their poisonous Darts, in the Mind; and in the Mind of those Men which incline and yield themselves to the Treader upon the Serpent, it breaks the Head of the Serpent, the Devil.

(63) He [the Devil] supposed, [saying;] The Kingdom of this World is thine, thou shalt sport thyself according to thy Power with the Image of Man, which should have possessed thy Throne, his Spirit is in thy Kingdom; and so [the Devil] mocked God in his Mind, [saying.;] Where is now thy noble Image, which thou didst create to rule over my Throne? Am not I Lord of the great Might of the Fire? I will rule over thy Throne, the Might [or Strength] and Virtue is mine: I fly up above the Thrones of Virtue and Strength, and no Might [or Power] can withstand me.

(65) And because I may not be well understood by the Reader, in that I write, that Man dwells in the Abyss of Hell with the Devils, therefore I will show him the Ground, that he may touch and handle it; and if he will not feel it, yet it is given to him that he may know it, and it shall be a Witness against him.

(3) But now seeing I have in Hand the Articles of Repentance, therefore I certify the Reader, that in my Earnestness this Pen was given me, which the Hunter would have broken, with whom I began an earnest Storm, insomuch that he had cast me down to the Ground under his Feet, but the Breath of God helped me up; so that I stand up, and have the first Pen in my Mind still, wherewith I will write further, though the Devil for Malice should storm Hell.

(23) Therefore the Devil also, in Regard of the Might of the tart [strong fierce Wrath,] was called a Prince of this World in the [angry strong] Fierceness, of which you shall find [more] about the Fall. And therefore God created but one Man; for God would that Man should continue in Paradise, and live eternally; and on the contrary, the Sternness [or strong fierce Wrath] would tempt him, [to try] whether he would put his Imagination and Will wholly into the Heart of God, and into Paradise, wherein he was.

(37) Therefore, according to our Knowledge, we will set down an Explanation of the Fall of Man, which is very perfectly manifested, and appears in the Light of the Day, and i convinces us. And we have no Need of the Fooleries of the Antichrist, who with the Blood and Death of Christ does but seek his own Covetousness, Pride, and Voluptuousness, and draws the Vail of Moses before our Eyes, that we should not see through the Tables that were graven through [through] Joshua or Jesus, into the promised Land of Paradise; that he may only sit and ride upon his horrible and devouring Beast of Covetousness and Pride, which [Beast] is become so very great and strong, that it shadows the Circuit of the Earth, and rules so wonderfully over Mountains and Valleys, with his Fierceness; which [Beast] yet shall be broken by the Lily without Hands. At which the [People or] Nations shall wonder, and say; How art thou, O terrible and great Might [and Power,] founded upon so weak and loose a Ground!

(100) This now the Devil did not understand; because God spoke of the Serpent, and cursed it to [be] a horrible Worm, and he supposed that it did not concern him; neither does he yet know his own Judgment, he knows only what he learns from Men, that declare [Things] in the Spirit of God; yet the Spirit of God does not wholly intimate his Judgment to him, but all in the Depth, afar off, so that he cannot wholly understand it. For to the enlightened Men all Prophesies (even concerning the Wickness of Men) are thus given, and they dare not set them down clearer, that the Devil may not wholly learn the Counsel of God, and strow his Sugar upon it; though in this Place there are very excellent Things, that ought not to be revealed to the World, for they remain till the Judgment of God; that the Devil may bring no new Sects into it, and lead Men into Doubt; and therefore they shall be passed over till the Time of the Lily.

(48) Yet he sows the Pearl in his afflicting Anguish, and the Devil covers it in him, that he may not know it, neither does he know himself; he sows in the Kingdom of God, and knows not his own Seed, but the Seed of Sin, and of the Hunter. And so he consents not to the Sins which he commits; but the Devil with his Followers [or Associates] overpower him, so that the Adamical Man in the Anger does that which the new-born [Man] in the holy Element wills not; now though he does it, yet the new Man in the Image does it not, but the old Man in the Anger. And therefore there is in him a continual Strife, and he runs continually to Repentance; where yet the hidden Man in the