The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme · 107 of 159 · tr. Franz Hartmann
Chapter 10 (part 14)
50.) 207:3 It should be remembered that these allegorical names do not refer to individual men, but to states of the universal mind.
208:1 " Seth " is a ray of love-light escaping from the fiery will.
( Mysterium Magnum , xxix.
24.) 209:1 If " Cain "— i.e.
, the external " church,"—had been annihilated, there could have been no further progress therein.
The destruction of the intellect would make an end to all prospects of its becoming spiritual.
210:1 " Sem ," the outbreathing of divine power.
" Ham ," a breath from the centre of nature, conceived within the "flesh." " Japhet ," the will penetrated by light.
210:2 In regard to the Bible allegories Boehme says:— "The written Word is only an instrument wherewith the Spirit leads.
The Spirit must be alive in the literal form.
Without this there can be no divine teacher, but only teachers of letters; only reciters of stories." ( Regeneration , viii.
6.) "Christ alone is the Word of God, teaching by means of His children and members the way of truth.
The literal Word is merely a guidance and symbol, a testimony to illustrate and represent objectively to man what Christ has done (and is doing) for us; so that we may draw and conceive our faith therein; but then we should enter with our desire into p.
211 the living Word, into Christ Himself, and become ourselves born to life therein." ( Mysterium , xxviii.
53).
"Babel does not like to hear it if it is taught that Christ Himself has to be the teacher within the human spirit.
They call upon the written Word, and say that if they teach that, then would the Spirit be poured out.
Oh yes!
All right!
I claim the same thing.
If the Word is taught in the spirit and power of Christ, then is this so." ( Mysterium xxviii.
51).
212:1 Those are the favoured people of God in whom lives the light of Christ, and not those who exclaim, "Lord!
Lord!
" using the name of Christ in vain, while the devil is occupying their souls.
Boehme says:— "All beings are created out of the Father.
The Father is in all and maintains everything.
He gives to all life and substance, and the Son is in the Father and gives to all things power and light.
He is our light, and without Him we cannot know God.
How can we, then, say anything about Him?
If we wish to speak of Him truthfully, we must speak out of His Spirit, because He testifies of God." ( Threefold Life , xi.
90.) 212:2 "Abraham," a collection of people— i.e.
, of minds—in whom spirituality has become manifest.
(See Mysterium Magnum , xli.
1.) 212:3 This again goes to show that Boehme's conception of these intracosmic powers and processes had nothing in common with the narrow views of orthodox "Christianity," which sees in those Biblical personifications nothing but terrestrial men and women.
212:4 These representations of intracosmic powers, personified in the Bible, p.
213 are all to be found in the theogonies of the "heathen," although under different names.
"The saints in their teachings and writings did not all use the same words, but what they taught and wrote was all out of one spirit." ( Three Principles , xxvi.
I9).
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
[auto] Divine power is described as 'outbreathing' and light escaping from the will, suggesting a flow from source.
Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.
[auto] The passage explicitly distinguishes between allegorical names referring to states of mind and literal interpretations, emphasizing the inner meaning over the outer letter.