Before entering upon the Dialogues I have thought it well to insert some
sentences taken from a treatise of Behmen's called "Regeneration,"
together with some taken from another treatise of his on "Christ's
Testament" because they show well the spirit in which he thought and
wrote. The freedom of thought and expression which he claims is,
happily, far more readily accorded now than it was in his own day.
I have only one thing to add. In the eighteenth century English
translation of Behmen's Works, all the substantives, as was then the
frequent custom, are printed with capital letters. There is a
philosophic basis for this practice, because a substantive is an attempt
to denote a "thing in itself" and is therefore of greater weight than an
adjective, which only expresses qualities which we attribute to it. To
Behmen's Works this mode of printing seems especially appropriate. In
our now too literary language, many words have become so trite and
carelessly used that they have almost ceased to have reference to real
existing things. But Behmen never uses words in this merely literary
way, being indeed in nowise a man of letters. It might have been said of
him, as indeed his enemies did at the time say, that which was said by
the Jews of our Lord, "How knoweth this man letters having never
learned?" When he speaks of the "_glory_" of God, he means something as
real as if he spoke of the "_leaves_ on that tree," and so with all his
words. I was therefore somewhat inclined, in order to mark this, to
adhere altogether to the old custom in this case, and though I have not
done so, fearing it might annoy the eye of the unaccustomed reader, I
have preserved the capital letters in many cases, where it is especially
desirable to dwell on the expression of real existences by the words. It
is of course an illogical compromise between two customs.
The title "Supersensual Life" is not altogether a good one, but it is
that which is used in former editions of Behmen. The idea is rather of
Life behind, than above, the life of sense.
_Sentences Selected from Jacob Behmen's Treatises "Regeneration" and
"Christ's Testaments"_
1
A true Christian, who is born anew of the Spirit of Christ, is in the
simplicity of Christ, and hath no strife or contention with any man
about religion.
2
The Christendom that is in Babel striveth about the manner how men ought
to serve God and glorify him; also, how they are to know him, and what
he is in his Essence and Will. And they preach positively that whosoever
is not one and the same with them in every particular of knowledge and
opinion, is no Christian, but a heretic.
3
But a Christian is of no sect. He can dwell in the midst of sects, and
appear in their services, without being attached or bound to any. He
hath but one knowledge, and that is, Christ in him. He seeketh but one
way, which is the desire always to do and teach that which is right;
and he putteth all his knowing and willing into the Life of Christ. He
sigheth and wisheth continually that the Will of God might be done in
him, and that his Kingdom might be manifested in him. His faith is a
desire after God and Goodness, which he wrappeth up in a sure hope,
trusting to the words of the promise, and liveth and dieth therein;
though as to the _true man_, he never dieth.
4
For Christ saith: _Whosoever believeth in me shall never die, but hath
pierced through from death to life_; and, _Rivers of living water shall
flow from him_, viz. good doctrine and works.
5
Therefore I say that whosoever fighteth and contendeth about the Letter,
is all Babel. The Letters of the Word proceed from, and stand all in,
one Root, which is the Spirit of God; as the various flowers stand all
in the earth, and grow about one another. They fight not with each other
about their difference of colour, smell, and taste, but suffer the
earth, the sun, the rain, the wind, the heat, and cold, to do with them
as they please; and yet every one of them groweth in its own peculiar
essence and property.
6
Even so it is with the Children of God; they have various gifts and
degrees of knowledge, yet all form one Spirit. They all rejoice at the
great Wonders of God, and give thanks to the Most High in his Wisdom.
Why then should they contend about him in _Whom they live and have their
being_, and of whose substance they themselves are?
7
It is the greatest folly that is in Babel for people to strive about
religion, so that they contend vehemently about opinions of their own
forging, viz. about the Letter. When the Kingdom of God consisteth of no
Opinion, but in Power and Love.
8
As Christ said to his disciples, and left it with them at the last,
saying: _Love one another as I have loved you: for thereby men shall
know that ye are My disciples_. If men would as fervently seek after
love and righteousness as they do after opinions, there would be no
strife on earth, and we should be as children of one father, and should
need no law or ordinance. For God is not served by any law, but only by
obedience. Laws are for the wicked, who will not enhance love and
righteousness; they are, and must be, compelled by laws.
9
We all have but one Order, Law, or Ordinance, which is to stand still to
the Lord of all Beings, and resign our wills up to him, and suffer his
Spirit to play what music he will. And thus we give to him again as his
own fruits that which he worketh and manifesteth in us.
10
Now if we did not contend about our different fruits, gifts, kinds, and
degrees of knowledge, but did acknowledge them in one another, like
Children of the Spirit of God, what could condemn us? For the Kingdom of
God consisteth not in our knowing and supposing, but in Power.
11
If we did not know half so much, and were more like children, and had
but a brotherly mind and goodwill towards one another, and lived like
children of one mother, and as branches of one tree, taking our Sap all
from one Root, we should be far more holy than we are.
12
Knowledge serves only to this end, viz., to know that we have lost the
Divine Power in Adam, and are now become inclined to sin; that we have
evil properties in us, and that doing evil pleaseth not God; so that
with our knowledge we learn to do right. Now if we have the Power of God
in us, and desire with all our hearts to act and to live aright, then
our knowledge is but our sport, or matter of pleasure, wherein we
rejoice.
13
For true knowledge is the manifestation of the Spirit of God through the
Eternal Wisdom. He knoweth what he will in his children; he sheweth his
wisdom and wonders by his children, as the earth putteth forth her
various flowers.
14
Now if we dwell with one another, like humble children, in the Spirit of
Christ, are rejoicing at the gift or knowledge of another, who would
judge or condemn us? Who judgeth or condemneth the birds in the woods
that praise the Lord of all Beings with various voices, every one in
its own essence? Doth the Spirit of God reprove them for not bringing
their voices into one harmony? Doth not the melody of them all proceed
from his Power, and do they not sport before him?
15
Those men therefore that strive and wrangle about the knowledge and will
of God, and despise one another on that account, are more foolish than
the birds in the woods, and the wild beasts that have no true
understanding. They are more unprofitable in the sight of the holy God
than the flowers of the field, which stand still in quiet submission to
the Spirit of God, and suffer him to manifest the Divine Wisdom and
Power through them.
16
All Christian Religion consisteth wholly on this, to learn _to know
ourselves_; whence we came, and what we are; how we are gone forth from
the Unity into dissension, wickedness, and unrighteousness; how we have
awakened and stirred up these evils in us; and how we may be delivered
from them again, and recover our original blessedness.
17
_First_; How we were in the Unity, when we were the Children of God in
Adam before he fell. _Secondly_; How we are now in dissension and
disunion, in strife and contrariety. _Thirdly_; Whither we go when we
pass out of this corruptible condition; whither with the unnatural, and
whither with the natural part. And _lastly_; How we came forth from
disunion and vanity, and enter into that one Tree, Christ in us, out of
which we all sprung in Adam. In these four points all the necessary
knowledge of a Christian consisteth.
18
So that we need not strive about any thing; we have no cause of
contention with each other. Let every one only exercise himself in
learning how he may enter again into the Love of God and his Brother.
19
The written Word is but an instrument whereby the Spirit leadeth us to
itself within us. That Word which will teach must be living in the
literal Word. The Spirit of God must be in the literal sound, or else
none is a Teacher of God, but a mere Teacher of the Letter, a knower of
the history, and not of the Spirit of God in Christ.
20
All that men will serve God with must be done in Faith, viz. in the
Spirit. It is the Spirit that maketh the work perfect, and acceptable in
the sight of God. All that a man undertaketh and doeth in Faith, he doth
in the Spirit of God, which Spirit of God doth co-operate in the work,
and then it is acceptable to God. For he hath done it himself, and his
Power and Virtue is in it. It is holy.
21
Strife and misunderstanding concerning Christ's Person, Office, and
Being, or Substance, as also concerning his Testaments which he left
behind him, wherein he worketh at present, ariseth from the deflected
creaturely Reason, which runneth on only in an Image-like opinion, and
reacheth not the ground of this mystery, and yet will be a mistress of
all things or beings, and will judge all things. It doth but lose itself
in such Image-likeness, and breaketh itself off from its Centre, and
disperseth the thoughts, and runneth on in the multiplicity, whereby its
ground is confused and the mind is disquieted, and knoweth not itself.
22
No Life can stand in certainty, except it continue in its Centre, out of
which it is sprung.
23
When the Soul that is sprung from God's Word and Will is entered into
its own desire to will of itself, it will run in mere uncertainty till
it return to its Original again.
24
Seeing that human life is an outflowing of the Divine Power,
Understanding and Skill, the same ought to continue in its Original, or
else it loseth the Divine Knowledge, Power and Skill, and with
self-speculation bringeth itself into centres of its own, and strange
imaging, wherewith its Original becometh darkened and strange.
Therefore say I, that this is the only cause that men dispute about God,
his Word, Essence or Being, and Will, that the understanding of man hath
broken itself off from its Original, and now runneth on in mere
self-will, thoughts and images in its own lust to selfishness, wherein
there is no true knowledge, nor can be, till the Life returneth to its
Original, viz. into the Divine Outflowing and Will.
25
If this be done, then God's Will speaketh forth the Divine Power and
Wonders again through the human willing. In which Divine Speaking, the
Life may know and comprehend God's Will, and frame itself therein. Then
there is true Divine Knowledge and Understanding in man's skill, when
his skill is continually renewed with Divine Power.
26
As Christ hath taught us when he said, _Unless ye be converted and
become as a Child, ye shall not come into the Kingdom of God_. That is,
that the Life turn itself again unto God out of whom it is proceeded,
and forsake all its own imaging and lust, and so come to the Divine
Vision again.
27
All disputation concerning God's Being or Essence or Will is performed
in the images of the senses or thoughts without God. For if any liveth
in God, and willeth with God, what needeth he dispute about God, who, or
what God is? That he disputeth about it is a sign that he hath never
felt it at all in his mind or senses, and it is not given to him that
God is in him, and willeth in him what he will. It is a certain sign
that he exalts his own meaning and image above others, and desireth
dominion.
28
Men should friendly confer together, and offer one another their gifts
and knowledge in love, and try things one with another, and hold that
which is best, and not so stand in their own opinion as if they could
not err. It lyeth in no man's person that men should suppose that the
Divine Understanding must come only from such and such. For the
Scripture says, _Try all things and hold that which is good_, 1 Thess.
v. 21.
29
The touchstone to true knowledge is first, the Corner-stone, Christ;
that men should see whether a thing enter out of love into love, or
whether alone purely the love of God be sought and desired; whether it
be done out of humility or pride; Secondly, whether it be according to
the Holy Scripture; Thirdly, is it according to the human heart and
soul, wherein the Book of the Life of God is incorporated, and may very
well be read by the Children of God? Here the true mind hath its
touchstone in itself, and can distinguish all things. If it be so that
the Holy Ghost dwell in the ground of the mind, that man hath touchstone
enough; that will lead him into all truth.
30
All strife concerning Christ's testaments cometh hence that men do not
understand that Heaven wherein Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.
They understand not that he is in this World, and that the World
standeth in Heaven, and Heaven in the World, and are in one another, as
Day and Night.