Now as to what thou askest concerning the spirit and its "return" to this
world of humanity and this elemental space: Know that spirit in general is
divided into five sorts--the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human
spirit, the spirit of faith, and the divine spirit of sanctity.
The vegetable spirit is the virtue augmentative, or growing or vegetative
faculty, which results from the admixture of the simple elements, with the
cooperation of water, air and heat.
The animal spirit is the virtue perceptive resulting from the admixture
and absorption of the vital elements generated in the heart, which
apprehend sense-impressions.
The human spirit consists of the rational, or logical, reasoning faculty,
which apprehends general ideas and things intelligible and perceptible.
Now these "spirits" are not reckoned as Spirit in the terminology of the
Scriptures and the usage of the people of the Truth, inasmuch as the laws
governing them are as the laws which govern all phenomenal being in
respect to generation, corruption, production, change and reversion, as is
clearly indicated in the Gospel where it says: "Let the dead bury their
dead;" "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is Spirit"; inasmuch as he who would bury these dead was
alive with the vegetative, animal and rational human soul, yet did
Christ--to whom be glory!--declare such dead and devoid of life, in that
this person was devoid of the spirit of faith, which is of the Kingdom of
God.
In brief, for these three spirits there is no restitution or "return," but
they are subordinate to reversions and production and corruption.
But the spirit of faith which is of the Kingdom consists of the
all-comprehending grace and the perfect attainment and the power of
sanctity and the divine effulgence from the Sun of Truth on luminous
light-seeking essences from the presence of the divine Unity. And by this
Spirit is the life of the spirit of man, when it is fortified thereby, as
Christ saith: "That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." And this
Spirit hath both restitution and return, inasmuch as it consists of the
Light of God and the unconditioned grace. So, having regard to this state
and station, Christ announced that John the Baptist was Elias, who was to
come before Christ. And the likeness of this station is as that of lamps
kindled: for these in respect to their glasses and oil-holders, are
different, but in respect to their light, One, and in respect to their
illumination, One; nay, each one is identical with the other, without
imputation of plurality, or diversity or multiplicity or separateness.
This is the Truth and beyond the Truth there is only error.