A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme.

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Author:	Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.
Title:	A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme.
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Print source:	A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme. Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624. London: Printed by M.S. for H. Blunden ..., 1648.
Alternate titles:	Beschreibung der drey Principen göttliches Wesens. English
Subject terms:	God -- Attributes.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A28520.0001.001
How to cite:	For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents

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title page

The Authors Preface to this BOOKE.

The First Chapter. Of the First Principle, of the DivineEssence.

CHAP. II. Of the first and second Principle, what God and the Divine Nature is: wherein is set down a further description of the Sulphur and Mercurius.

Further, of the Sulphur, Mercurius, and Sal.

The Gates of God.

CHAP. III. Of the endlesse and numberlesse manifold engendring, [gene∣rating] or birth of the eternall Nature.

The Gates of the great Depth.

Further of the Birth.

CHAP. IV. Of thetrue eternall Nature, that is, of the numberlesse, and endlessegenerating of the Birth of the eternal Essence, which is the Essence of all Essences; out of which were generated, born, and at length created, this World, with the Starres and Elements, and all whatsoever moveth, stirreth, or liveth therein.

The open Gate of the great Depth.

Now here followeth the Chapter.

The very sublime Gate of the Holy Trinity, for the Children of God.

A description of a Devill, how he is in his own proper forme, and also how he was in the Angelicall forme.

CHAP. V. Of the third Principle, or creation of the materiall world, with the Starres and Elements; wherein the first and second Principle is more clearly understood.

CHAP. VI. Of the Separation in the Creation, in the third Principle.

CHAP. VII. Of the Heaven and its eternall Birth and Essence, and how the foure Elements are generated: wherein the eternall band may be the more and the better understood, by meditating and con∣sidering the materiall world.

The Great Depth.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Creation of the Creatures, and of the springing up of everygrowing thing: as also of the Starres and Ele∣ments, and of the Originall of theSubstance of this world.

I will set it down more intelligibly [or plainly] for the simplest Readers sake.

CHAP. IX. Of the Paradise, and then of the transitorinesse of all creatures: how all take their beginning and end: and to what end they here appeared.

The Noble and most pretious Gate [or exposition] concerning the reasonable Soule.

The Gate [or the Exposition].

The Holy Gate.

The Depth in the Centre [or Ground].

CHAP. X. Of the Creation of Man, and of his soule, also of Godsbreath∣ing in.

The Pleasant Gate.

The deep Gate of the Soule.

The secret Gate of the Temptation of Man.

The Depth.

CHAP. XI. Of all Circumstances of the Temptation.

The Gate of Good and Evill.

The Depth in the Centre.

The Gate of the Tempting.

The highest, strongest, and the mightiest Gate of the Temptation in Adam.

Of the Tree of knowledge [of] good and evill.

CHAP. XII. Of the Opening of the holy Scripture, that the Circum∣stances may be highly considered.

The Golden Gate, which God affordeth to the last world, wherein the Lilly shall flourish [and blossome.]

Of Adams sleepe.

The gate of the highest depth of the life of the Tincture.

Of its [the Tinctures] Essences and property. The deepe Gate of Life.

Of the Death and of the Dying. The Gate of affliction and of misery.

The Gate [or Exposition] of the heavenly Tincture, how it was in Adam before the Fall, and how it shall be in us after this Life.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Creating of the Woman out of Adam.

The fleshly, miserable, and darke Gate.

A Pleasant Gate.

Further concerning the Woman.

Concerning the Propagating of the soule. The Noble Gate.

The Gate of our Propagation in the Flesh.

The secret Gate of Women.

The Gate of the great necessitie and miserie.

Further in the Incarnation.

CHAP. XIV. Of the Birth and Propagation of Man.

The very secret Gate.

The strong Gate of the Indissoluble Band of the soule.

The Gate of the Sydereall, or starry Spirit.

The Depth in the Centre.

The most precious Gate in the Roote of the Lilly.

The Gate of God the Father.

The Gate of the Sonne of God, the Plea∣sant Lilly in the Wonders.

The Gate of Gods Wonders in the Rose of the Lilly.

CHAP. XV. Of theknowledge of the Eternity in the cor∣ruptibility of the Essence of all Essences.

Diligently and deeply to be considered.

The Life of the Soule. The Gate.

CHAP. XVI. Of the Noble Minde, of the Understanding, Senses and Thoughts.

The Noble Gate of the Noble Virgin. And also the Gate of the Woman of this world, highly to be considered.

The Gate of Speech.

The Gate of the Difference between Man and Beast.

CHAP. XVII. Of the horrible, lamentable, and miserable Fall of Adam and Eve in Paradise.

Mans Looking-Glasse.

If thou askest, How long Adam slept.

The Gate of the great Affliction, and Misery of Man.

The Gate [or Exposition] of the great sinne, and contrariety of will against God, in Man.

Of the voice of God in the Garden of Eden, and the Conference between God and thosetwo, about sinne.

The most pleasant and most lovely Gate [or Expo∣sition] of the promise of the Treader upon the Serpent, highly to be considered.

The Gate of the Redemption.

The Gate of the Incarnation, of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God.

CHAP. XVIII. Of the promised seede of the Woman, and Treader upon the Serpent: and of Adams and Eves going forth out of Paradise, or the Garden in Eden.

The strong Gate of the [Incarnation or] becoming Man, of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God.

Of the three Regions of the [Incarnation or] be∣coming Man; the forming [or Imaging] of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The difference [or Distinction] between the vir∣gin Mary, and her Son JESUS CHRIST.

Of Purgatorie.

CHAP. XIX. Of the Entring of the soules to God, and of the wicked soules Entring into Perdition.

Of the going-forth of the Soule.

The Earnest Gate of the Purgatory.

The true Doore of the Entrance into Heaven, or into Hell.

CHAP. XX. Of Adam and Eve's going forth out of the Pa∣radise, and of their entring into this world. And then of the true Christian Church upon Earth, and also of the Antichristian Cainish Church.

Of the Thrusting Adam and Eve out of the Paradise, of the Garden in Eden.

The Gate of the Mysteries [or the Exposi∣tion of the hidden secrets.]

Of the innocent and righteous Abel.

CHAP. XXI. Of the Cainish and of the Abellish Kingdome: how they are both in one another. Also of their Beginning, Rise, Essence, and drift: and then of their last Exit. Also Of the Cainish Antichristian Church, and then of the Abel∣lish true Christian Church: how they are both in one another, and are very hard to be knowne [asunder.] Also Of the variety of Arts,States, and Orders of this World. Also Of the Office of Rulers [or Magistrates] and their Subjects: how there is a Good and DivineOrdinance in them all; as also a false Evill and Devillish. Where the providence of God is seene in all things; and the De∣vils deceit, subtilty and malice [is seene also] in all things.

The Well-spring [or fountaine] of the Antichristian Kingdome.

Of the Kingdome of Christ in this world.

The victorious Gate of the poore soule.

CHAP. XXII. Of the New Regeneration in Christ [from] out of the Old Adamicall Man.

The Noble Gate of the Right [and] True Christianitie.

The Gate of Immanuel.

This ought highly to be Considered.

The most precious Gate.

Of the deare Name Immanuel.

Of the Baptisme of Christ upon Earth, in Jordan.

O Man consider thy selfe.

Of the Temptation of Christ.

CHAP. XXIII. Of the highly precious Testaments of Christ, viz. Baptisme and his last Supper, which he held in the Evening of Mandy Thursday with his Disciples; which he left us for his Last [Will, as a Farewell for a Remembrance.

The most Noble Gate of Christianitie.

Of the use of the highly Precious Testaments of Christ the Sonne of God.

CHAP. XXIV. Of true Repentance: How the Poore Sinner may come to God againe in his Covenant, and how be may be released of his Sinnes.

The Gate of the Justification of a Poore Sinner before God. A Cleere Looking Glasse.

Of the way [or manner] of the Entrance.

CHAP. XXV. Of the Suffering, Dying, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God: Also of his As∣cension into Heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God his Father.

The Gate of our Misery, and also the strong Gate of the Divine Power in his Love.

The very horrible wonderfull Gate of Mans Sinnes.

The Gate of the Great Secret.

The other Gate of the sufferings of Christ.

The Gate of a Poore Sinner.

Of Christs Rest in the Grave [or Sepulchre.]

Of Christs Resurrection out of the Grave.

Of Christs Ascension into Heaven.

CHAP. XXVI. Of theFeast of Pentecost. Of the sending of the Holy Ghost to his Apostles, and the Beleevers.

The Holy Gate of the Divine Power.

The Gate to Babell.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Last Judgement, Of the Resurrection of the Dead, and of the Eternall Life.

The most horrible Gate of the wicked, and the joyfull Gate of the Godly.

What is wanting heere, you may seek for in the other Parts of my Writings, especially, concerning Moses and all the Prophets, and concerning the Kingdome of Christ. In the fourth Part of these Writings, being the forty Questions of the Originall of the soule, and what it is from Eter∣nity to Eternity, this is cleerly described. A true Information concerning the Confounded Babell. To the Comfort of such as seeke: and set heere for a Wit∣nesse against the Mockers and Despisers.

AN APPENDIX. OR Fundamentall and true Description of the Threefold Life in Man.

The Table to the Three Principles.