Preface.

and child / also our Sovereign / for there will soon
come such a tribulation over our Fatherland /
the likes of which has never been / and it is quite certain /
quite certain / quite certain. That same evening after
sunset / he fully gave up his spirit.
But as he, before his end / though he
previously blasphemed all modern-day prophets / had to become a
prophet himself / so I hope / out of love / that the
merciful GOD / after He judged him here temporally as an
abomination and terror to others / perhaps looked
graciously upon his struck heart / and nonetheless received
his soul into eternal life. We see
nonetheless clearly from such an example / how
GOD does not allow the apple of His eye to be touched. original: Zach 2. — Referring to Zechariah 2:8, "for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."
But so that Mr. Holzhausen / provided it has not already
gone too far / might perhaps repent / and his sin
committed in the publication of his (as an appendix
to his Against Barclay original: Anti-Barclajum; likely a polemic against the Quaker Robert Barclay.) condemning remarks
regarding Jacob Böhme’s Aurora / might healthfully sigh
with the formerly breathing [threats] / but subsequently converted
Saul original: Saulo / who became Paul original: Paulo;
I have deemed it advisable / to prepend three special
guide-stones for his examination / before
I proceed to answering his remarks. The first indicates the majesty of the Divine
Nature / how no creature may comprehend the uncreated original: uncreatürlichen GOD /
unless He reveals Himself in a creaturely way through a Divine
dispensation dispensation: original: Dispensation; a divine ordering or administration of worldly affairs. in the angelic original: Englischen; in Böhme's dialect, this frequently means 'angelic' rather than 'English.' world and blessed
eternity / in a manner incomprehensible to blind reason. The second
indicates / how easily blind reason / can fall into this sin /
and find words / by which even that
which is Divine may be made suspicious. The third
stone is focused on the high danger to souls in
the insolent condemnation of Divine instruments Werckzeuge: literally 'tools' or 'instruments'; here referring to people through whom God works..