Reflections on Esaias Stiefel's Booklet: On the Threefold State of Man and His New Birth

(understood as that which was given to Adam out of Divine Essence / as the second Principio principle/source / out of the Kingdom of Heaven which died with the earthly introduction / or however I might express it / was closed again into the eternal stillness / as into nothing / Where it lost its true Divine Life;) this is it / in which the eternal Word became man / and introduced living essence again with his entrance and opening / and bore eternal life out of death. The same Divine / and then also the human essence or flesh enclosed in death / became a man / to whom the earthly husk only clung / and held the earthly burning death captive within itself. Therefore we must make a distinction / when we want to speak of ourselves.

15. Holy Scripture also does not speak of a whole new flesh / that the old flesh is received entirely new in Divine Essence / and born in GOD: otherwise it would have to follow / that the evil introduced animal flesh / with animal property had been exalted in the power of the Majesty.

16. And if one wanted to say / the earthly torment is entirely put to death in the New Birth out of Christ / and dies completely and utterly in the death of Christ / as the author speaks / that the Old man is completely gone / dead / and a nothing / and Christ alone lives / rules / and does and performs everything in this external visible flesh: then the man would also have to eat and drink in a Paradisiacal manner / and enjoy only heavenly torment: For Christ eats no more earthly food / but Divine: Also the animal sack of maggots does not suffer it / that we would want to call the whole man out of all three births Divine / much less the kingdom of this world of stars and elements / which is the torment / life / and government of the external man.

17. We cannot deny / let a man be as holy as he wants / the spirit of the external world is still the spirit / life / and guide of his external flesh: and we see clearly / how the external man stands in a constellation of the stars / when the same leaves him / he falls down / and decays.

18. Because it has been given to me by the grace of God to recognize / what the earthly / and then also the heavenly man / is in one person: I will sketch and indicate with a few words / how matters stand with the author of the booklet sent to me: And that from the foundation / yet in childlike simplicity: for the author / and those who read his book / for understanding and for a guideline.