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

19. Concerning the author, I understand it thus / that he may indeed be a pious / newly born / and in Christ holy man with his new birth and new man / because of Christ's indwelling: For the essential indwelling is thoroughly in accordance with Holy Scripture / as he also highly substantiates such / and I have no objection to him in that regard: It is the true foundation / that GOD has born us children out of his essence / in himself / out of his Heavenly Essence / through his power in the Word and Christ's flesh and blood.

20. I also understand flesh and spirit in one being / and not at all spirit without flesh and blood: I also understand that such has happened in the woman's seed / and still happens always: and I say with foundation / that Christ is born in and out of my own human essence / in me myself a new creature / as the author also speaks throughout.

21. But the author lacks the concept of the 3 Principien principles within one another / as of the three worlds within one another: He does not distinguish one from the other: He has gathered himself entirely together with all reason and senses / and has thrown himself entirely into the Incarnation of Christ / into his suffering / dying / death / and resurrection / and has renounced his external life: Desires only to live in and out of Christ; rejects everything that is contrary to that and lives / he desires nothing but what is Christ's; Christ's life and spirit / also will / shall be his spirit / life / and will: Thus he is likewise in the life / will / and spirit of Christ / as if he were sunken into it / so that his Old man is as if he were dead / when yet he still lives un-dead according to the kingdom and torment of this world in his own Principio principle within himself: For he cannot die / until the spirit of the external world leaves him in his constellation / and yet he does not die off in such a way / but steps as into the mystery of the external principii principle with his wonders and works / until the judgment of GOD / for the restoration of all that which we have lost in Adam.

22. This entirely Christian entrance of the author is entirely right and without falsehood / to him it has also happened rightly in Christ / insofar as the work / as I then fully sense / stands with him as he writes of himself; But his knowledge of himself / what and how he is / would need to be better explained: He has thrown himself into the middle of the tree / where he is indeed safe and stands well / but the root of the tree is still hidden from him / he stands therein as a little branch / but in the middle.