A compendious view of the grounds of the Teutonick philosophy : with considerations by way of enquiry into the subject matter and scope of the writings of Jacob Behmen, commonly called, the Teutonick philosopher : also several extracts from his writings and some words used by him explained

52 What kind of Principle eternal Nature is.

fwers the end for which it is made, that we may truly fay is good.

Fourthly, All the forms of eternal Nature are equally good, becaufe they all obey the will of their Creator.

Fifthly, Becaufe they are all ferviceable and helpful to one another; as appears Ly their qualifying together, and union in the fixth form, where the darknefs is ferviceable to the light, and the light to the darknefs, the fire to the water, and the water to the fire.

But here is to be obferved, that when I fay that all the forms of eternal Nature are good, J do not mean that they are the chiefeft good; for that is only to be found in the divine efflence; but that they are endowed by God with a natural goodnefs, fuitable to their kind, and fuch as they are capable of, and free from evil.

Object. You will fay, evil is not in God, therefore it muft be in eternal Nature ?

Sol. To which I reply, Becaufe evil is not in God, therefore neither can it be in eternal Nature, which was created by him; for fuch as the caufe is, fuch muft be the effet: no evil is in the caufe of eternal Nature, therefore neither can there be any

evil