perception　and　knowledge　of　God。　Hence　of　the　second　step　Boehme　says　that　a　separation　must
  have　taken　place　in　this　temperament。　“No　thing　can　become　manifest　to　itself　without　opposition；
  for　if　it　has　nothing　to　withstand　it；　it　always　goes　forward　on　its　own　account　and　does　not　go
  back　within　itself。　But　if　it　does　not　go　back　into　itself　as　into　that　from　which　it　originally　arose；　it
  knows　nothing　of　its　original　state。”　Original　state　＇Urstand＇　he　makes　use　of　for　substance；　and　it
  is　a　pity　that　we　cannot　use　this　and　many　other　striking　expressions。　“Without　adversity　life　would
  have　no　sensibility　nor　will　nor　efficacy；　neither　understanding　nor　science。　Had　the　hidden　God
  who　is　one　solitary　existence　and　will　not　of　His　own　will　brought　Himself　out　of　Himself；　out　of　the
  eternal　knowledge　in　the　Temperamento；　into　divisibility　of　will；　and　introduced　this　same　element
  of　divisibility　into　an　inclusiveness”　（Identity）　“so　as　to　constitute　it　a　natural　and　creaturely　life；
  and　had　this　element　of　separation　in　life　not　come　into　warfare；　how　was　the　will　of　God　which　is
  only　one　to　be　revealed　to　Himself？　How　could　a　knowledge　of　itself　be　present　in　a　solitary
  will？”（17）　We　see　that　Boehme　is　elevated　infinitely　above　the　empty　abstraction　of　the　highest
  reality；　etc。
  Boehme　continues：　“The　commencement　of　all　Beings　is　the　Word　as　the　breath　of　God；　and　God
  has　become　the　eternal　One　of　eternity　and　likewise　remains　so　in　eternity。　The　Word　is　the　eternal
  beginning　and　remains　so　eternally；　for　it　is　the　revelation　of　the　eternal　One　through　and　by　which
  the　divine　power　is　brought　into　one　knowledge　of　somewhat。　By　the　Word　we　understand　the
  revealed　will　of　God：　by　the　Word　we　mean　God　the　hidden　God；　from　whom　the　Word　eternally
  springs　forth。　The　Word　is　the　efflux　of　the　divine　One；　and　yet　God　Himself　as　His　revelation。”　is
  more　definite　than　Word；　and　there　is　a；　delightful　double　significance　in　the　Greek　expression
  indicating　as　it　does　both　reason　and　speech。　For　speech　is　the　pure　existence　of　spirit；　it　is　a　thing
  which　when　once　heard　goes　back　within　itself。　“What　has　flowed　out　is　wisdom；　beginning　and
  cause　of　all　powers；　colours；　virtue　and　qualities。”（18）
  Of　the　Son　Boehme　says：　“The　Son　is”　of　the　Father　and　“in　the　Father；　the　heart　of　the　Father
  or　light；　and　the　Father　beareth　him　ever；　from　eternity　to　eternity。”　Thus　“the　Son　is”　indeed
  “another　Person　from　the　Father；　though　no　other；”　but　the　same　“God　as　the　Father；”　whose
  image　he　is。（19）　“The　Son　is　the　Heart”　or　the　pulsating　element　“in　the　Father；　all　the　powers
  which　are　in　the　Father　are　the　propriety　of　the　Father；　and　the　Son　is　the　heart　or　the　kernel　in　all
  the　powers　in　the　whole　Father；　and　he　is　the　cause　of　the　springing　joy　in　all　powers　in　the　whole
  Father。　From　the　Son　the　eternal　joy　rises　and　springs　in　all　the　powers　of　the　Father；　as　the　sun
  does　in　the　heart　of　the　stars。　It　signifies　the　Son；　as　the　circle　of　the　stars　signifies　the　manifold
  powers　of　the　Father；　it　lightens　the　heavens；　the　stars　and　the　deep　above　the　earth；　working　in　all
  things　that　are　in　this　world；　it　enlightens　and　gives　power　to　all　the　stars　and　tempers　their　power。
  The　Son　of　God　is　continually　generated　from　all　the　powers　of　his　Father　from　eternity；　just　as　the
  sun　is　born　of　the　stars；　He　is　ever　born　and　is　not　made；　and　is　the　heart　and　lustre　shining　forth
  from　all　powers。　He　shines　in　all　powers　of　the　Father；　and　his　power　is　the　moving；　springing　joy
  in　all　the　powers　of　the　Father；　and　shines　in　the　whole　Father　as　the　sun　does　in　the　whole　world。
  For　if　the　Son　did　not　shine　in　the　Father；　the　Father　would　be　a　dark　valley；　for　the　Father's
  power　would　not　rise　from　eternity　to　eternity；　and　so　the　divine　Being　would　not　subsist。”（20）
  This　life　of　the　Son　is　an　important　matter；　and　in　regard　to　this　issuing　forth　and　manifestation
  Boehme　has　likewise　brought　forward　the　most　important　assertions。
  b。　“From　such　a　revelation　of　powers　in　which　the　will　of　the　eternal　One　contemplates　itself；
  flows　the　understanding　and　the　knowledge　of　the　something　＇Ichts＇；　since　the　eternal　will
  contemplates　itself　in　the　something　＇Ichts＇。”　“Ichts”　is　a　play　upon　the　word　“Nichts”　（nothing）；
  for　it　is　simply　the　negative；　yet　it　is　at　the　same　time　the　opposite　of　nothing；　since　the　Ich　（Ego）　of
  self…consciousness　is　contained　in　it。　The　Son；　the　something；　is　thus　“I；”　consciousness；
  self…consciousness：　God　is　not　only　the　abstract　neutral　but　likewise　the　gathering　together　of
  Himself　into　the　point　of　Being…for…self。　The　“other”　of　God　is　thus　the　image　of　God。　“This
  similitude　is　the　Mysterium　magnum；　viz。　the　creator　of　all　beings　and　creatures；　for　it　is　the
  separator”　（of　the　whole）　“in　the　efflux　of　the　will　which　makes　the　will　of　the　eternal　One
  separable　—　the　separability　in　the　will　from　which　powers　and　qualities　take　their　rise。”　This
  separator　is　“constituted　the　steward　of　nature；　by　whom　the　eternal　will　rules；　makes；　forms　and
  constitutes　all　things。”　The　separator　is　effectuating　and　self…differentiating；　and　Boehme　calls　this
  “Ichts；”　likewise　Lucifer；　the　first…born　Son　of　God；　the　creaturely　first…born　angel　who　was　one
  of　the　seven　spirits。”　But　this　Lucifer　has　fallen　and　Christ　has　come　in　his　place。”（21）　This　is　the
  connection　of　the　devil　with　God；　namely　other…Being　and　then　Being…for…self　or　Being…for…one；　in
  such　a　way　that　the　other　is　for　one；　and　this　is　the　origin　of　evil　in　God　and　out　of　God。　This　is　the
  furthest　point　of　thought　reached　by　Jacob　Boehme。　He　represents　this　Fall　of　Lucifer　as　that　the
  “Ichts；”　i。e。　self…knowledge；　the　“I”　＇Ichheit＇　（a　word　which　we　find　used　by　him）；　the　inward
  imagining　of　self；　the　inward　fashioning；　of　self　（the　being…for…self）；　is　the　fire　which　absorbs　all
  things。　This　is　the　negative　side　in　the　separator；　the　anguish；　or　it　is　the　wrath　of　God。　This　divine
  wrath　is　hell　and　the　devil；　who　through　himself　imagines　himself　into　himself。　This　is　very　bold　and
  speculative；　Boehme　here　seeks　to　show　in　God　Himself　the　sources　of　the　divine　anger。　He　also
  calls　the　will　of　the　something　＇“Ichts”＇　self…hood；　it　is　the　passing　over　of　the　something
  ＇“Ichts”＇　into　the　nothing　＇Nichts＇；　the　“I”　imagining　itself　within　itself。　He　says：　“Heaven　and
  hell　are　as　far　removed　from　one　another　as　day　and　night；　as　something　and　nothing。”　Boehme
  has　really　here　penetrated　into　the　utmost　depths　of　divine　essence；　evil；　matter；　or　whatever　it　has
  been　called；　is　the　I　=　I；　the　Being…for…self；　the　true　negativity。　Before　this　it　was　the　nonens　which
  is　itself　positive；　the　darkness；　but　the　true　negativity　is　the　“I。”　It　is　not　anything　bad　because　it　is
  called　the　evil；　it　is　in　mind　alone　that　evil　exists；　because　it　is　conceived　therein　as　it　is　in　itself。
  “Where　the　will　of　God　willeth　in　anything；　there　God　is　manifested；　and　in　that　manifestation　the
  angels　also　dwell；　but　where　God　in　any　thing　willeth　not　with　the　will　of　the　thing；　there　God　is　not
  manifested　to　it；　but　dwelleth”　（there）　“in　Himself　without　the　co…operating　of　the　thing；”　in　that
  case　that　thing　is　its　own　will；　and　there　the　devil　dwelleth　and　all　whatever　is　without　God。”（22）
  Boehme　in　his　own　way　sets　forth　the　form　assumed　in　this　process　in　a　pictorial　manner。　This
  “Separator　deduces　qualities　from　itself；　from　which　the　infinite　manifold　arises；　and　through　which
  the　eternal　One　makes　itself　perceptible　“　（so　that　it　is　for　others）　“not　according　to　the　unity；　but
  in　accordance　with　the　efflux　of　the　unity。”　Implicit　Being　and　the　manifold　are　absolutely　opposed
  through　the　Notion；　which　Boehme　did　not　have：　Being…for…self　implies　Being…for…another　and
  retrogression　into　the　opposite。　Boehme　sways　backwards　and　forwards　in　apparent
  contradictions；　and　does　not　well　know　how　to　find　a　way　out　of　the　difficulty。　“But　the　efflux　is
  carried　on　to　the　greatest　extreme　possible；　to　the　generation　of　fire”　—　dark　fire　without　light；
  darkness；　the　hidden；　the　self；（23）　—　“in　which　fiery　nature；”　however；　since　this　fire　rises　and
  shoots　up；　“the　eternal　One　becomes　majestic　and　a　light；”　and　this　light　which　there　breaks　forth
  is　the　form　which　the　other　principle　assumes。　This　is　the　return　to　the　One。　“Thereby”　（through
  fire）　“the　eternal　power　becomes　desirous　and　effectual　and”　（fire）　“is　the　original　condition”
  （essence）　“of　the　sensitive”　（feeling）　“life；　where　in　the　Word　of　power　an　eternal　sensitive　life
  first　takes　its　origin。　For　if　life　had　no　sensitiveness；　it　would　have　no　will　nor　efficacy；　but　pain”
  —　anguish；　suffering　—　first　“makes　it”　（all　life）　“effectual　and　endows　it　with　will。　And　the　light　of
  such　kindling　through　fire　makes　it　joyous；　for　it　is　an　anointment；”　joy　and　loveliness　“of
  painfulness。”（24）
  Boehme　turns　this　round　in　many　ways　in　order　to　grasp　the　something　＇Ichts＇；　the　Separator；　as　it
  “rises”（25）　from　the　Father。　The　qualities　rise　in　the　great　Salitter；　stir；　raise；　and　move　＇rügen＇
  themselves。　Boehme　has　there　the　quality　of　astringency　in　the　Father；　and　he　then　represents　the
  pro