with　quality；　＇Qualit？t＇；　which　he　makes　into　Quallity。（10）　The　absolute　identity　of　difference　is　all
  through　present　to　him。
  a。　Boehme　thus　represents　God　not　as　the　empty　unity；　but　as　this　self…separating　unity　of　absolute
  opposites；　one　must　not；　however；　here　expect　a　clearly　defined　distinction。　The　first；　the　one；　the
  Father；　has　likewise　the　mode　of　natural　existence；　thus；　like　Proclus；　he　speaks　of　this　God　being
  simple　essence。　This　simple　essence　he　calls　the　hidden；　and　he　therefore　names　it　the
  Temperamentum；　this　unity　of　what　is　different；　in　which　all　is　tempered。　We　find　him　also　calling
  it　the　great　Salitter　—　now　the　divine　and　now　the　natural　Salitter　—　as　well　as　Salniter。　When　he
  talks　of　this　great　salitter　as　of　something　known　to　us；　we　cannot　first　of　all　conceive　what　it
  means。　But　it　is　a　vulgar　corruption　of　the　word　sal　nitri；　saltpetre　（which　is　still　called　salniter　in
  Austria）；　i。e。　just　the　neutral　and　in　truth　universal　existence。　The　divine　pomp　and　state　is　this；　that
  in　God　a　more　glorious　nature　dwells；　trees；　plants；　&c。　“In　the　divine　pomp　or　state　two　things
  have　principally　to　be　considered；　salitter　or　the　divine　power；　which　brings　forth　all　fruits；　and
  marcurius　or　the　sound。”（11）　　This　great　salitter　is　the　unrevealed　existence；　just　as　the
  Neo…Platonic　unity　is　without　knowledge　of　itself　and　likewise　unrecognized。
  b。　This　first　substance　contains　all　powers　or　qualities　as　not　yet　separated；　thus　this　salitter
  likewise　appears　as　the　body　of　God；　who　embraces　all　qualities　in　Himself。　Quality　thus　becomes
  an　important　conception；　the　first　determination　with　Boehme；　and　he　begins　with　qualities　in　his
  work　“Morgenr？the　im　Aufgang。”　He　afterwards　associates　with　this　the　conferring　of　quality；
  and　in　the　same　place　says：　“Quality　is　the　mobility；　boiling；　springing；　and　driving　of　a　thing。”
  These　qualities　he　then　tries　to　define；　but　the　account　he　gives　of　them　is　vague。　“As　for　example
  heat　which　burns；　consumes　and　drives　forth　all　whatsoever　comes　into　it　which　is　not　of　the　same
  property；　and　again　it　enlightens　and　warms　all　cold；　wet；　and　dark　things；　it　compacts　and
  hardens　soft　things。　It　contains　likewise　two　other　kinds　in　it；　namely　Light　and　Fierceness”
  （Negativity）；　“of　which　the　light　or　the　heart　of　the　heat　is　in　itself　a　pleasant；　joyful　glance　or　lustre；
  a　power　of　life　。　。　。　and　a　source　of　the　heavenly　kingdom　of　joy。　For　it　makes　all　things　in　this
  world　living　and　moving；　all　flesh；　trees；　leaves；　and　grass　grow　in　this　world；　as　in　the　power　of
  the　light；　and　have　their　light　therein；　viz。　in　the　good。　Again；　it　contains　also　a　fierceness　or　wrath
  which　burns；　consumes　and　spoils。　This　wrath　or　fierceness　springs；　drives；　and　elevates　itself　in
  the　light；　and　makes　the　light　movable。　It　wrestles　and　fights　together　in　its　two…fold　source。　The
  light　subsists　in　God　without　heat；　but　it　does　not　subsist　so　in　nature。　For　all　qualities　in　nature　are
  one　in　another；　in　the　same　manner　as　God　is　all。　For　God”　（the　Father）　“is　the　Heart。”　On
  another　occasion　（Vom　dreifachen　Leben　des　Menschen；　chap。　iv。　§　68；　p。　881）　the　Son　is　the
  heart　of　God；　and　yet　again　the　Spirit　is　called　the　heart　（Morgenr？the；　chap。　ii。　§　13；　p。　29）　“or
  fountain　of　nature；　and　from　Him　comes　all。　Now　heat　reigns　and　predominates　in　all　powers　in
  nature　and　warms　all；　and　is　one　source　or　spring　in　all。　But　the　light　in　the　heat　gives　power　to　all
  qualities；　for　that　all　grow　pleasant　and　joyful。”　Boehme　goes　over　quite　a　list　of　qualities：　cold；
  hot；　bitter；　sweet；　fierce；　acid；　hard；　dense；　soft　qualities；　sound；　etc。　“The　bitter　quality　is　in　God
  also；　but　not　in　that　manner　as　the　gall　is　in　man；　but　it　is　an　everlasting　power；　in　an　elevating；
  triumphing　spring　or　source　of　joy。　All　the　creatures　are　made　from　these　qualities；　and　live　therein
  as　in　their　mother。”（12）
  “The　virtues　of　the　stars　are　nature　itself。　Everything　in　this　world　proceeds　from　the　stars。　That　I
  shall　prove　to　you　if　you　are　not　a　blockhead　and　have　a　little　reason。　If　the　whole　Curriculum　or
  the　whole　circumference　of　the　stars　is　considered；　we　soon　find　that　this　is　the　mother　of　all　things；
  or　the　nature　from　which　all　things　have　arisen　and　in　which　all　things　stand　and　live；　and　through
  which　all　things　move。　And　all　things　are　formed　from　these　same　powers　and　remain　eternally
  therein。”　Thus　it　is　said　that　God　is　the　reality　of　all　realities。　Boehme　continues：　“You　must；
  however；　elevate　your　mind　in　the　Spirit；　and　consider　how　the　whole　of　nature；　with　all　the
  powers　which　are　in　nature；　also　extension；　depth　and　height；　also　heaven　and　earth　and　all
  whatsoever　is　therein；　and　all　that　is　above　the　heavens；　is　together　the　Body　and　Corporeity　of
  God；　and　the　powers　of　the　stars　are　the　fountain　veins　in　the　natural　Body　of　God；　in　this　world。
  You　must　not　conceive　that　in　the　Body　of　the　stars　is　the　whole　triumphing　Holy　Trinity；　God　the
  Father；　Son；　and　Holy　Ghost。　But　we　must　not　so　conceive　as　if　God　was　not　at　all　in　the　Corpus
  or　Body　of　the　stars；　and　in　this　world。　。　。　。　Here　now　the　question　is；　From　whence　has　heaven；　or
  whence　borrows　it　this　power；　that　it　causes　such　mobility　in　nature？　Here　you　must　lift　up　your
  eyes　beyond　nature　into　the　light；　holy；　triumphing；　divine　power；　into　the　unchangeable　holy
  Trinity；　which　is　a　triumphing；　springing；　movable　Being；　and　all　powers　are　therein；　as　in　nature：　of
  this　heaven；　earth；　stars；　elements；　devils；　angels；　men；　beasts；　and　all　have　their　Being；　and　therein
  all　stands。　When　we　nominate　heaven　and　earth；　stars　and　elements；　and　all　that　is　therein；　and　all
  whatsoever　is　above　the　heaven；　then　thereby　is　nominated　the　total　God；　who　has　made　Himself
  creaturely　in　these　abovementioned”　many　“Beings；　in　His　power　which　proceedeth　forth　from
  Him。”（13）
  c。　Boehme　further　defines　God　the　Father　as　follows：　“When　we　consider　the　whole　nature　and　its
  property；　then　we　see　the　Father：　when　we　behold　heaven　and　the　stars；　then　we　behold　His
  eternal　power　and　wisdom。　So　many　stars　as　stand　in　the　whole　heaven；　which　are　innumerable；
  so　manifold　and　various　is　the　power　and　wisdom　of　God　the　Father。　Every　star　differs　in　its
  quality。”　But　“you　must　not　conceive　here　that　every　power　which　is　in　the　Father　stands　in　a
  peculiar　severed　or　divided　part　and　place　in　the　Father；　as　the　stars　do　in　heaven。　No；　but　the
  Spirit　shows　that　all　the　powers　in　the　Father；”　as　the　fountainhead；　“are　one　in　another　as　one
  power。”　This　whole　is　the　universal　power　which　exists　as　God　the　Father；　wherein　all　differences
  are　united；　“creaturely”　it；　however；　exists　as　the　totality　of　stars；　and　thus　as　separation　into　the
  different　qualities。　“You　must　not　think　that　God　who　is　in　heaven　and　above　the　heaven　does　there
  stand　and　hover　like　a　power　and　quality　which　has　in　it　neither　reason　nor　knowledge；　as　the　sun
  which　turns　round　in　its　circle　and　shoots　forth　from　itself　heat　and　light；　whether　it　be　for　benefit　or
  hurt　to　the　earth　and　creatures。　No；　the　Father　is　not　so；　but　He　is　an　All…mighty；　All…wise；
  All…knowing；　All…seeing；　All…hearing；　All…smelling；　All…tasting　God；　who　in　Himself　is　meek；
  friendly；　gracious；　merciful；　and　full　of　joy；　yea　Joy　itself。”（14）
  Since　Boehme　calls　the　Father　all　power；　he　again　distinguishes　these　as　the　seven　first　originating
  spirits。（15）　　But　there　is　a　certain　confusion　in　this　and　no　thought…determination；　no　definite　reason
  for　there　being　exactly　seven　—　such　precision　and　certainty　is　not　to　be　found　in　Boehme。　These
  seven　qualities　are　likewise　the　seven　planets　which　move　and　work　in　the　great　Salitter　of　God；
  “the　seven　planets　signify　the　seven　spirits　of　God　or　the　princes　of　the　angels。”　But　they　are　in
  the　Father　as　one　unity；　and　this　unity　is　an　inward　spring　and　fermentation。　“In　God　all　spirits
  triumph　as　one　spirit；　and　a　spirit　ever　calms　and　loves　the　others；　and　nothing　exists　excepting
  mere　joy　and　rapture。　One　spirit　does　not　stand　alongside　the　others　like　stars　in　heaven；　for　all
  seven　are　contained　within　one　another　as　one　spirit。　Each　spirit　in　the　seven　spirits　of　God　is
  pregnant　with　all　seven　spirits　of　God；”　thus　each　is　in　God　itself　a　totality。　“One　brings　forth　the
  other　in　and　through　itself；”　this　is　the　flashing　forth　of　the　life　of　all　qualities。（16）
  2。　As　what　came　first　was　the　source　and　germ　of　all　powers　and　qualities；　what　comes　second　is
  process。　This　second　principle　is　a　very　important　conception；　which　with　Boehme　appears　under
  very　many　aspects　and　forms；　viz。　as　the　Word；　the　Separator；　Revelation　—　speaking　generally
  the　“I；”　the　source　of　all　difference；　and　of　the　will　and　implicit　Being　which　are　in　the　powers　of
  natural　things；　but　in　such　a　way　that　the　light　therein　likewise　breaks　forth　which　leads　them　back
  to　rest。
  a。　God　as　the　simple　absolute　existence　is　not　God　absolutely；　in　Him　nothing　can　be　known。
  What　we　know　is　something　different　—　but　this　“different”　is　itself　contained　in　God　as　the
  perception　and　knowledge　of　God。　Hence　of　the　second　step　Boehme　says　that　a　separation　must
  have　taken　place　in　this　temp