JACOB B Eli MEN. 
S23 
In 1024 he travelled to Dresden, where he was interrogated by some 
divines, who declared, as is said, that they found nothing reprehensi- 
ble in his character. He died the same year, after receiving the 
sacrament from the hands of Elias Dietrich, and, according to the 
account of his biographer, was honourably interred at Gorlitz., 
His other works are. Of the Threefold Life of Man ; Of the Incarna- 
tion 'of Christ, his sufferings, death, and resurrection; A Book on the 
Six Points; On Celestial and Terrestrial Mysteries; De Scriptura 
Rerum ; On the Four Complexions ; On True Repentance; On True 
Resignation ; On the Second Birth ; Mysterium magnum ; On the 
First Book of Moses ; On Spiritual Life, &c. These appeared at first 
separately, but were afterwards collected and printed together. The 
best edition is said to be that published in German at Amsterdam. 
Some have bestowed great praise on this mystic, on account of the 
wisdom which they pretend is contained in his writing ; but their prin- 
cipal merit seems to consist in a certain obscurity, which excites won- 
der in weak minds, and induces them to believe that it is owing to 
want of capacity, if they do not comprehend what they read. Others 
have accused him of the most dangerous errors, and have written 
volumes in opposition to his doctrines ; among whom may be men- 
tioned one Gilbert, who published an admonition against his works, 
which was answered by Theodore von Tscheusch, a Silesian noble- 
man, and this produced ”a reply from Gilbert. After this, Gerrard 
Antagnossus, who called himself a Catholic, published the defence of 
Yon Tscheusch, w ith a refutation of it in Latin, under the title of 
“ Ne Sutor ultra crepidam,” in which he endeavoured to shew Ihkt 
Behmen entertained the same opinions as the Manichaeans and the 
Gnostics. Tobias Wagner also wrote a book to refute Beheman’s doc- 
trines, entitled Judicum Fropempticon ; but it appears that he Con- 
founded Behmen’g Aurora with another book, called the Aurora of 
Wisdom, written by Paul Felgeuhauer. 
Some have endeavoured to prove from Behmen’s writings, that he 
did not acknowledge a Deity ; and particularly Von Muller, a work 
entitled The Fanatic Atheist, and various authors, have at different 
times appeared for or against him ; but he acquired many followers, 
especially among the alchymists and makers of gold. 
His life, which is printed along with most of the editions of his 
works, was written by a Silesian nobleman, named Von Frankenburg, 
Tiedeman,in his Spirit of Speculative Philosophy, speaking of Behmen 
says, “We are not informed by history from what source he derived 
his idea. Some have suspected that he only lent his name to another 
enthusiast ; but others entertain the most probable opinion, that he 
had read the works of Paracelsus, because some expressions of that 
physician are to be found in his writings. Be this as it may, he can- 
not have been the author of the whole, for the chemical words of art, 
and many Latin words relating to the sciences, which he uses, are not 
to be expected from an illiterate shoemaker. He makes no quota- 
tions but from the scriptures, and repeatedly affirms, in themostsolemn 
manner, that he obtained his deep knowledge by a particular revela- 
tion. However, without too much lessening the esteem in which he 
is by some held, one may on good grounds assert, that imagination 
