CHAP. 1. Shewing whether God be a Spirit without a body, or that God is a body of flesh and bone glorified.

FRiend, having such a convenient opportunity to have some conference with you, my request is, to know your judgement as touching the true God, and that the more in this distracted age: There are so many opinions concerning him, That some holds him forth an Infinite Spirit, &c. others say, Though God be a Spirit, yet there are three Persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the same in Substance, equal in Power and Glory: Now if thou please, let me hear what thy judgement is of God Almighty.

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Notwithstanding this hodg-podg, it matters not me, what thou or all the wise men of the world hold: For from the Spirit of Revelation I infallibly against men and Angels af­firm, That God the Creator of Heaven and earth is in the Person and Form of a man.

How? is it possible that God the Creator of all forms, should admit of a form of his own?

I say, unless that Divine heavenly Faith or Nature, had a Form or Person of his own, he could not have created man after his own form, image, or likeness.

Yea, I grant God created man after his own image in righ­teousness and holiness, but no otherwise.

Ah pitiful Soul, how thy riches choaks thee, and thy wis­dom blindes thee from believing in the true God, that thou shouldst conceive, that righteousness or holiness can be crea­ted without a form! or didst thou ever read or hear of any holiness in any other creature but man onely; so that thou canst not say this or that is holiness without a form, and that the form of man above.

What necessity, or what ground can be shown, that God who is the Creator of all forms, should admit of a form of his own?

It was the greatest ground of all; for if God had not a form of his own, it had been in vain to create either Angel or man, in his form, and that because he created them to be­hold his glorious person.

Why, cannot the glory of God be seen unless he admit of a Person? and what matter of glory can be delighted onely in a single Person; for I conceive him more glorious when he is a Spirit without a bosty; for then he can fill Heaven and Earth wi [...]h his glory, and every creature that he hath made then beholds i [...], in that they enjoy part of it.

I say, no glory can be seen without a Personal Substance; nay, it cannot bear the title of glory without a body; for the glorious Spirit that ever was▪ if it had not a body, were no­thing at all, in that a Spirit cannot be seen, so no delight in [Page 7] that which is not; for what delight could man have with his wife, if she had no person? And whereas thou sayest, God having a Person, cannot fill Heaven and earth with his glory, I say, without his Person he could fill nothing at all: As for instance, what glory can there be in a King without a person? whose person being enthroned in his Crown and Dignity, with all things suitable to his Majestie, is that which fills his Court and Kingdom with renowned glory; not that the Kings person is in every place, but onely in his Court, yet the hearts of his subjects over all his Dominions, is filled with the report of his great power and glory: so that the sound thereof, as Solomons, doth ring of the glory and greatness of his person; so it is not the person of God, but his powerful nature, flowing in the hearts of his people, that supports all things created by him; neither is his person in any other place but his Kingdom of glory onely.

If God admit of a form, then God is not infinite, but fi­nite, and so is not in every creature he hath made: And if so, how will this stand with those sayings, In him we live, move, Acts 17. 28. and have our being: Now from hence I conceive, God is in every creature by his Spirit, and hath no form of his own, but lives in all forms that he hath made.

Did I not know thee, I should admire at thy ignorance; but however, I shall exactly answer thy Question, that God was in the form of man, before he became flesh in the same image and likness as now he is, though then he was not flesh and bone, as now he is; yet as he is now, so he was then a flame of bright burning glory, that no Chrystal or Sun can stand before him; yea, his body is softer then down, and swifter then thought; and with that body so glorious, can ascend or descend in his Kingdom of glory; that he can be infinite as he pleaseth, and yet when he vvill, can consine his Godhead glorious, Majestical Person, to as narrovv a com­pass as any man; vvhich if, as thou saith, God had no body, but a Spirit, and that Spirit in every creature, then God vvere finite and limitted indeed, that the Creator of Heaven and [Page 8] earth should be imprisoned in thy mortal, corrupt, sinful bo­dy; nay, not onely so, but God vvas in Horses, Hoggs, Dogs, Toads, Snakes, Spiders, and all other creatures, vvhich if it vvere as thou saith, God vvere the vvorst of all creatures that he made: Nay, if it vvere so, then frommy Seed-Spring I This is no Scripture of faith. Acts 17. 28. But a Po­ets judge­ment in reason. 2 Cor. 13. 5. say, God is no Creator, but a deformrd, sick, vveary, sinful creature like thy self: And as for those sayings, In him we live, move, and have our being, is thus to be understood, that a true believer, as Paul vvas that spake it, doth by faith live, move, and have their being from the first vvord of faith that created Adam, and not from any in-dvvelling of God in him; as it is vvritten, Christ in you the hope of glory; and, Know ye not, that Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates, is not thereby intended, that God or Christ, as he is a person, is in you; but as Paul saith, Christ dwells in our hearts by faith: It is faith vvhich is the nature of God of vvhich I am partaker of, and by vvhich it evidenceth in my soul, vvhere God is, and vvhat God is, both in form and nature.

Thou saith, God hath both form and nature; if so his form and nature must be one, and if one, cannot be divided; so he that hath one, must have both, therefore it vvill follovv, vvhere the nature of God is, there God must be himself; for I conceive they cannot be separated, in that it is vvritten, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, John 17. 21. Gen. 28. 16. that they also may be one in us, &c. and again it is vvritten, Jacob said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not; so that I conclude, God is in all creatutes.

Though the nature be in the form, yet it is not the form; and therefore it is vvritten, That by these you might be per­takers 2 Pet. 1. 4. of the Divine Nature; though not the form: As in­stance, the Sun shines upon the just and unjust, yet the body is in the firmament; vve feel the vertue or nature of the bo­dy of the Sun, by its heat and light, yet vve have not the Sun; so in my Soul I have the nature of God, but not the form or body of God; and therefore it is vvritten, I am John. 15. the vine, and ye are the branches, that is, I am the vine and [Page 9] body of faith, and ye have the branch or nature of faith; so by my nature ye abide stedfast in me, and I in you: As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me, by that nature flowing from me; and therefore it is written, Christ dwelleth verse 4. in my heart by faith, by which Christ is in me the hope of glory: and if I know not that Christ is thus in me, I were a repr [...] ­bate; not in me by his body, but by his fai [...]h God or Christ is in me.

What then is God in his person in heaven above the stars, and his nature in thee here below? then to me it is clear God and his nature is parted, and so God looseth part of himself, which to me is contrary to reason, so not to be believed.

However it is so to thee, yet I know that God is in his glory and nature here below in mortals, (so really parted) and yet no damage to God at all, no more then a Fountain to cast out a Flood-gate of streams, and yet retain its fulness in its self; so the eternal Godhead, fountain of all endless glo­ry can stream, yea, hath streamed into all the seed of his own body, such a Well-spring of eternal Assurance, that all that are partakers thereof, have perfect peace and belief in God the fountain of endless Glory, and yet God all fulness in him­self, as David saith, With thee is the Fountain of Life: and Col. 2. 9. Christ said to the woman of Samaria, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be a Well of water springing up to everlasting life; For in him dwelleth all the fulness of John 4. the Godhead bodily, yea Christ is all in all. So that I affirm it is no more loss to God to distribute his eternal Light into his creature, then for the Sun to give light to the face of the earth, and yet retain its essential light in its own body; for as Jacob in his Vision saw a Ladder upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending, and behold the Lord▪ stood above it, and said, I am the Lord, it is no more but what Stephen and Paul saw by reve [...]on of their Faith; as several times I [Page 10] have seen in my own Soul, as the Tide doth ebbe and flow into the Ocean, so doth the Revelation of Faith ascend and descend, beholding the glorious throne of Eternity with un­speakable raptures, not utterable by pen or tongue.

I cannot understand how God being a person, and yet a Fountain of endless Glory, should fill heaven and earth, in that a person is finite in one place, and heaven and earth is large, so that if Gods glory be in every place then there his person must be also.

Dost thou not see in nature that one fountain doth supply many families, how much more then can the Etetnal Foun­tain supply many Souls with that heavenly divine water, and yet from his single person in heaven glorified; and as that fountain from Ware is directed to supply the necessity of London, and yet the head▪ spring keeps its place, so doth the fountain of Eternal glory retain it self in its being, and yet fills heaven and earth with its streams of glory.

Thou sayest, God is onely in heaven, and yet it is written, the heaven of heavens cannot contain God, he is of such a large infinite vastness, and spiritual bulk or bigness, that not onely heaven, but earth also must be his habitation, and therefore it is written that with a humble and contrite spirit God will dwell: And again it is written, Heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool: And the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof. So that I believe God is not onely in heaven, but earth also; so that from these and many other places, I judge thou li­mitest the unlimited God, and so makest him that is infinite in heaven and earth▪ to be finite onely in heaven, and that in one single person of his own.

Thou takest upon thee to prove thy reason by Scripture, when Scripture were never written▪ for thee, neither doth it belong to thee, as in its place thou shalt hear, and therefore have patience and I shall interpret the meaning of those Scri­ptures. First thou sayest, the heaven of heavens cannot con­tain 1 Kings 8. 27. God, and yet it is written, whom the heavens must re­ceive till the restitution of all things. Now when Faith com­compares Acts 3. 2 [...]. [Page 11] these two together, it knows the truth of one from the other; for when I consider Solomon endued with thy wisdom & that he spake those words not experimentally but dubiously, as minde the 27 verse, and then peruse that chapter, and thou shalt finde it in three several places recor­ded thus: And hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place: how should heaven be Gods dwelling-place, if the heaven of hea­vens cannot contain him? So that in truth those words of the Apostles who were endued with the spirit of revelation, is to be believed when Solomons cannot, in that he spake not by revelation, but from the intricate promise of God to his father David. And in the same chapter he acknowledgeth Gods dwelling-place to be in heaven, and not in the temple: and where it is written, with an humble and contrite heart God will dwell, is not there intended God will dwell in my heart by his person, but by faith, as it is written, that Christ Eph. 3 1 [...]. may dwell in your hearts by faith &c. as minde the words of the Prophet, Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, by my person there I dwell, and by my faith in an hum­ble heart; and where it is written, Heaven is my throne, and Psal. 24. 1. the earth is my footstool, do still confirm that God hath a bo­dy, otherwise what should he do with a throne or a foot­stool? But now to convince thee, that it is not to be un­derstood this earth, but that glorious earth above the stars, where God, when he pleaseth, doth stand as firm & in as nar­row a compass, as I do upon this earth: And that the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof, is not by me denied, but that it is the Lords by creation, and not by his personal habi­tation; For God by his person is not in this world, but by his Law or powerful word of creation, therefore saith Da­vid, Whom have I in heaven but thee? So that it is no limi­tation, but his infiniteness to be in heaven, and not in this earth at all.

Notwithstanding all this, I cannot understand how God should be in the person or form of a man, but there must be [Page 12] some other above him that must create God in that form.

Though thou canst not understand, yet to me it is reveal­ed, that God without beginning had a form, and none but Divine Nature did create himself Creator, and yet he knew not how he came to have his being.

O admiration! what shall I say of thee? that God should not know how he came to be God: by this thou makest God finite, yea ignorant of things past, and to come.

Say what thou pleasest, yet this I will tell thee, that it is the nature of in [...]niteness not to know it self, for that which knows things past, present, and to come, is not infinite, but finite, in that there is an end of any further knowledge; but the infiniteness is to know no beginning, nor no ending: for if he had known how he came in being, then he would know his ending, and so in process of time cease to be God E­ternal.

I have read in Revelation 1. that it is written, I am Alpha Rev. 1. 8. and Omega, the beginning and the ending, wh [...]ch is, which was, and which is to come the Almighty, so that from hence I un­derstand that God had a beginning, and knew how he came to have his being.

Thou hast read, but dost not understand what thou read­est, as observe it is not there intended, I am the beginning and ending of my self, but this is the meaning: I am the be­ginning and end of the Creation, so that without me the world with all creatures therein, had no beginning, nor no ending without me; as unto this I am Alpha and Omega, and neither the beginning or ending of this world is hid from me, for by my knowledge it came in being, and so must have its ending; but as unto infiniteness or eternity, It is without beginning or ending of dayes; and the not knowing either its beginning or ending, is that which makes it eternal, and yet there is nothing done but what flowes in the glo­rious body of God.

Notwithstanding this, I am not satisfied that God admits of a Form, but a Spirit onely, for it is written, God is a Spirit, [Page 13] and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and John 4. Truth; and then it is written, Feel me, a spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see me have; So that it is clear God is a Spirit without flesh and bone, so an infinite Spirit onely.

As God is a Spirit, so man is a Spirit also, and yet the Nature, Soul, or Spirit of either God, Angel or Man, can­not be worshipped without a body, for there is no Spirit whether immortal or mortal, celestial or terrestial, but it hath its own body, and that sutable to its own nature: as if its Spirit be an immortal glorious Spirit, so is his body im­mortal glorious also, and if its Spirit be mortal earthly, so is its body mortal earthly also; and this I say, all bodies whether of God, Man or Beast, are invisible, and seeth that which is without, yet it self cannot be seen by any outward sight; For who seeth the Spirit of a man, save he that hath it? So that I say, if God were a Spirit without body, he could not be seen; so not worshipped, no more then a Kings Spi­rit without a body could be honou [...]ed; and therefore God being a spiritual body, must be worshipped in Spirit: And where thou sayest, Feel me, for a Spirit hath no flesh and bone, as ye see me have; I say, from those words of the Lord Jesus, it doth not in the least conclude that a Spirit is not cloathed with flesh and bone; for I affirm the Apostles, as well as others, were dark in many things till Christ was glorified, they supposing that Spirits might be seen without bodies, and that by the eye of nature; therefore Christ walking u [...]on the Sea, and appearing among them, the Doors and Windows being shut, was the main cause of their sudden fear, supposing they had seen a Spirit; so that for the future and clearer satisfaction, Christ tells them a Spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see me have, though I be all Spirit, yet feel me, and behold my wounds and the print of my nails; so that understand a Spirit without flesh and bone cannot be seen or felt, unless a spiritual body; so that against Angels and all thy Seed I affirm, that God, that [Page 14] Christ which said to the woman of Samaria. God was a Spirit, I say that self same Spirit was not in Heaven, but in Christs body alone.

CHAP. 2. Shewing whether the Father became not a Son, which which Son was Christ, and by death became a Fa­ther to all Eternity, now in Heaven glorified.

THou hast told me all along that God hath a body in the form of a man; and now thou sayest, that the Spi­rit of God was in Christs body, and not in the body of God the Father, Where then was the body of God when his Spirit was in Christ?

I shall affirm that as the Spirit of God was in Christ, so the body of Christ was the body of God, Creator of Hea­ven and Earth, not two but one, yea, the very self-same body.

Oh Friends! this is a strange saying indeed, that the bo­dy of God the Father should be the person of Christ, If so, how or which way came he down from Heaven to Earth? it is so mysterious that it is beyond my reach or understand­ing.

What is strange to thee is familiar with me, for thou reads and understands not, though it is frequently written in Scrip­ture, That Eternity was to become time; yea, immortality was to become mortal, which is no less, that the Father was to become a Son, as it is written, The seed of the Woman shall Gen. 3. bruise the head of the Serpent; and to Esaiah it was revea­led these sa [...]ings, For unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Esay. 9. 6. Son is given, and his Name shall be called wonderful Coun­sellour, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince [Page 15] of Peace; and again it is written, In the beginning was the Joh. 1. 1, 2 Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, which Word was made flesh▪ and dwelt amongst men; So that I affirm the coming down of the immortal personal God was clouded in those sayings, The holy Ghost stall come Luke 1. 35. upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also the holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.

I do not deny the truth of those sayings, but do believe that Christ was the Son of God, conceived by the holy Ghost, but how or which way God was this Son, I cannot tell, neither do I believe that God did any more unto her then he did unto Ad [...]m, when he made him a living Soul, the Scripture saith, He breathed unto him, and he became a living Soul; So in the same manner I conceive God breathed into Mary, and by that breath she conceived the Seed of God in her womb, and so she not knowing of man, called him the Son of God, and not God, for God was in Heaven when he was upon Earth.

From my Seed-spring I say, that the Childe that vvas conceived in the vvomb of Mary so called a Son, Was the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace; yea, that Babe in her vvomb, vvas the very God; For the Word was God and became flesh, and who was the Rower of the Highest that overshadowed Mary, but God Creator of Heaven and Earth: take notice that the knovvledge of these sayings vvas not to be revealed to thy Seed, for saith the Prophet, Ʋnto us, yea unto us Pr [...]phets and the Messengers of the Lord, a Son is given, and a Child is born; and there­fore thou canst not tell, hovv God the Creator should be­come a Son and Saviour, but imagines God as he vvas a Spi­rit breathed into her vvomb as he breathed into Adam, and so by that breath she conceived a man-child; as touching this, I tell thee, there is great difference of a living and a dying Seed, for by that breath Adam became life, and by her overshadovving she vvas not made alive, but had a con­ception [Page 16] in her living vvomb; novv there can be no concep­tion vvithout a Seed, and that Seed must first dye before i [...] quicken to life again, as it is vvritten, Before the Wheat grain dye it abideth alone; So that against Angels above, and all their Seed belovv, I affirm, as from the Scriptures before is proved, that God the Creator in the form of a man, vvho is the onely Povver of the Highest, did descend from his Throne and Kingdom as svvift as thought, and his vvhole body pierced through her secrets in a Trance, and in a mo­me [...]t dissolved into Seed, and there died from an immortal Father, and quickned there to a mortal Son, of flesh, blood and bone, so called Christ Jesus the Saviour of the world.

Oh admiration! this is a report of astonishment, that for my part I never never read, or by the hearing of the ear ever heard till now, that God in the form of a man should as thou sayest, vvith that form descend from Heaven, and for ought I knovv, of as large proportion and bigness as thy self, enter the vvomb of Mary; and the greatest vvonder of all is, that God vvith a body as big as thine should de­scend like lightning from Heaven, and pierce through her secrets as thou sayest in a moment, and yet not be seen by any, nor she stand amazed, yea trembling in fear at so sudden ap­pearance and dissolution of this svvift motional substance in­to her body, for my part I cannot understand it, neither vvill Scripture prove it, so cannot believe it.

Well may his dissolution into the vvomb cause admiration, vvhen at his birth, vvhich vvas no strange thing, there should be such a multitude of Heavenly Host rejoicing vvith such Heavenly Harmonies, that the Shepherd▪ vvere amazed vvith fear, yea a vvonder it vvas to them that heard of it far and near, vvhich if there had not been a conception more than ordinary, the birth of that conception had not caused such astonishment round about; but novv God vvas become a Child, yea Eternity become time, and for a sea­son to dvvell among his Creation; and therefore if thou knevv that the body of God v [...]s of a bright, glorious, [Page 17] Chrystal, soft, thin, transparent substance, swifter than thought, who at his Divine pleasure can transmute himself as high or as low, and into as a straight a passage as can be thought on, then thou wouldst cease reasoning, and believe what I speak to thee, that the body of God consisting of such Divine, Spiritual and Heavenly matter as aforesaid, could without the sight of any descend from Heaven to Ma­ry; And why or wherefore should she be amazed, when she had tidings of what should be before? Neither was his dissolution any prejudice at all to her, but raptures of joy springing up in her Soul to her Eternal comfort.

What then was all the God that created Heaven and Earth in the womb of Mary? and was that the very God that was born in a Manger, that was swadled, suckled and dandled upon the knees, and carried up and down the Coun­trey in the Armes of his Mother? was this God the Father, that created all things, that now hath life in them, that once could not go nor feed himself, but be led and fed by its creature? As unto this, answer me plainly and really what is thy thought on this great mysterious Mystery.

From the Spirit of Revelation I tell thee, that was the very God that the Wise Men went to worship, and that Herod did seek to kill, was the very Godhead, Spirit or Life of that Christ Jesus; so that Pauls Revelation told him, The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Christs body, and God Col. 2. 9. was in Christ reconciling the world, with many such places; and therefore the words that Christ spake was Spirit and Joh▪ 8. 24. Life; and again saith Christ, Exept ye believe that I am he, ye shall dye in your sins; So that if the Eternal God­head had not sprung up this Revelation, he could not have uttered those sayings as his own.

However thou hast quoted some certain places that con­firm what thou sayest, yet I cannot find but all along as I read, God and Christ is two, and not one; so that there was a God in Heaven when Christ was upon earth; and me thinks it is contrary to reason, that God which created [Page 18] all Creatures, should walk, talk, eat and drink with them, and be affronted by them, and as it were have his livelyhood by them that he created.

Well Friend, think of it what thou pleasest, yet this I'le assure thee, that God and Christ is not two, but one; For what necessity was there for God to have a Son? Surely, if it were as thou sayest, either God was in process of time to dye, and so make his Son Heir, or else he wanted a Companion to keep him Company; if not so, then the world was too great, and so got a Son to assist him; yet however, I tell thee there never was but one God: And surely, then he that died for us, must save us; and if Christ be our Saviour, then he must be our Creator; and yet what striving here is for two Gods, when in the beginning of Mo­ses and the Prophets we read but of One, as it is written, Isaiah 4. 10, 11. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be af­ter, I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour; and then confirms it, saying, Neither is there Salvation in [...]8s 4. 12. any other, for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must saved; and yet what a flutter thy seed makes about God and Christ, so two Gods, as though one God should Create, and the other God should Save; O for shame leave off these things, and be silent in thy ignorance, for thy seed is so various, that some of you will have God a Spirit, and Christ the Son a Person, and o­thers of you will have three persons and one God, and the rest will have no Person at all, but an infinite formless Spi­rit; so that from my Revelation I tell thee, and all thy seed with thee, as by the Prophet Isaiah is proved, there never was no God formed before Christ, nor never shall be atfer him; yet this I know, there is three titles, & but one person, which person ever was, is, and shall be Christ Jesus alone; for Christ had the title of God the Father in the Law, and the title of God the Son in the Gospel, and now God the holy Ghost in this our last commission, to which is onely revealed that Christ Jesus is the onely God.

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Then tell me what was that which died in Christ when he was crucified, and said, now it is finished, and gave up the Ghost?

That was, he gave up his Soul to death, which Soul was the Eternal Spirit, or Godhead Father; and therefore it is written, He poured out his Soul to death, and was offered Heb. 9 14. through the Eternal Spirit; So died in mortality, and was buried in the grave, which Soul, Spirit or Godhead in the twinkling of an eye, quickned to immortality or spiritual form again.

If the Creator of Heaven and Earth was that which died in Christ; so that the God of all life, being then become death, How came he, or by what means could he be quickned or raised to glory again?

Yea, it was the Soul Spirit that died and was perfectly dead, that gave life to all, and that life that died in a mo­ment, did quicken it self by its ever living Word of Faith spoken before his death, that raised him to life, saying, Joh. 10. 18 I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again; there being no let or doubt in Faith, that could hinder it what it had purpose to do.

Was all the Power that created Heaven and Earth dead and buried at the very same moment, and no power left without Christ, to quicken that which was dead within the body of Christ Jesus?

No more than is in a grain of Wheat, and yet that dies, and in season quickens again; so that there was no God, Spirit, Power or Father vvithout the body of Christ, to quic­ken that vvhich vvas vvithin the body of Christ, but lay in its pure Seed onely.

And did that pure Seed vvithout the help of any other povverful life vvithout, quicken it self again?

Yea, vvithout the assistance of any without at all for let me tell thee, there vvas no such povverful life vvithout the body of Christ, as vvas dead vvithin the body of Christ; therefore impossible that vvhich received life from Christ, [Page 20] should quicken the life of Christ, that created it; no, I say, the povver of dying and living again lay in its ovvn nature only; so that there vvas neither any infinite Spirit, God or Father, besides Christ that did quicken the Seed of Christ, from death to life in the grave; but his ever living Word of Faith spoken before his death, I say, that pure Heavenly Faith is death in life, and life in death, and this vvas that vvhich redeemed his Soul from the povver of the grave, as it is vvritten, O death I will be thy death, O grave I will be thy destruction; this Povver vvas dead and raised it self from Hos. 13. 14 mortality, vvith a spiritual body vvithout the help of any other, to immortality again.

Did he raise that same body that he vvas crucified in, and buried vvith? If not, What became of that body, and vvith vvhat body did he rise?

I say, Christ did rise vvith the very same body that he vvas Crucified in, that same body vvas raised and no o­ther.

Hovv came it then from a moatal body to an immortal body, seeing it was the same body which was capable to dye? Hovv could that same body be made capable to live again a life Eternal?

If the immortal body of God the Father had not died in the vvomb of Mary, to a mortal Son of flesh, blood and bone, he had not been capable to live in this vvorld among his creatures, and upon the Cross have died again as a mortal Son, he had not been capable to live in that immortal glory from vvhence he came; so that Christ as he vvas God, tvvice passed through death, viz from immortality to mor­tality, and from mortality to immortality again. Now to Ansvver, hovv that body vvhich vvas made capable to dye, vvas made capable to live in glory, was thus, That which was mortal, viz. Water, Earth and Air being dead, I say, that spark of Faith did kindle it self throughout the same form, so raised the same body vvithout any of the gross Elements aforesaid; so that novv it vvas a body without [Page 21] blood, onely the same flesh and bone purified, yea refined into a soft thin, bright, spiritual form, swifter then thought; so that now having raised it self, to the same it was when it descended from Heaven to the womb of Mary, now it was able to appear among his disciples, as it did in the womb of a woman, their windows and doors being shut, yea able to ascend to his kingdom of glory, from whence he came, and so sate on the right hand of his Father, or the right hand of the Majesty on high, where now he will remain to all eternity.

CHAP. 3. Shewing Christ is the onely God and Father, yea the Creator of heaven and earth▪: now it is to be revea­led what God and Father that was, and where he was, that Christ so often called upon when he was upon earth.

FRom thy last Answer thou hast raised more objections, which I would desire thou wouldest be free to answer, and that is, if thou canst reveal unto me what God or Father that was, and where he was, that forbid Joseph in a dream, not to turn away his Wife, saying, That which was conceived in her womb was by the Holy Ghost; and when Christ was born, who it was that sent the angel with the whole host of heaven, singing and praysing of God. And when the wise men went to worship Christ, that fore-warned them to go into their own countrey another way, and told Joseph that he should take the childe with his mother, and flee into Egypt, and when Herod was dead, commanded him to re­turn back again; And another time, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; these with many others I could relate, which I desire thou wouldest answer, seeing thou af­firmest Christ was God the Father.

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Though I tell thee, yet thou canst not believe me, so that I may leave thee excuseless, I am made free to speak un­to thee, and let thee know where it is written that Christ uttered a parable which was to this effect, viz. There was a Mark 13. 34. certain man took his journy into a far countrey, and set his house in order, and gave authority to his servants, and bid the Porter watch; so that I affirm this parable was concerning his hard and sad journy he was then undertaking: now the servants he intrusted with his divine Authority was Moses and Elias, they were his porters that were to watch over Christ Jesus the Creator of heaven and earth; for it is written, before Christ became mortal flesh, that there was Angels which Psalm. [...]1. 11. should have charge concerning him; which Angels were Mo­ses and Elias, and therefore it is written, God buried Moses, and took up Elias in a fiery chariot, which none of the Pro­phets Exod. 20. 19 1 Kings 17. 2. 2 Kings cap. 1. was so suddenly transmuted into glory as they were, and therfore it was for some great design more then ordinary otherwise there had been no necessity of raising them more then any other of the Prophets. And then again thou may­est read, there was none so much represented the Royal Pre­rogative Power of a God above, as they did here below, as at thy leisure read those Scriptures quoted in the Mar­gent.

Why could not God make use of some of the Angels then in glory, to be as thou sayest, his Steward or Deputy-father, and to watch over his person the time he was upon earth? they knowing him, and was always obedient to him, might as well officiate the place of trust, and represented that authority as well as Moses and El [...]as.

Why, or wherefore God was necessitated to take up Mo­ses and Elias was, as in these ensuing particulars will appear: First, because Elias was the Seed of Gods own nature, and so are none of the Angels; therefore not safe for God to trust a contrary Seed, they being but pure reason, when as the nature of Moses and Elias was Faith; so that God knew it was impossible they should falsifie their trust committed [Page 23] to them. Secondly, if God had left the Angels to take care over him, then had Christ in his infancy perished by the hands of Herod, in that the Angels are not able to subsist one day without the revelation of the person of Christ, there­fore he being here below, they would have brought all to confusion above; as also Christ had not been preserved his appointed time; but the revelation of Moses and Elias be­ing of the nature of God, and a well-spring within their souls, was that which did not onely support themselves, but fed the Angels also, and so kept them with that glorious Kingdom in due government, and perfect obedience, so that they had power as God himself in all things (except creating) and therefore it was they fore-warned Joseph, and sent the Angel with a heavenly Host to the shepherds, and commanded Joseph to flee, and said, This is my beloved Son, Luke 2. 9, 13. in whom I am well pleased: I say they had power as God to do what you finde written.

With what bodies did they represent the Place, Throne, and Dignity of God?

With the very same body of flesh and bone, without blood, yet this I say in the transmutation of Elias, all the mortal gross elements were struck out of his body, viz. wa­ter, earth, and air, and that spark of fiery life did divert the former elements into a flame of immortal glorious pu­rity, that the body which formerly was of a heavy gross sub­stance, was totally dissolved and refined into a glorious, im­mortal, spiritual body, like God himself; so that now they were no mortal creatures, but immortal glorious Saints, clearer then Chrystal, brighter then the Sun, and swifter then thought; this was the glorious immortal creature that represented the Authority of the Eternal God.

Did Christ when he was upon earth know that he had Moses and Elias to be his Steward, or Deputy-father? and if he did, whether Christ knew that himself was God and Father, Creator of heaven and earth? and if so, why did he so often, and so seriously call upon a Father in heaven, which [Page 24] if as thou sayest, was but his creature, and so God became a Son to his servant?

I say after the immortal God and Father was become a mortal Son, [take notice] as he lost his title, so he lost his knowledge, as touching he was Creator of heaven and earth; for it was impossible for that which was become time, to know it self as he did in eternity; or while it was mortal, to know what it was in immortality; if he could have known it, he would not have denied it, neither have been by the feed of reason suffered to breath in this world, so that I say Christ knew no other but that Elias was his God and father, onely this as he grew in yeares, so his Godhead revelation grew to the greatest height of knowledge, that ever was to be in mortality, so great that none was able to dispute with John 7 46 him; and therefore it is written, Never man speak like this man, and his revelation was so high that he knew none was so near related to the father as Christ, therefore he said, Philip, hast thou seen me, and not seen the father, knowest John 14. 9, 10. thou not that the father is in me, and I in him, and that I and the father am one? &c. and yet from my seed-spring I say, Christ knew not that he was the eternal father, for if he had as aforsaid, one time or another he would have told it his disciples, saying, All things the father hath made known to John 15. 15. me, I have made known to you, therefore who do men say that I am? The answer was, Some sayest thou art John the Baptist, Elias, Jeremias, or one of the prophets; but whom do ye say that I am? Peter replies, Thou art Christ the Son of the Matth. 16. 17. living God. Now Christ owns this and no more, saying, Pe­ter, flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, and upon this rock I will build my Church, &c. so after Christ was risen with a spiritual body, yet he knew not that he was the father: as mind his words to Mary, Go tell my brethren and thy brethren, John 20 17. that I ascend to your father and my father, to your God and my God, so that till he was glorified he knew no other but that he had a father, so that though Christ was the very God, yet he bore the title of a Son, and though Elias was but a glorifi­ed [Page 25] saint, yet for that time was he honored with the title of God and Father.

If thou canst tell me, and therein deal planly with me, what necessity was there for God thus to lose himself both in honor and knowledge; and for what, or wherefore was the cause that he laid down his life, or poured out his soul or Godhead-spirit to death, and whether it be matter of sal­vation, to search into these deep secrets and other things de­pending thereon?

If that eternal, divine, ever-living Body of Faith could in his royal will and pleasure, been moved to any other way, there had been no necessity to leave his glorious kingdom, by which he lost his glory and honor, both in title and know­ledge, but there was no other way, so of absolute necessity, and therefore he declares it as his promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the Serpent, that as he had permitted the angels seed to deceive his own, so he would by the same way undeceive it again, to its former state before its fall: and where it is written, John withstood him at his baptism, Christ said, Suffer me this once to fulfil all righteousness, Mat 3. 15. or fulfil all that the prophets have written of me; as also it is written by Moses, and most of the prophets, of what befel him, how he should be born of a woman, and where he should be born, and when led to death, he was as a lamb dumb that opened not his mouth, and that he should be as one despised, forsaken and lost, as unto title and knowledge, and suffer the shameful death of the cross by thy seed, that so he might keep thy seed under eternal death, without which he could not have raised his own seed to eternal life, & the seed of the serpent to eternal misery; and I say till he had thus suffered, all power in earth was not his own, as it was in heaven, neither had he been Judge of the dead, but living only; so that from my seedspring I say it is the greatest concernment of a Souls salvation, to know whether Jesus Christ, be the onely God of no, what he is both in form and nature, [...]y which the Devil is known in his form and nature; without the [Page 26] knowledge of these things in one measure or another, no soul in mortal flesh can be saved.

CHAP. 4. Shewing whether the Angels were the first that God created, and of what he created them, with their na­ture and form, and what was the cause of the Angels fall above all the rest.

WHat was the first creature God made? And of what created he them? and what was their nature and form?

I affirm that the Angels were the first sensible living Be­ings, formed by the Creator, and that he created them of that dust, without or above this visible heaven, yea I say by his word speaking, unto that spiritual dust aforesaid, there came forth an innumerable Angelical Host in persons or forms like men, and not bodiless spirits, as thy seed vainly affirm; and the nature of their Angelical Spirits are pure reason onely.

And was the fallen Angel created of the same matter as the other were? and had that Angel the same form and na­ture as the rest of the Angels had; if so, why did not he s [...]and with the rest, or the whole host of the Angels fall with him?

I affirm that Serpent-Angel was created of the same mat­ter, and had the same form and nature, yet was more wise or God-like in his creation than all the elect Angels of glo­ry: I say, why he could not stand with the rest, was the Creator fore-knowing that his Prerogative Royal would compel or move him to create this Angelical Reprobate in reference to his divine justice; so that for the manifestation [Page 27] of his most glorious power unto elect men and angels, his wisdom saw it most fit to endue this angel with more pier­cing, rational wisdom, and brightness of person, than all his Angelical companions, and that because he was decreed to the greatest shame and pain; and not onely so, but because the elect Angels should admire their Creators wisdom and power, when they should see the out-cast condition of the highest created glory, and themselves be filled with new declarations of honor, praise and glory unto the Divine Ma­jesty for his free electing love towards them, through which they were ensured eternally to reign in their created purity. This, and no other was the cause why this Angel should fall from the rest.

I have read, as it is thus written, That God spared not the 2 Pet. 2. 4. Angels, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; so that I believe there was more then one, in that the Scripture speaks in the plural; and not the singular, viz. Angels, and not Angel.

I infallibly affirm, there was but onely one Reprobate Angel created at first; for know this, as there was but one man Adam cast out of his heavenly Paradise of created pu­rity in soul and body; as also all his seed or generation were cast out of their spiritual peace with him; so likewise there was but one angelical Serpent cast from his rational created purity, and that was the Serpent-devil which deceived Eve: Now the Angels which were cast out with him, were of his seed or generation through his union with the intrals of Eve, where he had this world prepared for him and his ge­neration.

And was there no other way to manifest the greatness of his glory, but by creating a seed or generation against him­self and his seed, that so he might damn one, and save the other? or what prejudice had it been for his Divine Maje­sty, to have formed all in nature like himself, as well as in form, so that all might have enjoyed eternal happiness?

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I say, there was no other way to manifest his divine excel­lencies unto angel or man, but what he hath done; if there had, I am confident he would never have created any thing on purpose for eternal sufferings, and that the more thou mayest think the wise Creator would never have suffered any creature to become rebellious against himself, for the occasioning of such strange transactions in this world, and suffering both of himself, angel, and man; I say, if he could have possessed his infinite glory in creating of every thing unto eternal pleasure.

Why, who was besides himself, that should let or hinder what he had a mind to do, but he might form all of the na­ture of himself, as aforesaid?

It is true, though there was none besides himself, yet I say, that the Creators Royal Will and Pleasure was that glorious wheel that moved him to create or form any crea­ture at all, and sure I am it was unpossible for God to create the spirits of angels and men to be both of the nature of his own spirit, or either of them to be of his divine nature, then would the variety of his wisdom, power and glory, been all lost for want of distinction: Moreover, if angels and men had been both of Gods divine nature in their creation, then in stead of their being capable to be transmuted into a high­er or lower condition, at the divine pleasure of the Creator, would they not rather have been unchangable Creators, then changable creatures, therefore that God might impede all that might prevent his divine purpose, he created the bodies of the angels spiritual, and their spirits rational, and he made the body of the man Adam natural, and his soul spiritual, and the cause was this, that if their spirits and bodies had both been of the divine nature, then it had been unpossible for them to change or commit any evil, no more then the Crea­tor himself, where then had been all the wonderful tran­sactions of his glorious Majesty, or what had been formed in stead of creatures, but Creators onely?

How, or which way came the angels forth living creatures, [Page 29] if that life that brought forth their forms had not been in God, so came forth from God, infused into them, as it was into Adam?

Though the angels came forth living bodies in the forms of men, yet that life was not in God, nor of the nature of God, but onely a created light of sensible life of divine joys, proceeding from the eternal spirit, by vertue of a word speak­ing through his heavenly mouth unto those elements afore­said; for I say, that the uncreated essence or Godhead­spirit of an infinite Majesty was utterly uncapable to be conveyed unto finite created being, for infiniteness is onely capable of its own glorious center, and after the angels were formed into living bodies, the divine Majesty and those created beings, were become distinct in their essences for everlasting; also the angels by apparant sight of their Crea­tors face, might know themselves to be but creatures, yea subject to the divine pleasure of God that made them.

I all along judged Gods nature to be pure reason, and the angels nature the same, and if not of the nature of God, how, or by what means came they obedient to the commands of God?

Whatever thou hast judged of Gods nature, thou art al­together mistaken, for the nature of God is all-divine, hea­venly Faith, and therefore the nature of the angels was, and are of a contrary seed, subject to mutability; for the angels spirits are pure reason onely. And what is the pu­rest reason, is it any thing else but all pure desires? and what is the original of the most purest and perfects desire, is it not a want of something that is desired, or a kinde of unsatis­faction until its desire be satisfied, from something that is not inherent in it self? and therefore from the Lord of ever­living faith, I say, it is thy ignorance that undervalues him, nay it is unpossible that there should be the least motion of the purest desire in that nature, which is all fulness of divine satisfaction in it self▪, or how is it possible that spirit which hath desire in its nature, should enjoy fulness of content in [Page 30] its self; therefore though God created that Angelical Rea­son of all pure desires, I say, no spiritual man will call it the Divine Nature of God, because there can be no kinde of desire in that Nature of the immortal God, that is variety of all glorious satisfaction in it self; but this I know from the eternal Light of life, that the Creator by his infinite wisdom and power from a word speaking unto that dust a­foresaid, could create, yea did make divers living creatures, and yet not one motion of those created beings was inhe­rent in his Heavenly Spirit; so that I say, the Spirits of the Elect Angels are not in the least of any part of the glorious Nature of his Spirit, but onely a created rational Spirit of all pure desires; so that I affirm the uncreated Godhead it self, is unto the created being of Angels or men, either a Law of perfect Faith, and pure burning love in them towards God unto life Eternal, or else a fiery Law of unbelieving burning envy in them, against Gods Elect men and Angels unto Eternal death; and therefore from the Lord of all Light and Life I affirm all the Angels were equally created under one Law, the which mortal Law was written in their Angelical Natures, motioning in them that all obedience was properly due unto their Creator, which had made them such marvellous creatures.

But then, how or which way came this about, that this An­gels nature was pure Reason, and that as thou sayest in a more greater measure than the Elect Angels? Now if their standing or falling lay in none of them, How came it then this Angel could not keep his standing, as well as the rest?

I know that though their spirits were created perfectly pure in their kind and measure, yet if they were not conti­nually supplied with inspiration from that Divine glory which gave them their beings, instead of continuing in their Angelical brightness, their spirits would become nothing else but a bottomless pit of imaginary confused darkness of aspiring wisdom above the Creator; for the Elect Angels [Page 31] spirits being pure Reason, the very nature of them, is to desire after the knowledge of that incomprehensible glory which gave them their beings; and I say, it is the variety of his Divine Excellencies flowing to their desiring natures, is that heavenly food that is prepared for their eternal pre­servation; therefore I say, the continuance of the repro­bate Angels being expired, the Creator onely withheld the inspirations of Divine glory from him, and immediately for want of that spiritual meat to satisfie that desiring na­ture, his God like purity became nothing else but imaginary impurities of secret aspiring desires above the Creator; so that his former pure Reason, was become nothing but a loathsome sink of unclean reasoning, concerning the true knowledge of the Creator, whether he were the Creator or no; and instead of honouring the Creator for his un­searchable wisdom, of forming out of a little dead dust such an innumerable Host of Elect Angels, for his personal So­ciety; I say, this Angel at the blind barr of his lying imagi­nations, he secretly arrains the wisdom of the infinite God in creation, and condemned it as weakness it self, in com­parison of his imaginary vvisdom: this Angel being lifted up with the wisdom of his spirit and glory of his person, he beheld the Wisdom and Persons of all the Elect Angels, as simple uncomely creatures, in comparison of him and his wisdom, and then beholding himself with the Creator, he imagines his personal wisdom more capable of a Divine Throne, than he that sate thereon; also he began to imagine a new creation of his own supposing, as if he had been the Creator he could have formed more glorious creatures than the Angels without dust or any other matter, or if he must have matter to form things wi [...]hall, he imagined by his word speaking, or thinking, he could have created as many spirits without bodies as he saw fit; or if he saw good, he could have transformed their spiritual bodies into any other nature or form after he had created them, and not to con­tinue in one nature and form alwayes, for he thought it [Page 32] want of wisdom and power in the Creator, that the bodies of the Angels might not be transmuted into any condition at the pleasure of him that formed them; therefore in the midst of these and such like his irrational wisdom of imagi­nary impossibilities so elevated his out-cast spirit, that se­cretly he utterly abhorred that the Creator or any other creatures should remain in being, unless he onely might bear rule over them all.

So that when the secret pride and envy of the Angelical reprobate was at height of unthroning the Creator, or else a dissolution of all, then the glorious Creator revealed his spiritual cruelties unto his holy Angels, and answerable to that he would have done for a Creators glory in the visible sight of his Angels, God condemned him to be cast out of his personal presence, and Heavenly Throne or Kingdom for everlasting, and immediately like unto lightning he was thrown down into this perishing world, where his desired Kingdom of God-like Government was prepared for him and his lineal Angels, where they are reserved in everlasting chains of darkness and unbelief, until the Judgement of the great day.

What advantage did the downfal of this reprobate Angel produce, to the rest of the Angels? and wherein did any glory redound unto God? and whether was that Angel thrown? and what became of him after his fall?

As unto the Elect Angels there was great advantage, for thereby they were all filled with variety of new Heavenly praises in their mouths, of Honour, Power, Praise, Glory, Majesty, Wisdom, Mercy, Meekness, Justice, Righteousness, or any other Divine Excellencies that could be named to their glorious Creator, for his electing free love unto them eternally, to abide in their created purity to behold his glo­rious face, and for his wonderful wisdom in creating such Angelical perfection in them, from an everlasting rejection of desperate burning envy in utter shame, and from this it was great glory did attend the personal Majesty of God, [Page 33] and the place he was thrown unto was this earth prepared for his kingdom, where here he was in his spiritual form, onely the nature of his spirit was changed, as aforesaid.

CHAP. 5. Shewing whether this world was before the Angels or no, and whether the world was made of some­thing or nothing, and how it came into this form and being, and whether it shall for ever thus re­main.

SEeing thou hast thus far revealed thy knowledge of these secrets, let me hear thy thoughts whether this world was in being before the Angels, because thou sayest the An­gel was thrown into this world.

Thou hast raised that, which neither thou nor any of thy Seed can answer, in that this and other that shall be re­vealed is onely to the Seed of Faith; therefore for thy con­viction, and the satisfaction of the Seed of the Woman, I against Angel and man declare, and infallibly affirm, that the substances of earth and water in this world, and that glorious World above, were from all Eternity in the Crea­tors presence, uncreated, senseless, dark, dead matter, like unto water and dust▪ that had no kinde of life, light or ver­tue in them in the least; so that I say, this world upon the account aforesaid was before the Angels creation.

By the learning of this world we have understood, that those substances of earth and water was not Eternal, onely the Creator speaking the word, so they came in be­ing; also it is written, In the beginning God created the Gen. 1. Heaven and the Earth; so that I understand there was no earth nor water, till it was created.

As I have said before, so I say again, this doth not belong [Page 34] to thy seed to know it; for it is written, Through Faith we understand the worlds were framed by the Word of God; Heb. 11. 3. So that by Faith I say, that earth and vvater vvas Eternal; and the vvord frame or create, is to make formles [...] dead vva­ter into sensible living forms, for thou maist read, That earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, &c. So that there vvas an earth and vvater, though dead and dark, so vvithout form. Novv the vvord creating or framing, vvas to give life and light to those substances of death and darkness; and therefore it is vvritten, The Spirit of God moved upon the waters, and said, Gen. 1. 2. let there be light, and there was light; So that against An­gel or man I positively affirm, that the earth and the deep vvater vvere essentially one Chaos of confused vvater, di­stinct from the Creator; and vvhereas it is said, In the be­ginning God created Heaven and Earth; is thus to be under­stood, that of the matter of vvater and earth, that vvas formless and void, God by a vvord speaking did create a formable vvorld, as a place of convenient residence for such mortals as thou and I to inhabit in.

Though it be consented, that the earth and vvater in the beginning vvas dead and dark; yet I cannot see but they vvere created, so not eternal; for it is vvritten, I create light, and I create darkness; so that it vvill follovv, God Isaiah 45. 7. created them vvithout form and void.

In ansvver to this it is vvritten, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all; yet it is vvritten, Darkness was upon the deep; So that I knovv from eternity, the Divine 1 John 1. 5. Nature of the Creators Spirit vvas nothing but immortal fiery glory of Life and Light; so vvithout Controversie the dead earth and dark deep vvater never proceeded all Life and Light out of his glorious mouth; and vvhereas thou sayest, God created darkness, is not intented as thou supposest; but the meaning is, that he created those Souls that vvere naturally dark, into a marvellous light, as these Scriptures vvill plainly manifest, The light shineth in darkness, and the [Page 35] darkness comprehendeth it not; and again, I will open their John 1. 5. eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, vvith many such places, but not one Scripture that God created or gave any being or begin­ning unto dead, dark, senseless earth and water, afore­said.

I cannot yet understand, but that God created that con­fused Chaos of water and earth; and so of nothing by his word speaking, this world was made.

Though thou be the Seed of Reason, yet in this thou art unreasonable to think that ever those dark▪ dead Elements of earth and water, should have their Original from his glo­rious Spirit; I say, their natures being so contrary, it is impossible they should proceed the one from the other; For alas! What is death or darkness, is it not through the absence of life and light? and is not life, being overcome by death, absolutely become death or darkness, or utter si­lence for a moment? and if light and darkness, life and death meet together, is there any peace between them, un­til one hath swallowed up the other? If this be so, as it is so, then without Controversie earth and water were un­created substances, eternally distinct from the God of Life, Light and Glory; and that the more it is written, And darkness covered the face of the deep; therefore I say, it is but a dream and a lye, to say that God created all things of nothing, or that God created that confused Chaos of wa­ter and earth; it is all one as if thou shouldst say, there was no Creator at all, but earth and water, and such like dead stuff as they are.

It is written, God made a Firmament, and divided the wa­ters that were under the Firmament, from the waters which were above the Firmament; Now was this Firmament E­ternal, as the rest?

I say, the Firmament that is visible, was Eternal, though it was of that dead, dark matter, as the other was: Now the word, making (is the same, creating) which is no other [Page 36] then as aforesaid, to make that which was dead and dark, to be lively light; and therefore God made Sun, Moon and Stars, and set them in the Firmament, to give light upon this earth; so that the Sun is the life of the earth, the Moon the life of the waters.

What then is the Nature of the Water and the Earth above this visible Firmament, the same with this water and earth in this world?

No, in nature they are not the same, for that above the Firmament is immortal spiritual, when as this is mortal na­tural; And therefore the Angels and all the creatures therein, being created of that matter, are spiritual immor­tal bodies, when as man and all creatures herein, are natu­ral mortal bodies; and therefore it is written, There are Heavenly Bodies and earthly bodies, celestiaal and terrestial; the one above durable, this below perishing; that above sutable for such a glorious personal Majesty as the Crea­tor is.

CHAP. 6. Shewing of what matter Adams body was created, and what was his Nature, Soul or Spirit, and by what means Adam came to lose his state he was created in.

THen tell me of which of the two substances was the body of Adam created, of that above, or this be­low?

There is no Dispute to the contrary, but that Adam was created of this earth below, in that he is numbred among this visible creation, as in Genesis is related, And that Adam was to be Lord, and rule over them; and the Scripture tells thee what substance he was created of in those words, The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the earth after his [Page 37] own likeness, yea in the Image of God created he him; so that I say, he made Adam of this dust below; and therefore it is the body of man is natural, so of a heavy gross sub­stance, viz. flesh, blood and bone.

How or which way was man framed in the image of God, and so compleatly made in the similitude of the Creator, seeing mans body is of such gross mortal substance, and Gods body thou sayest is of a bright, fiery, glorious, chrystall, immortal substance, what likeness or image can mans be like unto God, then tell me?

In the creating of man the Lord God onely spake the word onely unto the dust of the earth, and immediately the vertue thereof brought forth a living man of pure flesh, blood and bone, like unto God himself as near as could be; so that I say, it was not the visiblility of their persons that differed in the least, but the glory of them onely, for this by Faith I know, God was an infinite spiritual body in all parts perfectly holy, and Adam was a finite natural bo­dy of perfect innocency, resembling that Divine form of God that created him.

What then was the nature or spirit of Adam Angelical? or was it Divine?

I say, though Adams body was made of the dust, and appointed for generation, so natural; yet this from an un­erring spirit I know, that his Soul was not natural; but su­pernatural or Divine, and that because it was formed accor­ding to the invisible glory of the Eternal Spirit.

What then was not Adams nature Reason, so a reasonable creature, if not, then Ad [...]m was unreasonable, so not like unto God?

From the Lord of Glory I say, that if the nature of A­dam had been rational in his creation, then it could not have been Divine, but of Angelical desiring nature, of unsatisfa­ction in its self; but that Divine Soul of Adam which was created after the likeness of the Eternal God, did consist of several Heavenly properties in its measure, answerable unto [Page 38] those Divine qualifications in the glorious Creator above all measure; for the Soul of man is not without its several properties, and yet they are all in a Heavenly Harmony, in that the joy of Soul that Adam did possess arose in him from one Divine Heavenly voice, called the Spirit of Faith, which was all satisfaction in himself with his present condition, not having the least thought of further happiness, then what he enjoyed already; thus as the Divine nature of the Eternal Spirit, was variety of infinite satisfaction in it self: So likewise the Soul of Adam being composed of the same qualifications, was variety of satisfaction in it self also, ac­cording to its measure. Now if the nature of Adams Soul had been as thou sayest rational in his creation, then through want of the Divine nature of Faith, Adam would alwayes have been desiring after something that he wanted, like unto the Elect Angels; for this I know, the nature of Adams Soul could not possible have any reason in it, and that be­cause the very nature of reason is not onely as aforesaid, but it is too serious in its consideration, whether things be good or right that are propounded to its understanding, when on the contrary that nature or breath of Faith which singly was intirely given to Adam without the least conside­ration, perfectly knowing the excellency of a thing as soon as ever it is presented unto it; and therefore Adams nature must needs be Divine as Gods is, and supernatural, though cloathed with pure nature onely.

If it be as thou sayest, that Gods nature is all Divine Heavenly Faith, without pure reason at all, and Adam was onely partaker of that nature, which thou sayest is so im­mortal pure, that it is all Divine Heavenly satisfaction in its self; How came it then that Adam having that nature of Divine satisfaction in his own Soul, did fall from that happy and innocent condition wherein he was created?

From the revelation of faith in my soul I declare, that in the nature of God there is not the least motion of the pu­rest reason at all, that being onely the angels nature, as afore­said; [Page 39] neither is it possible there should be, in that thou hast heard in that chapter treating of the angels creation, that reason in the purest sense is but a meer desire of the enjoy­ment of something that is above it, so no real satisfaction in its self; therefore if the nature of God were pure reason, as Papists, Episcopal, Presbyter, Independent, Anabaptist, Ranter, Quaker, and all Atheistical opinions of thy seed affirm, then I say the Creator that gave satisfaction to an­other, is not satisfied in its self, and so in thy reason would follow, there is something above God that must give satis­faction to God, which from an unerring spirit, is cursed blasphemy; when it is written, In him all fulness dwells, and Col, 2. 9. he it is that filleth all in all; And again it is written, There is Isai [...]h 43. 10. none like him above him, or before him, or that shall be after him, for a spiritual body of all divine heavenly faith, and therefore it is written, the wonderful transendent vertues of faith, in so much that there is not the least let or doubt, but whatever it believeth shall come to pass, and to faith there is nothing unpossible, that its revelation moves it to do; when on the contrary, reason is such antiphathy, that it is a body of meer imaginary desires, and no reality, cloathed with fear, let, and doubts of faiths eternal power.

Now though the soul of Adam through the divine purity of its nature, was immortal and uncapable of any rebellion against the glorious spirit of its Creator, yet because its body was natural, and had its beginning of this dust below, his im­mortal soul having its being in a piece of clay, was become subject through temptation, to be transmuted from its pre­sent condition of his created innocency, for this faith knows though the soul of Adam was of a divine nature, yet be­cause it was a created nature distinct to it self, it was be­come a Son or Servant, yea subject to its divine God; and that through deep temptation he was subject to be tran­smuted into a sinful condition, through which both soul and body, might not onely be subject to natural death, but also full of fear of eternal death, or casting out of the spiri­tual [Page 40] presence of a divine Majesty to bring forth his heavenly disign of a more transcendent, eternal glory that he had prepared through suffering, to be enjoyed by his divine im­age at the last day, with himself face to face.

I conceive if Adam had such divine immortal heaven life, breathed into him which thou calls his soul, that was of the same property and nature of the divine God, he might by that life have withstood all temptation whatsoever, though it was in a house of clay.

Again and again, against all thy seed I affirm, that the soul of Adam was onely of the divine nature in its creation, yet because it was one essence with a body that was taken out of dust, it was both probable and capable, to be thought into a condition of entering dust again, and that for these ensuing particulars:

First to fullfil these Scriptures, saying, In the day that thou 1 eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death: And in the sweat of thy Gen. 3. 19. face thou shalt eat thy bread till thou return to the earth; for out of it thou wast taken; because thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return again.

Secondly, if the body of Adam had been immortal in his 2 creation as well as his soul, he would not onely have been uncapable of natural generation, but also he would have been uncapable of any transmutation whatsoever, and where then had been the prerogative power of infinite wisdom and transcendent glory of the Creator ever been seen or known by angels or men? And therefore it was Adam knew not whether he should stand or fall from his present state or no, neither did he know what power he was indued withal in his created purity, neither did he know any greater glory, but what then at present he enjoyed; so that if Adam had known that he had power in his own will, to preserve him­self in his present condition, thou mayest be sure if he could have kept himself in that blessed state, he would never have lost it, for making use of all the power that was in him, to have resisted a temptation unto rebellion, in which he knew there was a threatning of a loss of that created glory he en­joyed, as aforesaid.

CHAP. 7. Shewing who it was that tempted Adam, and who it was that tempted▪ Eve, whether it was the Angel aforesaid; and if so, why he is called a Serpent, a Tree, &c. and how and which way they were deceived, and what effects it hath ever sinee pro­duced.

HOwever, I cannot believe whatever thou hast related as touching these things; yet tell me who it was, and by what means Adam was deceived.

I say, though▪ the Soul of Adam was Divine, and free from all kinde of rationality, so could not possibly have any desire in him after any carnal copulation with his Wife; for I know, that carnal pleasures were too low for a spiri­tual Soul, whose nature was variety of Divine satisfaction in it self; and therefore the woman Eve, through the per­mission of God, was first guilty of the transgression of lust, and so tempted her innocent Husband to lye with her, if possible to cover her folly: And now from the Lord I say, that the carnal I desire in her towards her Husband, proceeded not from her Divine purity, but from the rational nature of the unclean▪ Serpent within her.

Now I understand that thou makest Faith and Reason two contraries, as fire and water; so that from hence I understand, that Seed thou callest Faith hath no desire, but that all desire doth onely [...] from Reason al he.

Whether thou understand or [...]o, yet this I shall reveal to thee, that God is now a body of flesh and bone glorified▪ with all Divine spiritual▪ Heavenly Faith▪ and no Reason as aforesaid; for [...] so, [...] God himself wo [...]ld be subject to trans­mutation as man; and so full of unsatisfaction, that all his transactions would be i [...]perfect, and [...]

Seeing thou [...] God [...] i [...] him, [...] How [Page 42] comes it then that God saith, Come now lets reason together, saith the Lord, &c? Now if there were no Reason in God, Isaiah 1. How could he have reasoned with the Rulers of Israel?

Oh! that thou could but see how thy ignorance blinds thee from the true understanding of any Scripture, as to think that God in his person should Reason with them, when thou reads, it was none but the Prophet Isaiah, who from the Revelation of Faith in his own Soul, reasoned the cause with them as from the Lord; for I tell thee, and all blind Quakers Reason with thee, that if God were not of a nature contrary to the nature of Angels and men, there could have been nothing created nor preserved in their form and order as now they are; and this I know, that Faith can take up the words of Reason, though not inherent in it, as Reason to take the vvords of Faith, though not expe­rienced in it.

What then was that Reason which deceived Eve, or was it an Apple or a Serpent, for the woman said, the Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat? Now if thou canst, tell me what it was that deceived Eve.

Though I tell thee thou canst not believe, yet thou mayest read, That the great Dragon, the old Serpent, called the De­vil and Satan, which deceiveth the world, he was cast out into the earth; therefore it is written, Wo unto the Inhabiters of Rev. 12. 12, 13. the earth, for the Devil is come down among you; So that from my Seed-spring. I say, that Angelical Serpent, which I have discoursed with thee in the 4th Chapter, was that which deceived Eve.

I cannot find in Scripture that was an Angel which de­ceived Eve, though I confess the Scripture saith, there was an Angel cast down, but for what I know not, for it is written, Thou shalt not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and in another place it is said, a Serpent beguiled her, not in the least relating it was an Angel; so that I be­lieve it was one of the beasts of the field, which the Lord God had made, and the Devil was an invisible spirit, vvhich [Page 43] entered into the body of the Serpent, and spake those sub­tile expressions through his mouth, and so caused the vvoman to eat of the fruit of a natural Tree. vvhich the Lord God had forbidden, and tempting her Husband to eat of the fruit vvith her, it operated that venemous evil in them and all man-kinde.

Oh! the gross darkness that lodgeth in the spirits of the learned and unlearned of thy seed, not knovving the Scrip­tures are generally expressed in natural terms, for the ma­nifestation of spiritual things, and yet the learned of thy seed vvould persvvade men exactly to understand them in the Letter, because thou measurest the glorious things of Eterni­ty, by thy rational learning, vvhen thou maist read that the seed of the Devil are sometimes called by the name of Devils, Dragons, Vipers, Serpents, fruitless Trees, and such like; so this Angelical reprobate, by vvhom Eve vvas deceived, vvas called, the Dragon, an old Serpent, the Devil, Satan, the Deceiver, or the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, and such like names sutable to his cursed nature; so in truth I say, that Serpent that tempted Eve, vvas that Angelical Dragon-Devil aforesaid, vvhich God from the highest Hea­vens cast down to this lowest earth; and it was his seeming Divine wisdom, and Angelical person, that bewitched Eves innocent Soul to hearken to him, and her eyes to dote upon him; for let but moderate Reason guide thee, and thou maist see it must be a person more wise and comely than Adam to deceive her; and therefore it is written, When the Woman Gen 3 6. saw the Tree, it was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a Tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit there­of, and she did eat, and also gave to her Husband, and he did eat.

Well then, suppose it be granted it was the Angel that deceived her by words, What is then supposed by eating, And she saw it was good food, and did eat? So that the words of the Angel might entice her; But what was that she did eat?

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That is when the innocent Soul of Eve was over-poured by the Serpents subtile Language, her spirit did consent unto him, to come in to her and take full possession of her, to be her God and guide instead of her Creator: Now by the word eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil; from the Lord of ever-living Faith I say, that the Creator called it eating.

First, Because none of thy seed should know the Lords 1 secrets, until it was his pleasure he would receive honour by it.

Secondly, The Spirit of God called it eating, because of 2 the civility of the Speech; for the Scripture Language is much like a modest pure Virgin, which is loath to have her secret parts mentioned in the least.

Thirdly, That she might beware how she hearkned to any 3 voice that was contrary to the voice of the Seed of God in her; so that if she should hear the voice of a stranger, she should not give away, as many a Virgin since hath been de­luded: So that I say, this Angelical person entered into her womb, through her secret parts, and being united to her Soul and body, his Serpentine nature dissolved it self into her pure Seed, and defiled her throughout, and so became es­sentially one with her, through which she naturally concei­ved a Serpent, Dragon, Devil into a man-child of flesh, blood and bone, and brought forth her first begotten son of the Devil; yea, the Dragon Devil himself, and called his Name, according to his nature, Cain or cursed, though ignorantly she said, that she had received a man from the Lord; just so on the contrary the womb of the Virgin wife Mary, was honoured with the Angelical God himself, through which her polluted nature was not onely cleansed while he was in her womb, but also by the vertue of the Di­vine power, she was inhabited to conceive his glorious Ma­jesty of her Seed into a holy Babe of unspotted flesh, blood and bone, and in his season to bring forth her first begotten Son of God, yea, the true God and everlasting Father him­self, [Page 45] and called his Name, according to his Nature, Emanuel, Jesus, or Blessed, as at large is disputed in the second Chap­ter.

Thou sayest eating was admitting the Angels person into her body, if the Angel was of as large a compass as I am, how was it possible, and where do we read that God cur­sed the Angel? and how can it be proved that Angel was the first Devil?

As Christ said unto Nicodemus, so say I unto thee, though the body of the Angelical Serpent in its length or breadth was as a man is, yet I know, it was not of so gross a sub­stance as mans is, for it was a spiritual body created in an­other World; for though the bodies of the mighty Angels are in forms like men, yet I know they shine like unto the Sun or a flame of fire, being formed in a Region of a more higher nature than this; therefore they are of motion as as swift as thought, and of a pure, thin, or bright fiery na­ture; so that with great ease they pierce through a narrow passage at the Divine pleasure of the Creator.

Were it so as thou savest, What harm or defilement could this be to her Soul or body, he being a person so glo­rious? I conceive it should rather endue her with more knowledge than before.

Though the Angel was glorious in person, yet his nature was corrupt in comparison of hers, even as that blood which is defiled vvith the Pox or Gangreen: Novv this man to enter the body of a vvoman vvhose blood is pure and free from any corrupt distemper; Is it not a defilement to her body? Even so his Serpent [...]ne Reason dissolved it self into her pure Seed of Faith, and became essentially one vvith her, through vvhich she vvas Soul and body de [...]ed throughout, by vvhich she lost her Divine satisfaction and Heavenly Peace, that formerly she enjoyed in her ovvn Soul.

Hovv vvill this stand agreeable to Scripture, vvhen thou sayest, it vvas an Angel that deceived Eve, and the Let­ter [Page 46] saith, it was a Serpent? And besides it is written, God cursed not the Angel, but the Serpent; What then dost thou say, the Angel was the Serpent? And if so, what glory was there in a Serpent? And where was the Angel or Serpent, when cursed?

Though I have told thee of this before, yet now I tell thee again, he was called a Serpent as unto the subtility of his nature or seed, and that Serpentine Angelical form, that by enticing words did deceive her, was wholly dissolved into seed in her womb, when the Eternal curse was passed upon him.

If the Angelical person was in the body of Eve, when he received his curse, How then could he be capable of un­derstanding a Sentence denounced against him, being in the womb, and changed from his former condition, as thou hast revealed?

The curse denounced by the Creator upon the Serpent in the womb of Eve, was not for his satisfaction in the least, but to convince Eve of her deceived thoughts, of possessing such God-like happiness promised to her by the Angel; also it was to convince her of doting of her first born, but in­stead of rejoicing in him at his birth, her Soul would not on­ly loath his company, but would also cast him out of her presence, least he should murther her as he did his Brother A­bel, for her tender compassion towards him: Further­more it was spoken for her Divine satisfaction, when the light of Redemption should shine in her deceived Soul, and shew her that her first-born son was not from the Lord, but the Angelical Serpent, cursed in her womb by the Crea­tor.

Why should the Serpent and his generation undergo an eternal curse, and Eve and her generation suffer but an ex­ternal curse, seeing she rebelled against a greater light than the Angel?

I know she was utterly uncapable of eternal curse, for these considerations;

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First, Because her Soul proceeded from a Heavenly Na­ture 1 of Eternal Majesty himself.

Secondly, Because that consent in her to evil, proceeded 2 not from her own nature, but the unclean spirit of the Ser­pent speaking into her innocent Soul.

Seeing the Serpent before he tempted Eve, was called, A Tree of knowledge of good and evil; surely, then that good was not cursed, but the evil onely; and on the con­trary, Eve partaking in her womb of the evil seed, must be evil also.

Though the Angel had been a Tree in his first estate, which knew nothing but good, before Eve or Adam had any sensible beings, yet being fallen from his created purity, he was become a Tree of sin or evil onely; So that he was a cursed out-cast Tree from the glorious presence of life E­ternal, before his visible appearing unto Eve; so that he was far from repenting of rebellion against God, yea, altoge­ther uncapable of reproof of sin, whereby he might be resto­red from his wretched estate, that he did utterly abhor both God and man, unless he might be Ruler over them; when on the contrary, Eve through temptation was overcome by the Serpent; yet she had some relenting light of life left in her after her rebellion, which occasioned a secret shame and confusion of Soul in her; so that she was capable of being made a good Tree again, yea, a Tree of more transcendent glory than she was before.

By this I understand, that the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the Angel were two contrary seeds, then tell me whether the Seed of the Woman was before, or in his fall? and the Seed of the Woman blessed before, or after his fall?

That there is two Seeds or Trees of Eternal life thou maist read, A good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor can a cor­rupt tree bring forth good fruit; therefore, by their fruits they are known: So that the Serpent angelical tree being reprobate to all manner of evil; therefore he and his seed of men and [Page 48] women, vvere not onely cursed in the vvomb of Eve, but also before the world vvas; but on the contrary, innocent Eve being a good Tree in her creation, through her procee­ding from the Divine Nature of the Tree of Eternal glory; so that it vvas impossible that she and Adam, or any of their Seed should eternally peris [...], because they vvere Trees Ele­cted to bring forth good fruit unto everlasting life and glory long before the creating of this vvorld.

Hovvever thou seems to prove that it was no natural Tree, so no natural apple, then vvhat dost thou say to those sayings vvhere he is called, A Serpent, and cursed above all cattel Gen. 3. and every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life; So if it vvere not a natural Serpent that tempted Eve, Why then doth not Cain and all his seed, being as thou sayest of the Serpentine nature, yet men and vvomen? I say, why do not those men go upon their belly, and lick up dust vvhile they live in this vvorld?

Hovvever, thou or all thy seed vainly dream of Apples pulled from vvoodden trees, or of a natural Serpent, or an evil spirit in the body of an ignorant horned beast, or any such like imaginary fancy concerning the deceiving of Eve; yet I having the Spirit of Revelation, do knovv that the Serpent vvhich beguiled Eve, vvas that Angelical Repro­bate, cast dovvn from the Kingdom of glory; also I knovv, that the Serpentine Angel deceived Eve, not upon a natural account, but a spiritual account, in that she vvas ignorant of lusting after a man, until she had obeyed the Serpents voice. Novv vvhen the curse vvas denounced upon the Ser­pent and his seed, that Angelical Serpent vvas not vvithout, but vvithin the vvomb of Eve, as aforesaid, and he vvas cal­led a Serpent, because of his exceeding subtility; Novv if it had been a natural Serpent vvithout her, vvhat prejudice▪ had the tenour of that curse been to Eve or Adam? It vvas as good to him to eat of the fruit of the Tree as the choicest things, that one being as natural to him as to the o­ther; [Page 49] and also what dammage had it been to the woman, for to curse a natural serpent without her, or suppose that curse had been denounced against an evil spirit distinct from the soul and body of Eve, what harm would that have been to Adam and Eve, or their generation? or who should regard a Curse upon any devil in the least, so that he himself be not that evil spirit or devil so cursed? and who is it but that ser­pentine nature the devil that goeth upon their belly, and lick up the dust of this world? is it not that unclean reason, and wicked imagination that was in Cain, and now is in all his angels, who are the lords of this earth, or god of this world, whose spirits wholly thirst after things that perish, and are never in their proper center, but when they are lic­king, that is, feeding upon gold and silver, riches and honor of this world, which is no more then the dust of the earth? which the fair Ladies and rich men of the world lick up all the days of their life?

Suppose it should be granted, that that serpent by whom Eve was beguiled, was none of the trees of this creation, or an evil spirit in the body of a natural serpent, as by me is be­lieved, but it was an absolute serpent devil, as before hath been related by thee, and that it entered into Eve, and in her womb was pronounced cursed by the Creator, and so naturally brought forth himself a cursed Cain of her seed, what was this unto Eve, or why should she suffer any kinde of punishment for being overcome by an enemy that was too mighty for her?

Though the soul of Eve was not onely purely created in its kinde like unto other creatures, but it was also of the very same nature, of his most glorious spirit that formed it, so that she could not be ignorant in the least, that all obedi­ence was most due unto her Creators command; also the Creator by his royal will, for the manifestation of his glori­ous power, might give his creature a spiritual law, yea life and light in its self, and yet reserve to himself the prerogative power of it, so that the Creator might present unto the view [Page 50] of his image, a serpent devil for the trial of his workman­ship, and yet might upon pain of death, forbid his creature for having to do with that tree, or of hearkning to it in the least, also I know the divine Creator might leave his divine image unto his present strength, through which by a subtile enemy she might be tempted and overcome to commit evil with the angel against its Creators law, and yet its sin be up­on its own head, and that because it rebelled not onely against its divine light, but principally because their was no law to bind an infinite Majesty to protect Eve in her created purity; and whether her enemy was too potent for her, that was hid from her eyes, by the unsearchable wisdom of the Creator, so that seeing the wonderful wisdom and ways of the Lord are past finding out, then thou wouldst forbear rea­soning against the Creators prerogative power, and yield thy self to be damned at his pleasure.

CHAP. 8. Shewing whether Cain was not the first devil, and who are his seed or children; and what devils those were that are so frequently spoken of in Scripture.

WHat then dost thou say that Cain was the first devil, and was there no evil spirit before Cain; and if so, prove that Cain is called a devil.

From the divine spirit of the Lord of glory I affirm, as be­fore is proved, that the angels were the first sensible living formes that ever were created, and that reprobate angel as I have said, dissolved into seed in the womb of Eve, and there conceived into flesh, blood and bone, her first-born Cain, yea the first devil and father of the damned; so that against thee and all thy seed, I say, there was no other devil before Cain, and that thou mayest know Cain is called a devil, read these Scriptures, Not as Cain, which was of that [Page 51] wicked one, and slew his brother: Again it is written, He that soweth the good seed, is the son of man, and the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom, and the tares are the children of the wicked one, and the enemy that soweth them is the devil: Again, Ye are of your father the devil, John [...] 44 and the lusts of your father ye will do, he hath been a murtherer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there was no truth in him, when he speaketh a lye, he speaketh of his own, for he is a lyar and the father thereof: Now then, what sayest thou, was not Cain the first murthering lying man that ever was born of a woman?

I have read in Scripture that there are evil angels or devils living in the Ayr, and a devil amongst them called Beelzebub the prince of devils, now I judge the devil is of such an invisible spirit, that he is here, there, and every where, and so can infuse evil thoughts into man, and man cannot see the devils that tempts him.

If this be as thou sayest, what need any man trouble him­self with the least fear of eternal death, whatsoever wicked­ness is committed by him? For I say, if any man be tempt­ed to evil by any devil, but what is in his own nature onely, that devil or evil spirit is to be eternally damned, and the man to be set free; and if sin issued not from mans un­cleane reason, or lyng imagination within him, how is it possible that any man should be so tormented as thy seed are with inward burnings, through a secret fear of eternal suffer­ings rising in them from the guilt of former evils committed against the light of conscience: Now if it were possible for thee to know, that the subtility of the prince of the ayr that rules in the hearts of children of disobedience, was thy own imaginary reason or evil spirit, that is, the prince of all airy disputes concerning God, devil, angels, heaven, hell, eternal glory, or shame to come, then thou wouldest see the truth of what I speak.

What then dost thou say there never was, is, nor shall be no other devil but men and women; and if so, from whence [Page 52] comes that devilish nature in man, and whether all have not the devilish nature in them, and if so, how shall any man es­cape damnation?

As unto this thy Question, I answer as aforesaid, There never was no devil till the angel became a man-child of flesh, blood, and bone, and that evil nature ever since hath generated in all the sons and daughters of Adam, since his fall, both reason and faith lay hid in that seed that conceived in the womb: So that I say, as Adam and Eve, the womb of all living had both reason and faith in them, so of necessity it must follow that all that are begotten or generated by them, must needs partake of both natures, so that I affirm that all the righteous as the wicked have the devils nature in them, and yet the seed of the woman shall escape damna­tion.

What then dost thou say that the devils have faith in them, and yet shall be damned, and the true believers have reason in them, and yet shall be saved? Now there being both seeds in one as the other, how comes it that all are not either damned or saved? certainly faith being as thou sayest, of the nature of God, then that faith in the devils must re­turn to God again.

I say Gain the father of all devils, had faith in him as all his children have at this day, as it is written touching the four seeds speaking of them that hath the seed sown on a Luke 8 13 rock, when they hear, they receive the word with joy, and these having no root, which for a while believe, and in time of tempta­tion fall away: And it is written, the devils believe and trem­ble, Jam. 2 19 so that if thou were not stone-blind thou mightest see that there is no other devil but men and women, and that faith in them doth cause many secret feares of damnation, and yet that faith in them shall never return to God, nor they themselves saved; for this I know, that faith that is in the seed of the serpent shall die with them, and rise with them, for the devils shall rise all reason and no faith, or shall not be capable to ascend to glory, when on the contrary, the [Page 53] blessed of the Lord all their Faith in their life time out-top­ped reason, by which he came to the knowledge of God; so that at his death his reason shall dye with him, insomuch, that at the Resurrection he shall rise all Faith and no Rea­son, so shall be able to ascend to glory.

What then shall become of natural fools and children, that understand neither Faith nor Reason, shall they all be damned, if they be of the Serpents seed?

From an unerring Spirit I speak it, there is neither child nor fool that dies uncapable of the breach of the Law, that shall be damned; so that herein the Justice and Mercy of God appears, that as he will damn whom he will, so he will damn none unjustly; therefore I say, let them be children or fools, though the seed of the Serpent, yet they shall be rai­sed to the glory their father had before his fall; viz. the estate of the Angels.

If there be no other Devil but Cain and his generation of men and women, What Devils were then those from these Ma [...]. 4. 1. Scriptures, where it is written, Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, which Devil taketh him up into the holy City, &c. again it is Mark 5. 2. written, Satan entered into Judas, &c. and it is written, Out of Mary Magdelen Christ cast out seven Devils▪ with many hundred examples more; onely one more I shall quote, which is more remarkable then those before, and then let me heat thy answer, and that is touching the man that lived in the land of the Gadarenes, which man had Devils Luk. 8. 27 a long time, and wore no cloaths, neither abode in any house but in the tombes, and no man could bind him, no not with chains, Mark 5. 4. neither could any man tame him, and alwayes night and day he was in the m [...]untains, and in the tombes, crying and cutting himself with stones, and all the Devils in him besought Christ that they might go into the Herd of Swine, which they had no sooner entered but the man was well in his right minde, and the whole Herd of Swine ran violently down a s [...]eep place into the Sea: Now if thou canst make it apparent, that these [Page 54] were no Devils besides Cain and his Seed, then I shall with thee believe that there is no other Devil but man and wo­man.

From Christ the onely Lord of Glory in the Revelation of his Eternal Spirit, I affirm, that those Devils so tituled from the first of Matthew to the last of the Revelation, were onely the Seed of Reason, and the violent distempers of the imagination thereof; as first mind, that the Devil that tempted Christ, was one of the ablest Disputants▪ whether a Pharisee or Sadducee, I cannot by Faith finde, yet by per­missions I judge him rather a Sadducee, they being the wi­sest and subtilest Devil of the two; I say, the Pharisees and Sadducees commissionate this man, which by experience they found were best versed in Scripture, to see if he could tempt the Lord Jesus, to Baptize them with the holy Ghost, and fire; so that I say, this Devil was a man, of the same seed of those where it is written, Ye shall not tempt the Lord Deut. 6. 6. your God, as ye tempted him in Massah; again it is written, When your Fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my Heb. 3. 9. works 40 years; as at large thou may read in a Book of mine, entituled, Look about you, for the Devil that you fear is in you; so that I say, these tempters of the Lord were the people of Israel, men and women, and no other form or Spirit whatsoever; and again it is written, That Jam. 1. 14. man is tempted, when he [...]s drawn away of his own lusts and enticed; so that I affirm, there is no other Devil but thy lust­ful Soul within thee, that doth tempt thee to commit any wickedness acted by thee; so that I say, the meaning of that Satan entered Judas, was onely this, being by Christ Jesus discovered, that he was the man that should betray him, then forthwith nature in him entered into a resolution to betray the Lord of Life, being then sealed up to a repro­bate minde, went out to his Brethren the Pharasaical Devils, and sold him for thirty pieces: so that I say, there was no other Devil entered him but what was in him, no more then would enter thee, if thou wert now damned by me, onely [Page 55] a spirit of tormenting envy would as it did in Judas, so flame and burn, that if possible thou wouldst destroy me, as Judas did Christ.

Notwithstanding what thou hast said as touching a Devil, tempting or entering, seems to have some colour of truth in it, But then what wilt thou say of those Devils that were cast out of Mary, and many others? but espe­cially of those legion that was cast out into the Herd of Swine? For it is expressed, when the Devils were cast out of the man, they went into the Herd of Swine; so that surely this was something more than Reason; otherwise, if Rea­son be the Devil, and Reason cast out, then the man had not been cloathed in his right minde, but been altogether unrea­sonable.

Let me speak never so plainly, thou canst not understand me; yet however, this I shall tell thee, that those Devils which by the powerful Word of Christ Jesus, were cast out of Mary Magdalen, or out of that man or any other crea­ture spoke of in holy writ, were onely all manner of filthy diseases, or violent fiery distempers that hurried that man about such desperate wickedness oftentimes encreasing so powerfully, that it did not onely occasion to rend his own body, and break Iron chains, but also ready to tear any one in pieces, as many of thy seed at this day are possessed with Devils, by such as thou are believed to be Devils; and there­fore it is that learned of thy seed have attempted by Conju­ring Physical Medicaments, to chain up that distemper, or cast out by Vomit or Purgation, and such like deceitful means, which if thou wert not stone blind, mightest see that these supposed Devils, yet real distempers, were no other but such as thou calls Lunatick frenzy, Madness, Convulsions, or falling-sickness, & such like proceeding from melancholy, is Colerick, corrupt humors of the blood, that by these Devilish distempers many of thy seed are chained up Prisoners in Bed­lum all the dayes of their life, which if they could be cast out by Faith, being Lord over those Colerick and Melancho­ly [Page 56] distempers of the minde, then they vvould by the Divine knovvledge of the true God, be cloathed in their right mindes.

If this vvere as thou sayest, onely violent distempers in that man, and so in M [...]ry, vvhat then vvas that vvhich came out of the man, and entered into the H [...]rd of [...]vvine; and if they vvere onely that vve call diseases, vvhy then are they called Devils?

From life of that Divine light in my Soul, I declare, they vvere no other but violent di [...]empers aforesaid, vvhich said diseases by the povverful Godhead in Christ, vvas com­manded at the request of the man to enter the Herd of the Svvine, vvhich vvhen the Svvine vvere p [...]ssessed vvith the same distemper, they vvere as mad as the man, tearing and tumbling themselves into the Sea, by reason of that violent distemper or affliction, that the svvine became giddy in their heads, not able to preserve themselves through the violence of the said distraction.

Now why the said distempers are called Devils, are be­cause none should know the true Devil, but the Heirs of glo­ry; for thou mayest read the whole transaction of Christ were revealed in Parables, and the mystery of Truth only re­vealed to the true Believers of the Lord of Glory; And if thou supposest they were Devils, what then dost thou ap­prehend them to be? and how got they into the Herd of Swine, and not seen?

I conceive the Devils are invisible spirits that tormented the man, and so could convey themselves into the Swine without the sight of any, even as the Soul or Spirit of man at the hour of death do go forth of his body to Heaven or Hell.

Oh! thou senseless sottish Reason, now thou discovers thy ignorance in his, as hath been in the rest, as though the Devil were an invisible spirit, and so cannot be seen by the man, how the Devil got into him, nor how this Devil or Devils went out of him, and got into the Herd of Swine, [Page 57] nor what become of those Devils in the Sea, whether drow­ned in the Sea, or no; but however, so as I have said be­fore, so I say again, that there is no Devil without a body, that can torment another, neither can that Devil if he were not generated in man, either come in or go out of man, but he must be seen, otherwise he is no Devil at all; as for in­stance, the distemper of man cannot be cast out, but it may be seen and felt in the foul and stinking body, that poysoned and distempered the minde of man; And how dost thou know that the Soul of man leaveth or goeth out of the bo­dy at the hour of death?

CHAP. 9. Shewing what the Soul is, and what it is that dieth, how that the Soul which is the life of the body can dye, and nothing else but life that dieth.

VVHY? I believe the Soul cannot dye, because I con­ceive it a thing impossible, the Soul being an E­ternal Spirit, cannot be capable of death; and besides So­lomon saith, Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it; So that it is my believe the Soul cannot dye.

Though this Principle be fully cleared in the Prophets Book, called joyful news from Heaven; yet I shall reveal the truth of it upon another account, that the Soul is mor­tal so capable to dye, otherwise it could not live Eternal; for as nothing but life can dye, and that life being dead, shall be made capable to live a life Eternal.

Before thou proceed any further, let me but hear how that nothing but life can dye, which it is conceived by all knowing men, that life which thou callest the Soul is immor­tal, and cannot dye: Now that natural life that runs in the blood may dye; and therefore it is confessed when a [Page 58] man is murthered or hanged, his breath is stifled, and so the natural mortal dies; yet all this while, as Salomon saith, The Soul goeth to God that gave it.

Having in our former writings made it appear that Solo­mon was the highest pitch of Reason that ever was, so what he spake was onely knowledge in nature, and not by the Re­velation of Faith; therefore no Scripture: For Reason imagineth things that are not, and things that cannot be understood by any sober man, much less by a man in Revela­tion, as to think that an immortal Soul or Spirit, should be limited to a mortal body, which is as possible as light and darkness to dwell together, as an immortal Soul to live in a mortal body; therefore I say, that the Soul and body of man are one distinct living and dying essence, for the Soul or Spirit in the womb by degrees congeals together into a rational fire of blood and water, and so in due time become a compleat body of flesh, blood and bone; so that the life that is in man, is not Divine but natural onely.

This is strange, that the Soul or Spirit of a child should conceive in the womb, that being a breath or gift of God, and not generated in or by the seed; for I read▪ that God breathed into Adam, and he became a living Soul; so his Soul was not immortal, but mortal, and so is all man-kind.

However it is strange to thee, yet I know it is a real truth to me, that the Word by which God first created life in man, that Word or Breath was immortal, which by his fall became mortal, as at large is cleared in the seventh Chapter; and this know, God never created but male and female, and gave life but once, and since every life in its kinde hath generated bearing seed in its self; so that from my Revelation I say, that the rational Soul or Spirit of man lyes secretely hid in his seed, like unto a spark of fire; which spark doth quicken it self into a living form, like unto his nature, and so having cloathed it self with flesh, his Soul or Spirit runs invisibly through the whole body, and so is one entire sub­stance, being both conceived into life in the womb toge­gether, [Page 59] and both living together upon the earth their appoin­ted time, and being both polluted together with sin, is it not requisite that they should dye together, and turn to the d [...]st and n [...]n-being again, until the general bodily Resur­rection of all man-kind?

I know no other, but that every man hath in him a good Spirit, and a bad spirit, as it is written, The spirit lusteth Gal. 5. 17. after the flesh, and the flesh aga [...]nst the Spirit, and these are contrary; So that by the learned it is believed, that there is a natural life, and an Eternal life in one man, otherwise the body and Soul are both one, which in Scripture I ne­ver read, that these were both one, b [...]t two; one fleshly, and the other spiritual.

Didst thou know the truth of what thou hast said, then wouldst thou know as followeth, that every man in his fallen spirit hath remaining a little light, or motion in him to justi­fie all the righteous proceedings of the Creator in his Con­science at the last day; yet mind what I say, he hath but one Soul or Spirit in him, for that which the Apostle calls spirit in this place, was a Divine light of life received unto the dark understanding, by vertue of a word speaking from the e­ternal Spirit of the Lord of glory (and not the essence of the holy Spirit) for I know, that those who do expect a glory to come in the invisible Heavens do confess that the spirit of the Divine Majesty is in [...]nite, unchangeable, immortal & eternal; therefore how thinkest thou it possible, for men or Angels to be capable of the indwelling of the [...]nce of his Eter­nal Spirit? and that which the Apostle calls flesh, was mans own Spirit which consists of nothing but confused lying ima­gination, or cursed carnal reasoning against the Heavenly light aforesaid; Now that I may answer the last clause of thy demand, that the Soul and body is one, it is written, All the Souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came Gen. 46. out of his loins, were threescore and six [...]ouls; again it is written, Thy Fathers went dow [...] into Egypt with seventy per­sons: Deut. 10. So that it is plain man is sometimes called Soul▪ and [Page 60] sometimes is called a body or person, or Soul, Body and Spirit, and yet man is but one living essence, or substance. However the learned of thy seed pretend they know much of this, when indeed they know the least of all, as to sepa­rate a mortal soul from a mortal body, or to unite an immor­tal Soul to a mortal body, which is as possible to make light and darkness, God and Devil, one.

This is strange, that none but thou shouldst know or d [...]scer [...] the Soul immortal, when almost the whole world believes the Soul was never generated, but the breathings of the Spi­rit of God, which are immortal, and cannot dye.

From the Revelation of Faith I say, those conceited wise men, which through the ambition of Tongues and Lan­guages have studied beyond all sober sense or reason, to make all the world senseless sots, as to think when the Seed is conceived in the womb, that then God must come and give it a Soul, be it a Bastard or Free-born, the child can have no Soul till God give it; so that thou makest God not onely a partner, but a perfecter of mans bas [...] lust in that filthy act: But however, thy thoughts are unseal'd con­cerning God; yet this I know, that all Souls since the fall of Adam, are but mortal, natural, and must dye in the bo­dy, being generated to live together must dye together, in that they are both guilty of sin, cannot ascend but rot in the grave together, as it is written, The Soul of man shall be cut off from the Land of the Living, and the Soul that sins shall dye, and that the pure Soul of Christ was poured forth unto death, and the Lord hath said that Adam and Eve were but dust, and to dust they should return again; also it is writ­ten, That David is both dead and buried, and his Sepulchre is with us this day, for David is not ascended into the Hea­vens, Acts 2. &c. Now what should ascend, if not Davids Soul? For it is written, Not this body, but such a body as pleaseth God to give it; So not the body, but the Soul thou sayest must ascend; then know, this Soul was in the dust, and not ascended; for David is not ascended, as much as if it [Page 61] had been said, Davids Soul is not ascended, nor no Soul without a body can ascend, and there can be no ascension, till the Soul hath past through death, it can never ascend to Eternal life.

If the Soul at the hour of death, did not ascend to glory, or descend to misery, how comes it then that John writes, I s [...]w under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Rev. 6. 10. Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held, and they cryed with a loud voice, saying, How l [...]ng, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? So that surely John saw many Souls in Heaven cying unto the Lord to avenge their blood on their enemies, otherwise he had not declared it.

Thy ignorance hath been great, as now it is in this, as for thee to imagine that John saw Souls in Heaven without bo­dies, and their spirits without face, mouth and tongue, should cry, How long holy, and true? &c. When a Soul without a face and tongue cannot be seen, nor speak; there­fore I tell thee, there is a greater Mystery in those words, then thou art aware of; for from my Seed spring I say, it is no more then the blood of Abels which cryed unto the Lord from the ground; and so doth all the blood of the Saints, From the blood [...]f Righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias; and so to the end of our Commission, Do cry O Lord holy and true, why dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? This John saw by Revelation, as Steven and Paul in another case did see the Heavens ope­ned: And so John saw a wonder in Heaven, a Woman cloath­ed Rev. 12. [...]. with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and the 12 Stars upon her head; Now when John saw this great won­der, he was not in Heaven, neither was this wonder done in Heaven, but upon the earth; so it was the blood of the Righteous Souls that were murthered in their bodies, that John saw, not in glory, but upon this earth.

Now whereas thou art almost confident, that at the hour of death the Souls go out of the body, if so, deal [Page 62] plainly with thy self, and tell me wh [...] [...]t is like; for surely, the Soul must have some form [...] s [...]ape and so cannot get out but it would be seen by some th [...] st [...]ds by: for if a [...]oul were of that form and fashion as White in his Chamber at Whithall shewed me the picture of a soul [...] a Book, a dark soul, and a light soul, in [...]rm like a [...]cope [...]il [...]; I say, if the soul were as such wis [...] Head-pieces reports, how comes it that it cannot be seen to g [...] out of the diseased? For my part, I have been at the death of some and yet could not discern any thing come fr [...]m them but groans and flegm; so that if thou with all th [...] seed were no [...] stone blinde, thou wouldst clearly see the soul dyeth within the body for want of evaquation with the body.

If i [...] be as thou sayest, that all souls are dead in the dust, and so become dust, How, or which way shall these souls be found out, or raised at the last day?

From the Lord of glory I speak it, there is not any of thy seed that doth in the least understand how to answer this Argument; therefore that Faith may be known to be Lord over thee and thy seed, I declare, that Christ Jesus being a quic [...]ning Spirit not onely as in relation to himself, but all man kind, as it is written, The first man Adam was made a living Soul, and the second man Adam was made a quickning Spirit; I say, his Soul being perfectly dead and buried in the grave, yet in death he quickned himself to life without the help of any▪ as in the second Chapter is clear; so as it is written▪ Your l [...]fe is hid in Christ with God▪ so that when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear Col. 3. 3. 4. with him in glory; therefore as he was able to q [...]icken his own Soul so at the general account he is far more able by the word of his mouth, to quicken the Seed of Faith, that now are dust to eternal glory; also to quicken the seed of Rea­son to eternal misery; yea, and that from the first soul cal­led Adam, to the last soul dying, he can and will in the twinkling of an eye, raise all the Seed of Faith, that hath layn so long in the dust, to meet him in the Air with bo­dies [Page 63] sutable to their natures; yea, the very appearance of Christ, who is all life, will quicken that which is dead in the grave to hear his voice, and immediately to come forth and meet him in the Air; as it is written, The hour is coming John 5. 28 in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.

That I understand is the raising of another body, and not the soul, for it is written, it is sown a natural body, and is raised a spiritual body; so that I conceive it is not the soul, but that body raised another, that will be the work of the Lord at the day of Judgement.

Oh! senseless sot, that I should thus spend my time with thee, when thou neither believes Scripture, nor can right­ly interpret any Scripture, when thou mayest read in the 36th and 37th verses these words, Thou fool, that which 1 Cor. 15. 36. thou sowest is not quickned, except it dye, and that which thou sowest not, that body that shall be but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: Now consider, is not the life of the wheat grain in the body of the wheat corn when it is sowed? and doth it not in its season dissolve its body with its life into dust, and there dye, yea, perfectly dead, till such time as refreshing showres, and the heat of the Sun beams, which is the life of the earth, quicken that life which then lay dead, to a new life, by which vertue it cloaths it self, no [...] with that old body, but a new body, and so abides not alone, but brings forth a new encrease of sixty, seventy or an hundred fold? Now let me speak freely to thee, as it is with the grain of wheat, so it is with the soul of man, for that is buried with the body in the earth, were both soul and body is corrupted to dust, and there lyeth as the wheat grain, perfectly dead, till such time that quick­ning Spirit, the Lord of all life, do appear, and quicken that mortal soul which then was become dust, to an im­mortal soul, which after shall become an immortal life, by which quickning it is clothed with a spiritual immortal body, all glorious like God himself; so now having a bo­dy sutable to its nature, a spiritual, powerful, swift body, [Page 64] like unto its Soul, is now able to ascend to meet his Re­deemer in the Air, and so return with him into glory; so that from the Lord of all power, I say, if the soul were im­mortal in a mortal body, and could not dye, but ascend to glory, then I say, there would be no need of Resurrection, in that this body shall not rise, though the Grave and the Sea at that day shall give up their dead, is not intended their dead bodies, but their dead souls that hath been many years drowned, or buried, that shall arise whether out of water or earth, their souls shall arise, every seed his own body; but this I say, if the soul were in glory already without a body, as it cannot be, then it were in vain to raise a body out of the earth, to meet a spiritual Soul in Heaven, in that no body can be raised without its soul, nor a soul be a­ny thing without its body; so that if thou wert not stone blind, thou wouldst say with me, that to believe thy soul should go to Heaven without its body, neither God nor Angels could see it or take notice of it, nor the soul it self know what or where it is, and so in conclusion never be ca­pable of glory at all.

CHAP. 10. Shewing what Heaven is, and how many there are, with the nature and form thereof.

WHat Heaven is that, or where is it that these belie­ving souls shall go to at the last day of Resur­rection?

First I shall tell thee from an unerring Spirit, how many Heavens there are, and which of those three, this Heaven is, that all believing souls shall inherit eternal glory in the personal enjoyment of their God, face to face.

I find but a threefold Heaven spoken of in Seripture, whatever thy seed vainly imagine to the contrary.

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The first that I shall infallibly speak of, is the visible Firma­mental I. Heaven, which is adorned with maty majestical lights above us, and a fixed earth beneath us, beautiful, in its season with variety of delights, which is natures onely desired Heaven, through the secret Decree of the most wise God, to manifest the variety of his most infinite wisdom unto E­lect men and Angels, in creating such natural glory to pe­rish, with the Angelical merciless Rulers thereof, after they have enjoyed their momentary glory, as it is written, Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth, & the Heavens are the works of thy hands, they shall perish, but thou dost re­main, they shall wax old, as doth a garment; this is that vi­sible Heaven with the glory thereof.

Which is then the next Heaven by Scripture proved, that so, if possible, I may come to know that Heaven which is E­ternal, and shall never perish.

As I do not set forth these Heavens in order, so I say, thou canst no [...], nor none of thy sed have any Faith in what I have or shall say; but however, the next Heaven I shall treat up­on, is that within the bodies of men, or the first man A­dam, as it is written, The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, and Christ in you the hope of glory, and know you not that Christ is in you, except y [...]u be Reprobates? Now this Hea­ven is that spiritual creation in natural bodies, and within this perishing Globe, that through its union with changable nature, it might enter into mortality, that so after a mo­ments tasting of silent death, as God himself did, it might quicken again through death it self spiritual bodies, full of Divine glories, by which all the Elect, as swift as thought, ascend to meet their Lord in the Air, and with his Divine person of bright burning glory, enter into that prepared Throne of Eternal pleasures, by which such a soul hath per­fect peace with assurance here, that it shall enjoy what it in this world believed.

How is it possible any creature should give a description of the Kingdom of glory? Which I perceive thou wilt say, is the third and highest Heaven, seeing it is a place that can [Page 66] by mortals cannot be seen, therefore not known; I con­ceive no mortal flesh is able to speak of it, according to its form and nature.

From the Lord of glory I say, what is impossible to Rea­son, is possible to Faith; for by the Revelation of this Faith I can see, and do know that the third Heaven is invisible, yet visible ravishing glories which are Eternal; this is that vast Kingdom, where the persons of the mighty Angels, and glorified bodies of Moses and Elias do now inhabit, be­holding the Face of that most Excellent Majesty, whose Divine nature is Crowns of unutt [...]rable excellencies; this is that habitation, third Heaven, Throne, or Kingdom, that the Pen of man is not able to write, or his Tongue to speak. However, what by Revelation I have seen, I shall here de­clare, that the form of it is non-Globical, insomuch, that there is no end of the height of it, nor circumference there­of; insomuch, that God, his Saints and Angels, may ascend ten thousand times ten thousand, and yet no Globe to hin­der, so excellent, glorious, swift, personal Majesty as God is; and as for the nature of this Heaven, it is so infinite, that there is all manner of creatures, for the contemplation of God, his elected Saints and Angels.

What dost thou believe that there is all manner of other creatures in Heaven, besides Angels and Saints, as there is here below in the same forms and shapes, as they are here in this world? If so, How are they supported, and by what means do they live?

From my Seed-spring within me, I affirm, that in the third and highest Heavens, the Kingdom of glory, there is a perfect earth, and that is the Lords foot-stool, which earth is immortal glorious, upon which there is all manner of Trees, Herbs, Plants, and all manner of four-footed beasts, all manner of Fowls; also I say, there is chrystall Sea, in which are all manner of Fishes, nay, to be short, there is nothing here but what is there, though this is to be under­stood, as these are mortal, those are immortal, fiery glo­rious of a bright shining nature, sutable for such a Majesty [Page 67] to solace himself withall, as also his Saints and Angels; also there is Thrones, varieties of Glory, with such Heaven­ly glorious Trumpetting voices, from the Divine mouth of Saints and Angels, that the Glory of Eternity doth ring a­gain with such a sweet Divine Harmony, that the enjoyment thereof is unutterable, and the more they daily encrease with new joyes of ravishing praises and delights after all their tedious sufferings, and that without end; Oh! the Eternity, the Eternity, is that which makes it incomparable delightful, otherwise the Kingdom of Glory above would little transcend the glory here, were it not Eternal and full of variety of Divine pleasures, but in that it is so, as I know and believe; therefore I cannot but say, as touching the third and highest Heavens, Oh! the Glory, the top of Glory, yea, ravishing glories without end.

How dost thou know this, and where by Scripture canst thou prove this, that there is such variety of immortal crea­tures there, as there are mortal creatures here?

Although this by Scripture could not be proved, yet by Faith it ought to be believed; for it is written, Faith is the Heb. 11. 1, 2. substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, for through Faith we understand the worlds were framed by the Word of God; so that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear: Now if thou couldst under­stand the truth herein contained, then thou wouldst with me conclude, that all things that are here seen with thy natural eye, were brought forth after the same plat-form of things above, which do not here appear; so that from my Seed-spring, I affirm, there is not the variety of things here, but there is the same above in the same likeness, there in glo­ry, as here in shame▪ so that there is all day and no night, and that because the fiery glorious person of God being the light thereof, in which Kingdom the glorified of the Lord may stand, walk, talk, sit, lye, flye, yea, recreate themselve [...] in whatsoever their Divine Souls moves them to, and that without the least motion of either pain, sorrow or weari­ness, in whatever it is intended to do, and that because there [Page 68] is no end of new springing delights; and that no [...] fancies of the eye, but substantial realities that may be felt and embra­ced; so that I esteem the hardship of this present world, not once to be compared to that glory that, shall be revealed in my soul, and that Eternal without end▪ so as it is written, We look not at things which are seen here, by the eye of Reason; 2 Cor. 4. 17. but at things which cannot be seen but by the eye of Faith, In that things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are Eternal; therefore, Our affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more excee­ding weight of Eternal Glory.

CHAP. 11. Shewing what Hell is, where it is, with the Form and Nature of its torment.

VVHat is that place called Hell, and where is it, that the unbelieving souls shall go to at the day of Resurrection?

Having at large treated about this Particular in a Book of mine entituled, Look about you, for the Devil that you fear is in you; as touching the place of torment, as also what Hell is, and where it is; yet now I shall give thee a disco­very of it upon a clearer and higher account, that Hell is the body of man, and the life, spirit or soul therein, is the Devil.

How can Hell be in man? When it is written, after both Dives and Lazarus was dead and buried, the which man being in Hell, he lift up his eyes in his torment, and seeth Luk. 16. 20. Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, and he cryed and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Laza­rus that may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame; so [...]hat from hence I judge no man is in Hell, till after death.

In the first place thou must know, this was a parabolical speech of the Lord of Glory, in which the nature of two [Page 69] Seeds, viz. Faith and Reason are discovered; that is to say, Faith representing the poor man Lazarus, and Reason re­presenting the person of the rich man Dives, not that the rich man was in any Hell without him, no more then thou art at this time; yet this I know, it is a true description of the state and condition of Reason, being tormented in a burning flame, with the sting of their own Conscience, and that not onely as in relation to the various doubts and fears that attends themselves; but on the contrary, the assurance that believers enjoyes in this his present being; for this I know, that those who are true heirs of Abraham, accord­ing to Faith, are in his bosom, that is, in the same peace and perfect assurance as Abraham was; for this I know, that Abrahams Soul is rotted with his body in the grave, and can neither see, hear, speak, move or go, no more the rich Devils of this world can, till the day of Resurrection; from my Seed-spring, I declare, that the Souls of Righteous or Wicked goes neither to Heaven nor Hell, but both lyes uncapable of either joy or sorrow in silent dust, as at large is handled in the ninth Chapter; And whereas thou sayest, there is none in hell, till after death; I say, thou believes thou knows not what, for there is not onely thou, but many of thy Seed, are now in Hell tormented, that they cry un­to the Seed of Abraham, to know what shall become of them in this their flame, crying out, they are damned, they are damned, wishing, Oh! that I had but one drop of that ever-living water, to quench my flame, that runs as a Well-spring in the Souls of the Seed of Faith, by which they are freed from this unspeakable torment, that notwithstanding all thy riches and wisdom, thy seed or generation are plu [...] ­ged in.

However, thou would perswade me that there is no hell without man, what then dost thou▪ say to that place, where it is written, Tophet is ordained of old yea, for the king it is pre­pared, Isaiah 30. 33. he hath made it deep and large, the pile thereof is fire, and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a flame of brimstone [Page 70] doth kindle it; So that I believe there is a hill, either in the air or under the earth reserved for the souls of all the wicked at their death, as it is written, The wicked shall be turned in­to Psal. 9. 17. hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Whatever thou hast in this conference thought of me, yet I have not in the least gone about to perswade thee, or any of thy seed, to credit what I have revealed, in that the beni­fit of this discourse will onely redound to the seed of faith, and as for this scripture that thou hast quoted, here is nei­ther thou nor any of thy seed can tell, what to make of it, yet for thy conviction and confirmation of the blessed of the Lord, I shall give thee the true interpretation thereof, which is as followeth, Tophet is ordained of old, yea, for the king it is prepared: Now I know this king is reason which is the God of this world, as indeed there hath been since king Saul but few Kings that were of the seed of Abraham, according to faith, but onely reason, yet however, the king here intend­ed is the seed of reason, whether moderate or immoderate, it is Esau the elder brother, as unto the Government of this world, it is the onely king, and the situation of it is deep and large, in that there is no end of reasons imagination, it is so deep in cogitation, that it is compared to a bottomless pit; and therefore the prophet crieth, Hell hath enlarged her self, and Isaiah. opened her mouth without measure, as all along it hath appeared by thee, so deep and so large, that faith can neither fathom thy God or thy devil, thy heaven or thy hell, they are so in­finite and boundless, that there is no true account of any thing thou sayest for a true believer to build his salvation up­on: Now whereas it is said, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, that is, the evil motions and wicked actions which thy deep and large seed of reason hath imagined things to be that are not, and things that are real in their being cannot be comprehended by thee, Therefore the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it; which breath is no other but the Law held forth by his Messengers, which will kindle thy motions and actions in a never-dying fire; for [Page 71] as the pile and the wood is fuel, for the external fire, so are the wicked actions of Reason fuel for the eternal fire of the Law, that shall burn throughout thy Soul and body, with an unquenchable flame; so that this soul of thine is that Hell surrounded with the wicked imagination of Reason.

What then is there no place of torment to be prepared for the wicked, as there is a place of glory prepared for the Godly? And if there be a place, let me hear thy judgement, where it is to be, and the nature of it.

This in a few words I shall give thee a true description thereof, that the place where all the seed of Reason shall possess their eternal tormenting misery, shall be on this earth; for as it is in your Law, where a man commits his fact, there he must receive his penalty; so where a man commits his sin, there he must receive his torment; then know, that as on this earth thy Soul hath been polluted with sin, so on this earth it shall receive its torment, which when the Lord cometh to put an end to this thy kingdom, the Sun, Moon and Stars shall be put forth as the snuff of a Candle; and then this light, glorious world shall return to a confused darkness, yea, a darkness that may be felt, and the waters for want of the Moon, will become a stand­ing stinking Pool, and the earth for want of the Sun, will be dust or dry sand, where there the seed of Reason shall be raised spiritual bodies, sutable to their souls, where therein shall flame, yea, burn, and that for ever, yea, for ever, for ever, without end.

If these that thou hast here related be truth, then I say, there can no flesh scarcely be saved; and for my part, I am no wiser in what I have heard then what I was before; neither do I know, what to make of them, nor hereafter shall much trouble my minde with them; but do really believe, that there is more blasphemous lies, then real truths in them; for all the moderate wise men of the world, do judge God a Spirit, and the Devil not man, but [Page 72] a spirit; and as for the Soul, is believed to be immortal, and so either to ascend to Heaven, or descend to Hell; and I verily believe, there is not one of 20 thousand, that will believe any thing contained in thy discourse, so that it cau­seth admiration in me, that all should be deceived; but those that believeth in these [...]hings, which if I be deceived, I must be, for I can neither believe in thee, nor thy Doctrine.

What thou hast now said, is not in the least strange to my Soul, that thou shouldst declare thy self, as [...]ow t [...]ou hast done; for I have told thee all along, that thou nor thy seed was not to understand this Doctrine, no more then the Jews were to understand Christ, as it is written, Why do ye not understand my speech because ye cannot hear my Word, for John 8. 43, 44. ye are of your Father the Devil, and the lust of your Father ye will do? &c. Even so I say unto thee, thou being ac­cording to birth the seed of Reason, so of the natu [...]e of the Devil, thou judgest the truth a lye, and a lye the truth, be­cause it is not given, to thy seed to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Glory; therefore I say, as John said We are 1 John 5. 19. of God, and the whole world lyeth in wickedness; so I infalli­bly know, that almost the whole world will perish, save those few that believed in the last spiritual Commission, and because thou hast called this a blasphemous lye, by Christ Je­sus Creator of Heaven and earth, whose Revelation of Faith, the Seed of his own body, thou hast judged false, and called a blasphemous lye; I say in the vertue of our Com­mission, that was given by a audable voice of words, as it was given to Moses and Paul in theirs, I infallibly pro­nounce thy soul and body damned to all Eternity.

CHAP. 12. Shewing what Authority a Commissioner hath in the vertue of his Commission; what the effects and operation thereof.

WHat art thou more then I, that thou dost thus assume Authority to thy self, that onely belongs to God? however, thy curse I matter not, onely I tremble to behold thy presumption for I know it is the curse of God, and not of man, that must bring a soul under condemnation.

Whatever thy thoughts are of me, I matter not; but this thou shalt [...]nde, that I have power in the Revelation of my Commission, to curse not onely thee, but any of thy seed, that shall do as thou hast done, to call it a lye: And in the Revelation of my faith, I say, That the Sentence of Blessing and Cursing belongs onely to the Prophets and Messengers of that Commission: for I testifie unto thee, That God the giver of Commissions, never damned any but the Angelical seed in the Womb of Eve, who is the Father of thee, and all the damned, as all along it is recorded: That in the name of the Lord, the Prophets and Apostles pronounced Plagues, Woes and Judgements against all the despisers of their Com­mission, in that they were Ambassadors and Stewards in Christs stead; so we the Prophets and Messengers of God, represent the Authority of our Commission, as the Prophets and Apostles did in theirs.

If thou please, let me hear what thou intends by a Com­mission, and why this is a Commission more then any other Dispensation now in being; for I conceive, were it not am­bition in them, that Quakers and all others, may assume the Authority to bless and curse, as now thou dost.

Notwithstanding, I have sufficiently unfolded our Com­mission [Page 74] in the Quakers Downfal; yet that thou mayest be left excuseless, I shall in another way infallibly lay down the truth thereof in these particulars:

1. How many Commissions there was to be in this perish­ing world.

2. The nature and tenor of a Commission.

3. The powerful operation of a Commission.

1. As unto the first, it is writ, There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and there are three that bear wit­ness 1 Joh. 5. 7, 8. on earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood, and these three agree in one: Now as God did consist of three titles, and not three persons, as thou and thy seed vainly immagine; that is to say, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: So from each of these issued forth a Commission upon this earth; for in the time that he bore the title of Father, Moses and the Pro­phets was in Commission: Now when that Father became Word, Flesh, so called Son or Christ, then the Apostles were in Commission; after that both Father and Son became Ho­ly Ghost, or one entire Spiritual Body, now in Heaven glori­fied, the next after came forth our Commission; so that ac­cording to the titles above, there was to be three Commissi­ons in this world, suitable to the three titles in Heaven.

2. As unto the nature of a Commission, it is not given in silence, but upon record under hand and seal, to the Messen­ger or Messengers therein included, with an exact charge to observe the Kings pleasure, according to the tenor and form thereof: Now this Commission being given to thee, doth not concern another; for the names included for that Em­bassage, doth this Commission belong: Now for any other to counterfeit thy Commission, thou hast power by vertue thereof, to apprehend him for a Traytor against the King thy Master.

Even so it is with a Commission from God, which is not given by private whisperings in the soul, as all counterfeits imagine, every motion, whimsey or fancy in the minde, [Page 75] more then ordinary, is a call from God; not knowing, yet daily reading, that all Commissions were given by laudable voyce of words, to the hearing of the ear, as to Moses, Paul, and now in this last to John Reeve: Now then, what are all these seven Dispensations, but by Moses, the Apostles, and this Commission, impeached for Traytors against Christ the Lord of Glory.

3. And thirdly, the power of a Commission is so great, that it commands, yea, subjects the spirits of all that it hath to deal with: A man in Commission, represents the Autho­rity of the great God of Heaven and Earth, that whatever he bindes, imprisons or condemns on earth, is so in Heaven; and whosoever he declares blessed or happy here, are so in Heaven; so that if thou wert not stone blinde, thou wouldst then see, that there is no Teacher publique nor private now living, that hath a Commission, but we; and therefore it is we have power overall mens spirits, yea, the judge of all spi­ritual things, of what sect or opinion soever.

O what a boasting dost thou make, that none but your Commission hath power over mens spirits; and that onely to you belongs blessing and cursing, when I conceive there is many able, wise Teachers, that are as true Commissioners as you, and yet dare not assume that power to themselves, as you do.

O thou man of pretended light, yet gross darkness, bring any man now living, except this Commission, that dares say he had a Commission by voyce of words from God, as we have, thou shalt hear that I will curse them, as I have cursed thee: And where is any of your Teachers, that hath a Com­mission of his own, but Moses and the Apostles, whom they have counterfeited and made merchandize for their own gain: From the Lord of Glory, I say, not any of them, no not the wisest or moderatest head-peice, dare or can in peace of conscience say, that thou art damned, and another is saved: Alas poor blinde leaders of the blinde, they know not what will become of their own souls, how then can they judge [Page 76] anothers, but they will be condemned for so doing; for were I not certain of the knowledge of the true God, and the right Devil, and all others that are ignorant thereof, are culpable of judgement, instead of being justified, I should be con­demned; and yet what a flutter Caesars Ministers make, in praying to a God that is no God, and preaching delusions of their own inventions, pretending thus and thus, saith the Lord, when Christ the onely God knows them not, neither did he send them; therefore from my Seedspring, I say, they are all Thieves and Robbers, yea Traytors against the God of Heaven for do but bring any of them before me, and thou mayest take notice I have power over their blinde zeal, that if they do not for future desist in bewitching the people to believe lies, thou shalt then hear the same sentence pass up­on them, as hath already passed upon thee.

Which of them will believe the sentence of thy Commissi­on, unless thou couldst shew some present example either without or within, as the Prophet Elias did, to cause fire from Heaven, and stop the rain, that it rain not: Now if thy curse be true, how comes it that I do not finde it immediately within or without.

Thou art worse then the inhabitants of Jerusalem a [...]d Ju­dea, Mat. 11. 11. that believed in John that did no miracle, and yet was a Prophet, yea, I say, more then a Prophet▪ for as Christ said, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater then John the Baptist; and yet thou and thy [...]eachers will not believe unless present vengeance fall upon thee: But know this, though the Pharisees desired a sign from Christ, and Mat. 12. 38. none would be given them but the sign of the Prophet Jonas; yet know this, he was Christ the Eternal God for all that; and though Christ rebuked James and John, in the saying, Luke 9. [...]4. Lord, wilt thou that we command fire from Heaven, and con­sume them, even as Elias did? yet they were not for the fu­ture freed from the Eternal fire in their souls: So let me tell thee, and yet not I, but the Revelation of the Holy Spirit within me, though not presently, yet it shall flame within [Page 77] thee as fire from Heaven, and that without end, till it con­sume all thy hopes of salvation, and thou shalt know and finde, that this sentence of thine shall shut the Heavens, and it shall rain no more showers of mercy or comfort in thy soul; so that I say though thou finde it not presently, thou shalt as surely feel it after death, as Christ is God the Eternal Father. And what if miracles did belong to our Commission, as they do not, in that ours is the Commission of the Spirit, so our sentence spiritual, thou wouldst no more believe then thou dost now, but rather call us Conjure [...]s, unless the tenor of our Commission was as the two former, to execute pre­sent vengeance; and if it were executed once or twice, and not upon every occasion, thou wouldst be as much seared up in unbelief as thou art now.

If thy Commission were as real truth as Moses and the Apostles, and such a power did attend thine, as was in theirs, then I should as truly believe in yours, as now I do in them.

Ah blinde Soul, thou dost not know what is truth, and what not; for if thou didst, thou wouldst as really believe in me as in them: But from my Seedspring I tell thee, That thou, nor none of thy Seed, do really believe, that the Scri­pture is a true Record of the Transactions of Christ; thou mayest talk of it, and preach from it, but if thou wert really perswaded in thy own soul, of the truth therein contained, then thou wouldst believe in us; for the Apostles writ of us, as Moses and the Prophets writ of Christ to come; and there­fore if thou didst believe in them, that have nothing but a dead letter to prove them Commissioners, surely then thou wouldst believe in us that are living; and know this, if the Roman Authority had not established Moses and the Apo­stles Writings for Scripture, then it had been believed no more then ours; for thy Fathers, in the days of their lives, notwithstanding their miracles, did no more believe in them, then thou dost in us; and know this, the same power that attended them upon externals, doth belong to our Commissi­on [Page 78] in spirituals; and therefore as the Apostle had power in his Commission to curse either Angel or man, that did preach any other Doctrine, so we have the same power in ours.

What then, doth not their Commission▪ belong to us in these days successively, as it did to them? what then is the meaning of those Scriptures, where it is writ, The Scriptures aforetime are written for our learning: and again it is writ, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com­manded Mat. 28. 20. you, and loe I am with you always, unto the end of the world.

From the Lord of Glory I tell thee, That neither of those Commissions do belong to thee, or any of thy Seed, either by succession or otherwise; for from my Seed of Faith I de­clare, That the Scripture was never written for the learning of any of thy Seed, though none living now present, do make it a more Idol for their own gain, then thy Seed doth: Though I have sufficiently proved this point in the Quakers Downfal, yet from my well-spring within me, I tell thee, That as the Scripture was written by the revelation or inspi­ration of Faith, so I know it was writ for the use of none, but the Believers of that Faith; which neither thou nor none of thy Seed are partakers of: For as Paul the great Com­missioner, was the Penman of those sayings, so that Scripture that he spake of, was the writings of the first Commission; viz. Moses and the Prophets, which were written before his time, and so for the learning of him, and all that believed in his Doctrine, for our learning that are of the Seed of Faith, and for none of the Seed of Reason whatsoever, but for our learning: The word Plural includes all the Seed of Faith, with him were the Scriptures written; so the Commissions of Moses and the Apostles were not written for the use of any of the seven Churches, but our Commission alone; for as none understood the Commission of Moses and the Prophets, but the Apostles, so none now living understand either of the two former Commissions, but this our spiritual Commission now in being; and therefore from my Seedspring I tell thee, [Page 79] We onely are the Judges of the Scripture, whatsoever Rea­son, thy cursed Seed, pretend to the contrary, as now thou shalt hear an infallible Exposition of the other Scripture which thou hast quoted, which all besides our Commission, gives a false definition thereof; Go ye therefore and teach all M [...]t 23. [...]0. Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and loe I am with you always, even un­to the end of the world: Now from hence, all the seven Churches of thy Seed; viz. Papist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Independent, Baptist, Ranter and Quaker, do suppose, that the extent of these words are in force to the end of this world; and therefore the Baptists have assumed the Apostles Commission as their own, when as if ye were not stone blinde, you may read as ye run, that this Commission was given to the twelve then living, and not to Kiffin and Patience, or any other Teacher of the Baptists whatsoever; for ye were not born many hundred years after, when this command was expressed, And loe I am with you always, even unto the end of the world; with you my beloved Disciples, and none other.

I cannot conceive from this Scripture, but there was to be a continuance of the Apostles Commission to the end of this World; and though there was none of the Commissioners left to give or invest the same power by imposition of hands, yet we having the same Spirit of God in us, although not in the same measure yet may we not lawfully follow them as our patern, and as the Apostle exhorts, Brethren, be followers Phil. 3. 17. together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an ensample; othervvise vvhat should all the World have done, to have knovvn God or Christ these many hundred years since, v [...]ere not the Scripture vvritten for our learning; and if the Scripture do not belong to all, then also the Lavv is void, and belongs to none; so then none vvould be con­demned, as it is vvritten, I had not known sin, but by the Law, and the Lavv makes sin exceeding sinful; so that if the Scripture [Page 80] do not belong to us, then vve are freed from the Lavv, so then for all thy curse, I shall be as happy as thou.

In this last ansvver, I shall finish my discourse as touching the truth and variety of these three Commissions, in that I have already so infallibly treated of them in the first Chapter of the Quakers Downfal, I shall no longer demur vvith thee upon this, but shall divide the heads of thy Question into these particulars, and so exactly answer them as they lie in order.

1. That thou bel [...]eves the Apostles Commission is to con­tinue to the [...]nd of this World.

2. That though all the Commissioners vvere dead that had power to invest another, yet thou having the same Spirit, though, as thou saith, not the same measure, yet thou believest thou mayest pray, preach, and baptize, from the letter, as they did.

3. Thou sayest, if ye had not thus done, how should the world have come this hundred years to have known God or Christ, Hell, Heaven, or Devil.

4. Thou sayest, if the Scripture do not belong to thy Seed, then the Law doth not belong to thee, and so thou concludes all shall be happy as we.

1. First, I declare, That the Apostles Commission was to continue to the end of the World held forth in that Com­mission; for this I know was the condition of thy Fathers the Jews, that did as really believe it blasphemy, for Christ or the Apostles to p [...]t an end to the Ceremonial part of the Law, as now thou dost that our Commission should put an end to all Formal Worship under the Gospel: But however, I say unto thee, as Christ said to thy Fathers, Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets▪ I am not come to destroy, but fulfil; So I am come not to destroy the re­vealed transactions of the Gospel, but to tell thee and thy Seed, that as there was to be three Commissions before the end of this World, so I know that every Commission is a World in it self, and to it self; and when the Commission­ers [Page 81] dies, that commissionate World ends with them, otherwise thou mayest call God a lyar, to promise he would be with them to the end of this World, and many hundred years ago they are all dead, and yet this World remains; so that as I know the command was to none but them, and to hold no longer then the lives of them▪ so I know, that the beginning of one Commission here below, is the end of an­other; as thou art not ignorant what overturnings here hath been in your Kingdom, to the admiration of the inhabitants, so are the Commissions of God, the beginning of one was the end of another, by which the infiniteness of the Divine Revelation in the Person of God, is the more admired, to behold the seeming contrarieties of these three Commissi­ons, that one puts a period to the other, as a greater light clouds the use of the other; not but the Moon is a true light in her self, but living in the light of the Sun, we have no need of the light of the Moon: So the Apostles light being more glorious then that of the Law, therefore no need of the Ceremonial part of the Law: So our light being far more glorious then that of the Apostles, therefore no need of the formal Worship of the Gospel.

2. Secondly, seeing the beginning of one Commission was the end of another, how then canst thou plead for a succession of the formal Worship in the Gospel, after all the Commissioners of the first or second Magnitude were put to death by thy Fathers? Now if onely the Apostles had onely been p [...]t to death, yet if Timothy or Titus, who were Bi­shops or Messengers authorized by them, had been preserved in the continuance of that Commission, they might by the same power have continued the Bishoprick, by their im­position of hands up [...]n another: If so, the effects thereof would not have produced such blinde Lordly Bishops with lawn sleeves, caps, tippits, and such like fopperies, as ever since hath continued; so that if thou wert not stone blinde, thou mightst all along discern there was no succession, con­sidering the Divine Knowledge, and poor mean estates of [Page 82] the true Bishops, and the Humane knowledge, and lordly ragi [...] of all the false Bishops ever since, as it is not many years ago since the Roman Lordly Authority had the whole power in this Nation, as in all other places, though now of late from that great Monster Bishop, the Whore of Ba­bylon, there hath sprung six Sons or Generations, one from the loyns of another, yet each one refined more then his Fa­ther, as the Episcopal more then the Papist the Presbyter more then that, and the Independent more then that, and the Baptist more then that, and the Ranter more then that, and the Qua­ker more then you all, insomuch, that the Father hath disown­ed the childe, as the childe now doth the Father; and yet the refinest Son of them is but a Formal Worshipper in the Go­spel, which when the last Son was begotten, o [...] as it is written, The last Angel sounded, viz. The Quaker, then the mysie­rie of truth was revealed; that is, our Commission was given by voyce of words, from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, as Moses and the Apostles were; which spiritual Commission of ours, doth abolish all formal Worship in the Gospel, as the Apostles did the Circumcision, with the blood of Bulls and Goats, and all such traditional Ceremonies attending the Law; and therefore as I am a Bishop or Messenger au­thorized in the power of my Revelation, confirmed by the Commission of this last Witness: so being in the height of Revelation with them, I say, That your Praying, Preaching, Breaking of Bread or Baptism, is now of no more value then Circumcision, or the blood of Bulls and Goats was in the Commission of the Apostles; which circumstances was of high prize and great value in the days of Moses, though not regarded by the Apostles; so all formal worship of the Go­spel is highly esteemed by thy seed, when by our Commission it is forbidden, and not regarded, as before I have finished my discourse with thee, thou shalt hear, so that till then, have patience, that so I may proceed to the third.

But thirdly, thou sayest, What should all thy Seed have done, had it not been for the Commission of the Apostles? [Page 83] As unto this I shall answer thee, As the Disciples went all night a fishing, and caught nothing, so thou hast all thy life time been enquiring after the true God by the light of an­other, and so hast not the knowledge of the true God, nor right Devil; but like a sloathful servant, hath hid thy talent in the letter of the Apostles; so that when death summons thee to give an account of thy Stewardship, then thou be­gins to trim up thy lamp, and findes therein no oyl, and then cryeth unto the wise Virgins, that is, the wisdom of faith, Give us of your oyl, for our lamps are gone out; but then all in vain will thy doleful cries be, for the Scriptures cannot help thee, nor we cannot help thee, and therefore thou must go to thy Prayers, thy Preaching, and Pharisaical Righ­teousness, to buy thy salvation, and they can do thee no good; so that now thou mayest see how thou hast deluded [...]hy soul with anothers Commission, so that now those small hopes of comfort shall be taken from thee, which then the Scripture will condemn thee, and our Commission keep thee in utter darkness without end.

But as some of the high flown of thy Seed, endued with a notional light above their fellows, have replied and said, That they will believe no report of man, but onely wait up­on God for the teachings of his Spirit, supposing thereby to finde eternal satisfaction, without the revealed report of his Messenger at all; and that because they finde a saying to that purpos [...], as it is written, The Anointing which ye have re­ceived 1 John 2. 27. of him, abideth in you, and ye need not any man teach you, but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things; and in another place, Ye shall not need every man to teach his neighbor, for ye shall all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest: Now there is not any of thy Seed that understand­e [...]h these sayings were fulfilled in the days of the Apostles, as is confirmed by Peter, saying, This was that which was o [...] 2 27, 28. spoken by the Prophet Joel, &c. that God would send the Comforter, which did fill them full of the Holy Ghost, as there at large is recorded; but however thou canst not be­lieve [Page 84] this, yet in Revelation I tell thee, That if any such ever finde eternal happiness, it must be from the Commission­ers of God, as from the mouth of Moses they received the Law, and by the Prophets the Rulers of Israel heard the Word of the Lord; and so in the two Commissions of the Apostles it is written, How shall they call on him in whom they Rom. 10. 14, 15, 16. have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? a [...]d how shall they hear without a Preach­er? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? So that faith in the true God, comes by hearing the report of his true Messengers, and without them, how shall we ever know or come to God; for I infallibly declare, That the Messen­gers of every Commiss [...]on hath the word of Reconc [...]liation, 2 Cor 5. 19, 20. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Salvation or Damnation, committed to them, as it is written, We are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; so that we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God, for he maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place: So that against all thy Seed I affirm, Who­ever pretends to wait upon God, without the report of his Messengers that are sent by laudable voyce of words, they know not the true God, nor shall ever see the face of God at all; and therefore take notice, the onely Messenger of God told thee so.

Fourthly and lastly, I say, Though the Scripture doth not belong to thee yet the Law doth onely belong to thee, and thy Seed; for had it not been for thy Seed of Reason, their had been no need of a Law given; but because of the en­mity of thy Seed, against the Seed of the Woman, the Law was revealed to Moses, and by Moses given to the people of Israel, in consideration there was a mixture of Seeds, which caused divisions and rebellion against the contrary Seed; viz. Moses, and that Generation, therefore that obedience might be required of them by the grand Commissioners, to that end the Law was given to the universal body of Israel, that all Israel that was according to the flesh, and not the Spirit, might be made subject by the Law; that so upon their [Page 85] transgression, they might receive the penalty of the Law; and therefore it is written, The Law is not made for a righte­ous 1 T [...]m. 1. 9 man, but for the lawless and diso [...]edient; for the ungodly and such like, which none of the Seed of faith once called are guilty of, but it is the daily practice of thy Seed, Reason the Devil, and therefore the Law was given to the Devil, which thou mayest read in Chap. 8. recorded at large what his form and nature is, how compleat and beautiful, how learnedly wise he is in naturals, that this is his Kingdom, and the De­vil the King thereof.

CHAP. 13. Shewing what the Law is at large, and in short, and whether any can keep the Law, and when he is said to keep the Law, and when not.

THou seemest to affirm, That the Law was given to the Seed of Reason, which thou all along hath said is the Devil; and if there had been no such Seed as Rea­son, there had been no need of a Law; by what rule then doth the Seed of Faith walk by, if the Law was not given to them as well as to our Seed, seeing both Seeds inhabits to­gether, and those of that Seed have been as wicked as Rea­son.

As before thou hast heard me prove it, so now I affirm it, That the Law Moral, or the ten Commandments, was given to none but the Devil, that proud majestical Seed, the God of this World; for I must tell thee, if that wise rich Devil had not a curb to bridle them, there had been no living for the poor Devil of thy Seed, much less for the Seed of Faith to pass quie [...]ly by thee in the streers; were it not the Law doth say, Thou shalt not kill, thou wouldst murther me for declaring the truth to thee: But in that the Law makes Rom 7. 7. [Page 86] sin to be sin, yea, and that exceeding sinful, not onely the Gen­tile, but the Jew Devils also do, yea, are afraid to execute their cruelty beyond their bounds; though many of thy Seed do exceed it, yet the moderate Devil is fearful of it, saying, have a care what ye do to these men; as Pila [...]e said, I finde M [...]t. 27. 19. no fault in him, nor no cause of death; and so the Law wrought a terror in Pilates wife, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man, &c. insomuch that Pilate tooke water and wash­ed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of 2 Thes. 3. 2. the blood of this just person, see ye to it; and therefore it is written, That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, that live without a Law, of which many of the Gentile Devils are guilty of, onely a word and a stab; when as the Jew Devil is subject to the Law, he is reasonable, in that he will moderately try the innocent by the Law; so that God saw good, the Devils should have a Law to curb them, yea, torment them, and condemn them for ever.

Now the rule that the Seed of Faith doth walk by, is, not by the Law, but by Faith, as it is written, The Law of faith hath freed us from the Law of sin and death; though most of Rom. 8. 2. thy Seed do conclude themselves believers, yet I say, that freedom onely belongs to a Commission, and the believers thereof; as the Apostle includes all believers with him are free from the Law, and none other; For Chr [...]st is the end of Rom. 10. 4. the Law for righteousness, to every [...]one that believeth: And what though I have been a great sinner, yea so great (mur­ther excepted) that there was few beyond me; yet now be­ing washed, sanctified, yea justified, that I am now no longer under the Law, but under Grace, which none of thy [...]eed shall ever attain too, notwithstanding they seek it with tears.

What then, do all believyrs of thy Commission keep the Law, and not any of the seven Churches keep the Law as well as thou? What then dost thou say of the Quakers, and many others, that are very moderate just men, insomuch that none can tax them with the breach of any of the ten Commandments?

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I say, in the experience of my Revelation, there is not any keeps the Law, but those that are freed from the Law as aforesaid; and sure I am, there is none in the per­fect Law of Liberty, but the Seed of the Woman; which Seed of Faith, doth run in the line of one Commission to an­other; so that I can speak for no more then I finde in the publique profession thereof, not denying, but there may be here one, and there one scattered up and down, which if the report of our Commission came but to the hearing of their ear, they would embrace it, as the rest of our believers do: But truly, I speak it, there are so few known, and not known, that there is not a hundred to ten millions of the contrary Seed, that will or can believe the report of a Commissioner as touching the true God; and therefore we may say with the Prophet, Who hath believed our report, or to whom is the Isa. 43. 1. Arm of the Lord revealed; that is, the arm of Faith reveal­ed: So few there was in every Commission, that they were but a little, yea, and that a very little flock, in comparison of the non-commissionate Churches: And whereas thou sup­poseth by the moderate carriage, and just dealing betwixt man and man, the Quakers, with many other of thy Priest­hood generation, may keep the Law as well as the believer of a Commission; I shall moderately answer thee in that say­ing of James, That whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and Jam 2. 10. yet offend in one point, is guil [...]y of all: So that I say, though the Quake [...]s of all the seven Churches, do nearest keep the Law, yet in that they offend in the first command, they are guilty of all; for it is written, Thou shalt have no other Gods Exo. 20. 3. but me: Now, as aforesaid, thou hast heard me in the first and second Chapters▪ that there is none of your seven Churches, Sons of Generations, but you have other gods, besides Christ the one [...]y God, some of you saying, God is a Spirit without form, and this Spirit God is within you; and others of you, will have no God but Nature onely; and the rest of thy B [...]b [...]lonish brood, will have one Spirit to have three persons: So that from the knowledge of the true God [Page 88] I tell you, all are guilty of the Law, though I acknowledge the Quakers exact walking, and therefore I love them, yet in that they are ignorant of the knowledge of the true God, which is life Eternal: I say, your Directories, forms of Prayer, the Creed, Baptism, breaking of Bread, and set days of Fasts and Thanksgiving, and such like stuff, are not onely a breach of the first, but second Commandment, all which have a form of godliness, but not the power: So that I say, they are no less then Idols, and graven Images of thy own invention, and therefore it matters not, though some of you keep all the rest of the Commands, and not know the true God, thou art guilty of all.

Then if a man come to the knowledge of the true God, that is sufficient, notwithstanding he break all the rest of the Commands; because thou saith, Thet keeping of all the rest is nothing, without he know that God which thou hast revealed.

However, it is thy pleasure to misconstrue me, in that thou knowest not the indwelling of truth in me; yet this is the thing I said unto thee, That though any of thy Seed keep all the Commands but the first, in that they keep not all, they are guilty of all; for this I knovv, the knovv­ledge of the true God, leads forth a soul to keep all the Commandments of God; for in that I knovv him, therefore I love him, and so keep his Commandments, as it is vvritten, If ye love me, keep my Commandments.

What then, dost not thou sin, because thou knovv­est the true God, and keeps his Commands? then I must say, thou art more righteous and perfect then any man upon earth; for it is vvritten, If we say that we have no sin, we 1 John. 8. deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us, vvith such like places.

Let me tell thee, if I sin, I do not keep the Lavv, as it is vvritten, Whosoever commiteth sin, transgresseth the 1 Joh. 3, 4. Law, for sin is the transgression of the Law: But in that I have knovvn the true God, vvhich Seed of God remaining [Page 89] in me, I cannot sin, because I am partaker of the Divine Na­ture of God: Now if I should say, that I have no motion [...] to sin, I should deceive my self, and the truth is not in me; for I knovv there is a great difference betvvixt a motion and an act; for it is to be understood, not he that thinketh a sin, but he that committeth sin is of the Devil; as all thy Seed are at a loss as touching the mysterie of this secret, not under­standing a motion from an act, and therefore thousands of thy Seed perish for want of knovvledge in that saying of Christ, That whosoever looketh upon a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart; Mat. 5. 28. from hence concluding, that if thou dost but lust after her, thou mightst as vvell lie vvith her, and soo too too many of thy seed do commit the act indeed; vvhen if thou hadst a discern­ing betvvixt a thought and an act, thou hadst not defiled thy soul, as it is vvri ten When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death: Novv Jam. 1. 15. vvhile thy lust is a tempting, there comes a good motion, and frustrates that temptation, by vvhich means, that thou hadst intended, is not conceived (so no sin) indeed lust vvas burn­ing in thy heart, but in that it came not to perfection, the lavv hath quenched the flame; for vvhat hath the Lavv to do vvith a heart-adultery, no, no it is no thought, but an act that breaks the Law, and what comes not within the bounds of the Lavv, be it adultery, nay, be it murther, if it lie onely in the heart, and be not acted, there can no Lavv condemn thee.

What is thy thoughts as touching the fourth Command­ment, as being changed from Saturday to Sunday? and vvhat is the reason why this Command vvas changed above all the rest? and vvhethe [...] this Sabbath, called, The first day of the week, is not according to the judgement of the Assembly of Divines, to continue to the end of the World, vvithout any alteration thereof?

It matters not me, vvhat grounds or principles of Religi­on your Assembly of Divines holds forth, as a Catechi [...]m to thy Seed; for this by Faith I knovv, and against men and [Page 90] Angels affirm, That as the Commission of Moses ended in the Commission of the Apostles, so the Jevvish Sabbath, vvith the rites thereof, ended in the Sabbath, or first day of the vveek of the Apostles: then knovv, as the Commission of the Apostles ends in ours, so vve have povver as the Apostles, to erect you a Sabbath suitable to our Commission, for knovv this, that one Commission is not tied in point of Revelati­on, to observe the former; but each Commission, according to its title and place, hath power in it self to direct you what manner of Sabbath you are to keep; therefore observe the Sabbath of Moses Commission was in this nature as follow­eth; viz.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sab­bath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattel, nor thy stranger that is within thy gate; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Now this Sabbath thou wilt not own, but the First day, or Sabbath of the Apostles, which hath no such form in it, as the Sabbath of the Jews hath: And why the Sabbath of the Jews was altered, I tell thee, in that Christ the onely God, by his own power that day, had quickned death into life, as it is written, In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn to­wards Mat. 28. 1, 2. the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, to see the Sepulchre, and behold there was an earthquake; for the Angel of the Lord descended from Hea­ven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sate upon it: So this being the first day of Christs Resurrection, was a day of joy and gladness to the Apostles, in that it brought peace and rest to their souls, confirmed in their faith, that he was Christ the Son of God: Whereupon the Revela­tion of their faith led them forth to keep the first day of their Saviours Triumph over sin, hell and death, to be a day set [Page] apart to assemble together, and contribute their benevolence for the refreshment of the poor members of that faith, as it is written, And upon the first day of the week when the Disci­ples Act. 20. 7. came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, rea­dy to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until mid­night; also, Ʋpon the first day of the week let every one of you 1 Cor. 16. 2. lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gathering when I come: Now this Command being a day set apart in point of Worship; therefore as the Commission changed, so the Worship changed, and so of necessity it will follow, that the day must be changed: Therefore take notice, as this Commission was not to hold to the end of the World, no more ought that First day; for as I said before, every Com­mission hath power in it self in the vertue of its Revelation, to change its Worship suitable to its Commission; so a Com­mission hath power to change a day for that Worship: Now our Commission being spiritual, doth hold forth no manner or forms of Worship, but the worshipping of God in Spirit and truth: Therefore, I say, not onely the Jews Sabbath, but also the Apostles First day, in our Commission are void, and of no effect, as it is written, He spake on a c [...]rtain place of Heb. 4. 4. the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works: So the blessed of the Lord believing Christ to be God the Father, Creator of Heaven and earth, are en­tered into the perfect liberty of faith, which frees them from the lusts of the flesh, and so entered into peace and rest; by which not onely the Jews Sabbath, nor the Apostles First day, but every day is a Sabbath to the Elect of the Lord: Now Mat. 12. 1, 10. in that the Priests of this World do know, that if the first should be as another day, then they would lose their hearers, and so in conclusion lose their tythes; therefore as Christ and the Apostles by the Jews were accused for breaking their Sabbath, so the Pharisaical Teachers of thy Seed, will con­demn us for repealing the First day of the Week: But howe­ver, in the Authority of our Commission I declare, That eve­ry soul which knoweth Christ in his Form and Nature, the [Page 92] Devil in his Form and Nature, hath entered unto his eternal Sabbath of perfect rest without end.

Let me but hear thy judgement as touching that saying of the Lawyer to Christ, Master, which is the great Command­ment in the Law? Now Christs answer was, That thou shouldst Mat. 22. 36, 37, 38. love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy minde: this is the first and great Command­ment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self: on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets: Now what manner of love is this, with which if we love the Lord and our Neighbour as our self, we keep the whole Law; but for my part, I know not the man that can love his neighbour as himself, and so none can truly love God.

My judgement is, That all the ten Commandments are according to the sequel of these words, reduced into two heads; and these two are comprehended, yea, fulfilled in this word Love, as it is written, Owe no man any thing, but to Rom. 13. 8 love one another; for he that loveth an [...]ther hath fulfilled the Law: And true it is, when rightly considered, the efficacy of spiritual love, it is of so pure and holy a nature, that it can­not possibly do any impure or unholy thing, when it is moved to manifest it self according to its Divine Property, it natu­rally produceth all Heavenly excellency in the Elect of the Lord: Love delights to Lord over none, but be servant to all, and gives every one preheminence before it self; and there­fore it truly Honors its Parents: Love is so far from envy, that instead of killing of any, it lieth down at envies feet to be killed of him, yea, it stayeth envy by its patience and meekness; and therefore saith Paul, Our weapons are not car­nal, 2 Cor. 10. 3, 4. but spiritual: Not a sword of steel, but a sword of love. Oh! the Revelation of faith teacheth his to flay none, but with love; nay, love is that Divine balsom, that it cureth all wounds made by envies weapons: Love is so sincere, That it will not do that to another, that would not another should do to [Page 93] it: And therefore it will not commit adultery, nor wrong any, though it might have many an opportunity to defraud and cozen another; it will rather want, before it will steal: In this love there is no equivocation, it will not backbite, or stain anothers reputation, as it is written, Love worketh no Rom. 13. 9. ill to its neighbour, and therefore would rather die then bear false witness against either friend or enemy: Also this love is generous, full of p [...]ty and mercie, That it cloathes the naked, feeds the hungry, visiteth the sick in prison, and out of prison: Nay this love is so pure, that it enjoys it self no longer then it is doing good to others; and therefore it will not covet his neighbours house, his neighbours wife, his m [...]n servant, or maid servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is his neighbours: so that I tell thee, there is none of thy seed, but for want of this love, breaks the Laws (and in some things therein confirms it by authority;) so that by this I love my neighbor as my self: Now my neighbours are the Believers of our Commission, that hath faith in our Revelation, as it is written, Brethren, Gal. 5 13. ye have been called unto liberty, onely use not liberty for an oc­casion to the flesh, but by love serve one another; for all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self: For love is the fruit of the Spirit▪ so that all believers are neighbours, and therefore it is vvritten, Let brotherly love continue, love the brotherhood, love as brethren: This loving our neighbour as our self, is life in death, as John saith, We know that we have passed from death unto life, because 1 John 3. 14. we love our neighbours, or our brethren: Novv the great Com­mandment is, To love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul: Novv if thou canst not love thy neighbour that thou hast seen, hovv then canst thou love God thou never savvest: For what I have seen and heard I declare unto thee, that vvith­out knovvledge their can be no love, and yet vvhat vain repe­titions thy Seed makes to a God ye knovv not: As I said be­fore, so I say again, Though some of thy Seed keeps some of the Commandments, nay, if possible, keep all, yet in that thou art ignorant of the true God, and so Worship another God, thou art guilty of all.

CHAP. 15. Shewing whether Prayer doth not belong to all, and that by Prayer we may come to the knowledge of God, and whether it is our duty to make use of the Lords Prayer, or no.

THou seemest to say in thy last. That without the know­ledge of God, no man can love God, and so all that he doth is sin: What then, shall not a man that is ignorant of God, pray unto God for knowledge of him? otherwise, how shall a soul love God? and to that end, there are many Ex­hortations Mat. 6. 9 to prayer, and that especially the Lords prayer, which there we are taught the form and manner thereof, as it is written,

Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth Luk. 11. 2. as it is in Heaven: Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory for ever. Amen.

As I have said before concerning the Sabbath, That every Commission in its time and place is to be considered, That according to their Revelation, so was their Worship; but I know the Revelation of the Apostles led them forth to pray­er, and therefore in their Commission it was requisite, and their duty so to do: Also, the form of these words was di­rected to the Disciples, but none of thy Seed whatsoever, for I should blaspheme to say, That Christ uttered these sayings for the instruction of thy Seed, when he saith, your Father is [Page 95] the Devil, as it is written, Ye are of your Father the Devil, Joh. 8. 44. and the lust of your Father ye will do: so that this Prayer be­longs to none but the Disciples; After this manner there­fore Gal. 4. 6. pray ye; yea, ye the beloved of the Lord, and sons of the Father, as it is written, Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son, by which you cry, Abba Father: Now were this set form to be used in these days, as I cannot finde, that to them to whom it was spoken, never made use of that form after; yet, I say, if it were, it onely belongs to sons, who are believers of a Commission; so that I say, it belonged to none but us, in that by the Revelation of our faith, we know the Father that is in Heaven, both in form and nature, and none but we; and therefore as we are sons, and not servants, we can with joy and peace of conscience say, Our Father which art in Heaven; whereas your Seed be­ing but servants, and no sons, may take shame and confusion of face: as for a man of quality to have another mans childe in the market-place ask him blessing, and call him Father; What would his friends think of him? judge thou: So▪ your Seed, that are bastards, and not sons, when you come in your publique Worships, what a babling you make, thinking to be Isa. 1. 15. heard for your much speaking, when he hears you not, nor knows you not, neither doth he in the least take notice of your fasts, nor your tears, they are all vain repetitions, of no more account then the barking of a Dog, or the wallowing of the Sow in the mire: From the Lord I speak it, they are not.

What then, must we not pray at all, though we use not those form of words? Yet I believe, as occasion is offered, and as we are moved in our hearts, so we ought to pray: To that end, the Scripture holds forth a thousand examples, of which I shall but instance one or two, viz. Call upon me in Psa. 50. 15 the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glori­fie me. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and Jam. 5. 17 he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six moneths.

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Ah blinde soul! What a hodge podge thou makest of Scri­pture, as to think that the sayings of David, and the prophe­sie of El [...]as and the Apostles belongs to thee, when I know thee the son of B [...]lial, the Seed of the Serpent; and they the true Prophets and Messengers of the Lord, so had a command for what they did do, but thou hast no command▪ to declare the Statutes of the Lord, or take his Covenant in thy mouth; for all thy prayers are abomination, and such as thee God will not hear; and yet you cry that you are sent of the Lord, and thus and thus saith the Lord, when ye know not the Lord in his form and nature, and yet you would have his Kingdom come, when you neither know the nature of it, nor where it is, supposing his Kingdom is in this World, and yet he saith, My Kingdom is not of this World; then you pray, that his will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and yet what in you lieth, you pray, that his will may not be done; for the will of God is, that all the Seed of Reason shall be damned, and none but the Seed of Faith saved, and yet you pray, that all may be saved, when it is written, He will Rom. 8. 13. have mercy, on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he will damn: So that you pray you know not for what; and then you desire God to forgive you your trespasses, as you do forgive them that trespass against you. Oh friend, were God as thou sayest, and that he should hear thee, then this I tell thee, instead of forgiving thee, he must of necessitie consume the best of you in a moment: As do but observe the transactions of thy Seed in these daies, you pray, fast, and weep, that God would forgive you, as you forgive another; well, ac­cording to your prayer, so it shall be, for instead of forgiving, you backbite, persecute, imprison, and put to death, even so shall ye be dealt withal; nay, you are of such a cursed Seed, that you will not shew mercie to them that have shewn mer­cie to you, you will not give them libertie, that when others had the day over you, they gave you your libertie: I speak this to the shame of thee and all thy Seed; and then you pray and cheat, you pray and tyrannize; you pray with your [Page 97] tongues, and murther with your hands; and yet such Hypo­crites as thy Seed are most professors, and supposed most be­lievers, and most pretended Saints, and most of you hopes to be saved; and yet, as I have said, ye are all of the Seed of the damned, and have no knowledge of the true God at all: So that from my Seed-spring I speak it, There is neither thou, nor the wisest Gifted head-piece of thy Seed, that can experimentallie say, that God ever heard any of your pray­ers; Isa. 1. 15. recollect your thoughts, either in publique or private, that ever God gave thee an answer to any petition thou re­quested of him: It may be thou hast found in thy soul more satisfaction one time then another, insomuch, that thou hast wept for joy; but deal plainly, didst thou ever hear God verbally speak with thee, as he did to the two former Com­missions, and now in this our last (sure I am thou never didst;) and therefore minde what I say, all whisperings or inward movings of the Spirit, as thou callest it, are nothing else but Reasons imagination, that God hears thee, and answers thee; for alas, poor soul, though I know it is the Seed of Faith at certain times springing up, ravishing joys in believing the true God, not within me, but without me; yet this I know, God hears me not, and sure I am, if God ever heard any, he would hear me: but when I consider how vainly you are acted forth, to make use of an In [...]nite nothing, to do all things for you, it discovers what you are, even blinde leaders of the blinde: just as a horse in a mill goes round, even so do ye, bearing the aire, as though ye had done something, when indeed ye have done nothing at all, as at the hour of death doth manifest; What praying and crying out, Lord save me, when in your health ye pretended assurance of salvation, and now at the point of death, ye know not what shall become of your souls; so that in truth I speak it, you are ever praying, and yet have never perfect assurance of what you pray for; as it is writ­ten, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: Now though I never pray, yet my faith being in continual prayer, I have nothing to do at death, but yield up [Page 98] my Soul to the power thereof for a moment, knowing, that when he appears, I shall appear with him in endless Glory, with­out the least let or doubt whatsoever; at which time, thou being in doubts and fears calls upon a God▪ that is no God; neither hast thou faith in what thou sayest, but a meer tradi­tion that moves thee, when thou neither knowest what thou sayest, nor to whom thou speakest; but at the very time of prayer, thy heart is either plotting mischief, or coveting the riches, honour and glory of this world; and so contents thy self with vain lip-labour; as it is written, These people honour Isa. 29. 13. me with their lips, but their hearts is far from me.

CHAP. 16. Shewing whether there be any truth in the Faith of the Church of England, expressed in the Creeds or Articles recorded.

WHat dost thou conceive, or what is thy thoughts con­cerning the Faith of the Church of England, express­ed in their Creeds, but especially that of Athenasius?

I shall in brief tell thee, That they are a rapsido of non­sense, yea, that which thy Seed calls blasphemy, as shall in these ensuing words appear: And that I may not be over te­dious, I shall reduce them into three heads verbatim as they lie, provided thou wilt from the first of them, shew what is thy faith in them.

My Faith is this, That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Ʋnity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance; for there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost, yet the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majestie co-eternal; such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost, the Father uncreate the [Page 99] Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate; the Father incom­prehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost in­comprehensible; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal, and yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal, &c. so the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet they are not three Gods, but one God, &c. and so we are to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord, without which no man can be saved.

Before thou proceed any further, let me give answer to what thou hast already declared, and the remarkablest con­fusion therein contained, I shall pitch my discourse upon, which is, Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance; for thou sayest, there are three Persons, and but one God, their glory equal, their majestie co-eternal, all un­create, all incomprehensible, all eternal, and yet not three, but one eternal: Now let the wisest head-peice of thy Seed an­swer me from these words, Whether thou intends the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, as in rela­tion to their Persons, or their Natures; for let me tell thee, if thou believe them, as touching their persons, then know thou hast divided the Substance; as for instance, the potter of one substance, matter or earth, makes three vessels; now though these three be of one and the self same substance, yet they are divided, so not one, but really three, distinct in each form the one from the other: As thus▪ here is three ⊙ ⊙ ⊙, distinct in themselves, yet one like another, not onely in form, but nature also, in that they are all of one matter, so cannot disagree, though three; yet let thy Reason work which way it will, thou canst not make of these three one ⊙, in which single face or person, that intire nature that is unity in trinity; must be comprehended and contained in one single person alone, onely bearing the name of three titles, viz. Father in the Creation, the Son in Redemption, and the Holy Ghost in Justification: Without the true knowledge of what I have said, from my Revelation, I tell thee, thy faith shall perish eternally.

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I acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord, and yet I say there are not three Gods, and three Lords; as thus, the Father is made of none neither created nor begotten, the Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but be­gotten, the Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son, nei­ther made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding, &c. and in this Trinity, none is afore nor after another, none is greater, nor less then another; but the whole three Persons be co eter­nal together, and co equal: So thus the Ʋnity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped; he therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

O senseless Sot! as were thy Teachers, so art thou, as to imagine that one God should have three Persons, which is as unpossible, as for a mortal King to have three persons, and but one King; for this I know, though a King by generation may b [...]get a son, yet that childe is not a father, but a son, so not one, but two; neither is the son equal with the fa­ther, though the next heir to the Crown: But however, this by Faith I know, the Son was the Father, neither made, created, nor begotten, as in the second Chapter is proved at large; for this know, if Christ was begotten, then he was created, so made; and if begotten, tell me who begot him, and where, and by what means Christ was begotten.

I know no otherwise, but as in the Creed I believe Christ Jesus to be the onely Son of God, begotten of his Father before all Worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Fa­ther, by whom all things were made for us, and for our salvati­on came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucifi­ed under Pontius Pilate; be suffered, and was buried, and the third day rose again and ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and I believe, as in the other Creed, Christ was God of the Substance of the Father, begot­ten before the Worlds; and man of the Substance of his mother [...]rn in the world, perfect God, and perfect man, of a reasonable [Page 101] soul, and humane flesh, subsisting equal with the Father, as touching his Godhead, and inferiour to his Father, as touching his Manhood; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person: for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, which Kingdom shall have no end: And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, which proceedeth from the Father, and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together, is worshipped and glo­rified, who spake by the Prophets, &c.

What a knotty, gouty thred hath thy Seed spun, insomuch, that therewith they have woven a web of linsey-woolsey stuff, sufficient to cloath the Devil; as have but patience, and thou shalt hear what confused blasphemy there is in these Creeds, held forth to be the Faith of the Church of England, with­out which thou sayest, no flesh can be saved. That thou mayest for the future take notice of thy ignorance, I shall re­duce them into three heads, and so answer them directly, as I shall quote them in their order:

1. First, Thou believest as thou hast expressed, That Christ was God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the Worlds; and Man of the substance of his mother born in this World.

If this by thee were rightly understood, I should not need Answ. to expound them any other then verbatim as they lie; but in that I know thou intends the Father, as he was a Person, got his Son a Person also; therefore from the Authority of our Commission, I say, Thou knowest not how the Father came in being to be God, much less then, how this Son was begot by the Father; for the word Begotten doth imply, first the Father begetting. 2. The matter conceived. 3. The forma­tion of this conception into a person like his Father; for this I know, no childe can be begotten, without a dissolution of seed, which seed must first dye, before it can quicken to a new life, which life will produce a form like its seed; now this could not be in the Father, didst thou but with me, know [Page 102] what the Nature and Person of the Father was before the World, That as the Godhead was offered unto death, through Heb. 9. 14 the Eternal Spirit; So from my Revelation of Faith, I say, The Eternal Spirit, according to its own word and pleasure, cloathed it self with a Divine. Heavenly Substance, in the pro­portion and linaments of a man, whose person was more bright and glorious then the Sun, softer then Doun, and swifter then thought: So that I say, this was the substance the Fathers person then consisted of; and against men and Angels I affirm, that there was no person before the world, but the Father onely; neither could he beget a Son, until he dissolved his Divine substance into seed in the womb of Ma­ry; by which dissolution, the Father begot or conceived him­self into a Son of flesh, blood and bone: For this by faith I know, that the person of the Father was capable of trans­mutation into the form of flesh, though now he is not having taken upon him the form of flesh, in fulfilling that promise, saying, The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Ser­pent; Gen. 3. 15 which was no other, but the Eternal Father was to be born of a woman, with flesh, blood and bones; so that it was not the Father begot a Son▪ but the Father became a Son, as the Prophet Eliah by Revelation clearly unfolds, saying unto us, A childe is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Go­vernment Isa. 9 6. shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour▪ the mighty God the everlasting Fa­ther, the Prince of peace; and then it is written, that that Word or Eternal Spirit that formed it self as aforesaid, that Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and saith Paul, The Godhead dwelt in Christ bodily; so that it is clear, as in the Ioh. 1. 14. second Chapter is infallibly proved, that the Father begot no Son before the Worlds, but the Father in time became a Son himself, and that not in two persons, but one person a­lone.

But then what wilt thou do with these Scriptures, where it is written,

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Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; also it is said, We beheld his glory, the glory as of the Psal. 2. 7. onely begotten of the Father; and again it it said, Ioh 1. 14. Unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; and again, Heb. 1. 5. No man hath seen God at any time, the onely begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father: He hath declared him also, it is written, I will be to him a Fa­ther, Joh. 1 17. and he shall be ti me a Son: Now if Christ was not begotten of his Father, why or wherefore should the Apostles Revelation declare, that Christ had a Father, and was begotten by him?

As I have often told thee, so I say again, What hast thou to do with Scripture, our Commission being the onely Inter­preter thereof, thou not believing the report therein, was damned: Yet for the further satisfaction of the hearers that shall believe this, I shall declare, that the Apostles in their Commission was not to know Christ any further or other­wise, then onely a Son begotten by his Father, and that for them in their time was sufficient, as the Son himself expresseth, John 15. 16. All things that the Father hath made known to me, I have made known unto you; also Paul declares, He that confesseth with his tongue, and believeth with his heart that Christ is the Son of God, shall be saved: Though now in our Commission it is not sufficient, in that our Revelation leads us infallibly to believe Christ was and is the Everlasting Father, Creator of Heaven and earth, as by Scripture is confirmed, All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made, that was made: So that Christ as he was the Father, was the Creator of all things▪ whether in Heaven or earth; as is ma­nifest in that intricate Revelation of Paul, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, &c. Who can Eph. 1. 20. tell but our Commission, who raised Christ from the dead, was there any other God or Father, but what was within [Page 104] him, that raised him from the dead; as he saith, I have power John 10. 18. to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again, as in the third Chapter is shewed at large: And who should set him at the right hand of the Father, but the Godhead power within him, that enthroned him far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not onely in this world, but that which is to come; in­somuch, that Christ by his death hath conquered himself, to be head over all things: And what is that which so highly pro­moted him above all, even his Spiritual body, the fulness in which was that which filled all in all: So that I say, That Fa­ther which Christ so often called upon vvhen he vvas on earth. I say, if it had not been his creature Elias commissionated in Glory, then Christ could have made nothing nor by his own power have quickned himself to life again: Nay, I say, if Christ had a real Father that had begotten him, then Christ could not have had the preheminence in power, name, and been the chief head, in that the Father is above the Son: But hovvever, let blinde Reason think vvhat it vvill, from an in­fallible Spirit I say, that Elias vvas his Deputy-Father, and so at Christs ascension vvas to give up his Authority and Commission to Christ the Eternal Father, from vvhence he re­ceived it.

2. Secondly, Thou believest God a reasonable soul, perfect God, and perfect man, &c.

In ansvver to vvhich, from the Revelation of Faith, I tell Answ. thee, is the greatest blasphemy that by man can be imagined, as to consider the nature of the tvvo Seeds; viz. Faith and Reason: First, as in relation to their Satisfaction. Secondly, their povver.

First, What Divine satisfaction could there be in God, if there were the least spark of Reason in him. I knovving in Reason, there is no real satisfaction vvhatever, it being a seed, though as pure as in the Angels, yet it is altogether un­satisfactory in it self, as hath been proved in the Reprobate Angel, he being left to his pure Reason alone, vvas brought to [Page 105] aspiring confusion, if possible to unthrone God, and all creatures made by him, as at large in the fourth Chapter is proved; vvhich if the nature of God vvere but pure Reason, then might the Reprobate Angel have kept his standing, and the rest of the Angels have had full satisfaction in themselves, vvithout any supply from God at all, vvhich in the fourth Chapter thou hast heard to the contrary: And therefore if the Nature of God vvere pure Reason, he could have no sa­tisfaction in himself, but from another, and so in conclusion, there must be some above God, to satisfie God: Therefore from that God vvho is a body of living Faith, I say, Cursed is that soul, vvho believes God to have the least motion of Reason in him; nay further, in the povver of our Commissi­on, I say, there is no creature believing God a reasonable soul, that shall have true peace here, or glory hereafter; as is confirmed in these Scriptures, Being justified by faith, we have Rom. 5 1. Hebr. 10 22. Heb. 11. 6. peace in God; and again, Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith; and, without faith it is unpossible to please God: I say, if God had but a reasonable soul, vvhat matter for faith; for by reason vve may have peace in God, and in reasons belief thou mayest please God: But alas, poor blinde souls, for vvant of this precious seed of faith, thou canst not knovv God in form and nature, so not believe him as he is.

2. Secondly, as there is no satisfaction, so there is no povver in reason, as there is in faith; as it is vvritten, I say unto you, Ma [...]. 17. 20. if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this Mounta [...]n, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be unpossible to you: By faith God framed the Worlds, by faith Abels sacrifice was accep [...]ed with God, by faith Noah was warned of God, by faith Sarah bel [...]eved, by faith Abr [...] ­ham H [...]b: 11. offered up his son Isaac by faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh, by faith fire was quench [...]d the Lyons mouthes stopped, the prison doors opened. So by faith I kno [...], that Christ is the Everlasting Father; by faith I knovv the soul of Christ is all faith, and no reason; by faith I knovv, it vvas his pure [Page 106] Soul, or Godhead Father in Christ that dyed, and by his own power quickned himself again by faith. I know, that God in this our last Commission, spake to John [...]eeve, as he spake to Moses and Paul: O what a powerful Seed is faith! that kills sin, kills the Devil, yea, kills death nay, what a high gloss doth the Lord of glory stamp upon faith, and not so much as taking notice of reason at all; and yet blinde rea­son the Devil, will have God a reasonable soul: O▪ if not for fear, yet for shame, desist thy damned belief, and from me observe, the Soul of Christ is all Divine Heavenly faith, which none shall know what God in his Form and Nature is, but he whose faith is Lord over reason in this life.

If the Soul or Nature of God be not pure reason, how comes it then that God saith, Come now, let us reason toge­ther, Isa. 1. 18. saith the Lord? &c. which if his Nature, as thou saith, were all Divine, Heavenly faith, and not reason, I conceive God could not have reasoned the case with them.

O the gross darkness of reason, that cannot understand, that it was not the Lord from his own mouth that reasoned the case with them, but the Prophet Isaiah; for this by faith I know, that God never reasoned with any, but the Com­missionate Prophets, whose Seed is of his own Nature, and in the vertue of that Commission, are Ambassadors in Gods stead, to reason the case with them; for this I know, that faith can take up the words of faith, though faith speaks powerfully and infallibly, when as reason speaks but dubiously and doubtfully.

Is it not strange, that reason should be the Governour of this World, as thou hast formerly expressed, and hath by its wisdom erected things in such a glorious form and order, as now they are, and yet should not be a Seed satisfactory in it self? How comes it then, that the Governours thereof taketh so much delight and pleasure in this World, if man were not satisfied in the affairs of his life? surely I cannot see, but there is as much satisfaction in reason, as in faith; for I conceive, men endued with reason, have more content then men endued with faith.

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Now thou hast raised an Objection, that thy experience may silence thee, in the various transactions of this bloody World, that the mutability thereof floweth from the nature of that Seed reason; as instance, the grand mutations of thy Kingdom: When you had a King before, you were not there­with satisfied, but cryed out, no Bishop, no King, and through much bloodshed, you attained reasons desire (for know this, faith will shed no blood▪) and therefore observe, it is the Seed of reason divided against it self; and then reason hunt­ed the King like a Patridge, till you had your desire accom­plished; and when you got victory over the Kings Army, then the Bells rung▪ and Bonfires made, yea, days of thanks­giving kept for joy, and now you are unsatisfied for a King again, and reason improved all its subtilty to attain its desire, and then for joy of that which formerly it killed, the bells rung, the fire flamed, oathes were sworn, and healths were drunk, till you could not stand, to the destruction of your own souls; and therefore, I say, there is no satisfaction in reason, let it be never so rich or great in this its Kingdom, that it is cloathed with crowns of Gold, and deckt with Pearls and Diamonds, and attendee with variety of Servants, yet in all this reason is not satisfied, but sometimes it would enjoy more honour and joys of this World, and then it is afraid it shall lose all its honour, pleasure and delight that it formerly enjoyed: So that I say, there is not from the King upon his Throne, to the Beggar in the straw, whose reason is Lord over faith, that hath any true satisfaction at all: For alas, So­lomon, t [...]e greatest of all, found no real content, but cryed out, all that he had enjoyed was vanity: So that reason in the purest sense, is compared to the bottomless pit, that hath no end of its imagination; and yet such Devils as thee, will have God a reasonable Soul, when in my Revel [...]tion thou hast heard, there is no durable satisfaction at all in reason, but faith alone: for faith hath a foundation, and can limit it self to a small compass, yet be really contented without the glory of this World at all, knowing this is but mortal, and must [Page 108] perish in the desire thereof; and therefore faith is satisfied in that it lays holds on that which is Immortal, Eternal, and shal never perish, no more then God himself: so that for all thy Kingdom, with the glory here below, my faith will have no­thing to do with thy powers, thy trading, thy great joy and delight, in that they must all vanish as the smoak in the ayre, for the delight of my soul is in that glory and riches on the other side of death, which is eternal, and shall never perish world without end, which neither thou nor none of thy Seed shall never see, nor in the least measure enjoy. But then,

3. Thirdly, Thou believest in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, which proceedeth from the Father, and the Son, who with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorifi­ed, &c.

As unto this, I know thou hast no ground in Scripture to Answ. prove the Holy Ghost a person, though they are recorded in your Creed three persons, and one God: Yet by faith, I say, as I said before, there never was, is or shall be, but one Per­sonal God, even Christ Jesus alone, blessed for ever, as one­ly those who believe my Revelation, can with me understand, Isa. 43. 10, 11. Luke 1 35 that the Holy Ghost was the Eternal Spirit, or invisible Soul of Christ, as it is written, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee; yea, that was the Holy Ghost, or invisible Soul of Christ, which dis­solved into seed, there dyed in the womb of Mary, and quick­ned it self into a son of flesh, blood, and bone; yea, the Holy Ghost remained with him, and in him all the time he was upon earth; yea, that was the Holy Ghost, or Eternal Spirit, that dyed in the grave, for they signifie both one and the self same thing, as it is written, The Spirit of God descended upon him like a Dove, so the Holy Ghost descended upon him like a Dove: So that take it which way thou pleaseth, the Holy Ghost, or Eternal Spirit, which is the Godhead Father, vvas in no Person of its ovvn, but the Person of Christ onely.

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From those Scriptures thou hast quoted, I understand, that the Holy Ghost vvas not in the person of Christ, but in Hea­ven a Person of its own; as it is clearly recorded, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him, Luk. 3. 21. and a voyce came from Heaven, which said, Thou art my be­loved Son, in whom I am well pleased: And so in the rest of the Evangelists it is written, Th [...]t the Heavens were opened un­to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending l [...]ke a Dove, and lighting upon him: So that I do not deny but that the Spirit and the Holy Ghost is both one, yet I cannot believe, but that the Holy Ghost is in a form or shape of its own, and that in Heaven, when Christ was upon earth, as it written, The Holy Ghost d [...]scended from Heaven upon him; And b [...] ­sides, it is clear, that Christ had a Father then in Heaven, that sent the Holy Ghost, and said, Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

In answer to this, I shall unfold this deep secret, which none of thy Seed can ever understand; yet that it may be record­ed for the blessed seed of faith, that shall hereafter believe in our Commission, I infallibly declare, That there is a Holy Ghost, as also a gift of the Holy Ghost.

But before thou speakest of this, I desire, if thou canst, re­move this great stumbling block, What Father this was that said, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased? and if Elias, as thou hast at large treaaed with me in the third Chapter, then tell me by what Authority could Elias call Christ his beloved Son; and why did Ch [...]ist make use of his Creature, to call his Creator Son? surely it cannot be Elias, that should assume such a prerogative to call Christ Son, but it must be God the Creator of all things, that did call Christ his beloved Son, otherwise Christ would never have so se­riously and confidently h [...]ve called Elias his Father.

As I have formerly said, so I say again, That herein con­sists the infiniteness of Eternity, tha [...] he could become time, yea, so far deny and abase himself. as to be protected by his Creature; for as it is written, In all things he became like un­to [Page 110] us, sin onely excepted: not like unto the seed of reason, but the seed of faith; yea, he was like unto his Prophets and Mes­sengers in point of Commissio [...]; for though Christ, as he was God the Father, gave all Commissions, yet now from Elias he took a Commission himself, and for that end and purpose, before he took his journey in the fl [...]sh, as in the third Chapter I have declared, wherefore he took up Elias, that he might present the very place and authority of God, as when God was there himself, Elias being the Seed of his own body, he could trust him, when he could trust none of the Angels, and therefore he took upon him the seed of Abraham, and not the Heb 2. 16. nature of the Angels: Now having taken him up into glory, in that his time was nigh that he must fulfil his promise to the seed of Adam; I say, he commissionates Elias with Autho­rity, Power, and Majestie like himself (creating excepted) to take care of Christ the onely God, in this his difficult journey, by which Authority, Elias had full power to protect Christ in his infancy, and confirm his Revelation, both in Doctrine and Miracle, and to call him his Son, as Christ was to call Elias his God and Father, as at his death he acknowledgeth, Mark 16 34, 35. Elias, Elias, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Which some of them that stood by, understanding his lan­guage, said, behold, he calleth Elias; which none but the true believers of our Commission can understand, and there­fore must perish for want of the true knowledge of this: So that from the Revelation of faith, I say, herein was the infini [...]e wisdom of the Godhead made manifest, in Christs Humility, that although he was the Creator, yet he took upon him the form of a servant, and in the place of his glory, au­thorized his Creature Elias as a Father: Though the Scri­pture intricately prove this, yet who but the Elect of the Lord can believe this, that Elias had power to send down gifts of the Holy Ghost, in what form he pleased, to com­missionate Christ the giver of all Commissions, and yet the Eternal Spirit or Holy Ghost was in the Person of Christ alone.

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Let me but ask thee this once, and I sh [...]ll trouble thee no longer; that is, let me hear thee discover thy thoughts, be­twixt the Holy Ghost, and the gifts of the Holy [...]host, whe­ther it be a Person of its own, or onely in the Person of Christ alone.

As I said before, so I say again, That if the Holy Ghost had a Person of its own, so the Lord and giver of life, then its Person must be in the form of a man, suitable to the person of Christ, in that it is the very nature of Christ, so every Nature hath its own form, so the form of Christ; but that which descended upon Christ, was not the Holy Ghost, but the gift of the Holy Ghost; for, as I have said before, Christ who had the Holy Ghost in him, invested the gift thereof upon Elias, that so Elias might protect and preserve Christ in his non-age, as aforesaid; so that, I say, the essence of the Holy Ghost is inherent in Christ alone, from whence the gifts or influence of the Holy Ghost flows; for by my Reve­lation I know, that when Christ ascended to his Majestie on high, he sate down on the right hand, which signifies, that Elias's power and authority was surrendred into the Person of Christ alone; so that after that, all the gifts or influence of the Holy Ghost came from Christ, as it is written, when Christ was ascended to glory, then he fills the Apostles full of the Hol [...] Ghost, which then appeared in the form of a Cloven Tongue, and not in the form of a Dove: So that it is clear, though the Holy Ghost be one intire Divine invisible life in Christ, yet take notice, the gifts thereof are divers, so that the gifts of the Holy Ghost hah various forms, though the Holy [...]host hath no form but man, and that Christ alon [...]: And therefore minde the gross darkness of all thy Seed in their Creeds, as though the Holy [...]host had a Person of its own, so the Lord and giver of life, when it is written in divers places, That Christ is the way, the truth, and the life: I am that bread of life, he that believeth on me, hath everlast­ing John 4. life; and in his saying to the woman of Samaria, But the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, [Page 112] springing up to everlasting life: So that the Holy Ghost must needs be in Christ, in that Christ is the giver of life; and yet such blinde reason as thee, will have the Holy Ghost in a Person distinct from Christ, the Lord and giver of life, when to thy shame thou heare [...]t, that Christ alone John 11. 25. is the Resurrection and the Life, insomuch, that he that be­lieveth in Christ, though he were dead, yet shall he live: So thus much in confutation to the authors and believers of of those Creeds: Yea, from the Revelation of my Faith I infallibly against Angels, and all thy Seed of Reason conclude, [...]hat so many of them so living, and so dying in the belief thereof, shall with thee perish eternally; Yea▪ in the Vertue of our Commission, I say, there is no God that can or will deliver thee or them to all Eter­nity.