it appeared freely of it self without opposition and brought forth the first Creation But now it doth appear through great opposition and through all that doth oppose it in this second Creation when Life comes again to reign over Death and swallow it up and overcome and subdue it and who comes to witness this the new Creation they know Life appearing through opposition and through the destroying of Death and all its works and fruits for CHRIST is the Life and he is the Seed of the Woman which bruiseth the Serpents head who hath the power of Death Life bruiseth his Head breaketh his Government and destroyes his Works as it appeareth and riseth in the Creature and Death and its works opposeth Life and its manifestation and appearance and gainsayes it and often quencheth it in its appearances Now the first appearance of Life in the Creature it convinceth and reproveth the works of Death and the words that proceed from Death which are unrighteous words and unrighteous works and Life when it rises reproves them and condemns them and thâ—â—â—gh Death doth oppose and gainsay the Operation of 〈◊〉 yet Life works through and overcometh subdueth and swalloweth up Death and destroyes all its works in the second Creation and Life again comes to take possession of the Creature which it made in the beginning and Life comes to reign again 〈◊〉 Right it is to reign for by it the Creature Mankind and all Creatures were in the beginning formed and brought forth and therfore it is its Right to reign and to have the dominion over the works of its 〈◊〉 is whom since the beginning in Transgression the Devil and Death and his seat of Government hath had they possession of and CHRIST the Power of God and the Life hath been as it were dispossessed and thus the first Creation has been defaced and lost its Glory and it hath been corrupted and degenerated quite from the perfect state as it was created in and Mankind hath been servent to another Power and led captive by another Power than the Power that made him and another Government hath been established over him and another Law hath exercised him than the Government and Law of the Creator to wit the Power and Government and Law of Death have had the Rule Government and Exercise of man and of the old Creation and hereby all things have been diverted from their proper and perfect place and service to which they were ordained in the beginning by reason Transgression and the reigning of Death and Man 〈◊〉 been held in Captivity and in sore Bondage and 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 and distress deprived of unity with his 〈◊〉 and deprived of the comfortable use and benefit of the Creation 〈◊〉 that of all Creatures he hath been the most 〈◊〉 being held in Bondage and Captivity under the 〈…〉 which hath ruled and reigned over him and in 〈…〉 alwayes subject to Death and subject to the Curse and Anger of the LORD and subject to 〈◊〉 and fears 〈…〉 and sorrow and all this is because Death hath reigned and had dominion even that which 〈…〉 in the beginning of Transgression betrayed him of the 〈…〉 that got possession it self to reign and to have the Power which ever since hath reigned and alwayes doth till the appearance of the Life again which doth appear in the Creature for this end to overcome and subdue Death and destroy his works that it self may reign and free the Creation from its degeneration and corruption and free Mankind from his bondage and captivity and from his misery and all his trouble which is come upon him by reason of Death And this comes to passe in the New-Creation when Life is born again to rule and reign again and to swallow up Death and to subdue it wholly and its Kingdom and Government And then Man again is become a Son of GOD an Heir of Salvation and no more Death reigns in him nor hath power over him when he is restored out of Transgression then as Death hath reigned and had power in Transgression Life shall so reign in and over the Creature in the New-Creation when that is brought forth as Death hath reigned in the Old-Creation in Transgression and Disobedience And Life will arise to reign and rule over all and in all though it be through great opposition the Body of Death shall be put off and the Government of Death shall be subdued and all the Works Fruits and Effects of Death shall be destroyed and done away and its place shall no more be found so as to bring forth Fruit for its sting shall be taken away and shall no more wound nor pierce nor hurt the Creature For the sting of Death is Sin and that hath wounded and hurt the Creature and when this comes to passe then there is glory and rejoycing over all for Life hath swallowed up Death and overcome it and the cause of Sorrow is removed and taken away and the Kingdom of Life is established in the Creature and is set upon the Top of Death's Kingdom and keeps it under and if there be but a motion of Death that would spring up or appear in the Creature Life judgeth it down and condemns it And this Kingdom is Righteousness Ioy and Peace full of Iustice Righteousness and Equity and there is nothing in it that doth defile or destry or bring sorrow or misery but Life rules over all that and subdues the Cause thereof and removes every thing that would imbondage or captivate the Creature in evil And this Kingdom is not of this World but from Heaven and heavenly and the Birth immortal is Heir thereof which receives the Crown and the Kingdom of Eternal Life Now the Kingdom of Death is of this World which is defiled and degenerated Cain was a Subject of this Kingdom and Esau that was a Reprobate and Iudas that betrayed the Life and all the Ungodly and Generation of the Wicked since the beginning they were all of the Kingdom of Death and the Kingdom of Death ruled in them and brought forth its works through them and its exercise in their hearts and in their lives And though its power they opposed and gainsayed the Life and they fought against the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness and such were the Pharisces who put Christ to death who is the Life Death reigned over all these and they were of the Stock of Death and they were of this World and had their Conversation below in the earthly things and knew not the Life not its Government but were strangers to it and enemies to it as all are at this day who are transgressors against the Life and all such are subject to the Curse to Sorrow and Misery and the Anger of the LORD but who comes to feel the Life and the obedience to it again Death is destroyed through Death for through the death of Death Death comes to be destroyed and no otherway which the Life works and the Life works through
A DISCOVERY OF Divine Mysteries Wherein is Unfoulded SECRET THINGS of the KINGDOM of GOD BEING A TESTIMONY I. Concerning Life and Death with their several Fruits and Effects distinguished II. Concerning the Mystery of GOD and Godliness and concerning the Mystery of the Devil and Iniquity III. Concerning true Liberty of Conscience what it is in it self and how obtained And what the true Guide and Rule is of the Exercise of Conscience IV. Concerning the Diversity of Iudgments in Religion the Cause and the Effect thereof and the Means to bring to Unity All which are Published for the Edification of such as desire to know the Truth By a Servant of Truth Edward Burroughs London Printed for Robert Wilson at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-mill in Martins Le Grand 1661. THE PREFACE THE Light of the Day of GOD Almighty is arisen upon us in our day and the shinings forth thereof is with great clearness and force even as the Sun at noon-day and many are come to the glorious Appearance thereof and to walk in its Light with much joyfulness for as the Wise man said The Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the Eye to behold the Sun And so fully is our Morning-Sun now appeared that the Upright in heart may walk and not stumble and the poor in spirit may run in the path of Life and not fall for indeed we may say the Night is spent and the Day is come therefore let us walk in the Day and put on the Armour of Light as many as are made the Children thereof And where the Light of this Sun is arisen and in whose hearts it shineth it cannot but give some Testimony through such an one of its own Glory Vertues and Excellency to them that sit yet in darkness and in the bondage of Corruption that they also may see the same Light and Glory arise on their Tabernacle for 't is the property of this spiritual heavenly Light to shine forth out of darkness and to give light to such as have long sate in darkness that their souls may live and be refreshed with the Light of the Living And for this cause do we labour and spend and are spent accounting nothing too dear for us that the Light of Truth may shine abroad and guide the Upright in the perfect way till the Elect be gathered into the pasture of Eternal Life and the Sun so elivated on the Firmament of Ioy and Praises never to go down but the saying fulfilled There shall be no night but the light of the Sun shall be as the light of seven dayes These following Testimonies were written at divers times as the Lord drew forth my spirit through the motions of his Life in me some of them some years since and being cast by among bundels of Manuscripts and now lately come to my sight and looking them over I have thought good to send them abroad as being of service to many And this is the Occasion and End of my present publishing these things And to the Iudgment of the Spirit of God in all the Saints do I commend my Labours and may self to be approved Who am a Friend to all men E. B. Westmoreland the 25th of the 7th Month 1661. CHAP. I. A TESTIMONY concerning LIFE AND DEATH with their several Fruits and Effects distinguished THere is only Life and Death and there is but only Life and Death in the whole Creation that ruleth and reigneth in and among and over all the Children of men and all the Children of men upon the face of the Harth are under the Government and Dominion of Life or of Death in whatsoever they are and in whatsoever they do and Life or Death hath the Rule and Government in every Creature in every Exercise whether of Works or Words and all People upon the Earth are subject to the Government of one or the other and bring forth the Fruits and Works in obedience to Life or to Death and shews them forth in visible appearance Now these two to wit Life and Death are contrary one to the other in being in nature in works and fruits and each of these are known and distinguished the one from the other in being in nature in fruits and effects which diversly they bring forth in this World and each of them hath a Kingdom and Government in himself distinct from and contrary each to other and each of them have their several Subjects which also are contrary in birth and generation in quality and kind over which they rule and govern and to whom they give distinct Portions and Heirships in this World and hereafter And where Life rules and reigns Death is held in captivity and bondage and where Death lives the Life dies and where one of these brings forth fruit the other is barren for they agree not in one but are in all things contrary and the Subjects of the one are always opposing and striving against the Subjects of the other And between Life and Death there is continual war and strife among the Creatures who are the Subjects of the one of them in whatsoever man is and in what he doth First concerning Life I will speak Life was in the beginning with God and is without descent and God is Life in himself without beginning or ending of time place or matter and Life put forth it self out of its invisible being into work and action in the beginning of the World and appeared in visible operations and works and brought forth all Creatures and all things into visible appearances and Life was the Author of all the Beginning and Foundation of all and Life was and is that Being and Vertue of all things that are and it was the Ioy and Delight of all things that it self brought forth for all 〈…〉 through it and it gave breath and 〈…〉 all Creatures and Life blessed them all and in it were all Creatures at Unity being framed and brought into visibility and for the pleasure of Life which was all in all in the beginning and there was a sweet concurrance and harmony in the whole Creation through the power and being of Life in the midst of all Creatures through which the whole Creation was made and framed by the Eternal Word of Life and through which they stood and did remain in blessedness and Life ruled and reigned in every Creature that was brought forth and was the glory and substance thereof for Life was and is that only begotten of the Father the Son and the Heir of the Everlasting Father his express Image and Brightness being one with the Father not separated or divided from him And as for Death it was not yet known nor had it any place in the Creation if had yet received no Power nor Kingdom nor Government neither was it in being But Life was all over all through all and in all in the beginning before disobedience and transgression entered to war against Life But Life was
from the Spirit and so became divided from the true Faith and from the true Worship and also among themselves and you never yet received the Spirit of Christ that you might come into Unity and Fellowship with God and one with another and that is the reason of all your Divisions in Religious matters because you have not received the Spirit of Christ to teach you and to unite your hearts to God and one to another but you having the Scriptures traditionally by descent through Ages which do describe and declare of that Faith and Doctrine and of the Worship and Church-Government which were among the Saints of old which they held and practised and from the Scriptures which declare of the things from thence you take up a Conceit and false Judgment and an Imitation and a false Conformity and then each sort of you call that your Faith and Church-Government and some after one manner of form and some after another and thus you are divided because you want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit did work true Faith in the hearts of them that gave them forth in dayes of old and it taught them Worship Faith Doctrine and all things concerning Gods Kingdom for the Spirit led them into all Truth and now you wanting the same Spirit that wrought in them and taught them and you having but their words to wit the Scriptures from thence in the Wisdom which is below and in the carnal Reason and in the first mans understanding each Nation takes up a conceit that it is so and so and takes up an Imitation of Worship and Church-Government according to their own sensual wisdom and according to the bredth and depth of their Conceits and then imitates and that severally and diversly and in a divided manner and this is amongst Kingdoms and amongst Neighbours and Brethren this Division in matters of Faith Worship and Doctrine and Church-Government and yet all these have had the name of Christians and Church-Members and Worshippers of God but yet are of many wayes of Worship holding different and contrary Principles of Faith and Doctrine and also of Worship and Church-Government and thus have Nations Cities and Countries been for many Ages and thus hath it been and is at this day amongst the Apostate Christians that want the Spirit of Christ to be their Rule of Knowledge of Iudgment and Worship and of their Faith and Practices in Religion And this is a shame to whole Christendom amongst whom the spirit of Antichrist hath entered which hath thus divided Nations Cities Neighbours and Brothers for all these Divisions about Religion amongst the Apostate Christians are of Antichrist and not of God it is that spirit of Antichrist that hath wrought all these Divisions and planted them in the minds of People Secondly Concerning the bad Effects of these Divisions in matters of Faith and Worship as I have said This Division in Religion hath begotten and brought forth very much Evil throughout the World much heart-burning envy hard-heartedness strife and contention between Kings and Rulers and between Nations between Cities between Neighbours and between Brothers this Division hath wrought bad Effects amongst all these so that it hath brought forth much War and Bloodshed between Kings and great Persecutions between Rulers and their People and great Debate and Strife amongst Neighbours and Friends so that great Murders and losse of many Lives have been produced and brought forth upon this Quarrel about Difference in matters of Faith and Religion and Antichrist hath not only divided people in Iudgement but hath also provoked people into rage and envy to the killing and destroying of one another and even that Division about Spiritual things begotten by Antichrist amongst false Christians hath been turned into personal enmity and brought forth in the end murdering and killing the bodies of Thousands when the original debate hath arisen about Church-Government or Points of Religion and this is the woful Effect that Division of Religion hath brought forth in all Christendom And all this Fruit and Effects as well as the Cause of it hath been of Antichrist and of the Dragon and the Devil throughout the World all this Persecution and spoyling of Goods Imprisoning of Persons taking away of Lives and Banishment and whatsoever Persecution otherwise that hath risen and been inflicted upon any for and because of Differences in Religion and about Faith and Worship all this hath been of Antichrist and even all Laws made for that end and all Executors of such Laws and all Penalties of such Laws and all Wars and Bloodshed whatsoever that have ensued only and upon the account of Differences in Religion that being the first and the only ground of the Quarrel All this hath been of Antichrist and it came out of the bottomless Pit and never rose from the Spirit of God but from the Antichristian spirit of Envy and Wickedness that hath first divided people about matters of Faith and Religion and then provoked them to envy and malice stirring up Kings to fight one against another that was not of their Religion but different and contrary to it And so the hearts of Rulers have been stirred up to persecute all under them that were different and contrary in matters of Faith Worship and Religion and this the spirit of Antichrist hath effected throughout Christendom and so each King that hath been strongest would maintain the Principles of his Faith and the Practice of Religion according to his own Conceit in his Dominions And thus hath Religion Worships and Church-Government been set up and stood amongst Apostate Christians throughout the World by Force and Power and by violent Laws and through Persecutions and Murders and all this hath been by the spirit of Antichrist and the Spirit of God hath had no hand in those matters for the setting up and contriving of false Faith false Worship and false Church-Government all this hath depended upon the Powers and Authorities of the Earth through many Ages and what Religion and Church-Government or Way of Worship that Kings or Queens have set up that only hath been promoted but all the rest persecuted and restrained by force and violence and all this hath been of Antichrist And now to all ye that are of divers Judgments in matters of Faith and Worship in Religion this is a Caution to you all and I do warn you all in the presence of the living God that though ye be divided in the belief and practice of Spiritual things yet live in peace and unity with all men in all outward relations and do not envy nor hurt one anothers Persons though you are in difference about Religion yet suffer not that Difference to grow into persecuting or envying one anothers persons but seek to inform one another and instruct one another in the Spirit of Meekness and perswade one another out of that which is evil to that which is good by patience gentleness and long-suffering and do