by such Means as the Life can receive or as can be communicated unto it because the Life is the Former of our Body as I have proved in the Considerations of B. Van Helmont concerning Man in § 34.35 36 37 38. Now to apply this to the Case in hand I say then that if Christ had not taken upon him that particular Humanity or the nature of that Man from which all men are descended he could not have restored unto all men the Image of God again but only unto that particular Man-hood alone unto which he was united and yet that all men must recover the Image of God again we shall shew hereafter Just as a Branch which is Ingrafted upon another Tree is thereby indeed amended but not the whole Tree from whence it was cut off It is a thing contrary to Nature that all the parts of any thing should be bettered any where save in their Original or Source Yea this is contrary to every even the very least thing in Nature For as much then as this is an universal truth in Nature therefore it must also needs be a truth in the bettering of Mankind because Mankind stands united and subjected to the same natural Order as all other things and without which Order man cannot produce any thing Therefore that Christ might reunite Sinners to himself he was to take upon him that individual Humanity or Manhood of which all men are descended And if we diligently examine the Argumentation which the Apostle holds Rom. 5. We shall find that the Apostle signifies that Christ did take upon him such a Manhood or humane nature as by which all men could be saved such as was that of Adam by whom all Men became Sinners For the Apostle shews not only Vers 10. that being reconciled we are saved by the Life of Christ. But also Vers 11. that we joy in God to wit that we are assured that God is our Father who will communicate unto us of his Glory and the cause of this our Joying is that we have received the Atonement by Christ But some will perhaps ask here how or on what wise could Christ reconcile us This Question the Apostle answers in V. 12. saying Wherefore that is on this wise as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned that is to say just as by one man sin came into the World so on the very same manner is the Atonement made by one man to wit by Jesus Christ and that as by sin death so by the Atonement Life is received and as death is so passed upon all men so is the righteousness of Jesus come upon all men unto Justification of life And as death is passed upon all men because they all sinned In Adam For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot here signify for that as in our English but in whom as in the States Dutch Bible nor can it have any relation to any other but to that one Man Adam especially if you add unto it V. 18.19 So there is the very same reason of the Atonement of Christ For Christ has made the Atonement for all men because they are all justified in Christ Now this is plain seing the Apostle draws here a Parallel betwixt Adam Christ that that Parallel must hold so far as he makes it to go Let us then see how far this Parallel which he makes betwixt Christ and Adam v. 12 must go It is certain according to this saying of the Apostle That sin entred into the World by Adam and death by sin and so death passed upon all men because they all sinned in Adam that the true reason here rendered why all Men are Sinners is because they all sinned in Adam Now if they did all sin in Adam they must all have been in Adam and must all have depended upon him as upon their Head and Beginning or else they could not all have sinned in Adam Just thus must this Parallel hold also in Christ Righteousness is obtain'd through Christ and this Righteousness comes upon all because they are justified in Christ Now this must be as true in Christ as it was in Adam to wit that seing all men depended upon and were hid in Adam and therefore did sin with him so also must all men be dependent in Christ as on their Head that is they must depend on his humane Nature or manhood as well as on that of Adam if they are to be all justified in him For seing as § 76. nothing can be united to another except the Unitor and the thing united do meet in one and seing man cannot be restored to his former state except the image of God takes Manhood upon him According to § 77. it must needs follow that if the Image of God to wit Christ takes upon him such a Manhood as whereby all men are justified that that Manhood must be that of the first Man of whom all men are descended and have received their life because that otherwise all men could not be partakers of righteousness by the Manhood of Christ and for as much as all men descended of Adam and so do depend upon him as upon their beginning from whom they are Born so Christ could not justify all men in him except he took upon him Adams Mandhood of which all men are dependent And for further confirmation of what we say from that which the Apostle says to wit That Christ must needs have taken upon him the Manhood of Adam in the first place we must consider that the Apostle in the 14. V. saith That Adam was a Figure or Type of Christ and consequently Christ must be a man or must take upon him a Manhood as the Apostle affirms V. 15. where he calls Jesus Christ a Man 2d As death reign'd over all men by one to wit by Adam so life reigns over all Men by one to wit by Jesus Christ V. 17. Therefore the Antitype must also agree in this respect according to the saying of the Apostle that is Christ must be the Head of all men as well as Adam was and that the Apostle proves very strenuously V. 18.19 Because that as by the one transgression of Adam all men are made sinners so also by the one righteousness of Christ all men receive life If then all men do receive life by the one righteousness of Christ then Christ must be the head of all men as well as Adam was and all men must descend from him as well as from Adam because else Christs righteousness could not come upon all men which yet the Apostle does most expresly affirm V. 18. whence then does undoubtedly follow that seing Adam is the Head of all Mankind and seing Christ has done the same thing that Adam did to wit in the Antithesis that the Man Jesus Christ must needs also have been the Head of all Mankind And for as much as none but Adam
what God aimed at by him because God Created man after the most perfect manner From all which in then follows that the Sinner cannot be made perfect in another way but by receiving again that very Image of God which he lost by Sin § 64. Now that the Salvation of the Sinner consists in the recovering of this Image of God the Holy Scripture does so abundantly testify that there is nothing held forth unto us more in the Holy Scripture than that our Salvation does consist in the receiving of the Spirit and Image of God again as is manifest from the places by us already cited § 51.53 54 55. and of which Eph. 4. and Colos 3. c. do treat § 65. But now altho' we have discovered that the Sinner cannot attain unto Salvation unless he receive again the Image of God yet this difficulty still remains in the case to find out how and by what means the sinner can recover this Image of God again § 66. It is then an universal truth in Nature that nothing can be meliorated nor united with another thing so as to bring forth fruit thereby except there be a previous suffering dying or mortification To wit such a suffering death or mortification as tends to melioration not such a death as tends to putrefaction for there are these two sorts of Death as for Example the Seed passeth through a death in order to the bringing forth of Fruit and sometimes it dyes so that it remains in putrefaction out of which no new Seed but Worms are generated Now that such a dying or mortification must go before the Union is manifest in Trees whose Twigs or Buds when they are Ingrafted or Inoculated they dye as it were and wither before they can unite with the Tree in like manner can no Seed unite with the Earth so as to bring forth Fruit unless it first dyes and therefore it is that our Saviour saith with respect to the profit which was to accrue unto sinners by his Death Iohn 12.24 Except a grain of Wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone that is it cannot then be united with the Earth to Multiply but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit and 1 Cor. 15.36 That which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye § 67. Now to bring this Universal truth home unto faln Man how he fell we shall shew hereafter we shall find that the Scripture does expresly teach us that no man canattain to the Image of God again so as to bring forth Fruits of Righteousness but by a dying as our Saviour testifies Iohn 12.24 under the similitude of a grain of Wheat not only applying this unto himself that he must dye in order to acquire unto himself a Church or People but he also applys the same to them which will be his his Followers For Verse 25.26 Our Saviour saith He that loves his life shall loose it that is he that fears to follow me for fear of Death he shall dye without bringing forth Fruit and he that hateth his life in this World shall keep it unto life Eternal that is he that fears not death but will chearfully deliver up himself unto death for my name sake he shall by his death bring forth Fruit which shall not change but abide for ever And therefore Christ adds if any man will serve me let him follow me that is let him give himself chearfully up unto the death as I do now give my self up unto it And very expresly saith the Apostle Col. 3.3 Concerning the Faithful ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And V. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon Earth c. Now because suffering and Death must go before Glorification the Apostle saith Act. 14.22 that we must enter into the Kingdom of God through much tribulation Moreover if we consider the manners of Speech used by the Apostles concerning the manner how the Sinner recovers the Image or Spirit of God again how emphatically do they represent unto us that no sinner can attain unto any fellowship with the Spirit except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God that is if a Man be not born of Water and of the Spirit as our Saviour there further declares Vers 5. Now this is certain that no body can be born again except he first die how this Regeneration is to be understood we shall shew hereafter in its proper place and Titus 3.5 he hath saved us by â—he washing of Regeneration and renewing of â—he holy Ghost which is 1 Peter 1.3 called 〈◊〉 being born again through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Now this is certain that if we be born again by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ we must first have been dead wherefore from all this it is manifest that no man can recover the Image of God again but through suffering and death § 68. But now for as much as no Sinner has any the least power to give unto himself Salvation according to the Testimony of the Holy Scripture an that every one finds in his own experience that he is nncapable of coferring upon himself any perfection it follows that that Being which restores him must be more perfect than the Sinner himself and yet such as can unite and have fellowship with man It must be more Perfect than the Sinner because if he had no greater Perfections than he he could not impart unto the Sinner that which he himself should want It must also be such as can be united and have fellowship with man because that which cannot be united or have fellowship with another thing cannot make the thing better or change its state for the better because all Melioration doth require the most close union that is a Spiritual union with the life of that thing which is changed for the Life being the worker of all our Actions and the former of its own body as is proved in the Observations of Bar. Van Helmont concerning Man § 34 35 36 37. it is necessary that this Union be with the life it self that so the life may come to change its former working § 69. Moreover This Being that should thus change the sinner must not only be perfecter than he but it must also be so perfect that it can give perfection unto other Beings Or else it would be of no use to the Sinner as for Example It is manifest that Gold has more perfection in it than Iron has but Gold cannot therefore communicate its perfection to the Iron while it self remains meer natural Gold because it has no more perfection that it self stands in need of to be Gold in like manner we say of all Creatures or Created Beings none excepted that altho' they had more perfection than the Sinner yet they cannot communicate their perfection to the Sinner because they possess no more perfection than just belongs to their own Beings Besides Seing Man is the head
Sin and so would not be without sin the more because Christ was born neither according to the Will of the Flesh nor according to the Will of Man and consequently had not the principle of Sin in him § 79. Seing then that Christ did take upon him the Manhood of Adam that so he might thereby redeem Sinners from their sins It was also necessary that Christ should suffer that for Sinners by which they were to beamended Now this amendment was to be through death as it is said Gen. 2.17 Dying thou shalt dye and Rom. 5.12 By Sin â—ame Death Now tho' death be the punishment and consequent of Sin yet doth this Punishment tend to the bettering of the Sinner For no punishment if duly administred can aim at any thing but the bettering of the Transgressor and the bringing of him off from his former ways Verily no Father will Punish his Child nor any equal Judge a Transgressor but with intent to Frighten him from his Wickedness and to make him the better for it If then a Worldly Judge does by Punishment aim at the reclaiming of Transgressors from their evil ways how much more then shall the most perfect Being which is Righteousness it self by punishing sinners design their amendment and the making â—hem to desist from their Unrighteousness 〈◊〉 Punishment then only in Order to the Conversion of the sinner from his sin and â—hereby to reunite him to the Image of God And is Christ the only one that â—n relieve Sinners according to § 73. â—4 And did he to that very end take Manâ—ood upon him according to § 77. and â—articularly that very Manhood from â—hence all Mankind are descended according to § 78. that so by his becoming man all men might be delivered from sin and reunited to the Image of God again then must Christ needs have undergone that by which the Evil must be amended and the sinner again be made one with theâ— Image of God unto which there is no coming but through Death according to § 66.67 Wherefore seing that Christ is the Saviour or the only one that can free us from sin he could do it by no other means or in no other way nor deliver us from the yoak and bondage of Sin but by suffering Death If now the Pious Reader well weighs what we have in this Chapter shewed concerning the Image of God where in it consists of what use and advantage it is unto man who this Image oâ— God is viz. Christ and that this Imagâ— of God alone is he who alone can free the sinner from Sin and that in Ordeâ— to it he was to take upon him thâ— Nature of Man and to suffer Death wâ— cannot in the least doubt but that hâ— will be fully satisfied and Believe noâ— from Tradition but from Knowledgâ— and Assurance that Christ alone anâ— none other but he is the only Saviour and that out of him there is no Salvation to be Obtained as also that so long as a Man has not recovered the Image of God so long darkness bears Rule in him CHAP. IV. Of the Soul or Life of Man § 80. AS Man in the state wherein he was Created by God had in him the Divine Image so God also bestowed upon him a Soul or Life which differs from the Image of God and cannot be taken for one and the same Essence For if we consider the Properties of the Spirit or Divine Image and what excellent Prerogatives and Advantages it affords Man as hath been shewed § 53 54 55 and 56. and on the other hand reflect how few at this day are possessed of the Image of God tho' they have a Soul or Life we shall not need any other Argument besides that of daily Experience to convince us that the Spirit or Image of God differs from the Soul or Life of Man according to what hath been declared § 39. § 81. In order therefore to our being informed what the Soul of Man is it will be necessary to enquire into the Properties of it Now the Properties of the Soul are that it Reasoneth or Discourseth Understandeth Willeth is self-Conscious and as long as it is joined to the Body doth uphold and continually guide and govern the same according to its Will and the like That these are the properties of the Soul every one finds in himself and is conscious of it if he be considerative and reflects upon his own Actions For as to Bodies they can neither Discourse nor move themselves as is visible in dead Cankasses So that these forementioned Qualities are no Properties of the Body but of the Soul because when the Soul Operates no longer in the Body these Properties cease also § 82. In Order therefore to make some Discovery of the Nature of the Soul from these its Properties it will be necessary that we consider every one of them apart that so from these we may be able to inferr or conclude what kind of Essence that is from whence they flow For as a Tree is known by his Fruit so may other things be known by their Effects In the first Place then The Property of the Soul is that She Discourseth and Vnderstands that is that the things that are present with her or represented to her from without are considered or weighed by her whether they be Good or Evil to her Profit or Loss and such like Moreover those things whereof the Soul Reasoneth or Discourseth must be either throughly known to her or in part for of things she is altogether ignorant of she cannot Discourse at all And if the things she Discourseth about be either throughly or in Part known by her then hath she also a Comprehension or Understanding of them and what she doth Comprehend she hath also an Image or Idea of as hath been shewed § 15. Now this Image or Comprehension and the Souls considering and Pondering of the same takes up no Room at all in her because a man comprehends many thousands of things without encreasing the bulk of his Body notwithstanding that the things he comprehends be much greater than it Whence it is evident that Reasoning and Understanding take up no space how great or ample soever the thing may be that is comprehended or understood But on the contrary that the Understanding can comprehend great things as well as little and consequently that she is neither great nor little Now that which is neither great nor small and yet comprehends things great and small cannot be Corporeal but Spiritual forasmuch as all Bodies are either great or small What hath been said here of Reasoning or Understanding the same may be said of the other Properties For to be self conscious is to reflect and be convinced that we have done or omitted these or the the other things Now this Conviction is not any thing that is Bodily but a Spiritual Being because there can be no Conviction without a Comprehension or Understanding of the Matter we are convinced of So
word Now that the Body may become spiritual as to be invisible and to penetrate other Bodies we may learn from our Saviour whose Body after his Resurrection was so spiritual that when the Disciples had shut the Doors upon them for fear of the Jews he notwithstanding entred and stood in the midst of them Ioh. 20.19 26. Which is not specified in Scripture to no purpose but to teach us that our Bodies must be made spiritual even as Christ had made his such Not that we are to understand here that Christ by vertue of his Divine Nature made his Body thus spiritual for this hath no place here nor must we have recourse to the Divine Omnipotence for if there were not a Principle of spiritualization or being made spiritual in all Bodies God himself would never make Bodies spiritual Our Saviour therefore was willing to teach us by his spiritual Body that we as being his Members and followers shall obtain such a spiritual Body as soon as we are perfectly and wholly dead And therefore the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. That it the Body is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power A Natural properly Soulish Body is sown but it is raised a Spiritual Body And V. 53. For this Corruption must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality Which ways of Expression do plainly intimate to us that that which is bodily must become spiritual and if it can be made spiritual then consequently its Principle must be a spiritual Being That the Water is a spiritual Essence I have shewed in my Observations concerning Man § 20. But forasmuch as it hath been shewed § 97.98 That all Creatures consist of a Fiery and Watry Essence and that these Essences are spiritual according to § 100.101 102. It follows that the Essentiality of Bodies cannot be Annihilated Because the Essentiality from whence Bodies Originally do proceed hath been in God without beginning Of which see more § 24.25 and 85. § 104. Seing therefore tha the Creatures have their Original from these two spiritual Essences the next thing we are to enquire into is What difference there is betwixt the Fiery and Watry Essence It hath been shewed § 100. that Fire is the Life of all Creatures that is that which supports and upholds them in their Efficiency or Activity To the end therefore that we nay know wherein the Watry Essence differs from the Fiery it will be necessary for us to enquire a little into the nature of the Watry Essence It is known by Experience that the Fire and Water are two Essences that stand opposite to each other that is the Fire Warms and the Water Cools so that the Water hath a contrary Operation or Efficiency to Fire for as the Fiery essence quickens so the Watry kills or is the Cause of Death And thus much daily Experience teacheth us for when Cold which partakes of the nature of the Watry Essence gets the Dominion and bears sway then Death follows Moreover that the Watry Essence inclines to Rest and Death in opposition to the Vivifying Fiery Essence may be hence discernible because the Watry cooling and Refrigerating Essence hath Dominion in the Night as the Fiery in the Day This being the Order which God hath established in the World viz. That the Sun which is a Fiery Being should Rule or have Dominion over the Day and the Moon over the Night Gen. 1.16 And for as much as the Moon is Refrigerative or Cooling like the Water and hath Dominion over the Water as hath been shewed in our Observations concerning Man § 25. Consequently it must be of the nature of Water Seing therefore that the Moon is of the Watry Essence and hath Dominion over the Night and that the Night causeth Rest and Sleep as hath been shewed in the aforesaid Observations § 26. and that Sleep is Death in a less degree as hath been shewed in our Observations § 32. from all this I say it follows that the Watry Essence must be Operative of sleep and death From what hath been said we may also understand the contrary Observation of the Water to that of the Fiery Essence For as Heat and Cold Life and Death are opposite to one another so likewise is Light and Darkness Now it is evident that Light proceeds from the Fiery Essence and therefore by consequence the Watry Essence must excite Darkness because Fire and Water are contrary to each other and therefore we must conclude that the contrary Effects of Light and Darkness are the Product of their opposite Essences § 105. Now that the Watry Essence includes Darkness in it self the Moon will inform us which being a Watry Essence Rules or bears Dominion by Night over the Darkness and therefore must partake of Darkness For where there is a Dominion there must also â—e a Union or Communication with that which is Ruled and where there is a Union there must be also a Participation of the same Nature Furthermore it is evident from the Creation that the Watry Essence doth partake of the Darkness for Gen. 1.1 2. It is said that in the beginning God Created the Heaven and Earth Where Moses intimates to us through or by whom Created the World viz. in or through the Beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Principle or Beginning as it is said John 1.1 And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word viz. Jesus Christ the Creator of Heaven and Earth and John in the same place expresly tells us And that Moses Gen. 1.1 intimates to us by whom God Created the Word is evident from hence because when God Created the World there was not yet any Beginning of time Besides what Wisdom can there otherwise be found in these Words when it is said that in the beginning God Created Heaven and Earth if by the Beginning be meant only the beginning of time which can signifie no more than this that when God Created the World he did Create it For all Men know that every thing must have a Beginning of Being that thing which it is when it is first produced this is self evident neither can it be said of any thing after that it is Created that it shall yet be Created So that there would be not only no Wisdom in these Words of Moses but not so much as any passable Sence should we take them in the meaning according to which most men now a days do apprehend them But what is more the Words will not so much as contain a Truth if by in the Beginning we understand the Beginning of time for time is nothing else but a Limitation we conceive in our thoughts either according to the Course of the Sun or the motion of any other thing from one place to another Now where there is a Limitation
such a Name is given When therefore the Holy Scripture makes a difference betwixt Spirits and Spirits by giving them divers Names ought not we to conclude that these different Denominations signifie the various Properties and Operations of Spirits as well as the Names of visible and Tangible Substances do express their Properties and Operations To what purpose therefore is it to make this Childish evasion here concerning Spirits in a matter which is a Received Truth in all other natural things viz. That names are given to things to distinguish them in their Operations from one another But these are the Fruits of our Modern Carnality we will know of nothing but what is bodily because we are altogether ignorant of what is Spiritual But that the Angels have their different Operations is evident from the Revelations where we find a description of several Angels and their different Operations Neither do the Angels only differ thus but continual Experience also teacheth us that the Lives or fiery Spirits of the Creatures do differ from one another in their Operations for all Lives do not bring forth the same kind of Bodies but as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5. All Flesh is not the same Flesh c. and why so but because the Lives which form the Flesh and Body as may be seen in the Observations concerning Man § 37.38.39 have not all of them the same Efficiency § 107. And as all Fiery Spirits or Lives have not the same Efficiency so neither are the watry dark or refrigerating Essences of one operation as hath been shewed in the said Observation § 28 and 33. The Holy Scripture also Informs us that the Watry Essence consists of many different Spirits for since according to § 105. the Watry Essence and the Darkness are one and the Scripture asserts the Darkness to be an Essence and not a mere nothing seing that it hath its own proper Operations as appears Rom. 13.12 Let us cast off the Works of Darkness and Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness Which proves that Darkness is a Being because it hath its peculilar Operations and what these works of Darkness are hath been shewed § 105. Neither hath the Darkness only an Efficiency of its own but consists also of many Spirits which have their Government and Governours as will be evident by comparing the following Places Luke 22. 53. our Saviour saith This is the Power of Darkness viz. That whereby the Seed of the Serpent should bruise his heel And this Power of Darkness our Savoiour calls John 12.31 and 14.30 the Prince of this World which Prince Eph. 2.2 is called the Prince of the Power of the Aire the Prince of the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience And V. 3. tells us that the operations of this Spirit are the Lusts of the Flesh Whence it appears that this Spirit hath Communion with the Spirit of Darkness Moreover the Apostle Attributes to the Flesh viz. To the Spirit of Darkness which Rules the Flesh a Will and Thoughts And therefore when the Apostle saith Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood he thereby intimates to us that it is not our outward Flesh and Blood that puts this force upon us but the Spirit that Rules this Flesh and therefore he immediatly Subjoins But against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual wickedness in high Places And these Spirits of Darkness the Apostle calls Acts 26.18 Darkness and the Power of Satan c. § 108. From all which we conclude that seing that all Bodily things are the Product of the Watry Essence § 97. and that the Watry or Dark Essence hath its Spirits § 107. and the Watry is opposite to the Fiery Essence § 104. and that Man consists of the these two Essences § 90.96 c. that consequently he must have in him Spirits of Darkness as well as Spirits of Light which deserves well to be noted by us for as much as hereafter it will make way for our understanding the Stile or manner of Expression used in Holy Scripture § 109. But it may be Queried here seing that Man consists of these two Spiritual Essences and that they are opposite to each other how then can there be any Union between them so as to Co-operate towards and bring forth one Birth This Difficulty will be easily removed if first we consider what Vnity is Know we therefore that two Bodies tho' they differ in their Nature may notwithstanding be united together and Co-operate in Unity viz. when the one of them is made subject to the other and in all respects complies with its Operations so as that the one be Passive and the other Active And if such a Unity as we have now described were not between the Fiery and Watry Essence nothing in the World could be able to subsist or operate any thing And therefore our Saviour saith Math 6. 24. No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon That is the one or the other of them must have Dominion but cannot both bear sway at once And to the same purpose the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 6.14 that unbelief cannot have the Dominion in Conjunction with Faith what Communion hath Light with Darkness As if he should say it is not possible that both these should bear sway together for being contrary to each other the one must bear Rule over the other before that they can be united Now that there is a Union between these two in Nature we find by experience because as long as the fiery Life of each Creature doth perform its ordinary working the Creature cannot in any of the Members of its Body suffer any putrefaction or Mortification but as soon as the Life of a Creature is either over-ruled by another or ceaseth from its wonted Operation then the Watry Essence gets the Dominion and causeth Death and Corruption in the said Bodies turning them to Worms c. But some Perhaps will object that I have said § 90. That no two things of a different Original can be united and how then these two viz. Light and Darkness can be united seing they are contrary to one another To which I answer first that it is a Fundamental Truth that two things of a different Original cannot be united but this is not the case here for we do not say that Light and Darkness have a different Original but only that they have a contrary working Yea quite contrarily we do assert that tho' Light and Darkness be contrary to each other in operation yet that they are of one Original and therefore can be united together Now that the Light and Darkness or the Fiery and Watry Essence have one Original we may know by this because the Light comes out of the Darkness
Emanation of Life because it can prolong the Lives of Children The same may also be experienced in a contrary Efficiency of the Life viz. In a hatred mixt with fear or in a Faith mixt with doubt as may easily and plainly be found in such as are young Persons coupled with old Wives or Husbands and are desirous of their Deaths For at the very same time that they earnestly desire to be rid of them they continually have secretly lurking in their minds and incessant belief or perswasion which is an efficient power of the Life that they will not dye whereby the hated is prolonged to a very old Age. For at the very same time that the young one earnestly desireth the death of the old one the life of the young one works a Faith or Belief which preserves the old one alive So that it is by their doubting that their own proper love life and faith do all co-operate together These and such like emanations of love and hatred many have experienced and have been sensible of but never could conceive what should be the Reason thereof which indeed was this viz. because from their youth they have been filled with other Carnal Corporeal and contrary desires and notions Quest 10. Can it be made out plainly and in the consequent Effect thereof even to the outward Senses that the life of Man can destroy another life or body either wholly or in part and immediatly form another new one in all its parts which hath no similitude with the former Answ Yes this cannot be denied because experience and Observation hath and doth evince it by manifold Instances whereof we will here insert one Narration relating to the change of an intire part of anothers Body The Example is this A certain Woman being with Child and neär her time in searching for something amongst old Raggs happened unexpectedly to touch with her Thumb the dried foot of a Hare which unknown to her lay amongst those Raggs which so affrightned her that she immediatly or soon after fell into labour and was delivered of a Child whose Thumb of its right Hand was changed into a Hares Foot perfect in all its parts as having all about it haire and divided into Claws with sharp Nails at the end of them c. Quest 11. How can it be proved and made out that persons deceased dead and gone do come to be born again and to appear in this world so as to be plainly discerned by their outward shape and features Answ This is and may be very evidently perceived in some places as great Cities of Trade where Persons of several Nations happen to be joyned together in Marriage as for example in Flanders whither are transported old swarthy Portugal Merchants who Marry with Young clear white Flemish Women And then it is frequently observed that these swarthy Men get many fair and clear Daughters by their Wives for by the way observe that the reason why they get rather Daughters then Sons is because old Men do commonly bear greater love to young Women then young Women do to old Men Now when these white Flemish Womens Daughters are grown up and Married to white Flemish men and are gotten with Child by them then will the Neighbour Citizens know by experience and cry that the old Portugeese Grand-father will then appear or be born again in that Child and accordingly it generally happens that that Child in all its parts resembleth the swarthy Portugees its Grand-father This is also often seen in a wise Father who begets a foolish Son and that Foolish Son begets a wise Son afterwards so as the wisdom of he Grand-father comes to appear in the Grand-son the same may be observed as to all other parts both of body and mind betwixt such Relations Moreover the like is also sometime experienced by very old persons that have lived to see four Generations descended from them how that the Grand and great Grand-fathers have appeared in their Off-spring even to the third and fourth Generation So that from hence we may in part understand what is said in Deut. 5.8 9 10. Where God strengthens his Commandment with this Reason For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the sins of the Parents unto the third and fourth Generation c. Quest 12. Whether the first Sin comittedted by Adam and Eve whereby they subjected themselves to the fleshly body be Infinite Answ No Their Sin could not be infinite because their understanding was but finite Quest 13. Is there then any number or Measure to be assigned whereby the Fall of Adam and Eve wherein they became Bodily and Carnal can be cleared and understood Answ Yes there is and the same is the Number Four for each of them consisted of two Beigns viz. Male and Female as all and every one fo Mankind doth every Man hath the Male nature as predominant in him and besides that he hath the Female Nature also So is it likewise with the Woman who hath the Female Nature predominant in her and likewise the Male Nature in her too And accordingly the Lord saith Gen. 1.27 That he had Created Adam and Eve Male and Female viz. In each person so that altogether make up the Number Four And therefore their Children and all their Posterity were to consist of Four Essences as being their Off-Spring And therefore for this Reason they could not sin beyond that Number whence it is said Exod. 20.5 also Ch. 34.7 Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the Childrens Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation c. Quest 14. How long a terme of time therefore was necessary for Adam and Eve to repent of and to suffer for their Sins and to attain to a restitution and a recovery Answ Both of them together require four Thousand Years because as was said they consisted of four Essences and accordingly the Psalmist saith in Psal 90.3 4. c. Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest return ye Children of men for a thousand years are but as yesterday c. Which place of the Psalms is also cited by St. Peter in 2 Peter ch 3. v. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thousand Years and a thousand years as one day c. Quest 15. From whence may we begin the Computation of the Thousand Years of the life of these four Essences Answ From the perfect number Ten beyound which we cannot Number also all men must consist of the Number Ten thu considered viz. his four Essences are as abovesaid two Male and two Female and the Subdivision of the two Male is into five out-working Powers an five likewise of the Female which make 10. to which also doth correspond the two Lobes of the Brain the right as being the Male working-out Images or Ideas and the left receiving them and then when thus compleated and born as it were are they sent into the little Brain which is the Root of all the
being as many as were necessary to the compleating of this World Answ Neither can this reasonably be denied by any one who rightly comprehends the Hypothesis here laid down Quest 25. After that this perfect number of Mankind had been fully accomplished in being all born and brought forth and that the generality of them was fallen into wickedness whether hereupon it was not necessary that their days should be shortned and reduced to 120 Years as it is in Gen. 6.3 to the end that their wickedness by this means might be shortned also For in case they should have lived many hundred Years as before this accurtation then their wickedness would have increased to that degree that the predestinated or appointed time of the Worlds duration could not have allowed room for sufficient Revolutions or Regenerations wherein men might come to suffer for their evil deeds which the Scripture tells us Rom. 6. v. 2.7 and 1 Pet. 1.17 and Rev. 14.13 and ch 20.13 must follow them and have the same measure meeted out to them which they have measured to others Mat. 7.2 Mark 4.24 Luke 6.38 Rev. 13.10 to the end that having at last through manifold sufferings and dyings altogether subjected and spiritualized their Bodies Elohim might attain his designed end and purpose Ans No sound and understanding Theologue can or will disallow of the affirmative to this Question Quest 26. What is the reason of the Law expressed in Deut. 23.2 A Bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to his tenth Generation c. For by a Bastard here is properly to be understood a Child born in Adultery of a married Wife Now as in this case the uniting or Marriage-band of the aforesaid Number of Ten is broken as appears in a foregoing Question whether I say accordingly this Bastard who formerly also must have been an Adulterer and whose works must follow him and the same measure must be meeted to him again which he hath measured to another as the above cited Scriptures tell us must not die and be born again ten times in order to his obtaining to the perfect number viz. From one to ten which he had lost by his Adultery and may not this be illustrated by this following Simile viz. Suppose that a good Gardner having in his Garden many wild Olive Trees and amongst the rest should be one planted and ingrafted at several times with ten of its own Scions every one being the product of a former Ingrafting he having ingrafted them still higher and higher in hopes that from his tenth perfect or full grown Scion he should have sufficient wherewith to ingraft all his other wild Olive-Trees and by this means obtain many good Fruits from them every Ingrafting being a death nothing being bettered but by loosing its former life which is a Death by which they become gradually better and better now should this Gardner take a journey and at his return find this Tree either stoln or removed or cut down which he had Ingrafted ten times before and another wild Olive Tree planted in its stead would not this good Gardener in all probability take the same coursewith this new strange and changed wild Olive Tree by endeavouring to Graft it likewise ten several times in order to its Melioration as he did to the former Answ Surely Yes I have observed and found in one of the greater sort of Figgs about 666 several Seeds Now if any person would take into consideration one of the said Seeds he would find that naturally it consists of three parts Also he will find that the first is the Body which is the outward visible and mortal part wherein there lies hidden two immortal and Spiritual principles or Beings which former and produced the first part viz. the Body by drawing nourishment from the Earth The Second part is the Watry Female Spiritual and immortal substance out of which is produced the first mortal part viz. the Body The third part is a Fiery Powerful Male Spiritual and immortal Being which is the chief Work-master of his Body and that out of the second Female waterish Principle It is not easily to be denyed that the two Spiritual parts of the above-written Seeds Should not contain hidden in their inward essential and spiritual parts a perfect Figg-Tree with Figgs and Seeds to be brought forth in due time when sown then they will manifest Trees Fruits and Seeds and so in sew Years would bring forth and multiply an incomprehensible number of Trees which neither this World nor others besides would be able to contain them But the All-wise Creator who made this World hath so perfectly Created and ordered it that there is neither too much nor too little in it So that none of the smallest Creatures can vanish to nothing not one excepted by reason that all the parts are necessary to make up a whole So that it was necessary that the Creator should Create so many Seeds Figgs and Trees as the Earth should have need to bring forth for this whole World and no more it not being as some think that some parts can go to nothing when they are burned or corrupted Now because some are too corporeally and fleshly darkened in their minds and understandings they cannot discern that the Spiritual part abovesaid cannot be lost nor die because the Spiritual part is the former and maintainer of the Bodies Should any one read this and also seriously take into his consideration what stands in Gen. 3.22 And Adam called his wifes name Eve or Chavah because she was the Mother of all living He would readily grant that it would be impossible that any man could have his Being and not have it from her or not to be a partaker of hers Now let it be remarked that all that is abovesaid doth by a natural Analogy describe also how Man together with all other Animal Creatures and Beings are produced propagated and Multiplyed our Saviour himself using a Similitude of this sort for this very purpose in Mat. 12.24 Certain QVERIES to be yet added I. WHether if Adam and Eve had not transgressed and fallen would there have been need of a Temple or Worship therein they then worshipping God according to that in 4. John v. 23.24 in Spirit and in Truth and consequently were not they therefore as Christ said of himself Mat. 12.6 c. greater then the Temple II. Whether if Adam had not fallen would not Eve have conceived Spiritually as the Blessed Virgin did viz. By the power of the Holy Ghost III. Whether seing that a Temple was commanded to be Built did it not represent the Whole Man viz. The Holy of Holies representing the inward Spiritual Man which is the Temple wherein God appears to Man for to assist and help him for his Good IV. Whether if the Temple did represent Man ought it not therefore to be built according to the Measures of Man whom it did represent V. Whether if the Temple was 46 years in
discourse a little about it whether it be propable that it is so or not Cebes That would be very acceptable to me and I should with great satisfaction hear your Opinion concerning these Matters Soc. I trust no body hearing us discoursing of these things will report of us that we spend the time in vain and unprofitable talk If you think good therefore and it may not be thought improper for us to search into this Matter let us first of all enquire and consider whether the Soul of the deceased do exist after this life or not There is an Old Proverb now comes into my mind which saith That Souls as they go from hence thither so they also come hither from thence and return from the Dead If this now be true that the Living proceed or come out of the Dead then our Souls must have been something formerly there for had they been nothing they could never have returned thence and this is a sufficient token that it is so if we can prove that the Living proceed from no where else than from the Dead But if this cannot be proved we must produce some other Argument Ceb. Very right Soc. We may trace this not only in Man but if we desire to understand it more clearly in Animals also and Plants and in a Word in every thing that is born or generated wheether all things be not Generated in such a manner as that one contrary always proceeds from the other For instance that which is Beautiful is contrary to that which is Vgly or deformed that which is Just to that which is Vnjust Let us therefore consider whether every thing that hath a contrary doth not of necessity proceed from nothing else but from that its contrary As when a thing grows greater it of necessity grows greater out of that which is less Ceb. That is very true Soc. In like manner if any thing grows less is it not out of something that before was greater Ceb. Certainly so Soc. That which is weaker doth it not become so out of that which was stronger Ceb. Yes Surely Soc. Also when any thing grows worse is it not out of something that was better if just is not out of unjust Ceb. Plainly Soc. Wherefore it appears that it happens thus to all thing Viz. That one contrary still proceeds from the other Ceb. It does so Soc. Again is there not also some such like thing between both these contrary Beings by means whereof the one is Born or proceeds from the other As betwixt Great and Little there is encrease and decrease and of the one we say that it encreaseth and of the other that it decreaseth Ceb. It is so Soc. And is not the case the same in Dividing and joyning or mingling and when any thing grows cold or warm Yet so as that every thing comes forth from its contrary and that there happens a birth out of one contrary into the other out of this into that and again out of that into this Ceb. There does so Soc. Now then is there no contrary that answers to the word to Live as to the word to watch or be awake belongs that of Sleeping as the contrary to being awake Ceb. Ay certainly Soc. What is then the contrary or opposit of to Live Ceb. Why to Dye or to be Dead So. Do not these therefore proceed from each other seing that they are contrary or opposite to one another And seing these be two things are there not two Births between them both Ceb. I conceive so Soc. Now from these Primitive Words do proceed Derivative and Analogous Denominations I shall give you the Explication of one of these and do you give me the same of the other I say then that to sleep and to be awake are contrary to one another and that out of waking comes sleeping and again out of sleeping waking and that between both these to slumber and awake are set as intervening Births Are you satisfied or not Ceb. You have fully satisfied me Soc. Do you the same then of Life and Death Dost not thou say that these are contrary Ceb. Ay verily Soc. and that the one is born out of the other Ceb. Even so Soc. What grows or proceeds then from the Living Ceb. The Dying or that which is Dead Soc. And that out of that which is Dead Ceb. Thence of necessity the Living must proceed Soc. Well then the Living proceed from the Dead Ceb. That is evident Soc. And if so our departed Souls are some where Ceb. It should seem so Soc. And is not one of these Births manifest viz. Dying Ceb. it is so Soc. What shall we say then of the other contrary shall Nature be lame or defective in this point only or must we grant something that is contrary to being Dead Ceb. Surely we must Soc. And pray what is that Ceb. To become alive again Soc. If this be so there must of necessity be a return from the Dead to life again Ceb. There must so See It appears then from this Argument or Reason that the Living proceed from the Dead as well as the Dead come of the Living And if this be true we may with sufficient ground Conjecture from hence that the Souls of the Deceased must of necessity be somewhere from whence they return Ceb. It appears plainly to me O Socrates that this must follow from what hath been above grantetd Soc. Consider dear Cebes that what we have before granted was not without good ground for except the one did continually follow upon the neck of the other and so went round as in a Circle but that all things did in a straight line tend to their contraries without returning thence again then must all things finally terminate in one form and quality and Generation must cease Ceb. What do you say Socrates Soc. What I say is somewhat difficult to be understood as for instance if one should say that men fall asleep but never wake again out of that sleep then all things would come to that one contrary so that what is storied of Endymcon would be no longer a ridiculous Fable and that he never appeared afterwards seeing that all must at last in like manner fall asleep and continue so And if all things should be mingled together and never more be divided or separated that of Anaxagoras would sometime or other suddenly befall us who held that all things should once be hurled into confusion In like manner Dear Cebes if this be the case that whatsoever hath received life must dye and what is once dead continues so without ever returning to life again then of necessity it must at last come to this that all things be dead and that no living thing be left for if any thing proceeds out of any thing that is living and that living thing Dies what then shall hinder but that all must be swallowed up by Death at last Ceb. Nothing verily for your words O Socrates seem very true Soc. And such indeed they appear likewise to me O Cebes neither do we pretend this as being mistaken but it is in very deed so as Springing up from a Resuscitation that out of the Dead come the Living and that deceased Souls do still exist and that it goes well with the Good and ill with the Wicked Socrates proceeded in his Discourse concerning the Immortality of the Soul and declared how that all Sciences we learn outwardly from others lay hid before in the inmost ground of Man and by means of outward Objects and Applications were only excited or awakened in us and brought to our memories FINIS