beginning in the Hebrew Tongue shewing at large Man's Creation in Innocency the Law that was given him in that state and likewise how he erred from the Law and thereby became a subject of the Power of Darkness droven from the Eternal Glory into the Curse whereby the whole Creation became a Curse unto him which at first also were blessed of the Pure Eternal Brightness unto Him for saith the Record When He had made all things speaking of the Eternal Power He saw that they were good and blessed them whence you may all understand as Man remains in the state of Corruption all the Creation which he accounts his Good Blessing and Happiness are assuredly unto him as his Curse his Evil and Bond of his Wo and Misery In knowledge of which you may all come to savour and relish the blessedness of my Salvation of you all now forwarding you in all willingness of the Spirit of Truth to the Way and the Conducter which is able to guide and lead you all in the same true Way out of Sin and save and redeem you from Corruption which was the cause of the Curse into the Holiness Purity and Incorruption that all your Kings Princes Rulers People Cattle and all created things may become every-where blessed they unto you and you unto them that the Glory may be with and in all as it was in the beginning even henceforth and for ever and for evermore Amen Answ In which Illustration of the way of Redemption from Sin and Curse that it brought I discover the first step of Order and Principle to the True Worship which is to bow down To bow down in Heart Mind and Soul to that Light of the glorious eternal Sun which is given into your Souls for a Law a Guide and a Leader Turn all your minds unto the Light in your Consciences which discovereth in all your secret thoughts the things that are evil sinful and beastly and not of the nature of the Holy and Glorious One and when-ever you find in your secret thoughts the power of Corruption and Darkness tempting to draw you resignedly and resolvedly into verbal or actual Sin and Transgression which is contrary to the Law and way of the holy and incorruptible measure of the Light of your Immortal Souls Take ye that Light for the guide of your minds and in so doing you will come to feel a War of the two Powers in you that as the Power of Corruption and Darkness which is of the flesh fleshly doth tempt you shewing you the Delights Profits and Pleasures of that Evil unto which it tempteth you the Power of the Light which is of the Spirit spiritually will stand up against it representing unto you the Evil of the thing the Cursedness of the thing and the end of the Evil which causeth a Separation from the true Life of Glory and Salvation So here standing in the Power of the true Guide it winneth the Soul and begetteth it into a greater Love and Affection with the Incorruptible Life and Glory than with the Abomination and Evil which causeth Everlasting Darkness Ignorance and Seperation from the Glory which endureth to all Eternity Thus Man enclining himself drawing his mind more and more from out of all that which cursed is into the Light and Power of Salvation within him comes to be delivered from all Evil For to this every mans Conscience shall affirmatively answer me That in the Light of the Soul that cometh from the Glorious Eternal Sun never was any Sin or Evil committed but out of it and contrary to it every act of Transgression hath been done and wrought by all men wherefore if all men take that for the true Way which is not of the nature of Darkness and the same for the true Guide and Conducter which is not of the nature of Sin but in its nature contrary to all Sin giving up their Souls alwayes to be led in it and guided by it this must needs lead all from and out of all things which are sinful and corruptible into its proper Life and Nature by its vertuous Power operating in the inward parts for except it could save and deliver from all Sin then it could not appear to be a Vertue of the Eternal Creator or else that the Power of Darkness hath gotten such a Supremacy that it 's become greater than the Power of Light that created all things which can never be that it should so come to passe because the Power of Light is Eternal even from Eternity to Eternity but the Power of Darkness came in in time and therefore of necessity must also have an end in time and so appears to be infinitly the lesser power and seeing its end must come I hereby direct all Souls unto the Way and Power by which it is to be brought to an end to know the End thereof within themselves even in every mans particular Soul And the Power that is to end it must be a Power that is in nature opposit unto it else it must alwayes be strengthened and never come to be ended Now the Power that is opposit in Nature Vertue and Operation unto Darkness is the Light which as aforesaid convinceth in the inward parts of all Evil yet a little to illustrate its deliverance of the Soul from all Evil in this lowly and uncovered manner I shew That the Light in the Conscience convinceth of the crime of cursing words the which being loved owned and delighted in the Convincement delivers from the Evil that it convinceth of through begetting a shamefulness and hatred in the Soul against the Crime and a pure love unto the vertue of the Thing that is found in nature quality and property in opposition to the Crime from which the Soul is delivered and here in the sence of this Deliverance in measure from Sin ariseth a little hope of Redemption which placeth a grain or seed of Trust and Confidence in the ground of this Deliverance from one Sin which though the Faith in that state be but like a grain of Mustard Seed yet mark the end of that Faith for in a pure Belief through the experience that the Soul hath found in the Light strengtheneth it self in an holy Love and Enclination to follow the pure Motions of it in all things in which Faith working by Love it comes to find the perfect Effect that as the Light was obeyed in the least appearance which accordingly delivered from the least Sin the same being obeyed loved and followed in every appearance whereas it is pure perfect powerful and of the nature of the Immutable Creature cannot alter from its Nature Property and Vertue of saving and delivering from all Sin So then this is the End of that grain of Faith which is sown in the Light it removes from the Oppressed Soul the Rocks and Mountains of Sin and Corruption under which it is pressed down and breaks the Chains of Transgression wherein it is bound in captivity and
Element for if a burning Coal of Fire be cast into Water it becomes quenched by the Water or if a Drop of Water be cast into a great Flame of Fire it consumes to nought in a moment therefore it is not the visible Sun that gives the Fishes their being in the Seas nor yet Man his life upon the Earth but the visible Sun as aforesaid together with the Fishes and all other Creatures was made a servant unto Man unto whom all things unto this day are so continued that he having the service of all things visible yea of the Glory of the Winds which is an invisible Creature attending him with sustentation according to the Providence of the Glorious Eternal Wisdom should with his whole soul seek and feel after his Creator to attain unto the true knowledge of Him therein to worship Him with all Thanksgiving Glory Honour Obedience and Praise who as he made every thing to serve his Body into which his Glorious Wisdom infused a perfect and upright Soul which was the greatest of all Glories that in the beginning were created in how much it had a true resemblance in invisible manner of the Invisible Power and Glory that created it of which none other creature had the like could not expect lesse from Man than that he should worship and serve his Eternal Goodness with every Faculty of that Soul which He put into him But yet I draw nearer to the most certain and true Witness in every Conscience of Mankind to remonstrate a little the Glory of the most Glorious Sun of the Soul shewing how it is a Glory in the most Glorious Part where the external and visible Sun reacheth not to enlighten nor shine about That so in a little measure discerning the Excellency of the One in Glory exceeding the Other you may come to know aright the True Living Eternal Wise and Supream Power which ruleth and reigneth over all things In proceed whereof it is to be apprehended That the Soul and Mind of Man is the most noble part of Man in as much as every Member of the Body is acted as a continual Servant in Obedience to the Motions of the Soul and Mind of Man and also because the Soul is the Immortal Part being not formed of a dead substance as the Body was of the Earth which returneth to Earth but of an inspiring Breath of Life that for ever abides in a quick and feeling state the which Soul being taken out of the Body leaves it as aforesaid to a Conversion unto its first Mould Wherefore seeing the visible Sun only enlightens the Eye of flesh which is the servile part and reacheth no further to shine about a Man than without a Man from which a Garment Shelter or House is able to shade Cannot be the Supream Power and Glory But the Eternal Sun of the Soul shines into the Soul and enlightens the Inward Parts and searcheth the Heart and tryeth every secret Thought and is secret unto all things as having perfect knowledge of all things from which nothing can be hid For let a Man ascend to the Skyes it will reach him and search his dark heart there or if he go down into the Deeps it will follow him and be with him there and when the visible Sun is set and gone down under the Horizon even at Midnight the Light of the Soul can rip up every word and work in the inward secret thoughts of Sin and Evil done and committed by a Man and call the Soul to witness with it which brings a Judgement and Condemnation in the Conscience that smites a Man with Fear and Trembling within himself which the visible Sun in the Firmament cannot do for a Man may commit Beastliness and Murder whilst the visible Sun shines on him which he cannot do in Countenance nay nor without Condemnation of the Light of the Sun of the Soul and therefore the visible Sun must needs appear to be infinitly short of the Glory of the Invisible Light that created all things Again If the visible Sun had created the invisible Soul of Man then must it also search and save it and so be the greater Power and of a Nature doing all things which all may know that it is not so for in its proper nature as a single Creature it doth but serve in the things afore-mentioned not blowing any Wind nor raining any Water nor can it so much as drive back one Cloud of all that the VVind bloweth over it and so shaketh not the Trees nor troubleth the Seas which the storms of Wind do all which are created ruled and governed by the Eternal Power and Sun of the Soul of whom I speak but as a Child and Suckling He being in his Power Wisdom and Glory Infinite and Incomprehensible Yet in His Light I shew that although the Soul of Man is so inferiour to Him that the Souls of all Men in the Earth are comprehended of Him as a drop of Water in the Sea and as a Sand in the bottom thereof which every Man may feel within himself in his own particular Soul yet the low and poor Soul of Man reacheth to the heighth yea and far above the height of the prefixed Course and Circle of the visible Sun 's appointed daily Race So then the visible Sun as I have said reaching not within a man to search his Soul nay nor as it 's placed in the Firmament neither by Ray nor light of Ray thereof can enter so much as into divers Artificial places Caves or holes of Darkness made in the Earth through the Invention of the Soul of Man where the more servile part to wit the fleshly body of Man can enter being therefore in its glory so far yea and far more than I stand to mention below the poor Soul that it is infused by a Power into the body of Man Surely infinitly much more must it needs appear to be below the Glory of the Eternal Sun of the Soul and Power of the Creation by which the Soul was first made in His own likeness of Holiness and Innocency and comes again to be renewed into the same Image and Similitude to live in the invisible Glory of his most Glorious Life in the perfect Inheritance Fruition and Possession of his unspeakable Joyes and Pleasures for ever and evermore Now to the Purpose of the Universal and Everlasting Unity I am opened to speak of Three Properties of the Eternal Brightness That as all Men come to the Renovation into the first Similitude of Innocency and Union with their Maker in that Glory as the way is plainly and easily held forth unto all wherein they may so come to unite in their Maker as one sanctified Body for ever may see and sit down in the Joy of their happy Benefit therein 1. One Property of the Nature of the Holy One is Peace perfect Peace without ever having disquiet in himself All Souls therefore uniting to the principle of his Brightness in
consequently not to judge any man in any other way and manner or by any other Precept or Law than in and by that Law which judgeth and saveth themselves in the Inward Parts which still draws to the Similitude and preserves the Soul in the likeness of the Eternal Power and Wisdom that created it So then in case of Rebellious Subjects in a Land that would live in a lawless life of destruction of the King of Glorie's Creation wilfully and presumptuously in Lewdness Beastliness Violations or what other wickedness so ever Kings Pinces Rulers and Judges shall have no need to turn out their Minds from the Law within to search Books or Records of their Lands or Peoples without them to find a Law to judge such Transgressors by for that alienates and adulterates from the pure Similitude seeing the Creator cannot go out of Himself into Books without Him for a Law but keeping to the Inward Law of the Creator that preserves in the Glorious likeness and judging all in it and according to it answereth the same in all and leaves them without Excuse in the sight of the Eternal Searchers of all hearts in which Judgment they hold the Vnity with their Creator and stand justified before Him and by that of Him in all Consciences which answereth the Judgement of it Seeing therefore it is evident that the eternal Judge is but one and his Law but one the Judgement that is of Him in it is the Blessed State but that which is contrary to it is the Cursed State Moreover it may be plainly understood That he who made all Men in his own Eternal Wisdom certainly was and is the Wisest to make a Law for all Men that he created which in His Wisdom is evident He accordingly did decree and hath placed it in the Inwards near unto the most noble part of Man which ruleth all his Members to wit the Soul wherein all Transgression comes first to be conceived before any is ever brought to the birth So then he that altereth from his Law and maketh another Law to judge Men by contrary to that Law which his Creator hath placed near unto the most noble part of all Mankind and even in his own Conscience as well as in the Conscience of an another Creature that very Ruler stands in the Presumption adulterated and separated from his Creator shewing himself as if he had a Wisdom above his Creator to make a Law to judge his creatures by which is a most horrid Rebellion against his Creator and his holy and just Law Awake awake therefore O all ye Kings Princes Rulers and Judges upon the face of the whole Earth and answer your Creator in this true point of Judgement Now if the poor men should make forth their Convincement of the Truth saying We are perswaded of the Glory of the Truth of the Sun of the Soul for we experience it in the inward parts and can set our Seal to the Testimony thereof to be altogether Holy and Pure within us in which sence of the Love of our Creator towards us we are truly willing and desirous to live and walk so as that our Souls may be made worthy of such a glorious Infusion and Inspiration of the Eternal Love and Mercy Quest But what shall we do seeing the Rulers of our Land stand in opposition and we cannot so walk without an absolute peril of severe Imprisonment sharp Tortures loss of earthly Estate or Life it self Answ He that created you is the Eternal Power and Almighty King of Kings who reigneth over all in the Kingdoms of Men and giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth Stand ye therefore in the Life of his Pleasure which is in that whereunto you are inwardly directed which begetteth and formeth you in the pure and perfect similitude of your Creator and there you will come to see Him to be the everlasting Patience and Eternal Content which is a greater Felicity and Glory for you to know in your selves as being moulded into the same Resemblance and so united to Him in the Power and Life thereof than the enjoyment of outward Liberty possession of Ease in the Flesh Earthly Treasure or Life it self in the body yea a Heavenly Happiness it is infinitly surpassing all that ever can be thought of below the visible Sun the living sence and feeling of which in the Eternal Power makes the Imprisonment of the body a sweet freedom of the Soul the Tortures of the Body the joyful pleasures of the Soul the loss of Earthly Goods the purchase of an Heavenly Treasure and the Death of the Body of Flesh the Everlasting Glorious Life of the Soul Thus for every finite Loss is reaped an infinite Treasure of Gain So then as ye grow into this Life committing all things House Goods Silver Gold Wife and Children Liberty and Life into the good pleasure of the Everlasting Patience and Eternal Content you come to reign as Kings in the glorious Life of the KING of Kings over all Earthly Kings and they see it not nor know it not who persecute you being themselves in the act of Persecution adulterated and alienated from the Life of the Eternal Patience and Content and in enmity to his power of Love and Mercy which is the Cursed State of Darkness So you knowing your Advantage of Treasure and Prerogative of Dominion in the power of Patience and vertue of Content ye may well say in your selves As we live and abide in the fear of our Creator which preserves in the continual possession of his Immortal Rewards and Treasures of all Joys we need not fear Earthly Kings nor Princes nay nor loss of Lives nor any other Creature for here we perceive temporal losse can be no losse unto us but as an Earnest-peny offered and given by us for the price of an Eternal Gain And therefore we will run our Race in the fear of our Maker with joyfulness holding the similitude of his own Holyness that if we are persecuted we will love and pray for our Enemies even as our Creator loved us whilst we were his Enemies and we will bear with them as he bore with us and forgive them as he hath forgiven us Thus will we live and thus will we dye and the Name of our Maker be evermore sanctified hallowed honoured and praised by and in us to the end Amen And ye being entered into this everlasting blessed State you stand as I have said in his good pleasure who reigneth in in the Kingdoms of Men and giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth and then whosoever turneth against you to persecute you turneth against the pleasure of his Creator And mark the battle the Pot fighteth against the Potter who will therefore break it to pieces in his sore displeasure the Dust fights against its Maker who therefore will blow it away even with the fierce Whirlwind of his utter displeasure and gain himself a Renowned Glory over every rebellious Creature for even now is He arisen in
BEAMES OF Eternal Brightness OR BRANCHES OF Everlasting Blessings Springing forth of the Stock of Salvation to be spread over INDIA and all Nations of the Earth To the Uniting all Mankind as one single and simple Body of Everlasting Love and Peace in the Original Glory and Creator of all things Written by a Member of Truth JOHN Who is called a QUAKER LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Windmil in Martins Le Grand 1661. Beams of Eternal Brightness or Branches of Everlasting Blessings springing forth c. O All ye Kings Princes Rulers and People of INDIA and the rest upon the face of the whole Earth I can in no better way and manner salute you than in this of the Blessing and Counsel of Eternal Life In which you may come lively and joyfully to know the true Power which hath created all things and ruleth and governeth all things according to his own Will and Pleasure who by Name so as to be distinguished in every man's understanding from every other thing is called The Searcher through all Darkness or The glorious Sun of the Soul or The Wonderful Power or The Incomprehensible Wisdom or The Immutable Holiness or The from Eternity to all Eternity because these glorious Qualities are only proper to his infinite wonderful Essence as unspeakably more are which I neither do nor can here mention This is the Power Wisdom and Glory which I speak of who in Himself is infinitely more than all things by whose Word all things were created in the beginning and is a Being invisible to every fleshly thing of whom divers Nations do hold divers Opinions and so do make him in their Imaginations like unto divers things and accordingly do worship in divers manners and wayes but he being but one who created all things and not likened unto any thing that man makes is only known aright and worshipped aright in one living pure and holy way For which cause I hereby greet all the Indians together with all Mankind upon the face of the Earth in the feeling of that Power Wisdom and Life of Glory which is able to reduce them all unto the true knowledge of himself to the end that they may all become but of one heart mind and soul for ever worshipping according to the true knowledge and pure understanding of him through an universal feeling seeing and perceiving him arising and appearing in his Power Wisdom and Glory in all their inward parts So that when all men in all Nations Countries and Lands shall attain to the true knowledge of the Life Power Wisdom and Glory of their Maker and Creator in themselves then they shall have no need of any other instruction touching the knowledge of their Maker without them and so knowing their Creator appearing in themselves will also know from him who so appeareth the true and living way of his true living and pure Worship which he teacheth all in the Unity and Truth of his own Wisdom and Knowledge the which must certainly put an end unto all that which is diverse from the way of his own Life and pure Nature But because the Nature of man is contrary to the Nature of the Glorious Sun of the Soul I hold it necessary to shew what the Nature of the one and the other is that as they are in contrariety the worst may be forsaken and the best cleaved and adhered unto and for ever loved and lived in in the Power Wisdom and Glory thereof 1. The Nature of the Glorious Sun of the Soul which was before the outward Sun was is pure holy clean undefiled and full of all Light and Vertue even of all which stands in an Eternal Life as also in it is the vertue of reducing all things unto nothing again as by it all things of nothing were in the beginning made and created 2. But the Nature of man is evil corrupt unclean bruitish and full of darkness and ignorance of the true knowledge of the Power of Eternal Life Quest Now if it be demanded How and where the one and the other is to be rightly understood and known To it I am free to answer thus shewing introductionally Introd That the Soul of man is the sensible living part that hath its being in the body of flesh or humane tabernacle whilst the perceivance of breath is left therein whereby man hath the sense and feeling of joys and pains pleasures and sorrows c. To which inward part in all mankind I speak of the Sun of the Soul testifying That the Light thereof in every soul is of such a purity and cleanness shining in the inward parts of the Intelect or secret understanding of man that it hath no unity nor fellowship with his uncleanness and beastliness shewing him when no flesh doth speak unto him that he having a rational soul put into him should not be like unto the beasts of the field which have not received that faculty in his loathsom acts of defilement and that he should not in other cases be worse than the beasts of the field which onely eat and drink to their satisfaction and having so done when rest is needful do lie down in quietness without inventions of mischief and which in their mute state have not a mind of the vent of Execrations Curses Oathes Blasphemies Lying Cheating Stealing Murdering or the like things and acts of wickedness I say the Light sheweth that he should not be worse than the beasts of the field in such words and works or exercises of Drunkenness and Gluttony Which Light in all Mankind never consented to any act of filthyness beastliness or wickedness but in all doth stand near the Soul telling the Soul the evil of such things so these two being joyned together to wit the Light of the glorious Sun of the Soul and the Soul it self to the Light in true knowledge of any thing I call Conscience because Conscience properly and rightly importeth a joynt knowledge testimony and witness by two knowing properties in Mankind of the Good or Evil of all words and works whatsoever are spoken done or wrought by them Seeing then every man hath this Principle of knowledge in himself given by the eternal Sun of the Soul as a measure of Light into their immortal Souls hereby they come to know the nature thereof according to the measure thereof and in it discerning the vast multitudes of Mankind which are not united to the Light to be in the beastliness and evils which the Light of the Sun of the Soul doth reprove judge and condemn hereby they may know in themselves that the nature of man is contrary to it being very sinful and abominable in wickedness and beastliness So touching the contrariety as to the place where it is found briefly this is the sum in answer Answ It 's found in the inward parts known in the Conscience and discovered by the Light which sheweth all things in the day of what colour
of the Spirit of Love and Unity is the Blessed State A few things I have still to shew unto the INDIANS even such of them who have not yet known the eternal glorious Wisdom and Power of Creation who of himself being without beginning of days and end of time made composed and created all things in the beginning of time that as they come to the true knowledge of him may be turned from trusting in or worshipping of any created Glory and only believe and trust in him and come to worship him who is the Creator of every Soul on Earth as likewise every visible Glory that is placed in the Firmament of the Heavens To all therefore that believe that the visible Sun in the Firmament which ruleth the visible day is the Supream Power by which all things are ruled and governed and accordingly do worship it and the Moon that ruleth the external time of the night I have to give you to understand that in the whole Creation of Fishes and Worms which are in the Waters under the Earth together with the Worms that are in the Earth the Plants Trees and other living things that are upon the face thereof with every Glory of the Heavens viz. the Sun Moon Stars Clouds of Rain Hail and Snow Dews Winds Rainbow Lightnings and Thunders and whatsoever else may be sensed by the external Seeing Hearing Feeling Tasting or Smelling of the body of man I say in all these the Eternul most holy Wisdom and glorious Sun of the Soul is hid and vailed from man in his state of Sin and Corruption agreeable to what I have signified touching the contrariety between Corruption and Incorruption Light and Darkness Purity and Beastlinesse the which I passe by for the present drawing to the discovery of a few things in the Light of the Day wherein it may be understood That the visible Sun in the Firmament is not the Supream Power but that it is a Created Glory by the glorious Sun of the Soul which is the Eternal Invisible and Supream Power First from the nature of the visible Sun as it is a simple creature which is hot fiery scorching and burning so that if there were not a Supream Power above it ruling and governing it in a most glorious Power of Wisdom by sending Rain in due season which as a distinct and simple creature is contrary to the nature of the Sun being cold and moist the whole Earth would become dried up and utterly unfruitful by which means every thing upon the face thereof must of necessity die and perish Wherefore in the Light of thee Sun of the Soul you will come to know that the visible Sun in the Firmament was made and created to serve man and consequently not for man to how down and worship it To serve Man thus In one respect as a light to the sight of Mans fleshly or bodily Eye whereby he might travel work and labour in the time of the day for the sustenance of his outward being as the Eternal Power in his Wisdom hath appointed And in another respect tending also to Mans subsistence the Eternal Wisdom hath created it to serve Man yeelding unto the Earth of the strength of its heat after the cold times and rain drawing up from the Earth visible and bodily shapes of Trees Herbs Corn and all the good Encrease that the Earth in due season doth yeeld Again It is to be understood that the visible Sun hath its Decree and Appointment from a Power above it as it is manifest in its Rising and Falling in sundry Degrees in Winter and Summer and also by its constant course in twenty four hours compassing the Earth as a Circle and so it is evident that it is not its own Ruler and Governour because it is limitted to a course in all Seasons of its Appointment and therefore cannot be the Creator of any thing but must of necessity be as the other Creatures a Created thing because if one thing visible be created by a Power certainly all things visible must be created by the same Power and consequently the visible Sun and Moon also and that Man Beasts Worms and Fowls were created by a Wisdom and Power is very plain appearing by their several kinds and services and also being dead and rotten their very dust sheweth of what they were made in the beginning for whilst their End is seen to be dust their Beginning or Creation must needs be understood to be of Dust also and the same Power that created the Earth and all that in it is also created the Seas and all that in them is which is an Element contrary to the nature of the visible Sun where the visible Sun hath no power of burning nor yet of making Food in the Deeps to grow at the bottoms thereof to feed the Fishes that are therein But the same Eternal Power and Wisdom which filleth all places provideth a sustenance as well for the Fishes in the Deeps and all the Worms of his Workmanship in their Bottoms as He doth for Man Beast Fowls and Creeping-things that live upon the face of the Earth unto which the visible Sun Moon and Stars with the Clouds of Rain Dews and Winds are servants ordained and appointed by the Eternal and infinitly wise Creator of all things visible and invisible So then thus it may be clearly apprehended touching the Work of Creation That none other can possibly be the Creator of all things besides a Power and Eternal Essence which hath something of a Being in all things in the Tranquillity Love and Peace of His own Life in Himself by and in which all things are upheld and preserved in their due and appointed courses for that which Created all things must absolutely be the Life and Preservation of all things by his Continual Presence and undenyably also the death of all things through the withdrawing of his Essence and Presence because as the Creator is but one and his Life but one doubtless therefore it is but his Life alone that doth or can give Life his Presence that gives Being and preserves Life and the withdrawing thereof the fall of all flesh unto Death Whereby it appeareth that his Glorious Wisdom hath hid and concealed Himself from all the children and seed of Corruption in the Decree of the Death of Man's Body by Sickness Poysoning Drowning Burning Strangling Wounding Starving c. for He having created all things could make Man to live Under Waters in Fires not feeling Wounds without Food c. but his Glorious Power and Wisdom will not be tempted because He will be reverenced and greatly feared in all things and in Fear worshipped and served as the Creator of all things Now as for the visible Sun being naturally contrary to the Element of the Rivers and Seas cannot possibly dwell with the Fishes that are in their Waters so as to give them a constanr subsistance of Life the which the meanest capacity may easily perceive being a fiery
them and dwelling in it as He abideth and resteth in Himself will come to see themselves swallowed up as in a bottomless and endless Ocean in the same property of his Nature viz. in Everlasting Peace of the Soul felt and enjoyed inwardly which will wrap up all Souls in such a height above disquiet or any thing of that Nature that is adulterated from the Holy Similitude that all will chuse that their Earthly Members may dye that their Souls may for ever possesse the Peace rather than to live in the body of flesh to break the Peace of their particular Souls or the Peace of any of the Souls of the Spiritual Body of Peace to whom in the Eternal Peace they are united which is the immeasurable state of Blessing passing all Understanding 2. Another Property of the Nature of the Holy One is Love perfect Love without Hypocrisie or Envy in Himself All therefore uniting unto the Power of Restoration unto the Glorious Likeness will come to see the Eternal Love feeding and saving his Enemies and the Restored being of the same Similitude of their Maker must in that respect do as their Creator doth love and feed Enemies for they cannot do otherwise being of the Bowels of their Maker And whilst this Spirit loveth Enemies much more must love the united in the Love unto it if it cannot hate not envy Enemies much less the united Friends But all in this Spirit are full partakers of the unspeakable Bowels of Eternal Love to each other which is the immeasurable state of Blessing passing all Understanding 3. Another Property of the Nature of the Holy One is Mercy perfect Mercy without passion of Cruelty in Himself All therefore joyning to the Power of the New Creation will come to see the Power of Mercy which is able to rent all Hearts perceiving it for whilst Man hath turned in Cruelty even unto murder of the sighing and groaning measure of the Light in himself against his Creator who first gave the measure in the bounty of his Everlasting Love that Man by it should be led to be like Him the Giver of it in holy merciful bowels Yet as in Mercy upon Mercy hath now lastly provided Him a Voice to call unto it as a crying Bloodshed upon the Earth and also to awaken his Bloody Soul that shed it drawing his Soul near unto it to reconcile himself with the Soul in and by it though the Soul hath treacherously dealt with him and murtherously fought in Rebellion against him This shews Mercy to Enemies Pitty to Rebels Compassion to Bloody Traytors wherefore as all come to Unite unto the Power of Mercy to be led into the true Image and accordingly in Union with the Eternal Fountain of Mercy not one will be able in it to do a thing contrary to the nature of it But the whole World comes to be as one intire glorious Body of Mercy Pitty and Compassion whereby no Distress Languishing Want or Misery will be found upon the face of the Earth which is the immeasurable state of Blessing passing all Understanding Haply some may say Quest That it is evident that Peace Love and Mercy is the immeasurable state of Blessing passing all understanding and therefore Discord Envy and Cruelty being the three quallities in contrariety must be the woful estate of the Curse yet may desire more largely to know How the Curse came through an opening of the Original Cause and Universal Chain of Discord Envy and Cruelty which is the Cursed State Introd There is but One Original Good as I have plainly manifested who created all things and put into his creature Man that living part that sensibly thinketh which is called the Soul and Mind the which he created in an infinite degree below his immutable holy Essence who can never change from his pure Nature to think in Himself a thought of Evil yet he knoweth the thoughts of Evil in every Man's Heart For though He made it in his likeness pure clean holy innocent and wise yet made it in none other state than that he ought to know that it had a Creator and Maker and by whose Power that made it could only be kept and preserved in the similitude of Him that created it for being put into a body of flesh he gave it a sense of Feeling there as likewise in it a sence of the rest of the Creation as Beasts Fishes Fowls c. to whom this was the substance of the first Comandment given him in his state of Innocency That he should not go in his Mind out from the Power that created him a living Soul into the flesh for knowledge or pleasure for thereby he should adulterate his Soul with the flesh and so both the Soul and the flesh become a Corruption and Curse of Death and in so doing he should go from the Likeness of his Creator who cannot go out of Himself into any creature for knowledge or pleasure But Man's Soul entring into consultation with an aspiring Concupiscence in the feeling of his own flesh yeelded to know and gave himself thereinto and so became as a wedded spouse unto Corruption in that day was his first Evil and the Birth of the first Devil whereby it may be understood that the Eternal Wisdom never derogated from his Glory of Holiness in the Creation so as that any man may say he created a Devil immediately in his hand which could never be as I have formerly shewed more largely by his Eternal Holiness Immutablity and Wisdom but creating all things in themselves mutable even Man's innocent Soul also in it self mutable as well as any other of the Creatures and reserving Immutability onely in himself that Man might know Him as his Maker and so live only in Him as the Immutable One in his Holiness Wisdom Life Glory and Joy but he letting forth his Mind out of the Immutable Power of Wisdom and Preservation became as aforesaid an Evil-doer and then his Thoughts were not like unto the Thoughts of his Maker nor his Knowledge nor Nature like unto that in which he was created but all his Faculties alienated degenerated and separated in the Adulteration from the Likeness Life and immutable Power and Wisdom of his Creator so that being the first actual Evil must needs be the birth of the first Devil seeing the Devil is that Mind that doth evil in every man and therefore nothing could be called an Evil-doer until an Evil was first done and committed which I speak to the end of stopping and putting an end to all blasphemous suppositions and imaginations and of sanctifying the Name of the Holy One in the eyes of all Nations whilst I speak of Him in the Glorious Power of His Wisdom in the Work of his Creation Thus then as followeth in Answer Man's Adulteration from the vertue of the Life of his Maker alienated the Faculties of his Soul and brought upon it horrid Darkness and Confusion which spread over him as an extream and
mighty Power until which there was no Enmity Envy Discord nor Cruelty known in the Earth but man was at Peace and Unity in his Innocency with the Holy One Therefore the Original Cause of Discord Envy and Cruelty was Transgression and the Chain thereof to this day among Men is the Power of Darkness For the sake therefore of your Redemption I am again pressed in Spirit to remind all with the Power that breaks the cursed Chain of Darkness which is the Light that is able to do it as all draw their minds into it and dwell in it in their inward parts and restore again into that state which was before Transgression was in the perfect Freedom and Liberty from Envy Enmity Discord and Cruelty in the Glory and Brightness of Innocency where the Wisdom comes to be received which keeps and preserves the Peace Love and Mercy in the Everlasting Power and Vertue of Life and here the Earth that once was the Kingdom becomes the Footstool and Heaven becomes the inherited Kingdom for ever which cloatheth the Soul with a Garment ten thousand times ten thousand fold brighter than is the Glory of the visible Sun for the Rayment is the perfect Glory of the Eternal Splendor which wraps it up as with the swadling of the Rainbow of Joys which is the Eternal Fruit and Benefit of the Blessedness of its Change from the nature of Discord Enmity and Cruelty to the Spirit of Peace Love Vnity and Mercy from Corruption to Incorruption from Folly to Wisdom from Darknesse to Light from Condemnation to Iustification from Death to Life Yet furthermore for the opening of the Counsel of the Mystery of Salvation O all ye Kings Princes Rulers and People every-where throughout the Earth know ye in your selves the Light of the Eternal Sun of Glory to be the bathing and washing Fountain that is able to make the Soul in every Thought even as white as Snow and feel it in your selves as the Refiners Fire which is able to purge you until you be made as pure as the Gold that is seven times tryed and therefore wait in the Operation thereof that you may see its blessed Effect in which Righteousness will run down as Streams and the Knowledge of the Glory of the Eternal Wisdom will cover the Earth as Waters cover the Seas and here you will come to see your selves as the Christal Chanels through which the living Waters of the Fountain of Heaven will be a continual Current the sweet Streams thereof overflowing the blessed Vallies within you and watering every Plant therein making all things fruitful in you and among you fruitful in Truth fruitful in Hope Faith Love Mercy Peace Fear Humility Meekness Patience Content Prayer Praises Thanksgiving Knowledge Wisdom and all Vertue this will be a Beauty in your Faces and a Diadem of Glory upon your Heads in which the Wonderful Counsellor will take pleasure to speak unto you in His Mysterious and Oraculous Language which shall be but one throughout all the Earth and will open an Incorruptible Eye in you even to see the Glory of his Eternal Face which will overcome you with Joyes and ravish you with Eternal Pleasures as a Generation that is carried up out of the Earthly Places Verily I cannot express the Sweetness as my Soul possesseth it within in the Spirit what besides my own state saved in the Eternal Sun of the Soul Oh! my Ravished Mind in the consideration of the Day wherein Nations shall imbrace the Heavens of all Love and plentifully suck the Milk of her Breasts which gives the nourishment of Eternal Life Oh! the Everlasting Consolation which the Children of Brightness shall possess and inherit in the Bosom of the Eternal Glory even for ever and evermore Amen And now Are not the thoughts of this Glorious Salvation Vnity Peace Love Ioy and Pleasure of Life which may in this way be found possessed and enjoyed to the End among all People and Nations upon the face of the Earth and in and with the Glorious Brightness in the Heavens above enough to perswade woo and compel all Souls even with one draught of the Cord of Love to receive and imbrace it as they may sink down into the Deeps and consider in what a good time their dayes are fallen into wherein so glorious a Way is now come to be opened in such plainness clearness nakedness and easiness wherein they may all attain to every tittle of the Benefits yea and a thousand fold more than the tongue of man can mention exceeding all that is before said inserted and written Surely methinks he that would miss a Portion of the pre-cited Blessings and eternal joyous Inheritance for want of looking for it in the True Way being so faithfully spoken unto him as to within him and therefore so easie to be found as not to look without himself to seek and find it must not only confess himself to be a Fool in his own heart but also as a Devil in his continual words and works and seven-fold worthy of Condemnation under the power of Darkness and Death unto its Pit of the burnings of Wo and Torment for ever and ever What therefore might I more say that the Dead might hear and live or that Rocks might rent and become hearts of flesh to perceive and understand for the Word is quick the Voice is piercing and the Life is powerful in and under which I rest in the pure perfect and blessed Peace hereby shewing forth in measure my Spirit and Soul created anew in the Holy Love unto all Nations and Peoples without respect of persons upon the face of the whole Earth wherein I stand clear whether they will hear or forbear By that all Kings Princes and Rulers are in the Light come thus far some may haply make forth their Convincement of the Truth saying It is certainly true and evident that an Universal Peace and Unity Love and Amity cannot be perfectly and purely had held and enjoyed among all Nations besides in the one Principle that unites to the Eternal Power in his own Life and Nature for He only being the Glorious Wisdom that created all things must necessarily be the alone Preserver and Upholder of all things and whatsoever stands united unto Him in the Life abides in the Perfection of the Peace Love and Mercy of the Immutable Spirit of Wisdom and Glory And none other way can there be unto Blessing besides the Light in the Conscience which is given of the Eternal Wisdom for a Way and Leader unto all Souls Quest But what doth this Light end and abolish Answ It endeth all the Wisdom with its effects and fruits which stands in the Adulteration and Separation from the Eternal and unlimited Wisdom of Holiness and Brightness It endeth all Customs Traditions Wayes and Worships and whatsoever may be thought that stand in the degenerate and cursed nature and breaketh all Bryars and Bulwarks of limitation that stand in the Curse as a fence
his Jealousie and it is his Day to work and none shall let and he which rules against Him he will remove from the Throne for He will set up an Everlasting Dominion and Government and of his own Scepter of Righteousness even from end unto end of the four Winds of the Heavens Seven-fold happy therefore is that Soul that beleives in Him and suffereth for his Righteousness sake And is it not an unspeakable shame to a Ruler to persecute innocent Souls new created Souls in the Glory of the similitude of their Maker Is it not a woful shame to Rulers to persecute them that watch to recompence good for evil and to shew the deeps of the bowels of Love and Mercy to such as heaped upon them extream weights of Oppression and Cruelty Can Rulers answer the bonds of humanity in such acts Nay How then can they answer the power of Sanctity in them For the sake of Edification of all Souls to Three Questions more I am drawn forth in the Light to answer Quest 1 What are the first powerful Operations of the Light in the Soul after Convincement of Sin Answ JUDGMENT CONDEMNATION and DEATH of the Mind of Transgression which must of necessity be for the cause of the Righteousness of the King of Glory unto whom no life in Sin and Corruption can unite for the Soul going into it went out from Him into the Enmity against Him and His Law of Righteousness and no part of that can ever enter into Him because it was never of Him and because He hath infused a righteous Law into the Inward parts of necessity therefore there must be a power of Judgement to execute the Righteousness of the Law in the place that it is put upon that which brake it which Power in Righteousness must absolutely bring Condemnation upon that mind which is the Transgressor in man and the Condemnation must as surely bring Death by the power of the Executor that no part of that Mind may evermore live but the Mind in which no Transgression is which was before Transgression was which must be perfectly wrought before Man can enter again into the first Similitude to unite with the King of Glory So here all may see the Judgement truly set up and executed in the inward parts bringing Death upon the Transgressor produced the benefit of a most Blessed Fruit viz. of Life Peace and Joy and openeth the door of the Fountain of Mercy giving the perfect knowledge thereof which then rejoyceth over Judgment for which cause of Mercy the Eternal Wisdom first instituted the Law and Power of Judgment to come fulfilling Righteousness in the Inward parts which thus appears bringing a Righteous Death upon an Unrighteous Life that by its Death a Righteous may for ever live wherein the Joy and Glory is partaked and inherited So then in the Judgment and Condemnation of that Life unto Death the Power and Glory of Mercy appeareth in the wonderful Wisdom that it might be for ever loved and lived in and the work of Wisdom admired and prized and the Worker of Salvation in the Power and most Excellent Glory of Mercy manifest in Judgement magnified over all everlastingly without end in all that love the Operation and accordingly are partakers of the sweet and happy Fruit of its Salvation in which the Unity with the King of Glory is witnessed Quest 2 Of every frame of Soul or fashion of Mind in Man which is the most certain of holding the Vnion and Fellowship with the King of Glory in Spirit Answ Watchfulness in Fear and Crosse Watch to fear the risings of the Concupisence which the Soul feeleth in the flesh towards the flesh and the World and also now lastly towards the Devil and there enter into that Internal Power which stands in the Crosse to the other Nature which will daily slay every carnal Affection in the first suggestion and appearance and break the Cockatrices Egg before the Serpent is hatched and thus all will come to see that the inward and visible Cross to the inward Mind of the World and the Flesh keeps the Soul clean out of the mind of the World and the Flesh in the mind of the Eternal Spirit Again Watch to fear in every Joy and Enjoyment of every Glorious and Heavenly Gift lest the Joy should slip out of the true measure and a sence of the Glory of the Gift exalt the Heart above the measure of the Light through which it comes and in which the Unity with the King of Glory stands and here all which come to see that Fear keeps every Joy and Enjoyment of Heavenly Gifts perfect to the measure wherein all Perfection is witnessed according to the proportion of all Gifts as they are given and come down from the perfect Giver So then the invisible Cross which keeps clean and Fear that keeps the Soul low and humble to the measure within in the Conscience will alwayes be found the safest frame and fashion of every man's mind to hold the most certain Vnion and Fellowship with the King of Glory as long as they are cloathed with the body of flesh untill it turns to the dust from whence it came and the Soul be from thenceforth cloathed and arrayed with the Glory of the Life of the King of Glory even for ever and evermore Quest Whether Man after being restored unto the Brightness of the first Similitude and entred into Unity with the Incorruptible Glory through death of the degenerated part may not fail from the Glory and enter again into the Degeneration and Curse Answ In the work of Creation it is to be known as formerly mentioned that the Soul of Man simply was not created immutable though clean pure and holy in a state of Innocency for the Eternal Wisdom reserved that Virtue Power and most glorious Property of Immutability in Himself only that He above all things might be known as the Supream Power over all the created things and accordingly feared loved obeyed and lived in which state I have shewed Man went out of and degenerated from and also have opened the direction unto the way and power of Redemption from the fall and losse and Restoration unto the first Similitude of the Holy One which unites with the Incorruptible Glory unto which state it is possible in the Light for all Mankinde to attain yet if they abide not in the immutable Power of Perservation that created their Souls but go from the unchangeable Life into the variable consultation with Flesh and its reason and sensual Wisdom they may return backwards as the Sea Locust and Canker and become as the Swine that was once washed but lo wallows again in the mire and the house may be clean swept yet except there be a Watch still kept seven unclean Spirits may enter that are worse than the former which were driven forth and a Virgin state may be attained unto but unless the Oyl of Wisdom in Watchfulness Diligence and Fear be