the contrarie should be fall in us Therefore they are much deceived who thinke that nothing is the word of God but what altogether differeth from our minds and therefore compell themselves only to beleeve those things which in their inward man they can perceive feel comprehend to be far wanting in them and contrary to them Indeed the word of God invadeth our hearts with an exceeding force because it is spirit our hearts are flesh but where the beleeving heart addicts it selfe to the worship of God the word is soone incorporated in us and our heart made one with it is converted into spirit so as now the truth it feeleth yea and what more it witnesseth that to be true which the spirit doth speake unto it and is so bound that it necessarily must assent unto it Neither doth it so compell or force it selfe to beleeve but it is so compelled that it cannot but beleeve and would a thousand times make a losse of its body rather then beleeve otherwise So again the mind cannot be beleeved and as long as the minde doth not assent it is a sure argument that as yet is hath not comprehended nor as yet is the word incorporated in thee nor the Sonne of God borne For he who comprehendeth the word as he is comprehended feeleth the same yea testifieth knoweth that the same is true Wherefore compare or examine all learning with the testimony of the spirit For if thou art a beleever God dwelleth in thee and thou art sealed with his word and Spirit but if thou dost not beleeve this examinatiō nothing belongeth unto thee For it is spoken to the beleeving Thessalonians try the Spirits If in a wicked man the spirit were to be compared with his heart and with the letters he could never rightly judge how he doth understand them because hee taketh that to be the word of God whatsoever pleaseth his wicked and perverse heart and eyes On the contrary it is commanded to the Saints that they try and prove all Spirits and Doctrines by the word of God which divinely taught they have approved in their soules not to the wicked who are unfitt to every good work and whose judgement God doth not approve off But if they say they are to be brought to the touch-stone of the word the holy Scriptures J willingly grant the same so that you understand that of the minde of the Scriptures which is the onely word of God which also onely those who are of God doe understand but if the Doctrine and Spirit be compared with the Letter of the Scriptures it will be compared diversly every one according to his owne understanding in which they are deceived neither is this the true trial as more cleare then Light wee may see it Since all desire the Letter to be this judge and thinke them of themselves to be the same Therfore that which hath not the examination I speake off which I but now spake off is as easily confuted as it is admitted as Gregory sayth Here are casheered all the arts explanations orations and comments of men which are boughes and fruits of the forbidden Tree in the Paradise of this World from which as yet all men doe eate death and yet neverthelesse with Adam and Eva thinke themselves to eate life and hope to be Gods Therefore all mens arts are no other then a plant of the Devill who thinketh by this meanes to change men into Gods from hence promiseth life immortality when neverthelesse death is before their eyes so soone as they have eaten of this fruit Now that Sentence standeth firme Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be cutt downe Therefore all those Arts must againe in their original be brought to nothing That J confesse is the only Scope of the holy scripturs which is the word of God knowne of them who are of God But that the literall and grammaticall sence is this I doe not think which wicked men doe understand and also follow and yet by Christ are denyed to understand the Scriptures but as they expound themselves in the Godly out of the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost And this meaning cannot be comprehended in open Commentaries and rules but the Holy Ghost will have this book mistery reserved to himself neither wil he have it imprinted but will shew teach open to all according to the measure of every mans faith as much as is necessarie neither will he have it so committed that one may teach another and so incroch upon the priviledge of God but will teach it himselfe that all and every one of us may be divinely taught and may glory that wee have learned the Word of God from God and not from men with pleasant docility yet so as men ought and every one may one to another give that testimony which hee hath learned from God So it commeth to passe that with Christ and his Apostles we are witnesses of the Word not Ministers of the Spirit For who hath commaunded the Wind but onely the Master of the Winde To this belongs that which Job Jeremie and Esayas say that we shall all be taught of God so as it shall not be necessary for us to be taught of any other but that so its true as the holie vnction shall teach us And whereas God is onely true and all men are lyars it cannot be but it must be a lye and errour whatsoever commeth not from God and that cannot come from God which all wicked know and understand Since they are not of God but are seperated from him by the partition wall of sinne Now what commeth not from God is sinne and not good and what shineth not from his Light is altogether darknesse although it seeme to be Light and wisdome as Esay upbraideth the Caldean Philosophers their owne witt hath deceived them and they were wearied with the multitude of their owne inventions c. God speaketh this against all arts except the art of God formed in us by his word which exhibits unto us nothing to be meditated upon and vewed in the Light but onely God to know and understand God because that word is verily God without any distinction of nature there as God cannot be defined described or divided but if we speake properly God is all in all things and yet nothing of all these things which can be felt conceived or comprehended by sence reason or understanding spoken written or heard so is the Word of God infinite infallible incomprehensible eternall by it selfe existing and farre exceeding all the writings and words of men because it as God cannot properly be written read or spoken Since it is God and was before writing or man was and shal be when man is deceased writing are ceased Therefore all things are subiect unto vanity For which cause the nature of all things are called vaine and vast by reason of the accident of vanity although in it selfe it be good onely the
his fleshly wisdome and forsake that good he hath gott already then from the beginning to learne it for his profitt In so much that this is true who once hath played the Asse will scarcely learne to leave those doultish tricks O how difficult is it for them to become Fooles who have grounded themselves in a presumption of their owne witt And yet it is necessary that this they must bee or otherwise they shall bee nothing lesse then that which they desire to bee Therefore so requisite is this denyall hatred forgetfulnesse of himselfe that without it no man can be the disciple of Christ that is no man can be indued with divine wisdome unlesse in his affections he hath excluded and given a farewell adewe to his owne Wherefore what wonder is it if the worldly Man who is busied about the things of this life be altogether ignorant of the knowledge of God For since he is not obedient to that wisdome that is spâ—rituall neither can perceive any divine thing nor receive the spirit of truth nor for the wisdome of God exchange his owne For he neither cares to nourish that wisdome in his heart neither desires to learne it and because hee desires it not he cannot learne it And now it is requisite that as Sainct Paul sayes if any man will be wise with God he must be a foole in the World that thereby he may become truely wise That is he must cease to thinke as the world doth labour to gett a new minde and deliver over his sences thoughts to be renewd by God The cause of which Paul immediately annexeth to the same For the wisdome of the World saith he is foolishnes to God And in his Epistle to the Romans hee calleth it death and enmity to God And the same Paul bids adew to all his owne witt which he had learned at the feete of Gamaliell above all his equals and accounts all his owne righteousnes and knowledge as dung and drosse in respect of the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ And elsewhere he glories in this that he had learned to unlearne and forget all things and now desired to know nothing but Christ him crucified In the same manner all the Apostles become little Children again Besides Nichodemus and all other whosoever as Christ had said unto them unlesse they be changed and become as little Children they cannot see the Kingdome of God And a little after Christ saith that the Kingdome of God is of such little Children This is the reason why the Scriptures admonish us so often to beware of our owne witt least we doe any thing that seemes good in our owne eyes As also that we resist our owne wils neither that we suffer our selvs to be led and guided by our owne affections and desires and also those that trust in their owne hearts obey their own cogitations are foolish and wicked also that we seeme not wise in our owne conceits nor magnify our selves but feare and in feare and trembling worke out our owne salvation And lastly that we trust not nor leane not to our owne witt For what is or can be more wicked then what flesh and blood hath found out Truely the flesh cannot of its owne nature seeke God and have him in estimation unlesse it renounce it selfe and hate its owne life and soule that is all its owne workes though it gloze them over with a pretence of the word honour and glory of God for he cannot be beleeved loved prayed unto or found but only in God Therefore all the endeavour study art diligence of is altogether void of God and want his grace and spirit For the word of God requires an humble submissive trembling and abiected mind and a soule poore in spirit free from the bondag of the creatures like to tender wax or clay plyable in the finger of God to receive the figure and stamp of his image imprinted upon it To these Fooles and Children such as feare God and are seperated from the Dugges of the World doth he open his secrets and teach his divine wisdome knowledg if there be any man that fears God to him the Lord will shew the way that he may choose and he walke in the truth and his posterity shall inhabit the Land He sayes not to the Learned and to the wise of the World as also in an other place the Lord reveales his secrets to the righteous For this cause Christ the Sonne of God gives thankes to his Father that he had hidden his secrets from the prudent and wise of the World and had revealed unto Children and Babes That as wee have already spoken out of the mouths of sucking Babes Such as were Moyses Ieremias Amos and the Apostles c. hee might speake his praise and extoll his Kingdome and Glory Againe the rich proud he sends away emptie and filleth only the hungrie with good things Now no Money-master nor rich covetous Churle is more swollen up with the vaine confidence of his riches nor any woman more proud of her bewtie then these wise men pride and boast themselvs of their wisdome and knowledge perswading themselvs that this is the divine wisdome and riches of the soule which neither theevs can steale nor rust canker it nor moath corrupt it when notwithstanding it is nothing but meere death foolishnes and enmity against God and in a word the knowledg of the forbidden Tree Therefore the holy Scriptures speake expresly of the wise of the world these righteous men famous for their arts priding themselves in their owne hearts who are arrogant and proud and are indued with nothing lesse then the spirit of God who abides onely in simple Doves By this it appeares that no kinde of men are farther from the Kingdome of God and doe lesse square and agree with his word and more disagree from his will then those who leane and trust to their owne wisdome knowledge reason and will Christ in the holy Scriptures speaketh not so much against Publicans and common sinners as these who being puft up with a conceit of their owne righteousnes reflect upon themselves with a selfe pleasingnes with these can Christ least accord unto them doth so often threaten woes in the Scripture and sayes that adulterers and Publicans shall enter before them into the Kingdome of Heaven These are those wicked men against whom David so fervently and often prayes and of whom Christ hath so little hope and unto whom he with his Apostles and Steuen give so cutting language who being men of a wicked mind would seeme nothing lesse But those things which are written concerning wicked men they ignorantly interpret of others these are such whom the whole world esteeme and accounts to be the shining lights thereof Such were Nichodemus and Paul before his conversion these are those who in David Moyses Christs and all other times of the church have beene the righteous Scribes Pharises
the same and confirmes the truth thereof with all assurance not so craftie subtiltie can be objected against the truth but that may be battered weakened and refuted with one word neither can any thing so accute be produced which weakened with the like accute may not be overthrowne onely the word of God overcommeth with such force that even the minde of the enemy is overcome and taken with it the outward man alone and the face of the flesh which would not be bridled seekes out all kinde of ambushes trickes and turnings to escape this thunderclapp And falshood for shame covers its face with its hands and thereby thinks that the whole body is covered that it cannot be seene Moreover it is behovefull that all other traditions of arts words and spirits bee examined by the word of God as by an index golden rule and touch-stone I call that the word of God which is the Spirit and Life not the Letter written without Inke and paper in the hearts of beleevers which speakes unto the soules of all those that are obedient unto it This J call the Word of God Not the Scriptures For if we speake properly the Scriptures or Letters are not the word of God but the minde spirit and that true divine meaning which Paul calleth the sence of Christ and mind of the Spirit and Christ the Word of God This I say is the word of God as saint Paul doth testify The Letter sayth he doth kill but the Spirit that is the true and spirituall meaning thereof which onely spirituall men are indued with which doth quicken These alone have the Key of David for the opening of all the Seales of this closed booke to all other the booke is Sealed with seven Seales Of which mention is made in Dan. 7. Apoc. 5. and Mat. 13. by way of parable and the vaile of the Letter doth hang before their eyes untill they turne unto God and seriously will obey his will The spirit of understanding entreth into no froward scorner who in the letter only desireth to shew his nicitie and Clarkeship For the truth is that word of God and his secrets are made manifest to them that feare him Therefore many in our times are snared who betwixt the writings and the word of God doe know no difference and so doe they esteeme the Scriptures for the word of God so as beside it they knovv no other But it appeares by the Testimony of many divinely taught that the scriptures are nothing but the huskes the shell the sheath the Lanthorne the shrine the letter the cave the vaile of the word of God From whence it ariseth that they appeare so sinister and in shew often repugnant and are hidden from wicked men But the Word of God placed in and under them is the kernell the life fulnes and thing it selfe or substance For otherwise those learned men the Scribes and Pharisees had been blessed and happy if the Letter had beene the word of God viz. the light c. because they had so well conned the Scriptures that most part of them they could say by heart yet were they for all that most miserably to perish with this Art and so death is eaten by the Tree of good and evill while yet men thinke thereby to have Life But Christ doth more ingenuously testify that they know not the Scriptures that is what in the Scriptures is the word of God for what otherwise belonged to the Letter and grammaticall sence they writt but knew not the mind of Christ which was the force and meaning of the Letters and the Letters in my judgment are of sett purpose so sinister and darkly dictated by the Holy Ghost comprehended and declared that those impious Swine and Dogges may not understand them according as Christ out of Esay doth alleadge them and giveth this reason why he speaketh so obscurely by similitudes and demonstrateth the same thing more significantly in Iohn least we should make an idoll of the Letter And that wee should thinke some other thing more necessarie to salvation then Bibles to weet that of God we should desire the Light of his word which is hidden in this Lanthorn and also that true teacher the Holy Spirit which may direct lead and instruct us in the holy Scriptures and may open the Seales thereof declaring unto us the mysterie of this shrine that is his divine word Law pleasure will and meaning hidden under the dead Letter Many thinke it enough that they have Bibles and know how to reade Here forsooth they find the Holy Ghost the word of God that double Sword of the Spirit yet wrapped up and closed in the sheath But who can understand gaine finde and brandish the same He answers by the Prophet Esay Yong Children who will be affrayd at this killing Letter they are sore out of heart tremble and dye for feare Therefore it is not enough although it is good to have Bibles What to have Bibles All the Pharises had the same could say them by heart and yet they lived no lesse blinde and dead These very Bibles are the Tree of Good and Evill of which they did eate death although to the godly who consult with God about the meaning of them and renouncing themselves pray unto him for the obtaining of his Spirit they be the Tree of Life God will give his glory to none other no not to the Scriptures but hath made them darke unto us and hath reserved the interpretation to himselfe that he may teach enlighten rule and guide how when and as hee will and his will is that we alwayes wax stronger and by degrees come nearer to the knowledge of the truth if so be we would doe the same by his helpe but hee hath not sowen his word by the way side for dogges and swines but hath covered it the same beeing hiding in the Letter that we may not rest our selves contented in the Letter but digg up the hidden treasure and with all Religion pray for grace and understanding and consult with his Holy Spirit that he may take us into his tuition guide us teach us leade us unto the Tree of Life the Fruit whereof may feed us up unto eternall Life And this is the tryall of all Arts Doctrines and Spirits that they be compared and agree with the word of God that that which is divinely unto us we finde to be true by his word in our hearts In a word that our spirits may confirme the same so to be by its testimony as wee have divinely learned the same and that we sustaine for the defence thereof to dye Therefore it is likely and so it shal be indeed what Doctrine soever commeth frō god the same is not repugnant to the word which divinely taught we have in our hearts but agreeable thereunto giveth testimony that wee know his word as we are knowne of God and comprehended as we are comprehended of him otherwise how could we say Amen and assent if
word of God which in it selfe is perpetuall and semperternall can neither be written in Letters nor expressed in word endureth for ever Hence it comes to passe that whatsoever is spoken or written of it as that which is not of God himselfe remaines but as a shadow a figure and testimony thereof and is not properly God and his word Now no man can speake or utter this word therefore it is necessary that it speake it selfe in an obedient and willing heart and for this cause it is required of every man that hee submitt himselfe under the potent hand of God void of his owne will free and cleare from his owne heart and subordinate to the will of God that God or his word may speake teach seeke love finde acknowledge beseech hear praise honour feare and adore it selfe This alone is the art of God which he himselfe doth teach in us without this all other arts are nothing For besides this to know all things is to be ignorant of all things All arts without this art is vanity which yet is better conceived in heart then it can be uttered in word yea it cannot be expressed or declared in worde therefore no man can teach the same to an other but it is to be taught and manifested by God to the teaching of which whosoever are sent they are not Doctors or Masters but onely witnesses of that word which by the vertue of God is before in our hearts Therefore it hath many names which oftentimes are used one for an other so that as sometimes the Father sometime the Sonne and sometimes the Holy Ghost is called the Fountaine of Life or Truth So the word of God is sometimes called the Seed of God sometimes his soule sometimes his soonn sometime his arme sometimes his hand sometime his right hand sometime his Law sometime his will sometime his image sometime his inspiration And hither may be referred all the names which the Scriptures give to the Father Sonne and Holie Ghost and the word of God which are all one and referred unto one serve to the signification of the same thing And this Word which in the New Covenant is called Christ is the essence of all things which are and all things are created by it and also are preserved nourished and sustained by it and in it So that all things have their beeing rather in the Word then in themselves And if God should withdraw this word to himselfe as was the estate of them before the beginning of the world while yet the world was not made of him so should all things necessarily in the same moment be turned to nothing againe Therefore doth God even to this day preach this word unto us and yet it is ineffable as Taulerus saith though in him all things have their essence and being in from God Wherefore to committ and consecrate a mans selfe to this living word of God is the onely life eternall and that true one art and part of Mary which cannot be taken from her all other arts are vaine and must perish with the inventors and professors only to know God obey his word which the Scriptures calls to eate Christ to beleeve in him to putt on the new man to adhere unto God to be born a new to live to the spirit to heare and receive the word of God to be baptized to be ingrafted into Christ to receive Christ and many other tearmes is not onely of it selfe immortal but preserveth all from death who are indued with the same No man can consume this bread but it preserves him the eater thereof from eternall death and hunger unto eternall life This treasure can no theefe take away no rust or moath corrupt In a word this eternall word is to a Christian all things in adversitie a Sword Weapon against all dangers meate to him that starves cloathing to the cold for want of divine grace and a sure sanctuary to every fugitive But he that knoweth all things and is ignorant of this knoweth nothing even as hee who knoweth and hath all things and wanteth God possesseth nothing and if it could be that any man could know all arts which all men at any time have knowne and understood if he were a Pandora or a Hippias knowing all things yet were he not therefore any whitt better in the sight of God yea J dare say he should be so much the worse by how much he had glutted himselfe of the tree of knowledge eaten death for the more poyson is received the speedier will the destruction be And even as this was the fall death of Adā viz. to become a god to arrogate to be something in himselfe to know J will not say to be ignorant of nothing That fal cannot be forgiven or repaired unlesse thou vomitt up all that Diabolicall art and curious knowledge and besides eate of the Tree of Life which shall worke in thee an utter forgetfulnesse of all those arts and make thee a Childe a Foole and reduce thee to innocencie under God that at length thou mayst know that which God would know in thee so he himselfe should teach and suggest in thee by his word according as it is said otherwise all things are unprofitable yea though a man know all things they are not onely unprofitable but also a hinderance to this art of God He that is ignorant of this in vaine hath he learned knowne all things else besides In the word of God alone which proceedeth out of the mouth of god is seated the rule of all things the Scope Doctrine art life and truth teaching what is to be done what not to be done what to bee spoken what not to be spoken whether to enter from whence to depart and come out All other arts they be variable whatsoever they be to time fortune vanitie death and oblivion and not onely these arts but also the Letters bookes formes masters tongues which we use doe perish and others after them which succeed in their places so that nothing is cōstant of long continuance in the earth but all things according to their visible nature are frayle mutable and momentary How often are the tongues themselves changed how often the formes being removed doe new succeed in their place as I have said before Orthography is not ever like it selfe and the same with all people in all times yea the true pronounciation of the Latin tongue as Cornelius Agrippa in his booke called De vanitate scientiarum formerly alleadged by us is perished and no where extant Moreover the auncient Letters of the Hebrews are gone so that there is no memorie left thereof but onely those which Esdras in their place invented Adde moreover that the tongue is made verie lame by the Caldeans which also hath been incident to perish of other tongues So that no man there is who can finde out their auncient forme and dialects Besides this new words doe allwayes creepe in the
the word For the word hath not onely a knowledge but also a certaine action it is not onely a Light and splendor in us given from above but also Life The interior word containeth both of these which sometimes is called the Kingdome of God sometimes the Spirit sometimes Christ dwelling in us For it is not onely a Light way and guide but also Spirit truth and Life that is which not onely teacheth man that he may understand but also moves him that hee workes But the exterior word is farre from this priviledge and hath farr a different nature For it is nothing else but a certaine forme figure of the interior J will not say a shadow Therefore the interior words as it is the onely lively so it is the onely true word as being the truth and life But on the contrary the exterior is nothing but a killing Letter and a deceitfull figure of the word Hence it ariseth the Letter as Christ becomes a certaine snare to wicked men a stone of offence darkenesse not Light death and not Life Therefore it is necessarie that beside the exterior word the interior be sought after and knowne Since the exterior deceiveth a man with its shape is death and darknesse unlesse the Light Life of the spirit bee together present with it Moreover the exterior suffereth a man to be sluggously and idle except the power of the interiour bee present with it Therefore the interiour word may be without the exterior as the exteriour without the interior Therfore it doth not necessarily follow that a man hath the word of God because he pretends and hath the letter as on the other side it followeth not that he who wāteth the exterior word or letter wāteth also the interior true and heavenly word which is God himselfe For he doth not alwayes want the word who hath not the Letter For the Letters doth onely give a testimony of the word so farre are they from being the word it selfe yea they are scarce the Image of the living word Much lesse are they it which neither can be written nor expressed by words both which is incident to the Letters Therefore the Letters are farre from being the word of God yea all the word though sometimes they bee called the word of God as the image and picture of a man is called sometimes by his name even as God is sometimes called man the word flesh not that God is man or the word or spirit is made flesh by imitation appellattion and permixion So as what is said of one may be verified of the other or so as God cease to be God and to be truely changed into man as that water in Cana Galilee was changed into wine Or so as the word is so flesh as not now it is not the spirit or the word but flesh in no wise The word is not so in the Letter that they be one and the selfe same thing or so as the word should have changed it selfe into the Letter and yet well and rightly the Letters are called the Word of God so as God is called Man and the Word flesh although to speake properly neither is the word of God chāged into Letters nor God into Man nor the word into flesh Therefore both these may be true the Letters are the word of God and the Letters are not the word of God Now although the Letters are sometimes in some respect the word of God yet truely are they not the sole nor altogether nor all the Word of God yea if we speak properly they are not the word of God which either can be spoken or written and that the Letters are not the sole word of God may be made knowne by this That many things besides the Scriptures are revealed inspired unto many and many things are spoken and written by them which are not contained openly in the letters yea which somtimes are contrarie to the dead Letters The Prophets Moyses Christ and his Appostles whose words seeme to be contrary to the Prophets what they have written of the Temple the Sacrifice Circumcision and of the vision of God Moreover the true word of God hath beene from all eternitie yea even before any scripture was as I have said before it will be hereafter whē the scriptures are perished Therefore the word is improperly in the Letter and flesh and therefore it is improperly called flesh or the Letter For my word saith Christ is Spirit and Life Therefore the word cannot be that word which is flesh or dead letter wherfore though the word truely and indeed is onely in spirit as in which it onely liveth yet it is also in the flesh but yet weake if there it bee alone without the Spirit and Life It is also in the Letter but altogether dead unlesse the Spirit doe quicken it as the soule doth the bodie and it is in both and yet not truely and if truely yet not all and onely and lively Now although the word is in the Spirit lively and true yet after a more peculiar excellent manner it is in the flesh then in the Letter although the Spirit be present with the Letter and lend a hand it teacheth nothing but when the spirit dwelleth with the flesh it not onely teacheth but also maketh alive and bursteth out into workes So the letter of the Law brings men to no perfection although it be the word of God as also the Scriptures spoken by the mouth of God and written by his finger For the word of the Law did teach the knowledge of the precept but did not give man a will and strength to fulfill the same but the word which is made flesh giveth life to beleevers Hence it commeth to passe that the flesh inspired with the word and spirit of God wills and doth keepe the Commandement of God Therefore the word in the flesh doth onely give an Example of life when on the contrarie it leaveth in the letter all things idle and sleepie But in the Spirit it truely stirrs up the heart and affections towards the Law for the Spirit is the life and soule of the word and therefore the word it selfe but the flesh is a certaine imitation of the word the letters a certaine printed picture and Copie of the word Wherefore the written word is not the true word but a certaine image thereof yea the Scriptures pronounced in words are not the true word of God but onely a testimony thereof For the Scriptures had beginning in time by occasion but the word was from all eternitie Adde to which the Scriptures doe lead men into errour except the interpreter viz. the Spirit be present And they are a sealed booke and a perplexed Laborinth unlesse the Spirit be present as the Treede of Thesius to guide us and as the Key of David to open unto us Hence it comes to passe that many men seeing see not and hearing heare not and as who know the Scriptures
of the World good but in truth evill and wicked for what seems holy in the opinion of Men is prophane in the sight of God So there is a twofould knowledge and witt the one divine of the Tree of Life the other humane of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill Humane wisdome is a Fruit of the Forbidden Tree and the roote thereof is the Seede of the Serpent and so is mortall These are all the arts which Naturall Men have found out if no without God yet surely not in God Breefly all witt and arts which God himselfe doth not plant in the hearts of Men by the power of his spirit and Word but acquired and gotten outwardly by the industry and helpe of men are death it selfe or rather a deaster if man doe any manner of way trust or hope in them for they doe make man no more acceptable to God or any way more righteous before him then doe his meate drinke or cloathes for all these things are out of man and a certaine superstition and worshipping of a false God if thou restest thy selfe in them thou mayst seem to thy selfe to be nearer unto God because thou knowes and understands many things being more wise and accute then some simple good man who cares only to know God But in very truth thou art no better then a foole who art ignorant of these For by how much thou art wiser then others hereby by so much thou art worse For since it is so that all the knowledge of this World and all the righteousnesse of the flesh is Devilish according as Sainct James giveth this and other more opprobrious names unto it It followes that by how much a man offends and growes higher and increaseth in this witt by so much is hee the worse and more Devilish so that a good and simple man who cares and desires to know nothing but God if he be compared with him in respect of him hee may seeme to be a Saint or God and one of those is worth a thousand of others as holy Scriptures doe testify one rightous man is more worth then a thousand wicked men The other wisdome which in the eyes of the world is foolishnes is that denying wisdome the fruit of the Tree of Life which whosoever hath he shall never die This springeth up in man out of the seed of the Woman and is given and taught of God alone being in its owne nature ful of love working divine solace and is called in the holy Scriptures the Knowledge of God because it knoweth nor acknowledgeth nothing but God This teacheth and professeth only God in the hearts of his servants it arrogateth nothing to it self but as it meerly knoweth God So it renders all it receives to him againe This renewes man justifies him enlives him and makes him like unto God but it is to be found in no mans heart but only in his who hath given a farewell to all Earthly pleasures arts will and witt because that since it is so that these two knowledges are so contrary one to another as fire is to water it cannot be that they should live together in one heart but the one will expell the other as the day the night and the night the day wherfore all fleshly knowledge will and witt must be quite unlearned and we must become little Children and Fooles againe according as the holy Scriptures testify unto us if we would have the true knowledge wisdome of God to dwell in our hearts For God requires a free and empty soule which he would fill with his knowledge and goodnesse and imbrace as a pure unspotted spouse possessed with no other love but his He would be the only Father of the Family and cannot endure Satan in his Kingdome to be neare unto him who is altogether light and void of all darknesse Now this wisdome being humane and a Fruit of the forbidden Tree so is it fleshly puffing up the possessor of it so as it makes him provide selfe-loving desirous of his owne profitt bould and wicked In a word it makes a man a Lucifer and so contrary and abominable to God that he cannot or will not flow into his soule And indeed nothing so much hurts man as his owne knowledge witt and righteousnes c. which makes the word of the everliving God to appeare foolishnes and God himselfe to seeme Satan unto him Therefore as it hath already beene said of witt and knowledge the same may be said of the will of God and man The one cannot endure the other No more then the spirit can endure the flâ—sh life death fire water Therefore the wisdome of God aymes at the utter destruction of Adams life nature will and wisdome labouring to plucke us from the duggs of humane wit by which we are nourished We must therefore learne to forgett and unlearne whatsoever Adam knew or doth know wils loves c. and all things must be made a new in Christ this is the wisdome of God Now let us see how farre we are from this if a man have but onely a thought to learne his way presently he thinkes it is well with him and without any repentance he doth sweetly delite himselfe in his owne knowledge art and will and all men will be good Christians and if God will will compose whole bookes and volumes of Christ which they neither doe nor have knowne and by this meanes they doe so wearily imploy and vex their minds through Satans motion with so many questions arts and idle disputations that scarcely can they have so much time as to thinke of the knowledge of God Whereas the true knowledge of God is not learned by prying into running over reading or hearing a company of doubtfull questions as the 1. Chapt. of the German Theologie Taulerus in many places elegantly doth teach but by patient and obedient remaining hearkening and attending to that which God doth work in us For he that would be divinely wise and learne the knowledge of God its needfull that hee heare and learn the same from God himselfe he having detained it to himselfe so that it can by no meanes be taught of man For as humane arts and sciences proceede from men and is their worke so divine science is from God and is the worke of his onely word For as Iohn Stapitius saith in a little booke of the love of God that those things that cannot be knowne but by sence and experience neither can they be taught by or learned from others As for Example No man can teach another to see heare tast and touch in like manner and much lesse can any man teach another to beleeve love hope repent so that divine truth and Theologie may rather be said to be experience then Arts no man can learne of himself the knowledge of God love of God Faith and such like because the naturall man cannot perceive things divine nay the Letter of the Scriptures is not able to doe
day to gett and heape up riches Wherfore are they so forgetfull of the word of God and so little esteeme his precepts and commandements But that they thinke God cares not for them or that he cannot or will not revenge them therefore it is necessary that they helpe and revenge themselves or that they thinke that while to long to wait and expect the helpe of God before that he take vengeance and punishment they themselves shall be overthrowen And because they thinke that nothing but povertie comes upon them if they have any commerce and communion with the truth of God therefore it is necessary that they helpe themselves and labour for their living by lying cogging deceiving and usury and the like this makes a man rich and honourable As for the word of God that is but a late helpe and deficient in adversitie it stands us in hand therefore to adore our selves speake bigge swelling words elevate our selves as much as we can VVho but my selfe is God saith the world in the course of her Life CHAPTER X. An ansvver to certaine obiections that we ought to be wise and not fooles and how we ought to be wise and how foolish But you wil say that the learned shall shine as the Starres or Sunne in Heaven and in a thousand places wee are commanded to apply our hearts unto wisdome as in the Proverbs and Eccles. wise men are commended To which I answer that it is rightly spoken if it be rightly understood to wit of the tree divine heavenly knowledge which God himselfe doth worke teach in those that are poore in spirit I say it is understood of the wisdome of the tree of life and not of the deadly and foolish wisdome of the Flesh which is the knowledge of good and evill and the Scriptures will have us to acknowledge our folly and to be made fooles in our owne judgement and indeed we are so but we would not be accounted so and forget all things wherby we may become truely wise and receive the influence of divine knowledge into our soules For we are all foolish wicked and we will not see and perceive it nor beleeve it and therfore God would have us by confessing our folly in true simplicity to give a farewell unto it by submitting our selves over unto God be made truely wise and learned by him Hereupon it is that Solomon calls them fooles whom Paul calls wise prudent Solomon calls them what they are indeed in the sight of God but Paul calls them what they seeme to be in their own eyes and in the sight of men We must unlearne and therein strive to be fooles in that wherin we learne and strive to be wise in But as it is given us of God so it can be learned from none but God and as the love of God shed abroad in our hearts begets a mutuall love of him againe Even so Gods knowing of us begets in us a knowledge of him as Paul witnesseth to the Gal after that ye knew God or rather are knowne of him As also to the Phill. I desire to know as I am knowne And also 1. Ioh. 3. He first loved us Also in another place if any man love God he is borne of God Out of all these places I gather that God is never knowne loved sought or found of us untill we be knowne loved sought and found of God as Christ saith to the Pharises the Kingdome of God is in you and Paul to the Athenians Hee is not farr off from every one of us for in him we live move have our being But this is most miserable and lamentable that those who professe themselves to know God know him not as they ought as Paul testifies of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And againe if any man seeme to know any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought VVe should know this that by nature we know nothing but are altogether blind dead and foolish in spirituall things and this knowledge should make us nothing foolish and Children in our owne eyes But wee desire to know and seeme wise whereby it comes to passe that we know not how or for what end we ought to learne knowledge for wisdome is not given unto us for this purpose that thereby being puffed with pride we extoll our selves and become something in the eyes of the world but on the contrary to make us nothing This is the knowledge of God that makes us Fooles and Children to our selves and the world it doth not puffe us up making us seeme wise in our own opinion Noe for that is the knowledge of the Serpent both most devilish and deadly Thus you see that the whole world knowes not what how and for what end they should desire to know but alwayes strives against God in their knowledge and know not of what things they ought to be ignorant off but cheifly are desirous to know those things they ought to be ignorant off and so by their owne art and knowledge make themselves Fooles Breefly that which they doe know and doe desire to know that they should learne to unknow and what they resist to know that they should learn to know otherwise God will never acknowledge them for his owne because God hath determined never to acknowledge crowne or reward any thing in us but his owns guifts and workes that is never to love or accept any thing in us but himselfe For he alone is the Light Life the way and the truth so that whosoever is not in him or he in them they alwayes wander in the pathes of errour and shadow of death Now every man knows what it is to walk in darknes The walls of Ierusalem were not to be opened before the Sunne did rise even so should no man intend to goe forth before the Sonne of righteousnesse arose in his heart since all things depends upon him and bee should be our Teacher and Example by whose instruction we should learne and by whose Example wee should walke as the Scriptures testify It is an easie thing to say that the world is in darknesse and uncapable of the spirit of truth but no man will either acknowledge or beleeve himselfe to be the world or that the whole world to God is all Fleshe as the Sonnes of Adam all were naturall men with the universall righteousnesse reason and wisdome therein but by the world men thinke to be understood the Turkes Gentles Heathens and I know not what people of the farthest parts of the world attributing so much to arts tongues Scriptures which they almost preferre above the spirit and if a man doe reade and have a Bible they thinke it enough and that by which they may easily obtaine the Holy Ghost not considering that either the Holy Ghost must bee their guide and enlighten them in the knowledge of the word or otherwise it is but a dead Letter
and is so farre from bringing Life with it that it mortifies kills the Reader as Paul implies where he sayth the spirit quickens and not the Letter The Iewes in auncient times and so men in these dayes doe boast themselves of the word of God are strongly perswaded that out of it they are able to gather Life to their soules but they are farre deceived Wherefore Christ sayes In whom thinke ye to have Life As for the Scriptures his testimony of them is this that they are them which testify of him Therefore all arts and knowledges are no wayes the cause of Life but the knowledge of Life to know him in and with God wicked nature hath alwayes a perverse end proposed to it selfe and therefore it desires to know all things not for God but for its owne sake therefore all things are to the flesh as it is its self vaine and perverse if the learning of so many arts had beene necessary to salvation God had created and taught them in the beginning Neither would bee have suffered that men should so long have wanted that without which they were not able to attaine to Life but because they were formed out by men and still are found out by them though no man be any whitt the more unhappie if so be he never know any thing of them Yea hee were more happie if he could unlearne them though with greater difficulty then he learned them you may by the Tree conjecture what the Fruit is what humane arts and sciences are to witt the Fruit of the forbidden Tree How then can they conduce any thing unto Life being the only precepts in ventions of men Therefore very well in praise of that word of God doth Cornelius Agrippa call all arts and actions of men meere ignorant fables and foolishnes in his Booke de vanitate Scientiarum The beginning and end whereof wee have putt in this Booke that wee may not seeme alone with Ernestinus to contemne arts and praise folly Wherefore if thou leane unto arts please and boast thy selfe in them having any hope or accounting thy selfe any thing better for them they will prove death unto thee for they doe no more conduce to thy happines then garments time place or such like circumstances But as they are the inventions of the flesh so doe they produce no other thing in thee then the workes and Fruits of the flesh to witt selfe-love pride of spirit contempt disdaine security such like And this is verified by experience for no men are more perverse craftie covetous then these wordly wise and learned men bee being men drowned in their owne selfe-love esteemed of themselves worthy to be beloved and reverenced of all full of rash judgement lovers of all pleasures and so full of all vices that the whole world gives creditt to no men lesse speakes worse of no men more being full of taunting reproaching proverbs against them such as these the better learned the worser mannered the better Scoller the worser Christian No man scapes scotfree out of the clawes of a preist He that wil have an honest house must keepe it free from Preists Apes Doves A monk dare doe as much as he dare thinke These such like proverbs are common in every mans mouth which arise from this that they are so swollen with the poyson of the fruit of the forbidden tree so puft up with the false opinion of their owne wisdome and righteousnesse that no rich man is more insolent by reason of his riches then these perverse wise men are by reason of their arts knowledge So that it is as easie to remove Cyrus out of his Kingdome as one of these wise men out of his opinion and tenent And truely it cannot be but by how much a man is more wise in the art of the forbidden tree by so much hee is more miserable as Christ witnesseth in the gospell that the multitude of their arts and knowledge is an impediment why they come not into the Kingdome of God and publicans and harlots enter in before them Therfore these men are to perish with their arts to depart empty and so farr is any of them from leaving his art wisdome knowledge righteousnesse that he esteemeth these to be the good and riches of the soule which neither theevs can steale nor moathes corrupt when in very deed they are nothing but the inventions of Satan fruits of the forbidden tree and the death of the soule For the life of the soule is the true knowledge of God which himselfe doth work teach in us to wit the fruit of the Tree of life whose fruit is that it makes a man gentle loving humble lowly meeke c. By this let a man examine himselfe with what witt and righteouseesse hee is endued For if day by day he be lesse in his own eyes and in the judgement of the world if he seeme still more foolish in himselfe and a Child in his owne thoughts his knowledge is divine the Seede of the VVoman a Fruit of the Tree of Life but if hee finde contrary effects in himselfe then is all his wisdome Devilish the Seede of the Serpent and Fruit of the Forbidden Tree and so the death of the soule CHAP. XI Of the Tree of Life vvhat it is why Adam was excluded from it and not permitted to eate thereof I also grant thus much that this Tree was visible in Paradise and had this divine vertue bestowed upon it that whosoever eate thereof should live for ever But whereas Adam before had eaten of the Forbidden Tree and had incurred death therefore he should not eate of this Tree of Life least otherwise he should have lived for ever and in a word God should have beene false in his word which was that he should dye the death but God who is Life it selfe would not for ever be angrie with his Creature but was unwilling that man should for ever live in that misery into which he had cast himselfe and therefore drove him out of Paradise and afterwards shewed him the way by which he should returne into Paradise againe and eating of this Tree live for ever and then gaurded the Tree of Life with a Cherub and a flamming sword least man in his exile should have presumed to have come to this Tree and have eaten thereof The will and counsell of God was that it was better that man should dye in the flesh and so putt of this miserable life and change it for a better then live in it for ever Therefore God who cannot nor will not hate us delt every way most mercifull with us if so bee we would truely consider of it Now doe J think that the same also happened in the true Paradise of Adās heart the Tree of the Knowledge of Good Evill is the Seed Knowledge and wisdome of the Serpent And the tree of Life is the Seed of the Woman and the wisdome of
God and these two Trees are as God and Satan so contrary one to another that the one brings Life unto us and the other death Therefore he that eates of the one its impossible he should eate of the other because they are divided by a flying Cherub and a flaming sword which I interpret sinne and disobedience which sometimes in the Scriptures is called a partition wall For hee that eates of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill that is hee that is possessed with a Diabolicall wisdome of the Flesh he cannot eate the Tree of Life that is he is departed from divine knowledge and wisdome that proceeds from God For these two wisdomes are incompitable they cannot bee in one and the selfe-same heart being as contrary one to the other as heaven to hell He that eateth of the Tree of Life and is pertaker of divine knowledge hee cannot dye neither sinne For this Fruit eates the eater of it and changeth him into its owne nature into Life as the Scriptures doe testify of those that doe eate the flesh of Christ For it is one and the same thing to eate Christ to live in his word to eate of the Tree of Life to beleeve in God c. as it is also the same thing to be in Adam to live in Adam to eate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good Evill to obey the word of Satan and be God Therfore those that eate of this deadly Tree and adhere to the word and wisdome of the Serpent and are borne of Satan these cannot doe any thing that is pleasing unto God As on the contrary the other doth not any thing that is displeasing unto him Therefore he that would be the one must bidd adew to the other He must putt off the wisdome of the Serpent and vomitt up the Fruit of the Forbidden Tree who would eate of the Tree of Life Adam must dye in us and the witt of the Flesh must be unlearned of us if we would have Iesus Christ to live in us and obtaine the direction of the holy spirit For the death of the one is the life of the other the infirmity of the one is the strength of the other No man can serve two Masters neither is it possible to unite Adam God the Devill together CHAP. XII The praise of the Word of God on which alone man ought to build rest reside and it onely know if he will remain unshaken in adversity have his Faith manifest and approved and finde quietnesse to his Soule INdeed there be many arts profitable to the body which God the belly hath created and yet doth dayly finde out which truely bring much profit to the kitchin and onely serve worship obey their God the belly most zealously as it is expedient they should But as the cōmon proverbe is that which is profitable to the body doth often hurt the soule and that which is the bellies and flesh as life foode and plentie is often times the death of the soule and a meere poyson unto it because the spirit is contrary to the flesh Hence it comes to passe that table or belly arts because they be the Fruit off-spring and witt of the flesh are altogether vaine famine and death unto the soule And on the contrary that onely art the end whereof was not for God bellies advantage which the whole world doth so much sleight and litle regard that onely true wisdome and Theologie to witt God and the knowledge of his Word in him together with the knowledge of him divinely infused into our soules is the sole art onely necessary to mans salvation Therfore the true heavenly divine art the true tree of Life of which whosoever eateth hath everlasting life Furthermore I say this art is the Foode Wine Milke excellencie defence and all whether the profitt pleasure or advancement of Soules All other arts being vaine doubtfull and the poyson of the Soule hurtfull and deadly to the Spirit of Man if hee leane upon them rest in them glory in them or build his happinesse upon their sandy foundation In a word they are the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good evill of which whosoever eates as J have amply proved hee shall dye the death Therefore I desire that wee would not be to righteous nor wise in our owne eyes As Solomon Eccles. 8. as also Proverbs 3. doth faithfully instruct us that we should esteeme nothing to be our wisdome righteousnesse or any other vertue in us but onely to know God in and with himselfe and love praise worshipp feare honour and understand him as wee ought Which thing must necessarily proceede from God himselfe beeing the worke of his eternall and in it selfe everlasting and immutable word which without spokesman from him proceeds out of his mouth that hee speakes in our hearts teacheth himselfe in our soules imprinting and engraving his Image in us thereby enlightning so our understanding that to speake in a word he so teach love know understand pray unto heare guide governe and worshipp himselfe in us All other things whatsoever are to dull and all the vertue of things are to base that they should be able to teach us God and give us everlasting felicity or that God by them should give it unto us God will be himselfe teach himselfe give and convay himselfe into our hearts Neither will hee suffer his honour to bee given to any Creature that by it wee should be saved or sanctified but hee that heareth and learneth it of the Father commeth unto him He will himselfe be the Master of spirits and so a spirit shall be taught of a spirit And all those that are divinely instructed of the all-knowing and understanding God shall be said truely to be learned and wise The flesh hath teachers who belonging to the ould covenant have commerce with the flesh The new covenant because it is spirit and Life and in like manner hath a spirituall and new birth of God to be instructed hath also a spiritual word and Master to instruct it which is the word and spirit of Life Therefore if any man would know himselfe submitt himselfe quietly to the direction and permitt himselfe to bee spoken too sought and found in him He surely should be elevated to a wonderfull Light if any man I say doth follow the instruction and Doctrine of the Father in himselfe he verily should finde God in God and with God But the world busied and accupied in the Creatures passeth away in a confusion and not considering the hidden and secret treasure that is closed in his heart Neither seekes for this precious Pearle but covered all over with the earth of the Creatures remaineth in darknesse with the multitude of his arts and sciences weary ignorant and void of all true arts and sciences yet doth he in the meane space learne art after art further and further searcheth into the my fierie of knowledge And to use the words of Saint Paul is
alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth but the more he learneth the more perverse he is and to such a madnesse doth he come at last through his overmuch wisdome that he quite forgets what to say bable determine beleeve and what opinion to hould and so he together with his fraile foundation and fickle arts staggers here and there slides out of one errour into another untill hee become vaine in all his imaginations and like to Foxes caught with all their trickes and turnings is thereby miserably ensnared in the Netts and snares of his owne arts and sciences But the Christian like to the Catt hath but one way knowes but one art whereby he is able to save himselfe yea that a cheefe one viz. his God in whom he hath all things knowes loves and comprehends all things And therefore hee scapeth when the Fox though he know many sleights those craftie ones indeed yet often together with his sleights hee falleth into the power of the Gods and the hands of the hunter Therefore thou canst boast of nothing nor build upon any other thing whatsoever but onely that sure foundation and art which is God himselfe his holy word For all other things forsake man in adversitie except the hope and confession of God this is the true preacher in our hearts if any man will attend and hearken to what he shall speake in him he hath planted in us the Seede of the woman neere unto the Seede of the Serpent for opposition unto the same yea he hath confirmed his Spirit finger word and Image in us His Spirit he hath cloathed in us with Flesh and hath placed it captive in the midst of its enimies in the Tabernacle of the Flesh that it may prevaile and overcome and subduing the Flesh may with it selfe carie it unto God deify it engraffe it unite it unto God For this is the fight betweene the Flesh the Spirit in us of which Paul speaketh off Therefore if any will yeeld himselfe over in the midst of his enimies to the holy Spirit glory in God as in a most fortified Campe in him God would without doubt once come and vanquish his enimies and so he should know all things to eternall Life But the World doth not attend unto God in himselfe alwayes occupied with the sound or noyse of the Creatures passeth on with tumult and confusion and so knowes nothing heares nothing learnes nothing though in the meane time it compasseth searcheth and inquireth out a thousand unprofitable arts and continually learnes and the longer it learnes it is the more unlearned untill sliding into errour at last it falls quite downe But if men as Christians doe would abide with God privately in the Schoole of their hearts and with Marie would sitt attentively at the feete of their Lord and would both heare and learne what God would be pleased to speake teach interprise in them verily they divinely instructed would at last vomitt up all their arts as ignorant and folly And with Paul would forgett them deny them and account them as drosse and dung Standing water is easily made bright with the beames of the Sunne and a rolling stone gathereth no mosse but the roaring Rivers of this world must necessarily be either lukewarme or cold Therefore it is behovefull that before al things we turn unto God in our soules and compose our selves with him in quietnesse dayly talking with him heare him and learne of him Which thing the whole world is ignorant off it knoweth not how to heare the word the Master the teacher and how to learne of him in himselfe but alwayes it flyes out of its owne heart into the mouth of man who when they be altogether lyers filthie vaine it comes to passe that they are allwayes deceived are alwayes learning and heaping many arts when notwithstanding with all their arts they are ignorant and foolish because that which they know is but meerely surreptions theevish untried taken upon trust from others of which they themselves never had experience but if any to please the people have profunctorily beleeved yet together with the people they beleeve some other thing Then truely like Bees they fly out in swarming sometimes prosecuting a poor Wesell making deare enquiry into a matter of little moment and fall into some matter of dispute upon whose foundation and ground they are altogether ignorant off untill they be satiated with it then they fall upon some other thing So in times past all Israell in whom all the whole world is figured together with their Kings and Preists did fall untill they wholy erred from the Faith and once taken were led away captive Read the people painted in my booke of the World Now J call with Paul the word of God that foolish and offensive speech which to weet doth bring with it the crosse greefe and death of the flesh and maketh all things which seeme somthing to be nothing and only looketh upon regardeth those men who are nothing in themselves which in the eyes of the world seeme the greatest folly that can be Neither can it be perswaded that letting passe that which it sees it should embrace that which it neither hath not sees for it would rather have one bird in hand then two in a bush Neither doth it doubt so it might keepe it to preferre a temporarie life before a thousand eternall liues And therefore the Word and the preachers of the word have beene persecuted for fooles Now the word of God is of such a nature and force that though it hath a vulgar stile so simple in the language of truth yet it overthroweth all things whatsoever rise against it it dulleth the edge of all witt and these entysing and corrupt contemplations together with the more eloquent kinde of lying it doth bring into such straight that it maketh them to blush for shame although as it is alwayes the properties of lyes and ungodlinesse they will not confesse themselves to bee overcome For the word of God doth say such strait seege to the heart of Man that every one if he doe not speake against his owne conscience is forced thus to thinke and so to determine as the word doth speake that so it is and otherwise it cannot be but a lye On the contrarye bursts in with a long Circumlocution and one lye doth almost waigh ten lyes that it may seeme to be true and have a shaddow thereof But the word of God as I have already said doth proceed after a most simple manner but it doth so gird a man that will hee or not hee becommeth amazed and with admiration astonished affrighted doth say this is the finger of God No man ever spake thus for this word hath such a sharpnes sting and strength that it pearseth even into the heart and seperateth the flesh from the spirit so as the minde beeing captivated without all controversie assents to
thereof the more righteous he is and wise before God For we must altogether forget and unlearne this fleshly art this curious sagacitie this Devilish righteousnesse And in steed thereof must learne the onely new contrarie and divine art wisdome and righteousnesse by the eternall word by the Seed of the woman of the Tree of Life of which whosoever eateth shall have eternall Life For this cause the Scriptures doe so vehemently urge new birth Childishnes Foolishnes hate of a mans Life deny all of himselfe which would not be if there were any thing that is good or acceptable to God in man before No man thinkes of this but all men being puffed up with their owne arts witt righteousnesse goodnesse c. beeing secure and without conscience or Religion and yet doe eate death of this forbidden tree that is of their owne will witt reason knowledge goodnesse and art by that Seed of the Serpēt implanted in them But God doth exact nothing but the knowledge of himselfe and that we would be obedient to his word and submitt our selves to be taught by him which the Scriptures doe sometimes call faith which bringeth us unto God begets us anew and regenerates us that thence doe flow the waters of Life the fruits of the spirit love peace joy a guiltlesse minde and all other good things which the Scriptures doe sometimes call faith which bringeth us unto God begets us a new and regenerates us that then doe flow the waters of Life the Fruits of the Spirit love peace joy a guiltlesse minde and all other good things which the Spirit of God effecteth and powreth into us Therfore Theologie is the true Magick the worship sciēce of God which God doth equally exact from us all And this is the same which God doth exact teach and effect by his Word in them who offer and submitt themselves to that his word and clemency to be taught Therefore doth he so frequently and oftē admonish us that he might make it knowne that in him alone is Life and all other things to be found and that hee threatneth and inflicteth great punishment on them that despise him as many places of the Scriptures doe witnesse though the word of God is not tyed or bound unto them as wee will prove anone yet they give good direction and testimony to the mind if any man can have the same use it aright and yet doe much more abuse the Scriptures then rightly use them Neverthelesse they are not to be forsaken any more then a mans wife Children meate drinke c. all which may be abused but yet wee must learne to use them rightly CHAP. XIII Of the Maiestie of the free constant and eternall Word of God how it can be bound to nothing included in nothing nor buried in the Letter and also the difference betwixt the internall and the externall Word THE word of God is as God infinite invisible ineffiable a Spirit and Life which no mortall man can speake see or heare but as farre as is Lawfull to speake of it after the manner of men and by similitude The word of God is nothing else then the glistering the essence the Image the forme and splendor as well imprinted like a Seale into all Creatures as more specially into the hearts of the faithfull which in all things is the cause of their being in all beleevers teacheth in al wicked men reproveth exhorteth and contendeth and reprehendeth the world of sinne and which in the beginning did enlightē informe the hearts of Adam Abell Noah Loth Abraham Iob Mercurie Termigestus Plotimus Cornelius and all other upright-hearted Gentils For though God giveth beeing in above below without and beyond all Creatures and is the essence of all things that bee yet in nothing is hee so clearly to be seene as in Man whom therefore he created after his owne image and perfected in Christ Therefore as brightnesse doth so proceed from the Light of the Sunne as yet it is not seperated from the Sunne but for all that remaines in the Sunne though it fill the whole world and enlighten the same So is the Sonne in like manner whole in the Father and in all the Creatures as the Light is in the Sunne and in the whole World Therefore it is called the brightnesse of his Majestie and the image or figure of his divine essence Of the same nature substance and essence with God So as nothing can bee spoken of the Father which may not also be verified of the word God is no where and every where in all places in all things and yet incomprehensible above and beyond all things Limited to nothing so farre forth that the heavens and earth are not able to containe him nor all the Creatures So is the word Even as the Light of the Sunne hath an originall from whence it proceedeth and a force action into which it tendeth which originall is the Sunne it selfe and which externall active force is the heating or enlightning of the whole world or as the word of every man hath originall force and spirit which originall is man whose expression and image the word is and of the same essence with him And thirdly it hath an active force or spirit which qualifieth this word and makes it either cheerefull or angrie or sorrowfull or displeased So the originall of this divine word is the Father or the action or active force or vertue of it is called the Holy Ghost As therefore the Sunne is light and that active force of that Light is the same and as man his word and the active force of that word is the same So the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are one God Wherefore nothing that appertaines to their essence can be spoken of one which cannot also be verified of all that is all three and as they are of the same essence so of the same condition disposition and nature As therefore God is in nothing and yet in all things so also is his almightie word which is the same as God is so in all things yet that he can be included in nothing and so above all Creatures as the Earth Heaven or any other Creature is not able to conceive or circumscribe him And so in all Creatures as nothing is without him or rather nothing there is that is not full of him So is also his Word As God can neither be spoken or written nor any man is able to declare what God is but all things which are said of him are but Images shadows J will not say as Taulerus and Dr. Eickarius say seeing if we speake truely and properly the whole nature of God is farre otherwise then man doth or is able to speake of him Lastly as God is a thing opposite and contrary to humane cogitation and farre otherwise then he is conceived to bee in the thoughts of man So also is the divine word of God As there is nothing so little in which there is not God and
againe nothing so great that can receive or circumscribe God As nothing is so little but God is lesse and nothing so great but God is greater beyond without below above all Creatures So also is his divine word As the free almightie eternall immutable omniscient incomprehensible invisible and unconceivable God is the beeing of all things So as as all things consist rather in him then in and by themselves as Taulerus and the Germain Theologie in a 1000 places doe avouch and is none of these things which can be seene or comprehended by sence or expressed by word So his divine word is free in all and beyond all bound unto nothing neither tyed to the prison or letters or cover of the Letter concluded included and so tyed unto it that otherwise it is no where even as the following Position and Sentence of a Learned man divinely instructed doe show As the word is covered and hidden by the Letter so it is opened and revealed by the spirit Hence it commeth to passe that the Letters be as a closed or sealed Booke so as the dark Letter except it be opened doth slay but the Spirit doth quicken and the Letters are as a certaine Image void of Life and Spirit that is a printed and dead expression of the Spirit therefore they want Life except the soule of the spirit be present and doe erre Therefore the Letters cannot be the word of God Since the word is farre otherwise an other thing then the letters For it is a spirit truth life but the letters are cōtrary flesh the letter death yea the letters if they want the Light of the word are an offence if they want the soule of the spirit are a stumbling block Therfore the Letters are an otherwise thing then the word that is they are not the Sword of the Spirit but a sheath For as the womb of the virgin conceived the word so the Letters For the word is clothed both with flesh with the Letters that Seede of Abrahem layeth hould of the Scriptures or Letters for they are both one and againe is apprehended by them but the spirit is not apprehended in the flesh or Letter of the Scriptures The cause thereof is this the flesh or Letter cannot containe conceive or comprehend the Majestie of the word yet even as it was so in the flesh that the Majestie thereof did not appeare so it is in the Letter that true neither to all or to any one that reads is it obvious and apparent This is witnessed by all Learned men in the meere Letter since the world began who neither could know finde or comprehend Christ in the flesh nor the word in the Letter which they should have done if Christ in the flesh or under the miserie of the flesh had beene known unto all not hidden but manifested and the Letter had beene not the covering mysterie but the true living and enlightning word of God it selfe As therefore the flesh was not the word but the cover thereof and a certaine great mysterie So the Letters are not the word properly but the shell the barke and cover thereof The word was made fleshly assumption not mixture and so the same word is made Letters yet not so as the same can be said of the Letters as of the word but as in a certaine Seale Therfore so farre are the Letters from being the word of God that they onely be the figure and barke thereof For the word is not that which is spoken by the Letter but that which is expounded by the Holy Ghost and understood onely of the Faithfull Therefore the Letters doe paint out shadow out and after a certaine manner set forth unto us the word and expresse something but are not the word although they be spoken and expressed For the word did not assume the flesh that it is not out of the flesh So it did not so fall into the Letter that it is not out of the Letter For there was the word when there was no Letters and the same will remaine after the Letters are perished Therefore as the word was never included and circumscribed in the flesh neither is it in the Letters For so it was in the bodie as it never yet left heaven and in the same manner it is so in the Letter as yet it is every where Therefore the word is in the Letter altogether but not all Hereupon we see that the letters have been exercised with a continuall encrease and addition Therefore the Letters are the Image of the word and not the word it selfe And if they be they are altogether a written and a dead not a living word For there is a twofould word one that quickneth viz. the Spirit another the Letter which is said to kill and slay The living word is that which inwardly teacheth and maketh us to fructifie the dead word is that which in the Flesh and Letter is proposed unto us The living word is a true Light which enlightneth all men and therefore a regenerating spirit because it reneweth all things In a word it is the power and might of God which giveth unto us that knowledge sence soule and Life which is from God A certaine brightnesse of the face of God which enlightneth us from above imprints in us the unction of the Holy Ghost by which it teacheth and instructeth us in all things But the dead word are the Letters that sealed booke and dead Letter sence and will which is the word of the flesh not of the Spirit of God The true and living word is that which God begetteth in us and the spirit of God effecteth in us But the dead and Litterall word is that which the Letters show unto us and men propound Therefore he doth not alwayes want the word who hath not the Letters For he may have the interior who wants the exterior word to witt the Law of God written in our hearts Hence it comes to passe that no man hath absolute neede to be taught of an other or to admonish his brother concerning the knowledge of God For al these shall know from the least to the greatest and are all the Disciples of Christ divinely taught This writing is not printed with inke and paper but written with the finger of God in the tables of our hearts This is the Doctrine of the truth and the inspiration of the Spirit to wit the propheticall breathing the inspiration of the Spirit and the true art of God Moreover hee may have the living word of God who wants the dead of the Letter and the thing it selfe who wants the signe that is the Life of the word though he wants the dead Letter For two things are cheifly to be considered in the word The first is the disposition and nature of the word which is a certaine Light intended for the enlightning of men The other is the action of it that is the spirit which giveth action and operation to
and yet neither know nor understand Therefore we confesse that the letters are a certaine image and figure of the word yet they are not truely the very word because they are but onely an image figure thereof This is the reason wherefore we admitt no other word but what is answerable to this Image or Example of the Scriptures and to the true and spirituall sence Therefore the Scriptures are as the Index or golden Scales of the word so they be understood not according to the dead letter but according to the minde of Christ and will of the Spirit Therefore we reject not what is agreable to the true meaning of the Scriptures so we doe not deny what is not contrary unto them For whosoever is not against us is of us Therefore we deny not the exterior word written or spoken so doe we confirme the interior or living so it is wee grant the maistery and unction of the Spirit and doe not deny the guift of Prophecye and interpretation of the Scriptures For the word hath something to come and something obscure difficult to the flesh That which is to come the Spirit taketh it of the word and declareth it unto us that which is obscure hard to be understood it dayly teacheth unto us and leadeth us into all truth Therefore under the name of the word of God the Letters are not onely understood but all prophecies visions dreames unctions inward speakings Doctrins of the Spirit revelations if they be frō God also whatsoever holie men by the instinct of the spirit have either spoken or done Therefore no man must adhere peremptorily to the onely letter where the Holy Ghost is there is libertie and the free word is bound to none Moreover the Holy Ghost suffereth no rule or limit to be prefixed to it in its owne therefore to nothing it is tyed but to it selfe that is be not contrarie and disagreeing to it selfe as therefore many things come and are spoken frō God al which nay not the thousand part are writtē in the scripturs So many things at this day happen are spoken by God which are not written And yet neverthelesse they are the word of God and wrought by him Add to which that many things there are not written nor expressed in words which wee yet receive for the word of God and onely by hand as it were have received them from our Forefathers of which kinde are the abrogation of the precepts of the first counsell renewed after by the Holy Ghost to the Church So as the Church was freed from the same Of which things wee notwithstanding have no written or expresse word Christ himselfe taught all in word and writt nothing and commanded his Apostles to preach not to write And the Church is begotten rather by word then by writing Moreover the Doctors preachers of the new Covenant were called and indeed are the Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter By all these it is manifest that the free and swift Spirit is not tyed unto letters nor the Doctrine of the Spirit can bee included into the Jayle prison and corner of the Scriptures Therefore although there bee many bookes of the Law something sometimes may change to come in handling of which there is no expresse Canon or Law to be found but it is to be excogitated and ruled by reason So oftentimes such a rare thing happeneth the letters doe universall forsake a man that they cannot teach comfort guide or appease him but a man must necessarily repaire unto God and consult with the peculiar word of the Spirit by prayer to comfort and strengthen his weakned conscience For it is not sufficient to have the common call and word except a man have speciall proper and inward call which yet is not contrary unto the common And although the word of God is altogether one and undivided yet how much thereof a man hath received by faith so much of it is his and this is his word His issue the Word of God is as God himselfe must be made every ones by faith No otherwise then whereas the Light of the Sunne is common yet as much as every one is enlightned thereby so much is the Sunne his and no more So as much as every one hath of God and his word so farre is he his God and so farre hath he God and his word which are common to all peculiar to himselfe Therfore the letters are farre weaker then to satisfie a troubled conscience in the offences thereof and to make quiet againe the lively word of God must doe this and this honour hath God reserved onely to himselfe neither will he permitt it to the letters or any Creatures whatsoever Moreover the Holy Ghost will not be bound or captivated in those that are his nor be subject to the masterie of any one nor suffer that it should be taught by any writing or mouth of man but will it selfe be the light the Doctor master captaine and in a word all in all things Moreover he who useth the Scriptures for a testimony of that worke spirit so hee doe it according to the minde of Christ not interpreting them according to the interpretation of the Scribes and Puarisees doth onely use the Scriptures aright according to the will of God according as he ought all others are meere abuses and the worship of images as the whole world busies it selfe in the Scriptures and esteeme them to be their Apollo as if the Holy Ghost God were no longer to be consulted with concerning any affaires but onely the letters In a word here they enquire and have all things here with the Pharisees they think to have life neither will they grow by an others mans harme nor will they see how blinde impious ignorant and dead they ever have beene in all ages in divine things and in the word of God who have beene the most Learned and could all the Bible at their fingers ends having for all that neede to heare and learne the truth from Christ So darke and deadly are the Letters which they make their Idols Paul calleth the Letters death but they life but indeed they are eternall darknesse death aenigma allegorie and a sealed booke Unlesse thou have the living word of God unto the Light and in them relie upon the Holy Ghost For thy teacher inspirer interpreter guide and master and yet many of them dare make the booke to be open when as yet they cannot agree in the exposition of it And from thence doe as many Sects and Heresies arise as Readers and Heads doe attempt to reade it But know thou and have it as a thing most true that they are cleane onely to the cleane Spirituall to the Spirituall the Word of God to them who are of God and Religiously studie them by the direction and guidance of the Holy Ghost whom they carie alwayes with them and put as a Light into this otherwise darke Lanthorne so as by the the doctrine of the Spirit direction of it they bring more light unto them then they receive therfrom what they receive therefrom is nothing else or no other but a certaine Testimonie of the Spirit of them and all Doctrine The Bereans used the Scriptures as Christ would have them to bee used Acts 17. Search the Scriptures saith he in which yee thinke yee have Eternall life Ioh. 5. But he thinkes otherwise For it followes they are they which testifie of me that I am the Life and Word which speaketh unto you John 8. As therefore we graunt that the Scriptures are the rule of the word judge of spirituall things So in no wise will we remove out of the Church the word of God and unction of the Spirit For even as wee defend the Majestie and authoritie of the word of God against the dead Letter so will we maintaine the masterie of the Spirit against the executioner of the Letter And so doe we grant the fulfilling of the swift and short word as in the onely precept of loue all is contayned both the Law and Prophets be comprehended therein we ingenuously confesse Wherefore as wee doe not take away the word of the Law but confirm it So we doe think that something is yet dayly to be opened in the Church by the unction of the Doctors thereof the signe and earnest not of that which is necessary to salvation but to the guift of Prophecying and the hidden interpretation of the Scriptures Since Christ never forsaketh his Spouse but is alwayes present with her unto the end Math. 28. and being ever in the midst of her doth guide direct her 2 Cor. 9. This is the reason wherfore we doe not force or include the Majestie of the word of God within the narrow prison of the Letters FINIS Luke 10. Deut. 11.