though they might proceed from his loins according to the flesh through mixtures of seeds in marriages the sons of God saw the daughters of men to be fair and they took of them to be their wives Again though the blessed Israelites and cursed Canaanites are mixed together by carnal copulation since the prince of devils became flesh yet you that are spiritual may know that the Lord Iesus that made them both knew how to separate them for all their close union and to call them by names answerable to their own natures As consider did not the glorious Creator and blessed Redeemer himself make a clear distinction between two worlds or generations when he said I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me out of the world can you therefore that are sober imagine or think that there is any spiritual salvation for these men or women which the Saviour of the world excludes in his petition Moreover it is wtitten that the Apostles said We know that we are of God and the whole world lyeth in wickedness Behold ye redeemed ones of the most high God is it not as clear as the light it self that there is two distinct whole worlds according to that saying Then all Israel shall be saved a redeemed world of elect Israelites and an unredeemed world of reprobate Canaanites that were never truly lost in themselves and therefore never capable of being found in Christ accordding to that in the Epistle of Jude where it is thus written For there are certain men crept in which were of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men which turn the grace of God into wantonness and denying Christ the onely Lord wo unto them for they have followed the way of Cain and are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages and perish in the gainsaying of Core Thus is it not clear unto all such that have in them any faith in the truth of the Scripture that there is two distinct whole worlds to distinguish between the divine glory of Election and everlasting shame of Rejection a cursed Cain a blessed Abel a subtile serpent and a simple Saint a scoffing carnal Ishmael and a spiritual Isaac a bloody minded Esau and a merciful minded Jacob a persecuting Saul and a prophetical David a treacherous Judas and a gracious and glorious Jesus from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof yea and a blessed Seth born in the stead of righteous Abel to bring forth the generation of the just that the Lord of eternal glory might according to the flesh as well as the spirit spring from a spiritual line of his own light of life eternal and not from a rational or carnal line of eternal death in chains of utter darkness which if it had power according to its cursed desire it would destroy God elect men and angels heaven and earth and all in them and it self also rather then be subject to any or might not onely it self bear rule over all But now to the matter in hand and withal consider what you read for it highly concerns you to look about you that if there should be any evil angels or devils living in the air and a devil amongst them called Beelzebub the prince of devils then I say what need any man trouble himself with the least fear of eternal death what wickedness soever is committed by thee why because if a man is tempted by any devil but what is in his own nature onely that evil spirit is to be eternally damned and the man set free nay moreover if sin or evil issued not from mans unclean reason or lying imagination within him is it possible think you that any man should be tormented as some men are with an inward burning through a secret fear of eternal sufferings rising in them from the guilt of former evils committed against the light of their own consciences furthermore seeing all men which live after the flesh must die or perish and that mans own lust is that imaginary devil from whence proceeds all sin or evil Without controversie though men or angels should gainsay it there are no other evil spirits angels or devils but unmerciful men and women onely Again if envy pride covetousness hypocrisie lust and such like be the devil in man then are not men and women those devils that are under the power of those evils I would fain know from the learned men of this world whether there are any other evil angels or devils besides mankinde that lust after women or silver or honor or revenge or any kinde of evil whatsoever truly if those supposed wise men that talk so much of the sublilty of the prince of the air that rules in the children of disobedience could possibly know that their own imaginary Reason was that evill spirit or prince of all their airy disputes concerning God angels devils Heaven hell eternal glory or shame to come which they know not of according to truth then in stead of their reioycing in the approbation of many men in relation unto their natural gifts their own spirits would immediately become the principle of all those howling groaning serpent-devils spoken of in Holy Writ even in the sight of elect men and angels in this mortal life Again is it not against all spiritual or rational sense that any man angel or devil should suffer eternal damnation for the sin of another or for anothers tempting him to sin or evil Moreover doth it stand to very good sense that yea that creature that is left to himself to be tempted unto sin or evil and overcome thereby and remains under the power of it to their lives end its requisite at the great day he should suffer for his own sin and not for anothers iniquity wherefore judge you is it not one of the vainest things in the world for any man to think that there is any other evil spirit angel or devil that tempts him to any motion imagination thought desire word or action of rebellion against God or man but the proud lying envious devil living in his whole man as aforesaid Therefore let no man that professeth spiritual light or life in him for very shame say that God can be tempted or tempt any man unto sin or evil neither let him say that any evil spirit angel or devil in the air or earth or in the water or in the fire tempts him to commit any sin or evil but that airy watery fiery lustful fleshly devil dwelling in his own body I say let him know that yea that is the prince of the air which thorow the absenting vertue of the holy Spirit begets those legions of devils or lusts in the soul of man and it is the true light of the Lord Jesus Christ in all his new born babes that crusheth the Cockatrice eggs before they become serpent-devils to sting the whole man with fear of eternal death So that understand what I say those devils which by the
THE RIGHT DEVIL DISCOVERED 1 In his Descent 2 In his Form 3 In his Education 4 In his Qualification 5 In his Place and nature of Torment With many other Divine Secrets never as yet extant Published for Confutation of the Learned Instructing the Wise and undeceiving of the simple Written by Laur. Claxton John 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do c. He that committeth sin is of the devil c. 1 John 3. 8 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Francis Cossinet at the Sign of the Anchor and Mariner in Tower-street 1659. THE EPISTLE To you the Seed of Faith the onely beloved Family of the Lord of Glory your poor despised Brother yet heir with you of that immortal endless kingdom saluteth you as followeth IN this Treatise I have brought to publique view your grand Opposite Cain the father of all the devils children in which you may take full sight of his majestical person in this his kingdom with all his glory appertaining to him therefore you that are not onely verbally but really the Seed of Adam sing praises to Christ your Savior that your treasure is not laid up in this kingdom that shall perish and have an eâ—… and because of poverty here rejoyce that your riches is in your kingdom yet to come mourn not because of hatred here for this kingdom loves its own let this rejoyce your souls that every day you are nearer your Journeys end and let this elevate your spirits that before you be aware the Lord whom ye love have long looked for is a coming and will wipe away all tears from your eyes and sorrows from your hearts for believe it the Lord hath recorded all your enemies in his brest and will execute vengeance upon them therefore fear not the credit of this world not the loss of thy life for thy God but rejoyce thou hast power over thy corruptions I say rejoyce for evermore for our God doth love an upright innocent soul therefore take heed of hypocrisie and deceive not thy self in acknowledging a personal God and hatest to be reformed for it is life eternal not onely to be a professor but a possessor this is the White Stone and Hidden Mâ—nna that hath so few and no name you â—…ow what I say therefore forget not that first of John 3. 17. I say remember upon what account and to whom I speak it otherwise at the last day thou shalt finde those sayings in Matthew 25. 34 c. fall heavy upon thee Now who ever shall peruse this Epistle and hath a desire to read one thing more then another then cast thy eye upon this ensuing Index and there from Page 1 to 20 and so on thou shalt finde by the Figures what thou most delightest in and the Lord give thee understanding in it and faith to observe it Vale. THE INDEX I. YOu have the Introduction of the miraculous Convert CAP. I. II. The first descent and true form of the right Devil discovered From page 1 to 20. III. Certain notable Queries â—…wered from p. 20 to 34 IV. The Righteous Ruleâ—… 〈…〉 finde few rich men saved and thâ—… 〈…〉 of the Seed of Faith shall be rich 〈…〉 frâ—… p. 34 to 49 V. The difference of richâ—… 〈…〉 from 49 to 54 VI. The right devâ—… 〈…〉 from 54 to 65 VII The devil thâ—… 〈…〉 â—…preted from 65 to 76 VIII None but the Seed of Fâ—…h understand the Scripture from 76 to 81 CAP. II. IX No Saint educated like the devil from 81 to 87 X. Not onely a rich but a poor devil from 87 to 91 CAP. III. XI The light ranting devils quality from 91 to 100 XII The dark ranting devils quality from 100 to 108 XIII The covetous devils quality from 108 to 114 XIV The vast difference of the two seeds in death from 114 to 116 CAP. IV. XV. The Saint-like moderate devils quality from 116 to 123 XVI The maner of Christs coming to judgement from 123 to 127 XVII The place where the devils shall be tormented from 127 to 130 XVIII The nature of the devils torment from 130 to the end THE INTRODUCTION ABout the first of February 1657. I took my journey for London for the accomplishing of a place then in agitation and at my arrival there I was informed that the two Witnesses that I had often read of in Revelation the 11th was now to be seen and spoken withal unto whom I forthwith applied my self to hear what they could say for themselves then thinking in my self there was none in mortal flesh able to maintain an argument with me as to those fundamentals by them published to the world viz. God Devil Heaven Hell Angels and the mortality of the Soul but alas when I came to John Reeve so styled the Prophet of the Lord which at that time I could not believe and observed his position then stated unto me which was this Did I know the form nature and essence of God Instead of cavelling or improving the weapons of reason with which I was well guarded I was admiring that word Form how it was possible God should admit of a Form to which I replyed desiring to know what maner of Form he had His answer was God was in Form of a man clearer then Chrystal brighter then the Sun swifter then thought Then was my soul the more troubled that God being a man should be swifter then thought This I concluded it was requisite God should be swifter then thought but God having a Form I could not understand how he should be swifter then thought well notwithstanding I was not satisfied yet at that time little did I say onely took his book along with me and to my Chamber I went perusing his writing in which I found such heavenly Mysteries that the eyes nor ears of mortal flesh had never writ seen or heard the like before so that now began the travel of my soul how I should own this unparallel'd truth and hold my Benefice which was the onely livelihood of my self and five children consulting with my reason it would be well if I could injoy both and to that end I endeavored my self and to my Benefice went again improving my parts as formerly but the more I labored to preserve my self under that goard of above an hundred pounds per annum the more the beams of the eternal God did scorch and wither my shadow of rest Yea presently after there came in me a mighty conflict which did sift turn yea search the whole man in me insomuch that I was as it were in a warlike posture whether I had best yeeld up my Benefice or hold it at a venture but then even then was I summoned to give an account of my Stewardship how I had spent my life this
forty years and what I did think would become of my Soul and what would thy riches and glory here avail thee in the grave but especially at the great day of account Now friends I would have you understand that I was in a strait betwixt two so that out of hand the spirit of Faith pleaded thus in me That I had no Commission to preach and forthwith must cease though it was to the loss of my hundred pound a year then stept in the spirit of reason and pleaded How shall my self with five children subsist when as this Benefice would comfortably and honorably provide for us during life Then even then was death and life set before me and the spirit of Faith pleaded thus within me That whether I had rather injoy my Benefice and therein live honorably in this world and so be damned to all eternity in the world to come or whether I would hearken to that call within me to forsake my preaching with the benefit thereof and trust the Lord with my self and the children this lay hard upon me and so narrowly pursued me that for the space of three weeks I could not be at quiet sleeping nor waking going nor riding in which time I had no little conflict to disown the glory of this world for the glory of God supposing my condition to be safe and secure as any man or Parish Priest in the world whatsoever and for my doctrine I was not inferior to any but more able to declare the truth which I apprehended to be truth then the best of them Notwithstanding all this would do me no good nor in the least silence this combate within me but I must cease my trade of preaching lest a worse thing befall me and at that instant it came in my thoughts Remember me how here in this world where now thou livest I was a poor despised Saviour though now a rich immortal glorious God and therefore take no care I will provide for thee and thine so far as is requisite for such a one as thou art to be and withal remember when thou wast in thy wickedness not knowing me then I provided for thee How much more now shall I be mindful of thee so far as shall concern thy good Many of these refreshings did arise from my seed-spring within me that I was made willing to disown all that not long before I had taken great pains to perfect and so in submitting to the true light darkness fled and the Lord freely forgave me all that was past present and to come and hath every week more and more enabled me to walk obedient and upright before him mortifying sin continually within me to the onely praise of my God be it spoken that my calling and election is so firm and sure that I vveigh not the censure of men nor Angels but as sure as Christ is the eternal God I shall at his appearance reign eternally vvith him in the heavens and though in my journey to my bed of sleep the grave instead of riches I shall meet with poverty instead of fulness want instead of honor dishonor instead of love hatred instead of a good name all maner of evil tearms instead of friends foes yea may be such as will persecute me to the graves mouth yet now all this I matter not in that sin is my servant and Christ is my Master whom my soul earnestly craves more knowledge of himself with assistance of his power to withstand the despisers of thy person so 〈…〉 Now since the Lord in his own time hath in his free mercy called and chosen me according to his eternal purpose of old that I should redeem the time I have lost forty years and for the future the short time I have to stay in this present evil world my God I doubt not will enable me to walk holy and without blame before him till I be called to sleep or the day of his appearance change this my poor mortal to that immortal like himself either of which it shall please my God of mercy in his own time and pleasure to call me unto I had rather enjoy then now at this present mark what I say then now at this present enjoy all the riches and wisdom that ever God gave to Solomon so that I can boldly say Happy yea thrice happy am I that the seed of Cain that lying murthering devil who captivated my soul many years a servant to sin and all maner of evil is now disarmed and silent in me and in room thereof the seed of Abraham that blessed seed of Faith hath got the victory by which I am delivered from the power of the fruits of flesh and translated to the fruits of the spirit of Faith in the person of Christ the onely true and everliving God After this my remarkable change being at home silent and quiet in this my mortal tabernacle I was powerfully commanded yea my seed-spring hath certain times invited me to demonstrate to publike view that point concerning the Devil which very title or name Devil doth fright the Devil himself and the ground of this his fear doth arise from the non-knowledge of his first rise the description of his form as also his education and qualification with the place and nature of his torment thy ignorance in these things hath produced matter sufficient for my Genius to recal thy thoughts as touching thy mistake of the right Devil and so according as the true onely wise God hath revealed in me I shall make known these in their order which hath not yet been branched forth as aforesaid CAP. I. The first descent and true Form of the right Devil discovered FIrst as touching the Devil his rise and original I shall infallibly make known unto thee and from inspiration shew that subtile beast or Serpent there spoken of was no horned beast or creeping Serpent as the Priests vainly teach neither was it any Pippin or Pearmain or any other sort of Apple that was so pleasant in Eves eye or delightful to her taste No no it was that reprobate glorious Angel that was far more pleasant and sweeter to Eves taste then the sweetest fruit whatsoever therefore I shall demand of the proudest of his seed now living what was or which now of all creatures or things in this world is most pleasant in thy eyes or most in thy soul desiring to taste Art thou a man then is not a woman beautified and richly atired most pleasant in thy eyes and sweetest to thy taste Art thou a woman what saith thou is not a man beautified and richly atired with subtile and sophistical expressions most pleasant in thy eyes and soonest deceived by him Even so that reprobate Angelical man was that subtile Serpent or beast of the field minde what you read that angelman was so pleasant to her taste that she took it and did eat which is no more then this That proud beautiful glorious angelman did by his seeming divine wisdom and
Angelical person bewitch Eves innocent soul to hearken unto him and her eyes to dote upon him that she admitted him enterance into her body in which and by which she found so much delight that after that she inticed her husband who had copulation with Eve as man with woman in these days so her innocent soul and body being defiled by that reprobate Dragon-angel after which her husband Adam going in unto her was also defiled as a sound woman should receive into her body a diseased man not onely her womb is defiled but she pollutes her husband also as the Pox or Gangreen doth eat throughout the whole man so Eves soul and body being defiled did putrifie the seed of Adam From hence it was there came two seeds the one pure the other impure the one righteous the other wicked Instance from the womb of Rebecca came two seeds at one travel blessed Jacob and cursed Esau thus in plainness of termes I have in short writ to plain sober-hearted men But now from the words of the Scripture I must speak to the seed of Faith that innocent soul-saved generation and that because the learned of this perishing world cannot believe though an Angel should speak from heaven as you the seed of the Lord shall hear that seed of this Serpent will hiss yea if possible sting from his venemous tongue this infallible interpretation of these ensuing words But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Now if you look into the third of Genes with an eye of Faith then you may clearly see what that Tree of Knowledge of good and evil did signifie The words are these And the Serpent said to the Woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband and he did eat Oh my spiritual brethren in that my soul desireth your perfection as my own therefore I would gladly have you possessed with an infallible understanding between Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels or between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent Why because in the knowledge of these two distinct seeds sons oâ— generations depends a general understanding of the spirit of the Scriptures therefore let thy ear wait on thy eye and thy heart on both for now I shall unlock that secret Cabinet that hath not been opened since the creation till this last Witness therefore attend and take notice that it is a general opinion amongst learned men that the Serpent which appeared unto Eve was one of the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made and that the devil was an invisible spirit which entred into the body of the Serpent and spake those subtile speeches through his mouth and so caused the woman to eat of the fruit of the natural Tree which the Lord God had forbidden and tempting her husband to eat of that fruit with her it operated that venomous evil in them and all mankinde Note Oh the gross darkness that possesseth the learned men of this perishing world you know that the Scriptures are generally expressed in natural terms for the manifestation of spiritual things to the weak comprehension of sinful mortals and yet notwithstanding the natural wisdom of this world would perswade men to understand them exactly in the letter because they measure the glorious things of eternity by their rational learning onely as aforesaid but to enlighten thy understanding minde Scripture-records how that Christ is called a Lyon a Lamb a Stone a Door a Way a Vine a green Tree and such like expressions in reference unto spiritual meanings also you may read evil-minded men are sometimes called by the names of Devils Dragons Vipers Serpents Dogs Swines fruitless Trees and such like according to that of John the Baptist when he said Now the ax is laid to the root of the Tree every Tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire So likewise you that are spiritual may know that yea that Angelical reprobate by whom Eve was deceived was called a Dragon an old Serpent the Devil and Satan a Deceiver or the Tree of knowledge of good and evil and such like names suteable unto his cursed nature so that the naked truth is this that Serpent that tempted Eve was that Angelical Dragon-devil beforesaid which the Lord God from the highest heavens cast down to the lowest earth where there as beforesaid he bewitched Eves innocent soul for if you know what you read you shall finde three prevalent arguments perswading her to consent unto the Serpents language 1. The Tree was good for meat 2. It was pleasant to the eyes 3. It was to be desired to make one wise But before I write of the three secrets hid in the Angelical temptation give me leave to speak a little of the dispensation of the secret wisdom of God to his chosen ones You that are of the seed of Faith and none but you doth know that in the Divine will of the infinite Majesty there is a twofold operation whicâ— is this minde what thou readest this is a great mystery When the wisdom of God seeth fit to reveal a Divine secret to his own seed then his holy Spirit is all active and when he seeth fit to obscure it from them then his Divine Spirit is all passive Why because for the manifestation of his infinite power and wisdom that he can create light out of darkness yea life out of death with a glorious advantage For understand this that if the glorious Creator for the tryal of his creature should leave the most experimental man that is to his own inspired light and suffer him to be tempted to that evil of murther or adultery overcome thereby he must of necessity lose that former joy and peace of the divine light or love of God â—n him and in the room thereof both see â—nd feel nothing but spiritual darkness â—ith a secret fear of eternal death until â—he light of life appears again with a new â—ssurance of a glorious deliverance from â—hat sinful darkness and fearful death as â—foresaid truly whatever man shall imagine to the contrary as sure as there is a God this was the condition of both Adam and Eve when they were defiled with unlawful lust one towards another by that subtile temptation of that Serpents counsel called the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Again though it is said It was a Tree to be desired to make one wise yet you may know that the soul of Eve was
on this earth and been wanton in the day of judgement yea cruel in the day of mercy in condemning yea killing the Just that blessed seed of Faith now if these men shall be saved and if those works shall be justified that is recorded in Mic. 3. 11. viz. abhorring judgement perverting all equity judging for reward teaching for hire divining for mony grinding the faces of the poor enriching themselves in the ruine of others I say if such great men as these that have here enjoyed all the pleasure and glory of this perishing world shall enjoy that immortal ravishing glory in the world to come then minde what will follow then in vain were the Scriptures written and to no purpose was those great sufferings of our Lord Jesus who saith Mat. 19. 29. And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life and then in the same Chapter Christ shews from the young mans going away sorrowful How hard a thing it is for a rich man to enter yea saith Christ A rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of glory and in vers 27. when Peter said Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore now you may read his answer was this That ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones c. Now in all these words expound or interpret which way ye can to stile your fears of death and your dreadful portion at the great day I say from the Lord of glory you cannot find any colour or tittle in the least that doth encourage or give any admittance to a worldly minded rich man for if you minde what you read you shall find all the promises here or in Scripture elsewhere doth onely appertain to such that hath forsaken all false worships and false Christs and hath renounced all unjust ways or means whereby he hath enriched himself yea he that hath slighted a good name with the credit of this world and is not onely ready to persecute but be persecuted for that glorious yet despised man Jesus I say from the spirit of Faith all the promises of the Lord in Scripture doth onely belong to these poor despised scum of the earth as in these words Thou Peter or ye my disciples or any other of my precious ones that hath lost all for me you are those that shall have all gain by me you shall have everlasting life and be with me in my Kingdom yea in glory like my self as mind that saying of James the second chapter and fifth verse Hearken my beloved brethren hath not â—od chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Now what can be said more or what more wouldest thou have God do for thee wouldst thou have him unjust or contradict his own word then be content with thy rich glory here and let us have our glory with our God we grudge not at thy greatness in this world no nor thou shalt not hinder us or detain us from our portion of glory to come thine is almost at an end ours is yet to come and shall never end therefore be not deceived thou canst not live the life of the devil here and live eternally with the Lord hereafter then as I said before so against men and angels I should say again that such as I had better never been born to deprive my self of such a livelihood as I might not have been inferior to many and all to live upright and justly in this my strange country which now I am deprived of all Surely if it were so as some of Cains cursed brood doth say and binde it with an oath That all shall be saved then poor Paul and the poor Prophets and we in these days have made a sad exchange but as sure as God is God whosoever thou art be thou Ranter or Quaker King or Beggar thou shalt finde at the day of our Saviours appearance that thou so dying shalt never be saved and then if it were possible thou wouldst say what I here write is truth and such as thou art found lyers Now one word more to this last plea of the seed of Cain and so as touching this point I have done which is this If there be no other devil but what is in man or woman then thou sayest Kings may rise devils Magistrates devils Lawyers devils Soldiers devils Merchants devils Doctors devils yea and Preachers devils these being for the most part the richest men of this world and the Scripture in many places extending its language only against such men may cause not onely a supposition in the seed of faith to judge according to the tenor of the inspired Writ but also a terror upon the souls of rich men in that Christ compareth riches to bryers and thorns as in that parable of the sower Mat. 13. 22. where he saith And the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the word and it becometh unfruitful riches being such a snare and deceiver of the soul may justly and that not without suspition cause a serious examination whether riches be not the onely instrument why or wherefore the true God nor his word doth not take root within thee where there is so much fulness of the treasure of this world there can be no admittance for the treasure of God ye cannot serve two masters and that because the riches of this world is in antipathy to the riches of heaven in that one is perishing the other everlasting the one clouds or draws the soul from God the other expells mists and draws the soul to God so that Christ knowing it was the greatest tryal and snare to the soul doth declare it a hard thing to enter yea so difficult that since he took upon him the form of flesh there hath not nor now is not one of ten thousand knowing the true God that shall be much troubled with the riches of this world for where riches is there must be a mighty power of faith keeping the soul in obedience to its God and that because where there is riches it requires the creatures whole attendance to give all care and diligence that possible may be to augment it or at least to uphold the stock or principle in so much that it makes him uncapable to cast his whole care upon the God of endless riches Now to conclude there is one thing more of great concernment to be seriously laid to heart by these rich men which is this First How thou camest to this thy greatness whether it was by birthright or inheritance as the eldest son Secondly Whether it came by thy accute subtile wit and ripe ingenuity in improving thy Art or
of Cain is a meer cheat yea leads him forth to nothing but pride oppression and cruelty for by that wisdom they put the Lord of Life to death as in the eighth verse therefore you that have eyes may see what this learning and knowledge is the seed of Cain are tutored in that it is no other but the wisdom of this world which is foolishness with God and that is the cause they come to tempt or dispute with the Seed of Faith whose wisdom is given him by inspiration or revelation in the demonstration of the Spirit I say because the wisdom of Cain cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God given this precious soul O how they rayl with tearms of a fool an ass a dunce a coxcomb a heretical blasphemer an ignoramus one that hath no sense these and such like tearms this cursed Brood will brand the Seed of Faith with the onely wise men in Christ for which cause the Lord in 1 Cor. 1. 19. saith I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world and all because the foolishness of God in the Seed of Faith is wiser then that great knowledge in the seed of Cain for take this infallible truth along with you which is this that the Scriptures in the life and power of them were never given to the wise learned men in those days For saith Christ to you it is given to know the mystery to you my Disciples or elected Seed of Faith to you and for your sakes did I speak this and therefore it was the wise learned Priests and Rulers did imprison and put to death not onely the Disciples but Christ also as Blasphemers for publishing this Scripture which now their wise children do make a Trade of and will not onely imprison but if possible put to death the onely Witnesses and true Interpreters of this Holy Writ which was given by inspiration for the proper use of his blessed Seed of Faith Again the seed of Cain are educated in the fulness and plenty of this world insomuch that there is no novelty delicate or dainty that by the spirit of reason can be invented but for their belly it is prepared as also no new antick fashion can be imagined either of silk gold or silver but their backs are adorned with it nay there is no attendance of men and maid-servants that this their kingdom can afford but the seed of Cain enjoys it yea they are so tenderly and princely brought up at home and abroad and so hurried in their Coaches and Sedans that if possible the cold wind should not blow on them nor the glorious Sun with his beams should scorch them so careful are they of their beauty and comely streight proper persons that if possible there shall not be a wrinckle on their hands nor a spot on their faces unless it be of their own making for the more grace of their comely persons thus what by art in their wisdom can be invented shall not in the least be wanting if it can be had for gold or silver and whatever Science Pastime or Pleasure their soul can desire as Hawking Hunting Bowling Shooting Gaming at Dice Cards or Tables or any other delight of Musick Dancing Courting of Ladies with the satisfaction of their greatest lust and that with the greatest pomp and state this their heaven can afford and then in the last place for carriage and behavior none in this world like unto them as observe how proud and Lucifer-like their father they carry their heads insomuch that they know not what fashion or coloured Perriwig to hang upon it and when they meet any of their brethren O what congeying and bowing with Cap in hand to the ground saluting each other with these and such like complementary tearms as Your servant Sir or Your servants servant Sir or Madam and fair Lady I am yours to command by night or by day and that with so much stateliness and comely behavior that I wonder thou shouldest be affrighted at the name or person of the devil considering what a glorious proud majestical creature the devil is as aforesaid But now if you ask me Are all the seed of Cain thus educated Answ No for you may understand some are brought up to one Calling or another that some of them do undergo hard labor and great pains to maintain themselves with their families in this their perishing kingdom so that they have neither gold nor silver the dust of this earth to mannage such a fleshly glorious education as aforesaid And others there are that are educated yea brought up servants yea slaves to the great Rabbies of their seed which none of them have that attendance fulness delights pleasures as aforesaid but on the contrary are deprived of all that their happiness the other enjoy insomuch that in stead of giving relief they beg relief in stead of a Bed of Doun they lye on a bed of straw in stead of being clothed with silk they are clad with rags yea many times ready to starve for want of food so that you may behold there is not onely rich but poor miserable ragged devils that shall rise at the day of our eternal Gods appearance so that I say these of all the tribe or generation are to be pitied if pity did belong to them to consider what affliction they undergo in this their heaven and yet be eternally damned hereafter Question But now you may say unto me and that seemingly affirm both from my writing and the Scripture in that I have before treated much of the rich men of this world how hard a thing it is for them to walk in the ways of God they being so educated in the pomp and glory of this world which I say and your experience findes it is the greatest thief that steals away the heart of man and so makes that soul as difficult as a woman in travail to enter into the life and power of the Gospel therefore we being poor and the Scripture saith the pooâ—…â—…eives the Gospel we much marvel how your writing will be found truth in Scripture that any poor should rise devils when the Scripture saith it is onely the poor that receives the Gospel Answer From this thy curious Query I shall answer thee in those words of James 2. 5. where it is thus written Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Now if you intend these poor I affirm what you say yea from my Seed-spring I declare not one of these poor shall rise devils in that these are the Seed of Faith and educated in the knowledge of eternal Truth yea tutored by the spirit of divine Wisdom But now tell me