Created Spirits or Lights which do consist not only of a Fiery but also of a Spiritual-watry Substance as shall be shewed in the Chapter of the Life or of the Soul And Deut. 4.24 Hebrews 12.29 The Lord your God is a consuming Fire and many times when God appeared to his People it was in a Fire or Light § 48. We shall as we go along discover our Thoughts why God is said sometimes to be a Light and sometimes to be a Fire and leave them to the further consideration of the Reader We shall every where find that where God is said to be a Fire he is represented as a Judge executing Punishment and on the contrary that he is called a Light where he displays his Grace Favour and Mercy by which Grace man is saved And thus God can be both a Light and a Fire a Light to them which purify their Hearts and that have put on the new Man and so are capable of enjoying of Gods presence by vertue of the Spiritual Fellowship which they have with their God Whereas on the Contrary he is a Fire to those which have not mortifyed the old Man or their flesh so that their impurity to wit their Carnal corruption cannot stand before the pure and clean Divine Fire But that we may shew this yet more plainly even in Nature it self we must consider that one and the same Fire is to some Subjects and in some respects a consuming Fire and to others not so nor able to do the least dammage to them as is most manifest in the imperfect Metals which are consumed in the Fire whereas on the contrary the perfect Metals as Gold and Silver are not in the least to be consumed by fire so that the fire with respect to Gold and Silver is properly no fire to wit no fire that consumes them or burns them as it does burn the imperfect and impure Metals § 49. Therefore from the Description which the Holy Scriptures give us of the Being of God it is evident that it is a Light and a Fire § 50 Seing then the Being of God is a Light and that man is Created after the Image of God it must needs follow that this Image in man is also a Light for as is said § 45. because the Divine being is a Spirit which has no outward shape or form the Image must needs also be a Spirit and such a Spirit as bears resemblance to that which it represents to wit it must be a Light as God is a Light § 51. Now that the Image of God or Spirit of the mind as it s called Eph. 4. consists in an inward Light the Holy Scripture teaches us for he that putteth on the new Man which is Created after God and who is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that Created him Col. 2.10 is said Eph. 5.8 To be Light in the Lord ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light Col. 1.12 which has made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light And that inheritance saith the Apostle is the Light this Light saith the Psalmist Ps 97.11 is sown for the Righteous and Ps 112.4 unto the upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness And thus are the Faithful said to be Children of the Light 1 Thes 1.5 § 52. But that it may yet further appear that the Image of God is Light which Image or Light they receive who do mortify their flesh with the Lusts thereof it will be needful to enquire into the properties or Nature of the Image of God and of that Light which is given to the Faithful that so it may farther appear from the consonant properties thereof that the Image of God is a Light and even that very same Light which the Faithful do receive § 53. When God had Created man after his Image it is written Gen. 1.26 And let them have Dominion over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowls of the Aire and over the Cattle and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth From whence it is evident that the Image of God makes men meet to Rule over the whole Earth And thus also it is said of the Faithful Ps 25.13 That his seed shall inherit the Earth and Psal 37.11 The meek shall inherit the Earth which is again repeated Mat. 5.5 Now what is it to possess the Earth but to be Lord and Master of it as it is the Right of an Heir to be And Mark 9.23 Our Saviour says If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth and what he meant by all things our Saviour shews at large Mark 16.17 18. And these Signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover And Luke 10.20 The Spirit are subject to you and such other places which do evidently shew us that the faithful that have received the Light have the same Power as Man had before he lost the Image of God § 54. And as Man that was Created after the Image of God had Power to fill the earth and to subdue it Gen. 1.28 So those that have received the Spirit or Light are said to mortify and subdue their Flesh that is the Earthly part and to make it Spiritual Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is Crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed But it is more properly rendered weakned or impeded in its working And Rom. 8.11 12 13. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Therefore Brethren we are Debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall live And Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have Crucified the flâ—sh with the Lusts And this is treated of at Large Eph. 4. Col. 3. c. § 55. Now before man had sinned while the Image of God yet shined in his inward parts how great Wisdom and Knowledge in all things did attend him continually It must needs have at least been such that he did not only see through the external Objects the frame of things but also must have had knowledge of their most inward state to wit of the Spirit or Life of every thing because he understood how to give Names to all things according to their Natures Gen. 2.19 And when the Lord God had formed out of the Ground every Beast of the field and every Fowle of the Aire he brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living Creature that was the name thereof Now he
by men and altho' he finds it otherwise in the Holy Scriptures These and diverse other things are sufficient Proofs that those times are not yet fulfilled of which Jeremy speaks Chapter 31. V. 33.34 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord c. But when we shall once arrive at those blessed days then shall that cumber of Councils Synods and Assemblies be at an end and vanish and Christ alone shall Rule by his Spirit and Lording it over Christs flock and force upon Conscience and such like Trash shall no more be mentioned among us but on the Contrary Love shall increase and spiritual things be familiar and commonly known unto us Now as to the Mondern Philosophy I have experienced it to be only conversant about things visible and palpable to teach nothing at all of that which is essential or of the Nature and Origine of things For when at any time we endeavoured to reduce it to use thereby to dissect and know natural things and to attain the knowledge of Man and his Diseases for Medicine belongs to Philosophy and the knowledge of Nature and Philosophy if true includes the knowledge of Medicine I always found it void of Truth and that it could not give me the knowledge of Distempers nor the Causes of them which Experience made me see that the Modern corpuscular Philosophy is nothing else but a heap of Words I leave in the mean while others to think and speak what they please to the contrary but of this I am assured that it neither does nor can give any man Wisdom either in things Divine or Natural But makes man so altogether Corporeal that he knows nothing of the Spiritual and I would fain see any man that thinks otherwise of it to give some evidence to the contrary and to shew how it is possible that Bodies should operate without their Life or Spirit and how they can every way be applyed to man and his Operations and so long as no man does this as it is impossible upon their Principles to do it I deem them ignorant of those Principles that give occasion for the explaining and understanding of things both Divine and Natural from one and the same ground These above mentioned difficulties caused me then to look about for otherways and to enquire if there were no mediums to be found that might give occasion to discover the consonancy betwixt things Divine and Natural Along time had I enquired with uncertainty enough after it yea so far I was come as to esteem all things in Philosophy uncertain But then I found the Truth of that saying that when we are at the greatest loss in our selves then the means of our Deliverance are nearest at hand when I began to be acquainted and to have familiar Conversation with the Right Honourable the Baron F. M. Van Helmont c. a Gentleman whose worth I am not capable of describing and to whom it would be a lessening for me so very far below his Honourable state and Dignity to attempt to sound forth his praise the Emperour and Roman Empire having done it already not by Word of Mouth but by Writing Only this I shall say that he has been to me an Example not only in Doctrine but also in life and whose actions I have found to agree with his Words a thing that in these times can with truth be said of few This Gentleman then brought often forth things both in Theology and Philosophy which I had never before heard yea which seem'd very strange unto me and that so much the more because I heard it by piece meals now one piece and then another which I knew not how to joyn together But as all knowledge and Wisdom in its first beginning seems difficult and wonderful because we have been prepossest with other Principles Therfore I began to think whether the cause of my blindness and inability to understand proceeded not rather from the prejudices I had suckt in than from what his Honour said And so resolving with my self neither to approve nor contradict his sentiments but to examine them whether there were no contradiction in them or whether they could all be derived from one Principle Wherefore I began to note some things upon Paper it is true and I must confess it that the things seemed mighty intricate and troublesome to me to apprehend at the first but when I found but any thing that gave me any occasion to understand things I stuck at no pains so that it did not discourage nor was it tedious to me at all to imploy a whole Years time to comprehend the thoughts of this Gentleman upon Man and his Diseases and so deduce them to Writing that one thing necessarily follow'd upon the other While I had then this entercours with his Honour concerning natural things it oft times happened that Scriptural Truths and Theologick did occur which were altogether as strange to me and quite out of the common Road as the Philosophick But because I have now found that his Honours Thoughts both in Theology and Philosophy do hang very well together and are Truth I judge it no less my duty the rather because Theology is a thing that concerns every one and in which no man ought to rely upon the saying of another but every one ought to be a Theologue for himself and to search after Divine Wisdom I say I therefore judged it no less my Duty to examine whether his Honours thoughts in Theology could be derived from the same Principle of Philosophy whereunto I found no readier way than first to lay aside all Prejudices and in the fear of God to examine what manner of Being and Operation the Divine Being and its Operation must needs be if we will so unite the Attributes of God so that the one does not run counter to the other and that nothing should follow upon the one Attribute which would contradict the other and this Harmony I found in his thoughts and I thank God that opened my Eyes to see it And I must confesss that I then found that this Gentlemans thoughts did not contradict the Attributes of God so united but were a Consequent thereof For which reason I follow Divinity by this thred to see what truth will thereby be discovered This I can at present say at least that I have now found the Great Wisdom of the Creator about the first Man Yea I have with full assurance learned what it is that reconciles the sinner to God again who must needs be that Reconciler and on what ways the sinner obtains Communion and Fellowship with that Reconciler I now affirm Knowing and being assured by the Grace of God that Theology and Philosophy is one and the same thing But what Verily not that which stands
of the Visible out of the Invisible but also the putting of the Beings or Spirits into their proper states or the imparting of such qualities or such capacitie unto them as gives them a power to work of themselves As for Example what is Essential or Spiritual as Trees and Plants brings forth Herbs Trees Fruits c. The life of Man forms his body and worketh out many things to his advantage and use c. So that Creation properly consists herein that these Beings or Spirits which before lay hid do now become visible and perceptible in their out-working by means of that capacity or quality which they receive of using the Watery Being to their Advantage of Forming and changing it according as it is given to every Spirit or Being to Work under which watery Being the Earth also belongs because the Earth c. was produced out of the Waters as is shewed in the Observations of Bar. Van Helmont upon Man c. § 7. Moreover the Holy Scripture does plainly inform us that the word Create does also include this Signification viz. that the Essentiality or the Spirit of each Creature should work out according to its properties the Earthly where it is said in the heginning of the Book of the Creation that the Earth should bring forth the Herbs and what was to be its out-working that it should yield Seed in like manner the working of the Fruit Tree is after his kind to give Fruit and that in those Fruits should be Seed viz. to propogate its like It is also thus said of the Fishes and Fowles that their out-working should be Fruitfulness and Multiplication the Fishes to fill the waters in the Sea and the Fowles to multiply in the Earth c. And of Man who is Lord over all the Creatures it is said that his out-working was to be fruitful and multiply to fill the Earth and to subdue it that is that it should not rule over him but he have Dominion over it and bring it into Subjection to him To have Dominion over the Fishes of the Sea and over the Fowles of the Air and over the Cattel and over every creeping thing § 28. But it will be said perhaps that that place of Hebrews 11.3 where it is said Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were by the Word of God so that things that are seen were not made of things which do appear Or so That things that are seen were made of things which do not appear is not so to be understood as we have said in the former § because that manner of speaking of the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not signify that the World was brought forth or produced from invisible things but that the World was produced of such things as had no Being before and consequently that this place does not mean that the World was Created of invisible things which were in Being before the Creation But in answer to this Objection we must in the first place observe that neither this nor any other such like manner of Speaking does any where in the Holy Scripture that I know of signify that the World was made of nothing but the quite contrary So that to say that this manner of Speech infers that their Opinion is but their meer say so and void of all proof Besides if they will Interpret these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things that were not in Being they must allow that in other Places where the same Expression is found must also signify not to exist and yet the contrary is most evident from Matt. 6.18 Where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That thou appear not to men to Fast When our Saviour saith here That they should not appear as Fasting doth he teach them that they should not Fast Surely no and that yet according to those mens Interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that must needs be the meaning He himself declares what he means by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should fast in secret So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supposes things that do Exist but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in secret or hid from our eyes And if we will compare that manner of speaking that does signify the same thing and is every where used in the Holy Scripture in the same sence one with another we shall find that these Mens Explication of Hebrews 11.3 is in no wise true who will needs have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify things that do not exist For from this very place it is plain that there is an Antithesis introduced betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are seen and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are not seen or which do not appear these are I say opposed to each other So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has an oppposite Sense to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore the Dutch Translators have Translated it by the same word to wit things that are seen and that are not seen And thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now it is most certain that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things which are not seen or Invisible things does no where in the Holy Scripture signify things that do not Exist but on the contrary things that do Exist but that are invisible as for Example 2 Cor. 4.18 it is said while we look not at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things which are seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but at the things which are not seen for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things which are seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are temporal or changeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which are not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternal or unchangeable Now if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Synonymous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betokens things that do not exist would it not be a fine piece of Comfort think ye for the Apostle to exhort the Faithful to look to the invisible things that is to things which are not in Being at all And should he yet say of those things that are not at all that they are Eternal or Vnchangeable This is a Contradiction with a witness For to be Eternal or Unchangeable presupposes their Being whereas by these Mens Comment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should signify things that are not from all which then it clearly follows that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signify things that are not in Being but on the contrary things that are in Being but which are Invisible As for the other Objections that they make from the Holy Scripture to prove that the World was made of nothing those places will be found either not to speak at all of the Creation or if they do not in the least to prove that the World is Created of Nothing As for Example some alledge Rom. 4.17 to prove that the World was made of
dayes then God does not yet daily Create in this World because there would then be a contradiction in the Reason why God blessed the 7th day under which are included the following days to wit because he rested from Creating upon the 7th day but if God should still Create after the 7th day to what purpose then should this Blessing and Sanctification be Or if they say that the 7th day is Holyer than the rest because God did then rest from the Work of Creating I then ask these men whether it be their Opinion that God never Creates in this World upon the 7th day As also whether God does not as well rest upon the other dayes when he has Created a new Being in this World For we find by Experience that all men are not Born upon one and the same day but that upon all the seven days men are Born in this World and consequently according to the Modern common Opinion that God Creates Spirits upon all days without distinction what reason can there then be if God Creates upon the Fourth and Fifth day a Spirit c. and then ceaseth why should he not bless the Fourth or Fifth days as well as the Seventh day seing that he resteth on it as well as on the Seventh day But to pass by all further disputes the sense of these Words cannot without contradiction signify any thing else but that God ceasing upon the seventh day from the work of Creation or resting from it blessed that day to wit appointed the Creatures from that time forward to Multiply and so sanctified it that is set it apart from the time of Creation as not appertaining thereunto and to what purpose I pray did God bless and Sanctify that day As the Dutch Bible has it it was to perfect or throughly to finish all to wit that the Creatures might now begin to Work but that which God had given them in the Creation to work forth viz. That they should be Fruitful and Multiply c. seing then that God hath sanctified or set apart the Seventh day from the days of the Creation for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadash properly signifys nothing else but to set a thing so apart that it belongs no more to that whereunto it did at first appertain it must needs follow that God Creates no more in this world or else that would be no reason why God should have Sanctified the 7th day more then any other day Furthermore the work Create is not any where in the Holy Scripture that I know of used concerning things that are produced by Generation nor is it the modern way of Speech to say this day a man is Created but born But some will perhaps ask If God Created all things that belong to this World in the beginning of the Creation why were not all things that to this World belong made visible at first in the Creation as for Example wherefore did not God produce so many Men Beasts Trees c. at the beginning of the Creation as were appertaining to this World In answer that true it is that if we do only look at the power of God we might be apt to think that all the Creatures might have been made visible at the beginning of the Creation at once but seing we cannot consider the Almightiness of God without his other Attributes these must be so considered that they do agree in one Now nothing is more certain than that there is in the Almightiness Freewill c. of God a Wisdom according to § 22. and 30. that is to say that God does nothing but in Order and not confusedly and seing we find every day by all Creatures how wisely exactly and Orderly all things do proceed the one out of the other in their Seasons that all things should not be brought forth at once and at the same time but in process of time And consequently the Answer to that Question Why did not God make all things visible in the Creation is this to wit That God according to his own Wisdom and the Order which he keeps in all things has so Created all things in this World that the one Creature being hid in the other each is in its appointed Season to come forth out of the other and not altogether at once But it will perhaps be yet further said in opposition to this Doctrine that all things were indeed Created in the beginning of the Creation and that now there are no more new Beings Created in this World That the Bodies are indeed generated by the Parents but that God Creates the Spirit and consequently that it does not follow that God Created all that which to this World belongs in the beginning of its Creation But because this Objection is of great consequence and properly belongs to the birth of Man therefore we will answer it in that place where we treat of the Soul § 33. For as much then as we have already proved more than sufficiently that all those things which do at any time appear in this World were in the beginning at the Creation It is likewise certain that every Creature has received a particular own or proper working or capacity to Work out those things which the Creator has appointed it to work out For if the Creature had no own working that is if God had not communicated to his Creature a capacity or power to work out something of its self what wisdom would there be in the Creation and what profit would it be to the Creature to be created Verily none at all because then the Creature would be nothing else but a meer Instrument that can Work nothing except the Workman does perpetually move it and then no Creature could be said to do any thing but only God the Creator might be said to work and not the Creature Now if this were so there would be no Wisdom in the Creation because all the Creatures being void of all capacity of acting of themselves and all that they do being nothing else but Gods working the Creatures could be of no use or service at all and as meer nothings and God would only be said to shew unto himself after how many sorts of ways he could work just as one that playing with Puppets shews unto himself how many sorts of motions he can make with them while the Images or Puppets themselves have nothing at all of it but he alone that moves them to and fro which manner of doing is no way consistent with the Wisdom of God being a meer Puppit Play of Children that would be of no use or service but God only playing with himself a conceit most dishonourable to the Wisdom and Goodness of God But besides the Holy Scripture does most evidently shew that God produced the Creature to that very end that it might have an own out-working for Gen. 1.6 it is said that the firmament of Heavens was made to make a division betwixt the Waters which are
the same nature should be rewarded or punished in the same wise But some will say The Justice of this world indeed requires the same punishment of the same Crimes but God who is the Author of Man has that power according to his free and unlimited Will that he can punish the one and let the other go free although they have both committed the same Sins But seing it is unreasonable in man to punish the one and to let go the other how much more unreasonable then would it be in the most Perfect Being who is Reason it self to do a thing so much against all Reason and Equity as to let the one go free and to punish the other supposing them equally guilty Besides if we should affirm this to be a Prerogative of the Free-will of God that he can punish the one and let the other go free we should set up a Free-will in God that is unjust Which would be as much as to say that God is both reasonable and unreasonable whereas the Free-will in God is nothing else but Gods doing all things wisely and reasonably according to the Order by himself establisht and therefore they that devise such a Free-will in God do invent to themselves a God according to their own fancies Concerning Gods Free-will and how we are to consider it we have spoken at large already in § 22. CHAP. II. Of Man as Considered in the state of Innocence and Vprightness as also of the parts of which he consist The Introduction NOthing can more heartily affect a pious Soul than to consider what a Sinner is in order to his coming back again to the state of Rectitude in which he was before he gave himself up to his flesh and to the evil Lust thereof by which his understanding which was perfectly enlightned by the Rays of the Divine Light became wholly darkned yea darkness it self Verily no man which ever felt the least Glimps of that Divine Light in himself cannot lament any thing more than his corrupted Nature and that he cannot by reason of his darkness search out the hidden Wisdom of God but very lamely and therefore will daily and continually sigh and from his most inward parts call upon his God that he may receive an enlightned understanding that Christ the Son of Righteousness may be formed in him that so the Image of God aceording to which he was Created may be restored in him and his Soul and Body be stirred up to repentance And as the Wisdom of God has not in vain made known to Man the first State in which he was brought forth by his Creator as also his Fall but has most expresly shewed the Sinner what Glory man had in the State of rectitude and how it is darkned by Sin So it is in my judgement a matter of great consequence for one that loves God first to examine what parts do necessarily belong unto a truly Godly and Perfect Man before he examines how he can please God for he that does not know what is required to be a Believer will seek he knows not what Just as a Traveller who travelling towards a place if he neither knows the way to it nor the place nor where it lyes nor inquires after it will always be uncertain whither he shall come at last Wherefore we shall follow the Order which God observes in the Creation and enquire 1. What Man did enjoy while he was upright and as he was Created by God 2. What Men lost by Sin 3. How what he lost is to be recovered Again § 37. Seing then that Man is so fallen from his first State that by reason of his darkned understanding he does not so much as know of what parts a Perfect Man consists there is no other way to come to know the Parts of a Perfect Man but one of these two either that God should reveal it to Man immediatly by his Spirit or that God should teach him it by means of the Holy Scripture Therefore he that will by his Natural understanding go about to understand what properly belongs to a perfect man shall never know nor comprehend it because he wants that part of man which properly makes a perfect Man § 38. He that shall read the Holy Scriptures with attention will find that they speak of three Beings in Man to wit of the Image or Spirit of God of the Soul and of the Body Thus is Man described in the Creation Gen. 1.26 27. God Created man in his own Image so that man had in him the Images of God and Gen. 2.7 it is said That man was formed of the dust of the Earth and that the Breath of Life was breathed into his Nostrils and that he became a living Soul So that the perfect man consists in the Image of God in a Soul and in a Body which three distinct Beings the Apostle does also mention 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of Peace Sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless c. § 39. They then who have at any time tasted of the goodness of God who have felt the true light and are renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that Created them Col. 3.10 such I say will acknowledge that the perfect man consists not only in Soul and Body but also in Spirit because they feel in themselves a Spirit of Wisdom which makes known unto them in their most inward parts the Divine Mysteries and Vertues not by Ratiocination but by manner of Influence and Manifestation or instruction yea they shall on the contrary perceive that if they attempt to measure the Workds of God by their natural Reason that they are at a loss in themselves and do not understand any thing at all of the Spiritual for which cause they do by their Prayers and Supplications continually desire to be enlightened making no esteem or account of their humane Wisdom They then who have felt the Operation of the Spirit are certain and do know that man if he be one of Gods Darlings consists not only of Soul and Body but also of the Spirit or Image of God wherefore it is not said in vain by the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is properly the Soullish or Animal Man to wit he who is destitute of the Image of God or who has not the Spirit receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned And therefore it is that the Apostle also distinguisheth Chap. 15.44 between a natural properly a Soullish Body and a Spiritual Body the one whereof is governed by the Soul and the other by the Spirit And James 3.15 The Wisdom which is from above that is which is Spiritual is opposed to that which is Earthly and Natural or Sensual but the word is here again Soullish and Devilish in Jude again vers 19. The Natural or Sensual but the word is again the Soullish are opposed to those
that have the Spirit And therefore Peter saith Having purified your Souls by the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 From all which places it appears very plainly that the perfect or true Man does not only consist of Soul and Body but also of the Spirit And for as much as the ungodly and Sinners do enjoy the two former Viz. Body and Soul as well as the Faithful and Believers and yet do not understand those things which are of the Spirit it follows that they must needs want that by which Spiritual things are alone to be discerned now that which discerns Spiritual things is the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 15. § 40. It is true that often times the perfect man is in the Holy Scripture described by two Beings to wit the Spirit and the Flesh as this Apostle speaks at large Rom. 8. of them that walk after the spirit and not after the Flesh and describes the regenerate as those which walk after the spirit and mortify the Flesh and the Ungodly as walking after the flesh and as not having the Spirit And Gal. 5.7 he saith that he has the flesh and the Spirit and that these two do War against each other for the flesh saith he lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other by reason of which conflict which the Apostle felt in himself he complained Rom 7. that after the inward Man that is after the Law of his mind or after the Spirit he delighteth in the Law of God but that the Law in his Members that is to say the Flesh warreth against the Law of God And there are many other such like places in the Holy Scripture which do oppose the Flesh to the Spirit but in these and the like places the scope is not so much to teach us how many parts there are in a perfect Man as to shew us that Man who is not yet perfectly born again has a Warfare against his Flesh that is against his unregenerate part But no man can be so foolish as to think that when it is here said that the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit that we must thereby understand only the Flesh or Body but that under the Term Flesh is to be understood that part of Man that is called the Soul which desireth and thinkerh and lusteth and it is notorious that this is usual in the Holy Scripture by the word Flesh also to understand the Soul from hence because when the Holy Scripture opposes the new birth unto Sin it uses the Terms Spirit and Flesh as was just now shewed But it does not only oppose the Spirit to the Flesh but also the Spirit to the Soul or to the Soullish part as we but just now shewed in 1 Cor. 2. James 3. c. From whence then it evidently appears that the fleshly part is included in the Soullish part and that by the fleshly part is meant the Soullish part And that the Soul has fellowship with the Body and does continually co-operate with it we will shew in the next Chapter where we shall particularly Treat of the Soul § 41. But here some body will perhaps say that the Holy Scriptures makes mention of more than three parts of Man as of the Spirit of the Mind of the Heart the Soul and the Body The Hebrews call the three parts of man chiefly by the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruach the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neshamah the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adamah that out of which the Body is made As to the Neshamah this is properly no part of Man but it is that from whence the Soul proceeded as shall be shewed in that Chapter where we shall expresly treat of the Soul for which cause Neshamah is sometimes used for Nephesh the Soul as is to be seen in Isaiah 57.16 In the New Testament we meet with three Parts of Man more especially under these Denominations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pneuma the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psychce the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phreen the Vnderstanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nous the Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kardia the Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarx the Flesh But what part is to be understood by these Terms we must learn from the Circumstances of the places themselves where we meet with them as for Example the Vndestanding belongs to the Soul which is common to all Men for whether a Man has a good or bad understanding however it ceases not to be the understanding in like manner the Soul is meant by the heart because the Heart is the Seat of the Soul and therefore our Saviour saith Mat. 15.18 19. Those things that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart they defile for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. So that for the most part I say not always for sometimes the heart is also used for the Spirit as well as for the Soul because it is the receptacle and habitation of both but for the most part I say by the Vnderstanding and the Heart is meant the Soul CHAP. III. Of the Image of God or the Spirit § 42. SEing it is easie to be understood from the precedent Chapter that a perfect Man consists in these three to wit Spirit Soul and Body we are here especially to consider what the Spirit or the Image of God is and the properties thereof as also the necessity of the Sinners being restored to his former State § 43. Every body knows that when an Image Picture or likeness of a Man is made that it must resemble him after whom it is made because if it have no resemblance of him whom it represents it could not be called his Image Picture or likeness § 44. Seing then that Man is made after Gods Image man must needs bear the Image or Likeness of God § 45. Now this Image which Man has of God cannot be or consist in the outward Shape of his Body but in his Spirit because God is a Spirit and has no bodily or outward shape form or figure at all as is shewed already § 12. § 46. But because we Sinners have lost it and so cannot as Adam know what manner of Being the Being of God is by contemplating the Image of God which was in him it is needful that we first enquire at the Holy Scriptures how the Divine Being is there described that so from the Divine Being we may learn what the Image or Likeness of God must needs be § 47. The Holy Scripture then describes the Being of God not only to be a Spirit but also shews what manner of Spirit it is to wit that God is a Light and Fire Micah 7.8 The Lord shall be a Light unto me And 1 Iohn 1.5 it is in express words said that God is a Light in whom there is no Darkness at all to wit in opposition to the
that knows the nature of any thing he has knowledge of its inward spiritual Being of its qualifications and out-working on the same manner it is also said concerning the Light and Spirit which the Faithful do receive and enjoy to wit that he gives them wisdom to discern Spirits and all Spiritual Gifts and therefore the Apostle calls it Eph. 1.17 18. The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him enlightning the eyes of the understanding And this Spirit of Wisdom is by Solomon very gloriously described in the Proverbs throughout and the Fruits thereof in the 2d Chapter he shews what Profit they reap that incline their Ears unto Wisdom and that apply their hearts unto understanding to wit that they do thereby understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God c. The Apostle also 1 Cor. 12 describes this Light or Spirit to be that which gives the word of Wisdom the word of Knowledge the gifts of Healing the Working of Miracles Prophesies the discerning of Spirits many Tongues and such like § 56. Which consonant properties do therefore plainly shew that the Spirit of the Light which the Faithful do receive from God is that very same Image of God which he first man lost by Sin For 1. As the first man had by the Image of God Dominion over all things so do the Faithful by the Spirit or Light Rule over all things 2. As the first Man had Power by the Image of God to subdue the Earth so do the Faithful by the Spririt subdue their flesh and the Lusts thereof 3. And so are the Faithful inwardly enlightned by the Spirit that they have the discerning of Spirits and do know hidden things just as Adam had by the Image of God a knowledge of the Spirits and of all Creatures § 57. Thus far then have we shewed that the Image of God consists in an inward Light and that this Light is the same with which the Faithful are enlightned Yet permit us here Reader who mayest read this more out of curiosity then out of any love to truth further to enquire who and what manner of thing this Image of God is that a man that loves God and seeks to live in Christ may go on in this way more and more to search out the hidden Wisdom of God which he does so abundantly make known in the Holy Scriptures to them that seek him § 58. The Holy Scripture does not only say that the Image of God does consist in a Light but it does also teach us who it is that is the Image of God The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.4 Lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God c. And Col. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God So that hence it is manifest that Christ is the Image of God and as we have already shewed that the Image of God is a Light so it is also said of Christ Iohn 1.9 That he is the true Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the World And Chap. 8.12 Then spake Jesus unto them saying I am the Light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life § 59. And because Christ is the Image of God that enlightens every man therefore it is said that the Spirit of Christ is in the Faithful Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God has sent forth the spirit of his Gods Son into your hearts And Eph. 3.16.17 That he would grant you to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner-Man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And Rom. 8.29 He that has the Spirit of Christ is conformed to the Image of his Son So that from these places and many more which every one can observe in the reading of the Holy Scripture it is manifest that the Image of God in man is the Spirit of Christ which Spirit because it proceeds from Christ who is the Image of God is that Image of God which Man possesses Now how Christ can be said to be the Head and the Faithful his Members which are all guided by the same Spirit every true seeker can understand in himself when he considers that Christ is the Image of God who gives his Spirit to all the Faithful by which they are all Members of one Body which is Ruled by the Spirit of Chirst In like manner may easily be drawn from this Spring how Man can be said to be Gods Off-spring and that we live and move and have our Being in God But every one that has the Spirit of Christ will best understand in his Inner-Man how that Spirit gives him Communion with God § 60. And seing Christ is the Image of God who gives his Spirit to Man that he may be a perfect Right Man it is necessary that we do hence shew the necessity of the satisfaction of Christ to reconcile faln Man to God again § 61. Reason teaches us that nothing can attain to its former perfection except it recovers again that which it formerly possessed to wit that which was the cause of its perfection Yea this is evident in all Machines and Mechanick Instruments all which clearly shews us that when they come to want that which once they had for the performing of the Work to which they were framed that either that Work does cease or is not performed so perfectly as before § 62. If then we do well consider this universal Truth and bring it over or apply in unto Man it is certain that seeing Man was Created so upright that he had that capacity of being united to his God the Sinner must receive the same capacity that he may be united with his God again § 63. Yea it is impossible that he should receive any other thing instead of it but that very thing which he lost because if he should receive any other thing instead of it he would want that which is required to a perfect Man and would receive something which he had not in the Creation and so the best part that Man had received from God in the Creation would consequently be useless Besides when it is said that God Created Man upright Eccles 7.29 there must have been in man all that was necessary for the attaining of Gods end that the Sinner then may perform what God intended by him he must receive again that which God gave him in his Creation to that end Even not any thing better nor any other thing can he receive because God at first made all things after the most perfect manner in the Creation according to § 30. So that in is impossible that the Sinner can receive any thing better or any other thing from God but that very thing which he received of God in the Creation because if he should receive any other thing that thing could not be better but worse and so he would not be able to fulfil
can be the Head of all Mankind it must needs follow that Christ must have taken upon him Adams Mandhood that he might justify all men by his own Righteousness Objection I. But in Answer to this Consequence which we draw from Rom. 5. That Christ cannot have taken upon him other Manhood but that of Adam if all Men be so justified in Christ as they all sinned in Adam it will be said that that manner of Speech that all men are justified in Christ is not to be taken for all every man one by one but for all those which are Born of Christ to wit for the Faithful For the Apostle makes here an Antithesis betwixt Adam and Christ and betwixt those which are born of Adam and those which are born of Christ so that those which are born of Christ are not born of him after the flesh as those which are born of Adam are but after the Spirit and consequently that it does not necessarily follow that Christ must needs have taken upon him the Manhood of Adam because they that are born of Christ are not born after the Flesh but after the Spirit Answer For Answer to this Objection it is to be observed First That the Apostle does not say that as all that are born of Adam are become sinful by Adams Fall so all that are born after a Spiritual manner of Christ are justifyed in him but he says without any Limitation at all That as by Adams Fall all men are become Sinners just so by Christs Righteousness are all men justified So that he here opposes these two Effects or Out-workings to wit The Transgression and the Free Gift of Grace each to other and shews that as the one has made all Men Sinner so the other has made all men Righteous Now where the Apostle makes no distinction as well with respect to the Righteousness of Christ as with respect to the Fall of Adam by what Justice can we then limit the word ALL and that in one and the self same Argument without offering Violence to and wresting the Words Secondly It is manifest that Christ as Mediator was Man if then those which are said to be born of Christ are only born of him Spiritually to what purpose did Christ take the Manhood upon him Verily Christ needed not to have taken Manhood upon him to effect such a Spiritual Birth as they that make this exception do understand by this Birth as is already shewed more at large in the fourth Objection Thirdly The Apostle does not here oppose the Spiritual Birth of Christ to the Fleshly Birth of Adam For Christ is not here opposed unto Adam with respect to his Spiritual Being but with respect to his Manhood For the Apostle says V. 15. The Man Jesus Christ and 1 Cor. 15.21 For since by Man came Death so by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead by man I say so that Adams Manhood is here opposed to the Manhood of Christ and as all Men Fell in the Man Adam so must all Men also be justified by the Man Christ and consequently all men must as well be born of Christ as of Adam and that in the same manner because they are all justified in Christ after the same manner according to the Apostles Doctrine As all men Fell in Adam so in Christ are all men restored again Wherefore this exception cannot be admitted here to wit that Christ Regenerates all those whom he justifies only after a Spiritual manner and not as those that are born of Adam seing then all men can have none else but Adam for their first Father and yet that Christ justifies all men in that manner viz. by his own Righteousness it necessarily follows that the Man Jesus Christ could not thus justifie all men by his own Righteousness except he had taken upon him the Manhood of Adam for the reasons rendred in the former § 78. Fourthly I would willingly understand of these men which say that all that are justified are generated by Christ only after a Spiritual Manner what they mean by that manner of Speech Do they thereby mean that the body proceeds from a spiritual beginning as we have shewed in § 27. as also in the Considerations of B. Van Helmont concerning Man § 93.94 continually formed by his Life which is a Spirit as we have shewed in the aforesaid Considerations § 13.34 35 36 37. so that the Body must be obedient to the direction of its Life then I willingly grant them that the Faithful are born of Christ after such a spiritual manner But then they must withal grant me seing the bodily proceeds from the Spiritual as we have just now shewed that there must needs be a fellowship betwixt the Spiritual and the Bodily that is that they do both come from one and the same beginning Originally and consequently that the Spiritual must always contain in it that from whence the bodily does proceed or else there could be no fellowship betwixt these two If then there be somewhat in the spiritual which can also become corporeal then this manner of Speaking concerning a spiritual birth signisies nothing else but this that that out of which the Body is formed is Born of Christ as well as the Life or Spirit of Man and then man is born of Christ as well as to his Body as to his Spirit And then this spiritual Birth will not at all differ in this sense from the Birth out of Adam because those which are born out of Adam are also generated out of the spiritual Now that all Births are first spiritual that is that they do proceed from a spiritual beginning I have proved in the Considerations of B. Van Helmont concerning Man § 93.94 But because Men now a dayes are Carnal and unacquainted with that which is spiritual they are utterly ignorant that all things must needs have come from a Spiritual beginning Fifthly Suppose yet that we granted them the Point to wit that those which are justified in Christ are born of Christ only after a spiritual manner Does this spiritual birth relate to the Soul alone or to the Body also That is to the whole Man Seing the Apostle saith that the Man and not the Soul alone is justified Now if the Bodily as well as the Spiritual must be justified has not Christ then generated the Bodily as well as the Spiritual Verily yes or else the whole man could not be justified and consequently if the Bodily be justified as well as the Soullish pâ—rt then it is absurd to say that Christ hath generated the Righteous only after the Spirit seeing that if he justifieth the whole Man he must have generated him after the whole Man that is as well after the Body as after the Soul Wherefore those that make this exception that Christ has generated men after a Spiritual Manner in Opposition to the Generating of or from Adam must either contradict themselves or confess that they speak they know
likewise that Property of the Soul whereby she supports or upholds the Body as well as guides and directs it is not Bodily but Spiritual For this Vpholding consists in preserving of the Body in its Pristine Form and State which Action of Preservation cannot be Corporeal because it includes a Superintendence or Direction whereby Nourishment and Support is given to every Member according to their different state and requiring And this direction is the Beginning and Principal thing in the upholding or Support of the Body For tho' many Bodies should be joined together all manner of ways yet will they never be able to support or uphold one another so that the Direction whereby our Food is prepared and transmuted in such a manner that our Body is fed and maintained by it is not any thing that is Corporeal but Spiritual Of which Direction or Superintendence we have treated at large in our Observations concerning Man § 34.35 36 37 38 39. And as this Direction which Superintends the Nourishment and Support of the Body is Spiritual so likewise is the Guiding and Governing of the Body Spiritual also for as much as it proceeds from the Will and is immediatly effected or executed in the Body at the same instant that the Soul or Life wills and thinks it Which is an evident Argument that this Rule or Governance must needs be Spiritual and not Corporeal for as much as not the least moment of time Intervenes between the Intent or Command of the Will and its Execution which could never be if the Efficiency or Operation of the Will were Corporeal But of this Direction of the Body see the foresaid Observations concerning Man § 91. § 83. Seing therefore that the Properties of the Soul are not Corporeal but Spiritual it follows that the Soul or Life is a Spirit and no Body because all her Properties are Spiritual Now that the Life is a Spirit I have demonstrated in the foresaid Observations § 34.35 36 37. § 84. The Soul or Life therefore being a Spirit cannot die or be changed as Bodies are For when we say that Bodies are changed this imports an Increase or Decrease of those parts that before were united And to Die implies nothing else but this that the Bodies are no longer maintained in the form and condition they were in before but are Subject to alteration So that all Dying includes a Change or alteration of which see the Considerations concerning Man § 32. Now certain it is that whatsoever changeth its form or appearance doth include Divisibility whereby the parts that before were united are now separated from one another and whatsoever is subject to Divisibility must be a Body because Divisibility is the Property of Bodies which consist of many Parts And forasmuch as according to § 83. the Soul is a Spirit therefore neither can the Soul die or be divided or ever change its Essence If any one Object here that she sometimes changeth her operations and by this means grows either better or worse and that this change is a kind of Dying this we are very willing to grant as long as by this Word Change or Dying is not meant or understood that the Essence of the Soul dies in like manner as Bodies do but only this that the Soul being Conscious of her evil Deeds repents of and suffers for them and by this means becomes changed in her Operations or manner of Acting All this we readily grant as having plainly asserted the same concerning all Lives viz. That they are meliorated by Suffering § 66. and in the Considerations about Man § 32. in these Words Or that the Life for a time ceaseth from its Operation of bringing forth Fruit by which cessation of her Activity she either changeth her Operation or brings forth better Fruit then before c. But such a change or dying as this with regard to the Soul doth not in the least import that her Essence is changed or divided as that of Bodies is when their Forms are changed § 85. And for as much as the Soul with respect to her Essence is Unchangeable and Immortal so neither can she be Annihilated because no Annihilation can be without dying seing that every thing as long as it lives hath its Essence and consequently is not Annihilated or reduced to nothing And for as much as the Soul Lives continually according to § 84. consequently it cannot be Annihilated For seing that all things are ever present to God as in § 14. it follows that the Soul cannot be Annihilated because the Annihilation of a thing is that whereby it ceaseth to be or is the reducing of a thing to nothing If therefore the Essence of the Soul could be Annihilated then all beings could not be continually present to God but more Essences would be present to him at one time then at another which is repugnant to the Divine Attributes according to § 14 15. For as much therefore as all Beings are perpetually present to God if follows that the Soul or Life cannot be Annihilated Moreover seing that all Beings are in God without beginning and consequently have neither beginning nor ending as hath been demonstrated § 24.25 26. therefore it follows that the Soul hath no end And when we consider that the Essentiality of Bodies cannot be Annihilated tho' their form be changed because they were not produced out of nothing according to § 27. and in the Observations concerning Man § 32. how much less can the Soul which is not subject to Mutation as Bodies are being a Spirit be obnoxious to Annihilation Especially if we consisider that she is the Framer of the Body as in the foresaid Observations in § 37 38. hath been shewed For my part I confess that it is altogether inconceivable to me how any thing that is Essential should loose its Being and become nothing and they that Imagine such a thing do not know what Annihilation imports only they conceive that the Soul dies liek a Body that is separated into its parts the contrary whereof hath been made out § 84. and this is that they call Annihilation For as to that which Annihilation properly imports thereof they can frame no image or apprehension for otherwise they would have an apprehension of nothing For Annihilation signifies the turning of a thing to nothing But some perhaps will say true it is that the Being of a Soul is not Annihilated but that the Soul when the Body dyes returns to the Universal Spirit But first we are to consider what is meant by the Universal Spirit for if thereby they understood the Divine Essence as if Souls were a part thereof this is impossible for the Reason alledged § 4. and more especially because the Soul is mutable as to its Thoughts Will and Works whereas the Divine Essence is unchangeable in all these as is shewed § 24. If by the Universal Spirit they understand the Essence of the World neither is that possible because this supposed
does this â—ccording to his Free-will and that he may and can thus differrently dispose of Souls at his good pleasure But indeed we shall find the quite contrary when we â—ome to examine this matter and that God neither will nor can do any such â—hing as hath been shewed § 22 and 36. Thirdly If it be so that the Soul is Created when the Body is begotten then it will follow that when the Act of Generation is performed in Whoredom or Adultery that God must Create a Soul for the Body so Generated and so the Creation of the Soul will depend on the Generation of Men because the Soul according to them is never Created but at the Generation of the Body Fourthly Seing that the Body is Generated by the Parents and consequently must have been in Being before it was Generated for as much as the least Body is not now produced the Essentiality whereof was not in the Creation no reason can be alledged why God should not as well have Created the Souls of Men in the beginning as that which is corporeal But then it will be asked where were then all those Souls that were Created together in the Creation seing they had not yet any Bodies of their own To which I answer that they were all in Adam as in their first Parent from hom they afterwards came forth But this will bâ— thought very strange that so many thousands of Souls should be in one Man Yeâ— is not this at all impossible for how many thousand Images of men and otheâ— thing have we within us that we have seen Now all these Images that we have received from abroad are likewise Spiritual Beings as hath been shewed in the Observations about Man § 44.45 and yet they take up no space in us Wherefore as a man may have Millions of spiritual Beings or Images in him in like manner he is capable also of having many thousands of Souls in him because they also are Spiritual Beings and therefore take up no Room in him all which Souls by Means of Generation are as it were wrought out from him or brought forth to outward Manifestation in distinct Bodies and times And to make this more clear by an Example we see that a Tree brings forth its Fruit every Year which it could not do if the Life and Essence of those Fruits had not been in the Tree before their Production so that this Life lies so long hid in the Tree then till according to the Order of Nature the time of bringing for Fruit be come § 89. And for as much as from § 87. it is evident that Souls were Created altogether by God in the Creation this likewise overthrows that Position which asserts That the Souls of Men are Generated by the Parents viz. After the same manner as the Body is For as in Generation some part of the Corporeal Substance goes away from the Parents so if they were Generators of the Soul as well as of the Body they would loose some part of their Souls in the Act of Generation which is impossible for that the Soul being a Spirit according to § 83.84 must consequently be indivisible § 90. Seing therefore that the Soul or Life doth uphold and form its own Body as hath been shewed § 82. and hath existed together with it in the Creation § 87. and consequently proceeds from one and the same beginning with it it follows That the Soul must consist of the same Principles whence the Body takes its Original For if the Soul did not consist of the very same Principles whence the Essence of the Body doth proceed she could never have any Communion or Fellowship with the Body because two things of a different Original can never unite or Co-operate except it be by means of a third that partakes of both their Essences Moreover for as much as Souls were in the Creation as well as Bodies and that whatsoever was in the Creation did proceed from one only it follows that the Soul must consist of the same Principles whence the Body took its Original Now Bodies consist of two things Viz. Fire and Water and this Fire and Water are Spiritual Beings in their beginning or Principles whence they proceed as hath been shewed at large in the Observations concerning Man from § 7. to 21. And therefore we conclude that the Soul consists of a Spiritual Fiery and Watery Essence And that the Soul consists of these two we may be further informed from hence that the Soul in Scripture is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Breath as is shewed § 47. and Gen. 2.7 it is said that God Breathed into his Adams nostris the Breath of Life whereby is intimated that the Life or Soul doth enjoy and make use of Breath or Aire for the upholding and support of its Actions or Operations as every one in himself doth experience that without taking of Breath or Respiration his Soul or life cannot maintain or preserve the Body as is shewed at large in the Consider ations concerning Man § 62.63 64 and 68. If so be therefore that the Soul it self is sometimes called Breath and doth enjoy or make use of Breath or Air for the preserving of her Body consequently the Soul must partake with the Air and proceed from the same beginning as it doth Now it is certain that the Air consists of a Fiery and Watery Essence as in the said Considerations § 65. hath been shewed But against this it will be objected that if the Soul Consists of the same Principles whence the Body Originally came forth then it is not impossible but that the Soul may become Corporeal To which Objection I answer First that it is no necessary consequence because the Soul and Body proceed from the same Principles that therefore the Soul may become Bodily As will appear from this Example Gold and Iron proceed from the same Principles but yet we cannot conclude from hence that Gold can be changed into Iron because Gold is advanced to that degree of Perfection that it always abides Gold to which Iron hath not yet attained and therefore is subject to Rust and turns to earth again But the Perfection of Gold appears in this that it endures the Fire without loss or diminution which Iron doth not but is burnt and consumed by it Yet on the other hand it is true also that is Reason teacheth us and it must be true in Nature tho' we cannot give an ocular Demonstration of it that seing Iron consists of the same Principles as Gold doth it can also arive through manifold dying and suffering to the same degree of Perfection which Gold hath And the same may be said concerning the Soul and that which is Bodily that tho' they both proceed from the same Principles yet doth it not follow therefore that the Soul can become Corporeal because she is arrived to that perfection which renders her indivisible and unchangeable in her Essence Tho' it be a true
Consequence that the Body forasmuch as it consists of the same Principles as the Soul doth that it may arrive to that degree of Perfection as to become Spiritual In the second place if so be the Soul or Life could become Corporeal then might all things in time come to be dead and without any Operation at all which can never be because God hath brought forth all things in Order so that all things must be wrought out that is brought forth to manifestation according to due Order which cannot be done without activity and not always continue dead and deprived of all Efficiency Thirdly if the Life of every thing could become Bodily then the Creatures might bring forth young of a different kind from themselves viz. Sheep might bring forth Birds and Men Sheep c. For there is no difference in Bodies but what they derive from their Life which according to its peculiar Efficiency and Property doth form its own Body Besiâ—es if the Life of every Creature could become Corporeal then all of them would have the same Flesh and Form forasmuch as they partake of the same Nourishment but nature teacheth us the contrary viz. That each kind hath its own Form and Flesh whence it is evident that each kind doth unchangeably retain its own Life as hath been shewed in the Observations concerning Man § 33. But some will object if the Soul of Man consists of the same Principles whence the Life of other Creatures is derived what Perfection then hath man more then they to which I answer that tho' all lives proceed from the same Principles yet do they differ in their Efficiency and Perfection for all Creatures have not the same understanding and Wisdom And what Creature hath more Wisdom then Man who can rule all Creatures Besides Man hath this Prerogative also above all Creatures who is made according to the Image of God of which see Chapter 2d and the Observations concerning Man § 46.47 c. § 91. Seing therefore that the Soul consists of the same Principles with the Body whence may be understood that the Soul can work on the Body so from the same head we may gather how the Soul my become Sinful as shall be shewed when we come to treat of the Fall of Man Only thus much I shall say here by the by that it will be impossible for any Man ever to make out how the â—oul is become sinful save only by this way And because men know little of the Nature and Essence of things therefore it is that they torment and vex themselves with that old and long bandied Question how or by what means the Soul is become sinful § 92. But some Perhaps will Query Seing that the Soul is become sinful by what means can she be delivered from sin To which we answer that the Soul may be meliorated by recovering of the Image of God as hath been shewed at large § 61.62 63. c. The means whereby we may attain to this Melioration and recover the Image of God shall be shewed in the sequel § 93. And because many things are to be considered in order to the full Elucidation of the State and condition of Souls and whither they pass after Death we will put off the handling this Question to that part wherein we intend to treat of the Restitution of a Sinner CHAP. V. Of the Body and the Principles whereof it doth consist together with the State of Adam before the Fall § 94. WE have shewed the necessity of the Souls consisting of the same Principles whence the Body is produced as on the other hand it is as true that Bodies proceed from the same principles whereof the Soul consists and that the Body hath its own proper Life over and above its being governed by the Soul or its Principal Spirit For when the Soul or Life doth cease from its former Operations and that the Body thereupon dies yet we shall find that these dead Bodies afterwards turn to Worms c. Yea experience teacheth us that sometimes the Hair and Nails of a Dead Body do grow which proves that the Body hath its own Life besides the Soul or general Life which upholds the Body in its form or Essence as long as she continues in her former Working or Efficiency § 95. But some will ask why since the Body hath its own life man doth notwithstanding stand in need of a Soul or Life For answer to this I desire the Enquirer to consider that mans Body being fed by the Creatures he enjoys and partakes of the Life of them which Life of the Creatures if it were not transmuted in man so as to comply with the Operation or Efficiency of Man it could never be of use for the support or preservation of Man To the end therefore that the Creatures and their Life might be for the sustenance of the Bodies of Men it was necessary that man should have his own life and that the said Life should be Master and dispose of the Life of the Creatures according to its pleasure as a General Governs and Commands his whole Army Wherefore it is absolutely necessary that man should have a Soul or Life that may superintend Rule and Govern all the Lives and Spirits that are in his Body Of the Soul or Central Spirit hath been Treated in the Observations concerning Man § 33.51 § 96. These Principles now whereof the Body and all Creatures whether Corporeal or Spiritual do consist can be no more than two that is neither three nor four for nothing is produced in the whole Universe but from two different Natures as we find in Fishes Birds Beasts and Men viz. That all Generation is performed by Male and Female without any intervening third Principle different from the Male and Female Essence So likewise neither Trees nor any other Vegetables bring forth Fruit but from the Union of these two Principles For tho' the Sun Water Earth Dung c. may be applyed to Plants and Trees yet will the Sun the Water Earth and Dung be found to consist only of these two Principles if they be resolved into their Parts So that these will never constitute a third Principle Essentially differing from the two former § 97. These two Principles whereof all Creatures consist are Fire and Water And that all Animals and Vegetables consist of a Fiery Essence experience teacheth us in that they can be burnt For the Fire that we make to warm our selves by which is the Fire of the Creatures mentioned in our Considerations concerning Man § 14. must continually be maintained with Wood c. or else it would cease to burn Wherefore that which is laid upon the Fire for Fewel must have a Fire in it which is capable of being excited Yea it would be altogether impossible to make any thing burn if it had not a Fiery Essence in it That the Creatures have a Fire in them hath been shewed in the Observations concerning Man § 9.
such a Name is given When therefore the Holy Scripture makes a difference betwixt Spirits and Spirits by giving them divers Names ought not we to conclude that these different Denominations signifie the various Properties and Operations of Spirits as well as the Names of visible and Tangible Substances do express their Properties and Operations To what purpose therefore is it to make this Childish evasion here concerning Spirits in a matter which is a Received Truth in all other natural things viz. That names are given to things to distinguish them in their Operations from one another But these are the Fruits of our Modern Carnality we will know of nothing but what is bodily because we are altogether ignorant of what is Spiritual But that the Angels have their different Operations is evident from the Revelations where we find a description of several Angels and their different Operations Neither do the Angels only differ thus but continual Experience also teacheth us that the Lives or fiery Spirits of the Creatures do differ from one another in their Operations for all Lives do not bring forth the same kind of Bodies but as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5. All Flesh is not the same Flesh c. and why so but because the Lives which form the Flesh and Body as may be seen in the Observations concerning Man § 37.38.39 have not all of them the same Efficiency § 107. And as all Fiery Spirits or Lives have not the same Efficiency so neither are the watry dark or refrigerating Essences of one operation as hath been shewed in the said Observation § 28 and 33. The Holy Scripture also Informs us that the Watry Essence consists of many different Spirits for since according to § 105. the Watry Essence and the Darkness are one and the Scripture asserts the Darkness to be an Essence and not a mere nothing seing that it hath its own proper Operations as appears Rom. 13.12 Let us cast off the Works of Darkness and Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness Which proves that Darkness is a Being because it hath its peculilar Operations and what these works of Darkness are hath been shewed § 105. Neither hath the Darkness only an Efficiency of its own but consists also of many Spirits which have their Government and Governours as will be evident by comparing the following Places Luke 22. 53. our Saviour saith This is the Power of Darkness viz. That whereby the Seed of the Serpent should bruise his heel And this Power of Darkness our Savoiour calls John 12.31 and 14.30 the Prince of this World which Prince Eph. 2.2 is called the Prince of the Power of the Aire the Prince of the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience And V. 3. tells us that the operations of this Spirit are the Lusts of the Flesh Whence it appears that this Spirit hath Communion with the Spirit of Darkness Moreover the Apostle Attributes to the Flesh viz. To the Spirit of Darkness which Rules the Flesh a Will and Thoughts And therefore when the Apostle saith Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood he thereby intimates to us that it is not our outward Flesh and Blood that puts this force upon us but the Spirit that Rules this Flesh and therefore he immediatly Subjoins But against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual wickedness in high Places And these Spirits of Darkness the Apostle calls Acts 26.18 Darkness and the Power of Satan c. § 108. From all which we conclude that seing that all Bodily things are the Product of the Watry Essence § 97. and that the Watry or Dark Essence hath its Spirits § 107. and the Watry is opposite to the Fiery Essence § 104. and that Man consists of the these two Essences § 90.96 c. that consequently he must have in him Spirits of Darkness as well as Spirits of Light which deserves well to be noted by us for as much as hereafter it will make way for our understanding the Stile or manner of Expression used in Holy Scripture § 109. But it may be Queried here seing that Man consists of these two Spiritual Essences and that they are opposite to each other how then can there be any Union between them so as to Co-operate towards and bring forth one Birth This Difficulty will be easily removed if first we consider what Vnity is Know we therefore that two Bodies tho' they differ in their Nature may notwithstanding be united together and Co-operate in Unity viz. when the one of them is made subject to the other and in all respects complies with its Operations so as that the one be Passive and the other Active And if such a Unity as we have now described were not between the Fiery and Watry Essence nothing in the World could be able to subsist or operate any thing And therefore our Saviour saith Math 6. 24. No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon That is the one or the other of them must have Dominion but cannot both bear sway at once And to the same purpose the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 6.14 that unbelief cannot have the Dominion in Conjunction with Faith what Communion hath Light with Darkness As if he should say it is not possible that both these should bear sway together for being contrary to each other the one must bear Rule over the other before that they can be united Now that there is a Union between these two in Nature we find by experience because as long as the fiery Life of each Creature doth perform its ordinary working the Creature cannot in any of the Members of its Body suffer any putrefaction or Mortification but as soon as the Life of a Creature is either over-ruled by another or ceaseth from its wonted Operation then the Watry Essence gets the Dominion and causeth Death and Corruption in the said Bodies turning them to Worms c. But some Perhaps will object that I have said § 90. That no two things of a different Original can be united and how then these two viz. Light and Darkness can be united seing they are contrary to one another To which I answer first that it is a Fundamental Truth that two things of a different Original cannot be united but this is not the case here for we do not say that Light and Darkness have a different Original but only that they have a contrary working Yea quite contrarily we do assert that tho' Light and Darkness be contrary to each other in operation yet that they are of one Original and therefore can be united together Now that the Light and Darkness or the Fiery and Watry Essence have one Original we may know by this because the Light comes out of the Darkness
unchangeable Light and attain to Communion with the same And to the end he might thus fill the Earth that is make it Spiritual God also Commanded Adam to subdue the Earth whereby is not meant that man should have the Earth under his Feet go upon it or Till and Cultivate it for this Nature sufficiently teacheth us neither was there any need of a Command to inforce it but hereby is intimated to us that it is the great duty of Man to have the Earthly and Dark Essence whereof his Body doth Consist under his power and Command so as that the said Dark Essence might not bear Rule over the Fiery but on the contrary that his Glorious and Illuminated Spirit should Rule over the Dark or Watry Essence whereof his Body doth consist and over the Spirits that are in it of which see § 107. and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to have Dominion over to Conquer to bring into Subjection and Obedience And when we put such a Sence as this upon these Words Replenish the Earth and Subdue it we shall find them to hold forth Wisdom and Understanding and such as doth excellently agree and comport with the Nature of Man seing that he consists of these two different Essences viz. The Fiery and the Watry Neither is there any thing throughout the whole Current of Scripture more prest upon than to mortify his Flesh to Subdue it and Glorifie it through the Spirit as hath been shewed § 39.40 105 107. So that the same thing which was Commanded to Adam Gen. 1.28 the Sinner must now obtain through much suffering and manifold Deaths § 115. Seing therefore that it is the great duty and Work of Man pursuant to Gods Command to Subdue that which is Earthly and Bodily and to make it Spiritual it was of absolute necessity that he should be partaker of the Earthly in order to his Glorifying of it And for this Reason Man had an Earthly Body bestowed upon him to the end he should make that Body which is fed and maintained from the Earth Spiritual and illuminate its Darkness Moreover God gave to Man Dominion over the Fishes of the Sea and over the Fowl of Heaven and over every living thing that creepeth upon the Earth And this was necessary because man was appointed to fill or replenish the Earth and to Subdue it In the word Earth being also comprehended whatsoever consists of the Earth or Water because the Earth hath its Original from the Water to the end therefore that Man might have Dominion over all these Creatures it was necessary for him to have some Communion with them that is to be partaker of their Natures to the end that Ruling over them he might in and through the Glorification of his own Body Glorify them also and make them Spiritual And this could have been done in and through Adam because he being the Head of the Earth did Govern all things by his Spirit and therefore was partaker of all Living Crèatures that so they might not be exempted from his Dominion And that Adam was thus Partaker of all Living things appears from this that Man to this day doth Partake of the Fish Fowl and Beasts because he enjoys the same for his Food and Nourishment Moreover which is well to be minded he was also to have Dominion over every Creeping thing viz. Worms and other Infects which Worms were not without him for the Body consists of Worms as appears because when it dies it turns to Worms and Worms are the first Life of all Creatures because all things that die turn to Worms § 116. And to the end we may more clearly Dissect the Condition and Qualities of Adam we are well to consider that Adam before the Fall did not consist nor exist as we Sinners now do for we are part and Members of Adam which were in Adam as is hinted § 78. we therefore being the Members of Adam cannot have the same Perfection which Adam had who was the whole that is who had all Men in himself And in this respect the Apostle saith very well 1 Cor. 12. That we all are one Body yet so as that we are Members of that Body now the Members have not one and the same or an alike powerful Operaton neither are all of the same worth and dignity nor hath every Member separately the same worthiness with the whole Body Whence we understand that none of Adams Posterity can have the Excellency which Adam hath because Adam is the Head and Body whereof all Men are only the Members and every Member Separately hath only the Perfection of being such a Member and not of being the whole Body Neither is Adam only to be considered as the Head of all Mankind and by consequence far more excellent than any of his Posterity but such also was the Prerogative of Adam that the had the whole Earth and all Creatures in himself that is that he Ruled over them all and this could not be except that his Spirit had dwelt in all things and Govern'd them And that all Creatures were in Adam that is that the whole Earth and all living Creatures were upheld and Govern'd by his Spirit in the same manner as the Central Spirit of Man upholds and Governs his whole Body we learn from hence because when Adam had sinned the whole Earth was cursed for his sake Gen. 3.17 Now if so be the whole Earth and all that is in it had not been a part of Adam what consequence or connexion could there be in this that upon Adams sinning the whole Earth should be declared sinful Moreover we Read Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. That the Creature as with a stretched forth head waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to Vanity not willingly but by or through him who hath subjected the same in hope that the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Libery of the Sons of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and is in travel together until now When the Apostle here saith that the whole Creation that is the whole Earth is made subject to Vanity or Corruption by him who hath subject it viz. to Vanity can this possibly be understood of any one but of Adam No surely for God had Commanded Adam that the should Subdue the Earth or subject it but not to Vanity but by Glorifying the same as hath been said § 114. tho he did the contrary If therefore Adam being the Head and Governour of the whole Earth hath made the whole Creation viz. the Earth subject to Vanity is not then this our Assertion true and stedfast that the whole Earth and all that is in it is a part of Adam Yea the Apostle saith as much in plain words by calling Men the Earth and whatsoever is in the same one whole Creation or Creature thereby expresly shewing that the whole Earth is