pierce through her secrets as thou sayest in a moment and yet not be seen by any nor she stand amazed yea trembling in fear at so sudden appearance and dissolution of this svvift motional substance into her body for my part I cannot understand it neither vvill Scripture prove it so cannot believe it Faith Well may his dissolution into the vvomb cause admiration vvhen at his birth vvhich vvas no strange thing there should be such a multitude of Heavenly Host rejoicing vvith such Heavenly Harmonies that the Shepherd vvere amazed vvith fear yea a vvonder it vvas to them that heard of it far and near vvhich if there had not been a conception more than ordinary the birth of that conception had not caused such astonishment round about but novv God vvas become a Child yea Eternity become time and for a season to dvvell among his Creation and therefore if thou knevv that the body of God vâ—â—s of a bright glorious Chrystal soft thin transparent substance swifter than thought who at his Divine pleasure can transmute himself as high or as low and into as a straight a passage as can be thought on then thou wouldst cease reasoning and believe what I speak to thee that the body of God consisting of such Divine Spiritual and Heavenly matter as aforesaid could without the sight of any descend from Heaven to Mary And why or wherefore should she be amazed when she had tidings of what should be before Neither was his dissolution any prejudice at all to her but raptures of joy springing up in her Soul to her Eternal comfort Reason What then was all the God that created Heaven and Earth in the womb of Mary and was that the very God that was born in a Manger that was swadled suckled and dandled upon the knees and carried up and down the Countrey in the Armes of his Mother was this God the Father that created all things that now hath life in them that once could not go nor feed himself but be led and fed by its creature As unto this answer me plainly and really what is thy thought on this great mysterious Mystery Faith From the Spirit of Revelation I tell thee that was the very God that the Wise Men went to worship and that Herod did seek to kill was the very Godhead Spirit or Life of that Christ Jesus so that Pauls Revelation told him The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Christs body and God Col. 2. 9. was in Christ reconciling the world with many such places and therefore the words that Christ spake was Spirit and Joh 8. 24. Life and again saith Christ Exept ye believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins So that if the Eternal Godhead had not sprung up this Revelation he could not have uttered those sayings as his own Reason However thou hast quoted some certain places that confirm what thou sayest yet I cannot find but all along as I read God and Christ is two and not one so that there was a God in Heaven when Christ was upon earth and me thinks it is contrary to reason that God which created all Creatures should walk talk eat and drink with them and be affronted by them and as it were have his livelyhood by them that he created Faith Well Friend think of it what thou pleasest yet this I 'le assure thee that God and Christ is not two but one For what necessity was there for God to have a Son Surely if it were as thou sayest either God was in process of time to dye and so make his Son Heir or else he wanted a Companion to keep him Company if not so then the world was too great and so got a Son to assist him yet however I tell thee there never was but one God And surely then he that died for us must save us and if Christ be our Saviour then he must be our Creator and yet what striving here is for two Gods when in the beginning of Moses and the Prophets we read but of One as it is written Isaiah 4. 10 11. Before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour and then confirms it saying Neither is there Salvation in â—8s 4. 12. any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must saved and yet what a flutter thy seed makes about God and Christ so two Gods as though one God should Create and the other God should Save O for shame leave off these things and be silent in thy ignorance for thy seed is so various that some of you will have God a Spirit and Christ the Son a Person and others of you will have three persons and one God and the rest will have no Person at all but an infinite formless Spirit so that from my Revelation I tell thee and all thy seed with thee as by the Prophet Isaiah is proved there never was no God formed before Christ nor never shall be atfer him yet this I know there is three titles but one person which person ever was is and shall be Christ Jesus alone for Christ had the title of God the Father in the Law and the title of God the Son in the Gospel and now God the holy Ghost in this our last commission to which is onely revealed that Christ Jesus is the onely God Reason Then tell me what was that which died in Christ when he was crucified and said now it is finished and gave up the Ghost Faith That was he gave up his Soul to death which Soul was the Eternal Spirit or Godhead Father and therefore it is written He poured out his Soul to death and was offered Heb. 9 14. through the Eternal Spirit So died in mortality and was buried in the grave which Soul Spirit or Godhead in the twinkling of an eye quickned to immortality or spiritual form again Reason If the Creator of Heaven and Earth was that which died in Christ so that the God of all life being then become death How came he or by what means could he be quickned or raised to glory again Faith Yea it was the Soul Spirit that died and was perfectly dead that gave life to all and that life that died in a moment did quicken it self by its ever living Word of Faith spoken before his death that raised him to life saying Joh. 10. 18 I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again there being no let or doubt in Faith that could hinder it what it had purpose to do Reason Was all the Power that created Heaven and Earth dead and buried at the very same moment and no power left without Christ to quicken that which was dead within the body of Christ Jesus Faith No more than is in a grain of Wheat and yet that dies and in season quickens again so that there
was no God Spirit Power or Father vvithout the body of Christ to quicken that vvhich vvas vvithin the body of Christ but lay in its pure Seed onely Reason And did that pure Seed vvithout the help of any other povverful life vvithout quicken it self again Faith Yea vvithout the assistance of any without at all for let me tell thee there vvas no such povverful life vvithout the body of Christ as vvas dead vvithin the body of Christ therefore impossible that vvhich received life from Christ should quicken the life of Christ that created it no I say the povver of dying and living again lay in its ovvn nature only so that there vvas neither any infinite Spirit God or Father besides Christ that did quicken the Seed of Christ from death to life in the grave but his ever living Word of Faith spoken before his death I say that pure Heavenly Faith is death in life and life in death and this vvas that vvhich redeemed his Soul from the povver of the grave as it is vvritten O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction this Povver vvas dead and raised it self from Hos 13. 14 mortality vvith a spiritual body vvithout the help of any other to immortality again Reason Did he raise that same body that he vvas crucified in and buried vvith If not What became of that body and vvith vvhat body did he rise Faith I say Christ did rise vvith the very same body that he vvas Crucified in that same body vvas raised and no other Faith Hovv came it then from a moatal body to an immortal body seeing it was the same body which was capable to dye Hovv could that same body be made capable to live again a life Eternal Faith If the immortal body of God the Father had not died in the vvomb of Mary to a mortal Son of flesh blood and bone he had not been capable to live in this vvorld among his creatures and upon the Cross have died again as a mortal Son he had not been capable to live in that immortal glory from vvhence he came so that Christ as he vvas God tvvice passed through death viz from immortality to mortality and from mortality to immortality again Now to Ansvver hovv that body vvhich vvas made capable to dye vvas made capable to live in glory was thus That which was mortal viz. Water Earth and Air being dead I say that spark of Faith did kindle it self throughout the same form so raised the same body vvithout any of the gross Elements aforesaid so that novv it vvas a body without blood onely the same flesh and bone purified yea refined into a soft thin bright spiritual form swifter then thought so that now having raised it self to the same it was when it descended from Heaven to the womb of Mary now it was able to appear among his disciples as it did in the womb of a woman their windows and doors being shut yea able to ascend to his kingdom of glory from whence he came and so sate on the right hand of his Father or the right hand of the Majesty on high where now he will remain to all eternity CHAP. 3. Shewing Christ is the onely God and Father yea the Creator of heaven and earth now it is to be revealed what God and Father that was and where he was that Christ so often called upon when he was upon earth Reason FRom thy last Answer thou hast raised more objections which I would desire thou wouldest be free to answer and that is if thou canst reveal unto me what God or Father that was and where he was that forbid Joseph in a dream not to turn away his Wife saying That which was conceived in her womb was by the Holy Ghost and when Christ was born who it was that sent the angel with the whole host of heaven singing and praysing of God And when the wise men went to worship Christ that fore-warned them to go into their own countrey another way and told Joseph that he should take the childe with his mother and flee into Egypt and when Herod was dead commanded him to return back again And another time This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased these with many others I could relate which I desire thou wouldest answer seeing thou affirmest Christ was God the Father Faith Though I tell thee yet thou canst not believe me so that I may leave thee excuseless I am made free to speak unto thee and let thee know where it is written that Christ uttered a parable which was to this effect viz. There was a Mark 13. 34. certain man took his journy into a far countrey and set his house in order and gave authority to his servants and bid the Porter watch so that I affirm this parable was concerning his hard and sad journy he was then undertaking now the servants he intrusted with his divine Authority was Moses and Elias they were his porters that were to watch over Christ Jesus the Creator of heaven and earth for it is written before Christ became mortal flesh that there was Angels which Psalm â—1 11. should have charge concerning him which Angels were Moses and Elias and therefore it is written God buried Moses and took up Elias in a fiery chariot which none of the Prophets Exod. 20. 19 1 Kings 17. 2. 2 Kings cap. 1. was so suddenly transmuted into glory as they were and therfore it was for some great design more then ordinary otherwise there had been no necessity of raising them more then any other of the Prophets And then again thou mayest read there was none so much represented the Royal Prerogative Power of a God above as they did here below as at thy leisure read those Scriptures quoted in the Margent Reason Why could not God make use of some of the Angels then in glory to be as thou sayest his Steward or Deputy-father and to watch over his person the time he was upon earth they knowing him and was always obedient to him might as well officiate the place of trust and represented that authority as well as Moses and Elâ—as Faith Why or wherefore God was necessitated to take up Moses and Elias was as in these ensuing particulars will appear First because Elias was the Seed of Gods own nature and so are none of the Angels therefore not safe for God to trust a contrary Seed they being but pure reason when as the nature of Moses and Elias was Faith so that God knew it was impossible they should falsifie their trust committed to them Secondly if God had left the Angels to take care over him then had Christ in his infancy perished by the hands of Herod in that the Angels are not able to subsist one day without the revelation of the person of Christ therefore he being here below they would have brought all to confusion above as also Christ had not been preserved his
hear thy thoughts whether this world was in being before the Angels because thou sayest the Angel was thrown into this world Faith Thou hast raised that which neither thou nor any of thy Seed can answer in that this and other that shall be revealed is onely to the Seed of Faith therefore for thy conviction and the satisfaction of the Seed of the Woman I against Angel and man declare and infallibly affirm that the substances of earth and water in this world and that glorious World above were from all Eternity in the Creators presence uncreated senseless dark dead matter like unto water and dust that had no kinde of life light or vertue in them in the least so that I say this world upon the account aforesaid was before the Angels creation Reason By the learning of this world we have understood that those substances of earth and water was not Eternal onely the Creator speaking the word so they came in being also it is written In the beginning God created the Gen. 1. Heaven and the Earth so that I understand there was no earth nor water till it was created Faith As I have said before so I say again this doth not belong to thy seed to know it for it is written Through Faith we understand the worlds were framed by the Word of God Heb. 11. 3. So that by Faith I say that earth and vvater vvas Eternal and the vvord frame or create is to make formlesâ— dead vvater into sensible living forms for thou maist read That earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep c. So that there vvas an earth and vvater though dead and dark so vvithout form Novv the vvord creating or framing vvas to give life and light to those substances of death and darkness and therefore it is vvritten The Spirit of God moved upon the waters and said Gen. 1. 2. let there be light and there was light So that against Angel or man I positively affirm that the earth and the deep vvater vvere essentially one Chaos of confused vvater distinct from the Creator and vvhereas it is said In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth is thus to be understood that of the matter of vvater and earth that vvas formless and void God by a vvord speaking did create a formable vvorld as a place of convenient residence for such mortals as thou and I to inhabit in Reason Though it be consented that the earth and vvater in the beginning vvas dead and dark yet I cannot see but they vvere created so not eternal for it is vvritten I create light and I create darkness so that it vvill follovv God Isaiah 45. 7. created them vvithout form and void Faith In ansvver to this it is vvritten That God is light and in him is no darkness at all yet it is vvritten Darkness was upon the deep So that I knovv from eternity the Divine 1 John 1. 5. Nature of the Creators Spirit vvas nothing but immortal fiery glory of Life and Light so vvithout Controversie the dead earth and dark deep vvater never proceeded all Life and Light out of his glorious mouth and vvhereas thou sayest God created darkness is not intented as thou supposest but the meaning is that he created those Souls that vvere naturally dark into a marvellous light as these Scriptures vvill plainly manifest The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not and again I will open their John 1. 5. eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God vvith many such places but not one Scripture that God created or gave any being or beginning unto dead dark senseless earth and water aforesaid Reason I cannot yet understand but that God created that confused Chaos of water and earth and so of nothing by his word speaking this world was made Faith Though thou be the Seed of Reason yet in this thou art unreasonable to think that ever those dark dead Elements of earth and water should have their Original from his glorious Spirit I say their natures being so contrary it is impossible they should proceed the one from the other For alas What is death or darkness is it not through the absence of life and light and is not life being overcome by death absolutely become death or darkness or utter silence for a moment and if light and darkness life and death meet together is there any peace between them until one hath swallowed up the other If this be so as it is so then without Controversie earth and water were uncreated substances eternally distinct from the God of Life Light and Glory and that the more it is written And darkness covered the face of the deep therefore I say it is but a dream and a lye to say that God created all things of nothing or that God created that confused Chaos of water and earth it is all one as if thou shouldst say there was no Creator at all but earth and water and such like dead stuff as they are Reason It is written God made a Firmament and divided the waters that were under the Firmament from the waters which were above the Firmament Now was this Firmament Eternal as the rest Faith I say the Firmament that is visible was Eternal though it was of that dead dark matter as the other was Now the word making is the same creating which is no other then as aforesaid to make that which was dead and dark to be lively light and therefore God made Sun Moon and Stars and set them in the Firmament to give light upon this earth so that the Sun is the life of the earth the Moon the life of the waters Reason What then is the Nature of the Water and the Earth above this visible Firmament the same with this water and earth in this world Faith No in nature they are not the same for that above the Firmament is immortal spiritual when as this is mortal natural And therefore the Angels and all the creatures therein being created of that matter are spiritual immortal bodies when as man and all creatures herein are natural mortal bodies and therefore it is written There are Heavenly Bodies and earthly bodies celestiaal and terrestial the one above durable this below perishing that above sutable for such a glorious personal Majesty as the Creator is CHAP. 6. Shewing of what matter Adams body was created and what was his Nature Soul or Spirit and by what means Adam came to lose his state he was created in Reason THen tell me of which of the two substances was the body of Adam created of that above or this below Faith There is no Dispute to the contrary but that Adam was created of this earth below in that he is numbred among this visible creation as in Genesis is related And that Adam was to be Lord and rule over them and the Scripture tells thee what
Reason Seeing the Serpent before he tempted Eve was called A Tree of knowledge of good and evil surely then that good was not cursed but the evil onely and on the contrary Eve partaking in her womb of the evil seed must be evil also Faith Though the Angel had been a Tree in his first estate which knew nothing but good before Eve or Adam had any sensible beings yet being fallen from his created purity he was become a Tree of sin or evil onely So that he was a cursed out-cast Tree from the glorious presence of life Eternal before his visible appearing unto Eve so that he was far from repenting of rebellion against God yea altogether uncapable of reproof of sin whereby he might be restored from his wretched estate that he did utterly abhor both God and man unless he might be Ruler over them when on the contrary Eve through temptation was overcome by the Serpent yet she had some relenting light of life left in her after her rebellion which occasioned a secret shame and confusion of Soul in her so that she was capable of being made a good Tree again yea a Tree of more transcendent glory than she was before Reason By this I understand that the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the Angel were two contrary seeds then tell me whether the Seed of the Woman was before or in his fall and the Seed of the Woman blessed before or after his fall Faith That there is two Seeds or Trees of Eternal life thou maist read A good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit therefore by their fruits they are known So that the Serpent angelical tree being reprobate to all manner of evil therefore he and his seed of men and women vvere not onely cursed in the vvomb of Eve but also before the world vvas but on the contrary innocent Eve being a good Tree in her creation through her proceeding from the Divine Nature of the Tree of Eternal glory so that it vvas impossible that she and Adam or any of their Seed should eternally perisâ—â— because they vvere Trees Elected to bring forth good fruit unto everlasting life and glory long before the creating of this vvorld Reason Hovvever thou seems to prove that it was no natural Tree so no natural apple then vvhat dost thou say to those sayings vvhere he is called A Serpent and cursed above all cattel Gen. 3. and every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life So if it vvere not a natural Serpent that tempted Eve Why then doth not Cain and all his seed being as thou sayest of the Serpentine nature yet men and vvomen I say why do not those men go upon their belly and lick up dust vvhile they live in this vvorld Faith Hovvever thou or all thy seed vainly dream of Apples pulled from vvoodden trees or of a natural Serpent or an evil spirit in the body of an ignorant horned beast or any such like imaginary fancy concerning the deceiving of Eve yet I having the Spirit of Revelation do knovv that the Serpent vvhich beguiled Eve vvas that Angelical Reprobate cast dovvn from the Kingdom of glory also I knovv that the Serpentine Angel deceived Eve not upon a natural account but a spiritual account in that she vvas ignorant of lusting after a man until she had obeyed the Serpents voice Novv vvhen the curse vvas denounced upon the Serpent and his seed that Angelical Serpent vvas not vvithout but vvithin the vvomb of Eve as aforesaid and he vvas called a Serpent because of his exceeding subtility Novv if it had been a natural Serpent vvithout her vvhat prejudice had the tenour of that curse been to Eve or Adam It vvas as good to him to eat of the fruit of the Tree as the choicest things that one being as natural to him as to the other and also what dammage had it been to the woman for to curse a natural serpent without her or suppose that curse had been denounced against an evil spirit distinct from the soul and body of Eve what harm would that have been to Adam and Eve or their generation or who should regard a Curse upon any devil in the least so that he himself be not that evil spirit or devil so cursed and who is it but that serpentine nature the devil that goeth upon their belly and lick up the dust of this world is it not that unclean reason and wicked imagination that was in Cain and now is in all his angels who are the lords of this earth or god of this world whose spirits wholly thirst after things that perish and are never in their proper center but when they are licking that is feeding upon gold and silver riches and honor of this world which is no more then the dust of the earth which the fair Ladies and rich men of the world lick up all the days of their life Reason Suppose it should be granted that that serpent by whom Eve was beguiled was none of the trees of this creation or an evil spirit in the body of a natural serpent as by me is believed but it was an absolute serpent devil as before hath been related by thee and that it entered into Eve and in her womb was pronounced cursed by the Creator and so naturally brought forth himself a cursed Cain of her seed what was this unto Eve or why should she suffer any kinde of punishment for being overcome by an enemy that was too mighty for her Reason Though the soul of Eve was not onely purely created in its kinde like unto other creatures but it was also of the very same nature of his most glorious spirit that formed it so that she could not be ignorant in the least that all obedience was most due unto her Creators command also the Creator by his royal will for the manifestation of his glorious power might give his creature a spiritual law yea life and light in its self and yet reserve to himself the prerogative power of it so that the Creator might present unto the view of his image a serpent devil for the trial of his workmanship and yet might upon pain of death forbid his creature for having to do with that tree or of hearkning to it in the least also I know the divine Creator might leave his divine image unto his present strength through which by a subtile enemy she might be tempted and overcome to commit evil with the angel against its Creators law and yet its sin be upon its own head and that because it rebelled not onely against its divine light but principally because their was no law to bind an infinite Majesty to protect Eve in her created purity and whether her enemy was too potent for her that was hid from her eyes by the unsearchable wisdom of the Creator so that seeing the wonderful wisdom
by the man how the Devil got into him nor how this Devil or Devils went out of him and got into the Herd of Swine nor what become of those Devils in the Sea whether drowned in the Sea or no but however so as I have said before so I say again that there is no Devil without a body that can torment another neither can that Devil if he were not generated in man either come in or go out of man but he must be seen otherwise he is no Devil at all as for instance the distemper of man cannot be cast out but it may be seen and felt in the foul and stinking body that poysoned and distempered the minde of man And how dost thou know that the Soul of man leaveth or goeth out of the body at the hour of death CHAP. 9. Shewing what the Soul is and what it is that dieth how that the Soul which is the life of the body can dye and nothing else but life that dieth Reason VVHY I believe the Soul cannot dye because I conceive it a thing impossible the Soul being an Eternal Spirit cannot be capable of death and besides Solomon saith Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it So that it is my believe the Soul cannot dye Faith Though this Principle be fully cleared in the Prophets Book called joyful news from Heaven yet I shall reveal the truth of it upon another account that the Soul is mortal so capable to dye otherwise it could not live Eternal for as nothing but life can dye and that life being dead shall be made capable to live a life Eternal Reason Before thou proceed any further let me but hear how that nothing but life can dye which it is conceived by all knowing men that life which thou callest the Soul is immortal and cannot dye Now that natural life that runs in the blood may dye and therefore it is confessed when a man is murthered or hanged his breath is stifled and so the natural mortal dies yet all this while as Salomon saith The Soul goeth to God that gave it Faith Having in our former writings made it appear that Solomon was the highest pitch of Reason that ever was so what he spake was onely knowledge in nature and not by the Revelation of Faith therefore no Scripture For Reason imagineth things that are not and things that cannot be understood by any sober man much less by a man in Revelation as to think that an immortal Soul or Spirit should be limited to a mortal body which is as possible as light and darkness to dwell together as an immortal Soul to live in a mortal body therefore I say that the Soul and body of man are one distinct living and dying essence for the Soul or Spirit in the womb by degrees congeals together into a rational fire of blood and water and so in due time become a compleat body of flesh blood and bone so that the life that is in man is not Divine but natural onely Reason This is strange that the Soul or Spirit of a child should conceive in the womb that being a breath or gift of God and not generated in or by the seed for I read that God breathed into Adam and he became a living Soul so his Soul was not immortal but mortal and so is all man-kind Faith However it is strange to thee yet I know it is a real truth to me that the Word by which God first created life in man that Word or Breath was immortal which by his fall became mortal as at large is cleared in the seventh Chapter and this know God never created but male and female and gave life but once and since every life in its kinde hath generated bearing seed in its self so that from my Revelation I say that the rational Soul or Spirit of man lyes secretely hid in his seed like unto a spark of fire which spark doth quicken it self into a living form like unto his nature and so having cloathed it self with flesh his Soul or Spirit runs invisibly through the whole body and so is one entire substance being both conceived into life in the womb togegether and both living together upon the earth their appointed time and being both polluted together with sin is it not requisite that they should dye together and turn to the dâ—st and nâ—n-being again until the general bodily Resurrection of all man-kind Reason I know no other but that every man hath in him a good Spirit and a bad spirit as it is written The spirit lusteth Gal. 5. 17. after the flesh and the flesh agaâ—nst the Spirit and these are contrary So that by the learned it is believed that there is a natural life and an Eternal life in one man otherwise the body and Soul are both one which in Scripture I never read that these were both one bâ—t two one fleshly and the other spiritual Faith Didst thou know the truth of what thou hast said then wouldst thou know as followeth that every man in his fallen spirit hath remaining a little light or motion in him to justifie all the righteous proceedings of the Creator in his Conscience at the last day yet mind what I say he hath but one Soul or Spirit in him for that which the Apostle calls spirit in this place was a Divine light of life received unto the dark understanding by vertue of a word speaking from the eternal Spirit of the Lord of glory and not the essence of the holy Spirit for I know that those who do expect a glory to come in the invisible Heavens do confess that the spirit of the Divine Majesty is inâ—â—nite unchangeable immortal eternal therefore how thinkest thou it possible for men or Angels to be capable of the indwelling of the 〈…〉 nce of his Eternal Spirit and that which the Apostle calls flesh was mans own Spirit which consists of nothing but confused lying imagination or cursed carnal reasoning against the Heavenly light aforesaid Now that I may answer the last clause of thy demand that the Soul and body is one it is written All the Souls that came with Jacob into Egypt which came Gen. 46. out of his loins were threescore and six â—ouls again it is written Thy Fathers went dowâ— into Egypt with seventy persons Deut. 10. So that it is plain man is sometimes called Soul and sometimes is called a body or person or Soul Body and Spirit and yet man is but one living essence or substance However the learned of thy seed pretend they know much of this when indeed they know the least of all as to separate a mortal soul from a mortal body or to unite an immortal Soul to a mortal body which is as possible to make light and darkness God and Devil one Reason This is strange that none but thou shouldst know or dâ—scerâ— the Soul immortal when
is the Holy Ghost the Father uncreate the Son uncreate and the Holy Ghost uncreate the Father incomprehensible the Son incomprehensible and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible the Father eternal the Son eternal and the Holy Ghost eternal and yet they are not three eternals but one eternal c. so the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are not three Gods but one God c. and so we are to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord without which no man can be saved Faith Before thou proceed any further let me give answer to what thou hast already declared and the remarkablest confusion therein contained I shall pitch my discourse upon which is Neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance for thou sayest there are three Persons and but one God their glory equal their majestie co-eternal all uncreate all incomprehensible all eternal and yet not three but one eternal Now let the wisest head-peice of thy Seed answer me from these words Whether thou intends the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God as in relation to their Persons or their Natures for let me tell thee if thou believe them as touching their persons then know thou hast divided the Substance as for instance the potter of one substance matter or earth makes three vessels now though these three be of one and the self same substance yet they are divided so not one but really three distinct in each form the one from the other As thus here is three ⊙ ⊙ ⊙ distinct in themselves yet one like another not onely in form but nature also in that they are all of one matter so cannot disagree though three yet let thy Reason work which way it will thou canst not make of these three one ⊙ in which single face or person that intire nature that is unity in trinity must be comprehended and contained in one single person alone onely bearing the name of three titles viz. Father in the Creation the Son in Redemption and the Holy Ghost in Justification Without the true knowledge of what I have said from my Revelation I tell thee thy faith shall perish eternally Reason I acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord and yet I say there are not three Gods and three Lords as thus the Father is made of none neither created nor begotten the Son is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding c. and in this Trinity none is afore nor after another none is greater nor less then another but the whole three Persons be co eternal together and co equal So thus the Vnity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped he therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity Faith O senseless Sot as were thy Teachers so art thou as to imagine that one God should have three Persons which is as unpossible as for a mortal King to have three persons and but one King for this I know though a King by generation may bâ—get a son yet that childe is not a father but a son so not one but two neither is the son equal with the father though the next heir to the Crown But however this by Faith I know the Son was the Father neither made created nor begotten as in the second Chapter is proved at large for this know if Christ was begotten then he was created so made and if begotten tell me who begot him and where and by what means Christ was begotten Reason I know no otherwise but as in the Creed I believe Christ Jesus to be the onely Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made for us and for our salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified under Pontius Pilate be suffered and was buried and the third day rose again and ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and I believe as in the other Creed Christ was God of the Substance of the Father begotten before the Worlds and man of the Substance of his mother â—â—rn in the world perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soul and humane flesh subsisting equal with the Father as touching his Godhead and inferiour to his Father as touching his Manhood one altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of person for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ who shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead which Kingdom shall have no end And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life which proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets c. Faith What a knotty gouty thred hath thy Seed spun insomuch that therewith they have woven a web of linsey-woolsey stuff sufficient to cloath the Devil as have but patience and thou shalt hear what confused blasphemy there is in these Creeds held forth to be the Faith of the Church of England without which thou sayest no flesh can be saved That thou mayest for the future take notice of thy ignorance I shall reduce them into three heads and so answer them directly as I shall quote them in their order 1. First Thou believest as thou hast expressed That Christ was God of the substance of the Father begotten before the Worlds and Man of the substance of his mother born in this World If this by thee were rightly understood I should not need Answ to expound them any other then verbatim as they lie but in that I know thou intends the Father as he was a Person got his Son a Person also therefore from the Authority of our Commission I say Thou knowest not how the Father came in being to be God much less then how this Son was begot by the Father for the word Begotten doth imply first the Father begetting 2. The matter conceived 3. The formation of this conception into a person like his Father for this I know no childe can be begotten without a dissolution of seed which seed must first dye before it can quicken to a new life which life will produce a form like its seed now this could not be in the Father didst thou but with me know what the Nature and Person of the Father was before the World That as the Godhead was offered unto death through Heb. 9. 14 the Eternal Spirit So from my Revelation of Faith I say The Eternal Spirit according to its own word and pleasure cloathed it self with a
A PARADISICAL DIALOGUE BETWIXT FAITH and REASON DISPUTING The high mysterious Secrets of Eternity the like never extant in our Revelation As touching God in Eternity how he became time in flesh and how he dyed in the grave and ascended to his glory again ALSO What the Angels are in form and nature and how the Angel became a Devil and that Devil man and that this World was prepared for the Devil so this the Devils Kingdom and what the Soul is with the place of its glory and torment With a brief Narration what a Commission is and how many Commissions there are what the difference of their worships and how that the Law was given to the Devil with a brief discourse on the Catechism the Lords Prayer and the Creeds as also a Divine Prospect to the Elect of the Lord. Written by Law Claxton the onely true Bishop and faithful Messenger of Christ Jesus Creator of Heaven and earth London Printed for the Author and are to be sold by William Learner at the Blackmoor near Fleet-bridge 1660. INDEX Chap. 1. SHewing whether God be a Spirit without á body or that God is a body of flesh and bone glorified Chap. 2. Shewing whether the Father became not a Son which Son was Christ and by death became a Father to all Eternity now in heaven glorified Chap. 3. Shewing Christ is the onely God and Father Creator of Heaven and earth now it is to be revealed what God and Father that was and where he was that Christ so often called upon when he was upon earth Chap. 4. Shewing whether the Angels were the first that God created and of what he created them with their nature and form and what was the cause of the Angels fall above all the rest Chap. 5. Shewing whether this World was before the Angels or no and whether this World was made of something or nothing and how it came into form and being and whether it shall for ever thus remain Chap. 6. Shewing of what matter Adams body was created and what was his nature soul or spirit and by what means he came to lose that estate he was created in Chap. 7. Shewing who it was that tempted Eve and Adam whether it was the Angel aforesaid and if so why is he called a Serpent Beast or Tree c. and how and which way they were deceived and what effect it hath ever since produced Chap. 8. Shewing whether Cain was not the first Devil and who are his seed or children and what Devils those were so frequently spoken of in Scripture Chap. 9. Shewing what the soul is and what it is that dyes how that it is none but the soul which is the life of the body that can dye Chap. 10. Shewing what Heaven is and how many heavens there are what the nature and form thereof Chap. 11. Shewing what Hell is and where it is what the form and nature of its torment Chap. 12. Shewing what Authority a Commissioner hath in the vertue of his Commission what the effects and operations thereof Chap. 13. Shewing what the Law is at large and in short and whether any can keep the Law and when he is said to keep the Law and when not Chap. 14. Shewing whether that prayer doth not belong to all and whether by prayer we may come to the knowledge of God and whether it is our duty to make use of the Lords prayer Chap. 15. Shewing whether there be any truth in the faith of the Church of England expressed in the Creeds or Articles recorded Chap. 16. Shewing in eighteen Propositions the invincible mighty great Authority that is intrusted with a Divine Commissioner Also an eternal whip or scourge for the Quakers for belying the Holy Ghost A PARADISTICAL DIALOGUE BETWIXT Faith and Reason Disputing the high Mysterious Secrets of Eternity the like never yet extant in our Revelation CHAP. 1. Shewing whether God be a Spirit without a body or that God is a body of flesh and bone glorified Reason FRiend having such a convenient opportunity to have some conference with you my request is to know your judgement as touching the true God and that the more in this distracted age There are so many opinions concerning him That some holds him forth an Infinite Spirit c. others say Though God be a Spirit yet there are three Persons in the Godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and these three are one God the same in Substance equal in Power and Glory Now if thou please let me hear what thy judgement is of God Almighty Faith Notwithstanding this hodg-podg it matters not me what thou or all the wise men of the world hold For from the Spirit of Revelation I infallibly against men and Angels affirm That God the Creator of Heaven and earth is in the Person and Form of a man Reason How is it possible that God the Creator of all forms should admit of a form of his own Faith I say unless that Divine heavenly Faith or Nature had a Form or Person of his own he could not have created man after his own form image or likeness Reason Yea I grant God created man after his own image in righteousness and holiness but no otherwise Faith Ah pitiful Soul how thy riches choaks thee and thy wisdom blindes thee from believing in the true God that thou shouldst conceive that righteousness or holiness can be created without a form or didst thou ever read or hear of any holiness in any other creature but man onely so that thou canst not say this or that is holiness without a form and that the form of man above Reason What necessity or what ground can be shown that God who is the Creator of all forms should admit of a form of his own Faith It was the greatest ground of all for if God had not a form of his own it had been in vain to create either Angel or man in his form and that because he created them to behold his glorious person Reason Why cannot the glory of God be seen unless he admit of a Person and what matter of glory can be delighted onely in a single Person for I conceive him more glorious when he is a Spirit without a bosty for then he can fill Heaven and Earth wiâ—h his glory and every creature that he hath made then beholds iâ— in that they enjoy part of it Faith I say no glory can be seen without a Personal Substance nay it cannot bear the title of glory without a body for the glorious Spirit that ever was if it had not a body were nothing at all in that a Spirit cannot be seen so no delight in that which is not for what delight could man have with his wife if she had no person And whereas thou sayest God having a Person cannot fill Heaven and earth with his glory I say without his Person he could fill nothing at all As for instance what glory can there be in a
Spirit also and yet the Nature Soul or Spirit of either God Angel or Man cannot be worshipped without a body for there is no Spirit whether immortal or mortal celestial or terrestial but it hath its own body and that sutable to its own nature as if its Spirit be an immortal glorious Spirit so is his body immortal glorious also and if its Spirit be mortal earthly so is its body mortal earthly also and this I say all bodies whether of God Man or Beast are invisible and seeth that which is without yet it self cannot be seen by any outward sight For who seeth the Spirit of a man save he that hath it So that I say if God were a Spirit without body he could not be seen so not worshipped no more then a Kings Spirit without a body could be honouâ—ed and therefore God being a spiritual body must be worshipped in Spirit And where thou sayest Feel me for a Spirit hath no flesh and bone as ye see me have I say from those words of the Lord Jesus it doth not in the least conclude that a Spirit is not cloathed with flesh and bone for I affirm the Apostles as well as others were dark in many things till Christ was glorified they supposing that Spirits might be seen without bodies and that by the eye of nature therefore Christ walking uâ—on the Sea and appearing among them the Doors and Windows being shut was the main cause of their sudden fear supposing they had seen a Spirit so that for the future and clearer satisfaction Christ tells them a Spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see me have though I be all Spirit yet feel me and behold my wounds and the print of my nails so that understand a Spirit without flesh and bone cannot be seen or felt unless a spiritual body so that against Angels and all thy Seed I affirm that God that Christ which said to the woman of Samaria God was a Spirit I say that self same Spirit was not in Heaven but in Christs body alone CHAP. 2. Shewing whether the Father became not a Son which which Son was Christ and by death became a Father to all Eternity now in Heaven glorified Reason THou hast told me all along that God hath a body in the form of a man and now thou sayest that the Spirit of God was in Christs body and not in the body of God the Father Where then was the body of God when his Spirit was in Christ Faith I shall affirm that as the Spirit of God was in Christ so the body of Christ was the body of God Creator of Heaven and Earth not two but one yea the very self-same body Reason Oh Friends this is a strange saying indeed that the body of God the Father should be the person of Christ If so how or which way came he down from Heaven to Earth it is so mysterious that it is beyond my reach or understanding Faith What is strange to thee is familiar with me for thou reads and understands not though it is frequently written in Scripture That Eternity was to become time yea immortality was to become mortal which is no less that the Father was to become a Son as it is written The seed of the Woman shall Gen. 3. bruise the head of the Serpent and to Esaiah it was revealed these saâ—ings For unto us a Child is born and unto us a Esay 9. 6. Son is given and his Name shall be called wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace and again it is written In the beginning was the Joh. 1. 1 2 Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God which Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst men So that I affirm the coming down of the immortal personal God was clouded in those sayings The holy Ghost stall come Luke 1. 35. upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also the holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Reason I do not deny the truth of those sayings but do believe that Christ was the Son of God conceived by the holy Ghost but how or which way God was this Son I cannot tell neither do I believe that God did any more unto her then he did unto Adâ—m when he made him a living Soul the Scripture saith He breathed unto him and he became a living Soul So in the same manner I conceive God breathed into Mary and by that breath she conceived the Seed of God in her womb and so she not knowing of man called him the Son of God and not God for God was in Heaven when he was upon Earth Faith From my Seed-spring I say that the Childe that vvas conceived in the vvomb of Mary so called a Son Was the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace yea that Babe in her vvomb vvas the very God For the Word was God and became flesh and who was the Rower of the Highest that overshadowed Mary but God Creator of Heaven and Earth take notice that the knovvledge of these sayings vvas not to be revealed to thy Seed for saith the Prophet Vnto us yea unto us Prâ—phets and the Messengers of the Lord a Son is given and a Child is born and therefore thou canst not tell hovv God the Creator should become a Son and Saviour but imagines God as he vvas a Spirit breathed into her vvomb as he breathed into Adam and so by that breath she conceived a man-child as touching this I tell thee there is great difference of a living and a dying Seed for by that breath Adam became life and by her overshadovving she vvas not made alive but had a conception in her living vvomb novv there can be no conception vvithout a Seed and that Seed must first dye before iâ— quicken to life again as it is vvritten Before the Wheat grain dye it abideth alone So that against Angels above and all their Seed belovv I affirm as from the Scriptures before is proved that God the Creator in the form of a man vvho is the onely Povver of the Highest did descend from his Throne and Kingdom as svvift as thought and his vvhole body pierced through her secrets in a Trance and in a momeâ—t dissolved into Seed and there died from an immortal Father and quickned there to a mortal Son of flesh blood and bone so called Christ Jesus the Saviour of the world Reason Oh admiration this is a report of astonishment that for my part I never never read or by the hearing of the ear ever heard till now that God in the form of a man should as thou sayest vvith that form descend from Heaven and for ought I knovv of as large proportion and bigness as thy self enter the vvomb of Mary and the greatest vvonder of all is that God vvith a body as big as thine should descend like lightning from Heaven and
created them of that dust without or above this visible heaven yea I say by his word speaking unto that spiritual dust aforesaid there came forth an innumerable Angelical Host in persons or forms like men and not bodiless spirits as thy seed vainly affirm and the nature of their Angelical Spirits are pure reason onely Reason And was the fallen Angel created of the same matter as the other were and had that Angel the same form and nature as the rest of the Angels had if so why did not he sâ—and with the rest or the whole host of the Angels fall with him Faith I affirm that Serpent-Angel was created of the same matter and had the same form and nature yet was more wise or God-like in his creation than all the elect Angels of glory I say why he could not stand with the rest was the Creator fore-knowing that his Prerogative Royal would compel or move him to create this Angelical Reprobate in reference to his divine justice so that for the manifestation of his most glorious power unto elect men and angels his wisdom saw it most fit to endue this angel with more piercing rational wisdom and brightness of person than all his Angelical companions and that because he was decreed to the greatest shame and pain and not onely so but because the elect Angels should admire their Creators wisdom and power when they should see the out-cast condition of the highest created glory and themselves be filled with new declarations of honor praise and glory unto the Divine Majesty for his free electing love towards them through which they were ensured eternally to reign in their created purity This and no other was the cause why this Angel should fall from the rest Reason I have read as it is thus written That God spared not the 2 Pet. 2. 4. Angels but cast them down into hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgement so that I believe there was more then one in that the Scripture speaks in the plural and not the singular viz. Angels and not Angel Faith I infallibly affirm there was but onely one Reprobate Angel created at first for know this as there was but one man Adam cast out of his heavenly Paradise of created purity in soul and body as also all his seed or generation were cast out of their spiritual peace with him so likewise there was but one angelical Serpent cast from his rational created purity and that was the Serpent-devil which deceived Eve Now the Angels which were cast out with him were of his seed or generation through his union with the intrals of Eve where he had this world prepared for him and his generation Reason And was there no other way to manifest the greatness of his glory but by creating a seed or generation against himself and his seed that so he might damn one and save the other or what prejudice had it been for his Divine Majesty to have formed all in nature like himself as well as in form so that all might have enjoyed eternal happiness Faith I say there was no other way to manifest his divine excellencies unto angel or man but what he hath done if there had I am confident he would never have created any thing on purpose for eternal sufferings and that the more thou mayest think the wise Creator would never have suffered any creature to become rebellious against himself for the occasioning of such strange transactions in this world and suffering both of himself angel and man I say if he could have possessed his infinite glory in creating of every thing unto eternal pleasure Reason Why who was besides himself that should let or hinder what he had a mind to do but he might form all of the nature of himself as aforesaid Faith It is true though there was none besides himself yet I say that the Creators Royal Will and Pleasure was that glorious wheel that moved him to create or form any creature at all and sure I am it was unpossible for God to create the spirits of angels and men to be both of the nature of his own spirit or either of them to be of his divine nature then would the variety of his wisdom power and glory been all lost for want of distinction Moreover if angels and men had been both of Gods divine nature in their creation then in stead of their being capable to be transmuted into a higher or lower condition at the divine pleasure of the Creator would they not rather have been unchangable Creators then changable creatures therefore that God might impede all that might prevent his divine purpose he created the bodies of the angels spiritual and their spirits rational and he made the body of the man Adam natural and his soul spiritual and the cause was this that if their spirits and bodies had both been of the divine nature then it had been unpossible for them to change or commit any evil no more then the Creator himself where then had been all the wonderful transactions of his glorious Majesty or what had been formed in stead of creatures but Creators onely Reason How or which way came the angels forth living creatures if that life that brought forth their forms had not been in God so came forth from God infused into them as it was into Adam Faith Though the angels came forth living bodies in the forms of men yet that life was not in God nor of the nature of God but onely a created light of sensible life of divine joys proceeding from the eternal spirit by vertue of a word speaking through his heavenly mouth unto those elements aforesaid for I say that the uncreated essence or Godhead-spirit of an infinite Majesty was utterly uncapable to be conveyed unto finite created being for infiniteness is onely capable of its own glorious center and after the angels were formed into living bodies the divine Majesty and those created beings were become distinct in their essences for everlasting also the angels by apparant sight of their Creators face might know themselves to be but creatures yea subject to the divine pleasure of God that made them Reason I all along judged Gods nature to be pure reason and the angels nature the same and if not of the nature of God how or by what means came they obedient to the commands of God Faith Whatever thou hast judged of Gods nature thou art altogether mistaken for the nature of God is all-divine heavenly Faith and therefore the nature of the angels was and are of a contrary seed subject to mutability for the angels spirits are pure reason onely And what is the purest reason is it any thing else but all pure desires and what is the original of the most purest and perfects desire is it not a want of something that is desired or a kinde of unsatisfaction until its desire be satisfied from something that is not inherent in it self
and therefore from the Lord of everliving faith I say it is thy ignorance that undervalues him nay it is unpossible that there should be the least motion of the purest desire in that nature which is all fulness of divine satisfaction in it self or how is it possible that spirit which hath desire in its nature should enjoy fulness of content in its self therefore though God created that Angelical Reason of all pure desires I say no spiritual man will call it the Divine Nature of God because there can be no kinde of desire in that Nature of the immortal God that is variety of all glorious satisfaction in it self but this I know from the eternal Light of life that the Creator by his infinite wisdom and power from a word speaking unto that dust aforesaid could create yea did make divers living creatures and yet not one motion of those created beings was inherent in his Heavenly Spirit so that I say the Spirits of the Elect Angels are not in the least of any part of the glorious Nature of his Spirit but onely a created rational Spirit of all pure desires so that I affirm the uncreated Godhead it self is unto the created being of Angels or men either a Law of perfect Faith and pure burning love in them towards God unto life Eternal or else a fiery Law of unbelieving burning envy in them against Gods Elect men and Angels unto Eternal death and therefore from the Lord of all Light and Life I affirm all the Angels were equally created under one Law the which mortal Law was written in their Angelical Natures motioning in them that all obedience was properly due unto their Creator which had made them such marvellous creatures Reason But then how or which way came this about that this Angels nature was pure Reason and that as thou sayest in a more greater measure than the Elect Angels Now if their standing or falling lay in none of them How came it then this Angel could not keep his standing as well as the rest Faith I know that though their spirits were created perfectly pure in their kind and measure yet if they were not continually supplied with inspiration from that Divine glory which gave them their beings instead of continuing in their Angelical brightness their spirits would become nothing else but a bottomless pit of imaginary confused darkness of aspiring wisdom above the Creator for the Elect Angels spirits being pure Reason the very nature of them is to desire after the knowledge of that incomprehensible glory which gave them their beings and I say it is the variety of his Divine Excellencies flowing to their desiring natures is that heavenly food that is prepared for their eternal preservation therefore I say the continuance of the reprobate Angels being expired the Creator onely withheld the inspirations of Divine glory from him and immediately for want of that spiritual meat to satisfie that desiring nature his God like purity became nothing else but imaginary impurities of secret aspiring desires above the Creator so that his former pure Reason was become nothing but a loathsome sink of unclean reasoning concerning the true knowledge of the Creator whether he were the Creator or no and instead of honouring the Creator for his unsearchable wisdom of forming out of a little dead dust such an innumerable Host of Elect Angels for his personal Society I say this Angel at the blind barr of his lying imaginations he secretly arrains the wisdom of the infinite God in creation and condemned it as weakness it self in comparison of his imaginary vvisdom this Angel being lifted up with the wisdom of his spirit and glory of his person he beheld the Wisdom and Persons of all the Elect Angels as simple uncomely creatures in comparison of him and his wisdom and then beholding himself with the Creator he imagines his personal wisdom more capable of a Divine Throne than he that sate thereon also he began to imagine a new creation of his own supposing as if he had been the Creator he could have formed more glorious creatures than the Angels without dust or any other matter or if he must have matter to form things wiâ—hall he imagined by his word speaking or thinking he could have created as many spirits without bodies as he saw fit or if he saw good he could have transformed their spiritual bodies into any other nature or form after he had created them and not to continue in one nature and form alwayes for he thought it want of wisdom and power in the Creator that the bodies of the Angels might not be transmuted into any condition at the pleasure of him that formed them therefore in the midst of these and such like his irrational wisdom of imaginary impossibilities so elevated his out-cast spirit that secretly he utterly abhorred that the Creator or any other creatures should remain in being unless he onely might bear rule over them all So that when the secret pride and envy of the Angelical reprobate was at height of unthroning the Creator or else a dissolution of all then the glorious Creator revealed his spiritual cruelties unto his holy Angels and answerable to that he would have done for a Creators glory in the visible sight of his Angels God condemned him to be cast out of his personal presence and Heavenly Throne or Kingdom for everlasting and immediately like unto lightning he was thrown down into this perishing world where his desired Kingdom of God-like Government was prepared for him and his lineal Angels where they are reserved in everlasting chains of darkness and unbelief until the Judgement of the great day Reason What advantage did the downfal of this reprobate Angel produce to the rest of the Angels and wherein did any glory redound unto God and whether was that Angel thrown and what became of him after his fall Faith As unto the Elect Angels there was great advantage for thereby they were all filled with variety of new Heavenly praises in their mouths of Honour Power Praise Glory Majesty Wisdom Mercy Meekness Justice Righteousness or any other Divine Excellencies that could be named to their glorious Creator for his electing free love unto them eternally to abide in their created purity to behold his glorious face and for his wonderful wisdom in creating such Angelical perfection in them from an everlasting rejection of desperate burning envy in utter shame and from this it was great glory did attend the personal Majesty of God and the place he was thrown unto was this earth prepared for his kingdom where here he was in his spiritual form onely the nature of his spirit was changed as aforesaid CHAP. 5. Shewing whether this world was before the Angels or no and whether the world was made of something or nothing and how it came into this form and being and whether it shall for ever thus remain Reason SEeing thou hast thus far revealed thy knowledge of these secrets let me
and ways of the Lord are past finding out then thou wouldst forbear reasoning against the Creators prerogative power and yield thy self to be damned at his pleasure CHAP. 8. Shewing whether Cain was not the first devil and who are his seed or children and what devils those were that are so frequently spoken of in Scripture Reason WHat then dost thou say that Cain was the first devil and was there no evil spirit before Cain and if so prove that Cain is called a devil Faith From the divine spirit of the Lord of glory I affirm as before is proved that the angels were the first sensible living formes that ever were created and that reprobate angel as I have said dissolved into seed in the womb of Eve and there conceived into flesh blood and bone her first-born Cain yea the first devil and father of the damned so that against thee and all thy seed I say there was no other devil before Cain and that thou mayest know Cain is called a devil read these Scriptures Not as Cain which was of that wicked one and slew his brother Again it is written He that soweth the good seed is the son of man and the field is the world and the good seed are the children of the kingdom and the tares are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that soweth them is the devil Again Ye are of your father the devil John â— 44 and the lusts of your father ye will do he hath been a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there was no truth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father thereof Now then what sayest thou was not Cain the first murthering lying man that ever was born of a woman Reason I have read in Scripture that there are evil angels or devils living in the Ayr and a devil amongst them called Beelzebub the prince of devils now I judge the devil is of such an invisible spirit that he is here there and every where and so can infuse evil thoughts into man and man cannot see the devils that tempts him Faith If this be as thou sayest what need any man trouble himself with the least fear of eternal death whatsoever wickedness is committed by him For I say if any man be tempted to evil by any devil but what is in his own nature onely that devil or evil spirit is to be eternally damned and the man to be set free and if sin issued not from mans uncleane reason or lyng imagination within him how is it possible that any man should be so tormented as thy seed are with inward burnings through a secret fear of eternal sufferings rising in them from the guilt of former evils committed against the light of conscience Now if it were possible for thee to know that the subtility of the prince of the ayr that rules in the hearts of children of disobedience was thy own imaginary reason or evil spirit that is the prince of all airy disputes concerning God devil angels heaven hell eternal glory or shame to come then thou wouldest see the truth of what I speak Reason What then dost thou say there never was is nor shall be no other devil but men and women and if so from whence comes that devilish nature in man and whether all have not the devilish nature in them and if so how shall any man escape damnation Faith As unto this thy Question I answer as aforesaid There never was no devil till the angel became a man-child of flesh blood and bone and that evil nature ever since hath generated in all the sons and daughters of Adam since his fall both reason and faith lay hid in that seed that conceived in the womb So that I say as Adam and Eve the womb of all living had both reason and faith in them so of necessity it must follow that all that are begotten or generated by them must needs partake of both natures so that I affirm that all the righteous as the wicked have the devils nature in them and yet the seed of the woman shall escape damnation Reason What then dost thou say that the devils have faith in them and yet shall be damned and the true believers have reason in them and yet shall be saved Now there being both seeds in one as the other how comes it that all are not either damned or saved certainly faith being as thou sayest of the nature of God then that faith in the devils must return to God again Faith I say Gain the father of all devils had faith in him as all his children have at this day as it is written touching the four seeds speaking of them that hath the seed sown on a Luke 8 13 rock when they hear they receive the word with joy and these having no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away And it is written the devils believe and tremble Jam. 2 19 so that if thou were not stone-blind thou mightest see that there is no other devil but men and women and that faith in them doth cause many secret feares of damnation and yet that faith in them shall never return to God nor they themselves saved for this I know that faith that is in the seed of the serpent shall die with them and rise with them for the devils shall rise all reason and no faith or shall not be capable to ascend to glory when on the contrary the blessed of the Lord all their Faith in their life time out-topped reason by which he came to the knowledge of God so that at his death his reason shall dye with him insomuch that at the Resurrection he shall rise all Faith and no Reason so shall be able to ascend to glory Reason What then shall become of natural fools and children that understand neither Faith nor Reason shall they all be damned if they be of the Serpents seed Faith From an unerring Spirit I speak it there is neither child nor fool that dies uncapable of the breach of the Law that shall be damned so that herein the Justice and Mercy of God appears that as he will damn whom he will so he will damn none unjustly therefore I say let them be children or fools though the seed of the Serpent yet they shall be raised to the glory their father had before his fall viz. the estate of the Angels Reason If there be no other Devil but Cain and his generation of men and women What Devils were then those from these Maâ— 4. 1. Scriptures where it is written Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil which Devil taketh him up into the holy City c. again it is Mark 5. 2. written Satan entered into Judas c. and it is written Out of Mary Magdelen Christ cast out seven Devils with many hundred
examples more onely one more I shall quote which is more remarkable then those before and then let me heat thy answer and that is touching the man that lived in the land of the Gadarenes which man had Devils Luk. 8. 27 a long time and wore no cloaths neither abode in any house but in the tombes and no man could bind him no not with chains Mark 5. 4. neither could any man tame him and alwayes night and day he was in the mâ—untains and in the tombes crying and cutting himself with stones and all the Devils in him besought Christ that they might go into the Herd of Swine which they had no sooner entered but the man was well in his right minde and the whole Herd of Swine ran violently down a sâ—eep place into the Sea Now if thou canst make it apparent that these were no Devils besides Cain and his Seed then I shall with thee believe that there is no other Devil but man and woman Faith From Christ the onely Lord of Glory in the Revelation of his Eternal Spirit I affirm that those Devils so tituled from the first of Matthew to the last of the Revelation were onely the Seed of Reason and the violent distempers of the imagination thereof as first mind that the Devil that tempted Christ was one of the ablest Disputants whether a Pharisee or Sadducee I cannot by Faith finde yet by permissions I judge him rather a Sadducee they being the wisest and subtilest Devil of the two I say the Pharisees and Sadducees commissionate this man which by experience they found were best versed in Scripture to see if he could tempt the Lord Jesus to Baptize them with the holy Ghost and fire so that I say this Devil was a man of the same seed of those where it is written Ye shall not tempt the Lord Deut. 6. 6. your God as ye tempted him in Massah again it is written When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Heb. 3. 9. works 40 years as at large thou may read in a Book of mine entituled Look about you for the Devil that you fear is in you so that I say these tempters of the Lord were the people of Israel men and women and no other form or Spirit whatsoever and again it is written That Jam. 1. 14. man is tempted when he â—s drawn away of his own lusts and enticed so that I affirm there is no other Devil but thy lustful Soul within thee that doth tempt thee to commit any wickedness acted by thee so that I say the meaning of that Satan entered Judas was onely this being by Christ Jesus discovered that he was the man that should betray him then forthwith nature in him entered into a resolution to betray the Lord of Life being then sealed up to a reprobate minde went out to his Brethren the Pharasaical Devils and sold him for thirty pieces so that I say there was no other Devil entered him but what was in him no more then would enter thee if thou wert now damned by me onely a spirit of tormenting envy would as it did in Judas so flame and burn that if possible thou wouldst destroy me as Judas did Christ Reason Notwithstanding what thou hast said as touching a Devil tempting or entering seems to have some colour of truth in it But then what wilt thou say of those Devils that were cast out of Mary and many others but especially of those legion that was cast out into the Herd of Swine For it is expressed when the Devils were cast out of the man they went into the Herd of Swine so that surely this was something more than Reason otherwise if Reason be the Devil and Reason cast out then the man had not been cloathed in his right minde but been altogether unreasonable Faith Let me speak never so plainly thou canst not understand me yet however this I shall tell thee that those Devils which by the powerful Word of Christ Jesus were cast out of Mary Magdalen or out of that man or any other creature spoke of in holy writ were onely all manner of filthy diseases or violent fiery distempers that hurried that man about such desperate wickedness oftentimes encreasing so powerfully that it did not onely occasion to rend his own body and break Iron chains but also ready to tear any one in pieces as many of thy seed at this day are possessed with Devils by such as thou are believed to be Devils and therefore it is that learned of thy seed have attempted by Conjuring Physical Medicaments to chain up that distemper or cast out by Vomit or Purgation and such like deceitful means which if thou wert not stone blind mightest see that these supposed Devils yet real distempers were no other but such as thou calls Lunatick frenzy Madness Convulsions or falling-sickness such like proceeding from melancholy is Colerick corrupt humors of the blood that by these Devilish distempers many of thy seed are chained up Prisoners in Bedlum all the dayes of their life which if they could be cast out by Faith being Lord over those Colerick and Melancholy distempers of the minde then they vvould by the Divine knovvledge of the true God be cloathed in their right mindes Reason If this vvere as thou sayest onely violent distempers in that man and so in Mâ—ry vvhat then vvas that vvhich came out of the man and entered into the Hâ—rd of â—vvine and if they vvere onely that vve call diseases vvhy then are they called Devils Faith From life of that Divine light in my Soul I declare they vvere no other but violent diâ—â—empers aforesaid vvhich said diseases by the povverful Godhead in Christ vvas commanded at the request of the man to enter the Herd of the Svvine vvhich vvhen the Svvine vvere pâ—ssessed vvith the same distemper they vvere as mad as the man tearing and tumbling themselves into the Sea by reason of that violent distemper or affliction that the svvine became giddy in their heads not able to preserve themselves through the violence of the said distraction Now why the said distempers are called Devils are because none should know the true Devil but the Heirs of glory for thou mayest read the whole transaction of Christ were revealed in Parables and the mystery of Truth only revealed to the true Believers of the Lord of Glory And if thou supposest they were Devils what then dost thou apprehend them to be and how got they into the Herd of Swine and not seen Reason I conceive the Devils are invisible spirits that tormented the man and so could convey themselves into the Swine without the sight of any even as the Soul or Spirit of man at the hour of death do go forth of his body to Heaven or Hell Faith Oh! thou senseless sottish Reason now thou discovers thy ignorance in his as hath been in the rest as though the Devil were an invisible spirit and so cannot be seen
presumption for I know it is the curse of God and not of man that must bring a soul under condemnation Faith Whatever thy thoughts are of me I matter not but this thou shalt â—â—nde that I have power in the Revelation of my Commission to curse not onely thee but any of thy seed that shall do as thou hast done to call it a lye And in the Revelation of my faith I say That the Sentence of Blessing and Cursing belongs onely to the Prophets and Messengers of that Commission for I testifie unto thee That God the giver of Commissions never damned any but the Angelical seed in the Womb of Eve who is the Father of thee and all the damned as all along it is recorded That in the name of the Lord the Prophets and Apostles pronounced Plagues Woes and Judgements against all the despisers of their Commission in that they were Ambassadors and Stewards in Christs stead so we the Prophets and Messengers of God represent the Authority of our Commission as the Prophets and Apostles did in theirs Reason If thou please let me hear what thou intends by a Commission and why this is a Commission more then any other Dispensation now in being for I conceive were it not ambition in them that Quakers and all others may assume the Authority to bless and curse as now thou dost Faith Notwithstanding I have sufficiently unfolded our Commission in the Quakers Downfal yet that thou mayest be left excuseless I shall in another way infallibly lay down the truth thereof in these particulars 1. How many Commissions there was to be in this perishing world 2. The nature and tenor of a Commission 3. The powerful operation of a Commission 1. As unto the first it is writ There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear witness 1 Joh. 5. 7 8. on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one Now as God did consist of three titles and not three persons as thou and thy seed vainly immagine that is to say Father Son and Holy Ghost So from each of these issued forth a Commission upon this earth for in the time that he bore the title of Father Moses and the Prophets was in Commission Now when that Father became Word Flesh so called Son or Christ then the Apostles were in Commission after that both Father and Son became Holy Ghost or one entire Spiritual Body now in Heaven glorified the next after came forth our Commission so that according to the titles above there was to be three Commissions in this world suitable to the three titles in Heaven 2. As unto the nature of a Commission it is not given in silence but upon record under hand and seal to the Messenger or Messengers therein included with an exact charge to observe the Kings pleasure according to the tenor and form thereof Now this Commission being given to thee doth not concern another for the names included for that Embassage doth this Commission belong Now for any other to counterfeit thy Commission thou hast power by vertue thereof to apprehend him for a Traytor against the King thy Master Even so it is with a Commission from God which is not given by private whisperings in the soul as all counterfeits imagine every motion whimsey or fancy in the minde more then ordinary is a call from God not knowing yet daily reading that all Commissions were given by laudable voyce of words to the hearing of the ear as to Moses Paul and now in this last to John Reeve Now then what are all these seven Dispensations but by Moses the Apostles and this Commission impeached for Traytors against Christ the Lord of Glory 3. And thirdly the power of a Commission is so great that it commands yea subjects the spirits of all that it hath to deal with A man in Commission represents the Authority of the great God of Heaven and Earth that whatever he bindes imprisons or condemns on earth is so in Heaven and whosoever he declares blessed or happy here are so in Heaven so that if thou wert not stone blinde thou wouldst then see that there is no Teacher publique nor private now living that hath a Commission but we and therefore it is we have power overall mens spirits yea the judge of all spiritual things of what sect or opinion soever Reason O what a boasting dost thou make that none but your Commission hath power over mens spirits and that onely to you belongs blessing and cursing when I conceive there is many able wise Teachers that are as true Commissioners as you and yet dare not assume that power to themselves as you do Faith O thou man of pretended light yet gross darkness bring any man now living except this Commission that dares say he had a Commission by voyce of words from God as we have thou shalt hear that I will curse them as I have cursed thee And where is any of your Teachers that hath a Commission of his own but Moses and the Apostles whom they have counterfeited and made merchandize for their own gain From the Lord of Glory I say not any of them no not the wisest or moderatest head-peice dare or can in peace of conscience say that thou art damned and another is saved Alas poor blinde leaders of the blinde they know not what will become of their own souls how then can they judge anothers but they will be condemned for so doing for were I not certain of the knowledge of the true God and the right Devil and all others that are ignorant thereof are culpable of judgement instead of being justified I should be condemned and yet what a flutter Caesars Ministers make in praying to a God that is no God and preaching delusions of their own inventions pretending thus and thus saith the Lord when Christ the onely God knows them not neither did he send them therefore from my Seedspring I say they are all Thieves and Robbers yea Traytors against the God of Heaven for do but bring any of them before me and thou mayest take notice I have power over their blinde zeal that if they do not for future desist in bewitching the people to believe lies thou shalt then hear the same sentence pass upon them as hath already passed upon thee Reason Which of them will believe the sentence of thy Commission unless thou couldst shew some present example either without or within as the Prophet Elias did to cause fire from Heaven and stop the rain that it rain not Now if thy curse be true how comes it that I do not finde it immediately within or without Faith Thou art worse then the inhabitants of Jerusalem aâ—d Judea Mat. 11. 11. that believed in John that did no miracle and yet was a Prophet yea I say more then a Prophet for as Christ said among them that
are born of women there hath not risen a greater then John the Baptist and yet thou and thy â—eachers will not believe unless present vengeance fall upon thee But know this though the Pharisees desired a sign from Christ and Mat. 12. 38. none would be given them but the sign of the Prophet Jonas yet know this he was Christ the Eternal God for all that and though Christ rebuked James and John in the saying Luke 9. â—4 Lord wilt thou that we command fire from Heaven and consume them even as Elias did yet they were not for the future freed from the Eternal fire in their souls So let me tell thee and yet not I but the Revelation of the Holy Spirit within me though not presently yet it shall flame within thee as fire from Heaven and that without end till it consume all thy hopes of salvation and thou shalt know and finde that this sentence of thine shall shut the Heavens and it shall rain no more showers of mercy or comfort in thy soul so that I say though thou finde it not presently thou shalt as surely feel it after death as Christ is God the Eternal Father And what if miracles did belong to our Commission as they do not in that ours is the Commission of the Spirit so our sentence spiritual thou wouldst no more believe then thou dost now but rather call us Conjureâ—s unless the tenor of our Commission was as the two former to execute present vengeance and if it were executed once or twice and not upon every occasion thou wouldst be as much seared up in unbelief as thou art now Reason If thy Commission were as real truth as Moses and the Apostles and such a power did attend thine as was in theirs then I should as truly believe in yours as now I do in them Faith Ah blinde Soul thou dost not know what is truth and what not for if thou didst thou wouldst as really believe in me as in them But from my Seedspring I tell thee That thou nor none of thy Seed do really believe that the Scripture is a true Record of the Transactions of Christ thou mayest talk of it and preach from it but if thou wert really perswaded in thy own soul of the truth therein contained then thou wouldst believe in us for the Apostles writ of us as Moses and the Prophets writ of Christ to come and therefore if thou didst believe in them that have nothing but a dead letter to prove them Commissioners surely then thou wouldst believe in us that are living and know this if the Roman Authority had not established Moses and the Apostles Writings for Scripture then it had been believed no more then ours for thy Fathers in the days of their lives notwithstanding their miracles did no more believe in them then thou dost in us and know this the same power that attended them upon externals doth belong to our Commission in spirituals and therefore as the Apostle had power in his Commission to curse either Angel or man that did preach any other Doctrine so we have the same power in ours Reason What then doth not their Commission belong to us in these days successively as it did to them what then is the meaning of those Scriptures where it is writ The Scriptures aforetime are written for our learning and again it is writ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded Mat. 28. 20. you and loe I am with you always unto the end of the world Faith From the Lord of Glory I tell thee That neither of those Commissions do belong to thee or any of thy Seed either by succession or otherwise for from my Seed of Faith I declare That the Scripture was never written for the learning of any of thy Seed though none living now present do make it a more Idol for their own gain then thy Seed doth Though I have sufficiently proved this point in the Quakers Downfal yet from my well-spring within me I tell thee That as the Scripture was written by the revelation or inspiration of Faith so I know it was writ for the use of none but the Believers of that Faith which neither thou nor none of thy Seed are partakers of For as Paul the great Commissioner was the Penman of those sayings so that Scripture that he spake of was the writings of the first Commission viz. Moses and the Prophets which were written before his time and so for the learning of him and all that believed in his Doctrine for our learning that are of the Seed of Faith and for none of the Seed of Reason whatsoever but for our learning The word Plural includes all the Seed of Faith with him were the Scriptures written so the Commissions of Moses and the Apostles were not written for the use of any of the seven Churches but our Commission alone for as none understood the Commission of Moses and the Prophets but the Apostles so none now living understand either of the two former Commissions but this our spiritual Commission now in being and therefore from my Seedspring I tell thee We onely are the Judges of the Scripture whatsoever Reason thy cursed Seed pretend to the contrary as now thou shalt hear an infallible Exposition of the other Scripture which thou hast quoted which all besides our Commission gives a false definition thereof Go ye therefore and teach all Mâ—t 23. â—0 Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you always even unto the end of the world Now from hence all the seven Churches of thy Seed viz. Papist Episcopal Presbyterian Independent Baptist Ranter and Quaker do suppose that the extent of these words are in force to the end of this world and therefore the Baptists have assumed the Apostles Commission as their own when as if ye were not stone blinde you may read as ye run that this Commission was given to the twelve then living and not to Kiffin and Patience or any other Teacher of the Baptists whatsoever for ye were not born many hundred years after when this command was expressed And loe I am with you always even unto the end of the world with you my beloved Disciples and none other Reason I cannot conceive from this Scripture but there was to be a continuance of the Apostles Commission to the end of this World and though there was none of the Commissioners left to give or invest the same power by imposition of hands yet we having the same Spirit of God in us although not in the same measure yet may we not lawfully follow them as our patern and as the Apostle exhorts Brethren be followers Phil. 3. 17. together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample othervvise vvhat should all the World have done to have knovvn God or
Holy Ghost a person though they are recorded in your Creed three persons and one God Yet by faith I say as I said before there never was is or shall be but one Personal God even Christ Jesus alone blessed for ever as onely those who believe my Revelation can with me understand Isa 43. 10 11. Luke 1 35 that the Holy Ghost was the Eternal Spirit or invisible Soul of Christ as it is written The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee yea that was the Holy Ghost or invisible Soul of Christ which dissolved into seed there dyed in the womb of Mary and quickned it self into a son of flesh blood and bone yea the Holy Ghost remained with him and in him all the time he was upon earth yea that was the Holy Ghost or Eternal Spirit that dyed in the grave for they signifie both one and the self same thing as it is written The Spirit of God descended upon him like a Dove so the Holy Ghost descended upon him like a Dove So that take it which way thou pleaseth the Holy Ghost or Eternal Spirit which is the Godhead Father vvas in no Person of its ovvn but the Person of Christ onely Reason From those Scriptures thou hast quoted I understand that the Holy Ghost vvas not in the person of Christ but in Heaven a Person of its own as it is clearly recorded and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him Luk. 3. 21. and a voyce came from Heaven which said Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And so in the rest of the Evangelists it is written Thâ—t the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending lâ—ke a Dove and lighting upon him So that I do not deny but that the Spirit and the Holy Ghost is both one yet I cannot believe but that the Holy Ghost is in a form or shape of its own and that in Heaven when Christ was upon earth as it written The Holy Ghost dâ—scended from Heaven upon him And bâ—sides it is clear that Christ had a Father then in Heaven that sent the Holy Ghost and said Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Faith In answer to this I shall unfold this deep secret which none of thy Seed can ever understand yet that it may be recorded for the blessed seed of faith that shall hereafter believe in our Commission I infallibly declare That there is a Holy Ghost as also a gift of the Holy Ghost Reason But before thou speakest of this I desire if thou canst remove this great stumbling block What Father this was that said Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and if Elias as thou hast at large treaaed with me in the third Chapter then tell me by what Authority could Elias call Christ his beloved Son and why did Châ—ist make use of his Creature to call his Creator Son surely it cannot be Elias that should assume such a prerogative to call Christ Son but it must be God the Creator of all things that did call Christ his beloved Son otherwise Christ would never have so seriously and confidently hâ—ve called Elias his Father Faith As I have formerly said so I say again That herein consists the infiniteness of Eternity thaâ— he could become time yea so far deny and abase himself as to be protected by his Creature for as it is written In all things he became like unto us sin onely excepted not like unto the seed of reason but the seed of faith yea he was like unto his Prophets and Messengers in point of Commissioâ— for though Christ as he was God the Father gave all Commissions yet now from Elias he took a Commission himself and for that end and purpose before he took his journey in the flâ—sh as in the third Chapter I have declared wherefore he took up Elias that he might present the very place and authority of God as when God was there himself Elias being the Seed of his own body he could trust him when he could trust none of the Angels and therefore he took upon him the seed of Abraham and not the Heb 2. 16. nature of the Angels Now having taken him up into glory in that his time was nigh that he must fulfil his promise to the seed of Adam I say he commissionates Elias with Authority Power and Majestie like himself creating excepted to take care of Christ the onely God in this his difficult journey by which Authority Elias had full power to protect Christ in his infancy and confirm his Revelation both in Doctrine and Miracle and to call him his Son as Christ was to call Elias his God and Father as at his death he acknowledgeth Mark 16 34 35. Elias Elias my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Which some of them that stood by understanding his language said behold he calleth Elias which none but the true believers of our Commission can understand and therefore must perish for want of the true knowledge of this So that from the Revelation of faith I say herein was the infiniâ—e wisdom of the Godhead made manifest in Christs Humility that although he was the Creator yet he took upon him the form of a servant and in the place of his glory authorized his Creature Elias as a Father Though the Scripture intricately prove this yet who but the Elect of the Lord can believe this that Elias had power to send down gifts of the Holy Ghost in what form he pleased to commissionate Christ the giver of all Commissions and yet the Eternal Spirit or Holy Ghost was in the Person of Christ alone Reason Let me but ask thee this once and I shâ—ll trouble thee no longer that is let me hear thee discover thy thoughts betwixt the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the Holy â—host whether it be a Person of its own or onely in the Person of Christ alone Faith As I said before so I say again That if the Holy Ghost had a Person of its own so the Lord and giver of life then its Person must be in the form of a man suitable to the person of Christ in that it is the very nature of Christ so every Nature hath its own form so the form of Christ but that which descended upon Christ was not the Holy Ghost but the gift of the Holy Ghost for as I have said before Christ who had the Holy Ghost in him invested the gift thereof upon Elias that so Elias might protect and preserve Christ in his non-age as aforesaid so that I say the essence of the Holy Ghost is inherent in Christ alone from whence the gifts or influence of the Holy Ghost flows for by my Revelation I know that when Christ ascended to his Majestie on high he sate down on the right hand which signifies that Elias's power and authority
though dead five thousand three hundred years ago yet at the day of our glorious Gods appearance each seed or soul shall arise with bodies suitable to their natures that soul or seed of faith that believed in our Commission shall ascend to meet its Saviour in the ayre and that soul or seed of Reason that despised our Commission shall arise a spiritual body upon this earth tormented to all Eternity 16. It is to be believed That the Kingdom of glory where Christ the onely God his Elect Saints and Angel doth and shall inhabit to all eternity is non-globical where God and his mighty Angels can at their pleasure with their bodies fly as swift as thought ten thousand miles in a moment and when he pleaseth God can stand sit lie in as narrow a compass as my self for none but our Revelation knows that there is an immortal Earth Sea Fish Fouls Beasts Hearbs Trees yea all things immortal glorious there as they are mortal deformed here and all this for the contemplation of God his Elect Saints and Angels to whom let all ye that have or shall have belief in our Commission so living and so dying in the truth of our Revelation sing praise glory and honour that ye shall see and enjoy what now ye do believe as touching our Commission 17. It is to be believed that certain men and women have and will seeingly come to the belief of our Commission insomuch that they have rejoyced in it contended for it yea have said they desired to depart this life in the belief of it and yet being according to birth the seed of Reason and not the seed of Faith in time of persecution riches glory and honour of this world fell away to their eternal perdition as I could name some but wo wo for as sure as Christ is God they shall never see that glorious Kingdom aforesaid 18. And lastly it is seriously by you to be observed That by believing the truth of what I write you will finde great satisfaction when I am taken from you that as this is the last Commission so the the the truth yea the onely truth that shall remain to the end of this bloody unbelieving world to reminde you of this one thing that it is not to be expected many to come to believe a Commission as to a notional dispensation for in the two former Commissions they cryed out Two of a Tribe one of a City so few in their Commissions that the Prophet Elâ—jah said I even I onely am left and they seek my life to take it aâ—ay and then saith Isaiah Who hath belâ—eved â—ur report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed So few that in the time of Christ at his sayings they were so hard to be understood that there fell away 70 at one time nay none stuck to him but the Apostles and a few more And then in the second Commission there was so few that really believed that sometimes Paul had but two or three stood by him in the faith And now in this our last they are so few that they are not worth the numbering among the multitude of notional Churches and therefore forget not that saying of Christ Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it But herein comfort your selves that those few of you that really enters in shall feel yea see and behold your God face to face yea sing out triumphing voyces of joy with eternal harmonies of divine musick for ever yea for ever in that glorious Kingdom aforesaid prepared for Christ your God and you his Elect Saints with the Elected Angels world without end so that ye shall sit stand lie walk go flie at your pleasure having nothing to say but glory here is the height of glory in the presence of our Saviour yea an endless glory without end These twenty particulars underneath asserted in the Quakers Downfal by Scripture proved and in that Revelation infallibly confirmed that Law Claxton the onely Bishop and true Messenger of our last Commission doth in the death of his soul seal them a real truth in confutation to the Quakers blinde Reasons imagination which are as followeth 1. That faith shall dye in the heel and reason in the head 2. That the Angel did descend into the womb of Eve 3. That a spirit cannot live without a body p 28. 4. That we and our God are cursed to all eternity p. 28. 5. That Christ or God is above the Stars with a body of flesh and bones 6. That God that Christ said was a spirit the meaning of his Revelation was that his invisible soul was that God or spirit abiding onely in his person p. â—9 7. Thaâ—â—eason is the seed of the Serpent 8. That by faith reason shall be kept in eternal death 9. That God gave Faith â—easâ—n and Sense but onâ—e 10. And that Faith Reason and Sense have in all generated in its kinde form and nature as in p 40. 11 That the Devâ—ls Kingdom and Reasons Kingdom are one 12. That God doth damn as well as save and that not for any evil thing done as he hath asserted in p. 58. 13. That we acknowledge no other God but what was within us 14. And that we conceive this God was an infinite nothing and so made all things of nothing 15. That the light in us is darkness 16. That an Infinite Spirit without a body is nothing 17. That we say God hath no form 18. That all the time Paul was cloathed with a corrupt persecuting spirit he was a vessel of honour in the account of God 19. That God is all Faith and no Reason and that Reason is of the Nature of the Devil p. 31. 20. That it was the wisdom of the flesh that made a chief Magistrate as in p. 36. In the next place I return as the Majestie of Christ the onely God in condemnation of your Diabolical perjâ—red lies against the holy Spirit of the nature of the most high God now revealed in us his last powerful infallible Prophets and Messengers of his eternal Majestie in the highest Heavens brought upon record in our Revelation as in your Reasons libel verbatim are asserted by that son of perdition J. Harwood 1. L. C. said He would prove God to be a man flesh and bones as we are Now ye the Believers of our Commission take notice that of which of these twelve particulars before quoted you by my pen finde silence we own as eternal truth but the rest that I set my pen against was not our words but Reason the Devil-lying imagination by those aforesaid Quakers as do but observe and thou mayest discern how I binde them hand and foot from their supposed light yet real darkness as seriously minde the first forged lie 3. L. C. said He had nothing of God in him and many other places nought of God in him Answ That you the blessed of the Lord may know