A TRUE INTERPRETATJON Of the VVitch of Endor Spoken of in 1 Sam. 28. begin at the 11. Verse Shewing 1. How She and all other Witches do beget or produce that familiar spirit they deal with and what a familiar spirit is and how those Voices are procured and Shapes appear unto them whereby the ignorant and unbelieving people are deceived by them It is clearly made appear in this Treatise that no spirit can be raised without its body neither can any spirit assume any body after death for if the spirit doth walk the body must walk also 3. An Interpretation all those Scriptures that doth seem as if spirits might go out of mens bodies when they die and subsist in some place or other without bodies Lastly Several other things needful for the mind of man to know which whoever doth understand it will be great satisfaction By LODOWICK MUGGLETON LONDON Printed in the Year 1669. TO THE Reader I Have been desired by several Friends to set forth the Inâ—â—â—pretation concerning the Witch of Endor and King Saul how it may be understood how she raised Samuel and how familiar spirits came to be procured and with what power they do such strange things Many Enemies also have objected this place to prove that spirits may be raised without Bodies and that spirits may walk or be happy or miserable without bodies though I have given Answer in discourse to these Doubts and Questions but few can retain in their memory what is spoken in Discourse therefore I thought it convenient and necessary to set it forth in Print for the Information and Satisfaction of many friends who desire it and for the Convincement of all Gain-sayers and let them seriously read it over without prejudice and they may see this Point clearly opened which hath layn hid this many hundred years with other Places of Scriptures opened which manâ— have objected against this Interpretation and all th se places of Scripture that is commonly brought or doth most seem to hold forth that spirits may he without bodies are likewise opened and expounded in short in this Treatise as followeth I. SAM XXVIII from the 11 to the 18. Verse I Shall give the Interpretation what is meant by that familiar spirit the Witch of Endor did raise Samuel by so much spoken of in the book of Samuel and o her places of Scripture and so much objected by many to prove that spirits may be raised without bodies and may appear unto people in what shape they please The belief of this lying principle it did proceed out of the imagination of reason the devil the Imagination that doth arise or proceed from the seed of reason in man is that familiar spirit that Witches deal with and that familiar spirit it proceedeth from no spirit or devil without a man but from the seed of reason within man for look what evil thoughts doth arise out of the heart of man it proceedeth out of the seed of reason in man and not from any thing without man for the imagination of the heart it is placed in the seed of reason therefore it is said in Scripture That the imaginations of mans heart was evil and that every imaginations of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually as in Gen. 6.5 so that there is no other devil or spirit or familiar spirit for Witches to deal withal or to work any Enchantments by but their own imagination there the familiar spirit is produced from whence it came and there it ceases to be when they are put to death or over-powered by the knowledge and power of faith in other men then the familiar spirit centers in the imagination again it being overpowered by the power of faith so likewise the good thoughts that doth proceed out of the heart of man they do arise or proceed from the seed of faith concerning the true God or any heavenly secret or temporal judgements or temporal blessings if the foreknowledge of these things doth arise or be foretold by the revelation of the seed of faith they are and may be called the Spirit of God Because they were foretold and declared by the revelation of the seed of faith which seed of faith is the seed of God it being of Gods own Nature therefore called the Spirit of God and so foretold and declared by the Spirit of God so likewise what foreknowledge or declaration of things that are above that which is common to the seed of reason as raising of spirits and such like I say they do proceed from the imagination of reason the devil and this strong imagination from the seed of of reason is that familiar spirit by which Witches do divine or foretel things so that the strong imagination of reason being exercised about things that are beyond Trades and Sciences that are necessary needful and lawful so it becomes a familiar spirit because it proceeds from the imagination of reason and the seed of reason being the devil and the devil being the fallen Angel for the devil is man and woman and the seed of reason is their seed and that eed of reason it came from that serpent that beguiled Eve and that serpent was an Angel and his seed was reason and this reason in man is the devil and the imagination of reason is the father of that familiar spirit by which a man or woman doth divine soothsay raise shapes or hear voices or any such thing of that nature they all proceed from the imagination of reason in man and the original being of this seed of reason it came from that Serpent-Angel that was cast down from Heaven unto this Earth who deceived our first Parents as I have abundantly shewed in Rev. 11. and in the interpretation of the whole Book of the Revelation Now I have laid a Foundation for the Reader that he may the better understand the Foundation from whence these familiar spirits that Witches have do proceed and how they are procured and what power they have over the ignorant mind of man Therefore to satisfie the thoughts of many who hath desired and requested of me that I would interpret some chief sayings in the Scriptures that speaketh of Witchcraft and familiar spirits and such like which sayings are very strange and hard to be understood so that most people are very much unsatisfied in these things though clear in their Judgements in many other things that are of more concernment and as I have given the Interpretation of the whole Book of the Revelation with many other places of Scripture to the great comfort and satisfaction of many so I shall adde the Interpretation of this thing also The first place of Scripture I shall insist upon is that in 1 Sam. 28. beginning at the 11. verse concerning the Witch of Endor this is commonly the place that most people fetch to prove that spirits may be raised in what shape the Witch please by their familiar spirits therefore let the Reader mind the
discourse that followeth The words are these Then said the Woman Whom shall I bring up unto thee and he said bring me up Samuel and in the 12. verse And when the Woman saw Samuel she cried with a loud voice and the Woman spake to Saul saying why hast thou deceived me for thou art Saul and in the 13. verse And the King said unto her be not afraid for what sawest thou and the Woman said unto Saul I saw Gods ascending out of the Earth the 14. verse And he said unto her what form is he of and she said an old man cometh up and he is covered with a mantle and Saul perceived it was Samuel and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself the 15. verse And Samuel said to Saul why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up And Saul answered I am sore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither by Prophet nor by Dreams therefore I have called thee that thou mayst make known unto me what I shall do verse 16. Then said Samuel Wherefore then dost thou ask of me seeing the Lord is departed from thee and is become thine enemie verse 17. And the Lord hath done to him as he spake by me for the Lord hath rent the Kingdom out of thine hand and given it to thy neighbour even to David verse 18. because thou obeyest not the Voice of the Lord nor executed his fierce wrath upon Amalek therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day CHAP. II. THis familiar spirit the Witch of Endor and other Witches have whereby they do such things it is the imagination of reason the devil in themselves that is they set themselves apart with the thoughts of the imaginations of their hearts to dive into the diabolical power that is that they might know the depths of Satan their imagination conceiving that the devil is a spirit flying in the air and that this spirit can assume or take up any shape it please so that the imagination of the heart hath produced an evil spirit in it self so that this familiar spirit is begotten out of the womb of reason for the seed of reason in man is the womb or the mother and the imagination of the heart is the father that begets this familiar spirit and this familiar spirit is the son of imagination so that all thoughts of the heart and that wonderful knowledge declared by them it is revealed through this son the familiar spirit begotten in themselves by the seed of reason the mother and imagination the father so that there is no devil nor familias spirit without them as people do vainly imagine but the devil and â—â—â—â—liar spirit is all within them and no where else yet all people fear a devil without them but he is no where to be found but in man and woman this I do certainly know to be true Again these Witches doth suppose the true God to be an infiâ—ite spirit without any body or substance as all people a … do and that the devil is a spirit that can assumeth bodies or what shape he pleaseth or what shape or forme the Witch shall call for this is the opinion of most people in the world as well as Witches yea even of the most of the greatest learned men darkness hath overspread the minds of all learned men in the world so that they cannot finde out what the true God is nor where he is nor what the right devil is nor where he is yea man himself is he that cannot finde out himself But no more of this now To the matter in hand the Witches they do not know any divine being or power or forme of God but what their imagination doth conceive to be God for they have full faith in this knowledge of theirs to be the true knowledge of God only the Laws of men they fear but no other God but that familiar spirit which they have produced in themselves by giving themselves either to fasting and prayer unto an unknown divine being or power supposing this power to be a spirit that can appear in any shape they shall call for or desire and all people being ignorant of the true God and the right devil as they themselves are so that the people have a faith in these Witches being ignorant as aforesaid What the true God and right devil is and the Witches faith and their faith being joyned together it becometh strong to atchieve such apprisions as their faith hath chose to be the object of their imagination for he that enquireth of a Witch his faith and the Witches faith is all one Also this is to be minded that all Witches have some rule by which they do perceive those Apprisions and hear those voices for there is no wicked knowledg or wicked wisdom as the wisdom of the world neither is there any good knowledge or good wisdom as the wisdom of God I say there is no knowledge or wisdom good or bad but those that have it they must go by some rule else it is meer nonsense as most of your Quakers Matters or Principles are meer nonsense that hath neither bottom nor top CHAP. III. BUt to the matter in hand we see that the natural Astrologers they go by a rule and their wisdom and knowledge in things of Nature it is declared by them from and by a rule else that they say would be meer nonsense and foolishness Yet I say your natural Astrologers they are Witches and have their Figure to judge the effects of the Stars but this Witchcraft is allowed by the Powers of the Nations So I say these Witches that doth do things by a familiar spirit they have a rule to walk by as the other hath for as the imagination of the other hath by his study of the Figure attained to give some judgement upon the effects of the Stars upon a particular person or Nation So likewise those Witches that hath a familiar spirit they have attained to this familiar spirit out of their imagination of reason as I said before And this familiar spirit being begotten in themselves by the strength of imagination their father now understand thus much that this diabolical wisdom that is begotten in man and woman by the imagination of reason the devil is that familiar spirit that men and women do act by And after this familiar spirit is begotten in man or woman by Imagination their father as I said before then this familiar spirit of the Witch will motion in the minde to fast and pray unto the Host of Heaven the Sun Moon and Planets supposing that the good spirit is in some of them and imagining the evil spirit or devil to be in other some of them Now observe when this familiar spirit is produced in them then they observe every motion of the mind and their faith being in every motion of their minds it produceth either
CHAP. IV. FOr the Reader must minde that Witches and all those that doth attain to the Visions and hear Voices within them they do use means to attain unto it also they have some standing Rule or Art by which they come to enquire or to know things that are above that knowledge which is common to other people it is much like unto the ways of God Therefore let the Reader mind the ground-work laid down at the first that the imagination of reason had begotten a son out of the Womb of the seed of reason in man which I call the Mother and Imagination the father and the son that is begotten in the womb of reason by imagination the father is that great wisdom knowledge and power by which they go beyond other people who are of a lower capacity This son is that familiar spirit Witches doth deal with it is another spirit begotten in them which was not in their birth when they were born but begotten in themselves sence by Imagination as aforesaid neither is this familiar spirit produced or doth come from any thing or any devil without them as people do vainly imagin but the familiar spirit it is produced and doth come from within for out of the heart cometh evil thoughts murder adultery c. and all familiar spirits they are all conceived in the heart and being conceived there in its season it bringeth forth such spirits as are conceived in the heart if envy and murder be conceived as it was in Cain then it bringeth forth the spirit or deed of murder if lust be conceived in the heart it bringeth forth the spirit and act of adultery as it did in David and if a familiar spirit be conceived in the heart then it bringeth forth such a spirit that shall speak motional voices within them as if some spirits without them did appear without a body and speak to them and reveal those things unto them Many wicked spirits more then is mentioned are conceived in the hearts of men and women and acted by them spirits essay that were never of Gods Creation but hath been conceived in the minde of man since for when sin is conceived as in James 1.15 When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death so that there is a conception of sin first in the heart and if it doth not die before it quickens into life that is into act then it bringeth forth death which is the punishment due to such sins that are alive in mans actions after they were conceived in the heart and as the evil of murder adultery and theft is conceived first in the heart so is that familiar spirit witches and wizards have they are first conceived in the mind and in a little season it groweth alive in them and speaketh unto them as if it were without them for this I say that a familiar spirit is conceived and begotten in the heart of man and womâ—n as the other sins aforementioned are and the cause why God is more angry with those that deal with a familiar spirit and hath commanded them to be Put to death more then for other sins conceived in the mind is because they imitate the way of God or the spirit of Prophesie which causeth the people to believe in a meer fiction or shadow without any substance that a spirit may be raised out of the ground without a body and so they forsake the living God who hath a body of his own and gave life to every creature thâ—t hath a body and doth beleeve a lie which hath been conceived in the mind and hath quickned into a familiar spirit and this spirit doth always live within the Witch and not without her and this familiar spirit thus conceived first in the evil minde and afterward quickning in the evil heart it goeth from strength to strength and from one degree of knowledge to a further degree of evil knowledge and evil wisdom as all things else doth that hath life for sin hath life in it and the outward Law causeth sin to revive in every one that doth evil as St. Paul saith Rom. 7.9 thus in some measure the Reader may understand what a familiar spirit is and how it comes to have a being in Witches and Wizards and how the ignorant are partakers with the familiar spirit In the next place I shall shew how those that have a familiar spirit do imitate the way of God or the way of true Prophets observe the way and manner of true Prophets High-Priests and all other people who are richly gifted with the spirit of Prophesie or revelation for the seed of faith planted in the heart is the seed and nature of God as reason is the seed and nature of the Serpent or devil and as the seed of reason is the womb or mother for imagination to get a son So likewise the seed of faith in man is the womb or mother for the revelation of faith to beget a son out of the seed of saith answerable as the Imagination doth out of the seed of reason And this son the revelation hath begotten out of the seed of faith is that heavenly wisdome discerning knowledge and power over the spirits of others and knowledge of things above the Stars and knoweth the true God in forme and nature with many other heavenly secrets which none else can know but those that believe them So that the Revelation of faith hath begotten this heavenly wisdom power and glory out of the seed of faith which is the seed of God even of his divine nature and this wisdom power and glory is that son or spirit by which all Prophets High-Priests Apostles and others that have it I say this is that by which they can truly divine by in that they can foretel truly what shall come to pass according to the knowledge of the revelation of faith and this wisdome and knowledge being produced by revelation out of the womb of the seed of faith it may and is called the spirit of God in man that doth teach and shew the wisdom of God to others so that others cometh to be taught and subjected by it to their great peace here and eternal Joy hereafter CHAP. V. ANd this spirit of wisdom knowledge and power which is produced by the revelation as aforesaid it hath motional voices in the Conscience as the familiar spirit hath in the evil Conscience but the motional voices in a good conscience speaketh peace likewise this motional voice in Prophets High Priests Apostles and others is that by which they do foretel things by whether it be good or bad that shall befal those that shall enquire Also the spirit of revelation hath a standing rule to inquire by as those have that doth tell things by a familiar spirit as I said before for the Witches doth imitate the way of Prophets and the devils way is as like Gods way as he can Now let the Reader minde and
him from it but the people must be numbered and this was that Satan in David and no spirit without him So Job 1.6 The sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan câ—me also among them To this I say the book of Job is no Scripture neither are men to build their faith upon it because the book of Job was written before Moses therefore no Scripture for Moses his writing is the first foundâ—tion of Scripture Yet this I do confess that Job was a good and faithful man and because he was afflicted by Satan and Satan is spoken of in several places of Scripture yet none of them did declare what this Satan is therefore I shall declare now what that Satan was that came among the sons of God I declare the sons of God they were the sons of Job who feasted their three sisters as you may read They were called the sons of God because they were that good and faithful man Jobs sons as the sons of Seth were called the sons of God and they looked upon the daughters of men and saw that they were fair c. as you may read in Genesis Now that Satan came amongst them when they presented themselves before the Lord it was the spirit of reason in Jobs seven sons when they feasted their three sisters they were moved in their minds to voluptuousness drunkenness and lust as the rest of the Heathen were where they lived so that they did wickedness in the absence of Job their father and Job fearing in their wickedness his sons had cursed God in their hearts as you may see in the verse before So Job caused his sons to present themselves before the Lord and to worship the Lord as it was the manner for Job to do in those times and Satan came with them that is the spirit of reason in his sons came with them reasoning in themselves why should their father Job reprove them for their wickedness in their feasts this was that Satan that came amongst them for he was in them and no other Satan but what was within them And this is that Satan that goeth to and fro in the earth to tempt and destroy those that are faithful so that this spirit of reason this Satan it goeth to and fro in the earth to tempt and destroy the faithful It was that Satan that did motion the Sabeans and Chaldeans to take away Jobs oxen and slay his servants as they were plowing and fired the sheep and burnt up Jobs servants and the Chaldaeans came with a band of men seeing Jâ—b smitten and destroyed by the Sabeans and they came with three bands of men and destroyed the camels and the rest of his servants For this must be minded that in those times there was no Law to deliver or help the innocent but he that had the strongest sword carried the day And the Lord for trial of Jobs faith and patience and for a patern for the ages to come he suffered the spirit of unclean reason in the Sabeans and Chaldaeans to go to and fro in the earth to stir up their people to destroy Job and all his house and cattel Also God suffered the natural wind to blow down the house where Jobs sons were feasting and destroyed them according to the desire of the spirit of unclean reason in the Sabeans and Chaldaeans For the sons of Job were wicked children though called the sons of God And last of all the spirit of unclean reason in Jobs wife was that Satan that tempted Job to curse God and die so that there is no other spirit or Satan without man but that Satan spoken of in Job it was the spirit of unclean reason in the minds of the Sabeans Chaldaaeeans and in Jobs wife and sons that was that Satan and no other And as for those disputes God had with Satan and Satan with God it was nothing else but the motions of Jobs heart passing through his troubled soul the seed of faith disputed in him for God persuading him to be patient and let that have its perfect work and so hope did increase in him and the seed of reason which was Satan in him as well as in others it pleaded against God reasoning in him as if God did not do well or justly by him that had been so righteous in his life one who never did no wrong to his neighbour but always feâ—â—ed God yet that God should suffer the wicked to destroy his cattel and servants and suffer the wind to blow down his house and destroy his children and not onely so but suffer his body to break out with boils and botches most loâ—thsom as if he had been the greatest sinner in the world so that he thought that God dealt more cruelly with him then with any other creature And further he thought God dealt hardly with him that he would neither take away his life that he might die out of this troubled mind and pains of body nor restore him to health These and such like reasonings and thoughts passed through Jobs troubled soul even from the spirit or seed of reason in him which is the dispute of Satan for as the seed of faith in Job disputed for God so did the seed of reason in Job dispute for Satan for there is no other Satan but what is in man as I said before So in Zach. 3.1 here Zachariah the Prophet saw in a vision the redempttion of the seed of faith by Christ under the type of Joshua the High priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him This High priest was Christ cloathed with filthy garments when he became flesh when on eaeth he appeared unto men to be clothed in filthy garments being so mean and hâ—d not a place to lay his head yet professed himself to be the Son of God the High priest that should offer up himself for to save his people for High priests in former times did appear to the people with rich and glorious garments but this High priest doth appear to the seed of reason to be clothed in filthy garments not fit as reason thinks to stand before the Angel of the Lord. And this Satan that stands at his right hand to resist him it was the spirit of unclean reason in those people of the Jews when Christ was upon earth and when that Deviâ— that tempted Christ spoken of in Matthew disputed with Christ he resisted the High priest and stood at Christs right hand at that time and this Devil that tempted Christ it was a man endued with an high pitch of reason and that spirit of reason or wisdom of reason in that man that tempted Christ the High priest it was Satan that strove to resist Christ in dispute whereupon Christ said Get thee hence Satan This Satan was a man and the spirit of reason in this man is that Satan that always resisteth the wisdom of faith which is the wisdom of God But this hath been more largely treated upon in our other writings so I shall speak no moâ—e of that devil and his temptations here So in Matth. 16.23 Christ said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan Here you see Peter is called Satan because it was the spirit of reason in Peter that said Master pity thy self that is the thoughts of Peters heart they did savour of the fleshly part that is those motions to persuade Christ to save himself from death they did arise from the seed of reason in Peter therefore called Satan for there was no new spirit that came into Peter at that time to cause him to speak those words but those words proceeded from the seed of reason in him as aforesaid therefore called Satan And wheresoever that expression is used as Peter said himself in the Acts Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost that is why hath the motions of reason in thee persuaded thy heart to tell a lie unto us that have the Holy Ghost in us So the Reader may clearly see that there is no other Satan to tempt God or Man but the motions and words that proceed from the seed of reason in man and woman So in Luke 10.18 And Christ said unto his disciples I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven This Christ spake because his disciples rejoyced that the Devils were subject to them The meaning of Christ was that he saw the spirit of reason that was in the Rulers of the Jews very high in the righteousness of the Law of Moses even as if they were in Heaven thinking in themselves that none could be more happy and surer of Heaven and peace with God then they that kept to the Law of Moses Now Christ knowing that this righteousness of the Jews should be thrown down by the righteousness of faith which his Apostles should preâ—ch therefore he saw by faith that the spirit of reason in the Rulers of the Jews should fall like lightening from Heaven and so it did and the disciples of Christ should by the doctrine and righteousness of faith tread upon serpents and upon their persecution and upon their righteousness of the Law of Moses and upon all that which did fall like lightening from Heaven they should tread upon Satan that is upon the very wisdom of reason the Devil This is the true meaning of Christ when he beheld Satan fall from Heaven like lightening and what Satan is so much spoken of in Scripture Much more might be said to enlarge this point but I have spoken more already then I did intend but I suppose there is enough written here in short to satisfie those that can understand by a little what a great deal means And also people may know when they speak of Satan what Satan is and when they speak of the Devil they may know what the Devil is So much concerning the interpretation of Satan and the conclusion of this Epistle written by Lodowick Muggleton FINIS
he may see how men have enquired of the Lord by motional voices in the minde by that spirit of faith which is gotten by revelation which is called the Spirit of God In the time of the Law of Moses the Ephod was a standing Rule for to enquire of God for good or bad success Now there was no man could tell what the event would be that looked upon the Ephod but such men as had the spirit of revelation and prophesie in them as David and the High Priest assoon as ever they looked upon the Ephod they could tell whether they should prosper in battel or not but if any other man which had not the spirit of revelation and prophesie should look upon the Ephod they could tell nothing by it Though the Ephod was appointed of God on purpose to enquire of God yet none could find out Gods minde but such men aforesaid for as soon as ever David or the High Priest looked upon the Ephod they could tell what the event would be as may be seen 1 Sam. 23.6 9. how David called for the Ephod and Abiathar the Priest to bring it to enquire of the Lord. Yet God never spake to them by voice yet they had motional voices in themselves in their hearts assuring them that they prosper or not prosper yet God never appeared himself nor any Angel neither did God speak by any voice yet they are bade to go prosper as if they had heard som voice by looking upon the Ephod so that those voices that bade them go and prosper they were motional voices that did arise from the revelation and spirit of Prophesie within them by that skill they had in the Ephod which was appointed of God for that purpose so that all Davids voices and the High Priests voices that were motional voices yet called the voice of God because they did arise from the seed of faith in David and others which is the divine Nature of God therefore called the Spirit of God For this I say if Saul had not lost that spirit of Prophesie by his disobedience as he once had when the good spirit departed from him he might have enquired of the Ephod and have been answered with a motional voice by the Ephod as he was by enquiring of a Witch For the spirit of Samuel did speak no more to Saul then the Spirit of God did speak to David they were both motional voices that did arise from their two seeds the one voice spake peace and deliverance and the other spake wrath and destruction the one did enquire in the way that God did appoint even of the Ephod or of the Lords Prophets the other did enquire of that which was forbidden and forsook the Lord and his Prophets and went to a Witch to enquire it was because one was the seed of Adam which is the seed of God and so chosen of God in mercy even David and the other was the seed of the Serpent even the devil who was chosen King in Gods wrath even Saul This is the true Interpretation of those voices that Samuel spake to Saul and of his being raised by the Witch of Endor Therefore you that can understand these things aforementioned you may see how the whole world lieth in darkness and are cheated of their sense and reason by this lying and vain imagination to believe that spirits can be without bodies or that spirits can be raised without bodies or that spirits can speak without bodies or that spirits departed can assume any shapes afterwards these things and many more are produced by the dark imagination of the heart of man and if the Reader hath any true light of faith in him he may understand the Interpretation I have given of the Witch of Endor and how a familiar spirit is produced or begotten in them and be satisfied in his mind as to that matter so much concerning those words in Samuel aforementioned CHAP. VI. AGain it is said Isa 8.29 the Prophet speaking there to unbelieving Israelites that did not believe the Word of the Lord through the Prophets mouths concerning the destruction that should come upon Israel this judgement did the Lord threaten by the mouth of his Prophet Isaiah to bring upon Israel for their unbelief and this Prophet seeing the people would not hearken unto the voice of the Lords Prophets nor inquire of them but altogether persecuted them as false prophets deceivers and liers and the inclination of their hearts was more willing and desirous to enquire of a Witch or Wizard who had a familiar spirit then of the Prophet of the Lord as you may see chap. and verse aboâ—e-written the words are these as followeth And when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep and that mutter should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead the meaning of these words is this that unbelieving men do think and believe that Witches and Wizards who hath a familiar spirit can rise out of the ground where dead men were buried living spirits without bodies that can reveal things unto them by that motional voice that doth proceed from these familiar spirits which doth peep and mutter That is the whisperings that proceeds from this familiar spirit that is begotten by the imagination of reason the father and the seed of reason the mother as I said before is that motional voice all Witches and Wizards have whereby they peep and mutter in themselves as if they did hear voices and see shapes and living spirits arise out of the ground as the Witch of Endor said to King Saul She saw Gods ascend out of the earth Whenas there was no spirit nor shape came out of the ground at all but the gods she saw ascend out of the earth came out of her own imagination even that familiar spirit begotten in her it seemed unto her as if it did ascend out of the earth but those gods she said she saw ascend out of the earth they ascended out of her own imagination and Saul beleeved her and so was partakers with her and he did believe that she had raised Samuels spirit out of the earth as the Witch had said And this is to be minded by the Reader that when spirits are to be raised by Witches her familiar spirit always ariseth out of her own self even from the seed of reason and imagination of her own heart whereby she doth hear voices within her whispering low voices as if some other spirits without her did speak with a low voice unto her and present shapes unto her dazled eyes which seemeth to the Witch to be real voices of a spirit without her and a real shape without her when as in deed and in truth it ariseth out of her own self even from the seed of reason and imagination of her own heart whereby she doth hear voices within her whispering low voices as if some other spirit without her
for it was always quick and alive For the spirit quickening doth imply a sensible life is quickned out of an insensible life as a child in the womb before it is quick it feeleth no pain neither doth it stir in the womb and the midwife doth not care to destroy it to save the womans life because the child was not quick it was an insensible life no more capable of pain then there is in death or a dead lump of earth but when a child is quick in the womb it is capable of pain though it hath not strength to express it to us that are strong yet it is capable of pain because it is quickened into a sensible life that is a living soul a living spirit and so may be called a quickened spirit of life out of that which was dead yet by the appointment of God in his creation and the warmness of the womb there is a new life or spirit doth quicken in the womb in its season according to the appointment of God when he created all things and placed a law of generation in them So likewise the spirit or life of Christ was put to death in his own body of flesh as aforesaid and in its season he himself had appointed before namely three days and three nights this spirit of Christ so put to death it quickened again in the same flesh a new and glorious life which made that flesh that suffered glorious also And this is the true interpretation of Peters words and the faith of all true believers that the spirit life and soul of Christ did die and was put to death in the body of his own flesh that was crucified on the cross by the Jews and that the same spirit that was put to death it did quicken again out of death into a new and glorious life by his own power therefore called a quickening spirit So that here is no ground at all for that vain conceit in people who do believe that spirits may be raised without bodies or appear without bodies but altogether to the contrary And as for that saying of Peter By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing These words do seem to carry some shew as if the quickening spirit of Christ after he was risen from the dead or in the time he did lie in the grave as if his spirit in that interim of time went into some local place where spirits were in prison without bodies to preach unto them who had been disobedient in the days of Noah this is the vain conceit of most people from those words of Peter who saith By which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison as if the spirits of the disobedient people in the days of Noah had been in prison in some local place in the earth without bodies who had been departed in the days of Noah in the destruction of the world by water This the imagination of reason in man doth imagine that spirits may be shut up in prison without bodies and that the quickening spirit of Christ might preach unto them without a body But the true light and revelation of faith doth know to the contrary that no spirits can have any being at aâ—l without bodies neither of God Angels nor Man nor no other living creature who hath the breath of life in it But to give the interpretation of this Scripture that the Reader may understand it is thus the spirit of Christ that quickened from the dead to life again I say is the same spirit that preached to the spirits in prison in the days of Noah and the spirits of the disobedient world were in prison in their own bodies in the days of Noah as they were when Christ came upon earth for then he opened the prison to them that were bound by preaching glad tidings of freedom to those that were bound and liberty to those spirits that were in captivity Now as I said before this captivity is spiritual captivity and to be bound and in prison it is meant a spiritual imprisonment in the mind and not a natural imprisonment of the body And this I say the very same spirit of Christ that preached to the Jews when he was upon earth did preach to the old world in the days of Noah though in a twofold manner And as the spirits of men were in prison in their own ignorance blindness and darkness of understandings in that they were led captives and prisoners by their wicked and unnatural lusts in the days of Noah so were both Jews and Gentiles in the days of Christ when on earth their spirits were led captive and into the prison of unbelief and persecution of the Lord of Life in that their fathers persecuted the Lords Prophets and Messengers he did send so did these Jews persecute the Lord himself when he preached to their spirits that were in prison and led captives by their wicked murdering wills into the prison of unbelief for he did preach when on earth that whosoever did believe in him should be saved And as many as did truly believe in him their spirits were brought out of that captivity of unbelief and out of the prison of darkness in the mind into a glorious liberty and light of life eternal And thus did the preaching of Christs spirit deliver many spirits of men and women out of prison in the days when he was upon earth So likewise this quickening spirit of Christ it preached unto the spirits in prison in the days of Noah And why were their spirits in prison in the days of Noah Because they were disobedient And how may they be said to be disobedient Because they did not believe that good man Noah who was a preacher of righteousness And how did he preach righteousness unto that wicked people In that he prepared the Ark and being so many as a hundred years in building all that while God is said to wait for their repentance and that they might believe that God would destroy the world by water But instead of repentance and believing they hardened their hearts and mocked at Noah and the Ark so that while the Ark was preparing God waited for the peoples repentance and all that while that Noah was building he preached to the people that the world would be drowned And the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of God which was put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit by which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison in the days of Noah it was the same spirit that instructed Noah to build the Ark so that the building of the Ark by Noah he being a Preacher of righteousness in that he believed God and built it as the spirit of God had commanded and instructed him as God did Moses shewed him the pateâ—n of the tabernacle in the Mount And
spirit or soul as Stephen was may be said to commit his spirit into the hands of Christ and that Christ doth receive his spirit into his hands and will raise it up at the last day which will not be a minute of an hours time to the dead as I said before therefore let not the seed of faith think the time long between death and the salvation of their souls because so many of the faithful have been so many hundred years in the grave and let not the wicked unbelieving people comfort themselves that the dead shall never rise again because the Fathers are dead and the Prophets are dead and we see none of them rise again therefore we conclude their spirits are gone to Heaven without bodies and the spirits of the wicked are gone to Hell without bodies but as minute of an hours time will deside this matter when the dead are raised for they shall not remember they have been asleep in the dust one minute of an hoâ—r for there is no remembrance of time in the grave Therefore let that vain conceit that is in most people fall of spirits going to God without bodies for I can assure you there is no such thing neither can there be any true peace in that conceit I know it by faith now and by experience for I was of that opinion once my self when I was zealous in religion according to the Puritan way but I knew no Scripture truly neither was there one true Interpreter of Scripture no not one in those days that could shew a man the true righteousness of God or the true way to everlasting life CHAP. XIV THere is another place of Scripture that is objected that seems is if the soul went out of thâ— body when they die as in 1 Kings 17.21 where Elijah prayed that the childs soul might come into him again The meaning is this that Elijah did pray in faith unto God that he would assist him in this as in other things as iâ— shutting up the Heavens that it should not rain and calling for fire from Heaven to destroy those two captains and their fitties and m ny other wonderful things he did so he prayed unto God to strengthen his faith so that he might have power to raise this childs life out of death again Therefore he stretched himself upon the child and prayed that the childs soul might come into him again that is that the childs soul or life might quicken in the body of the child again for Elijah knew the soul of the child was dead and by the warm flesh of the Prophet laid upon the childs dead flesh and the faith and prayer of the Prophet together it begot life in the child again so that the soul that was dead it became life in the child again and that life that was quickened it run through the veins of the childs body and so the childs soul did come into him again For this I say if the soul of the child had been gone out of the body then Elijah did not raise the dead child to life again for how can a man be said to be dead whâ—nas life doth not die but slips out of the body as most people do vainly imagine but it may be clear to those whose understanding are enlightened that Elijah did raise the child from death to life and that the childs soul was dead in its body and that the soul of the child was revived in the childs body again by the power of faith in Elijah And the very same thing was done by the Prophet Elisha as in 2 Kings 4.34 the Prophet Elisha did the same thing to the Shunamite womans son he went up and lay upon the child and put his mouth upon his mouth and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands and he stretched himself upon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warm and Elisha stretched himself upon the child a second time here the Reader may see that the child was dead and by the faith and prayer and by the warmness of the Prophet Elisha his flesh the child revived to life again both body and soul And Elisha did use the same means and way as Elijah did for he went in and shut the door and prayed unto the Lord as Elijah did and stretched himself upon the child as Elijah did and raised the child to life again by the power of faith Yet Elisha maketh no mention of the soul coming into the child again but he delivered the body and soul of the child that were both dead together he delivered them both alive together to the childs mother It was the same thing done by Elijah onely some difference in the words but the sense and meaning is all one So that the Reader may understand if any true light of life be in him that the soul of the child went not out of its body but died in the body and by the power of faith in the Prophet it quickned alive out of death in the childs body again for the soul or life of the child never went out of the body as is vainly imagined but the soul life and spirit of the child was absolutely dead in the body and by the power of faith in the Prophet the dead soul or life of the child was quickened alive again and caused the body to live also For if the woman should have had the soul of the child given unto her without the body she would have given the Prophet no thanks for raising her childs soul without a body but the body and soul being one person they were both dead together and the Prophet raised them both together alive and the woman received them both together and rejoyced greatly in God and gave honour to the Prophet Thus in short I have given the true interpretation of all those Scriptures that most seem or most commonly are objected against the mortality of the soul or to prove that spirits do go out of the body at the time of death or that spirits may be raised without bodies or have any being without bodies and that a spirit may appear in a shape without a body or that a spirit can assume what shape it please yet have no body or substance These things the vain imagination of reason in man hath created in it self to fright it self with for there is no such thing as spirits walking without bodies neither doth any spirit go out of the body when men die as is imagined by most people but these are factions of mens brains created by the imagination in the dark minds of men and women for God never created any such thing as I have shewed before And as for that saying of Solomon Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it His meaning I suppose in these words is as is generally conceived by all people the body to the dust and the