day to gett and heape up riches Wherfore are they so forgetfull of the word of God and so little esteeme his precepts and commandements But that they thinke God cares not for them or that he cannot or will not revenge them therefore it is necessary that they helpe and revenge themselves or that they thinke that while to long to wait and expect the helpe of God before that he take vengeance and punishment they themselves shall be overthrowen And because they thinke that nothing but povertie comes upon them if they have any commerce and communion with the truth of God therefore it is necessary that they helpe themselves and labour for their living by lying cogging deceiving and usury and the like this makes a man rich and honourable As for the word of God that is but a late helpe and deficient in adversitie it stands us in hand therefore to adore our selves speake bigge swelling words elevate our selves as much as we can VVho but my selfe is God saith the world in the course of her Life CHAPTER X. An ansvver to certaine obiections that we ought to be wise and not fooles and how we ought to be wise and how foolish But you wil say that the learned shall shine as the Starres or Sunne in Heaven and in a thousand places wee are commanded to apply our hearts unto wisdome as in the Proverbs and Eccles. wise men are commended To which I answer that it is rightly spoken if it be rightly understood to wit of the tree divine heavenly knowledge which God himselfe doth worke teach in those that are poore in spirit I say it is understood of the wisdome of the tree of life and not of the deadly and foolish wisdome of the Flesh which is the knowledge of good and evill and the Scriptures will have us to acknowledge our folly and to be made fooles in our owne judgement and indeed we are so but we would not be accounted so and forget all things wherby we may become truely wise and receive the influence of divine knowledge into our soules For we are all foolish wicked and we will not see and perceive it nor beleeve it and therfore God would have us by confessing our folly in true simplicity to give a farewell unto it by submitting our selves over unto God be made truely wise and learned by him Hereupon it is that Solomon calls them fooles whom Paul calls wise prudent Solomon calls them what they are indeed in the sight of God but Paul calls them what they seeme to be in their own eyes and in the sight of men We must unlearne and therein strive to be fooles in that wherin we learne and strive to be wise in But as it is given us of God so it can be learned from none but God and as the love of God shed abroad in our hearts begets a mutuall love of him againe Even so Gods knowing of us begets in us a knowledge of him as Paul witnesseth to the Gal after that ye knew God or rather are knowne of him As also to the Phill. I desire to know as I am knowne And also 1. Ioh. 3. He first loved us Also in another place if any man love God he is borne of God Out of all these places I gather that God is never knowne loved sought or found of us untill we be knowne loved sought and found of God as Christ saith to the Pharises the Kingdome of God is in you and Paul to the Athenians Hee is not farr off from every one of us for in him we live move have our being But this is most miserable and lamentable that those who professe themselves to know God know him not as they ought as Paul testifies of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And againe if any man seeme to know any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought VVe should know this that by nature we know nothing but are altogether blind dead and foolish in spirituall things and this knowledge should make us nothing foolish and Children in our owne eyes But wee desire to know and seeme wise whereby it comes to passe that we know not how or for what end we ought to learne knowledge for wisdome is not given unto us for this purpose that thereby being puffed with pride we extoll our selves and become something in the eyes of the world but on the contrary to make us nothing This is the knowledge of God that makes us Fooles and Children to our selves and the world it doth not puffe us up making us seeme wise in our own opinion Noe for that is the knowledge of the Serpent both most devilish and deadly Thus you see that the whole world knowes not what how and for what end they should desire to know but alwayes strives against God in their knowledge and know not of what things they ought to be ignorant off but cheifly are desirous to know those things they ought to be ignorant off and so by their owne art and knowledge make themselves Fooles Breefly that which they doe know and doe desire to know that they should learne to unknow and what they resist to know that they should learn to know otherwise God will never acknowledge them for his owne because God hath determined never to acknowledge crowne or reward any thing in us but his owns guifts and workes that is never to love or accept any thing in us but himselfe For he alone is the Light Life the way and the truth so that whosoever is not in him or he in them they alwayes wander in the pathes of errour and shadow of death Now every man knows what it is to walk in darknes The walls of Ierusalem were not to be opened before the Sunne did rise even so should no man intend to goe forth before the Sonne of righteousnesse arose in his heart since all things depends upon him and bee should be our Teacher and Example by whose instruction we should learne and by whose Example wee should walke as the Scriptures testify It is an easie thing to say that the world is in darknesse and uncapable of the spirit of truth but no man will either acknowledge or beleeve himselfe to be the world or that the whole world to God is all Fleshe as the Sonnes of Adam all were naturall men with the universall righteousnesse reason and wisdome therein but by the world men thinke to be understood the Turkes Gentles Heathens and I know not what people of the farthest parts of the world attributing so much to arts tongues Scriptures which they almost preferre above the spirit and if a man doe reade and have a Bible they thinke it enough and that by which they may easily obtaine the Holy Ghost not considering that either the Holy Ghost must bee their guide and enlighten them in the knowledge of the word or otherwise it is but a dead Letter and is so farre from bringing Life with it that it mortifies kills the Reader as Paul implies where he sayth the spirit quickens
the same and confirmes the truth thereof with all assurance not so craftie subtiltie can be objected against the truth but that may be battered weakened and refuted with one word neither can any thing so accute be produced which weakened with the like accute may not be overthrowne onely the word of God overcommeth with such force that even the minde of the enemy is overcome and taken with it the outward man alone and the face of the flesh which would not be bridled seekes out all kinde of ambushes trickes and turnings to escape this thunderclapp And falshood for shame covers its face with its hands and thereby thinks that the whole body is covered that it cannot be seene Moreover it is behovefull that all other traditions of arts words and spirits bee examined by the word of God as by an index golden rule and touch-stone I call that the word of God which is the Spirit and Life not the Letter written without Inke and paper in the hearts of beleevers which speakes unto the soules of all those that are obedient unto it This J call the Word of God Not the Scriptures For if we speake properly the Scriptures or Letters are not the word of God but the minde spirit and that true divine meaning which Paul calleth the sence of Christ and mind of the Spirit and Christ the Word of God This I say is the word of God as saint Paul doth testify The Letter sayth he doth kill but the Spirit that is the true and spirituall meaning thereof which onely spirituall men are indued with which doth quicken These alone have the Key of David for the opening of all the Seales of this closed booke to all other the booke is Sealed with seven Seales Of which mention is made in Dan. 7. Apoc. 5. and Mat. 13. by way of parable and the vaile of the Letter doth hang before their eyes untill they turne unto God and seriously will obey his will The spirit of understanding entreth into no froward scorner who in the letter only desireth to shew his nicitie and Clarkeship For the truth is that word of God and his secrets are made manifest to them that feare him Therefore many in our times are snared who betwixt the writings and the word of God doe know no difference and so doe they esteeme the Scriptures for the word of God so as beside it they knovv no other But it appeares by the Testimony of many divinely taught that the scriptures are nothing but the huskes the shell the sheath the Lanthorne the shrine the letter the cave the vaile of the word of God From whence it ariseth that they appeare so sinister and in shew often repugnant and are hidden from wicked men But the Word of God placed in and under them is the kernell the life fulnes and thing it selfe or substance For otherwise those learned men the Scribes and Pharisees had been blessed and happy if the Letter had beene the word of God viz. the light c. because they had so well conned the Scriptures that most part of them they could say by heart yet were they for all that most miserably to perish with this Art and so death is eaten by the Tree of good and evill while yet men thinke thereby to have Life But Christ doth more ingenuously testify that they know not the Scriptures that is what in the Scriptures is the word of God for what otherwise belonged to the Letter and grammaticall sence they writt but knew not the mind of Christ which was the force and meaning of the Letters and the Letters in my judgment are of sett purpose so sinister and darkly dictated by the Holy Ghost comprehended and declared that those impious Swine and Dogges may not understand them according as Christ out of Esay doth alleadge them and giveth this reason why he speaketh so obscurely by similitudes and demonstrateth the same thing more significantly in Iohn least we should make an idoll of the Letter And that wee should thinke some other thing more necessarie to salvation then Bibles to weet that of God we should desire the Light of his word which is hidden in this Lanthorn and also that true teacher the Holy Spirit which may direct lead and instruct us in the holy Scriptures and may open the Seales thereof declaring unto us the mysterie of this shrine that is his divine word Law pleasure will and meaning hidden under the dead Letter Many thinke it enough that they have Bibles and know how to reade Here forsooth they find the Holy Ghost the word of God that double Sword of the Spirit yet wrapped up and closed in the sheath But who can understand gaine finde and brandish the same He answers by the Prophet Esay Yong Children who will be affrayd at this killing Letter they are sore out of heart tremble and dye for feare Therefore it is not enough although it is good to have Bibles What to have Bibles All the Pharises had the same could say them by heart and yet they lived no lesse blinde and dead These very Bibles are the Tree of Good and Evill of which they did eate death although to the godly who consult with God about the meaning of them and renouncing themselves pray unto him for the obtaining of his Spirit they be the Tree of Life God will give his glory to none other no not to the Scriptures but hath made them darke unto us and hath reserved the interpretation to himselfe that he may teach enlighten rule and guide how when and as hee will and his will is that we alwayes wax stronger and by degrees come nearer to the knowledge of the truth if so be we would doe the same by his helpe but hee hath not sowen his word by the way side for dogges and swines but hath covered it the same beeing hiding in the Letter that we may not rest our selves contented in the Letter but digg up the hidden treasure and with all Religion pray for grace and understanding and consult with his Holy Spirit that he may take us into his tuition guide us teach us leade us unto the Tree of Life the Fruit whereof may feed us up unto eternall Life And this is the tryall of all Arts Doctrines and Spirits that they be compared and agree with the word of God that that which is divinely unto us we finde to be true by his word in our hearts In a word that our spirits may confirme the same so to be by its testimony as wee have divinely learned the same and that we sustaine for the defence thereof to dye Therefore it is likely and so it shal be indeed what Doctrine soever commeth frō god the same is not repugnant to the word which divinely taught we have in our hearts but agreeable thereunto giveth testimony that wee know his word as we are knowne of God and comprehended as we are comprehended of him otherwise how could we say Amen and assent if
againe nothing so great that can receive or circumscribe God As nothing is so little but God is lesse and nothing so great but God is greater beyond without below above all Creatures So also is his divine word As the free almightie eternall immutable omniscient incomprehensible invisible and unconceivable God is the beeing of all things So as as all things consist rather in him then in and by themselves as Taulerus and the Germain Theologie in a 1000 places doe avouch and is none of these things which can be seene or comprehended by sence or expressed by word So his divine word is free in all and beyond all bound unto nothing neither tyed to the prison or letters or cover of the Letter concluded included and so tyed unto it that otherwise it is no where even as the following Position and Sentence of a Learned man divinely instructed doe show As the word is covered and hidden by the Letter so it is opened and revealed by the spirit Hence it commeth to passe that the Letters be as a closed or sealed Booke so as the dark Letter except it be opened doth slay but the Spirit doth quicken and the Letters are as a certaine Image void of Life and Spirit that is a printed and dead expression of the Spirit therefore they want Life except the soule of the spirit be present and doe erre Therefore the Letters cannot be the word of God Since the word is farre otherwise an other thing then the letters For it is a spirit truth life but the letters are cōtrary flesh the letter death yea the letters if they want the Light of the word are an offence if they want the soule of the spirit are a stumbling block Therfore the Letters are an otherwise thing then the word that is they are not the Sword of the Spirit but a sheath For as the womb of the virgin conceived the word so the Letters For the word is clothed both with flesh with the Letters that Seede of Abrahem layeth hould of the Scriptures or Letters for they are both one and againe is apprehended by them but the spirit is not apprehended in the flesh or Letter of the Scriptures The cause thereof is this the flesh or Letter cannot containe conceive or comprehend the Majestie of the word yet even as it was so in the flesh that the Majestie thereof did not appeare so it is in the Letter that true neither to all or to any one that reads is it obvious and apparent This is witnessed by all Learned men in the meere Letter since the world began who neither could know finde or comprehend Christ in the flesh nor the word in the Letter which they should have done if Christ in the flesh or under the miserie of the flesh had beene known unto all not hidden but manifested and the Letter had beene not the covering mysterie but the true living and enlightning word of God it selfe As therefore the flesh was not the word but the cover thereof and a certaine great mysterie So the Letters are not the word properly but the shell the barke and cover thereof The word was made fleshly assumption not mixture and so the same word is made Letters yet not so as the same can be said of the Letters as of the word but as in a certaine Seale Therfore so farre are the Letters from being the word of God that they onely be the figure and barke thereof For the word is not that which is spoken by the Letter but that which is expounded by the Holy Ghost and understood onely of the Faithfull Therefore the Letters doe paint out shadow out and after a certaine manner set forth unto us the word and expresse something but are not the word although they be spoken and expressed For the word did not assume the flesh that it is not out of the flesh So it did not so fall into the Letter that it is not out of the Letter For there was the word when there was no Letters and the same will remaine after the Letters are perished Therefore as the word was never included and circumscribed in the flesh neither is it in the Letters For so it was in the bodie as it never yet left heaven and in the same manner it is so in the Letter as yet it is every where Therefore the word is in the Letter altogether but not all Hereupon we see that the letters have been exercised with a continuall encrease and addition Therefore the Letters are the Image of the word and not the word it selfe And if they be they are altogether a written and a dead not a living word For there is a twofould word one that quickneth viz. the Spirit another the Letter which is said to kill and slay The living word is that which inwardly teacheth and maketh us to fructifie the dead word is that which in the Flesh and Letter is proposed unto us The living word is a true Light which enlightneth all men and therefore a regenerating spirit because it reneweth all things In a word it is the power and might of God which giveth unto us that knowledge sence soule and Life which is from God A certaine brightnesse of the face of God which enlightneth us from above imprints in us the unction of the Holy Ghost by which it teacheth and instructeth us in all things But the dead word are the Letters that sealed booke and dead Letter sence and will which is the word of the flesh not of the Spirit of God The true and living word is that which God begetteth in us and the spirit of God effecteth in us But the dead and Litterall word is that which the Letters show unto us and men propound Therefore he doth not alwayes want the word who hath not the Letters For he may have the interior who wants the exterior word to witt the Law of God written in our hearts Hence it comes to passe that no man hath absolute neede to be taught of an other or to admonish his brother concerning the knowledge of God For al these shall know from the least to the greatest and are all the Disciples of Christ divinely taught This writing is not printed with inke and paper but written with the finger of God in the tables of our hearts This is the Doctrine of the truth and the inspiration of the Spirit to wit the propheticall breathing the inspiration of the Spirit and the true art of God Moreover hee may have the living word of God who wants the dead of the Letter and the thing it selfe who wants the signe that is the Life of the word though he wants the dead Letter For two things are cheifly to be considered in the word The first is the disposition and nature of the word which is a certaine Light intended for the enlightning of men The other is the action of it that is the spirit which giveth action and operation to
and yet neither know nor understand Therefore we confesse that the letters are a certaine image and figure of the word yet they are not truely the very word because they are but onely an image figure thereof This is the reason wherefore we admitt no other word but what is answerable to this Image or Example of the Scriptures and to the true and spirituall sence Therefore the Scriptures are as the Index or golden Scales of the word so they be understood not according to the dead letter but according to the minde of Christ and will of the Spirit Therefore we reject not what is agreable to the true meaning of the Scriptures so we doe not deny what is not contrary unto them For whosoever is not against us is of us Therefore we deny not the exterior word written or spoken so doe we confirme the interior or living so it is wee grant the maistery and unction of the Spirit and doe not deny the guift of Prophecye and interpretation of the Scriptures For the word hath something to come and something obscure difficult to the flesh That which is to come the Spirit taketh it of the word and declareth it unto us that which is obscure hard to be understood it dayly teacheth unto us and leadeth us into all truth Therefore under the name of the word of God the Letters are not onely understood but all prophecies visions dreames unctions inward speakings Doctrins of the Spirit revelations if they be frō God also whatsoever holie men by the instinct of the spirit have either spoken or done Therefore no man must adhere peremptorily to the onely letter where the Holy Ghost is there is libertie and the free word is bound to none Moreover the Holy Ghost suffereth no rule or limit to be prefixed to it in its owne therefore to nothing it is tyed but to it selfe that is be not contrarie and disagreeing to it selfe as therefore many things come and are spoken frō God al which nay not the thousand part are writtē in the scripturs So many things at this day happen are spoken by God which are not written And yet neverthelesse they are the word of God and wrought by him Add to which that many things there are not written nor expressed in words which wee yet receive for the word of God and onely by hand as it were have received them from our Forefathers of which kinde are the abrogation of the precepts of the first counsell renewed after by the Holy Ghost to the Church So as the Church was freed from the same Of which things wee notwithstanding have no written or expresse word Christ himselfe taught all in word and writt nothing and commanded his Apostles to preach not to write And the Church is begotten rather by word then by writing Moreover the Doctors preachers of the new Covenant were called and indeed are the Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter By all these it is manifest that the free and swift Spirit is not tyed unto letters nor the Doctrine of the Spirit can bee included into the Jayle prison and corner of the Scriptures Therefore although there bee many bookes of the Law something sometimes may change to come in handling of which there is no expresse Canon or Law to be found but it is to be excogitated and ruled by reason So oftentimes such a rare thing happeneth the letters doe universall forsake a man that they cannot teach comfort guide or appease him but a man must necessarily repaire unto God and consult with the peculiar word of the Spirit by prayer to comfort and strengthen his weakned conscience For it is not sufficient to have the common call and word except a man have speciall proper and inward call which yet is not contrary unto the common And although the word of God is altogether one and undivided yet how much thereof a man hath received by faith so much of it is his and this is his word His issue the Word of God is as God himselfe must be made every ones by faith No otherwise then whereas the Light of the Sunne is common yet as much as every one is enlightned thereby so much is the Sunne his and no more So as much as every one hath of God and his word so farre is he his God and so farre hath he God and his word which are common to all peculiar to himselfe Therfore the letters are farre weaker then to satisfie a troubled conscience in the offences thereof and to make quiet againe the lively word of God must doe this and this honour hath God reserved onely to himselfe neither will he permitt it to the letters or any Creatures whatsoever Moreover the Holy Ghost will not be bound or captivated in those that are his nor be subject to the masterie of any one nor suffer that it should be taught by any writing or mouth of man but will it selfe be the light the Doctor master captaine and in a word all in all things Moreover he who useth the Scriptures for a testimony of that worke spirit so hee doe it according to the minde of Christ not interpreting them according to the interpretation of the Scribes and Puarisees doth onely use the Scriptures aright according to the will of God according as he ought all others are meere abuses and the worship of images as the whole world busies it selfe in the Scriptures and esteeme them to be their Apollo as if the Holy Ghost God were no longer to be consulted with concerning any affaires but onely the letters In a word here they enquire and have all things here with the Pharisees they think to have life neither will they grow by an others mans harme nor will they see how blinde impious ignorant and dead they ever have beene in all ages in divine things and in the word of God who have beene the most Learned and could all the Bible at their fingers ends having for all that neede to heare and learne the truth from Christ So darke and deadly are the Letters which they make their Idols Paul calleth the Letters death but they life but indeed they are eternall darknesse death aenigma allegorie and a sealed booke Unlesse thou have the living word of God unto the Light and in them relie upon the Holy Ghost For thy teacher inspirer interpreter guide and master and yet many of them dare make the booke to be open when as yet they cannot agree in the exposition of it And from thence doe as many Sects and Heresies arise as Readers and Heads doe attempt to reade it But know thou and have it as a thing most true that they are cleane onely to the cleane Spirituall to the Spirituall the Word of God to them who are of God and Religiously studie them by the direction and guidance of the Holy Ghost whom they carie alwayes with them and put as a Light into this otherwise darke Lanthorne so as by the the doctrine of the Spirit direction of it they bring more light unto them then they receive therfrom what they receive therefrom is nothing else or no other but a certaine Testimonie of the Spirit of them and all Doctrine The Bereans used the Scriptures as Christ would have them to bee used Acts 17. Search the Scriptures saith he in which yee thinke yee have Eternall life Ioh. 5. But he thinkes otherwise For it followes they are they which testifie of me that I am the Life and Word which speaketh unto you John 8. As therefore we graunt that the Scriptures are the rule of the word judge of spirituall things So in no wise will we remove out of the Church the word of God and unction of the Spirit For even as wee defend the Majestie and authoritie of the word of God against the dead Letter so will we maintaine the masterie of the Spirit against the executioner of the Letter And so doe we grant the fulfilling of the swift and short word as in the onely precept of loue all is contayned both the Law and Prophets be comprehended therein we ingenuously confesse Wherefore as wee doe not take away the word of the Law but confirm it So we doe think that something is yet dayly to be opened in the Church by the unction of the Doctors thereof the signe and earnest not of that which is necessary to salvation but to the guift of Prophecying and the hidden interpretation of the Scriptures Since Christ never forsaketh his Spouse but is alwayes present with her unto the end Math. 28. and being ever in the midst of her doth guide direct her 2 Cor. 9. This is the reason wherfore we doe not force or include the Majestie of the word of God within the narrow prison of the Letters FINIS Luke 10. Deut. 11.
his fleshly wisdome and forsake that good he hath gott already then from the beginning to learne it for his profitt In so much that this is true who once hath played the Asse will scarcely learne to leave those doultish tricks O how difficult is it for them to become Fooles who have grounded themselves in a presumption of their owne witt And yet it is necessary that this they must bee or otherwise they shall bee nothing lesse then that which they desire to bee Therefore so requisite is this denyall hatred forgetfulnesse of himselfe that without it no man can be the disciple of Christ that is no man can be indued with divine wisdome unlesse in his affections he hath excluded and given a farewell adewe to his owne Wherefore what wonder is it if the worldly Man who is busied about the things of this life be altogether ignorant of the knowledge of God For since he is not obedient to that wisdome that is spâ—rituall neither can perceive any divine thing nor receive the spirit of truth nor for the wisdome of God exchange his owne For he neither cares to nourish that wisdome in his heart neither desires to learne it and because hee desires it not he cannot learne it And now it is requisite that as Sainct Paul sayes if any man will be wise with God he must be a foole in the World that thereby he may become truely wise That is he must cease to thinke as the world doth labour to gett a new minde and deliver over his sences thoughts to be renewd by God The cause of which Paul immediately annexeth to the same For the wisdome of the World saith he is foolishnes to God And in his Epistle to the Romans hee calleth it death and enmity to God And the same Paul bids adew to all his owne witt which he had learned at the feete of Gamaliell above all his equals and accounts all his owne righteousnes and knowledge as dung and drosse in respect of the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ And elsewhere he glories in this that he had learned to unlearne and forget all things and now desired to know nothing but Christ him crucified In the same manner all the Apostles become little Children again Besides Nichodemus and all other whosoever as Christ had said unto them unlesse they be changed and become as little Children they cannot see the Kingdome of God And a little after Christ saith that the Kingdome of God is of such little Children This is the reason why the Scriptures admonish us so often to beware of our owne witt least we doe any thing that seemes good in our owne eyes As also that we resist our owne wils neither that we suffer our selvs to be led and guided by our owne affections and desires and also those that trust in their owne hearts obey their own cogitations are foolish and wicked also that we seeme not wise in our owne conceits nor magnify our selves but feare and in feare and trembling worke out our owne salvation And lastly that we trust not nor leane not to our owne witt For what is or can be more wicked then what flesh and blood hath found out Truely the flesh cannot of its owne nature seeke God and have him in estimation unlesse it renounce it selfe and hate its owne life and soule that is all its owne workes though it gloze them over with a pretence of the word honour and glory of God for he cannot be beleeved loved prayed unto or found but only in God Therefore all the endeavour study art diligence of is altogether void of God and want his grace and spirit For the word of God requires an humble submissive trembling and abiected mind and a soule poore in spirit free from the bondag of the creatures like to tender wax or clay plyable in the finger of God to receive the figure and stamp of his image imprinted upon it To these Fooles and Children such as feare God and are seperated from the Dugges of the World doth he open his secrets and teach his divine wisdome knowledg if there be any man that fears God to him the Lord will shew the way that he may choose and he walke in the truth and his posterity shall inhabit the Land He sayes not to the Learned and to the wise of the World as also in an other place the Lord reveales his secrets to the righteous For this cause Christ the Sonne of God gives thankes to his Father that he had hidden his secrets from the prudent and wise of the World and had revealed unto Children and Babes That as wee have already spoken out of the mouths of sucking Babes Such as were Moyses Ieremias Amos and the Apostles c. hee might speake his praise and extoll his Kingdome and Glory Againe the rich proud he sends away emptie and filleth only the hungrie with good things Now no Money-master nor rich covetous Churle is more swollen up with the vaine confidence of his riches nor any woman more proud of her bewtie then these wise men pride and boast themselvs of their wisdome and knowledge perswading themselvs that this is the divine wisdome and riches of the soule which neither theevs can steale nor rust canker it nor moath corrupt it when notwithstanding it is nothing but meere death foolishnes and enmity against God and in a word the knowledg of the forbidden Tree Therefore the holy Scriptures speake expresly of the wise of the world these righteous men famous for their arts priding themselves in their owne hearts who are arrogant and proud and are indued with nothing lesse then the spirit of God who abides onely in simple Doves By this it appeares that no kinde of men are farther from the Kingdome of God and doe lesse square and agree with his word and more disagree from his will then those who leane and trust to their owne wisdome knowledge reason and will Christ in the holy Scriptures speaketh not so much against Publicans and common sinners as these who being puft up with a conceit of their owne righteousnes reflect upon themselves with a selfe pleasingnes with these can Christ least accord unto them doth so often threaten woes in the Scripture and sayes that adulterers and Publicans shall enter before them into the Kingdome of Heaven These are those wicked men against whom David so fervently and often prayes and of whom Christ hath so little hope and unto whom he with his Apostles and Steuen give so cutting language who being men of a wicked mind would seeme nothing lesse But those things which are written concerning wicked men they ignorantly interpret of others these are such whom the whole world esteeme and accounts to be the shining lights thereof Such were Nichodemus and Paul before his conversion these are those who in David Moyses Christs and all other times of the church have beene the righteous Scribes Pharises
the contrarie should be fall in us Therefore they are much deceived who thinke that nothing is the word of God but what altogether differeth from our minds and therefore compell themselves only to beleeve those things which in their inward man they can perceive feel comprehend to be far wanting in them and contrary to them Indeed the word of God invadeth our hearts with an exceeding force because it is spirit our hearts are flesh but where the beleeving heart addicts it selfe to the worship of God the word is soone incorporated in us and our heart made one with it is converted into spirit so as now the truth it feeleth yea and what more it witnesseth that to be true which the spirit doth speake unto it and is so bound that it necessarily must assent unto it Neither doth it so compell or force it selfe to beleeve but it is so compelled that it cannot but beleeve and would a thousand times make a losse of its body rather then beleeve otherwise So again the mind cannot be beleeved and as long as the minde doth not assent it is a sure argument that as yet is hath not comprehended nor as yet is the word incorporated in thee nor the Sonne of God borne For he who comprehendeth the word as he is comprehended feeleth the same yea testifieth knoweth that the same is true Wherefore compare or examine all learning with the testimony of the spirit For if thou art a beleever God dwelleth in thee and thou art sealed with his word and Spirit but if thou dost not beleeve this examinatiō nothing belongeth unto thee For it is spoken to the beleeving Thessalonians try the Spirits If in a wicked man the spirit were to be compared with his heart and with the letters he could never rightly judge how he doth understand them because hee taketh that to be the word of God whatsoever pleaseth his wicked and perverse heart and eyes On the contrary it is commanded to the Saints that they try and prove all Spirits and Doctrines by the word of God which divinely taught they have approved in their soules not to the wicked who are unfitt to every good work and whose judgement God doth not approve off But if they say they are to be brought to the touch-stone of the word the holy Scriptures J willingly grant the same so that you understand that of the minde of the Scriptures which is the onely word of God which also onely those who are of God doe understand but if the Doctrine and Spirit be compared with the Letter of the Scriptures it will be compared diversly every one according to his owne understanding in which they are deceived neither is this the true trial as more cleare then Light wee may see it Since all desire the Letter to be this judge and thinke them of themselves to be the same Therfore that which hath not the examination I speake off which I but now spake off is as easily confuted as it is admitted as Gregory sayth Here are casheered all the arts explanations orations and comments of men which are boughes and fruits of the forbidden Tree in the Paradise of this World from which as yet all men doe eate death and yet neverthelesse with Adam and Eva thinke themselves to eate life and hope to be Gods Therefore all mens arts are no other then a plant of the Devill who thinketh by this meanes to change men into Gods from hence promiseth life immortality when neverthelesse death is before their eyes so soone as they have eaten of this fruit Now that Sentence standeth firme Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be cutt downe Therefore all those Arts must againe in their original be brought to nothing That J confesse is the only Scope of the holy scripturs which is the word of God knowne of them who are of God But that the literall and grammaticall sence is this I doe not think which wicked men doe understand and also follow and yet by Christ are denyed to understand the Scriptures but as they expound themselves in the Godly out of the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost And this meaning cannot be comprehended in open Commentaries and rules but the Holy Ghost will have this book mistery reserved to himself neither wil he have it imprinted but will shew teach open to all according to the measure of every mans faith as much as is necessarie neither will he have it so committed that one may teach another and so incroch upon the priviledge of God but will teach it himselfe that all and every one of us may be divinely taught and may glory that wee have learned the Word of God from God and not from men with pleasant docility yet so as men ought and every one may one to another give that testimony which hee hath learned from God So it commeth to passe that with Christ and his Apostles we are witnesses of the Word not Ministers of the Spirit For who hath commaunded the Wind but onely the Master of the Winde To this belongs that which Job Jeremie and Esayas say that we shall all be taught of God so as it shall not be necessary for us to be taught of any other but that so its true as the holie vnction shall teach us And whereas God is onely true and all men are lyars it cannot be but it must be a lye and errour whatsoever commeth not from God and that cannot come from God which all wicked know and understand Since they are not of God but are seperated from him by the partition wall of sinne Now what commeth not from God is sinne and not good and what shineth not from his Light is altogether darknesse although it seeme to be Light and wisdome as Esay upbraideth the Caldean Philosophers their owne witt hath deceived them and they were wearied with the multitude of their owne inventions c. God speaketh this against all arts except the art of God formed in us by his word which exhibits unto us nothing to be meditated upon and vewed in the Light but onely God to know and understand God because that word is verily God without any distinction of nature there as God cannot be defined described or divided but if we speake properly God is all in all things and yet nothing of all these things which can be felt conceived or comprehended by sence reason or understanding spoken written or heard so is the Word of God infinite infallible incomprehensible eternall by it selfe existing and farre exceeding all the writings and words of men because it as God cannot properly be written read or spoken Since it is God and was before writing or man was and shal be when man is deceased writing are ceased Therefore all things are subiect unto vanity For which cause the nature of all things are called vaine and vast by reason of the accident of vanity although in it selfe it be good onely the
old word beeing growen out of use And againe the old words are received the new being thrust out so farre forth that nothing is durable or constant in this life And if any man would observe he shall finde that our mother Tongue in England is dayly changed that at this day they speake otherwise then they did a few yeares since yea and such a curiositie nicenesses there is in the word and tongues that what men have a while made use off suddenly they cast away as disdaining the same Every man endevouring to bring out some new and rare thing that he seeme not to imitate the words of any other insomuch that the cheife inventour of words doe now obtaine the chief praise and estimation of Art And by this meanes all things are confounded in the earth and what now is new is presently growen old and anone become new againe and the hearts of men the Kingdomes peoples and Languages of the World like to the course of the yeare In times past France spoke the Dutch language as Beatus Rhenamis writing of the Germaine affaires most elegantly proves but now it hath gathered a proper speech to it selfe out of Italie Germaine Spaine but most specially from Italie which thing of the tongue was caused perhaps by their warre because divers people being mixed together they made and used a mixed kind of Speech Hence it came to passe that as yet they retaine some of the Germain words as Suppen Sacken kushen which they almost according to the Nether Germains pronounce after the bastard Germaine Souper Sacen Cuysten This I speake that we may see that nothing is constant or new in the earth and that is true which Terence writt Nothing is spoke now which was not spoke before So nothing is done which was not done before So that Cornelius Agrippa thinkes the invention of Gunpowder and â—uns was no new invention of which opinion in the Historian Volatiramis and this may be gathered out of the sixt of Virgils Eneads where thus he writes of Salmon I Salmon saw with paine torment late Who would loues flame thunder imitate For caried by foure steeds with torch in hand Through Elis Cittie all Grecian Land Did ride in triumph and command that all Shâ—uld give him honour and a dietie call O mad man he who with his Chariots noyce Would imitate the mightie thunders voyce And Solomon shewes the same all along in the 3. chapt. of Eccles. as also to the first that what hath beene that shall bee what hath beene done the same shall be done neither is there any thing new under the Sunne There is something which is as if it were new yet was that in auncient times which hath beene before us There is no memory of former ages neither shall there be of those that are to come amongst who are to be and a little after things past and things to come are all forgotten and the wise together with the fool doe dye In which words what other thing would the preacher show then that all arts are subiect to oblivion and death Neither can they alwayes remaine in the soule but together with the body departs or perisheth by death For nothing I say can adhere unto the Image of God I meane the Soule which is like unto God and consist in death and fire but what is onely God and his word this is the onely endure able creature and the meate of Eternall Life Not that opinion and Art of Philosophers but the true good of the minde and Soule which can happen to no other thing but the word although I doe not denye but that word appeared to some of the Gentils and taught them because God is no respector of Persons but as a common Light of soules as the Sunne is the Light of the whole world neither is the hand of God shortned nor his eye envyous that he should not looke upon the whole VVorld With the same love eye and grace since we are all alike the same workmanshipp of God all of the same love estimation and authoritie with him Hence thou mayst collect that all arts invented by men are death and fruits of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill For assoone as Adam had eaten of that Tree the same day he dyed in the eyes of God as the historie declares although afterwards according to the flesh hee lived many yeares as from heavenly matters the same day was his eyes shutt up and he eat death although in his owne judgement his eyes were opened and he seemed to himselfe to be a living God knowing Good and Evill Then began he to exercise his art his cunning to expound dispute and seeke out a malitious sutle and captious meaning in all things and also to deale deceitfully with God and in all things to hide himselfe to cover himselfe with Figge leaves to kisse his owne hand in a word to worship himselfe by inventing many arts amongst his posterity And out of this Roote spring up all the precepts of men their expositions their arts and so excellent a foundation have they as both the inventour and the authour of them was the Devill and the first Scoller that learned them did eate death therefrom And this Science and Art is utterly to be abhorred being no other then a Diabolicall perswasion conceived in Adam formed and hid in the Seede of the Serpent And yet all the World as Adam did thinkes that Life is placed in it neither doth it receive any instruction from Adam neither indeed understand the historie of Adams fall or his rising againe and that whole matter at this day doth live yet accounting it but a Historie long since acted done and afterwards dare say the word of God endureth for ever Therefore wee must needs confesse that nothing is past which in its kinde is not yet extant Whole Moyses is urged upon Christians neither is one jott of the word of God lost which shall not be fulfilled in every moment in spirit truth Therefore the fall of Adam happeneth dayly dayly doth Adam in his posterity eate of the forbidden fruit And therfore his Sonnes in Adam as in the roote are damned dead Now this our fall as Adams is amended and repaired if we spirt out and vomitt up this knowledge of good and Evill as poyson and become as Adam was before his fall Children Fooles and innocent Turttles that wee may eate of the Tree of Life and suffer the Seed of the woman to be ingrafted in us This is not the Seede the art witt and counsell of the Serpent but the Seede word will the minde of God the Tree of Life which whosoever eateth and suffreth himselfe to be fedd therewith is indowed with Eternall Life Now in us there is a Medicine with poyson For as by sinne the Tree of knowledge of good and Evill was planted into the heart of Adam so by his conversion rising againe and Seede of the Woman the
the word For the word hath not onely a knowledge but also a certaine action it is not onely a Light and splendor in us given from above but also Life The interior word containeth both of these which sometimes is called the Kingdome of God sometimes the Spirit sometimes Christ dwelling in us For it is not onely a Light way and guide but also Spirit truth and Life that is which not onely teacheth man that he may understand but also moves him that hee workes But the exterior word is farre from this priviledge and hath farr a different nature For it is nothing else but a certaine forme figure of the interior J will not say a shadow Therefore the interior words as it is the onely lively so it is the onely true word as being the truth and life But on the contrary the exterior is nothing but a killing Letter and a deceitfull figure of the word Hence it ariseth the Letter as Christ becomes a certaine snare to wicked men a stone of offence darkenesse not Light death and not Life Therefore it is necessarie that beside the exterior word the interior be sought after and knowne Since the exterior deceiveth a man with its shape is death and darknesse unlesse the Light Life of the spirit bee together present with it Moreover the exterior suffereth a man to be sluggously and idle except the power of the interiour bee present with it Therefore the interiour word may be without the exterior as the exteriour without the interior Therfore it doth not necessarily follow that a man hath the word of God because he pretends and hath the letter as on the other side it followeth not that he who wāteth the exterior word or letter wāteth also the interior true and heavenly word which is God himselfe For he doth not alwayes want the word who hath not the Letter For the Letters doth onely give a testimony of the word so farre are they from being the word it selfe yea they are scarce the Image of the living word Much lesse are they it which neither can be written nor expressed by words both which is incident to the Letters Therefore the Letters are farre from being the word of God yea all the word though sometimes they bee called the word of God as the image and picture of a man is called sometimes by his name even as God is sometimes called man the word flesh not that God is man or the word or spirit is made flesh by imitation appellattion and permixion So as what is said of one may be verified of the other or so as God cease to be God and to be truely changed into man as that water in Cana Galilee was changed into wine Or so as the word is so flesh as not now it is not the spirit or the word but flesh in no wise The word is not so in the Letter that they be one and the selfe same thing or so as the word should have changed it selfe into the Letter and yet well and rightly the Letters are called the Word of God so as God is called Man and the Word flesh although to speake properly neither is the word of God chāged into Letters nor God into Man nor the word into flesh Therefore both these may be true the Letters are the word of God and the Letters are not the word of God Now although the Letters are sometimes in some respect the word of God yet truely are they not the sole nor altogether nor all the Word of God yea if we speak properly they are not the word of God which either can be spoken or written and that the Letters are not the sole word of God may be made knowne by this That many things besides the Scriptures are revealed inspired unto many and many things are spoken and written by them which are not contained openly in the letters yea which somtimes are contrarie to the dead Letters The Prophets Moyses Christ and his Appostles whose words seeme to be contrary to the Prophets what they have written of the Temple the Sacrifice Circumcision and of the vision of God Moreover the true word of God hath beene from all eternitie yea even before any scripture was as I have said before it will be hereafter whē the scriptures are perished Therefore the word is improperly in the Letter and flesh and therefore it is improperly called flesh or the Letter For my word saith Christ is Spirit and Life Therefore the word cannot be that word which is flesh or dead letter wherfore though the word truely and indeed is onely in spirit as in which it onely liveth yet it is also in the flesh but yet weake if there it bee alone without the Spirit and Life It is also in the Letter but altogether dead unlesse the Spirit doe quicken it as the soule doth the bodie and it is in both and yet not truely and if truely yet not all and onely and lively Now although the word is in the Spirit lively and true yet after a more peculiar excellent manner it is in the flesh then in the Letter although the Spirit be present with the Letter and lend a hand it teacheth nothing but when the spirit dwelleth with the flesh it not onely teacheth but also maketh alive and bursteth out into workes So the letter of the Law brings men to no perfection although it be the word of God as also the Scriptures spoken by the mouth of God and written by his finger For the word of the Law did teach the knowledge of the precept but did not give man a will and strength to fulfill the same but the word which is made flesh giveth life to beleevers Hence it commeth to passe that the flesh inspired with the word and spirit of God wills and doth keepe the Commandement of God Therefore the word in the flesh doth onely give an Example of life when on the contrarie it leaveth in the letter all things idle and sleepie But in the Spirit it truely stirrs up the heart and affections towards the Law for the Spirit is the life and soule of the word and therefore the word it selfe but the flesh is a certaine imitation of the word the letters a certaine printed picture and Copie of the word Wherefore the written word is not the true word but a certaine image thereof yea the Scriptures pronounced in words are not the true word of God but onely a testimony thereof For the Scriptures had beginning in time by occasion but the word was from all eternitie Adde to which the Scriptures doe lead men into errour except the interpreter viz. the Spirit be present And they are a sealed booke and a perplexed Laborinth unlesse the Spirit be present as the Treede of Thesius to guide us and as the Key of David to open unto us Hence it comes to passe that many men seeing see not and hearing heare not and as who know the Scriptures
alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth but the more he learneth the more perverse he is and to such a madnesse doth he come at last through his overmuch wisdome that he quite forgets what to say bable determine beleeve and what opinion to hould and so he together with his fraile foundation and fickle arts staggers here and there slides out of one errour into another untill hee become vaine in all his imaginations and like to Foxes caught with all their trickes and turnings is thereby miserably ensnared in the Netts and snares of his owne arts and sciences But the Christian like to the Catt hath but one way knowes but one art whereby he is able to save himselfe yea that a cheefe one viz. his God in whom he hath all things knowes loves and comprehends all things And therefore hee scapeth when the Fox though he know many sleights those craftie ones indeed yet often together with his sleights hee falleth into the power of the Gods and the hands of the hunter Therefore thou canst boast of nothing nor build upon any other thing whatsoever but onely that sure foundation and art which is God himselfe his holy word For all other things forsake man in adversitie except the hope and confession of God this is the true preacher in our hearts if any man will attend and hearken to what he shall speake in him he hath planted in us the Seede of the woman neere unto the Seede of the Serpent for opposition unto the same yea he hath confirmed his Spirit finger word and Image in us His Spirit he hath cloathed in us with Flesh and hath placed it captive in the midst of its enimies in the Tabernacle of the Flesh that it may prevaile and overcome and subduing the Flesh may with it selfe carie it unto God deify it engraffe it unite it unto God For this is the fight betweene the Flesh the Spirit in us of which Paul speaketh off Therefore if any will yeeld himselfe over in the midst of his enimies to the holy Spirit glory in God as in a most fortified Campe in him God would without doubt once come and vanquish his enimies and so he should know all things to eternall Life But the World doth not attend unto God in himselfe alwayes occupied with the sound or noyse of the Creatures passeth on with tumult and confusion and so knowes nothing heares nothing learnes nothing though in the meane time it compasseth searcheth and inquireth out a thousand unprofitable arts and continually learnes and the longer it learnes it is the more unlearned untill sliding into errour at last it falls quite downe But if men as Christians doe would abide with God privately in the Schoole of their hearts and with Marie would sitt attentively at the feete of their Lord and would both heare and learne what God would be pleased to speake teach interprise in them verily they divinely instructed would at last vomitt up all their arts as ignorant and folly And with Paul would forgett them deny them and account them as drosse and dung Standing water is easily made bright with the beames of the Sunne and a rolling stone gathereth no mosse but the roaring Rivers of this world must necessarily be either lukewarme or cold Therefore it is behovefull that before al things we turn unto God in our soules and compose our selves with him in quietnesse dayly talking with him heare him and learne of him Which thing the whole world is ignorant off it knoweth not how to heare the word the Master the teacher and how to learne of him in himselfe but alwayes it flyes out of its owne heart into the mouth of man who when they be altogether lyers filthie vaine it comes to passe that they are allwayes deceived are alwayes learning and heaping many arts when notwithstanding with all their arts they are ignorant and foolish because that which they know is but meerely surreptions theevish untried taken upon trust from others of which they themselves never had experience but if any to please the people have profunctorily beleeved yet together with the people they beleeve some other thing Then truely like Bees they fly out in swarming sometimes prosecuting a poor Wesell making deare enquiry into a matter of little moment and fall into some matter of dispute upon whose foundation and ground they are altogether ignorant off untill they be satiated with it then they fall upon some other thing So in times past all Israell in whom all the whole world is figured together with their Kings and Preists did fall untill they wholy erred from the Faith and once taken were led away captive Read the people painted in my booke of the World Now J call with Paul the word of God that foolish and offensive speech which to weet doth bring with it the crosse greefe and death of the flesh and maketh all things which seeme somthing to be nothing and only looketh upon regardeth those men who are nothing in themselves which in the eyes of the world seeme the greatest folly that can be Neither can it be perswaded that letting passe that which it sees it should embrace that which it neither hath not sees for it would rather have one bird in hand then two in a bush Neither doth it doubt so it might keepe it to preferre a temporarie life before a thousand eternall liues And therefore the Word and the preachers of the word have beene persecuted for fooles Now the word of God is of such a nature and force that though it hath a vulgar stile so simple in the language of truth yet it overthroweth all things whatsoever rise against it it dulleth the edge of all witt and these entysing and corrupt contemplations together with the more eloquent kinde of lying it doth bring into such straight that it maketh them to blush for shame although as it is alwayes the properties of lyes and ungodlinesse they will not confesse themselves to bee overcome For the word of God doth say such strait seege to the heart of Man that every one if he doe not speake against his owne conscience is forced thus to thinke and so to determine as the word doth speake that so it is and otherwise it cannot be but a lye On the contrarye bursts in with a long Circumlocution and one lye doth almost waigh ten lyes that it may seeme to be true and have a shaddow thereof But the word of God as I have already said doth proceed after a most simple manner but it doth so gird a man that will hee or not hee becommeth amazed and with admiration astonished affrighted doth say this is the finger of God No man ever spake thus for this word hath such a sharpnes sting and strength that it pearseth even into the heart and seperateth the flesh from the spirit so as the minde beeing captivated without all controversie assents to