the truth of the letter bears witnesse to it self in the spirit the letter in it self is dead but the Spirit of that truth which is in the letter quickneth and giveth life The bare letter is but a History or a Relation yet it is a true relation For the Apostle saith that no lie is of the truth there is no lie in the truth consider it either in the letter or in the spirit We know that there are many lies cast upon the truth by him who is the father of lies but consider of truth in it self and no lie can be any part thereof for the Word doth imply this it could not be thus denominated if its nature were not according to its name The term light signifies the nature of light so the Name of God signifies the nature of God so the word truth signifies the nature of it the name of truth is truth and so is the nature of it too Now consider that nothing is so contrary to the inward nature and internall disposition of man as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Word of God is contrary to all the principles of follie that are in the hearts of men Psal 14.1 2 3. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God this was a secret spirituall wickednesse that lay lurking in his heart he was a cunning fool he thought in his heart as the Familists do that that he would not often confesse with his tongue and although he loved this Atheisticall religion well yet he was not very willing to suffer for it The conclusion that I shall draw from this first verse is this that the wisest man in the world is a meer fool untill he be a Saint untill he leaves the wisdom of the world and those politick logicall doctrines which that wisdom teacheth and be filled with the wisdom of God So St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.13 that the doctrines and words of mans wisdom makes the crosse of Christ of no effect Chap. 1.17 The word of God the doctrine of a crucified Jesus is meer foolishnesse to them it is too holy too plain and simple for them to deal with if they should teach the truth as it is in Jesus and not mix their own words and corrupt imaginations therewith if they would declare the whole truth and keep back no part of Gods counsell what then why then their perfection must fall down to the ground Therefore you see how contrary the Word of God is to all the principles of mens hearts and contrary to all their practises too What will not what doth not many men do who are taken to be great Preachers of Christ I say what will they not do to exalt Babel to prefer their own bellies and outward estates before the Word of God they take it up in their Sermons in the sight of the people but lay it aside in their lives and conversations Fourthly no man could ever parallel any other book or writing to this Word of God but in all ages for all sorts of persons it hath been in one respect or other the foundation of all Writings Councils and Disputations whatsoever is or hath been under heaven concerning Religion there is but one truth as there is but one God which in the power and spirit of it is God Joh. 1.1 Chap. 5.32 Fifthly the Scripture is written for this end that it may be an occasion of offence and a stone of stumbling both to the Jews and Grecians and by this means their eternal destruction and to others a savour of life to eternall life 1 Cor. 1.23 24 25. 2 Cor. 2.15 16. Isa 8.14 Joh. 3.14 There is no writing that ever hath been besides this that hath been accompanied with such life and power by which it hath raised up and cast down saved and destroyed as this Word of God hath No word hath been such a discovery of the minde of the invisible immortall God unto men as this Word of God hath Joh. 1.18 Again what writing hath discovered the nature and condition that all men by nature are in unto men in such a manner as the Word of God hath Rom. 7.7 which proves that it was written by that Spirit that knows all hearts and all things 1 Cor. 2.10 11 12. Reason it self tels us that it is impossible for any power to change the carnall stony lofty spirit of man but that power that is above all things and can do all things See Matth. 12.17 18 19 20. Christ by doing that which the Scriptures do declare to us did open that sealed book which none would undertake but the Lambe slain from the beginning of the world Revel 5.3 4 5 6. Isa 42.1 The Apostle saith that the Word of God is lively and mightie in operation sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Hebr. 4.12 Some do object and ask what is here meant by this clause soul and spirit being that they are both taken for one and the same in Scripture Luke 1.46 47. Mary saith My soul magnifieth the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour To this I answer There are two interpretations upon this Scripture the first is that the soul of a man is not the spirit of him but it is his body in which his spirit is and from which it is divided And to prove this there are these Scriptures David speaking of Christ saith that his heart did rejoyce and his flesh did rest in hope because thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave Now how can this be say they that the soul of Christ should be left there where it never was if it be not the body it implyes that it was there and if so then it must needs be mortall Act. 2.26 27. Psal 16.9 10. Gen. 3.20 A second interpretation is that by soul is meant the heart and spirit of a carnall man and by spirit is meant one that is regenerate To which they bring this Scripture 1 Thes 5.23 Now take it which way you will this must be granted that the Bible is the Word of God because these arguments are drawn from it and if there be any truth in either or both of them then is the Scripture that declares them a truth also The Word of God is powerfull in two respects first it is powerfull in it self and so it is the fulnesse or God Secondly it is powerfull in all its operations in respect of it self it is infinite the operations and workings of it is mightie as it is in the creature look upon the hearts and lives of those that have been ungodly and abominable see what a change there is all this doth declare the truth of the Word O what a fin it is for you that have been such and have been changed by the Word so to fall away from God as to deny his Word Just as if
and present with every creature I prove it thus whatsoever it bee that hath any thing of God in it in that and with that God is present but every creature hath something of God in it therefore God must needs bee in and present with all creatures Fourthly every creature is present with and comprehended in the glory of God Gods glory is his infinitenesse if there bee any thing without God or that in this respect is not in God then God cannot bee infinite Act. 17.28 In him wee live move and have our beeing there is not any thing of God observe I pray you in any creature without God unlesse wee will have more Gods then one Fifthly all things are God in his works and severall appearances every work and creature is an appearance and discovery of God for God hath therefore made all creatures that hee might discover himselfe to them and not to discover himselfe to himselfe so then every appearance discovery manifestation or work of God is God the way that I shall take to make good this according to the Word is this every appearance or work of God is God in that appearance the devill is a creature an appearance of God therefore in that notion and respect he is God yea but how there lies the mystery not in every respect for in some respects it is as great a falsehood as in any respect a truth as he is a creature or work of God good in his creation the manifestation of and being ordained for this condition for Gods power as his servant to doe all things Job 1.12 Chap. 40.19 Chron. 2.18.21 Prov. 16.1 according to his eternall counsell for to bring about his end so he is an appearance of God and God is in that appearance now consider that Gods end Gen. 3.4 Rom. 9.22 23. and the devills are not one but two and in this hee is a devill an abominable lyer and the Prince of darknesse yet all this is not absolutely against his will yet God cannot justly according to truth be made to be the authour of sin 1 Cor. 14.33 neither doth hee work it into the devill or into the hearts of men it is horrible blasphemy to speak it the devill is the first founder and father thereof Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.8 Chap. 4.3 The fall of men and Angels was ordained from Eternity and if they had not been ordained for destruction they should never have been destroyed Prov. 16. God hath created all things for himself and the wicked for the day of evill Jude 4. Therefore hee hath mercy on whom hee will and whom hee will hee hardneth At the potter hath power over the clay to make a vessell either for honour or dishonour so hath God power over all creatures to save or condemne according to the good pleasure of his will for the manifestation of his power and justice through his infinite patience and long sufferance upon them which are vessels of wrath and to make his mercy known on them which hee hath prepared unto glory Rom. 9. All things shall bee according to the will of God for nothing can ever bee that is quite contrary to his will consider of Gods will under these two notions First a Secret secondly a revealed will now the revealed will cannot bee against the secret for then the Kingdome of God or God in his will would bee divided which thing can never stand whatsoever God is in his Word the same hee is in himselfe for God doth not discover himselfe to bee one thing in his word and yet is not the same in deed and in truth then the Scriptures were worth nothing being but a meere shadow and a confused History indeed and when a Christian should come to injoy God according to his Word and Promises according to his Oath Seales and evidences of his Spirit he should finde no God at all all Ordinances were then meate for babes for fooles and men voide of understanding O then cleave to the Scripture for if that be not truth then is there no truth at all nor God neither I doe not say that all or every Word that is written there is truth there is some that is not thorow the faults of translators yet God hath bin pleased not to suffer it to be violated or changed in the being of it but hath kept it in their hands from such an extingushing corruption suppose it were possible so to juggell with a wise man as to perswade him that he were an Emperour and he were not yet it were impossible that he should never come into his Right minde againe to know the contrary or some of his generation after him if men should come and tell us that such a booke were the Word and power of God unto Salvation and we should not see the same comming along in it and with it it is not possible that so many wise men should be deceived in the receiving of it but should in one age or another by some meanes or other heare of the contrary Every appearance of God is God not God in his essence but God in his appearance all the beames of the Sunne is the Sunne no man can say it is any thing else and it is a truth that cannot be denyed but how the beame is not the Sunne in its essence but in its appearance for the essentiall body of light is in Heaven The greatest falshood and lye in the World may be a truth in its first Denomination but in the way or manner of proving confirming and inlarging it it may be made to be a lye some men withhold the truth of God in unrighteousnesse if men could but hold to the first principle which is the ground of all Religions and not forsake that in one Respect which they acknowledge in another a Papist would then be a Protestant a Familist would then not be Heriticall but heavenly and so there would be but one Religion in the world Every thing both in Heaven and Earth is one Infinite universall appearance of God and every particular Creature is a particular appearance the Divell is God in one of his greatest appearances namely of his great power Job 41.24.25 a Worme is God also but in a lesser appearance yet God in himselfe is neither lesse nor more buâ—â—â— his discovery God is in every Creature but not Infinitely every particular Creature hath God in it but not the God-head or essence for if God who is Infinite were Infinitely in any one Creature or in all Creatures then he could be no where else and that Creature must needes be equall with God or if his Essence were in all Creatures he would then be limited so you may see the falshood of that Doctrine that the life of the least Creature is Incomprehensible comprehending and containing all things if the essence were in one appearance then all the light and glory of the Sunne would be comprehended in the breadth of your hand Objection But some will say
the appearance of his power and the power or spirit of man is God in that appearance When God made man and put a spirit into him he did put in or goe into man himselfe but he did not put in or goe in himselfe in his Essence but in the manifestation and discovery of his Essence and so he appeared in all Creatures but in man after another manner setting up a greater light and manifestation of himself than he did in all other Creatures besides except the good Angels Job saith that the spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord it is not the Lord in his beeing for light and darknesse are both alike to him The spirit of man is not in the course of nature a light to the Lord to discover any thing to him but it is the Candle of the Lord set up by him in the bodies of men by which light they come to know God and to know all things that hee hath decreed that by that light shall be revealed unto them Rom. 1.19 For as much as may be knowne of God was manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them now if that light had bin able to carry them forth into a spirituallity in all things that as they knew God so they might glorifie him as God and not become vaine in their imaginations and so turne not nor make use of that knowledge which they had of God to the exaltation and setting up of that that was not God they had bin saved verse 20.21.22.23.24.25 but that light was not sufficient for such a worke Secondly the spirit of man is of thorow and to God that is as he is the Ordainer Creator Governour and Upholder thereof surely there must needs be a wonderfull appearance of God in all this and this must needs be God in a glorious appearance or discovery of himselfe in man and yet his Essence is not the nature life and spirit of man a wonderfull appearance of God in man to give and measure out into his Spirit so much power and glory Thirdly the spirit of man as it came forth in its first estate out of the hands of God was the sweetest and the excellentest of all Creatures in this world and was heire of all things being very frequent in Communion with God now the same spirit that he had then he never lost for then he would have ceased from his being and therefore all men have such a spirit as then God gave unto Adam that which he lost by falling was that good peaceable holy and glorious condition wherein he stood with God this hee lost both for himselfe and his posterity in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt surely dye now if by dying the Lord had meant to take away his Spirit in the being of it then how comes it to passe that he lived so long knew his wife and increased in his Generation by which meanes we come now to have a being in the world what cunning Antichristian Poeticall Phylosopher is there that can winde us out of any of these truths Fourthly If Adam lost his spirit and it was not one and the same with ours then did God raise up another contrary Generation in the World and then what kind of Death is that which he did and we doe now suffer if that spirit was destroyed in the being of it then it never after felt or could be any wayes capable or sensible See the booke Intituled Divinity and Phylosophy dissected either of a condition of Joy or torment but that that we call the losse and fall of man that Antichrist saith is nothing else but God in an appearance of darkenesse for the sinnes cause and for the good of the man that God and man had made that hee might take an occasion by this darkenesse and obscure appearance to manifest himselfe to and in the man in all his Essentiall glory Answer man by his fall instead of bringing Death to himselfe and to his posterity by this meanes he brought life and immortality the God-head and the Essence to himselfe if all this be true it is time I thinke to throw away the Scriptures in the beginning God made man Righteous but he hath found out many inventions Eccles Fifthly Bright Starr That light is a pure simple naked and habituall faith Residing in the crowne of the of the soule and beholds God without any meane pag. 115. As if he should say that the soule by a habituall faith beholds God without a Mediator for saith he nothing is but Gods will pag. 70. the will of God is God himselfe therefore nothing is but it pag. 71. line 14. and that this is a Divine truth according to the Scriptures he turnes you to the first chapter and there you shall see one lye proved to be a truth by another if this be a trueth it is Impossible that there should be any Mediator and if this be true then the soule is God and so God doth behold himselfe without any meane the spirit of man is a particular substance and power besides the Essence of God yet there is not another Essence or God-head besides that one who is Infinite and Eternall all spirits whatsoever are so many particular substantiall powers all powers whatsoever are one in their Originall but many in reference to their particular beings if any man hath lockt himselfe up in secret and is very loath to come forth to show himselfe plainly to the poorest capacity whether he be for Christ or for Antichrist yet let him now come forth to helpe us against the mighty or to helpe the mighty against Jehovah I will prove this truth to you by the Scripture and by Reason too Which is 1 Pet. 3.22 At the right hand of God gone into Heaven unto whom the Angels Powers and might are subject here is included in this all the spirits that are both in Heaven and Earth now I prove that they are perfect particular powers and beings besides God the power of God in the God-head is God and it is not compounded of parts and degrees but the power of God in the severall appearances of God is not the life and being of him but is the life and being of Angels and men Secondly the power of God in his Essence cannot be made or brought into subjection under Jesus Christ but the power of God in his severall appearances are for God hath so exalted the Lord Jesus that all Creatures both men and Angels are made subject to him Philip. 2.9.10 But God cannot be made or brought under subjection to God as these Angels powers and mights were Againe Thirdly There cannot be a higher confusion or A greater contradiction imagined and expressed by the heart and tongue of man then this to thinke that God should ever bow downe to the Lord Jesus God in his Essence is the blessed Trinity in his person hee is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ take away a
THE DESCRIPTION AND CONFVTATION OF MYSTICALL ANTICHRIST the FAMILISTS OR An Information drawn up and published for the Confirmation and comfort of the Faithfull against many Antichristian Familisticall Doctrines which are frequently Preached and Printed in England particularly in those dangerous Books called Theologia Germanica the Bright Star Divinity and Philosophy dissected Written by Benjamin Bourne 2 THES 2.7 8 9. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now withholdeth shall let untill he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked man be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming even him whose comming is after the effectuall working of Satan with all power signes and lying wonders Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Matthew Symons for B. B. and are to be sold at the Signe of the Angel in Cornehill 1646. To all the Elect of God Inhabiting within the borders of England particularly to them that have now a being in London grace mercy and peace be multiplied from God the Father through our Lord JESVS CHRIST BEloved in the Lord I have dedicated this Booke not to any one City or place but to all places in this Land whatsoever where any of Gods people are inhabiting and this I have done for these reasons First because I have many that are neare and deare to me dwelling in many parts of this Kingdome Secondly because the matter is generall and doth concerne all those in generall that have any relation to the Lord Jesus Thirdly because Antichrist is a large beast yet is like to be larger having many of his broode sitting under his wing in all parts of the world deceiving and being deceived by reason of those delusions which God hath for his owne glory sent unto them 2 Thes 2.11 I have many weighty considerable scriptures grounds from thence to doe what I have undertaken Fiâ—st God hath bestowed all upon me and revealed all to me for a 1 Cor. 12.7 Chap. 13.1 Rom. 12.10 11. 1 Thes 2.8 this one maine end that I might be an Instrument of helpe and comfort to my brethren before Israel can come to have a quiet possession of Canaan Deut. Judg. Many Nations of enemies must be subdued and never was there more opposition in Sions way then there is now the devill hath a mighty Kingdome Antichrist a mighty Nation besides many other enemies that we must encounter with and therefore there is good reason that we should helpe and assist one another Suppose a man with many friends be travelling of a journey and at a distance from them be opposed by an enemy will not the rest be ready to manifest their love and courage in assisting him have they not a sufficient call thereunto now the Saints are a travelling together towards heaven they doe meete with many enemies that doe lye in waite to deceive Ephes 4.14 If ever any had a call to bring in their assistance to Sion if ever any had a fit time and opportunity to doe good surely now they have O therefore let us arise as one man as one body as one Army to wrastle with this enemy the devill is already come with his millions the world with her thousands Antichrist with his ten thousands I thinke it's time to rise to helpe and strengthen the body of Sion against these soul-destroying doctrines these spirituall plots and conspiracies those who aime not at a single person but at the whole state of the Church to rob them if it were possible of salvation and comfort Mat. 24.24 by cunning sophistries seeming Angelicall doctrines such as can deliver their mindes so that every expression shall be a mystery a strange paradox unheard of maximes wordes that are neither according to the scriptures nor according to the termes of Schooles or those words which in our owne language are commonly spoken amongst us they are just like to the devill transforming himselfe into Angels likenesse and would have all men to looke upon him according to that appearance although in truth he in all shapes and forms cannot cease from being a devill therefore if we have any love in our hearts towards God towards all men now is the time to manifest and expresse it against such hell borne new found doctrines such as are like to some sorts of sea monsters that are so seldome seene that the sight or appearance of them becomes a wonder to all that shall behold them the devill works cunningly by these doctors by reason of their fewnesse and scarcenesse starting up once in an age this sect was in the Apostles time and it is of such a nature that no man can be of it especially teachers and ring-leaders of them but such as are full of knowledge men that have amongst the Saints and in Churches been famous for preaching of Christ these prime Agents for Antichrist Here is their sheepes cloathing to be seene their voluntary humility their excellent knowledge their high and eloquent wisedome b See Theologia pag. 2. l. 1. that they can summe up all Religions all creatures all spirits and all things whatsoever in one and one in all The second ground is this that I may by that which the Lord hath bestowed upon me be an Instrument of glory to his Name not by increasing but by c 1 Cor. 12.7 manifesting and revealing to men what he hath discovered to me Lastly that I might stoppe the mouth of Antichrist who saith that none are able to stand before them or answer them in writing disputing or reasoning d Rom. 7.18 of my selfe I can doe nothing but e Gal. 2.20 through Christ I can doe all things which is one cause why their matter doth take such deepe effect in the harts of many yet in no more then God hath ordained either to a present or eternall fall I have presented this present to thee whosoever thou art that hast any communion with God in our Lord Jesus by Election Redemption Creation and Conversion I pray you accept of it as one mite cast into the whole treasury Thy Friend in the Spirit BENIAMINE BOURNI To the Reader I Shall in the Treatise following as plainely as I am able lay open to the view of all men not at the second hand but by experience having often heard them both preach and dispute what that is which commonly goes by the name of Familisme what I shall say concerning it or them that uphold it is not out of malice to them or any person whatsoever neither shall I speake at randome charging them with that which they hold not but what I shall say I shall speake positively and certainely Had I not enough to say I should never set pen to paper or were it a low slight inferiour heresie I should not in this publicke way in the least measure have to doe with it all the favour that I crave at thy hands is
confutation I desire to inform you of which are as so many spears thrust thorow the heart of Christ and a Christian the heart of Christ is the Spirit the heart of a Christian is Christ who is this Spirit The method that I shall use is this First I shall set down the errours laying them open and naked to thy view Secondly lay down the truth by which I desire to proceed against them T is true that one of them includes and contains them all and whatsoever else they can devise to write or say Yet for distinction understanding and profit I shall divide this one great mystery into many distinct severall mysterious Doctrines CHAP. II. Antichrist described and confuted in his first Errour which is that there is but one Spirit or life in all things both in heaven and earth and that is absolutely and essentially God and something concerning the coming of Christ in the flâ—sh I Shall lay open this Errour to you thus there is but one Spirit in the world that is there is but one spirit or life internall fire heat or motion in all things whatsoever without exception in God in good Angels as we call them in devils as we term them in all creatures and in all the sons and daughters of men The confutation I do not know any thing to the contrary but that there is and may be seemingly or for want of knowledge some difference amongst them but this I say that he that holds not closely and firmly to this one ground and principle cannot be an absolute able direct but must needs be a neutrall Familist The truth that I shall lay down is this that this expression thesis or doctrine is an erroneous Antichristian blasphemy whatsoever is erroneous is Antichristian whatsoever is Antichristian in this sence concerning the essence or being of God is blasphemy T is treason for any man but the King to say that he is the King t is treason rebellion and blasphemy against God for any man to say that that which is created and finite is the Infinite and Essentiall Godhead I shall prove that to be an undeniable truth which I have to say to you concerning this first Errour both by Scripture and Reasons making it clearly manifest that there are more spirits in the world then one and that the life and being of man and all creatures is not the life and being of God 1 Joh. 4.1 Dearly beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many false prophets are gone out into the world Let us solidly and lovingly search out this mystery and see what this spirituall and divine truth will afford us you may plainly see that these words are an exhortation a conclusion and a. Reason all which he delivers with these two loving foregoing expressions Dearly beleved the exhortation lies in these words Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God the Reason lies in these words For many false prophets are gone out into the world The conclusion is this that there are more spirits in the world then one And it lies in these words spirits and prophets speaking in the plurall number Then there is another implyed and that is this that every spirit is not of God ver 2. and 3. It is impossible that one spirit should act in such a way of opposition or contrariality as these two spirits do which the Apostle gives a description of The good Spirit which is of God is known by this action which is a reall confession and acknowledgement of the coming of Christ in the flesh The other spirit is known by another contrary work viz. to deny this Christ in his coming The last thing that I shall observe from these Scriptures is this What manner of Christ is this that the Apostle here speaks of is it a particular body a perfect man which God created and assumed in the wombe of that Virgin that was for this end ordained and set apart by God from eternity I mean that Virgin which was espoused or affianced to Joseph whose name was Mary or is it a universall Christ as Antichrist cals him that is the flesh and blood of the whole world to which this Scripture with many others is applyed 1 Tim. 3. last Without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse viz God manifested in the flesh that is God manifest in the flesh of all men which flesh outward form body or orgine See the Bright Starr That it is chiefly remarkable to find Christ in his passion in us that he be considered and beheld as crucified in us pag. 205. li. 4 11. That if we deal with the passion of Christ in himself it must be imaginary but if we look upon it as it is in our selves it is not then to be imagined but beheld just such as we feel in our selver really p 211. l. 17.18 was created by one life good or God which is eternall and this good God or life eternall in creating this man did assume it and by assuming or uniting it to himself Godhead or essence doth make out a discovery and manifestation of himself to himself in and by all creatures whatsoever The first I acknowledge to be the truth and of Christ the second I prove to be false and of Antichrist one Scripture hath dependance upon another like a golden chain break one link and you break all deny one truth and you deny all Compare one spirituall truth with another and that is the onely way by the Spirit to finde out the spirituality of all truth These Scriptures that I am now treating or speaking of are sufficient witnesses to justifie or bear me out in all these inferences or conclusions that I have drawn from them But besides these I shall produce many others to confirm this truth which is so plain that the devil and Antichrist in all their appearances cannot deny I mean in such a manner so as to take away the essence and being of it out of the world I mean a new creation the heart of a true beleever The other Scriptures are these Luke 27.28 so onward to the 55. I pray you read this History in love to the Lord Jesus without any selfish by-respect either to your selves or to any person in this world if any will deny a particular crucified Jesus he must race and blot out all these with many other Scriptures concerning this Isa 7.14 Dan. 7.14.27 Micha 4.7 Isa 30.18 the 41.8 the 54.5 Jer. 31.3.20 Gen. 17.19 Psal 132.11 Luke 1. last Matth. 28.5 6. Joh. 20.19.25.29 1 Cor. 15.3 4 5 6 7 8. Isa 53.5 1 Pet. 2.24 Act. p. 4. Matth. 8.17 Jona 2.1 Matth. 11. from the first to the 6. Isa 61.1 Matth. 3.3 the whole Chapter Isa 40.3 The Lord is pleased to lay this truth upon a sure foundation in all which he doth confirm his word and promise and also discovereth his love and glory for the comfort and
the Plot had they but known the event thereof little did the devil think when he came to our first parents in the form of a created Serpent to tempt them with many fair stories curious lies and loving expressions to eat of the forbidden fruit that so he might be lord over all that ever that action of theirs should bring such glory to God as by the Almighty power of God it did Power in God cannot increase nor decrease but his power in his creatures hath and still doth the least Angel in heaven is greater in power then the greatest Devil that is in hell yet the greatest devil that is now in hell for any thing I know to the contrary was the greatest Angel that was in heaven next unto the Lord Jesus When a man hath lost an arm or any other member he cannot do that after which he could before why not onely because he hath lost a member but also he hath lost the power the power doth not go in to those members that are left to strengthem them but rather they are all made the weaker by that losse you may put the member to the body but not put life and power in to it again Now his inward spirit may be one and the same in the power of it not in its degree When God doth convert a man to the knowledge of himself he doth put that power in to him that he never had before such a power as is divine and heavenly for the spirit is the power of God and a Christian in the first instant of conversion doth receive the Spirit of God which changes and transforms him from the image of the devil into the likenesse of Jesus Christ Now God leads into temptation that so he may bring light out of darknesse and good out of the greatest evil contrary to the thoughts and expectations of men or devils Now shall we sin that grace may abound God forbid let the Lord work which way he pleaseth according to his secret counsell yet it is impossible that we who are once dead to sin should live any longer therein Rom. 6.1 2. Secondly it s a great temptation to be for a moment forsaken of God now God doth this sometimes mediately by means and sometimes more immediately from himself it may be God hath ordained that the devil shall come to a Christian in this estate of weaknesse as he did to Christ when he was an hungry Matth. 4.2 and think by some divellish trick or other to bring him to utter confusion but if God be pleased to work by this means so as to deliver a Christian in this combate from his unexpressable sorrow the devils action is neverthelesse devillish and sinfull So God by this means brings glory to his Name by raising a Christian and confounding the devil Again Gods leads into temptation by persecution and to exalt his glory and to make manifest his power he raiseth up Pharaoh and hardens his heart for the affliction and triall of his people Now here is an act of Pharaoh and an act of God too the act of God was to harden the act of Pharaoh was his severall actions being hardened The act of Pharaohs heart was not the act of God not in its severall thoughts See Theologa Germanica he saith that sin is a great torment to God that he wouldwillingly endure corporall death that it might be extinguish ed. pa 87. purposes and inclinations did God think as Pharaoh thought and were Gods purposes and Pharaohs both one and the same and was the Almighty inclined and resolved to make war with himself as Pharaoh was and did God lay that punishment and these seven grievous plagues upon himself and upon his own Spirit which he laid upon Pharaoh and all Aegypt and was God sensible or did he feel that grief pain and torment which he felt or that that our spirits feels often in many conditions of sicknesse fears sorrows passions and extremities that we know to be true now all things cannot be the act of God Again when God requires and commands me to yeeld obedience to him to repent and beleeve the Gospel and to forsake my self and this world to look up to him for salvation to prepare for death affliction and judgement who doth he speak to to himself all this while Again God doth not rule all things in all respects there are many rulers under and besides God the Devil is a ruler a governour and there are many rulers under the devil Again man is a Ruler and there are many Rulers under man The Pope is a great Ruler and he holds up his kingdom for the Devil Antichrist among the Familists is a mightie Ruler a subtle politick one he rules by the power of the Devil by all his doctrines miracles and lying wonders Revel 13.13 but he is not grown so great yet Again there are many Rulers under men the King under an Emperour and many Rulers under a King some are Christians some Heathens God doth not rule all things nor act all things When a man resolveth to kill or rob such a person and all his thoughts run upon it and he cannot rest untill it be done when he doth it is this the act of God If this were true there could be no order nor government in the world Theol. Germ. pa. 80. If a man should come and before thou art aware should knock out thy brains would you if you should return to life again thank him for his pains desiring him that he would do so again telling him it was not his act but Gods Thou mayest say this but who will beleeve thee Germ. p. 8. Germanica Chap. 29. and what truth is there in all this sometimes thou sayest that God is not active but now he acts all things CHAP. IIII. The third Errour which is that nothing shall remain eternally but the essence life or Spirit of God which is now in all creatures The contrary is proved both by Scripture and Reason And three Errours more nominated but handled in order Hebr. 1.10 11 12. Psal 102.25 I Shall open this Errour thus the bodies of men shall turn to dust or to what it was before if it was nothing it shall turn to nothing But they say that it was hid potentially in God and so it shall return into silence with God again There is no created thing whatsoever shall continue if Angels were created within those six dayes in which God did make and finish his work they also shall perish and come to nothing but those spirits that we call good and evil Angels they call good or evil motions of mans minde The Confutation I do not know any truth that is either expressed or implyed in this Errour either according to Scripture or Reason if there were I should be willing to plead and contend for it I shall include three Doctrines or Errours in this one and set them down in order and so open and discover them to
in grace nor nature that will or can uphold this for all Rivers that are swallowed up by the fulnesse of the Sea were before they were thus gathered one element together with it But all creatures are not of one and the same nature or divine spirituall substance together with God therefore it s impossible that ever all creatures should thus be gathered up in too and by being thus gathered should become one fulnesse with God If this were true then as some affirm every thing were the word of God and so the knowledge of every thing and of any thing whatsoever were the onely knowledge of the Word of God St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. that no man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit that is within him so no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God It is impossible for that light that is belowe God to know that light which is God No man can know the light of the Sun by the light of a candle the light of Reason is but Moon or candle light it is too dark weak and waterish to discover the light of the Sun by it nothing belowe God can discover any thing of God but all creatures in all respects consider them as creatures are belowe God considering of God in reference to himself therefore all creatures cannot discover God nor thus be made one with him Again whatsoever is infinite to that nothing can be added but God was the same fulnes before the creature was that he is now the creature is therefore no creature nor all creatures can not be so gathered up in to God as to be made one fulnesse with God who is not nor cannot be no other now now all creatures are then he was eternally before any creature had a being Secondly if a carnall spirit could understand the minde of God in the Word then could it no longer continue to be a Christians center that that flows from Christ to that Christ must be a center But all Christianity flows from Christ therefore it must needs be centered in him Now if the written Word could be known in the letter and in the spirit by one who hath not the spirit then darknesse would be turned into light and light into darknesse the Word of God would then be not heavenly but earthly But as nothing can change the being of God into that which is not God Rom. 1. though many seek to do it So nothing can change the Word of truth into that that is not truth that is into a lie this the power of men and devils shall never accomplish If the Word of truth in the letter and in the spirit could be discerned by a lie then consider what a great losse all the people of God would then have and that for these Reasons First the Word of God is the foundation that a Christian hath or ever shall have to all eternity 1 Pet. 2.7 1 Cor. 3.11 Christ is a Christians foundation in these foure respects First the foundation of our election this the letter declares and as that declares it so we know it and are able to prove it Ephes 1.4 5 6. A Christian was chosen and beloved of God in Jesus Christ from eternity Christ is the Word Joh. 1. the Word bears up all things Hebr. 1. A Christians election is born up and kept from being abolished by the glorious person of our Lord and Saviour Secondly Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Redemption too 1 Pet. 2. Joh. 10.9.18 He was the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world and he is that person also consider of him in his Godhead that ordained and set apart himself to be a sacrifice and an atonement for the world Thirdly Christ is the foundation of a Christians conversion also Ephes 3.17 1 Cor. 8.6 Lastly Christ is the foundation of a Christians everlasting glory Rom. 8.34 Joh. 17. Perswade me if you can whosoever you are that would race and blot out the Gospel of Christ both in the letter and spirit that I have no other Father Redeemer Governor and Creator then that spirit which is within thee which thou didst receive in the wombe and then I shall beleeve this that you have said concerning the Scripture therefore to consider you as you in truth are the more you speak against the Word of God the more cause I have to beleeve it for the devil will never speak well of Christ unlesse it be for some devillish end or other Gal. 5.17 Thirdly no man ever would write such a word that is so much against him and altogether contrary to him as the two testimonies of our Lord Jesus are for then man would make a law against himself which is against all Law and Reason Who is the man that will accuse himself and betray himself to death through his own accusation man instead of making spirituall Laws is the onely breaker of them Rom. 2.13 and 3.10 11. Doth not our daily practises continually declare the truth of this unto us But some will object that I do all this while prove the Word to be true from it self which is a contrary thing and gives no satisfaction at all To this I answer That I do thus I acknowledge and that for this Reason Because I have no other way to prove the truth that it is true but by the truth No man can know the Sun that is the Sun but by the light thereof Secondly the testimonie of the Word is of it self a sufficient testimony for it self 1 Joh. 5. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father Word and Spirit and these three are one they are one God one Spirit one Truth and one Testimony The Lord saith that there is no other God besides me Isa 45.6 Now by the same rule men may say how shall we know thee to be the true God we have no witnesse or testimony but thy own I answer The record and testimony which God bears of himself is true and sufficient because he doth not onely say that he is God and so leave men there but he acts according to his Word sending forth an Almighty power causing men to acknowledge him to be in truth that he is and causing all creatures to discover and reveal his power and Godhead to the world A man may say that he is God as many do but they cannot prove what they say for their saying that they are so doth not cause them to be so unlesse they could come forth with an infinite Almighty power to act as God doth Thirdly Whatsoever is besides the Word in comparison of the Word is not a truth but a lie and then what is it besides the truth that can come in really to iustifie and bear record to the truth the testimony of the truth is a sufficient witnesse for it self because there is no other truth besides it The Word in the Spirit bears witnesse to the truth of the Word in the letter and
I should deal by a man that had often ventured his life to save mine and to requite his love I should adventure my life unjustly and without cause to take away his The life of a friend ought to be very dear unto me but the truth of God more dearer The Word of God is the life and glory of the Lord Jesus the cause of life in every Christian is the life that is in Jesus Christ because I live saith our Saviour ye shall live also then how grievous and lamentable a thing is it for a man that knows this life to crucifie and make a mock of it the secret thoughts and intents of all hearts are discerned and made manifest by the Word of God Matth. 12.25 Saint Paul saith that the whole Scripture is given by the inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 this is expounded by St. Peter 2 Pet. 1.20 21. where he saith that no prophecie of Scripture is of any private interpretation that is it is not the writings of men consider them as men the Prophets and Apostles that writ the Scriptures did not write down their own private meditations for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Spirit that is they spake by the inspiration of God by a Spirit that was infallible and could not lie Tit. 1.2 But some may say that though they were infallible in writing yet they were no more then you are for you say that you are infallible also Answ First so far as I cleave close to this truth and do not derogate in the least so far I am infallible Object But how do you know when you write such and such truths that you do not in the least measure adde to nor diminish from the Word of God Ans When I write from such as need no interpretation I am then infallible And that there are such Scriptures I prove 3 Job 16.17.27.31 Hebr. 2.14 1 Joh. 4.1 2 3 4. 1 Pet. 2.20 21 22. so on This is a truth that I write and an infallible one that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh it is Christ that is dead yea or rather that is risen again who fitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for us Rom. 8. Another is that there is but one God but one eternity and not two Isa 64.4 Again that every man shall be raised up with his own body 1 Cor. 15.38 Matth. 25.32 to receive a reward according to his works Revel 22. That perfection of spirit and body cannot be obtained in this life Rom. 7. 1 Cor. 13.15 2 Tim. 4.7 8. with many others of the like nature Now when I write this and say that I am infallible it is not my word nor another particular infallable truth besides the Scripture but I write the same truth which was written by the inspiration of God I know that I write infallibly because I write the infallible truth and I know the infallible truth by the light of that Word that I write from both in the letter and in the Spirit I know there are many nice curious questions abroad which are not worth the answering because they do not tend to edifying for if a man as St. Paul saith 1 Tim. 1. would give heed to them they would be endlesse and to no purpose but to stir men up to contention and vain jangling Sixthly there is no book whatsoever that is so full of truth and so free from errour and contradiction within it self as this Word of God is although the eye of sence and reason cannot see it Joh. 17.17 1 Cor. 2.13 All the writings of men are subordinate to this and all the truth that is in all creatures did flow from this and is a dependance upon this Now I prove this by these arguments that that is a divine truth cannot contradict itself for then God would be divided and light would be at enmity with it self but the Scripture was written by a divine Spirit and so must needs be a spirituall truth and therefore free from all opposition and errour within it self Secondly that that by one Almighty power causeth all to be holy and spirituall that in it self must needs be so for it is impossible but that the stream should be according to the fountain and every effect according to its originall But the Word of God when it changeth the heart causeth all the parts of it so far as it works to be holy and spirituall therefore in it self it can be no other then according to its workings The Word of God is the originall cause and fountain of all holinesse Joh. 15.3 Ephes 1.13 Col. 1.5 Jam. 1.18 all that infinite holinesse and purity which are in and flow from men and Angels are but as so many streams flowing from this fountain A seventh reason to prove the truth and sufficiency of the Scriptures is this because no word hath inabled poore simple illiterate men to understand the minde of God and to suffer reproaches and persecutions in the defence thereof as this Word of God hath Ephes 6.17 Joh. 17.33 2 Cor. 6.7 He'r 11. whole Chapter The letter onely cannot do it the letter is no help to the Spirit for the Spirit is the same truth that is revealed in the letter and was before it and now is no more then it was for the letter doth not adde to the Spirit but is onely a relation which is absolutely usefull to man and without which nothing can be But the Word in the Spirit is the same truth which will remain when the letter shall be abolished Many times when men could not enjoy the Bible they have been enabled by the powerfull injoyment of the Word in the spirit to suffer in the defence of the Word Last of all they that do deny the Word yet notwithstanding do make the Scriptures to be the ground of all their Sermons and writings now if their Sermons and writings have any truth in them and they draw that truth from the Word then the word must be a truth also for it is as impossible for them to draw a truth from the Word if the Word were not the truth as it is for any man to draw a reall substance from that which is but a meer shadow The mad mans divinity is called the mystery of the History yet he will not acknowledge that to be a truth all his writing will sufficiently prove that there is little of the Word of God to be seen in it being nothing else but a compounded confusion of Logick Philosophy and Astrology altogether which in truth is no better then Familisticall Atheisme and although they father these confused heresies upon the Word yet the Word of God doth remain intirely pure in it self without mixture and so will continue for ever CHAP. VI. Proving the Coming Death Resurrection Ascension and Intersession of our Lord Jesus which is absolutely denyed by all the principall
writings and Doctrines of the Familists NOw comes in that matter which I left in its proper place I shall prove and discover this truth concerning a particular Jesus by these foure lights by the light of the Word of the Spirit of Reason and experience See thee Bright Starr where he hath this expression But now to untie this knot we are to transcend all Reason and flie to faith which seeing him man stands invincible that he is God without all fâ—rm image whatsoever and though Imagination iniect the form man yet faiâ—h disdaining all sence considers no form fastning her eye on God so that though an Idea of Iesus Christ crucified present it self to us yet the oceâ—n of faith drowns and annihilates the same pag. 188 and 189. now what manner of Christ and passion doth this acknowledge First by the Word and Spirit consider of the coming of Christ under a double notion his coming in the flesh his coming in the Spirit his coming in the flesh was to be with us and to suffer for us yet so as to be without us Matth. 20.28 Chap. 26.74 the 11.5 Isa 42.1 Joh. 2.24 25. Chap. 9.55 Revel 5.3 but his coming in the Spirit is not onely to be with us but to be within us too 1 Joh. 5.10 Joh. 17.23 Chap. 12.41 God laid our chastisements and griefs upon him 1 Pet. 2.24 Isa 53.5.9 God did this out of love to Christ and to the world neither Jesus Christ nor a Christian should ever have been so exalted and glorified in such a measure and manner as they are had not Christ suffered in the flesh Phil. 2.9 Rom. 3.9.29 Jesus Christ did lay down and nail to his Crosse all that glory which he had in the flesh and under the Law together with all the glory which he formerly in the time of the Law in all his appearances gave to the Fathers and then raised up the same again in a greater brighter livelier manner then ever it was in the world before 2 Cor. 3.7 8. That that was the greatest glory of God in Sion before Christ is now by his coming and dying turned into the greatest obscuritie and darknesse as God did by Lazarus in taking away his life that it might be restored again to him which thing should be a wonder and a miracle to all that should hear it God took away the life of Christ and all the glory that did depend thereon that so in an unknown miraculous way he might give a better and a higher degree of life and glory both to him and to all his to the admiration of all things both in heaven and earth then ever they had before Ephes 2.15 16 17 18. Col. 2.14 15. Rom. 9.4 Chap. 2.17.28 Secondly to prove it by the light of Reason and experience if Christ be not dead yea or rather is risen again Rom. 8.34 I say if he have not died for sin then shall we never die to sin but be for ever dead towards God and our Lord Jesus Rom. 6.1 2 3 4. Secondly if there be no death of Christ then there cannot be any resurrection of life either to himself or to any creature Joh. 11.43 The sixth Errour I will now take in viz. that there is no resurrection nor last judgement for the world Thirdly if there be no death no life or resurrection at all then is there no God at all there is none of these but in this way he that denyes one denyes all he that denyes the Son who is begotten denyes the Father who doth beget 1 Joh. 1.1 and 2.22 23. Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father for the Son in reference to his essence or Godhead is the Father Chap. 5.1.20.21 Fourthly See the Bright Starr It may be truly said that this book and passion is no other but the gate of heaven and the house of God and though in this passion he made darknesse his pavilion neverthelesse as his darknesse so also his light pag 185. li 9 soon Christ crucified at Ierusalem is imaginarâ— but in man in one that is deified there he may be seen really crucified this is notable iugling he that denies Christ and hath no other way to acknowledge God by that Reason that is flatly contrary to his very nature and being these are two direct contraries which cannot be reconciled by all the humane wisdom and policie in this world For if there be no other God nor no other nature essence and Divine motion then according to their description then by the same rule I 'le prove that there is no God at all Again Fifthly if all this were true then there cannot be any sin in the world and if no sin then no need of a Saviour for God did never make a breach in himself nor ever was at enmity with himself neither is it possible that he ever should be capable of Redemption Sixthly if this were true then is all preaching vain and faith is also vain and we are yet in our sins and all they that are asleep in Christ are perished 1 Cor. 15.17 18. Seventhly if this were true then of all men religions and opinions in the world we who have no other life and glory no other God or salvation but what our hope reaches forth unto we should of all men be the most miserable ver 19. But here is our comfort and everlasting joy ver 20. that since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead Some men would perswade us that bread is stones and stones bread and why but because they conceit it to be so but if they had no other bread or meat then stones to eat for a moneth together I beleeve they would be of another minde and would find as well in the things of God as men that a conceit or imagination doth not alter the nature or being of any thing but because it is what it is in it self really therefore it ought to be so known and apprehended of all men Eightly if there be no resurrection nor last judgement for the world let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die this doore is wide enough to let in all whorish filthinesse and prophanenesse all sins of all sorts and degrees whatsoever it s no matter how men live what they say or do or how they die there is no account to be given for any thing if you should conceit that all the goods that I have or any other man to be thine by this reckoning it were so so by that means we should be starved unlesse thou wouldst have mercy on us if this be love the Lord Jesus keep me and all his from being of such a Familie We blesse God for the Civill Magistrate and the Law without which we know not what this world would come to the Lord prosper these who are and have been the makers of it according to the truth as it is in Jesus The resurrection of Christ and of
griefs and pains are nothing to him he feels them not it is his spirit that makes him sencible and active either for the obtaining of joy or for the avoiding of fear and torment If the spirit be God and the body or outward orgin made of his essence how then can all this be I know no reason that you can have to maintain any Argument or to raise up any objection by True Reason is able to vindicate it self against it self when its light is put out and against Reason turned into darknesse now when Reason is thus divided it is like a man that is distracted Reason is a servant to man in the spirit of him Now there is a power in man that is above Reason and thorow this power Reason many times comes to be captivated and enthralled Reason in it self and about its own affairs is without contradiction Now when once it come to be opposed by the heart of man so that it cannot any longer rule and prevail it leaves its habitation and when once it comes to be void of that which before it took much delight in and gave continuall entertainment to then it comes to passe that a man loseth himself and all that glorious sweetnesse and consolation that did depend thereon When a man hath a Counsellour to be his guide in all his weightie imployments so long as he hearkens to him and is ruled by him he may flourish and prosper But if once he thorow his own conceit and imagination come to forsake the light and glory of that Reason by which he was guided he then comes to be lost and destroyed Now the resurrection of the dead though it be above reason and against it as it is ordered and managed by the hearts of unreasonable men yet it hath more reason of its side then it hath against it for whatsoever is a truth in the light of grace is not a lie in the light of reason for grace in its originall gives being to reason and it doth not give being to it for this purpose that by its light and strength it shall darken and put out the glory of the Lord Jesus For then that Proverb would be true which is common among us That we have nourished and brought up a childe to pluck out our own eyes Now consider that the resurrection of Christ is the cause why the dead are raised 1 Corinth 15. and if Christ be not risen then the dead shall never be raised But now is Christ risen and become the first-fruits of them that slept See the Bright Starr pa. 198. where he saith that Iesus Christ is within us it follows where he is to be adored in our selves and it is more excellent to see him crucified in our selves then at Ierusalem Their own thoughts and writings is all the Scripture they have to prove this by I am certain they can have none out of the Bible there was never such a resurrection as the resurrection of our Saviour was many were raised up again but not to life for ever to live and return to the grave again But Jesus Christ was more glorious in his resurrection he was raised by that power by which he suffered to inherit such a crown of glory as never none did before nor ever shall receive for ever Phil. 2.9 10. Joh. 17.4 5.11.13 I will further prove the resurrection of Christ by the Scripture by the light of the Spirit within me and thirdly by the continuall sufferings and heavie persecutions of the Saints without me in all ages 1 Cor. 15.4 5 6 7 8. what mystery is there in these expressions are not these sufficient witnesses and of more authoritie then vain imaginations This is one of the Articles of my faith to beleeve that the Bible is the Word of God and is of more Authoritie then all words and writings whatsoever Can you disprove me and perswade me to beleeve thy excellent new-invented devilified Angelicall maximes is not every one of your words unchangeable mysticall divinity And are not all your thoughts and conclusions from thence wonderfull and miraculous is there any other Divinity besides this Joh. 20.19 Act. 9.4 Ephes 3.8 Joh. 15.26 27. Chap. 21.19 Act. 2.31 32. Psal 16.10 If there were not both I and many thousands of Gods people must needs be in a sad and lamentable condition Secondly Iâ—le prove it by the witnesse and tesimony of Gods Spirit within me First of all it is neither the devil my own heart nor all the powers of this world that hath made such an unexpressible alteration in my heart and conversation as is made by the knowledge of my Saviours resurrection all sorts and degrees of sins would be the continuall delight and practise of my spirit were it not for the Almighty power of the Spirit working in me thorow the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Rom. 6. from the 2 vers to the 10. Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 13. What is the sin that by nature I do not love and delight all covetousnesse pride dissimulation whoredome lying and cursed speaking back-biting cheating blaspheming unthankfull Atheisticall disobedient and unfruitfull both towards God and towards all men Col. 3.6 7 8. Ephes 5.3 4 5. Chap. 4.25 26. so to the end Chap. 2.1 2 3 12 13. and I am and would willingly if I might have my own will turn the truth of God into a lie set up and bow down to my own vain imaginations exalting and lifting up this above God Christ and the Scripture not regarding the knowledge of God but continually mock hate and scoffe at the Spirit undervaluing God and the Lord Jesus and if it were possible would bring him down into subjection under my will Rom. 11. from the 25. to the last Can you disprove me in what I say is this a lie that I know to be true by experience Now if this be such a truth as none can deny then what is it that hath subdued and changed my spirit I have nothing to rejoyce in but this It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen again who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us Rom. 8. Consider these truths and beleeve that it is truth because of those witnesses that will come in to justifie the certainty thereof The first truth is this The Crosse of Jesus Christ hath humbled renewed and brought down to the earth the stoutest and proudest loftiest spirit that ever hath been in this world them that have been forward for the devill them that have been resolute that would venter life and all for Antichrist even them God hath changed and of these that never men had any hope of hath God taken and made the greatest instruments of his glory Did ever any mans fins exceed the sins of Manasseh and was ever any man more forwarder in wasting and persecuting the Church of God then Paul was was he not a true and trustie servant to the Devill Gal. 1.13 14. Act. 9.1
essence is not onely the Word A Christians union with God is a Glorious discovery of the incomprehensible union of the blessed Trinitie but also the minde and spirit too Ioh. 14. Philip hee that hath seen mee hath seen the Father Rom. 10 Hee is God ever all blessed for ever 1 Ioh. 5. last This is that very God and that eternall life But the person of a Christian is not the minde word and spirit yet hee hath all within him Last of all Christ and a Christian in their highest glory are not one by union without distinction a distinction without separation Rom. 8. last Now you see the onenesse that is between Christ and a Christian and you see the difference too the glory of a Christian is so great that none are able to expresse to apprehend or comprehend Ephes 3.18 19. That that eye hath not seen nor eare hath heard nor it ever entered into the heart of any man to know that love of God that passeth knowledge Now if the glory of a Christian bee so great how infinite is the glory of the Lord Jesus the union of the Trinity is so great so infinitely glorious that all Saints and Angels knows not the utmost mystery thereof the union is so great that they are one in essence though three in person they are not three Gods but one every person is God not the Godhead or essence The Father in his Essence is the whole Trinity and so is the Son and Holy Spirit also but in his Person he is not Christ in Reference to his Person is the second in the Trinity that created assumed and is united to the humane nature and in that he suffered and reconsiled God to man and man to God this is not God the Father he sends his Son into the world Jo. 3.16 nor the Spirit for he reveals Christ Jo. 14.17 this is an undeniable truth the Scriptures doth plainly declare it Jo. 1.14 Matt. 1.16 2 Pet. 1.17 the Spirit is called another Comforter Jo. 14.26 Chap. 15.26 this is in reference to their Persons they are one in Essence Jo. 4.24 and in their Persons they work one and the same way to one and the same end Jo. 14.18 Joel 2.28 Esa 24.3 some Scriptures concerne Christ as man soule and body Jo. 5.30.31.32 Matt. 26.38.39 the 20.28 Phil. 2.7 8.9 Heb. 5.7.8 Againe some are to be understood of Christ God and man the second Person in the Trinity Heb. 5.9 Jo. 6.62.63 the 2.19 Luke 21.33 Jo. 3.13.14.15 the 1.14 Isa 41.2 Againe some Scriptures speakes of Christ in his God-head or Essence Jo. 10.30 verse 18. Chap. 16.14 the 14.15 1 Jo. 5.20 Rom. 10.9 so we must understand of many that speake of God as a Person 1 Jo. 5.8 Matt. 3.17 Heb. 1.8 Psal 45.7 Psal 12.28 2 Pet. 1.17 some of his Essence or God-head Act. 17.28.29 Rom. 11. Last so Esa 40.25.26.28 1 Tim. 6.16 Iohn 1.18 Iob 36.26 so also of the Spirit as a Person Io. 14.17 Matt. 3.17 some speake of his Essence Io. 4.24 Act. 5.4 Iob 26.12.13 CHAP. XII A Discription of the Devill OF all the wayes and workes of God in this world the Devill is the greatest and the Chiefest Iob. 40.19 and 41.34 there in no created being in this world that is so great in power as the Devill is Ephe. 2.2 he is called the Prince that ruleth in the Ayre and hee is thus called for two Reasons First because of the greatnesse of his Dominion Secondly his greatnesse in being there are but two kingdomes the Kingdome of God the kingdome of the Devill the Kingdom of light and the kingdome of darknesse Secondly this world by reason of sinne lyes under a thick cloud of darkenesse the Devill by his workes is this covering and cloud that over-shaddows the face of the whole Earth 1 Ioh. 5.19 the Universall frame of this present evill world is nothing else but a frame of wickednesse the Devill is called the god of this world in reference to its defilement and pollution by the sinne of Adam Thirdly the Devill is the great Ruler and manager of all things that are in his kingdome and dominion he is the Ruler of all things and of all spirits too who have brought themselves under his power by iniquitie hee is for the greatnesse of his power compared to Leviathan Iob 49.23 Behold hee drinketh up a River and hasteth not he is confident that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth we know that Nations and Kingdomes are compared to waters Revel 17.15 The Devill is such a devourer of Nations as Leviathan is of waters as Leviathan by his power doth comprehend those Rivers that he drinketh up so the Devill by his power doth comprehend all the Nations and Kingdoms that are in this world consider of Leviathan in these three respects his greatnesse in being he is above all Creatures his power in action and those mighty effects and events that are continually produced by him by reason of these he becomes a wonder to all that shall behold him So consider of the Devill also his greatnesse in being by which he can be present in all places in this world his power in action there is no Creature can out-goe him in wickednesse and there are many things ascribed to him that cannot be ascribed to any other Creature either in Heaven or Earth he is called Legion that is many hee is called God and Father the Father of sinne the Father of sinners Ioh. 8.38.44 Yee are of your father the Devill saith our Saviour to the Pharisees Ye doe that that you have seene with your father 1 Ioh. 3.8 Saint Iohn saith that he that committeth sinne is of the Devill Thirdly consider those mighty effectes that are continually produced by him and in this he is above all Created powers whatsoever Fourthly all things in this world under this notion are at once and at all times comprehended by the heart and eye of the Devill Iob 41.34 he beholdeth all high things there be two sorts of things that the Scriptures cals high things the things of God and they are really high so high that none can comprehend the heighth of them Ephe. 4. the other sort of high things are the things of men and these are not really high they are high onely in the accoumpt of men now these are the things that the eye of the Devill doth behold and comprehend Matt. 4.8 The Devill at once did show our Saviour all the Kingdomes and Glories of this world there be two principall thrones which the Devill Rules in the Ayre and the hearts of ungodly men Ephe. 2. both these are the proper constant seate and throne of the Devill he is not the Ayre as some say and affirme but is in and Rules there he is not the hearts nor breath of men but is in and is the chiefe Ruler there also Fifthly the Devill is the greatest power and highest principalitie that doth continually oppose the glory of Christ
spirits then there are two distinct actours two different works all which cannot be the act of God The third Doctrine described and confuted is this that nothing shall remain but the god-head their meaning is that this world shall bee eternall in its generation this present succession of ages and generations shall never end for God is all things and all things are God Bright Starr Theologia now if it be a Truth that there are more spirits then one then this is true that they shall all come to judgement they shall appeare before God to receive an everlasting portion either of life or death joy or torment glory or shame Mat. 24.1 Cor 15. 2 Pet 3. Revel 22. 1 Thes 4 13 14 15 16 17. 2 Thes 1. even according as they are ordained according as they have walked The fourth and last generall is this that perfection is in this life their meaning is that there is no perfection at all Divinity dissected Bright Starr Pag. 77.78 lin 13. pag. 79. l. 13 Theologia pag. 25. pag. 74. pag. 87. l. 12. pag. 37. for they define perfection to be God himself now if the devill be then hee is a creature if he be a creature then all creatures cannot obtain perfection here for the devill was charged with folly ever since the beginning and delivered unto chaines of darknesse to bee kept unto damnation Iude. 2 Pet. 2. Iob. 4. Again If the Scripture be a truth then all men shall not be saved and those that shall yet in this life they have but a part of that which they shall injoy hereafter 1 Cor. 13. 1 Thess 4 13 14 15 16. Now I leave the rest for you to consider of CHAP. XV. An Exhortation to all Christians I Have a word or two to speak and that is to a publick Preacher to a private Christian You that are famous for preaching of Jesus Christ deliver not your mindes in such a way of mysterious obscurity so as that not ten in a hundred can understand your meanings whether you be for Christ or Antichrist 1 Cor. 14 19. Secondly Condiscend and stoop down without thinking it to be a disparagement to you to the poorest weakest capacity Rom. 14.7 Chap. 1 14. Take heed of preaching your selves and your own words to the people 2 Cor. 4.5 Gal. 1.10 Thirdly for the confirmation and comfort of the members of Christ by your preaching of Christ for the confounding of the hopes of Antichrist clear your selves from those Antichristian Familisticall Reproaches and aspersions that are cast upon you and upon that truth that you deliver 1 Cor. 13.1 2. to all Christians that are not so publique in your trying and examining of all Religions Doctrines Spirits and opinions whatsoever be sure to hold fast a particular crucified Jesus 1 Thess 5.21 Revel 3.11 Secondly doe not beleeve nor put confidence in any spirit or doctrine what ever it be before thou seest the spirit of the Lord Jesus bearing witnesse to the truth of that in thy own spirit 1 Joh. 4 1. Rom. 8. for Sathan Antichrist and his false ministers and Apostles are now very thick to be seen in the forme and shape of true Ministers and good Angels 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. Thirdly looke well to your communion delight not nor be be not taken up two much with those who do preach and glory in that which is not within the measure or compasse of their strength and understandings boasting of things which they never saw 2 Cor. 11.12.13 Col. 2.18 vainely puft up with deepe secrets Divine mysteries unknowne paradoxes Col. 2.18 Delivering most of their matter unlesse it be now and then a gob to feede their owne bellies and the weake Rom. 16.18 Last of all labour to be much in love if thou hast any love in thee now t is time to manifest it this is the greatest and highest excellency of all there is no grace nor glory above this neither in God nor men 1 Cor. 13. this is that that shall abide with thee for ever this is that that makes thy spirit to be so like unto God this is that that makes thy face to shine in glory what is all without this knowledge doth puffe up and make men loftie loose and vaine in their conversations therefore love wheresoever thou seest the Image of Christ in the least measure without partiallity without Hypocricie James 2. Doe not Respect exalt and cry up any mans faith and knowledge with a respect to his person because he is Rich hath a gold Ring and is in good apparell and bravely housed and is in favour with the best and Richest sort of Gentry these are common actions amongst many but consider of the life of our deare Saviour Christ whilst he was in the flesh I know it is hard to doe this but Remember the promise to him that over commeth will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I over came and sit with my Father in his throne Revel 3. CHAP. XVI A Petition presented to the Familists with a further confutation of their Erroneous Doctrines O Bewitched deceiving Antichrist I have some Requests to present unto thee and they are these first you that are perfect men you that can yeeld obedience so as to be made and called and so become Divine and God if ever you would helpe and deliver a poore miserable damned Creature Bright Star That whatsoever God did or thought from eternity is discovered and made knowne to man pag. 183. it is impossible that this should be true unlesse man were infinite Rom. 11.33.34.35 Job 26.14 Chap. 11.7.8.9.12 Isa 40.13.14.15 1 Cor. 2.16 hee that hath the minde of Christ is not whilst hee is in this world perfect in knowledge neither doth he know all things in such an Infinit manner as God doth 1 Cor. 13.12 Chap 15.52.53 according to your notion out of misery and darkenesse one that hath had God and all but now have sold him and all to the Devill and doth still remaine in an estate of Emnity and Rebellion against God if your Religion be a truth then grant these petitions that I put up to you and I will come into your Congregation and before ten thousand people deny all that I have written and willingly submit to you the Requests are these First That you would but bring me into that place where I may injoy but one houres communion with the spirit of that godly Priest which made that booke that is so highly commended by you but is dead as you say above two hundred yeares agoe that I may be Informed convinced and converted by him if man be God as both you and he doe say Then is this possible and easie for you to accomplish God is al wayes in communion with himself and knows all things in himselfe for all things are God and are in God neither is it possible that he should ever cease from his beeing one and the same for ever Secondly In all respects
this Take these three directions or rules in reading first a 〈…〉 Philips expression to the Euauch of Ethiopia read but labour according to thy ability to understand what thou readest the second rule is this b 〈…〉 Try and examine every word that I have written and judge to the utmost but c 〈…〉 be sure to judge and trie all things in the spirit the last is this Make triall of all things and judge according to thy d 〈…〉 understanding but doe it in love reade not nor esteeme not of this that I have presented to thy view in respect to its novelty New things doe much delight the phantasies of this age we are too apt to looke upon the things of God with such an eye as we doe upon the things of men love new fashions we should not love things in reference to their newnesse but to their goodnesse My desire is to spend and be spent in discovering truth and falshood for Sions sake and for their sakes whose returne out of Egypt is much longed for many of them being such formerly as were to be beloved and delighted in Now supposing that this Booke may come into many of your hands whose spirits are wrapt up in darknesse by delusion you that thinke that there is no other God Christ heaven life or religion then that that you dispute for give me leave in my discourse to the Reader to direct a word or two to you and they are these first consider that formerly none have been more forward to exalt and acknowledge the Lord Jesus then you have been I meane a crucified Jesus by preaching disputing praying and suffering but now t is otherwise Give me leave to speake according to men Were you not once as reall for Christ as you are now for Antichrist yea I will be one witnesse what close communion had you with God and how many times have you to the refreshing of many drooping spirits made a large acknowledgement of the manifestations of Gods love and favour to you in Jesus Christ how is it that the Lord Jesus is become such a stranger to you and you such strangers to him whom you have formerly so dearely loved and embraced how often have you in your pleadings for Christ disputed against Antichrist and prophesied that such a one must needs be wherof now you your selves are members can you deny this I pray you in love consider if you be elected without laughing at Christ in the face to scorne But one word or two that from him I have to say to you and that is this How dearely and exceedingly doth Christ love you even now whilst you are a denying his truth and blaspheming his name Are you able to expresse or declare it he is unchangeable Againe consider how much he bath done for you from all eternity by e 〈…〉 .17 â—1 doing of which he will abide with you and in you to all eternity and will worke all delusions corruptions temptations Apostatisings and weaknesses for your everlasting joy and welfare Goe on and continue in your mischievous way of iniquity and darknesse but no further nor longer then what is according to Gods eternall purposes and determinations THE DESCRIPTION And Confutation of mysticall ANTICHRIST the Familists Who in a mystery as God fitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God CHAP. I. What Christ is unto and in the heart of a Christian. ONe of the greatest troubles that ever befell many of Gods people I appeal to their severall experiences is those fiery darts which the Devil by Antichrist doth continually cast at them and it must needs be a trouble yea a wounding trouble to those that have ever in truth tasted of the goodnesse of God in our Lord Jesus and that for these Reasons First because the trials are fiery Take a flash of fire and cast it suddenly in a mans face in a dark night and it will cause a sudden astonishment to ceaze upon him these Antichristian darts in private meditations are many times cast in the face of a Saint which doth prove worse then a sudden flash of fire in the night causing him to be taken with a deeper amazement in such a manner that he scarce knows either where he is or what he is First he knows not where he is whether in heaven or hell in the light or in darknes Suppose a man were to go a journey for his life in such a way wherein he never was before and in his way lies many crosse wayes so that he knows not which to turn to he must needs be but in a poore condition except he have a person with him to direct him that knows all wayes and a principle in him to understand a direction A Christians way is very difficult and troublesome especially in such a case as this when his desire is to injoy most sweet and constant communion with God which he esteems and values above his life but for the in oyment and continuance of this he knows not which way to take too or persevere in seeing many wayes before him he must needs hang down his head like a bulrush untill he meet with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus that knows all wayes without him and within him also and is both able and willing to give him knowledge and understanding which way to take to when he is at such a stand or in such an amazement as this is although he was never with his dear Saviour so far in his way before Now for thy consolation consider three things First Christ is a Christians guide a Christians comfort a Christians companion First Christ who is a Christians way is a Christians guide also Joh. 14. 18. Chap. 17. 20. Thou canst not have a better guide then Jesus Christ is he knows all mysteries and secrets all the close chelled wayes of Antichrist with all the multitudes and numberlesse numbers of them although they lie never so secretly in the bowels of darknes yet they are all naked and open before him Joh. 21.17 Rom. 9.5 Joh. 1.50 Matth. 12.25 And this must needs be so for these Reasons First Jesus Christ was before all things Joh. 8.58 〈…〉 .17 â—1 Secondly Jesus Christ is above all things Col. 2.9 Joh. 3. 31. Lastly Jesus Christ is the principall Governor and manager of all things 1 Cor. 15.52 Psal 110.1 Hebr. 1.3 Joh. 21.22 If thou hast Christ to be thy guide thou mayest without fear encounter with the whole world David could do more with a sling and a stone then the whole Army of Israel could because God was his guide and did guide the stone also that went out of his hand Though many Antichristian Goliahs come against thee boasting of their strength taking it disdainfully that such a one as thou art should offer to come against them supposing to make but a shrimp of thee and thy imaginary God and Saviour as they call it yet assure thy self thou shalt as certainly
conquer Roâ— 8.37 as ever David did Antichrist cannot well be more sures of victory then Giliah was but he was and so shall they also be destroyed by the power of God which is in Jesus Christ Secondly Jesus Christ is a Christians comfort too Joh. 16.33 Chap. 14.27 although thy way be troublesome in this and many other respects an evil heart and spirit within thee many able subtle Antichrists without thee the Devil in a black shape saith that this visible world and the externall things thereof is thy onely comfort in a bright or Antichristian shape he saith that religion must needs be thy onely comfort he hath presented many Religions to thee but to thy spirit being made spirituall none of them will please thee this is the last the greatest and brightest Religion that he hath to shew thee and that which of all his shapes appearances or Religions is the most likest unto God this is the greatest kingdom the highest heaven and glory the loveliest and sweetest shape or form that possibly he can devise or imagine to cheat thee withall if thou knowest him or art able to hold fast thy comfort the Lord Jesus thou hast quite disheartned him and foiled him for ever God will manifest himself unto thee and in that sight will shew thee all things Joh. 12.45 46. and 17.24 Chap. 14.21 He will shew thee what the devil is in all forms he will acquaint thee with his appearance in darknesse then when he leaves off that shape and transforms himself seemingly in to a glorious Angels likenesse the Lord will shew thee that it is the same devil though in another appearance he will manifest him to thee as he cunningly under this notiond wels in Antichrist and as he secretly lodges in thy own spirit consider of the love of God to thee in respect of these reall lasting consolations let the devil speak in never so many languages and forms yet that power by which he was created will uphold and refresh thy languishing spirit O man whosoever thou art whose spirit the Lord hath kept from being overwhelmed by the powers of Antichrist I pray thee further to consider of the love of God in two respects in its greatnesse in its goodnesse First consider of Gods love in reference to its greatnesse the personal glory of the Lord Jesus is the exceeding greatnesse of Gods love The second thing is that the person or glory of Christ is the exceeding goodnesse of Gods love the infinite and unspeakable glory of Christ is his heavenly being in the blessed Trinity where can you see a greater manifestation of Gods greatnesse then to look upon the Divine and Humane nature both meeting in the person of our Saviour 1 Joh. 1. v. 14. Matth. 1.16 1 Pet. 1.17 Matth. 17.5 Luk. 3.23 1 Tim. 3. vlt. Again where can you see a greater discovery of Gods love in the goodnesse thereof then by seeing that Jesus in whom the fulnesse of God dwelleth Col. 1.17 and 2.4 this is a Christians revivall in the saddest and weakest condition Thirdly Jesus Christ will be thy companion also he will not leave thee upon any terms though thou art filthy and unworthy of him and wouldest often forsake him if he did not keep thee Matth. 28.20 Job 14.16 Rom. 7.18 Suppose a thousand men were travelling in a wildernes and they should see so many wilde beasts coming to devour them suppose that the third part of them should consult and conclude to take some course for to a void this danger but the other that out of some fuller knowledge of a certain way which they all take not leave their company and refuses all their virgin forcing Reasons and Arguments yet it would be a great temptation and provocation to them to draw them away from that way of safety which by their knowledge was so seated in them Many men are professors of the Gospel in this world which is a wildernesse to a Saint and in their professing or travelling together do meet with many enemies devouring and destroying at once according to their power all that is before them A Christian sees many Councils held and many persons conclude some to worship God in this way some in that he knows and apprehends by the teachings of the Spirit that most if not all of these wayes are destructive dangerous and erroneous this fight saddens a Christian that most of his friends and acquaintance should leave him alone as it were single in judgement yet not alone for the blessed Trinity is with him God is in Christ the Spirit is in both and Christ is in a Christian Now were it not for this glorious company how sad lowe and miserable would his condition be it would go worse with him if he were left and stript of all as sometimes for a time many precious Christians are then with a thousand others and why because he hath in truth seen known and injoyed communion with God in the Spirit and now to be left and forsaken is worse and more dreadfull to him then to them who never had a true fight and injoyment of Christ at all Suppose a Kings Son that is born to be an heir to Crowns and Kingdoms should come to be a begger beggery would be more tedious to him being a Prince and such an Heir then to him who hath been so from his cradle Let all men say what they will or can of God with never such eloquent glorious phrases and expressions yet if they once come to take away a Christians Christ from him See the book intituled Theologa Germanica p. 52. l. 6. See the Bright Starr That there is nothing in the creature but is the Creator pa. 77. then he knows what will follow though many do come and tell him that they can live sweetly and quietly upon this consideration that God by assuming of humane nature becomes al things in man and man by being divine by being deified becomes all things in God with ten thousand times more yet all this will not give satisfaction to him there is no life or goodnesse no heaven neither of grace nor glory but all things out of order in respect of him if God in Jesus Christ be not within him his actions are kingly and royall like an Ambassadour whose businesse is most of all with the King So t is with a Christian all his work and spirituall imployment in this world from the wombe to the grave is with Jesus Christ I say again t is with a particular crucified Jesus take him out of his Saviours company and he is like a man that hath never a hand to work with or if he have there is no strength in them but goes about all things in a fumbling confused distracted manner not knowing where nor when to begin or make an end A Christian is not himself nor in his right minde when he is not in communion with Christ Now to come a little closer to the matter which by way of
the dead See the Bright Starr That reall suffering which we taste in our selves presents a far more excellent Image of the passion of Christ then that which hovers in imagination alone and that that we feel inwarâ—ly then thâ—t which is speculated outwardly pag 200. is such a work as cannot be beleeved or apprehended by the eye of sence and reason and indeed this is one main cause why many men do so peremptorily deny the truth of the Gospel and set up their own imaginations in the roome thereof for when they cannot apprehend all things by the light of Reason then they do condemne all things although never so contrary to all Reason The light of Reason that God hath set up in the hearts of men is very usefull necessarie and commendable all the while that it keeps it self within its own compasse and center but when once it begins to make any attempt for the finding out apprehending and discerning of that which is not within its reach it then comes to be lost and destroyed a man by this light cannot discern the things that be of God 1 Cor. 3.14 The light of Reason is the wisdom and glory of this world Isa 29.14 1 Cor. 1.20 and the wisdom and glory of this world is darknesse and foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 1.19 20. A Familist is in this like unto a Papist who saith that the Popes unwritten verities are of equall value with the Word of God so say they that the outgoings of Reason in them are the outgoings of God in his highest and greatest glory Now the conclusions of their Reason are infallible theologicall and heavenly this is the mystery of Divinity the reall divine substance the true light and the perfect infinite and onely good the Bible is a shadow a confusion and a meer lie and all that ever any man can say from thence and all that which they themselves have said formerly which is contrary to their judgements now this is so also a reall shadow a lie a lowe light and vanity For how is it possible say they that ever there should be any resurrection either of Christ or the dead how is it possible that that blood which was trampled upon and spilt under the feet of the Jews should be by the power of God gathered up again and put into the body of our Saviour A second objection is this How can any man prove the resurrection of the dead when men are so scattered and divided by death sometimes men are drowned and so become food to many hundred of creatures that are in the sea and those are afterward eaten by men and those men consumed by creatures again and so many thousand times over one creature is devoured by another now how is it possible that these men should ever receive the same bodies again that are thus destroyed and consumed These Objections are not worth the answering yet if I should not speak something to them in particular they would say that they were such divine mysteries that we could not tell what to say to them a fool may put forth such a question and cause more trouble to come thereby then seven wise men that can render a reason Now the Resurrection is such a thing as that it cannot be received by any for a truth but such as have the truth therof made manifest in their spirits by the power of that eternall Spirit that raised up the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.14 Now that which I have to say is this O fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare corn as it falleth of wheat or some other but God giveth it a body at his pleasure to every seed his own body If thou wilt but look upon this world in its creation and generation thou mayest continually in the large book thereof read many excellent stories of the Resurrection is not the world in its creation as wonderful in many respects as it is in its Resurrection Doest thou beleeve that man was made of the dust of the earth consider of the work of God in that respect and what was the dust made of we say of nothing Thou sayest that of nothing can come nothing Then it must needs be of the essence of God for nothing is without beginning but God that I think you will grant Is God such a being as that any thing can be made of him Did God make all things of himself Is the essence compounded the bodies of men and all creatures are Is it possible for the infinite immutable and unmoveable Godhead to be divided but men are divided in their limbes and lives too yea divided in all things in his Spirit and in most of the imployments and out-goings thereof what work is it that the heart of man can undertake to manage in all respects without division how are the spirits of some men set at distance from others by reason of pride malice hatred and envie Do not you yourselves sometimes meet with some kinde of men that are of such a spirit as this is that would be glad to see you stoned murthered and destroyed And would not they themselves if it might be suffered quietly be your executioners Now what is the spirits and bodies of these men made of is it eternall without beginning is it a being of it self and doth it perform all its actions by its own power Is this the true God and is there no other Gods besides it If this Spirit be God then what is that spirit or life that thou hast within thee that is God too so then there is but one God which is one in all creatures Now if life be one and the same in all creatures in this sence that now we speak of then tell me one thing Is not the tree in the root and fruit thereof both one and the same is it possible for a corrupt fountain at one and the same time to send forth sweet waters and bitter Doth not the words and works of a mans heart continually declare the frame thereof Now how comes it to passe if God be one and the same in all spirits that there is such a vaste difference between them if they be all one and the same power good life and glory how then comes in those mightie differences contradictions and direct oppositions that are amongst them if every creature be a branch or an out-going of divine glory then is it not possible that it should in the least measure be contrary to its originall and so there could not be any of that unhumane crueltie that unreasonable oppression those grievous bloudy wars and slaughters that doth produce so many sorrows and cause so many spirits to droop and lie a languishing as do continually this is not the bodies of men for that without the spirit is dead that doth cause and act all this When a mans life is gone all wounds
Lord Jesus Rom. 8.26 Col. 1.20 Joh. 14.2 3. and 17.19 and 14.16 Heb. 9.24 the conclusion Jesus Christ ascended up to heaven that he might send the Spirit and when that had finished its work on earth that he might again descend at the last day for the salvation and damnation of the whole world in the appearance of the power and glory of his Father Hebr. 9.28 1 Pet. 3.18 Mat. 28.38 Act. 1.11 I know and do expect nothing from the hands of many but that many reproaches mockings and slanders shall continually fall upon me from them I desire not to speak out of malice or envie to any person whatsoever I appeal to him that knows all hearts The thing that I plead for is for the truth against the opinion of Antichrist CHAP. VII Mysticall Antichrist described and confuted in his sixth Errour proving that the Ordinances of God are absolutely usefull to all Christians whatsoever whilest they have a being in this world they being the worship and service of God commanded and observed both by Christ and his Apostles FIrst the Saints in their highest estate of strength and glory whilest they have had a being in this world have ever lived in the use of all Gods Ordinances I shall give you these Scriptures and these three instances to prove it First the Son of God himself made it his continuall practise to walk in the use of his Fathers ordinances I will name three of them The Ordinance of Preaching Baptisme and Prayer First our Saviour did walk in the use of the ordinances of Baptisme Matth. 3.17 Secondly he commanded his disciples both to Preach and practise it too as he had done before them Mark 16.16 which commandment they constantly obeyed Act. 2.38 So as that no persecution whatsoever could take them off from it Matth. 10.22 Act. 20.23 24. Secondly the ordinance of Preaching the Gospel was the act and work of our Lord Jesus from the wombe to the grave either in his own person or in the person of another Luke 1.15 Matth. 11.4 5. Isa 61.1 The ordinance of Baptisme is necessary and ought to be practised so it be in a Gospel way to a Gospel end by a Gospel Administratour Act. 8.31.38 39. 1 Cor. 1.14 But the ordinance of Preaching is of absolute necessitie and a work that God hath carried on in all ages to the converting and increasing of his Church and people Baptisme and other ordinances are subordinate to this this is the highest and greatest of all 1 Cor. 1.6 Jam. 5.20 Act. 13.2 Rom. 1.1 Others are questionable and disputable men know not hardly who is in the right whether for Infants or beleevers or for neither as they are instituted But concerning the other God hath raised up famous Instruments of his glory even of both parties by preaching the Gospel which none can deny 1 Cor. 1.17 St. Paul saith that the chiefest businesse which he had to do and for which principally he received a commission for was not to baptise but to preach the Gospel See Pauls exhortation to Timothy Epistle 1.4.13 Last of all the ordinance of Prayer was the continuall practise of our Saviour Joh. 17. and 11.41 42. and of all the Apostles too Act. 2.42 Now I appeal to all Saints whether the highest and sweetest communion that ever they have been made capable of in this world hath not been injoyed by and in the use of these two ordinances in the preaching of the Gospel and in spirituall Prayer and Meditation Again the ordinances of God is the worship and service of God Joh. 4.23 Act. 2.42.46 47. in and by which they have fellowship and communion with God Now if a man ought to live above the ordinances according to the expressions and continuall practises of those who are deified and immutable then a man ought to live in fellowship and communion with God without worshipping acknowledging or serving of him So then according to this darknesse and light are both in one by being one light is darknesse and darknesse is light that is sin is in grace and grace is sin the holinesse and purity of the most holy and blessed Spirit is the unholinesse blasphemy and abominable filthinesse of the devil and man and the abominable filthinesse of men and devils is the act of the holy Spirit of God yea it is the divine and immortall glory of this Spirit and the Lord Jesus O horrible blasphemy that ever any should presume to say that all the motions and actions of all spirits whatsoever are the motions and cut-goings of the blessed God This is a truth that the motions and actings of the Spirit is the divine and immortall glory of God in the spirits both of Saints and Angels Joh. 15.8 Secondly see the non-sence and contradiction of this if the life and spirit of man and all creatures be God in his essence then all creatures in all conditions whatsoever stand in need of nothing I prove it by this argument Wheresoever the essentiall power and glory of God is there is such a perfect fulnesse so that there can be nothing wanting 1 Joh. 16. Chap. 14 8. Psal 4. Act. 17.25 But the life and spirit of man and all creatures is God in his essentiall power and glory Ergo there can be no want of any thing in any or in all creatures Now all ordinances must needs be uselesse and to no purposes a man must preach and pray with the understanding or else he doth act like a fool Now the understanding of man is the soul of man and the foul or spirit of man is a purer understanding and this is one with truth and this truth is essentially God The result of all this is this that the soul of man is God Now if the essence of the soul be the understanding one with truth essentially God then man stands in need of the use of no ordinance he is now past learning or rather past grace he is not an Infant now he stands not in need of milk what need a man regard the beam that is in the Sun to what purpose should a man run after the streame who is the fountain Now if the understanding or spirit of man be essentially truth as God is then man hath all things and can do all things and neither preaching hearing nor praying can adde any thing to him that is perfect who hath all things and is in want of nothing Act. 17.25 Now if the spirit of man be God as they often affirm then he must absolutely without all controversie See the book intituled Theologa Germanica pag. 37. have the fulnesse of the Godhead with him but I think that none will openly say this nor answer to this and all that they have or can say in preaching private disputing or writing is nothing else but cunning Sophistery devillish Philosophie being nothing but a proud selfish vain imagination Last of all a man ought to live above the ordinances in many respects in the lawfull
in all places The presence and Spirit of God is where his essence is not I shall speak in particular too and illustrate some things that I said before observe this all places cannot comprehend the essentiall nature of being of God God is in heaven and in all creatures that are in heaven every particular Saint and Angell shall be so full of the glory of God as that now no heart is able to conceive of yet every particular Saint and Angell shall receive for themselves a particular Crowne of glory 1 Cor. 2.9 2 Tim. 4.8 yet there shall not bee two but one Infinite essentiall glory that shall give so many severall crownes of glory to so many sever all persons as shall be in heaven Rev. 22.5 Gal. 3.20 yet all these glorious numberlesse beings in Heaven cannot comprehend the essentiall glory of God God will be in heaven and in hell and in all places and creatures that shall have beeing yet all places and all creatures too cannot comprehend the Infinitenesse of the Almighty So then this is a truth that the presence and Spirit of God is and for ever shall be where the essence of God is not nor cannot be I suppose I have given sufficient instances in my first Answer to the first Query the greatnesse and goodnesse of God is so in all creatures as that in respect of all creatures it is Infinite yet God is greater in power and being in himself essentially above what he is in greatnesse presence power and being in all creatures and thus much for the fifth Attribute the presence of God I now come to the sixth the providence of God Psal 103.19 Jam. 1.17 Amos 3.6 Jane 5.17 1 King 17.1 Chap. 18.45 1 Cor. 2.9 Isa 64.3 4. A question will arise and that is this whether the providence of God have any hand in the redemption and convertion of a Christian yea or no to which I Answer That us God by his power doth beare up and preserve all things so by his providence hee rules and orders all things First God by his Providence doth rule all things in the creation but then secondly the Redemption and conversion of a Christian is an act of Gods providence it is not onely one creature but all creatures are ruled by the Providence of God it is not only one thing but all things doe come to passe by Gods Providence the eternall power and God head is made manifest by its Providence in ruling and ordering all creatures and all things too Last of all the Redemption and conversion of a Christian is such a work as that all the Attributes of God have a great hand in the accomplishing thereof if I may speak after the manner of men then consider first there is a Providence that is externall secondly a Providence that is internall yet this distinction makes not this Attribute the Providence of God to bee two but one that Providence which I say is externall is that that rules those things which are externall and visible the things of this world as they are carryed on in the course of nature in the compasse of the creation and in this respect the Providence of God becomes visible by the workings and appearances of it in those things which are visible the invisible perfections of God consider them in reference to the creation are made visible to the creature by the creation Rom. 1.19 20. the Providence of God is the element that every creature doth subsist in and every creature under this notion is a dependance upon the Providence of God Psal 104. Mat. 10.29 30 31. Act. 27.34 Secondly the Providence internall is that which rules and orders all things in the new creation things that are internall spirituall and invisible this is the same Attribute but not the same act nor in the same appearance the actings and internall appearances of Gods Providence in the new creation makes all things one with it self I doe not say that the spirituall divine workings of Gods Providence in this invisible internall world doth make all things to be one essentiall Attribute with it self for then a man by conversion might approach so neer to the obedience of Christ as to be made and called and so become divine and God essentially but every thing is made one with Providence by the sublime outgoings of Providence in respect of union and conformity but no creature can be made to be the Providence essentially The providence of God consider it not as it is in any forme or creature only but in the Abstract in it selfe and it is Absolutely and essentially God The Seventh Attribute is the Immutability of God Iames 1.17 Mal. 3.6 Psa 102.26.27 From hence observe that the cause of our present and eternall union with God is the Immutabilitie or unchangeablenesse of God this is our present and will be our Eternall glory in Heaven that those whom God loves once he loves for ever The immutabilitie of God by which he is one and the same from Eternity to Eternity although he make changes and alterations in all creatures is absolutely and essentially God the uttermost and highest glory of Gods Immutability stretcht out upon the highest pinne was never made manifest in one nor in all creatures both in Heaven and Earth The Eighth Attribute is Gods faithfulnesse and truth Rom. 3.4 Tit. 1.2 Heb. 6.18 Numb 23.19 That which I have to say is this God is faithfull because he is Immutable God is faithfull because he is God he cannot but performe what he hath promised he cannot deny himselfe nor that word of Truth which is gone out of his mouth nothing shall be ever able to Alter or change his minde from doing that which he hath ordained from Eternity Rom. 8. Last 2 Tim. 2.13 it is Impossible that God and his truth should sease to be or from being what it hath beene Eternally first the truth and faithfulnesse of God is the salvation and glory of this world the truth of God is his unlimited power by which men are freed from the bondage of corruption to serve the true and living God Joh. 8.32 Luk. 1.74 1 Thess 1.9 This is that which is one and cannot be two it cannot be divided or seperated from God Secondly All the truth that is in all Saints in all Angels is no other but this one truth which is God Thirdly the life and glory of the Lord Jesus together with the life and glory of all things both in Heaven and Earth I meane all things that have the truth of life and glory in them is the truth and faithfulnesse of God this is that that hath exalted both Angels and men this is that that all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth do depend upon if it were possible for God to lye or deny himselfe Heaven it selfe with all those persons and glories which are there subsisting in glory thorow the truth and faithfulnesse of God would then seace to be yea and all things
else whatsoever must needes perish and come to nothing were it not for this there would be no Heaven nor Hell neither for how could these be when God himselfe should seace to be last of all the truth and faithfulnesse of God is the essentiall glory of the Lord Jesus the essentiall glory of Jesus Christ is Absolutely and essentially God God is so true and faithfull that were there ten worlds as there is not and though every soule in them were filled above what we could expresse full of Gods truth and Spirit yet could not all these worlds nor all these multitudes and numberlesse numbers of spirits thus inlightened by the spirit be ever able to see and to expresse the utmost and highest glory that is wrapt up in the truth and faithfulnesse of God I Appeale to all that in the truth doe love and in the spirit doe know God whither the consolations of Gods truth and faithfulnesse are not deare unto them Job 2.2 chapt 15.11 The ninth Attribute and the last that I intend to speake of is Gods Eternity 1 Tim. 1.17 Revel 1.8 Psa 90.2 Who is able to declare the Eternity of God now if the spirit of any man be Immutable let him come forth and Answer concerning this Attribute of God I shall aske these questions and so end with a conclusion or two and they are these behold God exalted by his power canst thou teach or instruct like him canst thou understand the spreading of the Clouds or the voice of Gods Tabernacle hast thou an Arme like God or canst thou Thunder out with thy voyce like the Almighty if all the Internall Invisible perfections of the most high God are according to thy words are depainted and discribed in the mortall flesh of man come forth and discover this perfection that all the world may wonder and be Astonished at the appearance of thy greatnesse Where wast thou when God laid the foundations of the Earth who hath laid the measures thereof or who hath stretched out the line upon it whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened or who hath shut up the Sea with doores when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the wombe hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes or caused the day spring to know his place hast thou entered into the springs of the Sea or hast thou walked in the search of the depth have the gates of death beene opened to thee and canst thou command the doores thereof hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth declare it if thou hast understanding where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darknesse where is the place thereof Knowest thou it because thou wast then borne or because the number of thy dayes be great hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile by what way is light parted which scattereth the East winde upon the Earth hast thou divided a water course for the over-flowings of water or away for the lightening and thunder thou that knowest man to be as perfect as God yea to be God himselfe Answer me out of whose wombe came the Ice and the hoary Frost of Heaven who hath gendered canst thou binde the sweete influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion canst thou bring forth Mazzoroth in his season or canst thou guide Arctuerus with his sonnes Knowest thou the ordinances of Heaven canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds that aboundance of waters may cover thee canst thou send lightenings that they may goe and say unto thee here we are who hath put Wisdome into the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart canst thou number the Clouds in Wisdome or canst thou stay the bottles of Heaven declare this if thou knowest it all My conclusions are these God is infinite in Immortallitie Secondly it was never neither can be for ever fully declared by all creatures in Heaven and Earth last of all the Immortallity or Eternity of God is absolutely and essentially God and thus much for a discription of Gods Attributes The second thing that I am to speake of is this what is the mortall flesh of man and this our Saviour and Saint Paul tells us Joh. 10.1 chap. 8.44 Rom. 3.9 chap. 7.18 Eph. 2.2 3 4 12 Psa 39.4.5.6 the 103.14.15 and 19.47.48 Job 10.9.10.11 Chap. 14.1 2 10. Law 3.22 39. observe these conclusions First the mortall flesh of man is the throne and seat of all filthinesse and abominations Secondly the mortall flesh of man is subject to mortality and vanity Thirdly the mortall flesh of man is subject to all sorrows miseries torments and judgements that by sin doe fall upon the world Fourthly the flesh of Christ whilest it was mortall had not all the internall perfections of God depainted in it Last of all the flesh of all men whilst it is mortall is not nor when this mortality shall put on immortality yet then it shall never be as perfect as God nor God himself Now this must needs be most false and untrue that all the Attributes and internall perfections which are proper to the great Majesty of God are depainted and described in the mortall flesh of man the mortall flesh of man is not eternall immutable and infinitely powerfull as God in his Attributes is and now I have done with the first part of this Ravishing Book or Prodigie I now come to the last part which is that man may be known to be as perfect as God yet to be God himselfe I shall speak but a word to this being I have already proved the contrary no man is so perfect as God Secondly man is not God himself Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man now his perfect manhood is not his godhead it is not as perfect as God nor God himself and if Christs manhood be not God himself then much lesse the mortall flesh of man and thus much in Answer to this Ravishing Book Miracle or Prodigie And now it is possible for lesse then the highest territory of a Christians capacity to finde out the depth of this O unheard of blasphemy The last branch of the errour I shall conclude with is this that though imagination inject that is conceit and include the forme man though an Idea of Christ crucified that is a resemblance forme or Image present it self to us yet the Ocean of Faith drownes and annihilates that is makes void or of no effect the same that is that all the apprehentions of an outward created forme or Organ crucified at Hierusalem it is but a thing injected it is but an Idea like a shadow that presents its self to us it is but our Imagination that doth inject such a thing and cause such an Idea but the Ocean of faith drownes annihilates makes void and of no effect that Idea or imagination of Christ crucified at Hierusalem Now if this were true then what
Whatsoever the devill is that is his essence but the power of the devill in one or many respects in one person or in a thousand is not whatsoever the devill is therefore one appearance of the devill is not the essence of him and then go to another no he can and is by his power in all hearts at once where Jesus Christ in the spirit is not yet we must conceive that every person hath an evill or a good Angell waiting upon him yet there is no Angell in darknesse but doth that work which hee is the chiefe and principall agent in I doe not say that the person of the devill is at once in all hearts that is so great that one nor all hearts in his kingdome cannot comprehend but the devill is every where by his power by his temptations by his servants and evill instruments which doe obey his will now the power of the devill in one or in many respects is not the person of the devill that is t is not his essence or beeing but an appearance of his beeing and thus much for the first Reason The second is this all sin flowes from the devill therefore wheresoever that is there hee is a corrupted fountain doth send forth corrupted streames now wheresoever the stream is there the Fountain is the Fountain is there in part and in appearance but not in essence now were it not for this the stream would cease to bee or if the Fountain in some respects were not there it could not bee wheresoever the fire is there heart is for that is its nature and property and wheresoever the heat is there the fire is take away the fire and the heat ceases to bee now the fire is not where the heat is in its being but in part and in appearance wheresoever the devill is there sin must needs bee unlesse hee could cease from action so wheresoever any evill is there the devill is in one respect or other take away the devill and sin ceases to bee if the devill could leave tempting deluding and blinding the eyes and hearts of men men would then leave sinning Mr. Perkins saith that wheresoever Ignorance reignes there reignes sin and wheresoever sin reignes there the devill rules now it is impossible for the devill to rule where he is not it is unpossible but that sin should bee where the devill is 10. The devill is not onely the fountain of all corruption in all hearts but is in his self a particular power and spirituall wickednesse that is though hee is so great in being yet hee is a particular being and though his nature doth comprehend such an Ocean of filthinesse yet is all this filthinesse the devils own and not anothers this great power I doe not say the corruption thereof is God in its originall for when God first created this being it had not this name the name devill nor the nature neither the devill was a good Angell and was glorious and happy for the time that hee continued in that estate wherein he was first created but hee together with his Angels kept not their first standing 2 Pet. 2. and so were cast down into hell to be kept unto damnation Jude 6. This power is God in two respect first consider it in its first originall secondly it is God in his appearance For hee hath therefore created him that by him he might manifest his power and discover the greatnesse of his own Majesty unto all creatures There be some affirm that wheresoever Gods power is there also his essence is for his power is his essence Againe others say that the devill is the aire from this Scripture Ephes 22 and the breath that is in mans body hee proves the latter by the former if the devill bee the aire saith he man doth breathe in and breathe out the aire and in this respect hee doth breathe in and breathe out the devill these juggling counterfeits by these expressions doe deny the comming of Christ in the flesh I shall ground this upon this Scripture 1 Joh. 3.8 for this purpose was made manifest that of God that hee might lose the works of the devill the proposition is this The end of God manifest in the flesh was to loose the works of the devill I shall bring one Scripture to shew what is here meant by loosing the works of the devill Heb. 2.14 that that is here called loosing the works of the devill is there called the destruction of the devill it is not as the Familists would have it when they speak of self-denyall that God must bee all and the creature nothing that the created forme nature or substance of the devill was destroyed in respect of being or subsisting for they hold that all created things must perish and come to nothing that God may be all now if the devill bee thus destroyed then is not Christ come in the flesh and if Christ bee not come in the flesh then his death is made void for hee cannot suffer that never had a beeing and the Resurrection Ascention Intercession and comming of Christ to judgement must needs be nothing but a meere phantasie and imagination and if this be so then nothing shall remain but the God-head and if nothing shall continue but God then there is but one spirit in the world and if there bee but one spirit in the world then all things must needs be the act of God and if all things bee the act of God then the highest perfection that ever man shall injoy hee shall injoy in this life My Argument to prove that he that denies this that the devill hath a beeing denies the comming of Christ in the flesh is this whosoever denies the work that Jesus Christ came to doe denies Christ himself but to say that Christ came to destroy the beeing and substance of the devill a work which hee came not to doe is to deny the comming of Christ in the flesh I shall give one instance to prove this hee that denies that to bee God which in truth is God he denies the beeing of God himself but he that holds that there is but one spirit or life in all creatures which is the true God besides which there is no other hee affirmes God to be that which in truth he is not Therefore he denies the beeing of God himself so he that affirmes that to be the work of Christ which in truth is not he denies the comming and beeing of Christ himselfe but he that saith that the end of Christ by his comming was to destroy the very beeing of the devill he affirmes that Christ came to do that work which he hath not done nor never will doe therefore thus to speak is to deny the comming of Christ Objection What is meant by these words Destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Answer To destroy him is not meant to destroy the devill in his beeing but the devill in his enterprizes Christ by his
mans or an Angels power from him and what is he Againe Fourthly It is impossible that ever God in his power should be spoyled by the crosse of our Lord Jesus Col. 2.15 and hath spoyled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the same crosse Fifthly God had ordained and created these invisible powers for this one maine end that Christ in his crosse might spoyle and triumph over them for the Everlasting glory and exaltation of his owne name The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Gen. When hath ever any Army bin so exalted in glory as at that time when they can by one thousand bring into subjection and to confusion many thousands This is the unspeakeable glory of the Lord Jesus that he can bring forth from under a poore low appearance on the crosse such a mighty and Infinite power and glory so as to spoyle to pull downe and lay in the dust all the glory of this world thus much for a certaine truth is clearely held forth in the Word Againe Sixthly The spirit of a man hath many faculties that goes to the making up of a compleat spirit and these had a beginning and were Created and so were all powers both in Heaven and Earth for by him were all things created which are in Heaven and which are in Earth things visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalites or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1.16 I could give you a large Description of the will of a man what an irresistable power it is untill that power that made it doe or is pleased to perswade and allure it there is no compelling of it will that is forced is not will so also the thoughts of a man how can hee with his thoughts soare up and down and incompasse heaven and earth and bring home tydings of that which the tongue is never able to expresse nor indeed the whole heart able to conceive of or comprehend the devill as I said before of all creatures is the greatest power that is in this world but a Christian in the spirit of the Lord Jesus is a power above the devill in a greater measure then the devill is in power above all creatures Rom. 8.37 38. Hee onely is able to trample upon the devill James 4.7 And by Faith to overcome this world 1 Job 5.4 A Christian in power is next unto Christ the devill is next unto a Christian Antichrist in power is next unto the devill and a naturall man next unto Antichrist so a man in his affections is very strong and mighty who is it or what is it that can take off the minde of a man from that which he hath affection to all the powers that are in the soule are never in a Joynteâ— Harmony nor are ever knit in a stronger union then when they are upon one thing met together in a band of love What is that that makes a man a monster in nature but because his limbes and joynts are not according to the course of nature what is the cause why some men are foolish and altogether void of Reason but because their spirits are not according to that common frame which usually the generation of the Sons of men are in the continuall action of mans heart is to live and move in the devill to have his heart so set upon himself and the things of this world that all created powers in Heaven and Earth are not able to take it off 1 Joh. 2.15 Ephes 2.2 what is that that makes men to bee so resolute so positive and wilfull in all Heresies Opinions Disputations and Works whatsoever but because that these three principall powers in their spirits are deluded and captivated by the god of this world Lastly The life and spirit of man is not the winde in the Aire nor the breath that is in mans body Objection The spirit is a reasonable creature Answer The winde is reasonable in reference to the creation but in comparison of man it is not Man is falne down into everlasting misery and raised up again into everlasting glory doth the winde know or understand this Again The breath onely is not the spirit for the same reason that I said before Secondly The breath is visible and may bee seen but the spirit is invisible and cannot be seen therefore it cannot be the spirit Thirdly The breath that is in man and the breath of a beast are both one under some considerations first they are both one in their originall Secondly They are both one in motion and visible appearance Lastly They are both one in their end consider this first how God hath united himselfe to all his works by which they come to be and to subsist in their beeing Secondly Consider how God hath united one work to another yet notwithstanding this union they remain severall and distinct in their beeings natures motions and possessions the beeing of a Beast is not the beeing of man the nature of a beast is not the nature of Man the motion of a Beast is not the motion of Man that which a beast hath possession of that is not nor cannot be the inward internall eternall possessions of men a Beast knows his own kinde from a man this is not mans motion nor the motion of breath therefore that cannot be the spirit Thus much for a Description of God of Angels and men CHAP. XIV A Description of the sin against the holy Spirit THe sin against the Holy Spirit is this when a man is inlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and is partakers of the Holy Spirit in such a measure as not to be intangled or polluted with the world when a man out of that light and knowledge which hee hath of God doth make a large acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus a man that doth delight to know God in Jesus Christ and doth seek him daily for such a man to fall away thus he doth commit that sin which shall never bee forgiven neither shall there ever be any mercy for that man in this world or that to come the sins I shall summe up in these severall expressions When a man shall make use of all that light knowledge and strength which formerly hee hath received in a willfull way to this end that now by all this he doth deny the comming of Jesus Christ in the flesh for a man that hath known Christ by the light of the spirit and hath received a taste of the goodnesse of God for such a man with a good will and delight purposely against his conscience against the strivings and motions of the spirit out of a hatred and malice against him and his members for such a man to deny Christ in his comming to undervalue him to laugh and make a scorn or jeer of the spirit in all that it saith in the Scriptures
declare unto me what is the present motion and universall frame of every Creature that hath a being upon the face of the whole Earth the Words of the Holy Spirit are that all things are naked and open before him with whom we have to doe Shew me the way of an Eagle in the aire the number of haires on thy head and tell me how many measures of dust there is upon the face of the earth how many sands upon the Sea shore and the winde that bloweth upon the earth which some affirme is God tell me from whence comes it and whether doth it goe I say still that God knows all things but I cannot yet see that the winds and the sea doe yeeld obedience to thee My third Request is this tell me you that have obtained perfection whether at all times and in all estates and conditions whatsoever you have and can have according to your will presently at your commandement all things that you stand in neede of to free you from all poverty sicknesse or any other trouble that doth here in this estate of your perfection commonly befall you Fourthly See Theologia Germanica That God is good or to be made good chap. 4. and yet he is such a good as he is neither this nor that good that can be named knowne or manifested but is also and above all pag. 19. line 6. shew me who it is and how it is possible by any meanes that can be thought of or imagined by the heart of any deified man to make God good who is a beeing of Infinite goodnesse last of all come and declare to me where I shall be and what I shall be at all times and in all places whilst I have beeing in this World doe you not know that some have undertaken to discover unto many what shall befall them while they are in this World You say that God is such a thing as cannot be spoken or written but of him who is the selfe same thing and knoweth it pag. 31. line last hee who is not God cannot say it now you doe grant that he that is the thing can know it and speake it and none but hee now shew me the man that will say that hee is God I should be glad to see him and talke with him and I doe beleeve if I could but meete with such a one that he would doe more good for me than all the men that ever I yet could see or meete with God is not a shamed of himselfe neither is the afraid of man whose breath is in his nostrills for wherein is he to be accounted of be not ashamed of your Religion if you be God what are you a fraid of you doe deliver your mindes in a corner and are loath to speake that at one time which you will impudently affirme at another And what is the Reason that you doe heare or preach at all if the spirit of man be God who doe you speake to to your selves life you say is one in all Creatures then what is it that you doe declare you will say that you doe discover God by Preaching why thou art God and so am I too what canst thou discover is there any thing besides God nay is not every thing that hath any life or being God dost thou Preach God to God why hee is Infinite in knowledge what can you Reveale to him what is the Reason that many of you doe keepe a babbling in private and publike is not all this needlesse and to no purpose But you will say that you cannot feede your bellies and cloathe your backs and provide for your Families without this you must doe something for a living Answer The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof Secondly God stands in neede of none of these things he is not nor cannot be subject to hunger and want as we are and besides all this I le shew thee where thou dost bring another grosse contradiction and absurdity upon thy selfe Germanica pag. 45. line the 7. you say that he who is it and knoweth it cannot speake it will you be your owne Judge in this then doe but looke by the light of Reason and you shall acknowledge the falshood of these two a forenamed First There is a God that is true Secondly there is but one God that is true also is it not now give me leave to discoveâ— thy Familisticall Atheisme in this if there be none of you that will deny this that God is and that there is not two but one now how is it possible that either one or both of these should hold true by thy confused confounded Description of God First you say that he that is God can know it say it and write of it this is a truth and cannot be denyed by any that will acknowledge God but how this a truth why thus it is a truth if it be right in its originall in its sense and in its end now take away any of these and it ceaseth from being a truth under all considerations truth in all these is God God is truths Originall it came forth from God Joh. 16.28 and 17.8 and was ever with God Chap. 17.5 and 14.24 Proverbs 8.22 Joh. 1.1.2 and 3.11 the whole Scriptures doth witnesse to the truth of this Act. 14.3 Joh. 8.18 Act 15.8 1 Cor. 2.1 1 Joh. 5.6 1 Cor. 1.6 1 Tim. 6.13 Joh. 7.7 Act. 10 43. Jere. 31.34 Mich. 7.18 Isa 41. Againe the true sense and meaning of truth is not sensuall and carnall but divine and Heavenly Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 2.13 God is also all truth in its end God is one in his end as he is in beeing 1 Cor. 8.4.5.6 Ephes 4.4.6 1 Tim. 2.5 Revel 21.6 Joh. 3.33 Rom. 3.4 1 Cor. 1.9 1 Thes 5.24 Heb. 6.18 1 Joh. 1.9 and 5.20 now that that you say is true but how not from a false originall Though men by reason can discover and speake that that in many respects is true yet if they seeke to make themselves Reason or any other the Originall of truth they then doe no longer speake it but with-hold it in unrighteousnesse as for an instance or example for a Familist a Papist or an Atheist to say that God is or that there is one truth which is God now this saying is a truth that is so long as men hold it forth as the originall but for any man to say that God is and I am this God Essentially he destroyes truth and sets up false-hood Secondly so long as truth is kept to its own sense and discovered according to its owne meaning it abides one and the same I speake now of it in reference to men but when once a truth is spoken and then a sense or meaning brought in either by Men or Divells such a sense as is according to reason then is truth denied and man seperated Lastly if truth doe not hold firme in its end it is not then truth but errour now truth in it selfe
cannot be changed into a lye but men with-hold it and mixe their own minde and reason with it so that whereas it was truth in the first it s now false in the last for a man to say that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and to speake it to an Antichristian Familisticall end that he may by degrees allure and deceive and so by speaking one truth put of a hundred heresies now judge what truth this can be just as the Devill did to Christ Matt. 4. Who did seeme to ground all upon a principle of truth but to this end that hee might overthrow him in the worke of Redemption Againe you say that he that is it and knoweth it meaning God cannot speake it but if any desire to know it let him expect untill he be the thing now do but observe the contradictions that I draw forth from your owne principles if the spirit of man be God according to your many affirmations then what sense or Reason is there in this expression should God expect to be that which he is from Eternity but I le go another way to worke with you You seem to hold forth thus much by this expression first That there is a condition wherein man is and may be in which he is not God Secondly Hee not being God in this estate but having a desire to know God hee must expect untill he himself be that God that hee desires to know now it is manifested plainly that you say one thing now and another anon and doe not well know what to say for it being a confused Religion that you plead for I know no other way that you can have to plead for it but in a way of confusion It is impossible for you and altogether against all reason both humane and divine to goe about to maintaine order by that that is confused and out of order if you will but hearken to reason I have by the light thereof sufficiently proved and discovered the falshood and impossibility of maintaining that opinion that you plead for to be a truth and of God is it not impossible for any man though never so great and mighty in carnall wisdome and Phylosophicall understanding to maintain a truth by a meer lye to hold up a divine substance by a meer shadow Again If man be not God as in truth he is not not in these respects that we have spoken of then shall hee never bee God for it cannot stand with the nature of any thing in God to be and yet not to bee thou doest to the understanding of the weakest capacity plainly in all thy conclusions deny the very beeing of God for I reason much with you under the consideration of Atheisme if there be any God at all which you will not deny then is it not possible that ever he should bee such a being as you describe him to be you acknowledge nothing perfectly neither God man nor devill but with a compounded mixture of all together deny Scripture both with heart and tongue and yet seemingly for feare to allure for profit fashion and custome draw all things from the Word and would make that a cloak for all your heresie corruption and outward filthinesse and because the trueth of God can never be turned into a lye God in his infinite and glorious being overcome by the devillish oppositions powers and blasphemies of the devill and antichrist who would faine drive all to this to cause men to wonder at them follow them and acknowledge no other God Christ and Scripture than themselves and those words that doe proceed out of their mouthes Now because the truth doth vindicate it selfe from all such devillish interpretations by inabling the Saints of the most high God to goe forth in the power of the spirit and to put to silence These seeming Angelicall subtle beasts that would by their inchantments draw the whole world a wandering after them therefore they blaspheme These are such as speak evill of those things which they know not they would that all men should know that none knows God but they and under this notion of their knowledge of God they cease not continually to breathe our evills and blasphemies against him whom in truth they never saw and whatsoever they know by nature as beasts which are without such a light of Reason now in all those things which formerly they have known by the light of grace and all things that they now know by the light of Reason in all these for want of a true and powerfull principle of grace to overcome and master their own proud self-conceited imaginations of God and of all things I say that in all this they are most abominably corrupted and defiled confused and so confounded that their own words will and are already come in as sufficient witnesses to judge and condemne them Jude 10.12 13. Then is the love of a Christian made manifest when he doth feast his brethren with all those sweet and glorious things that he hath received from God but these men are clouds in such feasts of charity who with one high elevated word or expression of God will according to their power turn all joy into sorrow and all light into such a mysticall darknesse that though it be so yet knowing men shall be so deceived that they shall take it to be the highest light and glory of all these are they that feast with you without all feare feeding themselves for when wee aske them why they are so merry and joviall they will answer that none have such a right to all things as they have and whatsoever they doe they doe it without feare either to God or men there being no account to be given to God they themselves being God for one while they say that the spirit and life of all men are God at another time they will say that if any desire to know God let him expect and so indeed hee may expect long enough before he be what they themselves say they are These men doe preach and pray feast laugh and talk without feare of hell sin death or damnation for there is nothing that shall remain to eternity but the God-head that is in all creatures they doe feed themselves in two respects First They feed their bellies Secondly they feed their fancies too and they have many mens persons in admiration because of these two advantages Againe In pag. 52. line 6. Hee saith That perfect God and perfect man are one how can this bed why thus Man cannot be perfect unlesse he be God and God is not perfect without man so that perfect God and perfect man are one perfect God what sense is there in all this and what other conclusion can be drawn from these words for saith he when man doth yeeld and give place to God that then God himself there is man and doe and leave undone whatsoever hee will Wherein observe that God cannot be man untill man give place to God
thereof when you speak saith our Saviour to his Disciples it is not you that speak but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you The person of the Lord Christ is the Authour of all Truth and if so then receive this if it bee a truth not for my sake but for your Saviours sake My second Request is this assist mee I pray you against this spirit who would rejoyce in the totall overthrow and confusion of us all Hee that heareth you saith our Saviour to his Disciples heareth mee and hee that heareth mee heareth him that sent mee hee that is an enemy to Christ cannot bee a friend to any of his Members venture life and all for Christ and whatsoever we part with let us never either for fear or favour let goe a particular crucified Jesus of our selves wee can doe nothing but through Christ we can doe all things 2 Cor. 3.5 FINIS The Contents CHAP. I. WHat Christ is unto and in the heart of a Christian The Doctrines and Arguments of the Familists doe prove great troubles and trialls to many Christian p. 1 Jesus Christ will be a Christians guide in the greatest trouble that can befall him p. 2 The Familists are very confident that by the knowledge of Astrologie and the strength of Reason they shall be able to conqueour over the whole World as Goliah made account to conquour over David p. 2. 3 Iesus Christ by guiding a Christian will so comfort him as that though all the Antichristian Familisticall floodgates thorowout the world be let out upon him yet they shall never drowne and destroy that faith and confidence which they have in a particular crucified Iesus p. 3. 4 Iesus Christ will be a Christians companion also although his way may be darkened by Reason of that Familisticall Jesuiticall cloud of darkenesse which may over shadow the face of the whole earth p. 4. 5 CHAP. II. There be seven Antichristian doctrines which are described and confuted in order the first is laid downe in this second Chapter which is this that there is but one spirit or life in all creatures both in Heaven Earth and Hell and that life which is one and the same in all creatures is absolutely and Essentially God p. 6 This Doctrine is proved to be a greevious blasphemous lye by nine Arguments there is no Scripture or Reason either Divine or humane that can be brought in for to justifie the truth thereof p. 7. to the 13 CHAP. III. The second error which they hold that goe by the name of Familists is this that all things whatsoever are the act of God that all creatures Angels and Men are at all times in all workes acted and ruled by the spirit of God p. 13. The truth is laid downe and acknowledged which is this that God is the supreame ordainer and mannager of all things the power is Gods the impudency is the creatures p. 13. 14. and 22 That God is not the actor of all things is proved both by Scripture and Reason but that many workes are acted by men and Devills which cannot be attributed to God but by speaking as high blasphemy as any heart can imagine or tongue expresse p. 15. A description of sinne p. 17. 18. 19. 20 CHAP. IIII. The third error is this that nothing shall remaine to Eternity but shall perish and come to nothing but the Deity that is now the life of all creatures p. 24 That the world shall not continue to Eternity is proved to be a truth by the Scriptures that is not in the same manner of subsisting as it is now that it shall perish and come to nothing and all creatures together with it is disproved for there shall be a new world for the Saints and a time of judgement for those that have not obeyed the Gospell p. 24. 25. 26 CHAP. V. The fourth error is that the Bible is a meere shadow a false History a confused lying Allegorie being of no more Authority than any other booke or the Apocrypha p. 26 The Scriptures are vindicated and proved to be the Word of God by ten Arguments from p. 26. to the 37 CHAP. VI. Which proves the comming Death Resurrection Ascention and Intercesion of our Lord Jesus which is absolutely denyed by all the Principle Doctrines and writings of the Familists p. 37. to the 49 CHAP. VII The Sixth Error is this that all Ordinances are but meat for babes that a man should live above them without the use of them p. 49 CHAP. VIII The Seventh Error is this that perfection in the highest degree both of grace and glorie is to be injoyed in this life before the dissolution of this forme or death of the body p. 53 The Error is divided into two branches the first part of it is in this Chapter overthrowne by ten Arguments proved by Scripture to be a damnable lye being no other but a Jesuiticall imagination p. 53. 54. 55. 56 CHAP. IX The second Branch of this errour is handled in this Chapter which is this that all the Attributes of God proper to his Divine Majesty are described in our mertall flesh p. 57 Wherein these two questions are propounded First what are the glorious Attributes of God Answered by discovering nine of them 1. The Power of God p. 57. to the 65 2. The Wisdome of God p. 65 3. The Mercy of God p. 66 4. The Justice of God ibid. 5. The Presence of God from p. 66. to 70 6. The Providence of God p. 71 7. The Immutability of God p. 72 8. The truth and Faithfulnesse of God ibid. 9. Gods Eternity p. 73 74 The second is what is the Mortall flesh of man Answered by five particulars p. 75 Something concerning the Passion of Christ p. 76 CHAP. X. A Description of God according to the writings and Doctrines of the Familists p. 76 CHAP. XI Antichrist in his Athiesticall discription of God discribed and confuted by a discription of God as he hath discovered himselfe in his word p. 79 In this Chapter these foure things are treated on 1. What God is in himself p. 80. to the 92 2. What hee is in Christ p. 90 3. What hee is in a Christian p. 92. to the 95 4. What hee is in all creatures p. 81. to the 95 Three things concerning the Trinity 1. The union distinction of natures in one person 92 2. The union and distinction of two persons in one nature p. 94 95 3. The order of these three persons thus distinguished p. 91 That Christ and a Christian are both one by union yet not without distinction both of persons and natures p. 81 The difference between Christ and a Christian in this glorious union is handled in these particulars 1. Difference concerning the Person of Christ 2. Difference concerning the Offices of Christ p. 93 3. Difference concerning Christ in his Essence p. 94 CHAP. XII A Description of the Devill as God hath discovered him in his Word and by Reason proving him to be and to be such a one as he is discovered to be p. 95. to the 106 CHAP. XIII A Description of the spirit of man in two respects First What it is p. 106. to the 114 Secondly What it is not CHAP. XIV The sin against the holy Spirit described wherein there is one objection nominated and Answered p. 115 to the 119 CHAP. XV. An Exhortation to all Christians whether private or publique p. 119 CHAP. XVI A Petition presented to the Familists with a farther confutation of their erroneous Doctrins 120. to the end A Postscript FINISs
Doest thou not blaspheme this Monster I have already strangeled therefore I le speake no further to it The Conclusion NOw you cannot chuse but love and imbrace me for what I have spoken and though I speake never so much against you yea though I should kill you a thousand times if it were possible yet you would wish all good to befall me Germanica pag. 80. and that for these Reasons First adeified man knowes nothing but to love Secondly all things are the Act of God be not angry with God Thirdly if your words were true I am God as well as you Thus much for a Description of Familisme other wayes called mysticall Ant christ The Postscript Dearly Beloved I Am ingaged to adde this at the conclusion of all because of the brevity and shortnesse in my Epistle I intreat you not to except against the universality of my Dedication it concernes you all as I said before to you I speak whose defire is to imbrace a particular crucified Jesus I doe not present this to any other because it concernes not any other but you you are all ingaged in this quarrell as well as I am you are bound to the Lord Jesus who is your Saviour and my Saviour your God and my God in a bond of Faith and love to lay out all your strength and ability for the exaltation of his name against all those who are enemies to his truth and contemners of his glory I speak to all that are in union with Christ high and low great and small from the richest Pallace to the poorest Cottage I have a Question or two to ask you an Information or two to declare to you and a Request or two which I desire to present unto you most humbly craving these of you not for my own sake but for your Saviours sake The first question is this Is not the glorious person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ very deare and precious to you in all your private and publick meditations I remember what the Prophet David said Lord who have I in heaven but thee or on earth that I desire in comparison of thee as if hee had said although there are Gods many and Lords many yet to mee there is but one God in heaven nor in earth neither there is no person in heaven that is so deare to mee as thou art no beeing is so glorious as thy beeing is no spirit in heaven hath done or is able to doe that for my soule which thou hast done thou hast loved me with an everlasting eternall love Lord who have I in heaven but thee Psal 103.1.2 Thou hast loved me with such an unexpressible infinite love such an exceeding love as never eye hath seen eare heard nor none of all thy Saints that either have been before mee or shall bee after mee can conceive of 1 Cor. 2.9 Lord who have I in heaven but thee There is no other God besides thee I know this to bee a truth which I speak of thee Psal 73.28 and 83. last Thy love is so exceeding high that Angels doe admire at the glory thereof Ephes 3.18 Lord what is man that thou art mindefull of him or the sonne of man that dost visit him Who have I in heaven but thee thou hast done much for mee thou art my portion and inheritance I have no other portion in heaven besides thee thou hast no reason or cause on my part to doe any thing for me my righteousnesse extendeth not to thee it cannot adde to thy glory it cannot increase thy blessednesse Thou haste forgiven mee all my iniquity thou hast not left one unpardoned thou hast blotted out all my sin as a thick cloud that it shall never be remembred nor laid to my charge Psal 32.2 3. and the 103.1 Lord who have I in heaven but thee Or on earth that I desire in comparison of thee thou hast made mee to bee one of thine annointed ones thou hast conferred an earthly Crown of glory upon mee and committed a Kingdome to my charge all the delights and glories of this world are round about me I am incompast in the midst thereof yet who have I in earth that I doe so highly prize and value in comparison of thee Are not all the glories of this world as a heap of drosse in comparison of thee is my life and kingdom so glorious in my eye as thou art shall not my honour glory and outward greatnesse praise thee Psal 108.1 My second question is this are not the members of Christ dear to you above all things in this world next unto Jesus Christ are you not willing to assist them upon all occasions are you not willing in all your pompe and glory to own a poore Lazarus if Christ bee in him for your Brother are you not willing for their sakes to doe much to suffer and undergoe much by contending for that Faith which was once given and cannot be given again My last question is this is any thing more contrary to the inward temper and inclination of your spirits then those Doctrines which doe not acknowledge Jesus Christ are not these great enemies to you and doe they not make great breaches in your spirits is it any joy and pleasure to you to heare many able knowing persons scoffe and make a mock of Christ and him crucified doe you not continually put up supplications to God for these poore faln apostatized spirits who once made Christ their chiefest joy and would have been very contrary to them that should have said but that of Christ which they themselves speak now My Information is concerning my particular judgement and those that I plead against and it is this I present this to all you that feare God whether Presbyterians or Independents you that are for the Baptisme of Infants or for the Baptisme of Beleevers to you all doe I present this my information concerning those that I write against is this whilest wee are striving and contending about different opinions many of which are things of indifferency whilst wee about these are a striving and contending the common and grand enemy of our peace takes an advantage at these contentions and vain janglings and so makes this time which is a time of disagreement and discord amongst the Saints to bee his opportunity to step in and rob you all of all the sweet and pretious things of God which are most sweet and dear unto you just as if two loving deare Brethren should for a small matter fall out with one another and in the mean time a common Theife an enemy to them both comes and cuts their throates My Petition and humble request to you all is this I pray you for Jesus Christs sake to except of this pooremite that I have cast into your treasury and to cover all infirmities with love I hope I have spoken to the experiences of many of you if this be a truth that I have writen then you know who is the Authour