did speak with a low voice to her and present shapes to her dazled eyes which seemeth to the Witch to be a real voice of a spirit without her and a real shape without her when as in deed and in truth it is nothing else but a motional voice begotten in her self and shapes begotten in her self by the imagination in the Womb of reason as aforesaid which is that familiar spirit Which is that familiar spirit she doth deal with she thinking it is from some spirit without her she not knowing it is begotten in her and this familiar spirit begotten in her it whispers within her with a low motional voice as if some spirit did whisper out of the ground According to that saying of the Prophet Isa 28.4 concerning the destruction or Judgement of God upon Jerusalem the words are these And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the ground and thy speech shall be low out of the dust and thy voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit out of the ground and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust As if the Prophet should say Seeing you have refused to hearken to the voice of the Prophets which hath declared the mind of the God of Israel openly with a loud voice you have heard them speak plain words with your ears but you have not believed they spoke truth unto you therefore you have reâ—ected the word of the Lord by his Prophets and have persecuted and slain some of them as false Prophets because they spake unto you in the Name of the Lord as it was revealed by the spirit of revelation in them They spake plain words unto you as might be heard to the outward ear by the standers by they were visible men that spake unto you so that you need not to enquire after any that hath a familiar spirit who speaketh so softly and so low that no standers by can hear this familiar spirit speak but he or she that hath it But as for plain words openly declared by the Prophets and publickly heard by the outward ear these you have rejected despised persecuted and counted them lyars deceivers false prophets and such like Therefore God hath given you over to strong delusions to enquire of a Witch who makes you believe that spirits may be raised out of the ground and that spirits do come out of the dust and whisper to the Witch with a low voice that none can hear but her self So those that enquire do believe as King Saul did that a familiar spirit can enter into the dust or ground and bring up another mans spirit that is dead without its body and so their two spirits whisper so low together that none can hear that stands by nor tell what this spirit that is raised did say nor whether the spirit so raised is gone into the body again or into the ground from whence the Witch said it was raised which spirit that is said to be raised or said to speak out of the ground I say it was raised out of the Witches own body and no where else and those low voices and whisperings were both within her and not without her CHAP. VII NOw how a man may be said to be brought down and shall speak out of the ground and their speech shall below out of the dust The meaning is when a particular man or woman or a people or nation be in the same distress and condition as King Saul was that is in danger of losing his Crown and Kingdom his natural life and not onely so but his Soul is tormented with the fear of eternal death this maketh the heart of man to melt in him it makes his speech to grow weak and feeble so that his speech can hardly be heard it is even as if a man did speak out of death or out of the ground A man with the extremity of outward and inward trouble he becomes speechless yet he speaks in his thoughts but so low that none that stands by can hear or tell what he saith This many can experience that have seen their friend or relation in this condition this is like speaking out of the ground and low out of the dust And the voice of every such troubled soul who hath the plagues of this life and the horrour of conscience as to the life to come as King Saul had the voice such people have is as one that hath a familiar spirit out of the ground and their speech shall be as if one did whisper out of the dust This place of Scripture hath the same meaning as the place before mentioned Isai 8.19 where such as King Saul was are bade to seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep and mutter that is that whisper out of the ground for whisper peep and mutter signifies all one thing These things did Manasseh 2 Kings 21.6 he dealt with familiar spirits and did great abominations he made his sons to pass thorough the fire in offering them up as a sacrifice to an unknown Devil which he thought was God and this he did by the whisperings of the familiar spirit within him and being acquainted with others who were known to have familiar spirits also And so did several other Kings of Israel deal with familiar spirits and had those low whispering voices in themselves as if spirits had risen out of the ground or from the dust to speak unto them and this they did attain unto by industry in that they forsook the words of the Prophets and would not hearken unto them but gave themselves up to follow the imaginations of their own hearts imagining they might as well know God and what worship would please God as well as the Prophets therefore why should we being Kings hearken to such mean inferiour men as these may not we by our familiar spirit as well know God and what worship will please him by our familiar spirit as the Prophets do by the spirit of prophecy why should we be in such bondage that we can do nothing but what they say the Lord commands us to do so the imagination saith Come we will not be tied up thus we will see what our familiar spirit begotten in us will do we will erect and build altars in several places and sâ—crifice bullocks and lambs to an unknown God and so by this means they procure in themselves low motional voices which whisper in themselves which becomes in them a familiar spirit is produced in themselves and there is a more increase of low motional voices which doth whisper in the mind moving them to a further degree of knowledge and endeavour after more voices so that to attain to this diabolical wisdom in a more high measure They are moved by this low voice within them to offer up their own children in sacrifices to their imaginary God which they believe is an invisible spirit without a body which reveals these things unto them and whispers
dead that might be felt and handled and not a spirit without a body as most people do vainly imagine that spirits may be raised without bodies And as for that Lazarus and others that were raised by the power of God out of the ground after they had been dead they had bodies as well as spirits that might be seen with natu al eyes and handled and felt with natural hand So that Gods power in raising the dead it is no cheat the creature is not cheated nor deceived but is fully satisfied in his mind But for a familiar spirit to say or tell people they de or cantaise spirits out of the ground in such a shape without a body or bodily substance or shall say they hear voices from this spirit so raised is a mere cheat to the ignorant and unbelieving and leâ—ds them into the pit of darkness and makes them fear where no fear is and are afraid of their own shâ—dows for it is the nâ—â—ure of reason the devil to imagine that this way of raising of spirits without bodies to be of a more high nature then to raise spirit and body together as God doth and the imagination doth conceive it a more great power to raise spirits without bodies out of the dust of the ground then it is to râ—ise spirit and body together as Christ did for Christ always raised spiâ—it and body together as the Scriptures do testifie For the reasâ—n in man doth send forth the imagination of the heart the unclean spirit in man walking through dry places seâ—king â—est but can find none the ignorant dark thoughts of the imâ—gination goeth out of a man to enquire of one that hath a familiar spirit seeking rest but can find none as King Saul did for the imagination of the heart being continually evil it always walketh through dry places where no matter of life is to be had to quench the thirst of sin or a defiled conscience neiâ—her can the thâ—ughts of imagination be satisfied with what a Witch or a Familiar saith therefore called dry places they may be called dry because the heart is never satisfied with what a Witch saith for she always saith a lie To tell a man or woman that she doth or can raise spirits out of the ground without bodies as the Witch of Endor did to King Saul or that she did hear any low voice or speech of Samuel out of the ground as she told the King I say she did but cheat the King and made him believe she had raised Samuel and had heard him speak to her with a low speech out of the ground which had revealed unto her what sad things would befall the King so he believing her words his spirit fainted so that no strength was in him when as indeed and in truth that Samuel she said she saw arise out of the earth he did arise out of her own heart and that low speech she said Samuel spake it was all in her self by the motions of the familiar spirit begotten in her And King Sâ—ul believing her being partaker of her faith Samuel spake a low motional voice or speech in him also he believing it was Samuel spake out of the earth but it was nothing else but the voice of his own guilty conscience within himself as it was the voice her familiar spirit in her self that spake as aforesaid So that the meaning of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 29.4 concerning the destruction of Jerusalem that grief and sorrow of heart should speak in themselves as if the speech came out of the ground because they saw in themselves nothing but death and destruction did approch and was like to follow upon them all fearing they should all be destroyed by their enemies and slain and fall to the ground so that fear of heave of destruction 〈◊〉 spake a low speech in every mans heart even as if it spake out of the ground or as one that hath a familiar spirit for it is the nature of a familiar spirit to speak as if the speech did proceed from the earth and the speech doth seem to the Witch and those that enquire of her to whisper out of the dust whenas the speech cometh not out of the ground neither doth it whisper out of the dust as is imagined by most people because ignorance and darkness hath overspread the minds of most people in the world But that low speech the familiar spirit spe ks or whispers it is out of her own heart even that wisdom begotten by the imagination in her own thoughts that speaks as aforesaid and no spirit without her as hath vainly been imagined So likewise the people of the Jews the fear grief and sorrow of heart being begotten in them for such like lins as that of witchcraft idolatry dealing with familiar spirits causing their sons and daughters to pass through the fire as burnt offerings and sacrifices unto Devils which they supposed to be Gods these things caused their hearts to fail and faint and their thoughts were troubled within themselves which causeth their speech to grow weak and low within them even as if some familiar did speak out of the ground or whisper out of the dust fear grief and sorrow of heart but all come out of their own grieved hearts who were punished for their sins and not out of the natural ground or natural dust as people do vainly imagine This is the true meaning of the Prophets words and how familiar spirits may be said to speak out of the ground and whisper out of the dust CHAP. IX AGain it hath been objected by many that spirits may be raised without bodies and that spirits may be talked with after they have been dead and buried and that spirits have appeared in a shape to several people yet this spirit so appearing hath no body nor substance at all neither can it be felt or handled by mortal man nor no immortal creature neither this is the vain conceit of most people But to satisfie the Reader in this I declare that there is no immortal spirit whatsoever but it hath a spiritual body sutable to its spirit if the spirit be immortal the body is immortal also for this I say no spirit can have any being at all without a body no not God himself who was from eternity his spirit could not be from eternity without a spiritual body in form like a man they were both from eternity and the one was never divided nor separated from the other but they were both eternal And further I declare that God was a spiritual body from eternity in form like a Man therefore God created man in his own image and likeness Now observe if man hath a body sutable to his spirit so hath God a body sutable to his spirit else man was not created in his image if God hath never a body but is all spirit as people do vainly imagine For this I know that God was spirit and body in form like a
and not to a natural captivity Neither was it meant the opening of the natural prison doors to them that were bound by the Powers of the nations but the doors of mens hearts were opened at the preaching of Christ and his Apostles in that light and life and salvation was preached unto them that whoever believed that this Jesus is the Christ the Saviour of the world should be saved and delivered from the fear of eternal death so that the soul of man that was lead captive into prison and bound in chains of darkness and strong doors lockt fast to keep the spirit of man in prison by the works of the Law and the expounders of the Law before Christ came the spirit of reason in them did lead the generality of people their spirits into spiritual captivity and shut them up in prison and tied their spirits up in the observation of the Ceremonial Law of Moses Which was as chains of darkness and not onely so but shut the door of hope upon them so that there was no hope to be saved in them but by observing the Law aforesaid which Paul calls beggerly rudiments Gal. 3. So that this spiritual captivity and being bound in prison and the doors being shut it was the spirits of people that were captives and prisoners in their own bodies kept by the Legal and ceremonial righteousness of the Law of Moses and when Christ came to preach and to give power to his Apostles to preach the Gospel of truth both to Jew and Gentile then was the dore of hope opened in peoples hearts and many that were bound in prison whose spirits were led captive they were set at liberty from that bondage of the Ceremonial Law wherein they were bound and brought out of that prison of darkness in the mind into the glorious light and life of faith by the preaching of Christ and his Apostles Then was this prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled in the Apostles commission then was liberty preached to the spirits of many that were bound and in prison in their own minds the word of faith preached unto them it opened a door of hope of deliverance from the bondage of the Law as aforesaid wherewith they were bound so that by faith they had in Christ their chains fell off their feet and darkness of their understanding so that they were at perfect liberty and delivered out of prison and the prison door of hope in Christ being opened all true believers in Christ were set at liberty free from captivity and out of that spiritual prison of darkness into the glorious liberty of the sons and daughters of God for ever and ever So is it now in this commission of the spirit we the witnesses of the spirit have preached glad tidings of salvation and have opened the prison doors of mens hearts and have let many out of that spiritual prison that were bound to the righteousness set up by the imagination of reason now in these last days who were led captive by their own traditions and kept in prison in their own bodies for many years but by the declaration of truth in all our writings and our speakings many people have been delivered out of captivity and out of prison their spirits have been let loose out of the chains of darkness because the door of their hearts hath been opened by the word of faith in the true God which we have preached and written this many can witness at this day the truth of it So that now that Scripture is fulfilled again in these last days and this is the true meaning of the Prophet Isaiah in those words concerning opening the prison and giving liberty to the captives that were imprisoned in their own bodies by the conceptions of the imaginations of their own hearts So that there is not the least colour or ground from those words for the reason of man to think that spirits may be let out of prison without bodies or that the spirit of Christ did preach to any spirit in prison without his body CHAP. XII ANd as for those words of Peter aforenamed where he saith Christ was put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing c. The meaning of those words are as followeth that Christ was put to death in the body of his own flesh this is confessed by most people that profess the Scriptures of truth but very few do truly believe that the soul or spirit of Christ did die or was put to death at all notwithstanding the Scripture saith that He poured out his soul unto death and he himself saith His soul was heavy unto death Therefore that the Reader may understand what is meant in that Christ was put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit mind I declare that it was the soul or spirit of Christ which was the Godhead life that dwelt in that body of flesh and bone of Christ for as the Scripture saith In him all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily and this Godhead life that dwelt in the body of Christs flesh it was put to death in the body of Christs flesh and the same Godhead life that was put to death in the body of his flesh and when Christs body was crucified upon the cross then was the soul and life of Christ or the Godhead life did die and was put to death in that flesh of Christ for that flesh of Christ was God become flesh as the Scripture saith and the soul and life of Christ was the soul and life of God And When Christ poured out his soul unto death it was the Godhead life that was poured out unto death so that the Godhe d spirit was put to death and did die in the flesh of Christ when he was crucified But this Godhead life which was put to death in the flesh of Christ it quickened again where it was put to death even in the same flesh where it was put to death And in its quickening agâ—in it raised the same flesh again and so spiritualized the same flesh that suffered and made it uncapable to suffer death any more For this I say no spirit or life that is put to death whatsoever could possibly quicken again in the same body but the life of God onely so that Christ must needs be God as well as Man for it was Christ that was put to death in the flesh and the same life that was put to death and did die that which did die did quicken again and so is called a quickening spirit Now observe it cannot properly be called a quickening spirit if it had not been once dead for if the spirit and life of Christ did not die nor was not dead then I say there was no need that this spirit and life should quicken again