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
he may see how men have enquired of the Lord by motional voices in the minde by that spirit of faith which is gotten by revelation which is called the Spirit of God In the time of the Law of Moses the Ephod was a standing Rule for to enquire of God for good or bad success Now there was no man could tell what the event would be that looked upon the Ephod but such men as had the spirit of revelation and prophesie in them as David and the High Priest assoon as ever they looked upon the Ephod they could tell whether they should prosper in battel or not but if any other man which had not the spirit of revelation and prophesie should look upon the Ephod they could tell nothing by it Though the Ephod was appointed of God on purpose to enquire of God yet none could find out Gods minde but such men aforesaid for as soon as ever David or the High Priest looked upon the Ephod they could tell what the event would be as may be seen 1 Sam. 23.6 9. how David called for the Ephod and Abiathar the Priest to bring it to enquire of the Lord. Yet God never spake to them by voice yet they had motional voices in themselves in their hearts assuring them that they prosper or not prosper yet God never appeared himself nor any Angel neither did God speak by any voice yet they are bade to go prosper as if they had heard som voice by looking upon the Ephod so that those voices that bade them go and prosper they were motional voices that did arise from the revelation and spirit of Prophesie within them by that skill they had in the Ephod which was appointed of God for that purpose so that all Davids voices and the High Priests voices that were motional voices yet called the voice of God because they did arise from the seed of faith in David and others which is the divine Nature of God therefore called the Spirit of God For this I say if Saul had not lost that spirit of Prophesie by his disobedience as he once had when the good spirit departed from him he might have enquired of the Ephod and have been answered with a motional voice by the Ephod as he was by enquiring of a Witch For the spirit of Samuel did speak no more to Saul then the Spirit of God did speak to David they were both motional voices that did arise from their two seeds the one voice spake peace and deliverance and the other spake wrath and destruction the one did enquire in the way that God did appoint even of the Ephod or of the Lords Prophets the other did enquire of that which was forbidden and forsook the Lord and his Prophets and went to a Witch to enquire it was because one was the seed of Adam which is the seed of God and so chosen of God in mercy even David and the other was the seed of the Serpent even the devil who was chosen King in Gods wrath even Saul This is the true Interpretation of those voices that Samuel spake to Saul and of his being raised by the Witch of Endor Therefore you that can understand these things aforementioned you may see how the whole world lieth in darkness and are cheated of their sense and reason by this lying and vain imagination to believe that spirits can be without bodies or that spirits can be raised without bodies or that spirits can speak without bodies or that spirits departed can assume any shapes afterwards these things and many more are produced by the dark imagination of the heart of man and if the Reader hath any true light of faith in him he may understand the Interpretation I have given of the Witch of Endor and how a familiar spirit is produced or begotten in them and be satisfied in his mind as to that matter so much concerning those words in Samuel aforementioned CHAP. VI. AGain it is said Isa 8.29 the Prophet speaking there to unbelieving Israelites that did not believe the Word of the Lord through the Prophets mouths concerning the destruction that should come upon Israel this judgement did the Lord threaten by the mouth of his Prophet Isaiah to bring upon Israel for their unbelief and this Prophet seeing the people would not hearken unto the voice of the Lords Prophets nor inquire of them but altogether persecuted them as false prophets deceivers and liers and the inclination of their hearts was more willing and desirous to enquire of a Witch or Wizard who had a familiar spirit then of the Prophet of the Lord as you may see chap. and verse aboâ—e-written the words are these as followeth And when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards that peep and that mutter should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead the meaning of these words is this that unbelieving men do think and believe that Witches and Wizards who hath a familiar spirit can rise out of the ground where dead men were buried living spirits without bodies that can reveal things unto them by that motional voice that doth proceed from these familiar spirits which doth peep and mutter That is the whisperings that proceeds from this familiar spirit that is begotten by the imagination of reason the father and the seed of reason the mother as I said before is that motional voice all Witches and Wizards have whereby they peep and mutter in themselves as if they did hear voices and see shapes and living spirits arise out of the ground as the Witch of Endor said to King Saul She saw Gods ascend out of the earth Whenas there was no spirit nor shape came out of the ground at all but the gods she saw ascend out of the earth came out of her own imagination even that familiar spirit begotten in her it seemed unto her as if it did ascend out of the earth but those gods she said she saw ascend out of the earth they ascended out of her own imagination and Saul beleeved her and so was partakers with her and he did believe that she had raised Samuels spirit out of the earth as the Witch had said And this is to be minded by the Reader that when spirits are to be raised by Witches her familiar spirit always ariseth out of her own self even from the seed of reason and imagination of her own heart whereby she doth hear voices within her whispering low voices as if some other spirits without her did speak with a low voice unto her and present shapes unto her dazled eyes which seemeth to the Witch to be real voices of a spirit without her and a real shape without her when as in deed and in truth it ariseth out of her own self even from the seed of reason and imagination of her own heart whereby she doth hear voices within her whispering low voices as if some other spirit without her
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
and unseparable one from the other they were but one visible sensible being and when the life was dead the body was dead and when the body is really dead the spirit and life was and is dead also and both are laid in the ground together as is declared in all our writings but more especially in that book entituled The Mâ—rtality of the Soul CHAP. X. ALso I do further declare that God did never create any spirit without a body neither of Angels nor Men nor no other creature neither in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the Waters under the earth There is no spirit or life whatsoever that is created of God but it hath a body to that life or spirit but if a spirit have any being without a body that spirit is none of Gods creation for God never created any spirit whatsoever without a body as I said before But the imagination of reason in man which is the devil hath created all creatures in the imagination to have spirits without bodies both of Angels above and Man here on earth and all creatures upon the earth and in the waters that have the breath of life the imagination of reason saith their spirits may subsist without bodies or go out of those bodies they have and enter into other bodies and appear in the shape of a body and yet be of no substance so that the Devils creation is all of spirits without bodies and Gods creation is all with bodies and spirits together And this darkness hath overspread the nature of man all the world over which is the occasion of that opinion of houses and places being hanted with evil spirits and spirits walking without bodies and deaâ—ing with familiâ—r spirits that peep and mutter and whisper as it were out of the ground These things and many more are produced by the imagination of the heart of man for the imagination of mans heart is evil and continually evil for it hath given a being to spirits without bodies to fright it self to that which hath no being of it self For I declare and perfectly know that there is no such thing as spirits to walk without bodies nor assume any shape after death nor be raised out of the ground by any Witch or any familiar spirit whatsoever it is all produced out of the dâ—rk imagination of the heart where ignorance beareh rule for there is no such thing can be presented but to the ignorant and dark-minded people Thus I have given the Reader to understand something more concerning the power of Witches and how they may be said to raise spirits out of the ground and from whence that low speech doth come with those Scriptures opened that speak as if a familiar spirit did hear whispering out of the dust Also I have given the interpretation of that in Samuel concerning the Witch of Endor and those places of Scripture in Isaiah these places are the most concerning spirits being raised without bodies of any in the Scriptures but there have been some other places of Scripture that do seem to carry a shew as if spirits might rise again without bodies and I have been desired by some to open those Scriptures that seem to tend to that purpose though the common and general objection amongst all people is that of the Witch of Endor and King Saul which I have opened before yet for the further satisfaction of the Reader I shall open and interpret the other places objected that seem to tend to the same thing The places of Scripture are three the first is Isa 61 1. the wordâ— are these The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound So Luke 4.88 the words in Luke are much to the same purpose and little difference onele that which Isaiah did prophesie of it was fulfilled by Christ in his time So the first Epistle of Peter chap. 3. and 18 19 20. verses the words are these For Christ also hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit Verse 19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Verse 20. Which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a 〈◊〉 wheâ—â—in few that is eight souls were saved by water CHAP. XI AS for thâ—t saying of the Prophet Isaiah it was a prophecy of Christ that he should be anointed to preach glad tidings unto the meek and that he was sent to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound This prophecy was fulfilled when he was upon earth as may plainly appear by those words in Luke aforementioned Also the Reader may understand that these places of Scripture have no relation at all to the raising of spirits without bodies nor of spirits being in prison nor delivered out of prison by the power of Christ without bodies But the meaning is this that the Spirit of the Lord Almighty was upon Christ and in him and did anoint him to preach glad tidings of salvation to the meek in heart who did believe in him and trusted in his words all such as were broken-hearted who were led captive by the error ignorance and darkness of the mind he came to proclaim liberty to the spirit of man who was in captivity and to open the prison door of mens hearts For this I say all mens spirits by nature are shut up in the prison of spiritual darkness in the mind and are lead captive by the ignorance of truth so that the spirit or soul of man is shut up prisoner in the body of man untill the true God and Saviour hath been preached to them as it was by Christ himself when on earth he was anointed to preach glad tidings of salvation and he anointed his Apostles to preach glad tidings of peace to men and to open the prison and to deliver the captive out of captivity and to set the spirits of many that were in a prison of darkness in their own minds go free this prophecy was fulfilled at that time by Christ and his Apostles in their Commission But the same captivity and prison of darkness is now upon the spirits of all men as it was at that time for this I say and many people can witness that their spirits have been shut up prisoners in spiritual darkness in their own bodies untill the the true God and Saviour hath been preached unto them by his last messengers For this I declare that those words of the Prophet Isaiah they were spoken with relation to a spiritual liberty and to a spiritual captivity of the mind or spirit of man