as the Greek word doth not always signify a strict Creation so no more doth the word Creation in English and that the word is sometimes applyed to an Humane work or constitution proveth not that it is so to be understood here For the Writer to the Hebrews is not comparing Heaven with the Tabernacle made by mens hands as thou alleadgest in that verse neither doth he call Heaven that greater and more perfect Tabernacle for he saith not so but thus Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle c. entered in once into the holy place The greater and more perfect Tabernacle Therefore is Christ himself who hath gone into Heaven And this Tabernacle is more excellent than that outward figurative Tabernacle was because that Tabernacle could not remove it self from one place unto another but as it was carried by the hands of men neither could it go into Heaven because it was of a meer earthly creation but Christ Jesus by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle namely by himself did go into Heaven for he came down from Heaven and is Heavenly and not of such a mean and Earthly Creation as that outward Tabernacle was and therefore he doth compare Christ with the Figurative Tabernacle not so much as to its structure or building with mens hands for that were but a mean and low comparison seeing the beasts Skins that covered the Tabernacle and the blood that sprinkled it as also the substance of the wood and other materials were not made with mens hands but only the artificial structure or form of the Tabernable was the work of mens hands But Christ Jesus this greater and more perfect Tabernacle doth excel the Typical and figurative Tabernacle in regard of the very substance of which it is made as being of an Heavenly Nature and not of this creation with the outward Tabernacle as to the very substance although for our sakes he did partake with us of the Earthly creation yet he himself is wholly and altogether Heavenly if this be not the True and real sense of those words Heb. 9. 11. I leave unto the spiritual for to Judge Pamphlet Animad 17. Let the Quakers remember that this creation of which he saith this Man-Hood is not but of another was not by hands Answ. That it was not the work of mens hands I confess but this giveth thee no advantage nor doth it in the least weaken my Argument for this Earthly and corruptible creation although it is not the work of mens hands yet by a Metaphorical and figurative speech it is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made with hands to signifie the weakness and corruptibility of it and for a clear proof of this see 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Where the Apostle compareth the earthly house of this Tabernacle of our Mortal Flesh with our house from Heaven and calleth this last by way of Antithesis an house not made with hands as if the Mortal body which is our earthly house were made with hands although not with the hands of men which is a figurative expression as holding forth the meanness and weakness of all that which is earthly and Mortal which the Learned among the Hebrews on that account call in Hebrew Asiah as to say in English manufaction or a making with hands but besides this visible and corruptible world of Heaven and earth which they call Asiah or faction they understand that there is another more excellent world or creation invisible unto our outward eyes and this they call Jezirah as to say in English formation and besides this yet a more excellent which they call Briah in English creation namely that which is strictly and properly so called the other two although commonly named Creations yet not so properly or strictly for which distinction of three Worlds they Alledge Isaiah 43. 7. where all these three Hebrew words are used and besides all these yet one most excellent of all and which doth in the Nature thereof approach nearest unto God himself and this highest and most Noble production above all things Created Visible or Invisible they call Aziluth which is to say in English Emanation Nor are these distinctions of Worlds and Creations idle fictions of latter Jews but real things the Truth whereof is warranted by clear and express Testimonies of Scripture both of the old and new Testament for doth not the Scripture speak of Heavens in the Plural number and of Heavens of Heavens Also doth it not say that God made all things both visible and invisible by Jesus Christ and certainly these invisible things are a more excellent Creation as God created them than the visible also it is said That God by his Son made the Worlds or Ages which cannot meerly relate unto the times but also and more especially unto the things themselves made in those times Pamphlet Animad 17. Some of them think fit to call this man-hood an Emanation rather than a creation you see they are at a losse what name to give this child of their own begetting and breeding in the imagination Answ. This is another gross abuse and perversion of my words as if by these some who think fit rather to call the Heavenly man an Emanation than a Creation I did understand some of my friends called in scorn Quakers and as if we were at variance among our selves how to name it which is a grosse untruth and false hood for by that same I did understand some Hebrew Doctors or Teachers who call this Heavenly Man Aziluth which is to say in English Emanation as also they do call him the Heavenly Adam the great High-priest the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church and they say plainly if this man were not the world could not confist and who is this but Christ Jesus although they do not express these names And certainly it might be a great help whereby to convince the Jews and to gain them to believe in Christ Jesus as he was born and suffered in the Flesh and Rose and Ascended into Heaven to make use of those Testimonies which are in their own books unto Christ although under other names some whereof are very proper and according unto Scripture in our reasoning with them in order to their conversion which way if used in the Wisdom of God and direction of his Holy Spirit I doubt not but the Lord would bless for even Paul when he preached unto the Gentiles at times made use of some Testimonies out of their writers whereby to bring them to acknowledge the Truth But whereas thou art not affraid nor ashamed to call this Heavenly Man Christ Jesus a Child of our own Begetting and Breeding in the Imagination thou openly shewest thy gross Ignorance of the Scriptures and thy great Unbelief and want of True Faith in Christ and that thou art a greater Infidel in some Respect than many of the Jews are Some whereof in words do Acknowledge him as
being the nearer that it is in nature unto God doth the more resemble him and that God himself is a most simple unmixed being without all composition of parts or principles and is one in the highest and most perfect sense which yet his being three only in manner or property of being doth nothing hinder and that Christ the Heavenly man of all things is nearest unto God and his most perfect Image therefore it is manifest that he hath least of that which may or can be called a composition or mixture of principles But whatever perfection virtue power or operation the creatures have in their various compositions he hath them all virtually and eminently in himself after a more perfect and simple manner But seeing he took hold on the Seed of Abraham and did partake of Flesh and Blood like unto ours to the end that he might be yet more like unto us that he might make us like unto him yet more abundantly whether it behoved not that he was to partake with us of all the principles both inward and outward that belong to the essential constitution of any man is a thing worthy of consideration as also admitting that he did partake of all these Principles whether he did assume or partake of them at one and the same Moment of time And what I have here written is enough I hope to them who have a Spiritual understanding to discern and perceive my Judgement in the present case as whether the Nephesh and Neshamah in Christ be distinct Principles yea or Nay or whether more then these two but as for others who are Carnal and cannot reach unto these things if never so plainly told them I am not concerned to give them a further answer and I had rather that I might be instrumental in the hand of the Lord to bring the Soul of any man or woman to the Feeling and Tasting of the precious Life of Christ in their hearts than to fill their understandings with the soundest Conceptions of words about Christ and I can and do say it in the presence of the Lord the life and power of Christ Jesus as I feel it in the least measure to move and operate in my Soul to conform and Leaven me into the Image of Christ in righteousness and holiness is more to me then all the soundest Conceptions of words about Christ But yet because in the Light of the Lord I see clearly how false and absurd yea how Blasphemous and Atheistical Notions and conceptions of Christ and also of God many men have I have been earnestly and fervently moved and am at this present time in the Zeal and Love of God and in true compassion and good will towards Man-kind to declare what God hath made manifest unto me of this and other things and to open the Scriptures of Truth concerning them as God by his Holy Spirit hath opened them plainly to my understanding Wherefore let every one that is Spiritual and hath a Spiritual discerning read me and feel my Testimony and that from which it comes for it is not of man but of the Lord although at times to gain the reader as Paul did in his day I find freedome to make use of Testimonies of other men and what ever True Testimony to the Truth I find in any man be he Jew or Gentile Scythian or Barbarian so called it is precious and comfortable unto me And to declare it unto others as the Lord giveth me true freedome may and shall have its Service for Truth is one in all and its Testimony is one And something of Truth by Vertue of that Divine illumination of Jesus Christ the Light of the World that doth inlighten every man that cometh into the World is made manifest for a Testimony among all Nations and sorts of people and in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him And what if some hold the Truth in Unrighteousnesse What if wicked men at times confesse unto Christ as the Devils formerly did We must not therefore deny him but rather make use of their own Testimony against them unto their further condemnation Pamphlet Animad 20. I query here whether besides this Nishma Adam had a Rational Soul which was the Root of his animal Senses and discursive parts and whether this that was breathed into Adam was the Center of the Soul of Christ or some ray only it should be the Center in that Nishma is the excellency the Author saith of this Soul Answ. The darkness and perversness of Spirit that is in this Author of the Pamphlet causeth him to ask many unnecessary questions which a Child of an ordinary clear understanding might resolve according to the Principles laid down in my book and although I have condescended in freedom to answer many of his questions especially such as have any weight in them for further clearing the Truth yet diverse others I purposely forbear to answer seeing they neither tend to edification nor serve to clear the Truth But to these at present mentioned by me as above I answer briefly Adam beside that Divine Nishma or Soul of Christ had also a Rational Soul as we also have and all men but the Center of the Divine Nishma or Soul of Christ was not breathed into Adam nor into any man besides Christ himself nor doth it follow that it should be the Center which was breathed into him because the Nishma is the excellency of his Soul above ours I say this reason doth not hold for not only the Center but also that emanation or ray of the Divine Soul of Christ that is in us is exceedingly more excellent than our Souls Moreover whereas he argueth that if Adam had a proper Nephefh that then he was a more compleat man then Jesus Christ of Nazareth I deny the confequence for Christ hath all the Essential perfection of mans whole Soul and Body elther Virtually or formally even as man hath Virtually or formally all the Essentials resembling the Sensitive Soul of a Beast that belong to perfect it as an animal or living Creature but yet he hath some what more all which proveth not that a beast is a more compleat animal or living Creature than a man Pamphlet It s True he saith the Soul or Spirit of Christ hath an immediate and wonderfull manner of Union with the Deity as no other Soul or Spirit of men were partakers of But what Union the body of Christ that was taken of the Virgin had with the Logos which any of the Quakers have not I cannot yet learn Answ. That is also plainly enough insinuated in my book where I expresly say that Christ was a most wonderfull Vessel both as concerning his Soul and Body and that in that very body born of the Virgin the Center of his Soul did reside which could not be without an Union of such a Nature as no other body could have seeing no other man ever had the center in him but he
Natural body c. Answ. This is another manifest perversion for it is plain by J. C. his words here cited by thee that J. C. doth not speak of the body of Christ but of the body of an ordinary man which goeth to dust and corruption whereas the body of Christ did not corrupt for it being conceived by the Holy Ghost and having a Heavenly Original it was more excellent then the body of any other man and therefore seeing it did not corrupt it was raised again according to the words of Christ concerning it Destroy this Temple and after three days I will raise it up and the same after fourty days Ascended into Heaven Pamphlet Animad 15. Yet according unto Keith the Philosopher though it be the same in substance it is no more a body of Flesh and Blood Answ. How or in what respect he calleth me the Philosopher as whether by way of Derision or not I am not careful to determine or inquisitive to understand for I affect no such Title unlesse it be understood according to the Etimology of the word to signifie a lover of Wisdome namely the true Wisdome and not that falsely so called and in this sense every true Christian is a Philosopher which is to say a lover of Wisdome but that Philosophy and vain deceit which the Apostle bids the Colossians beware of that is after the Tradition of men after the rudiments of this world and not after Christ wherein I have been formerly educated and exercised before I knew the truth as it is in Jesus I have renounced and do here openly declare my Renounciation thereof and count it all but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge and what I have declared or given forth in any publick Testimony concerning the truth I have not received from the Worlds Philosophy or Wisdom but from the openings of the spirit of truth as they livingly fprung up in my heart and inward parts and unto the same and to nothing else I can and do recommend my Testimony to be judged in all who have the same living spring of truth as it is in the life and light of Jesus opened in them and unto the greater measure of the spirit of truth in any others I freely can and do submit any publick Testimony which I have given forth for the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets what the spirit of truth opens in one can never be condemned by the same spirit in another Pamphlet Animad 15. The first Heavenly body of the man-hood of Christ which Keith saith he had from the beginning he allows to have Flesh and Blood and calls it so and it hath so now in Heaven surely according unto him yet the body born of the Virgin is changed so Etheriall that you must call it no more Flesh and Blood Answ. I have said nothing concerning the Flesh and Blood of Christ either before or after his outward coming in the Flesh but according unto plain Scripture nor have I medled to give any other names unto the body of Christ but what the Scripture giveth for Christ said the bread from heaven is his Flesh and of this Bread or Flesh all true believers did feed and thereby had life in them even from the beginning of the world and seeing Christ himself gave these names of Flesh and Blood to that inward Heavenly Spiritual and invisible substance which refreshes the soul and inward man of every one that believeth Who dare call these names into question or find fault with them although I do freely acknowledge they are Metaphorical and figurative as when Christ called himself the vine and those that believed in him the branches and I ask was not Christ the vine even from the beginning into which all true believers were grafted and did they not eat the Grapes of this Heavenly Vine-Tree and drink the Liquor or Juice or Wine thereof and what was that but his Flesh Blood even as the Grapes of the Vine may be called it's Flesh and its Wine or Liquor its Blood and as it is so called in Scripture the Blood of the Grape But when I say the body of Christ which was born of the Virgin and was crucified and rose and ascended did not remain a body of Flesh and Blood I am warranted by the Apostle who said Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and the body at the last resurrection is raised spiritual conform unto the glorious body of Christ and therefore it is not Flesh and Blood in the Vulgar or common sense but if any call it so Metaphorically and spiritually I shall not contend Pamphlet Animad 15. If the body of Christ be turned into air and yet remain the same in substance we ask what it is that identifies and makes it the same in substance that it was when Flesh and Blood Ans. Here is another gross abuse and perversion of my words that he affirmeth I say the body of Christ is turned into Air. This is a gross lye and perversion I call it not Air but a body Etherial and Heavenly and it is a more excellent body than the purest Air beyond all comparison and as to his question what is that which Identifies and makes it the same in substance this is very easily answered the substance of the body it self remaining the same under these different modes or manners of being as when the Soul of a man is the same for substance when converted from Earthly Carnal and Natural to Heavenly and Spiritual Pamphlet Animad 16. As to the comparison that the Author uses as nothing of the Body of the Sun is here on Earth but in Heaven only its light and heat which are qualities in the Air So now that light within that these Quakers have made so much stirr about is nothing else but an accident and quality from the man-hood of Christ in Heaven adhering in our Souls as light and heat adheres in the Air. Ans. Here he passeth by the other examples given by me here and elsewhere and only noticeth that of the Light which having its center in the Sun emanates in most abundant Streams into all the World which emanating light that flows from the body of the Sun he denieth to be any part of the Suns body affirming it onely to be an accident or quality But what reason or prooff giveth he for his assertion Surely none at all But if he thinketh to defend himself by the authority of some called Philosophers who say the same with him I can tell him of other Philosophers so called more famous who speak indeed more according to the truth that deny it and affirm that the Light of the Sun that emanates unto us is a real substance and hath of the real body of the Sun in it which is the real Substance of Fire as it can be proved by the said
Light when it is contracted or gathered together by the help of a burning Glass that it burneth or kindleth any ordinary combustible matter as any other fire doth But seeing such a debate is more proper for naturalists and belongeth to that called natural Phylosophy I shall not insist thereon only I inform the Reader who is not acquainted perhaps with such things that the opinion which holdeth light and heat to have no body is almost generally now rejected in the Schools as false and as a meer old fiction of some old Popish School men grounded upon some mistaken notions of Aristotle and upheld by the Jesuits to uphold their absur'd Doctrine of Transubstantiation when they teach That the colour and tast and smell of the bread wine being but meer accidents do remain without all Substance of the bread and wine after the consecration and as absur'd and ridiculous is their doctrine who say that light hath no body that is proper unto it but is a meer accident or quality in the Air For as well may the Jesuits say that the colour smell and tast of the Bread and Wine having no body or substance of the Bread and Wine are only accidents adhering in the Air. But why dost thou not answer to my other examples brought from Scripture as namely how the natural Life and Soul do principally reside in the head and heart and yet emanate into all the members of the body and how the Sap and Moisture residing principally in the root of the Tree goeth forth into all the branches even so the life and light of Christ as he is the Heavenly Adam residing principally in himself doth emanate and stream forth into all his members and in some respect into all things Is the Sap and Moisture a meer accident having no substance and is not the Soul of Man substantially in all the bodily Members although residing more principally in the heart head Pamphlet Animad 17. They believe this Heavenly man-hood to be a creature contrary to John Crooks Counterfeit convert p. 63. that true light which is called the Life of Christ John 1. 4 9. and lighteth every man that cometh into the World is not a creature Keith saith it is a creature Ans. To this I have answered sufficiently above upon Animad 8. that the Spirit or Life of Christ as he is the Heavenly man is not so properly or strictly a creature But men have not only the Spirit of Christ in them as he is Man but also as he is God and the Light Life and Spirit of Christ as he is God or the word simply considered in it self in no sense can be said to be Created But the word made Flesh may in that sense be said to be Created as it is said to be made for Made Created and Formed are commonly of one Signification And that the word was made Flesh from the beginning I have proved in my book because the Saints in all Ages did feed upon the Word made Flesh and the Word made Flesh dwelt in them Now in what sense I understand that the Heavenly man-hood and Soul of Christ is Created I explain in my book in these words p. 135. Therefore to the end that the word may be ingrafted into us and we again ingrafted into it the Word must be Incarnate or made Flesh as we are for all men are a sort of Flesh and so called in Scripture in comparison of God that is purely Spirit and though the Souls of Men are Spirits yet comparatively as unto God they are as it were Flesh and thus the Word is become Flesh that is to say hath advanced a Step or degree neerer unto us than it was in God before any thing was made and the Word was first of all made Flesh to be the root and soundation of all other Created beings and for which they are Created for it is a more noble Creation than all things else Here by my words quoted at large in my book it may be seen how and in what sense I understand the Heavenly man-hood of Christ to be Created namely as the word is made Flesh also Christ himself designed by Wisdome Pro. 8. 24. doth expresly say of himself when there were no Depths I was Formed and again v. 25. before the Hills I was Formed for so doth the Hebrew word Cholalti most properly signify and is used elsewhere in Scripture to signify the Creation of other things so that Made Formed Created do commonly signify one and the same Nevertheless I do acknowledge that Christ the Heavenly Man is not so properly or strictly to be called a Creature or Created Made or Formed but rather generated and he is the Son of God rather than a Creature of God even as a Man's Son is not called his Creature but his Son and yet he doth truly and properly partake with the Creatures otherwise he could not be a perfect Midle or Mediator betwixt God and Men who are Creatures But seeing this production or bringing forth of Christ from God the Father is so great a Mystery it is by no means to be curiously disputed about but simply to be acknowledged believed and admired and not to be expressed in words which mans wisdome teacheth but what the Holy Ghost Teacheth such as the Scripture words are which say The Word was made Flesh and Christ the Heavenly man is the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth and the first-born of every Creature and concerning his wonderful Generation it is said Who can declare it and he is called the New Man who is Created after God c. and so to these Scripture Names I keep close where I am safe and where the malicious accusations of the adversaries of truth cannot reach unto me And by what is said the reader may easily understand that there is no real contradiction betwixt John Crook and me for whither J. C. mean by the true Light which is the Life of Christ the Light of the Word simply considered or the Word made Flesh I am at no contradiction with him for according to the first That Light can in no sense be called a Created Light and according to the second namely As the Word made Flesh or as the Spirit of Christ as man it is not properly Created nor in that strict and narrow sense is it to be so called as the other Creatures are Pamphlet Animad 17. That Scripture in Heb. 9. 11. Not of this Building is grosly corrupted by the Author c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is rightly translated building or structure It is not always taken for the Act of God in framing something out of nothing nor the effect of Gods so Acting but it is taken in another sense in some places as 1 Pet. 2. 13. Ans. That Scripture Heb. 9. 11. Is not at all corrupted but truely translated and the sense of it truely given nor doth thy weak and frivolous reasoning prove the contrary for