They made nothing of that 11. So the Time appointed came and there was prepared a good Dinner of Pork and the three came ready prepared to curse us and our God 12. So Proudlove and Remington went from us to those Men and Remington said unto them If you three will go up and curse them and their God you shall have a good Dinner of Porke 13. Then one the stoutest of the Three said unto him pray tell me what is their God that we must curse 14. Remington answered and said That the Lord Jesus Christ is their God and they own no other Father or God but he And now if you will go in they be there and curse them and the Lord Jesus Christ their God you shall have a good Dinner of Porke 15. When they heard this the most stoutest Man of them smote his Hand on his Breast and said If that be their God I will never do it if I might gain the whole World And said That he was sorry and troubled that he should conceive such a thing in his Heart So said the other Two We will do no such Wickedness So they departed without their Dinner of Porke 16. But he that repented himself could not be at quiet in his Mind until such time he had asked us Forgiveness 17. So we forgave him his Sin for that and he remained very kind to John Reeve all his days tho he did not beleive that we were the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit 18. Also this Remington was called to an account by John Reeve as one in this Plot and he told the truth how Proudlove laid the Plot and that he did but go with him being an old Acquaintance So we forgave Remington and gave Proudlove the Sentence of Condemnation to Eternity CHAP. VII Of the Dispute with Mr. Leader a New-England Merchant and of the Prophet's convincing him how that God had a Body and how God is worshiped in Spirit and Truth with Bodys and that there is no Spirit without a Body 1. AFTER this in the Year 1653 there came a certain Man a Merchant and a great Travellor into many parts of the World and he was a religious Man but had somwhat declined the outward Forms of Worship because he could find no Rest there 2. So he applied his Heart more to Philosophy and the knowledg of Nature more than Religion for he thought he had seen the utmost of Religion and that there was nothing in it 3. Indeed he was a great Philosopher and a very wise Man in the things of Nature His Name was Richard Leader 4. It came to pass when he came out of New-England being persecuted there because he could not submit to their forms of Worship and when he came into Old-England again he heard there were two Prophets now risen up who called themselves The two Witnesses c. 5. So he enquired where he might speak with these Prophets so he was brought unto us and he was very sober in his talk and he propounded his Questions with great Moderation 6. The first Question was concerning God Whether God that created all things could admit of being any Form of himself 7. We answered and said That God made Man in his own Image and Likeness And if Man have a Form then God must needs have a Form himself even in the form of Man else them Words of Moses are not true That God made Man in his own Image and breathed into him the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul 8. Mind the Form of Man was the Image and Likeness of God before God breathed into him the Breath of Life 9. Therefore God must needs be in the form of a Man from Eternity Therefore it was that God said Let us make Man after our own Image and Likeness This was the true Sense and Meaning of Moses and it is dangerous for any Man to deny it 10. Besides said we there is no Spirit can have any Being without a Body neither God Angels nor Man And further that God that is a Spirit without a Body is no God at all 11. For we that are men that have Bodies have power over all Spirits whatsoever that have no Bodies For it is the dark Imagination of Reason in man that hath created to it self Spirits without Bodies which is none of God's Creation 12. When he heard this he considered the things of Nature that no Spirit could have any being without its Body 13. Then he marvelled and said Where have we been all this while that took God for a Spirit without a Body Oh! how have we been in the dark 14. But said he doth not Christ say God is a Spirit and God will be worshiped in spirit and truth And Christ said His Words were Spirit and Life 15. We answered and said Can a Man worship God in Spirit and Trust without a Body He said No. Then said I neither can God accept of any Mans worship except he hath a Body of his own For God hath a Body of his own as Man hath a Body of his own only God's body is spiritual and heavenly clear as Christial brighter than the Sun swifter than Thought yet a body 16. But Man's body is earthly and made of the Earth in the image and likeness of God's own body only Man's body is of the Earth earthly and God's body is the Lord from Heaven heavenly Yet Man's body is the image of God as well as his Soul as Moses did truly mean as he spake 17. For this I say that if Man's Body and Soul had been spiritual in its Creation then when Man's Thoughts do assend up to Heaven his body would assend with it in the twinkling of an Eye 18. For the Thoughts of Man are swift and if his body which is earthly do but put on Immortality then his body would assend with his Thoughts up into the Aire and so to Heaven 19. These immortal bodies can do and at the last day these vile bodies of ours that doth truly beleive shall be made like unto his own glorious body 20. For now our bodies are natural bodies but when these natural bodies shall rise spiritual bodies then shall Immortality take place and these vile bodies of ours that are now mortal yet made in the image of God's own glorious body shall be spiritual and heavenly bodies even like unto his glorious body 21. And because God's body is spiritual and heavenly and cannot be seen by the natural sight of the Eye therefore it was that Christ said God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth 22. Observe For as a Man cannot worship in spirit and truth without a body neither is that any God at all that hath no body of its own neither is a Spirit without a body of its own any Object of Faith or Worship for a Spirit without a body hath no substance And as for those words of Christ being Spirit and Life consider they
true Knowledge is never proud 5. For I would make nothing of the greatest learned Man that is upon the Earth if he will dispute of the Scripture in the English Tongue And not persecute with a Sword of Steel to overthrow him by the Scriptures that there is but one true God in the person of a Man who made Man in his own Image and likeness as the Scriptures saith And not Three Persons and one God as all Profesers of Reason do own at this Day 6. Also we being the third Record of the Spirit upon Earth we use no outward visible Forms of Worship But do Worship God in Spirit and Truth as Christ said 7. So that every Record on Earth doth differ one from another in Point of Worship 8. For it is not proper for every Record to Act one and the same thing over and over again And as there is a difference in the Three Titles called Three Records in Heaven of Father Word and Spirit Now these are Three Distinct Titles yet but one God 9. So it is with the Three Records on Earth of Water Blood and Spirit These be Three distinct Records And Three distinct Persons the head of these Three distinct Records And there is Three distinct differances in there visible Worships yet they all Three agree in one 10. In witnessing to that one Jesus Christ to be the very true God and Saviour of all those that believe in that the Word was God And God was that Word And the Word became Flesh and Dwelt among Men He that is called the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last The Begining and the End He that was Dead and is Alive for Evermore 11. This one God doth all the Three Records agree to witnâ—ss unto this one God though differing all of them in their Several dispensations of outward Worship as aforeâ—aid 12. For every Record Acts his part upon this Earth suitable to the Three Titles in Heaven Moses and the Prophets their parts in the dispensation of Water as being under the Title of God the Father and Creatour of all things 13. Christ and the Apostles Acted their Commission of the Blood under the Title of a Redeemer by his own Blood And he was that Word made Flesh And Dwelt among Men. 14. And now we the Witnesses of the Spirit do Act a Spiritual Record on Earth which is to Worship God in Spirit and Truth Answerable to the Title of Spirit in Heaven 15. In Witnessing to that one Personal God though Three Titles of Father Word and Spirit yet but one Personal God 16. So that the Three Records on Earth do agree in one though they differ in their outward dispensations of worship as aforesaid so that we the Witnesses do Act our part on Earth under the Title of the Holy Spirit in Heaven therefore our Worship is Spiritual and Invisible in the Heart only 17. And now you see I have prov'd by Scripture that the Commission of the Spirit is now Extant upon the Earth and Acted by Men like yourselves even by John Reeve And myself and those that beleive our Doctrin 18. Said I do you beleive me now I have prov'd by Scripture that I am one of the Two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit or last Record on Earth 19. He answered and said that he could not gain say any thing that I had spoken but did aprove of what I had said better than of any that ever he heard in his life but said he could not venture his Salvation upon my Words 20. Then said the Sheriffs Men and the Keeper of the Prison Now Mr. Benet you have met with your Match One that hath Answered you all things 21. Then said Mr. Benet suffer me to ask you one question more 22. What is that said I. 23. Why saith he I have been a long time of the Oppinion that the Soul of Man is mortal and doth dye But I cannot satisfie myself in it 24. I answered and said your Oppinion was true for the Soul of Man is Mortal and doth Dye For nothing doth Live but the Soul for it is the Soul that Eats and Drinks and Walks and Talkes And the Soul that Lives and Dyes For nothing can be said to Dye but Life for if the Body be Dead the Soul or Life is Dead also For the Body and Soul is all one being And if one be Alive both are Alive And if one be Dead both are Dead 25. For both Body and Soul came into the World together For the Soul is begotten by Generation as well as the Body so that they go both Body and Soul out of the World together For that Life that is begot by Procuration must Dye which all Souls are and not by Infusion from God but by that very Law that said Encrease and Multiply 26. Therefore the Soul or Life of Man and all things else that is begotten by Generation must Dye as well as their Bodies 27. When he heard this He was very much taken with my answer and seem'd very Respective to me and so did the Sheriffs Men they show'd themselves very Civil 28. This dispute was upon the Sunday before the Assizes For that began on the Monday following a matter of Four Hours in the Afternoon this dispute was CHAP. XIII The Prophets Argument And Examin'd by the Judge And he Required of the Judge to take Bail the Judge granted it The Maior Aldermen and Recorder that Committed him saw their Folly and Madness and were asham'd of themselves How the Prophet had the Love of all the Prisoners Of his Printing of the whole Book of the Revelation c. 1. AFTER this dispute aforesaid upon the Wednesday following being the last Day of the Assizes I was call'd before the Bar And when I came before the Bar. 2. The Judge asked me if I would be Try'd by this Note of Examination 3. I answered no and said I thought your Honour would have excepted of Bail for my appearance the next Assizes For Mrs. Carter had delivered the Judge a writing to that purpose of mine the Day before and the Judge his Name was Terral 4. The Judge answered and said that he would take Bail but had said to her he would see the Man So when I asked him at the Bar to take Bail the Judge said he would and asked me who they were 5. And I said one is Richard Sudbury He asked where he Liv'd I said at Notingham he asked what Trade I said an Iron-monger Then Richard Sudbury was call'd and the Judge asked him whether he would be bound for my Appearence the next Assizes He said he would then the Judge Commanded him to be set down for one 6. Then said the Judge There must be another then said I there is one Edward Fewterer where Liveth he said the Judge I said at Chesterfield what Trade said the Judge I said a Surgeion then the Judge Commanded Edward Fewterer to be called then the Judge asked him whither
THE Acts of the Witnesses OF THE SPIRIT In Five Parts By LODOWICK MVGGLETON One of the Two Witnesses and True Prophets of the only High Immortal Glorious God Christ Jesus Left by him to be publish'd after 's death In the latter days two Bright Stars shall arise raising up men being dead in their sins which shall resist the Beast and the Waters of the Dragon testifying and preaching the Law of the Lamb and the Destruction of Antichrist and shall diminish his Waters but they shall be weakened in the Bread of Affliction and they shall rise again in stronger force and after Truth shall be revealed and the Lamb shall be known After this shall be but a small Space Fox in his Book of Marters LONDON Printed in the Year of our Lord God 1699. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO all True Christian People that do or shall hereafter come to believe in this Third and Last Spiritual Commission is this ensuing Treatise directed with love and peace to you be multiplied It being a Legacy left you by the Lords last True Porphet for your further establishment in Truth As also it is left for a Convincement of the Seed of Reason when he is in the dust that by these Acts they may see how he hath been slandred reproached and belied persecuted and imprisoned without a Cause For how many Lying Reports hath been not only flung upon them but also upon the True Believers of them saying That we own neither God nor Devil Heven or Hell and all because they see us use no outward glittering shew in fruitless Forms of Worship whilst we worship an invisible Spiritual yet personal God in Spirit and Truth which the World knows nothing of For this we know and affirm that the Doctrine of this Commission of the Spirit is of as great purity and power as to Godliness as ever any was and as they were themselves ever kept innocent from the breach of the Morral Law as to Act Even so the Fruits of their Doctrine is of the like efficacy in the knowing seed of Faith by which they have dominion over Sin as in respect of Act. And altho' this last Prophet in his Answer to the Nine Assertions hath shewed his great mercy and clemency to some corrupt Natures yet it is but to such who act not so far as the breach of the Morral Law as to borrow Money and not to pay it again or to be passionate and hasty natur'd overcome with Strong Drink or the like and tho' these are evil yet reach but to the Borders of the Law being Frailties in Nature which disturb the peace of the Mind for in such things as the Apostle James saith We offend all But where there is true Faith it prevents the Act as this Prophet saith in one place among many his Words are these Faith saith he overcomes all Sin Death and Hell within a man's self and that none but such shall be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven And the Prophet Reevâ—s Doctrine is thus saying All those that are led by the Voice of the holy Spirit of Jesus do work Righteousness in their bodies whereby they die unto Sin Again saith he in another place The Light of Christ in man doth convert from the Ruling Power of Sin And in a Third Place which is not yet printed saith That they that are led by the Spirit of Faith are kept from the commiting of sin I do not say saith he that they have no Motion to sin but the Spirit of Faith purifies their hearts giving them power against those Motions that they commit not the Act and from hence it is that all that are born of God know the Voice of God and hath this Power over Sin as I have declar'd said he These Doctrines of the Prophets are absolute and possitive and do give great light into several Scriptures as Matt. Chap. 5. ver 28. 1 John chap. 3. ver 9. and ver 15. in these places we are to distinguish between the Motion and the Action of Sin This may also give light into Rom. chap. 7. how that Paul spake there as to his state by Nature as also of the strife and strugle between the two Seeds of Faith and Reason until the Law of Faith was quickened and power by it attain'd and then had he dominion over Sin as Chap. 8. and so came to have peace with God and with his own Conscience and Assurance of Eternal Life And from hence comes the Grounds of true Worship and flows forth all spiritual Praise as David said O how sweet is thy Law This sweet Law is the Law of Faith and he or she that is truly possessed hereof can seal to those words of the Prophet Reeve which saith That he that is born of God his Language and Practice is such as speaks forth the Power of Godliness to the confounding of all glittering Tongue Hipocrites and Faithless Formalists Now let all True Believers know that under every Commission this is made the ordinary way of Life and Salvation yet to prevent an objection this is confessed by us That tho' there is this power in Faith as aforesaid yet the Lord for the Tryal of his Creature may suffer some of his Chosen Ones to fall in the time of a Commission and for the prâ—ise of his Free Grace may grant them our Repentance or sâ—â—â—nd Free Pardâ—n for thus writes the Prophet Reeve in a Writinâ— not yet printed The Lâ—rd saith he leaves some to their own strength through which he rebels against the Light that is in him to the wounding of his own Soul to the end that he may learn that the power by which he is preserved from the 〈◊〉 of Sin and so from eternal ruin is not in himself but in the Living God that made him Therefore the Scripture here and there pâ—iâ—teth fâ—rth one that the Lord hath left for a seas n to manifâ—st his Prerâ—gative Power ovâ—r his Creatures and afterwards doth his God head Spirit move him to a second Free Pardâ—n wherein he raiseth that Soul to a highâ—r and greater measure of Grace Wisdom and Humility than it had before which fulfils that Saying of Paul Where Sin abounded there Grace did superabound And this was fulfilled both by David and Paul Here we see that if an Elect Vâ—ssâ—l should once fall after his knowledge and belief in Truth that his second Pardon doth raise him to a higher degree of Grace Wisdom and Humility then he had before This by the Prophet is made a true Tryal to know whether a repentance or conversion from the Act of Sin committed be real or fained as also that a second fail or relapse will prove dangerous because it is rare to find a Third Pardon and a Third increase of Grace to that Pardon Thus it is made clear that the Doctrine of this Commission of the Spirit it hath power of Purity in it and n ne that is truly born of God can dispute against it but
of a people called Puritans some of these Puritans came to talk and discourse with my Master though he was no Religious Man 15. But I being ignorant did perceive they pleaded more for Righteousness and were better versed in the Scriptures then he was so that I liked in my self their Discourse upon the Scriptures and pleaded for a Holy keeping of the Sabbath-day which my Master did not do nor I his Servant 16. But I not knowing my Right Hand from my Left in Religion at that time yet methoughts I had a Love for those People call'd Puritans and could not endure my Companions should speak Evil of them 17. And when young Boys as I was and young Maids would speak Evil and lay many Slanders upon those People call'd Puritans as if they had been the wickedest People in the World with many Scoffs and Jears 18. Yet all this while my Heart did not close with their Reproaches but rather was inclin'd to love those People and to think the better of them thinking in my self Oh! that I might be so happy as them yet I knew not what Happiness was nor what Condemnation was for I knew nothing by my self why I should be Condemned 19. But the Seed of God lay hidden in my Heart which kept me from speaking Evil of things I knew not even from my Childhood which many others of my Age did 20. Like unto those Children that mocked the Prophet Elisha which two she Bares did tare in pieces so many of these mockers of Religion in that my time did come to great Poverty and Destruction in this World but the God of Truth preserved me though I knew him not 21. Also I was smitten with the Plague in that great sickness after King James dyed it was not extream tedious to me for the sore broke and I recovered quickly and hath not had half a days sickness since not this forty Years and more 22. I never bestowed Six-pence in Physick in my Life for my self but what the Kitchen would afford as Water-gruel Broth or such like and I have had my Health and hath been as perfect in Nature from all Distempers and Diseases as any Man in the World ever since CAP. IV. How the secret providence of God prevented the Expectation of the Prophet in his choice of a Wife and in his desire of Riches of the Prophet's Zeal for the Law and a Righteous Life 1. AFter this it came to pass my time of Service grew near out and my Nature had a great desire to be rich in this World that I might no more be Servant to any Man and I thought the Trade of a Taylor would not gain much Riches I having little to begin with and withal I thought I should be too much subject to the humours of People to please them which I had experience of in my Apprentiship 2. So I went to work in a Brokers Shop in Hownsditch who made Cloaths to sell and did lend Money upon Pawns called a Pawn-broker and the Brokers Wife had one Daughter alive and after I had been there a while the Mother saw that I was a good Husband and knew how to manage that way being a Workman better than they and that I was a civil and sober young Man not given to Drunkenness nor no Debauchery 3. She was willing to give her Daughter unto me to Wife and I lov'd the Maid well and thought my self too inferiour for her because she had something to take too and the Onely Child and I having nothing yet the Mother being well perswaded of my good natural Temper and of my good Husbandry and that I had no poor Kindred came after me to be any Charge or Burthen to her Daughter 4. Those things consider'd she thought I might be a convenient Match for her Daughter so she seeing there was some kind of Affection between her Daughter and me she proposed unto me that she would give me a Hundred Pound with her to set up which thing I axcepted on in my Mind but told I was not yet a Free-man of London 5. So she urged me to be made Free as soon as I could also she urged me to be made sure to her Daughter before the Father-in-law and her self 6. So the Maid and I were made sure by Promise before her Mother and Father-in Law and before I was made Free and I was resolved to have the Maid to Wife and to keep a Brokers Shop and lend Money upon Pawns and grow Rich as others did 7. And the Maids Mother had Five Hundred Pounds more then what she promised me which her Husband knew not of for he was a kind of a Distracted Hare-brain'd Man his Name was Richardson there is many alive at this Day that knew them but for the Daughter I should have had to Wife she is alive at this Day and is worth Seven Hundred Pound a Year 8. But the secret Providence of God prevented my expectation and desire of being Rich in this World in an unlawful way against the Checks of my own Conscience 9. But it came to pass in the 22d Year of my Life not being quite out of my Apprenticeship yet sure to the Maid I went to work as a Journey-man and happened to work with a Puritan in Thomas Apostle London His name was William Reeve John Reeves's Brother 10. He was a very zealous Puritan at that time and many others of that Religion came to him and disputed with me about the unlawfulness of lending Money upon Pawns because they pleaded it was Usury and Extortion and did alledge many places of Scripture against it 11. And I used all the Arguments of Reason I could for it because I had a great desire to be Rich and considering I was ingaged to this Maid and that her Mother would not let me have her to Wife except I would keep a Brokers Shop and lend Money so that I was in great strait and much perplexed in Mind 12. For I lov'd the Maid and desired to be Rich but these Puritan People being well versed in the Scripture words and zealous for Righteousness threatened great Judgments and danger of Damnation hereafter 13. They overpowered my Natural Knowledge and civil Practises in me and made me afraid of eternal Damnation and they pressed the Scriptures so hard upon me which exceedingly perplexed my Mind reasoning in my self that if I did lend Mony upon Usury and Extortion I should be damned and if I would not then I should not have the Maid to Wife 14. So that the love of the Maid and the fear of the loss of my Soul did struggle witin me and dispute within me like two distinct Spirits even as a Woman in Travail with two natural Sons in the Womb so that I was in a great strait which I should cleave unto 15. So after much dispute and reasoning in my self it came to this result I considered the Riches of this World and the Love I had to the Maid and I
weighed it in my Mind and was loath to forsake it 16. Then I consider'd my Soul was of more value and what would it avail me to be rich in this World for a Moment and to loose my Soul for I was extreamly fearful of eternal Damnation thinking my Soul might go into Hell Fire without a Body as all People did at that time 17. And after much strugling in my Mind I came to this resolution in my self that rather then I would loose my Soul or be damned to Eternity I would loose the Maid And that way that would have made me Rich and that I would be zealous of the Law of God as afterwards I was 18. Here the two Seeds of Faith and Reason did work in me but I knew them not by Name nor Nature at that time nor many Years after 19. But as I did fear it came to pass for the Maids Mother seeing my Mind so changed and so zealous of the Laws of the Scriptures and that I would not keep that way as I thought to do before 20. She would not let her Daughter have me to her Husband so the Maid was perswaded by her Mother 21. And my Zeal to save my Soul perswaded my Mind to let her go so we parted 22. Thus I forsook the World and a Wife which I lov'd in the days of my ignorance for zeal to the Law of God which I thought to be Truth and the true way and so it was 23. But I did not know it till many years after but the Lord God of Truth had respect unto my Person and Zeal at that time and prevented me from falling into that Snare of being rich in this World CAP. V. The Prophet shews his Care his Fear and Zeal in the Law of God and of the working of his Thoughts and heighth of the Puritan Religion 1. SO after I had parted with the Maid and that way that did offend my Conscience I was resolved to live so upright to the Law of God and so just between Man and Man that I thought in time I might procure favour with God and to attain assurance of my Salvation 2. For I was fully possest that there was really Salvation to be attained unto by my Righteousness and that there was a real Damnation to all those that were unrighteous or did not demean themselves so strictly as I did 3. For I was exceeding fearful of Hell and eternal Damnation The very Thoughts of it made my Spirit many times fail within me 4. But by Prayer and my Righteous Practices I did many times recover some Hope and Peace again 5. All this while I did suppose my Soul might go into Hell without a Body and that Millions of Souls were in Hell-Fire without Bodies and that the Devil being a Bodily Spirit did torment those Souls that came there and that the Devil had liberty to come out of Hell to Tempt People here on Earth and go there again but no Soul that he had gotten there could come out of Hell more 6. These things wrought in my Mind exceeding great Fear and stir'd me up to a more exceeding Righteousness of Life thinking thereby that my Righteous Life would have cast out those tormenting Fears but it did not 7. Yet notwithstanding I did continue in my Zeal and was earnest in the Puritant Religion and Practice neither did I know how to find Rest any where else neither did I hear any Preach in those Days but the Puritan Ministers whose Hair was cut short 8. For if a Man with long Hair had gone into the Pulpit to preach I would have gone out of the Church again tho he might preach better than the other 9. But we Puritans being Pharisaically minded were zealous of outward Appearance and of outward Behaviour for we minded that more than their Doctrin 10. For we took it for granted that God was a Spirit without a Body and that Christ Jesus his Son had a Body in form like Man and that he did mediate to God his Father who was a Spirit without a Body and that for Christ's sake this Spirit without a Body did hear us and speak Peace unto us 11. Also I believed that the Devil was a Spirit without a Body and could assend out of Hell when God did give him leave and sugest evil Thoughts of Lust Theft Murther and Blasphemy against God not thinking that these Thoughts and Motions did arise out of Man's own Heart but from a Divel a Spirit without a Body without Man 12. Also I thought those Souls which God did Save were carried up to Heaven without Bodies and should be with God who was a Spirit without a Body and that we should see Christ Jesus in Heaven with his Body with our Spirits that were Saved without Bodies till the Resurrection and then Body and Soul should be United together again 13. Also we did believe that the wicked Spirits should be cast into Hell Fire without Bodies where the Devil and his Angels being Spirits without Bodies should Torment the Souls of the Wicked till the Day of Resurrection and then those Wicked Souls should be United to their Bodies again and be Tormented Body and Soul together with the Devil and his Angels who were Spirits without Bodies in Hell Fire for ever and ever 14. And we did believe that the Angels of God were Ministring Spirits without Bodies as God was a Spirit without a Body so were they and could minister Comforts unto Men without Bodies 15. And we did believe our own Souls to be Immortal and could not Die but did subsist the good Spirits with God in Heaven without Bodies and the wicked Souls did subsist in Hell without Bodies 16. These were some of the Fundamental Principles of Faith and Religion we Zealous Puritans did believe and practice and there is no better Faith in the World to this day in the generality of Professors of Religion 17. These Things was I very well versed in and I grew in great Experience and Knowledge in the Letter of the Scriptures and had a good Gift of Prayer and was very strong in Disputes because my Mind was extreamly perplexed with the fear of Hell notwithstanding my exact life to the Letter of the Law 18. But the fear of Hell wrought in me much Experience so that I did exceed several other Men in that Knowledge which was in those days and tho' I was judged a very godly knowing-Man and a happy Man by others yet I could not judge so of my self but the fear of Hell was oft rising up in me 19. For I never Conceited well of my own Knowledge but thought the Knowledge of other Men did far exceed me because they seemed to be better satisfied in their Minds than I was 20. Yet I thought in my self that in time by my Prayers and Righteousness and exact Walking and hearing of Preaching that I might heal that Wound in my Soul which was made and I knew not for what 21. For I
God to take no notice of that but to blot it out of his Remembrance as if God were beholding to Man to do well when as there is a Blessing in Well doing and a Curse in Evil doing 14. For this I say if there were no God to reward the Good nor punish the Evil yet could I do no otherways than I do for I do well not because I expect any Reward from God and I refrain from Evil not for fear God should see me or seeing me will punish me or that his Person doth take notice or mind me in it at all but I do well and refrain from Evil to please the Law writen in my Heart so that I might not be accused in my own Conscience by that Law writen in my Heart as God hath placed for a Watchman to tell me when I do well and when I do ill 15. So I being justified by Faith in my own Conscience and being not condemned by the Law writen in my Heart I have Confidence to the Throne of Grace Neither do I refrain from Evil for fear God seeing me and so to punish me but I refrain from Evil because the Law in my Heart seeth all my doings and that Watchman God hath set there to watch me will tell God of all my Doings and that Law will be the only Accuser of Conscience 16. So that God needs not to trouble himself to watch over every Man and Woman's Actions himself but hath placed his Law a Watchman in every Heart as above said 17. Thus in the Original God taketh Notice by his Law Not that I do own the Law writen in Man's Heart to be the very God as the Quakers do but God is a distinct Person of himself and distinct from this Law And no other ways doth God mind or take notice now at this time but by this Law 18. And to that Second Assertion how the Saints are not to mind God at all it is plain and is Truth also as by Scripture appears how that he that receiveth a Prophet in God's Name receiveth him that sent him And seeing God doth not come to treat with Men himself he sends his Prophet or Embassador in his stead and he is impowred by him to make Peace between God and Man upon such Articles as the Prophet and the People can agree on And thus 19. Whoever beleives the Prophet's Report shall be saved and he that doth not beleive his Prophet's Report shall be damned Therefore it is said by Esau who hath beleived our Report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed So that God hath placed the whole Power in the Prophet to determin upon Life and Salvation as if God was present himself and if the People do not agree with the Prophet while he is in the way how shall a Man make his Peace with God 20. For God will say to such that shall think to come to him and dispise the Prophet If you would not receive the Prophet whom I sent you will not receive me if I should come my self 21. So that God doth not expect that you should come unto him but unto the Prophet only neither doth he own your coming unto him for he will say you should have minded my Prophet and have beleived him and have made your Peace with him and then I would have accepted of you for it will be said to you as it was unto Dives They have Moses and the Prophets c. 22. So it will be said to you if you believe not my last Prophet whom I sent he hath spoken unto you and hath declared Life and Salvation unto you and if you will not believe him on Earth you will not believe if God himself should come from Heaven and speak unto you 23. So that there is a necessity that Men should believe the Prophet only These Things are common Practices with the Kings of the Earth Would a King be well pleased with that Man that rejects his Embassador For doth not an Embassador stand in the King's place and what he doth the King doth c. 24. Why should you that are Men think it strange to mind the Prophet only Were not all those People blessed that minded the Prophets only as Moses and Aaron Elijah and Elisha and those that did not mind the Prophets only were they not cursed 25. So likewise whoever mindeth the Prophet now alive only shall have true Peace with God and whoever doth not shall never have true Peace with God nor perfect Peace in his own Soul for this is God's way and that Honour he hath put upon Prophets for all their Sufferings therefore it is said How beautiful are the Feet of such as bring glad Tideings of Peace and Salvation And whoever receiveth a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's Reward Which Reward is no less than the Blessing of everlasting Life and if so sure such a Prophet ought to be Received while on Earth to be minded only seeing that he that receives him receives God and in this Sence People ought to mind the Prophet only and no other ways 26. And as to the Third Assertion my Answer is this I say it is impossible for any Man or Woman to have true Peace except they do pin their Faith upon the Prophet's Sleeve Why why because the Prophet represents the place of God nay God himself and he that doth believe a Prophet's Report he believeth in God for such a one resteth his Soul only upon the Prophet's Words Now if a Prophets Word 's be Truth then a Man that believes rests his Soul upon the Truth and this is seting the Seal that he is true 27. And so it may be said a Man pins his Faith upon the Prophet's Sleeve that if he be true my Faith is true if he be false my Faith is false also and if he be a false Prophet then he shall be damn'd and he that believes him will be damn'd also 28. For if a Man be saved by pining his Faith upon a true Prophet's Sleeve so by pining his Faith upon a false Prophet a Man is damn'd this must and is ventured by some For this I say there is no Man upon Earth that professes the Christian Religion but he hath either a true Faith or a false Faith and he pins his Faith upon either a true Minister or a false Minister's Sleeve and he loveth one Teacher better than another and here he pins his Faith and hath Peace so long as his Faith holds there 29. But when his Faith faileth the Pin looseneth and falleth quite out so their Faith and that Preacher is parted and that Peace he had in that Faith is lost and another Faith sought after for no Man in the World can live but by a true Faith or a false Faith so that all Men in the World doth or must pin their Faith upon some Mans Sleeve or other or else there can be no Peace at all 30. But when their Faith faileth the Peace