{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_68704/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_68704","id":"gutenberg_68704","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68704","summary":null,"tags":["Bible. Samuel, 1st, XXVIII -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.","Category: History - Religious","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Soul -- Early works to 1800","Witch of Endor (Biblical figure)","Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800"],"text":"A True Interpretation of the Witch of Endor\n\n\n\n\n              A TRUE INTERPRETATION OF THE WITCH OF ENDOR,\n\n         Spoken of in 1 Sam. XXVIII. begin. at the 11th Verse.\n\n                                SHEWING,\n\n\n1. How She and all other Witches do beget or produce that Familiar\nSpirit they deal with, and what a Familiar Spirit is, and how those\nVoices are procured, and Shapes appear unto them, whereby the Ignorant\nand Unbelieving People are deceived by them.\n\n2. It is clearly made appear in this TREATISE, that no Spirit can be\nraised without its Body, neither can any Spirit assume any Body after\nDeath; For if the Spirit doth walk, the Body must walk also.\n\n3. An Interpretation of all those Scriptures, that doth seem as if\nSpirits might go out of Men's Bodies when they die, and subsist in some\nPlace or other without Bodies.\n\nLastly, Several other Things needful for the Mind of Man to know; which\nwhoever doth understand, it will be great Satisfaction.\n\n\n                        By LODOWICKE MUGGLETON,\n\n\n_Penman hereof, and the last chosen Witness unto that Ever-Blessed Body\nof Christ Jesus Glorified, to be the only Wise, very True God alone,\nEverlasting Father, and Creator of both Worlds, and all that were made\nin them._\n\n\nThe Second Edition.\n\n_LONDON_,\n\nPrinted by SUBSCRIPTION in the YEAR 1724.\n\n\n\n\n                             TO THE READER.\n\n\nI Have been desired by several Friends, to set forth the Interpretation\nconcerning the Witch of _Endor_ and King _Saul_; how it may be\nunderstood how she raised _Samuel_, and how Familiar Spirits came to be\nprocured, and with what Power they do such strange Things. Many Enemies\nalso have objected this Place, to prove that Spirits may be raised\nwithout Bodies, and that Spirits may walk, or be happy or miserable\nwithout Bodies: Though I have given an Answer in Discourse to these\nDoubts and Questions, but few can retain in their Memory what is spoken\nin Discourse; therefore I thought it convenient and necessary to set it\nforth in Print, for the Information and Satisfaction of many Friends who\ndesire it, and for the Convincement of all Gain-sayers. And let them\nseriously read it over without Prejudice, and they may see this Point\nclearly opened, which hath laid hid this many Hundred Years, with other\nPlaces of Scriptures opened, which many have objected against this\nInterpretation, and all those Places of Scripture that is commonly\nbrought, or doth most seem to hold forth, that Spirits may be without\nBodies, are likewise opened and expounded in short in this Treatise, as\nfolloweth.\n\n                                CHAP. I.\n           1 SAM. XXVIII. _from the 11th to the 18th Verse_.\n\n\nI Shall give the Interpretation, what is meant by that Familiar Spirit\nthe Witch of _Endor_ which did raise _Samuel_, so much spoken of in the\nBook of _Samuel_, and other Places of Scripture; and so much objected by\nmany to prove that Spirits may be raised without Bodies, and may appear\nunto People in what Shape they please.\n\nThe Belief of this lying Principle, it did proceed out of the\nImagination of Reason, the Devil----The Imagination that doth arise or\nproceed from the Seed of Reason in Man, is that Familiar Spirit that\nWitches deal with, and that Familiar Spirit it proceedeth from no Spirit\nor Devil without a Man, but from the Seed of Reason within Man; for look\nwhat evil Thoughts doth arise out of the Heart of Man, it proceedeth out\nof the Seed of Reason in Man, and not from any thing without Man; for\nthe Imagination of the Heart, it is plac'd in the Seed of Reason,\ntherefore it is said in Scripture, _That the Imaginations of Man's Heart\nwas evil, and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was\nonly evil continually_, as in _Gen._ vi. 5. So that there is no other\nDevil, or Spirit, or Familiar Spirit for Witches to deal withal, or to\nwork any Enchantments by, but their own Imagination; there the Familiar\nSpirit is produced from whence it came, and there it ceases to be when\nthey are put to Death, or over-power'd by the Knowledge, and the Power\nof Faith in other Men, then the Familiar Spirit centers in the\nImagination again, it being over-powered by the Power of Faith; so\nlikewise, the good Thoughts that doth proceed out of the Heart of Man,\nthey do arise or proceed from the Seed of Faith, concerning the true\nGod, or any heavenly Secret, or temporal Judgments, or temporal\nBlessings; if the Foreknowledge of these Things doth arise, or be\nforetold by the Revelation of the Seed of Faith, they are and may be\ncalled the Spirit of God.\n\nBecause they were foretold and declared by the Revelation of the Seed of\nFaith, which Seed of Faith is the Seed of God, it being of God's own\nNature, therefore called the Spirit of God, and so foretold and declared\nby the Spirit of God: So likewise, what Foreknowledge or Declaration of\nThings, that are above that which is common to the Seed of Reason, (as\nraising of Spirits and such like;) I say, they do proceed from the\nImagination of Reason, the Devil; and this strong Imagination from the\nSeed of Reason, is that Familiar Spirit by which Witches do divine or\nforetel Things. So that the strong Imagination of Reason, being\nexercised about Things that are beyond Trades and Sciences, that are\nnecessary, needful, and lawful; so it becomes a Familiar Spirit, because\nit proceeds from the imagination of Reason, and the Seed of Reason being\nthe Devil, and the Devil being the fallen Angel; for the Devil is Man\nand Woman; and the Seed of Reason is their Seed. And that Seed of Reason\nit came from, that Serpent that beguiled _Eve_; and that Serpent was an\nAngel, and his Seed was Reason, and this Reason in Man is the Devil; and\nthe Imagination of Reason is the Father of that Familiar Spirit, by\nwhich a Man or Woman doth Divine, Soothsay, raise Shapes, or hear\nVoices, or any such Thing of that Nature, they all proceed from the\nImagination of Reason in Man, and the original Being of this Seed of\nReason. It came from that Serpent-Angel, that was cast down from Heaven\nunto this Earth, who deceived our first Parents, as I have abundantly\nshewed in _Rev._ xi. and in the Interpretation of the whole Book of the\n_Revelation_.\n\nNow I have laid a Foundation for the Reader, that he may the better\nunderstand the Foundation, from whence these Familiar Spirits that\nWitches have, do proceed, and how they are procured, and what Power they\nhave over the ignorant Mind of Man; therefore to satisfy the Thoughts of\nmany, who hath desired and requested of me, that I would interpret some\nchief Sayings in the Scriptures, that speaketh of Witchcraft, and\nFamiliar Spirits, and such like; which Sayings are very strange and hard\nto be understood; so that most People are very much unsatisfied in these\nThings, though clear in their Judgments, in many other Things that are\nof more Concernment. And as I have given the Interpretation of the whole\nBook of the _Revelation_, with many other Places of Scripture, to the\ngreat Comfort and Satisfaction of many, so I shall add the\nInterpretation of this thing also.\n\nThe first Place of Scripture I shall insist upon, is that in 1 _Sam._\nxxviii. beginning at the 11th Verse, concerning the Witch of _Endor_;\nthis is commonly the Place that most People fetch to prove, that Spirits\nmay be raised in what Shape the Witch please by their Familiar Spirits;\ntherefore let the Reader mind the Discourse that followeth. The Words\nare these, _Then said the Woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he\nsaid, bring me up_ Samuel. And in the 12th Verse, _And when the Woman\nsaw_ Samuel, _she cried with aloud Voice, and the Woman spake to_ Saul,\n_saying, why hast thou deceived me, for thou art_ Saul? And in the 13th\nVerse, _And the King said unto her, be not afraid, for what sawest thou?\nAnd the Woman said unto_ Saul, _I saw Gods ascending out of the Earth_.\nThe 14th Verse, _And he said unto her, what Form is he of? And she said,\nan old Man cometh up, and he is covered with a Mantle. And_ Saul\n_perceived it was_ Samuel, _and he stooped with his Face to the Ground,\nand bowed himself_. The 15th Verse, _And_ Samuel _said to_ Saul, _Why\nhast thou disquieted me to bring me up? And_ Saul _answered, I am sore\ndistressed: For the_ Philistines _make War against me, and God is\ndeparted from me, and answereth me no more, neither by Prophet, nor by\nDreams: Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayst make known unto me\nwhat I shall do_. Verse 16. _Then said_ Samuel, _Wherefore then dost\nthou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become\nthine Enemy?_ Verse 17. _And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by\nme; for the Lord hath rent the Kingdom out of thine Hand, and given it\nto thy Neighbour, even to_ David. Verse 18. _Because thou obeyest not\nthe Voice of the Lord, nor executed his fierce Wrath upon_ Amalek;\n_therefore hath the Lord done this Thing unto thee this Day_.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. II.\n\n\nThis Familiar Spirit the Witch of _Endor_ and other Witches have,\nwhereby they do such Things, it is the Imagination of Reason, the Devil\nin themselves; that is, they set themselves apart with the Thoughts of\nthe Imaginations of their Hearts, to dive into the diabolical Power;\nthat is, that they might know the Depths of Satan, their Imagination\nconceiving that the Devil is a Spirit flying in the Air, and that this\nSpirit can assume or take up any Shape it please. So that the\nImagination of the Heart hath produced an evil Spirit in it self, so\nthat this Familiar Spirit is begotten out of the Womb of Reason: For the\nSeed of Reason in Man is the Womb or the Mother, and the Imagination of\nthe Heart is the Father that begets this Familiar Spirit, and this\nFamiliar Spirit is the Son of Imagination. So that all Thoughts of the\nHeart, and that wonderful Knowledge declared by them, it is revealed\nthrough this Son the Familiar Spirit, begotten in themselves by the Seed\nof Reason the Mother, and Imagination the Father. So that there is no\nDevil, nor Familiar Spirit without them, as People do vainly imagine,\nbut the Devil and Familiar Spirit is always within them, and no where\nelse; yet all People fear a Devil without them, but he is no where to be\nfound but in Man and Woman, this I do certainly know to be true.\n\nAgain, These Witches doth suppose the true God to be an Infinite Spirit,\nwithout any Body or Substance, as all People almost do; and that the\nDevil is a Spirit that can assume Bodies or what Shape he pleaseth, or\nwhat Shape or Form the Witch shall call for. This is the Opinion of most\nPeople in the World as well as Witches, yea, even of the most of the\ngreatest learned Men; Darkness hath overspread the Minds of all learned\nMen in the World, so that they cannot find out what the true God is, nor\nwhere he is; nor what the right Devil is, nor where he is; yea Man,\nhimself is he that cannot find out himself: But no more of this now.\n\nTo the Matter in hand, the Witches they do not know any Divine Being, or\nPower, or Form of God, but what their Imagination doth conceive to be\nGod, for they have full Faith in this Knowledge of theirs, to be the\ntrue Knowledge of God; only the Laws of Men they fear, but no other God,\nbut that Familiar Spirit which they have produced in themselves, by\ngiving themselves either to Fasting and Prayer, unto an unknown Divine\nBeing or Power; supposing this Power to be a Spirit that can appear in\nany Shape they shall call for or desire. And all People being ignorant\nof the true God, and the right Devil, as they themselves are, so that\nthe People have a Faith in these Witches, being ignorant as aforesaid.\n\nWhat the true God and right Devil is, and the Witches Faith, and their\nFaith being joyn'd together, it becometh strong to atchieve such\nApparitions as their Faith hath chose to be the Object of their\nImagination: For he that enquireth of a Witch, his Faith and the Witch's\nFaith is all one.\n\nAlso this is to be minded, that all Witches have some Rule by which they\ndo perceive those Apparitions, and hear those Voices; for their is no\nwicked Knowledge or wicked Wisdom as the Wisdom of the World, neither is\nthere any good Knowledge or good Wisdom as the Wisdom of God. I say,\nthere is no Knowledge or Wisdom good or bad, but those that have it they\nmust go by some Rule, else it is meer Nonsense; as most of your\n_Quakers_ Matters or Principles are meer Nonsense, that hath neither\nBottom nor Top.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. III.\n\n\nBut to the Matter in hand, we see the natural Astrologers they go by a\nRule, and their Wisdom and Knowledge in Things of Nature, it is declared\nby them from and by a Rule, else that they say would be meer Nonsense\nand Foolishness.\n\nYet I say, your natural Astrologers they are Witches, and have their\nFigure to judge the Effects of the Stars; but this Witchcraft is allowed\nby the Powers of the Nations.\n\nSo I say, these Witches that doth do Things by a Familiar Spirit, they\nhave a Rule to walk by as the other hath; for as the Imagination of the\nother hath by the Study of the Figure, attained to give some Judgment\nupon the Effects of the Stars, upon a particular Person or Nation. So\nlikewise those Witches that hath a Familiar Spirit, they have attained\nto this Familiar Spirit out of their Imagination of Reason, as I said\nbefore.\n\nAnd this Familiar Spirit being begotten in themselves by the Strength of\nImagination their Father; now understand thus much, that this diabolical\nWisdom that is begotten in Man and Woman by the Imagination of Reason,\nthe Devil is that Familiar Spirit that Men and Women do act by.\n\nAnd after this Familiar Spirit is begotten in Man or Woman by\nImagination their father, as I said before, then this Familiar Spirit of\nthe Witch will motion in the Mind too fast, and pray unto the Host of\nHeaven, the Sun, Moon and Planets, supposing that the good Spirit in\nsome of them, and imagining the evil Spirit or Devil to be in other some\nof them.\n\nNow observe, when this Familiar Spirit is produced in them, then they\nobserve every Motion of the Mind, and their Faith being in every Motion\nof their Minds, it produceth either some farther Knowledge in their own\nApprehension, or else some Visions are presented to their Phantasies;\nfor they have dedicated some certain Words to be said in their Minds\nmotional, to be used when they would do any Feats, besides their Fasting\nand Prayer. And this Thing they have dedicated to enquire of, is that\nwhich they divine with, or tell any Thing from it, is much like unto the\nAstrologers, their Figure is dedicated for that Purpose, that he may\ntell Things from, and without the Knowledge of the Figure. He can tell\nnothing except he were skilled in it before, but the Figure was the\nThing he came to know more than others at the first; for wonderful\nThings may be accomplished through the Imagination of Reason, when it\nhath set it self apart on purpose to attain unto such Things.\n\nFor I find by Experience within this seventeen Years, what strange\nThings hath been atchieved by Man and Woman, who hath given themselves\nup to an unknown God upon a Religious Account. Some hath by their\nFasting and Prayer unto an unknown God, attained unto Visions,\nApparitions, Appearance of Angels, Voices, and many other strange\nThings; yet altogether ignorant of the true God and the right Devil, and\nwhat Angels are; so that these Things hath been all within them, and\nthey thought that God had revealed these Things unto them; when as they\ndid attain unto these Things aforesaid by their own Endeavours; as many\n_Quakers_ and others can Witness at this Day, if they would, by\nhearkening to the Light within them, and Fasting, and such like. Neither\ndid God present any Vision, or speak any Voice unto them, but they do\nproduce those Things aforesaid by their own Imaginations.\n\nSo is it with Witches, they do raise Shapes and Voices out of\nthemselves, and those Voices they hear, they are no other but motional\nVoices in themselves; and the ignorant People that believes them is\nPartakers of those motional Voices also with the Witch.\n\nFor their is no Spirit of the Devil without them, that doth assume any\nShape, or speak any Voice unto the Witch, neither doth any Spirit\nwithout the Witch reveal any Knowledge unto them; it is all produced by\ntheir own wicked Imagination, who hath begotten within themselves that\nFamiliar Spirit they deal with, and not from any Devil or Spirit without\nthem.\n\nBut all cometh from the Imagination within, that is, the Devil and no\nother; yet this Familiar Spirit is produced from within them, to see\nShapes, and hear motional Voices, meerly by watching the Motion of the\nImagination that is placed in their Minds or Hearts, even as the\n_Quakers_ do by hearkening to the Light within them, they do procure\nmany strange Visions and motional Voices, but they being Groundless and\nNonsensical they come to nothing.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. IV.\n\n\nLet the Reader observe when King _Saul_ asked the Witch of _Endor_,\n_What Form the Gods was of, she had seen ascend out of the Earth_; The\nWoman answered and said, _An old Man with a Mantle, &c._ But _Saul_ saw\nnothing but as the Woman told him, and _Saul_ believed her Words, and\nbowed himself to the Ground.----Now mind the 15th Verse, Samuel _said\nto_ Saul, _why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up_; the Meaning is\nthis, now the Witch had full Power over _Saul_, so that he did really\nbelieve the Witch, that she had indeed raised up _Samuel_, though he saw\nnothing----yet the Fear of being destroyed by the _Philistines_, and the\nBelief of the Woman's Words, _Samuel_ began to speak in _Saul_'s\nConscience; there came into _Saul_'s Mind the Words which _Samuel_ had\ntold him in his Life-time.----So that these was no speaking to _Saul_ by\n_Samuel_, but the Reasonings of _Saul_'s own Heart; and these Voices\nthat _Samuel_ spake to _Saul_, they were motional Voices that did arise\nin _Saul_'s own Heart.----For an accusing Conscience will speak dreadful\nVoices in the Conscience; as the Blood of _Abel_ cried for Vengeance in\n_Cain_'s Conscience, and the Saints that were slain under the Altar;\ncried for Vengeance upon those that shed their Blood; so that a sinful\nConscience will have Voices enough to torment him, though God himself,\nnor Prophet without him, doth never speak unto him. A guilty Conscience\nwill speak with a motional Voice their great Terror and Torment, which\nis greater than can be born, as it was with _Cain_, _Saul_, and _Judas_.\nYea, it was Fear, and the Remembrance of _Saul_'s Disobedience to\n_Samuel_'s Words in his Life-time, this did arise afresh in _Saul_'s\nMind, and spake with motional Voices in _Saul_'s Conscience, accusing\nhim for his Disobedience to _Samuel_'s Words.\n\nFor the Remembrance of _Samuel_'s Words, may be said to disquiet\n_Samuel_; for _Samuel_'s Words were buried in _Saul_'s Conscience.\n\nBut now, by his going to enquire of a Witch, _Samuel_ is revived again\nin _Saul_'s Mind, and there _Samuel_ speaks Fear, Wrath, and Terror; for\n_Samuel_'s Words spake in _Saul_'s Conscience one motional Voice, and\nthe Guilt of _Saul_'s Disobedience spake Fear and Horror in _Saul_'s\nConscience, this was a motional Voice in _Saul_'s Conscience also; for\nthe Voice of Truth will speak, or the Voice of Obedience, and the Voice\nof Sin and Disobedience will speak in Man's Conscience, as if they were\ntwo distinct Spirits.\n\nThis many guilty Consciences can witness, as we may read by _Cain_ that\nkilled his Brother, and _Judas_ that betrayed his Lord, and many others\nwho hath been guilty of the like Crimes.\n\nSo that the Witch did raise no _Samuel_, nor Spirit, but a meer Shadow\nit was the Witch saw, which she could raise by her Art; neither was\nthere any _Samuel_ or Spirit not at all that did speak to _Saul_, but\nthat motional Voice in _Saul_'s Conscience as aforesaid.\n\nAnd in this Sense _Samuel_ may be said to be disquieted; for if _Saul_\nhad never gone to the Witch to enquire of her, _Samuel_'s Words had been\nquiet in _Saul_; neither would _Saul_ have had such Reasonings in\nhimself, nor have been so sensible of the Worm of his Conscience.\n\nSo that there was no Voice of _Samuel_ spoke unto _Saul_, but a motional\nVoice in _Saul_'s own Mind or Conscience; his Fear and his Disobedience,\nand what _Samuel_ had told him before, these all speaking with Voices in\nhis wounded Conscience. _Samuel_'s Words spake one Voice, and his own\nDisobedience spake another; so that the Witch of _Endor_ did neither\nraise _Samuel_, but only made the King believe she did, neither did\n_Samuel_ speak to the King but as aforesaid.\n\nFor the Kingdom being rent out of his Hands, his Sons being destroyed,\nand all other Threatnings of _Samuel_, they came into _Saul_'s Mind\nafresh with strong Motions, so that they became as Voices in _Saul_'s\nHeart, as if _Samuel_ had spake to the hearing of the Ear: For there was\nno _Samuel_ raised, nor no _Samuel_ spake, but what was motional in the\nMind of _Saul_, and what did visionally appear unto the Witch, which was\na meer Shadow which she could produce by her Witchcraft-Art, to all\nthose that were more ignorant than her self, or had Faith in her Power.\n\n\n\n\n                                CHAP. V.\n\n\nFor the Reader must mind, that Witches and all those that doth attain to\nthe Visions, and hear Voices within them, they do use Means to attain\nunto it; also they have some standing Rule or Art, by which they come to\nenquire or to know Things, that are above that Knowledge which is common\nto other People, it is much like unto the Ways of God.\n\nTherefore let the Reader mind the Ground work laid down at the first,\nthat the Imagination of Reason had begotten a Son out of the Womb of the\nSeed of Reason in Man, which I call the Mother, and Imagination the\nFather, and the Son that is begotten in the Womb of Reason; by\nImagination the Father is that great Wisdom, Knowledge and Power, by\nwhich they go beyond other People who are of a lower Capacity.\n\nThis Son is that Familiar Spirit Witches doth deal with; it is another\nSpirit begotten in them, which was not in their Birth, when they were\nborn, but begotten in themselves since by Imagination as aforesaid;\nNeither is this Familiar Spirit produced, or doth come from any Thing,\nor any Devil without them, as People do vainly imagine; but the Familiar\nSpirit it is produced, and doth come from within, _for out of the Heart\ncometh evil Thoughts, Murder, Adultery_, &c. And all Familiar Spirits,\nthey are all conceived in the Heart, and being conceived there, in its\nSeason it bringeth forth such Spirits as are conceived in the Heart; if\nEnvy and Murder be conceived, as it was in _Cain_, then it bringeth\nforth the Spirit or Deed of Murder; if Lust be conceived in the Heart,\nit bringeth forth the Spirit and Act of Adultery, as it did in _David_;\nand if a Familiar Spirit be conceived in the Heart, then it bringeth\nforth such a Spirit that shall speak motional Voices within them, as if\nsome Spirits without them did appear without a Body, and speak to them,\nand reveal those Things unto them.\n\nMany wicked Spirits more then is mentioned, are conceived in the Hearts\nof Men and Women, and acted by them, Spirits, I say, that were never of\nGod's Creation, but hath been conceived in the Mind of Man since; for\nwhen Sin is conceived, as in _James_ i. 15. _When Lust hath conceived,\nit bringeth forth Sin; and Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth\nDeath_: so that there is a Conception of Sin first in the Heart; and if\nit doth not die before it quickens into Life, that is, into act; then it\nbringeth forth Death, which is the Punishment due to such Sins, that are\nalive in Man's Actions, after they were conceived in the Heart. And as\nthe Evil of Murder, Adultery, and Theft is conceived first in the Heart,\nso is that Familiar Spirit Witches and Wizards have; they are first\nconceived in the Mind, and in a little Season it groweth alive in them,\nand speaketh unto them, as if it were without them: For this I say, that\na Familiar Spirit is conceived and begotten in the Heart of Man and\nWoman, as the other Sins aforementioned are, and the Cause why God is\nmore angry with those that deal with a Familiar Spirit, and hath\ncommanded them to be put to Death, more than for other Sins conceived in\nthe Mind is, because they imitate the Way of God. Or the Spirit of\nProphecy, which causeth the People to believe in a meer Fiction or\nShadow without any Substance, that a Spirit may be raised out of the\nGround without a Body, and so they forsake the living God, who hath a\nBody of his own, and gave Life to every Creature, that hath a Body and\ndoth believe a Lie, which hath been conceived in the Mind, and hath\nquickned into a Familiar Spirit, and this Spirit doth always live within\nthe Witch, and not without her; and this Familiar Spirit thus conceived,\nfirst in the evil Mind, and afterward quickning in the evil Heart, _it\ngoeth from Strength to Strength, and from one Degree of Knowledge, to a\nfarther Degree of_ evil _Knowledge, and evil Wisdom_, as all Things else\ndoth that hath Life; for Sin hath Life in it, and the outward Law\ncauseth Sin to revive in every one that doth evil, as St. _Paul_ saith,\n_Rom._ vii. 9. Thus in some Measure the Reader may understand what a\nFamiliar Spirit is, and how it comes to have a Being in Witches and\nWizards, and how the ignorant are Partakers with the Familiar Spirit.\n\nIn the next Place, I shall shew how those that have a Familiar Spirit do\nimitate the way of God, or the way of true Prophets; observe the Way and\nManner of true Prophets, High-Priests, and all other People, who are\nrichly gifted with the Spirit of Prophecy, or Revelation; for the Seed\nof Faith planted in the Heart, is the Seed and Nature of God, as Reason\nis the Seed and Nature of the Serpent or Devil; and as the Seed of\nReason is the Womb or Mother for Imagination to get a Son.\n\nSo likewise the Seed of Faith in Man, is the Womb or Mother for the\nRevelation of Faith, to beget a Son out of the Seed of Faith, answerable\nas the Imagination doth out of the Seed of Reason.\n\nAnd this Son the Revelation hath begotten out of the Seed of Faith, is\nthat heavenly Wisdom, discerning Knowledge and Power over the Spirits of\nothers, and Knowledge of Things above the Stars, and knoweth the true\nGod in Form and Nature, with many other heavenly Secrets, which none\nelse can know but those that believe them.\n\nSo that the Revelation of Faith hath begotten this heavenly Wisdom,\nPower and Glory out of the Seed of Faith, which is the Seed of God, even\nof his Divine Nature; and this Wisdom, Power, and Glory, is that Son or\nSpirit, by which all Prophets, High Priests, Apostles and others that\nhave it.\n\nI say this is that by which they can truly divine by, in that they can\nforetel truly what shall come to pass, according to the Knowledge of the\nRevelation of Faith; and this Wisdom, and Knowledge being produced by\nRevelation out of the Womb of the Seed of Faith, it may and is called\nthe Spirit of God in Man, that doth teach and shew the Wisdom of God to\nothers, so that others cometh to be taught and subjected by it, to their\ngreat Peace here, and eternal Joy hereafter.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. VI.\n\n\nAnd this Spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge and Power, which is produced by the\nRevelation as aforesaid, it hath motional Voices in the Conscience, as\nthe Familiar Spirit hath in the evil Conscience; but the motional Voices\nin a good Conscience speaketh Peace. Likewise this motional Voice in\nProphets, High-Priests, Apostles, and others, is that by which they do\nforetel Things by, whether it be good or bad, that shall befal those\nthat shall enquire.\n\nAlso the Spirit of Revelation hath a standing Rule to enquire by, as\nthose have that doth tell Things by a Familiar Spirit, as I said before;\nfor the Witches doth imitate the way of the Prophets, and the Devil's\nWay is as like God's Way as he can.\n\nNow let the Reader mind, and he may see how Men have enquired of the\nLord by motional Voices in the Mind, by that Spirit of Faith which is\ngotten by Revelation, which is called the Spirit of God.\n\nIn the Time of the Law of _Moses_, the Ephod was a standing Rule, for to\nenquire of God for good or bad Success. Now there was no Man could tell\nwhat the Event would be that looked upon the Ephod, but such Men as had\nthe Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy in them; as _David_ and the High\nPriest, as soon as ever they looked upon the Ephod, they could tell\nwhether they should prosper in Battle or not; but if any other Man which\nhad not the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy should look upon the\nEphod, they could tell nothing by it.\n\nThough the Ephod was appointed of God, on purpose to enquire of God, yet\nnone could find out God's Mind, but such Men aforesaid; for as soon as\never _David_ or the High-Priest looked upon the Ephod, they could tell\nwhat the Event would be, as may be seen, 1 _Sam._ xxiii. 6, 9. how\n_David_ called for the Ephod and _Abiathar_ the Priest to bring it to\nenquire of the Lord.\n\nYet God never spake to them by Voice, yet they had motional Voices in\nthemselves in their Hearts, assuring them that they prosper or not\nprosper; yet God never appeared himself, nor any Angel, neither did God\nspeak by any Voice, yet they are bid to go and prosper, as if they had\nheard some Voice by looking upon the Ephod, so that those Voices that\nbid them go and prosper, they were motional Voices that did arise from\nthe Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy within them by that Skill they had\nin the Ephod, which was appointed of God for that Purpose. So that all\n_David_'s Voices, and the High-Priest Voices, that were motional Voices,\nyet called the Voice of God, because they did arise from the Seed of\nFaith in _David_ and others, which is the Divine Nature of God,\ntherefore called the Spirit of God.\n\nFor this I say, if _Saul_ had not lost that Spirit of Prophecy by his\nDisobedience, as he once had, when the good Spirit departed from him, he\nmight have enquired of the Ephod, and have been answered with a motional\nVoice by the Ephod, as he was by enquiring of a Witch.\n\nFor the Spirit of _Samuel_ did speak no more to _Saul_, then the Spirit\nof God did speak to _David_, they were both motional Voices that did\narise from their two Seeds the one Voice spake Peace and Deliverance,\nand the other spake Wrath and Destruction; the one did enquire in the\nWay that God did appoint, even of the Ephod, or of the Lord's Prophets;\nthe other did enquire of that which was forbidden, and forsook the Lord\nand his Prophets, and went to a Witch to enquire: It was because one was\nthe Seed of _Adam_, which is the Seed of God, and so chosen of God in\nMercy, even _David_; and the other was the Seed of the Serpent, even the\nDevil, who was chosen King in God's Wrath even _Saul_.\n\nThis is the true Interpretation of those Voices that _Samuel_ spake to\n_Saul_, and of his being raised by the Witch of _Endor_.\n\nTherefore you that can understand these things as aforementioned, you\nmay see how the whole World lieth in Darkness, and are cheated of their\nSense and Reason by this lying and vain Imagination, to believe that\nSpirits can be without Bodies, or that Spirits can be raised without\nBodies, or that Spirits can speak without Bodies, or that Spirits\ndeparted can assume any Shapes afterwards; these Things and many more\nare produced by the dark Imagination of the Heart of Man: And if the\nReader hath any true Light of Faith in him, he may understand the\nInterpretation I have given of the Witch of _Endor_, and how a Familiar\nSpirit is produced or begotten in them, and be satisfied in his Mind as\nto that Matter; so much concerning those Words in _Samuel_\naforementioned.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. VII.\n\n\nAgain, it is said, _Isa._ viii. 29. the Prophet speaking there to\nunbelieving _Israelites_ that did not believe the Word of the Lord\nthrough the Prophets Mouths, concerning the Destruction that should come\nupon _Israel_; this Judgment did the Lord threaten by the Mouth of his\nProphet _Isaiah_ to bring upon _Israel_ for their Unbelief; and this\nProphet seeing the People would not hearken unto the Voice of the Lord's\nProphets, nor inquire of them, but altogether persecuted them as false\nProphets, Deceivers and Liers, and the Inclination of their Hearts was\nmore willing and desirous to enquire of a Witch or Wizard, who had a\nFamiliar Spirit then of the Prophet of the Lord, as you may see Chapter\nand Verse above-written; the Words are these as followeth.\n\n_And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have Familiar\nSpirits, and unto Wizards that peep and that mutter, should not a People\nseek unto their God for the living to the dead._ The Meaning of these\nWords is this, that unbelieving Men do think and believe that Witches\nand Wizards who hath a Familiar Spirit, can rise out of the Ground where\ndead Men were buried, living Spirits without Bodies that can reveal\nThings unto them, by that motional Voice that doth proceed from these\nFamiliar Spirits, which doth peep and mutter.\n\nThat is, the Whisperings that proceeds from this Familiar Spirit, that\nis begotten by the Imagination of Reason the Father, and the Seed of\nReason the Mother, as I said before, is that motional Voice all Witches\nand Wizards have, whereby they peep and mutter in themselves, as if they\ndid hear Voices and see Shapes, and living Spirits arise out of the\nGround, as the Witch of _Endor_ said to King _Saul_, _She saw Gods\nascend out of the earth_. When as there was no Spirit nor Shape came out\nof the Ground, at all; but the Gods she saw ascend out of the Earth came\nout of her own Imagination, even that Familiar Spirit begotten in her,\nit seemed unto her as if it did ascend out of the Earth, but those Gods\nshe said she saw ascend out of the Earth, they ascended out of her own\nImagination, and _Saul_ believed her, and so was Partakers with her, and\nhe did believe that she had raised _Samuel_'s Spirit out of the Earth,\nas the Witch had said.\n\nAnd this is to be minded by the Reader, that when Spirits are to be\nraised by Witches, her Familiar Spirit always ariseth out of her own\nself, even from the Seed of Reason and Imagination of her own Heart,\nwhereby she doth hear Voices within her, whispering low Voices, as if\nsome other Spirits without her did spake with a low Voice unto her, and\npresent Shapes unto her dazled Eyes, which seemeth to the Witch to be\nreal Voices of a Spirit without her, and a real Shape without her; when\nas in Deed and in Truth, it ariseth out of her own self, even from the\nSeed of Reason, and Imagination of her own Heart, whereby she doth hear\nVoices within her, whispering low Voices, as if some other Spirit\nwithout her did speak with a low Voice to her, and present Shapes to her\ndazled Eyes, which seemeth to the Witch to be a real Voice of a Spirit\nwithout her, and a real Shape without her, when as in Deed and in Truth\nit is nothing else but a motional Voice begotten in her self, and Shapes\nbegotten in her self, by the Imagination in the Womb of Reason as\naforesaid, which is that Familiar Spirit.\n\nWhich is that Familiar Spirit she doth deal with, she thinking it is\nfrom some Spirit without her, she not knowing it is begotten in her; and\nthis Familiar Spirit begotten in her, it whispers within her with a low\nmotional Voice, as if some Spirit did whisper out of the Ground.\nAccording to that saying of the Prophet, _Isa._ xxix. 4. concerning the\nDestruction or Judgment of God upon _Jerusalem_; the Words are these,\n_And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the Ground, and\nthy Speech shall be low out of the Dust, and thy Voice shall be as one\nthat hath a Familiar Spirit out of the Ground, and thy Speech shall\nwhisper out of the Dust_.\n\nAs if the Prophet should say, Seeing you have refused to hearken to the\nVoice of the Prophets, which hath declared the Mind of the God of\n_Israel_ openly with a loud Voice; you have heard them speak plain Words\nwith your Ears, but you have not believed they spoke Truth unto you;\ntherefore you have rejected the Word of the Lord by his Prophets, and\nhave persecuted and slain some of them as false Prophets, because they\nspake unto you in the Name of the Lord, as it was revealed by the Spirit\nof Revelation in them.\n\nThey spake plain Words unto you, as might be heard to the outward Ear by\nthe Standers-by; they were visible Men that spake unto you, so that you\nneed not to enquire after any that hath a Familiar Spirit, who speaketh\nso softly and so low, that no Standers-by can hear this Familiar Spirit\nspeak, but he or she that hath it.\n\nBut as for plain Words openly declared by the Prophets, and publickly\nheard by the outward Ear, these you have rejected, despised, persecuted,\nand counted them Liars, Deceivers, false Prophets, and such like:\nTherefore God hath given you over to strong Delusions, to enquire of a\nWitch, who makes you believe that Spirits may be raised out of the\nGround, and that Spirits do come out of the Dust, and whisper to the\nWitch with a low Voice, that none can hear but her self. So that those\nthat enquire do believe as King _Saul_ did, that a Familiar Spirit can\nenter into the Dust or Ground, and bring up another Man's Spirit that is\ndead without its Body, and so their two Spirits whisper so low together,\nthat none can hear that stands by, nor tell what this Spirit that is\nraised did say, nor whether the Spirit so raised is gone into the Body\nagain, or into the Ground from whence the Witch said it was raised;\nwhich Spirit that is said to be raised, or said to speak out of the\nGround, I say, it was raised out of the Witches own Body, and no where\nelse; and those low Voices and Whisperings were both within her, and not\nwithout her.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAP. VIII.\n\n\nNow how a Man may be said to be brought down, and shall speak out of the\nGround, and their Speech shall be low out of the Dust: The Meaning is,\nwhen a particular Man or Woman, or a People or Nation, be in the same\nDistress and Condition as King _Saul_ was; that is, in Danger of loosing\nhis Crown and Kingdom, his natural Life; and not only so, but his Soul\nis tormented with the Fear of eternal Death; this maketh the Heart of\nMan to melt in him; it makes his Speech to grow weak and feeble, so that\nhis Speech can hardly be heard; it is even as if a Man did speak out of\nDeath, or out of the Ground.\n\nA Man with the Extremity of outward and inward Trouble, he becomes\nSpeechless, yet he speaks in his Thoughts, but so low, that none that\nstands by can hear or tell what he saith. This many can experience, that\nhave seen their Friend or Relation in this Condition; this is like\nspeaking out of the Ground, and low out of the Dust. And the Voice of\nevery such troubled Soul, who hath the Plagues of this Life, and the\nHorror of Conscience as to the Life to come, as King _Saul_ had the\nVoice such People have, is as one that hath a Familiar Spirit out of the\nGround, and their Speech shall be as if one did whisper out of the Dust.\n\nThis Place of Scripture hath the same Meaning as the Place\nbefore-mentioned, _Isa._ viii. 19. where such as King _Saul_ was, are\nbade to seek unto them that have Familiar Spirits, and unto Wizards,\nthat peep and mutter, (that is) that whisper out of the Ground; for\nwhisper, peep, and mutter, signifies all one Thing.\n\nThese Things did _Manasseh_, 2 _Kings_ xxi. 6. he dealt with Familiar\nSpirits, and did great Abominations; he made his Sons to pass thorough\nthe Fire, in offering them up a Sacrifice to an unknown Devil, which he\nthought was God; and this he did by the Whisperings of the Familiar\nSpirit within him, and being acquainted with others, who were known to\nhave Familiar Spirits also. And so did several other Kings of _Israel_\ndeal with Familiar Spirits, and had those low whispering Voices in\nthemselves, as if Spirits had risen out of the Ground, or from the Dust\nto speak unto them; and this they did attain unto by Industry, in that\nthey forsook the Words of the Prophets, and would not hearken unto them,\nbut gave themselves up to follow the Imaginations of their own Hearts;\nimagining they might as well know God, and what Worship would please God\nas well as the Prophets; therefore why should we, being Kings, hearken\nunto such mean inferiour Men as these? May not we by our Familiar Spirit\nas well know God, and what Worship will please him by our Familiar\nSpirit, as the Prophets do by the Spirit of Prophecy? Why should we be\nin such Bondage, that we can do nothing but what they say, the Lord\ncommands us to do? So the Imagination saith, Come, we will not be tied\nup thus; we will see what our Familiar Spirit begotten in us will do; we\nwill erect and build Altars in several Places, and sacrifice Bullocks\nand Lambs to an unknown God; and so by this Means they procure in\nthemselves low motional Voices, which whisper in themselves, which\nbecomes in them a Familiar Spirit, is produced in themselves: And there\nis a more Increase of low motional Voices, which doth whisper in the\nMind, moving them to a further Degree of Knowledge, and endeavour after\nmore Voices, so that to attain to this diabolical Wisdom in a more high\nMeasure. They are moved by this low Voice within them to offer up their\nown Children in Sacrifices to their imaginary God, which they believe is\nan invisible Spirit without a Body, which reveals these Things unto\nthem, and whispers and speaks those Voices unto them.\n\nThey count nothing too dear for this their imaginary God, no not their\nown Sons and Daughters, as _Manasseh_ and others did, that made their\nSons and Daughters pass through the Fire as a Sacrifice to their\nimaginary God, that had spoke so many Voices to them, and had whispered\nto them.\n\nBut all these Whisperings and low Voices, and peeping of Spirits out of\nthe Ground, as they thought, I say, they were all within them; for when\nthey came in any Trouble, their Familiar Spirit departs from them, and\nwill not comfort them any more, let it be either in Poor or Rich, nay,\nKings that have dealt with Familiar Spirits, when they have been in\nTrouble, all their comfort hath been lost, as the poorest Witch that is,\nas may be seen by _Manasseh_ and other King spoken of in the Scripture.\n\nNow observe, when God doth bring upon a People, Nation, or particular\nPerson, some great Judgment and Destruction, let it be either outward or\ninward in the Mind, when it comes upon a People, Nation, or particular\nPerson, for their Sins and Wickedness they have committed, in forsaking\nthe Lord's Prophets, and dealing with Witches and Familiar Spirits; as\n_Saul_ forsook the Lord and went to a Witch, and _Manasseh_, and several\nother Kings of _Israel_, who ought only to have obeyed the Prophets of\nthe Lord; but they forsook him, and enquired of Witches and Wizards, and\ndealt with Familiar Spirits themselves, and caused the People to worship\nthe Devil (whom they imagined to be God) instead of the true God, whom\nthe Prophets would have had them to worship.\n\nBut when this Punishment for Sin is inflicted upon a People, Nation, or\nparticular Person, for dealing with Familiar Spirits, and worshipping of\nDevils; when Punishment comes, it makes the Heart or Hearts to fail, for\nthe Spirit is brought down by this Judgment even to Death, and so goeth\nto the Ground; so that the very Fear, Trouble, and Sorrow of Heart,\nshall speak as it were out of the Dust, or out of Death; for Sin will\nspeak out of the Ground, and the Speech of Death will be low in them\nthat have escaped the Destruction which others did go through; for there\nwill be a Resemblance in those that have escaped, how their Friends and\nRelations are fallen to the Ground or Dust of the Earth for their\nWickedness, so that Sorrow and Grief will speak in the Mind of those\nthat have escaped with a low Speech, even as one doth who hath a\nFamiliar Spirit. Or as if their Friends and Relations, the Remembrance\nof their Destruction being taken away in Wrath for Sin, it speaks a\nsmall low Voice of Grief and Sorrow in the Heart of those that are\nalive, even as one that hath a Familiar Spirit, even a low motional\nVoice of Sorrow and Grief, and it cometh as it were out of the Ground,\nor out of the Dust.\n\nThat is the very Influence of Grief and Sorrow, for their dead Friends\nand People; it causeth, where Grief is, to hear as it were low Voices\nand small Speeches, even out of the Ground or out of the Dust of the\nEarth: Just as it was with _Cain_ in another Case, the Lord said to\n_Cain_, _Thy Brother's Blood crieth from the Ground for Vengeance_; and\nso the Blood of those that were slain under the Altar did _from the\nGround cry for Vengeance_, as in _Rev._ vi. 10. it crieth for Vengeance\nin the Consciences of all bloody Persecutors. So in like Manner doth the\nDeath and Destruction of a People, who are destroyed for wicked\nIdolatry, as those were the Prophet _Isaiah_ speaketh of, they spake\nfrom the Ground a low Speech in the Conscience of those that were\nconcerned, Grief, Sorrow, and Fear of the same Punishment, and such\nlike.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. IX.\n\n\nFor where Grief and Sorrow is rooted and settled in the Heart, it\nspeaketh with low motional Voices in the Mind; that is, the thought of\nFear in the Mind, both of temporal Losses and the Loss of eternal Peace.\nThe Fear moves to and fro in that Mind, as if it were a Speech out of\nthe Ground; for the Thoughts of the Heart are low Voices which cannot be\nheard by any but themselves.\n\nSo is it with those that have a Familiar Spirit, their Voices and Speech\nthey hear from Spirits without them, as if Spirits did speak to them out\nof the Ground: Which Speech they say they hear, is nothing else but the\nThoughts that pass to and fro in their own Minds, a low motional Voice\nin themselves, as if Spirits did speak to them with a low Voice out of\nthe Ground, or out of the Dust. For their Faith is strong, and above all\nthose that come to enquire of a Witch, they do all believe that Spirits\nmay be raised without Bodies out of the Ground, as the Witch doth; so\nthey both do believe, that the Spirit came out of the Ground that spake\nthose low Voices to the Witch, and she tells it to the other that\nenquire of her, and they believe her as King _Saul_ did.\n\nSo they are wholly departed from the Lord, and believe a Lye, to think\nthat Spirits can be raised out of the Ground without Bodies after Men\nhave been dead; it is a Thing God never did; we never read in Scripture,\nthat God or his Prophets did ever raise any Spirits out of the Ground\nwithout Bodies after they were dead; but we read in Scripture, that God\nand his Prophets have raised some from the dead with Bodies, as that of\n_Lazarus_ being raised out of the Ground by Christ, and the Child that\nwas raised from Death by the Prophet _Elijah_, and another Child raised\nfrom Death to Life by the Prophet _Elisha_, and several others come\nforth out of the Ground at the rising again of Christ from Death, as\nthose Saints that did arise out of the Graves, and appeared to many that\nwere alive; these all did arise out of the Graves with Bodies after they\nwere dead, and _Lazarus_ came forth out of the Ground after he was dead,\nbut his Spirit came not out of the Ground without his Body, but Body and\nSoul came out of the Ground together.\n\nFor it was always God's Practice to raise Soul and Body together; and\nbecause the Imagination of Reason in those that have a Familiar Spirit\ncannot do so, nor those that enquire of them, therefore they do imagine\nthat Spirit may be raised out of the Ground without Bodies, or assume a\nShape and appear like a Body, yet it shall be of no Substance, a Shape\nthat can neither be felt nor handled by the Hand of Man.\n\nNow mind, all those God doth raise out of the Ground after they were\ndead, they may be handled and felt, though they be Spiritual Bodies, yet\nthey may be felt and handled, as Christ said to _Thomas_, _Feel me and\nhandle me_, after he was risen from the dead, and _Thomas laid his\nFingers in the Print of the Nails, and on his Side_. Yet Christ was at\nthat time a Spiritual Body that was risen from the Dead, that might be\nfelt and handled, and not a Spirit without a Body, as most People do\nvainly imagine that Spirits may be raised without Bodies.\n\nAnd as for that _Lazarus_ and others, that were raised by the Power of\nGod out of the Ground after they had been dead, they had Bodies as well\nas Spirits that might be seen with natural Eyes, and handled and felt\nwith natural Hands. So that God's Power in raising the Dead, it is no\nCheat; the Creature is not cheated nor deceived, but is fully satisfied\nin his Mind.\n\nBut for a Familiar Spirit to say or tell People, they do or can raise\nSpirits out of the Ground in such a Shape without a Body or bodily\nSubstance; or shall say, they hear Voices from this Spirit so raised, is\na mere Cheat to the Ignorant and Unbelieving, and leads them into the\nPit of Darkness, and makes them fear where no Fear is, and are afraid of\ntheir own Shadows; for it is the Nature of Reason the Devil to imagine,\nthat this way of raising of Spirits without Bodies, to be of a more high\nNature then to raise Spirit and Body together, as God doth; and the\nImagination doth conceive it a more greater Power, to raise Spirits\nwithout Bodies out of the Dust of the Ground, than it is to raise Spirit\nand Body together, as Christ did; for Christ always raised Spirit and\nBody together, as the Scriptures do testify.\n\nFor the Reason in Man doth send forth the Imagination of the Heart, the\nunclean Spirit in Man walking through dry Places, seeking rest but can\nfind none; the ignorant dark Thoughts of the Imagination goeth out of a\nMan, to enquire of one that hath a Familiar Spirit, seeking rest but can\nfind none, as King _Saul_ did: For the Imagination of the Heart being\ncontinually Evil, it always walketh through dry Places, where no matter\nof Life is to be had, to quench the Thirst of Sin or a defiled\nConscience; neither can the Thoughts of Imagination be satisfied with\nwhat a Witch or a Familiar saith; therefore called dry Places: They may\nbe called dry, because the Heart is never satisfied with what a Witch\nsaith, for she always saith a Lie.\n\nTo tell a Man or Woman, that she doth or can raise Spirits out of the\nGround without Bodies, as the Witch of _Endor_ did to King Saul, or that\nshe did hear any low Voice or Speech of _Samuel_ out of the Ground, as\nshe told the King; I say, she did but cheat the King, and made him\nbelieve she had raised _Samuel_, and had heard him speak to her with a\nlow Speech out of the Ground, which had revealed unto her what sad\nThings would befal the King: so he believing her Words, his Spirit\nfainted, so that no Strength was in him; when as in Deed and in Truth,\nthat _Samuel_ she said she saw arise out of the Earth, he did arise out\nof her own Heart; and that low Speech she said _Samuel_ spake, it was\nall in her self by the Motions of the Familiar Spirit begotten in her.\nAnd King _Saul_ believing her, being Partaker of her Faith, _Samuel_\nspake a low motional Voice or Speech in him also, he believing it was\n_Samuel_ spake out of the Earth, but it was nothing else but the Voice\nof his own guilty Conscience within himself, as it was the Voice her\nFamiliar Spirit in her self that spake as aforesaid.\n\nSo that the Meaning of the Prophet _Isaiah_, Chap. xxix. 4. concerning\nthe Destruction of _Jerusalem_, that _Grief and Sorrow of Heart should\nspeak in themselves_; as if the Speech came put of the Ground, because\nthey saw in themselves nothing but Death and Destruction did approach,\nand was like to follow upon them all, fearing they should all be\ndestroyed by their Enemies, and slain and fall to the Ground: So that\nFear of Heart of Destruction, it spake a low Speech in every Man's\nHeart, even as if it spake out of the Ground, or as one that hath a\nFamiliar Spirit; for it is the Nature of a Familiar Spirit to speak as\nif the Speech did proceed from the Earth, and the Speech doth seem to\nthe Witch, and those that enquire of her, to whisper out of the Dust:\nWhen as the Speech cometh not out of the Ground, neither doth it whisper\nout of the Dust, as is imagined by most People, because Ignorance and\nDarkness hath overspread the Minds of most People in the World. But that\nlow Speech the Familiar Spirit speaks or whispers, it is out of her own\nHeart, even that Wisdom begotten by the Imagination in her own Thoughts,\nthat speaks as aforesaid, and no Spirit without her, as hath vainly been\nimagined.\n\nSo likewise the People of the _Jews_, the Fear, Grief, and Sorrow of\nHeart, being begotten in them for such like Sins, as that of Witchcraft,\nIdolatry, dealing with Familiar Spirits, causing their Sons and\nDaughters to pass through the Fire as burnt Offerings and Sacrifices\nunto Devils, which they supposed to be Gods; these Things caused their\nHearts to fail and faint, and their Thoughts were troubled within\nthemselves, which causeth their Speech to grow weak and low within them,\neven as if some Familiar did speak out of the Ground, or whisper out of\nthe Dust, Fear, Grief, and Sorrow of Heart: But all come out of their\nown grieved Hearts, who were punished for their Sins; and not out of the\nnatural Ground or natural Dust, as People do vainly imagine. This is the\ntrue Meaning of the Prophet's Words, and how Familiar Spirits may be\nsaid to speak out of the Ground, and whisper out of the Dust.\n\n\n\n\n                                CHAP. X.\n\n\nAgain, it hath been objected by many, that Spirits may be raised without\nBodies, and that Spirits may be talked with after they have been dead\nand buried; and that Spirits have appeared in a Shape to several People,\nyet this Spirit so appearing hath no Body nor Substance at all, neither\ncan it be felt or handled by mortal Man, nor no immortal Creature\nneither: this is the vain Conceit of most People.\n\nBut to satisfy the Reader in this, I declare, that there is no immortal\nSpirit whatsoever, but it hath a Spiritual Body suitable to its Spirit;\nif the Spirit be immortal, the Body is immortal also: For this I say, no\nSpirit can have any Being at all without a Body, no not God himself, who\nwas from Eternity; his Spirit could not be from Eternity without a\nSpiritual Body, in Form like Man; they were both from Eternity, and the\none was never divided nor separated from the other, but they were both\nEternal. And further I declare, that God was a Spiritual Body from\nEternity, in Form like a Man; therefore God created Man in his own Image\nand Likeness. Now observe, if Man hath a Body suitable to his Spirit, so\nhath God a Body suitable to his Spirit, else Man was not created in his\nImage, if God hath never a Body, but is all Spirit, as People do vainly\nimagine. For this I know, that God was Spirit and Body, in Form like a\nMan, from Eternity, and his Spirit was never divided nor separated from\nhis Body, but they were both Eternal.\n\nSo likewise is it with Angels and Men, and all other Creatures;\nwhere-ever the Spirit of Life is, there is Bodies of Life also; let it\nbe either in Spiritual Bodies, or in Natural Bodies. For if the Body of\neither of these be dead, the Spirit is dead also; and if the Spirit be\ndead either in Spiritual Body or Natural Body, the Body is dead also:\nFor the one cannot have any sensible Being without the other. And\nfurther I say, that they were both together Spirit and Body from\nEternity in God the Creator, and he hath ordered and created all his\nCreatures, both celestial and terrestrial, that Spirit and Body should\nbe one living Being, and that one should not subsist nor have no\nsensible being without the other: Even as God himself could not enjoy no\nsensible Living being without a Body, he knowing this in himself.\n\nTherefore he created all his Creatures Spiritual and Natural, with\nBodies suitable to their Spirits, and Spirits suitable to their Bodies,\nso that one might not be divided nor separated from the other; for if\none dieth, the other dieth; and if the Spirit live, the Body liveth\nalso. For this I say, that if the Spirit of God himself could not be\nwithout a Body from Eternity, how then is it possible that his Creatures\nshould have Spirits without Bodies, seeing he himself his Spirit could\nnot have any Being without his Body from Eternity.\n\nBut this Conceit, that the Spirit or Soul of Man is immortal, and cannot\ndie, and may have a Being without a Body, and appear in a Shape without\nany Substance; this vain Conceit proceeded first from the Imagination of\nReason in Man, even from _Cain_, the first Devil in Flesh and Bone. And\nthis Imagination in _Cain_ his Posterity, being Heathen Men, who had no\nCommunion with God, nor Revelation of Faith, as the Sons of _Adam_ and\nthe Sons, of _Seth_, the Generation of the Righteous, had; they knew\nthat the Spirit and Body was all one Substance.\n\nBut the Imagination of Reason, _Cain_ his Posterity, the Heathen\nOpinion, do imagine the Spirit of Man to be immortal, and cannot die;\nand that Spirits may appear in Shapes without Bodies; and that Spirits\nmay go out of the Body, and go to Heaven or Hell and leave the Body to\nbe laid in the Ground, as the Quakers and others do.\n\nAnd this Imagination of Reason in Man hath created to it self a new\nCreation, which God never created. Man hath created and made in his\nImagination a Spirit without a Body, and that this Spirit so created is\nimmortal, and cannot die, nor is not capable of Death, that it can slip\nout of the Body, and that it can have a Being when it is gone out of the\nBody, and appear in a Shape without Substance or hath Power to assume\nwhat Shape it please, and yet this Shape, it doth assume, shall have no\nSubstance yet it shall appear in a Shape and fright People.\n\nAnd the Imagination of Reason in Man hath created Man in his own Image\nand Likeness, as God did _Adam_: As thus, First, he hath conceived in\nhis Imagination, that God is a Spirit without a Body. Secondly, he\nconceiveth in his Imagination that the Devil is a Spirit flying in the\nAir, which can neither be seen nor felt; yet this Devil or Spirit\nwithout a Body doth tempt Man to Evil, whereby Man is punished, and the\nTempter he is escaped away without Punishment.\n\nAlso it is conceived by the Imagination, that this Devil or Spirit is in\nHell-fire, and in Chains of Darkness, and can go no further then God\nwill permit him, because his Chain is no longer then God hath limited\nhim.\n\nAlso it is conceived in the Imagination, notwithstanding the Devil is\nchained, and in Hell-fire tormented, yet he being a Spirit without a\nBody, he is so swift that he can be in all Places at one Time, so that\nhe can tempt thousands of Men and Women to sin at one and the same Time,\nand they themselves never the wiser, nor know him when he tempted them.\nAll this the imaginary Devil can do, and much more; and yet be in Hell\nfire, and tied in a Chain at the same Time, and all but one Devil, a\nSpirit without a Body.\n\nAlso the Imagination hath conceived that the Soul of Man is a Spirit\ninfused or put into the Body by God himself, and that Man begets the\nBody, but not the Soul or Life of Man, that is conceived to be immortal,\nor a Spirit that is so invisible, that cannot be seen nor known what it\nis, and that it can live of it self when it is gone out of the Body.\n\nThus the Imagination of Reason the Devil, hath created its own Soul in\nits own Image and Likeness; and this hath been the Occasion of producing\nof Familiar Spirits, and of dealing with those that have a Familiar\nSpirit, being conformed to the very Image of the Devil. Many Things more\nof the like Nature might be said in this Point.\n\nBut here the Reader may see if there be any true Light of Faith in him,\nhow the Imagination of Reason in Man hath created Spirits without\nBodies, and that the Devil is a Body-less Spirit, and in Hell-fire, and\nin a Chain of Darkness, and yet at Liberty at the same time to tempt\nPeople; and in Hell-fire, and yet out of the Fire when he pleaseth; and\nthat he may be called out of Hell, or out of the Ground, when a Witch by\nher Familiar Spirit doth call; and that he shall appear in any Shape\nthey will have him, yet he shall have no Body nor Substance, but a mere\nShadow; yet this Shadow shall speak with a low Voice or Speech out of\nthe Ground; as if Speech could proceed from a Shadow without Substance.\n\nSo that the Imagination of the Heart of Man hath created to it self a\nDevil, that God never created; and the Imagination of Man's Heart hath\ncreated his own Soul in the Image and Likeness of the Devil, that is to\nsay, a Spirit without a Body; and that a Spirit without a Body may be\ncapable of Joy or Sorrow; and that a Spirit may subsist and have a being\nin Joy or Sorrow without a Body, which Thing is impossible.\n\nBut observe the Creation that the Imagination of Man hath created to\nhimself; for it is the Nature of Imagination of Reason the Devil, he\nalways creates Spirits without Bodies, but God the Creator he always\ncreates Spirits and Bodies together, for God never created any Spirit\nwithout a Body; for when God made Man after his own Image and Likeness,\nhe made him with a Body as well as a Spirit, else Man could not be made\nin the Image and Likeness of God, if God had a Body of his own as well\nas a Spirit.\n\nSo that _Adam_ was made or created in the Image and Likeness of God; for\n_Adam_ had a visible Body and Spirit, undivided and unseparable one from\nthe other; they were but one visible sensible Being, and when the Life\nwas dead the Body was dead, and when the Body is really dead, the Spirit\nand Life was and is dead also; and both are laid in the Ground together,\nas is declared in all our Writings, but more especially in that Book\nentituled, _The Mortality of the Soul_.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. XI.\n\n\nAlso I do further declare, that God did never create any Spirit without\na Body, neither of Angels, nor Men, nor no other Creature, neither in\nHeaven above, nor in the Earth beneath, nor the Waters under the Earth.\nThere is no Spirit or Life whatsoever that is created of God, but it\nhath a Body to that Life or Spirit; but if a Spirit have any Being\nwithout a Body, that Spirit is none of God's Creation; for God never\ncreated any Spirit whatsoever without a Body, as I said before.\n\nBut the Imagination of Reason in Man, which is the Devil, hath created\nall Creatures in the Imagination to have Spirits without Bodies, both of\nAngels above and Man here on Earth, and all Creatures upon the Earth,\nand in the Waters, that have the Breath of Life, the Imagination of\nReason saith, their Spirits may subsist without Bodies, or go out of\nthose Bodies they have, and enter into other Bodies, and appear in the\nShape of a Body, and yet be of no Substance: so that the Devil's\nCreation is all of Spirits without Bodies, and God's Creation is all\nwith Bodies and Spirits together.\n\nAnd this Darkness hath overspread the Nature of Man all the World over,\nwhich is the Occasion of that Opinion of Houses and Places being haunted\nwith evil Spirits, and Spirits walking without Bodies, and dealing with\nFamiliar Spirits, that peep, and mutter, and whisper as it were out of\nthe Ground. These Things and many more are produced by the Imagination\nof the Heart of Man, for the Imagination of Man's Heart is evil, and\ncontinually evil; for it hath given a Being to Spirits without Bodies,\nto fright it self to that which hath no Being of it self.\n\nFor I declare and perfectly know, that there is no such Thing as Spirits\nto walk without Bodies, nor assume any Shape after Death, nor be raised\nout of the Ground by any Witch or any Familiar Spirit whatsoever; it is\nall produced out of the dark Imagination of the Heart, where Ignorance\nbeareth Rule, for there is no such Thing can be presented but to the\nIgnorant and dark minded People.\n\nThus I have given the Reader to understand something more concerning the\nPower of Witches, and how they may be said to raise Spirits out of the\nGround, and from whence that low Speech doth come, with those Scriptures\nopened that speak as if a Familiar Spirit did hear whispering out of the\nDust.\n\nAlso I have given the Interpretation of that in _Samuel_ concerning the\nWitch of _Endor_, and those Places of Scripture in _Isaiah_; these\nPlaces are the most concerning Spirits being raised without Bodies, of\nany in the Scriptures; but there have been some other Places of\nScriptures, that do seem to carry a shew as if Spirits might rise again\nwithout Bodies, and I have been desired by some to open those Scriptures\nthat seem to tend to that Purpose, though the common and general\nObjection amongst all People is, that of the Witch of _Endor_ and King\n_Saul_, which I have opened before; yet for the further Satisfaction of\nthe Reader, I shall open and interprete the other Places objected, that\nseem to tend to the same thing.\n\nThe Places of Scripture are three; the first is _Isa._ lxi. 1. the Words\nare these, _The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath\nanointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek: He hath sent me to\nbind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the\nopening of the Prison to them that are bound_----So _Luke_ iv. 18. the\nWords in _Luke_ are much to the same Purpose, and little Difference;\nonly that which _Isaiah_ did prophesy of, it was fulfilled by Christ in\nhis time----So the first Epistle of _Peter_, Chap. iii. and 18, 19, 20.\nVerses; the Words are these, _For Christ also hath once suffered for\nSin, the Just for the Unjust; that he might bring us to God, being put\nto Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit_. Verse 19. _By which\nalso he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison_: Verse 20. _Which\nsometime were disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in\nthe Days of_ Noah, _while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few (that is)\neight Souls were saved by Water_.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. XII.\n\n\nAs for that Saying of the Prophet _Isaiah_, it was a Prophecy of Christ,\nthat he should be anointed to preach Glad-tidings, unto the Meek, and\nthat he was sent to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to\nthe Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound. This\nProphecy was fulfilled when he was upon Earth, as may plainly appear by\nthose Words in _Luke_ aforementioned.\n\nAlso the Reader may understand, that these Places of Scripture have no\nRelation at all to the raising of Spirits without Bodies; nor of Spirits\nbeing in Prison, nor delivered out of Prison by the Power of Christ\nwithout Bodies.\n\nBut the Meaning is this, that the Spirit of the Lord Almighty was upon\nChrist, and in him, and did anoint him to preach Glad-tidings of\nSalvation to the Meek in Heart, who did believe in him and trusted in\nhis Words; all such as were broken-hearted, who were led Captive by the\nError, Ignorance, and Darkness of the Mind; he came to proclaim Liberty\nto the Spirit of Man, who was in Captivity; and to open the Prison-door\nof Mens Hearts.\n\nFor this I say, all Mens Spirits by Nature are shut up in the Prison of\nSpiritual Darkness in the Mind, and are lead Captive by the Ignorance of\nTruth; so that the Spirit or Soul of Man is shut up a Prisoner in the\nBody of Man, until the true God and Saviour hath been preached to them,\nas it was by Christ himself, when on Earth he was anointed to preach\nGlad-tidings of Salvation; and he anointed his Apostles to preach\nGlad-tidings of Peace to Men, and to open the Prison, and to deliver the\nCaptive out of Captivity, and to set the Spirits of many that were in a\nPrison of Darkness in their own Minds go free: This Prophecy was\nfulfilled at that Time by Christ and his Apostles in their Commission.\n\nBut the same Captivity and Prison of Darkness is now upon the Spirits of\nall Men, as it was at that Time: For this I say, and many People can\nWitness, that their Spirits have been shut up Prisoners in Spiritual\nDarkness in their own Bodies, until the true God the Saviour hath been\npreached unto them by his last Messengers.\n\nFor this I declare, that those Words of the Prophet _Isaiah_, they were\nspoken with Relation to a Spiritual Liberty, and to a Spiritual\nCaptivity, of the Mind or Spirit of Man, and not to a Natural Captivity.\nNeither was it meant the opening of the natural Prison Doors, to them\nthat were bound by the Powers of the Nations; but the Doors of Mens\nHearts were opened at the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, in that\nLight, and Life, and Salvation was preached unto them, that whoever\nBelieved that this Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of the World, should\nbe saved and delivered from the Fear of Eternal Death: So that the Soul\nof Man that was lead Captive into Prison, and bound in Chains of\nDarkness, and strong Doors lockt fast to keep the Spirit of Men in\nPrison, by the Works of the Law, and the Expounders of the Law before\nChrist came, the Spirit of Reason in them did lead the Generality of\nPeople their Spirits into Spiritual Captivity, and shut them up in\nPrison, and tied their Spirits up in the Observation of the Ceremonial\nLaw of _Moses_.\n\nWhich was as Chains of Darkness: and not only so, but shut the Door of\nHope upon them, so that there was no Hope to be saved in them, but by\nobserving the Law aforesaid, which _Paul_ calls _beggarly Rudiments_,\n_Gal._ iii. So that this Spiritual Captivity and being bound in Prison,\nand the Doors being shut, it was the Spirits of People that were\nCaptives and Prisoners in their own Bodies, kept by the Legal and\nCeremonial Righteousness of the Law of _Moses_; and when Christ came to\npreach, and to give Power to his Apostles to preach the Gospel of Truth,\nboth to Jew and Gentile, then was the Door of Hope opened in People's\nHearts, and many that were bound in Prison, whose Spirits were led\nCaptive, they were set at Liberty from that Bondage of the Ceremonial\nLaw, wherein they were bound, and brought out of that Prison of Darkness\nin the Mind, into the glorious Light and Life of Faith, by the preaching\nof Christ and his Apostles.\n\nThen was this Prophecy of _Isaiah_ fulfilled in the Apostles Commission;\nthen was Liberty preached to the Spirits of many that were bound and in\nPrison in their own Minds, the Word of Faith preached unto them, it\nopened a Door of Hope of Deliverance from the Bondage of the Law as\naforesaid, wherewith they were bound; so that by Faith they had in\nChrist, their Chains fell off their Feet, and Darkness of their\nUnderstanding; so that they were at perfect Liberty, and delivered out\nof Prison, and the Prison-Door of Hope in Christ being opened, all true\nBelievers in Christ were set at Liberty, free from Captivity, and out of\nthat Spiritual Prison of Darkness into the glorious Liberty of the Sons\nand Daughters of God for ever and ever.\n\nSo is it now in this Commission of the Spirit, we the Witnesses of the\nSpirit have preached Glad-tidings of Salvation, and have opened the\nPrison-Doors of Mens Hearts, and have let many out of that Spiritual\nPrison, that were bound to the Righteousness set up by the Imagination\nof Reason now in these last Days, who were led Captive by their own\nTraditions, and kept in Prison in their own Bodies for many Years; but\nby the Declaration of Truth in all our Writings and our Speakings, many\nPeople have been delivered out of Captivity and out of Prison, their\nSpirits have been let loose out of the Chains of Darkness, because the\nDoor of their Hearts hath been opened by the Word of Faith in the true\nGod, which we have preached and written; this many can witness at this\nDay the Truth of it. So that now that Scripture is fulfilled again these\nlast days; and this is the true Meaning of the Prophet _Isaiah_, in\nthose Words concerning opening the Prison, and giving Liberty to the\nCaptives that were imprisoned in their own Bodies by the Conceptions of\nthe Imaginations of their own Hearts.\n\nSo that there is not the least Colour or Ground from those Words, for\nthe Reason of Man to think that Spirits may be let out of Prison without\nBodies, or that the Spirit of Christ did Preach to any Spirit in Prison\nwithout his Body.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAP. XIII.\n\n\nAnd as for those Words of _Peter_ aforenamed, where he saith, _Christ\nwas put to Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which\nalso he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison, which sometime\nwere Disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in the Days\nof_ Noah, _while the Ark was a preparing, &c._\n\nThe Meaning of those Words are as followeth; that Christ was put to\nDeath in the Body of his own Flesh, this is confessed by most People\nthat profess the Scriptures of Truth, but very few do truly believe,\nthat the Soul or Spirit of Christ did die, or was put to Death at all,\nnotwithstanding the Scripture saith, that _He poured out his Soul unto\nDeath_; and he himself saith, _His Soul was heavy unto Death_. Therefore\nthat the Reader may understand what is meant in that Christ was put to\nDeath in the Flesh but quickened by the Spirit; mind,\n\nI declare, that it was the Soul or Spirit of Christ, which was the\nGodhead-life that dwelt in that Body of Flesh and Bone of Christ; for,\nas the Scripture saith, _In him all the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt\nBodily_: And this Godhead-life that dwelt in the Body of Christ's Flesh,\nit was put to Death in the Body of Christ's Flesh, and the same\nGodhead-life that was put to Death in the Body of his Flesh. And when\nChrist's Body was crucified upon the Cross, then was the Soul and Life\nof Christ, or the Godhead-life did die, and was put to Death in that\nFlesh of Christ; for that Flesh of Christ was God become Flesh, as the\nScripture saith; and the Soul and Life of Christ was the Soul and Life\nof God. And,\n\nWhen Christ poured out his Soul unto Death, it was the Godhead Life that\nwas poured out unto Death; so that the Godhead Spirit was put to Death,\nand did die in the Flesh of Christ when he was Crucified. But this\nGodhead Life which was put to Death in the Flesh of Christ, it quicken'd\nagain where it was put to Death, even in the same Flesh where it was put\nto Death. And in its quickening again, it raised the same Flesh again,\nand so spiritualized the same Flesh that suffered, and made it uncapable\nto suffer Death any more.\n\nFor this I say, no Spirit or Life that is put to Death whatsoever, could\npossibly quicken again in the same Body, but the Life of God only, so\nthat Christ must needs be God as well as Man; for it was Christ that was\nput to Death in the Flesh, and the same Life that was put to Death, and\ndid die, that which did die did quicken again, and so is called a\nquickening Spirit.\n\nNow observe, it cannot properly be called a quickening Spirit, if it had\nnot been once dead: For if the Spirit and Life of Christ did not die,\nnor was not dead, then I say, there was no need that this Spirit and\nLife, should quicken again, for it was always quick and alive.\n\nFor the Spirit quickening doth imply, a sensible Life is quickned out of\nan insensible Life; as a Child in the Womb before it is quick, it\nfeeleth no Pain, neither doth it stir in the Womb, and the Midwife doth\nnot care to destroy it to save the Womans Life, because the Child was\nnot quick, it was an insensible Life, no more capable of Pain then there\nis in Death, or a dead Lump of Earth; but when a Child is quick in the\nWomb, it is capable of Pain, though it hath not Strength to express it\nto us that are strong, yet it is capable of Pain, because it is\nquickened into a sensible Life, that is, a living Soul, a living Spirit,\nand so may be called a quickened Spirit of Life, out of that which was\ndead; yet by the Appointment of God in his Creation, and the Warmness of\nthe Womb, there is new Life or Spirit doth quicken in the Womb in its\nSeason, according to the Appointment of God when he created all Things,\nand placed a Law of Generation in them.\n\nSo likewise the Spirit or Life of Christ was put to Death in his own\nBody of Flesh, as aforesaid; and in its Season he himself had appointed\nbefore, namely three Days and three Nights, this Spirit of Christ so put\nto Death, it quickened again in the same Flesh a new and Glorious Life,\nwhich made that Flesh that suffered Glorious also.\n\nAnd this is the true Interpretation of _Peter's_ Words, and the Faith of\nall true Believers, that the Spirit, Life, and Soul of Christ did die,\nand was put to Death in the Body of his own Flesh, that was Crucified on\nthe Cross by the Jews; and that the same Spirit that was put to Death,\nit did quicken again out of Death into a new and Glorious Life by his\nown Power, therefore called a quickening Spirit.\n\nSo that here is no Ground at all for that vain Conceit in People, who do\nbelieve that Spirits may be raised without Bodies, or appear without\nBodies, but altogether to the contrary. And as for that saying of\n_Peter_, _By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison,\nwhich sometime were disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God\nwaited in the Days of_ Noah _while the Ark was a preparing_.\n\nThese Words do seem to carry some shew, as if the quickening Spirit of\nChrist, after he was risen from the Dead, or in the time he did lie in\nthe Grave, as if his Spirit in that Interim of Time went into some local\nPlace where Spirits were in Prison without Bodies, to preach unto them,\nwho had been Disobedient in the Days of _Noah_: This is the vain Conceit\nof most People from those Words of _Peter_, who saith, _By which he went\nand preached unto the Spirits in Prison_, as if the Spirits of the\nDisobedient People in the Days of _Noah_ had been in Prison in some\nlocal Place in the Earth without Bodies, who had been departed in the\nDays of _Noah_, in the Destruction of the World by Water.\n\nThis the Imagination of Reason in Man doth imagine, that Spirits may be\nshut up in Prison without Bodies, and that the quickening Spirit Christ\nmight Preach unto them without a Body.\n\nBut the true Light and Revelation of faith doth know to the contrary,\nthat no Spirits can have any Being at all without Bodies, neither of\nGod, Angels, nor Man, nor no other living Creature, who hath the Breath\nof Life in it.\n\nBut to give the Interpretation of this Scripture, that the Reader may\nunderstand, it is thus; the Spirit of Christ, that quickened from the\nDead to Life again, I say, is the same Spirit that preached to the\nSpirits in Prison in the Days of _Noah_, and the Spirits of the\ndisobedient World were in Prison in their own Bodies in the Days of\n_Noah_, as they were when Christ came upon Earth, for then he opened the\nPrison to them that were bound, by preaching Glad-tidings of Freedom to\nthose that were bound, and Liberty to those Spirits that were in\nCaptivity.\n\nNow (as I said before) this Captivity is Spiritual Captivity, and to be\nbound and in Prison, it is meant a Spiritual Imprisonment in the Mind,\nand not a natural Imprisonment of the Body. And this I say, the very\nsame Spirit of Christ that preached to the Jews when he was upon Earth,\ndid preach to the old World in the Days of _Noah_, though in a twofold\nManner.\n\nAnd as the Spirits of Men were in Prison in their own Ignorance,\nBlindness and Darkness of Understandings, in that they were led Captives\nand Prisoners by their wicked and unnatural Lusts in the Days of _Noah_:\nSo were both Jews and Gentiles in the Days of Christ when on Earth,\ntheir Spirits were led Captive, and into the Prison of Unbelief and\nPersecution of the Lord of Life, in that their Fathers persecuted the\nLord's Prophets and Messengers he did send; so did these Jews persecute\nthe Lord himself, when he preached to their Spirits that were in Prison,\nand led Captives by their wicked murdering Wills into the Prison of\nUnbelief; for he did preach when on Earth, that whosoever did believe in\nhim should be saved. And as many as did truly believe in him, their\nSpirits were brought out of that Captivity of Unbelief, and out of the\nPrison of Darkness in the Mind, into a glorious Liberty and Light of\nLife Eternal. And thus did the preaching of Christ Spirit deliver many\nSpirits of Men and Women out of Prison, in the Days when he was upon\nEarth.\n\nSo likewise this quickening Spirit of Christ, it preached unto the\nSpirits in Prison in the Days of _Noah_. And why were their Spirits in\nPrison in the Days of _Noah_? Because they were disobedient. And how may\nthey be said to be disobedient? Because they did not believe that good\nMan _Noah_, who was a Preacher of Righteousness. And how did he preach\nRighteousness unto that wicked People? In that he prepared the Ark, and\nbeing so many as a hundred Years in building, all that while God is said\nto wait for their Repentance, and that they might believe that God would\ndestroy the World by Water.\n\nBut instead of Repentance and believing they hardened their Hearts, and\nmocked at _Noah_ and the Ark; so that while the Ark was preparing, God\nwaited for the People's Repentance; and all that while that _Noah_ was\nbuilding he preached to the People, that the World would be drowned.\n\nAnd the Spirit of Christ, which is the Spirit of God which was put to\nDeath in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which he went and\npreached unto the Spirits in Prison in the Days of _Noah_, it was the\nsame Spirit that instructed _Noah_ to build the Ark; so that the\nbuilding of the Ark by _Noah_, he being a Preacher of Righteousness, in\nthat he believed God, and built it as the Spirit of God had commanded\nand instructed him; as God did _Moses_, shewed him the Pattern of the\nTabernacle in the Mount.\n\nAnd in as much as _Noah_ did obey the Commandment of the Lord, according\nas the Spirit of the Lord did reveal unto him, _Noah_ may be said to be\na Preacher of Righteousness; and he doing all things by Inspiration of\nthe Spirit of Christ, which was not at that time made of Flesh, but in\nthe Fulness of time became pure humane Flesh, and suffered the Pains of\nDeath. And the same Spirit that suffered Death, that very same Spirit\nthat quickened, was that Spirit that preached to the Spirits in Prison\nin the Days of _Noah_, as aforesaid.\n\nAnd the making of the Ark by the Inspiration of God's Spirit in the\nSight of the People, who were in Prison in Ignorance and Darkness of\nMind, is called by the Revelation of Faith, _A preaching to the Spirits\nin Prison_: So that the Spirit of God in _Noah_ may be said to preach\nunto those Spirits in Prison, in the Days of _Noah_, and that there was\nbut eight Persons saved from the Flood.\n\nSo that this Place of Scripture doth no way prove, that the Spirit of\nChrist did ever preach to Spirits in Prison without Bodies; neither did\nChrist's Spirit preach in the Days of _Noah_ without a Body; for he\nalways preached with a Body himself, or else chose Men that have Bodies,\nand gave them Power to preach to Spirits in Prison, and to deliver the\nCaptives, and to set the Prisoner at Liberty, and the bound in Prison to\ngo free.\n\nSo that the Reader may see how and in what Manner the Spirit of Christ\ndid preach unto the Spirits in Prison in the Days of _Noah_, and how\ntheir Spirits may be said to be in Prison, and how their Unbelief in the\nDays of _Noah_ was called Disobedience, to the preaching of _Noah_ all\nthat while the Ark was building. And being built by the Inspiration of\nthe Spirit of God, it may and is called the preaching of Christ's Spirit\nto them that were in Prison in Spiritual Darkness in their Minds; for\ntheir Minds being darkened, they did those Things that were unseemly;\nyea, unnatural as the People of _Sodom_ did. Now, were not the Spirits\nof these People in Prison, and led Captive of those unnatural Lusts, I\nthink no sober Man will deny; yet these were those Spirits in Prison\nthat Christ's Spirit preach unto in the Body of _Noah_, in the Days of\n_Noah_; and that there was but eight Persons in the Days of _Noah_, that\nwere saved from the Destruction by Water, by the preaching of that\nSpirit of God in _Noah_. This is the true Interpretation and Meaning of\nthose Words of _Peter_ the Apostle aforementioned; and how the Spirit of\nChrist went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison in the Days of\n_Noah_.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. XIV.\n\n\nAgain, there are some other Places of Scripture, which several People\nhave objected, as if the Spirit or Soul of Man might go out of the Body,\nand subsist in Bliss and Happiness, or in Misery and a tormented\nCondition, without its Body it always lived in; from that Place _Luke_\nxxiii. 43. Jesus said to the Thief on the Cross, _Verily I say unto\nthee, This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise_. Now observe, this no\nway proves that the Thief's Soul went out of his Body into a\nparadisiacal Place, and so escaped suffering Death, or did not die; for\nif the Soul of Christ did die at that time, as is clear by Scripture it\ndid; then the Soul and Life of the Thief did die also.\n\nThen where was the Paradise the Thief's Soul, and Christ's Soul that was\nheavy unto Death, where did they go? To this, I say, they went to a\nPlace of rest, where all righteous Souls go, which is to the sleep of\nDeath, for their was nothing did die but the Souls of them both; and the\nParadise Christ and the Thief went into that Day they suffered Death, I\ndeclare it was this, that Christ was sure in himself that he should rise\nfrom the Dead the third Day, and afterward should enter into eternal\nGlory, and this Assurance in Christ that he should rise again the third\nDay, it was Paradise and Peace to his Soul, that he should pass through\nthat Death, he was now to suffer that very Day into a new Life, that\nshould not be capable to die any more.\n\nSo likewise when the Thief did truly believe that Jesus was the Christ,\nthe Saviour from eternal Death to those that did believe; as it is\ncertain he did when he said, _Lord, remember me, when thou comest into\nthy Kingdom_; for he did really believe, that Christ would rise the\nthird Day, and that he would raise him to eternal Joy and Happiness at\nthe last Day; and the Thief dying in this Faith, he entred into Peace of\nMind, and had Rest and Freedom to die, in Hope and full Assurance that\nChrist would raise him up Soul and Body to eternal Happiness at the last\nDay.\n\nAnd this was that Paradise that Christ and the Thief were in, that very\nDay they both suffered Death; for the Assurance of everlasting Life in a\nMan's self here in Mortality, is the Paradise of Peace in this Life.\nThis I know to be true, and this was the Paradise Christ did mean the\nThief should be in that very Day he believed; and not that either of\ntheir Souls went out of their Bodies to any other Place or Paradise,\nthen what was in their own Bodies, as aforesaid.\n\nIn like Manner People imagine, that the Soul of Man goeth out of the\nBody at his Death, from that Saying _Acts_ 7. 59. from those Words of\n_Stephen_, when he was stoned to Death, he said, _Lord Jesus, receive my\nSpirit_. The Meaning is this, that when any Man died in the true Faith\nof Christ, in the Hope and full Assurance that Christ will raise him up\nto eternal Happiness at the last Day, he commits his Spirit into the\nHands of Christ, knowing that though he doth lose his Life for Christ's\nSake here, that Christ will raise it again, and save his Soul hereafter;\nand so Christ may be said to receive his Spirit. For this I must tell\nthe Reader, that there is not a quarter of an Hour's time to the Dead to\nhis rising again, no not a Minute; for there is no time to the Dead, not\na Minute of an Hour, though a Man have been dead five thousand Years,\nyet it is not a Minute of an Hour to him that is dead.\n\nFor all time belongs to the living; for after Death there is nothing but\nEternity, on the other side of Death either eternal Happiness or eternal\nMisery: So that when Men die, they may be said to go immediately to\nHeaven or to Hell, to Joy or Torment, to be receiv'd into Christ's Hands\nof Mercy, or into the Hands of Christ's Wrath, where they shall be\ntormented with the Devil and his Angels, yet shall never see the Devil,\nnor his Angels, nor themselves, to Eternity; as they did not know the\nDevil here, neither shall they know or see him hereafter, yet be\ntormented with him.\n\nAnd in this Sense a faithful Spirit or Soul, as _Stephen_ was, may be\nsaid to commit his Spirit into the Hands of Christ, and that Christ doth\nreceive his Spirit into his Hands, and will raise it up at the last Day,\nwhich will not be a Minute of an Hour's time to the Dead, as I said\nbefore; therefore let not the Seed of Faith think the time long between\nDeath and the Salvation of their Souls, because so many of the Faithful\nhave been so many hundred Years in the Grave: And let not the wicked\nunbelieving People comfort themselves, that the Dead shall never rise\nagain, because the Fathers are Dead, and the Prophets are dead, and we\nsee none of them rise again; therefore we conclude, their Spirits are\ngone to Heaven without Bodies, and the Spirits of the Wicked are gone to\nHell without Bodies, but a Minute of an Hour's time will decide this\nMatter, when the dead are raised: For they shall not remember they have\nbeen a Sleep in the Dust one Minute of an Hour, for their is no\nRemembrance of time in the Grave. Therefore let that vain Conceit that\nis in most People fall, of Spirits going to God without Bodies: For I\ncan assure you there is no such Thing, neither can there be any true\nPeace in that Conceit. I know it by Faith now, and by Experience, for I\nwas of that Opinion once my self, when I was zealous in Religion\naccording to the Puritan Way; but I knew no Scripture truly, neither was\nthere one true Interpreter of Scripture, no not one in those Days, that\ncould shew a Man the true Righteousness of God, or the true Way to\neverlasting Life.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. XV.\n\n\nThere is another Place of Scripture that is objected, that seems as if\nthe Soul went out of the Body when they die; as in 1 _Kings_ xvii. 21.\nwhere _Elijah_ prayed, that _the Child's Soul might come into him\nagain_. The Meaning is this, that _Elijah_ did pray in Faith unto God,\nthat he would assist him in this or other Things; as in shutting up the\nHeavens that it should not rain, and calling for Fire from Heaven to\ndestroy those two Captains and their Fifties, and many other wonderful\nThings he did; so he prayed unto God to strengthen his Faith, so that he\nmight have Power to raise this Child's Life out of Death again.\n\nTherefore he stretched himself upon the Child, and prayed that the\nChild's Soul might come into him again; that is, that the Child's Soul\nor Life might quicken in the Body of the Child again; for _Elijah_ knew\nthe Soul of the Child was dead, and by the warm Flesh of the Prophet\nlaid upon the Child's dead Flesh, and the Faith and Prayer of the\nProphet together, it begot Life in the Child again; so that the Soul\nthat was dead it became Life in the Child again; and that Life that was\nquickened, it run through the Veins of the Childs Body, and so the\nChild's Soul did come into him again.\n\nFor this I say, if the Soul of the Child had been gone out of the Body,\nthen _Elijah_ did not raise the dead Child to Life again; for how can a\nMan be said to be dead, when as Life doth not die, but slips out of the\nBody, as most People do vainly imagine; but it may be clear to those\nwhose Understandings are enlightened, that _Elijah_ did raise the Child\nfrom Death to Life, and that the Child's Soul was dead in its Body, and\nthat the Soul of the Child was revived in the Child's Body again by the\nPower of Faith in _Elijah_.\n\nAnd the very same thing was done by the Prophet _Elisha_, as in 2\n_Kings_ iv. 34. the Prophet _Elisha_ did the same thing to the\n_Sunamite_ Woman's Son, he _went up, and lay upon the Child, and put his\nMouth upon his Mouth, and his Eyes upon his Eyes, and his Hands upon his\nHands, and he stretch himself upon the Child; and the Flesh of the Child\nwaxed warm, and_ Elisha _stretched himself upon the Child a second\ntime_: Here the Reader may see, that the Child was dead, and by the\nFaith and Prayer, and by the Warmness of the Prophet _Elisha_ his Flesh,\nthe Child revived to Life again both Body and Soul. And _Elisha_ did use\nthe same Means and Way as _Elijah_ did? for he went in and shut the\nDoor, and prayed unto the Lord as _Elijah_ did, and stretched himself\nupon the Child as _Elijah_ did, and raise the Child to Life again by the\nPower of Faith.\n\nYet _Elisha_ maketh no mention of the Soul coming into the Child again,\nbut he delivered the Body and Soul of the Child, that were both dead\ntogether, he delivered them both alive together to the Child's Mother.\nIt was the same thing done by _Elijah_, only some difference in the\nWords, but the Sense and Meaning is all one.\n\nSo that the Reader may understand, if any true Light of Life be in him,\nthat the Soul of the Child went not out of its Body, but died in the\nBody; and by the Power of Faith in the Prophet, it quickened alive out\nof Death in the Child's Body again; for the Soul or Life of the Child\nnever went out of the Body as is vainly imagin'd; but the Soul, Life,\nand Spirit of the Child was absolutely dead in the Body, and by the\nPower of Faith in the Prophet, the dead Soul or Life of the Child was\nquickened alive again, and caused the Body to live also. For if the\nWoman should have had the Soul of the Child given unto her without the\nBody, she would have given the Prophet no Thanks for raising her Child's\nSoul without a Body; but the Body and Soul being one Person, they were\nboth dead together, and the Prophet raised them both together alive, and\nthe Woman received them both together, and rejoyced greatly in God, and\ngave Honour to the Prophet.\n\nThus in short, I have given the true Interpretation of all those\nScriptures that most seem, or most commonly are objected against the\nMortality of the Soul, or to prove that Spirits do go out of the Body at\nthe time of Death, or that Spirits may be raised without Bodies, or have\nany Being without Bodies, or that a Spirit may appear in a Shape without\na Body, or that a Spirit can assume what Shape it please, yet have no\nBody or Substance.\n\nThese things the vain Imagination of Reason in Man hath created in it\nself, to fright it self with, for their is no such thing as Spirits\nwalking without Bodies, neither doth any Spirit go out of the Body when\nMen die, as is imagined by most People; but these are Fictions of Mens\nBrains, created by the Imagination in the dark Minds of Men and Women,\nfor God never created any such thing, as I have shewed before.\n\nAnd as for that saying of _Solomon_, _Eccl._ xii. 7. _Then shall the\nDust return to the Earth as it was, and the Spirit shall return to God\nwho gave it._ His Meaning (I suppose) in these Words is, as is generally\nconceived by all People, the Body to the Dust, and the Spirit returns to\nGod that gave it when Men die: But these Sayings of _Solomon_ are no\nScripture, for _Solomon_ was no Scripture Writer, for his Writings were\nnot written by the Revelation of Faith, but by the Revelation of Reason;\nyet it was the purest of Reason, and he had the greatest Measure of the\nWisdom of Reason, and the Knowledge of Nature, of any that was before\nhim since _Adam_, or any that shall come after him.\n\nTherefore God chose him King, and gave him the purest Wisdom of Reason,\naccording to his Desire in his Prayer to God, that his Wisdom might\nresemble Heaven for Glory, as it did; for what Glory could a King have\nupon Earth greater than he had? Which was a true Resemblance of the\nGlory of Heaven; and this Glory was procured by that Power and great\nWisdom of Reason in him; yet for all this he was ignorant of the\nRevelation of Faith, and of spiritual and heavenly Things, ignorant of\nthe true God, and of the right Devil, and of some things in Nature.\n\nAs that the Spirit of a Man should return to God that gave it without a\nBody; when as God never gave any Spirit to Man without a Body, nor to no\nother Creature: But _Solomon_ being ignorant, that the Spirit or Soul of\nMan is generated and begotten by the Law of Generation as well as the\nBody; this was in the Creation when God made Man in his own Image, the\nIgnorance of this caused him to speak thus; for he knew not where the\nSpirit went when the Body is laid in the Earth, no more than the learned\nPhilosophers do, who say, A Spirit cannot die; as if the Spirit and Life\nof every Creature were the Spirit or Life of God, else they think no\nCreature could move and have a Being.\n\nAnd though _Solomon_ was a wise Man, as the Heathen Philosophers were\nwise Men in Nature; yet they were all ignorant in this one thing, of the\nLaw of Generation or Procreation, to increase and multiply, as God hath\nplaced in Nature, when he created the World in the beginning; for every\nCreature as well as Man, were to increase and multiply by the Law of\nGeneration; and this I am sure, they begot Spirit, Life, and Soul by\nGeneration, as well as Bodies.\n\nBut if it be objected, that God breathed into Man the Breath of Life,\nand he became a living Soul; and so Man's Spirit is of a more noble\ndivine Life or Spirit than any other Creature.\n\nTo this I say, the Law of Generation to increase and multiply, was\nplaced in Man's Seed and Nature by God the Creator, as in other\nCreatures: For this is to be observed, that _Adam_ did not come to be a\nliving Soul by Generation, as we do ever since; but he and _Eve_ were\nfirst made as a Foundation for Generation; so that God made or created\nbut one Man and one Woman, all Men and Women that have been generated\nand begotten ever since, cannot properly be said to be made nor created,\nbut begotten by Generation; for God never made and created but one Man\nand one Woman, all others are generated and begotten.\n\nTherefore when Man begets a Son or Daughter in the way of Generation, he\nbegets the Soul or Spirit of the Child as well as the Body; and the Soul\nor Spirit came out of the Man's Loin well as the Body: As it was said by\n_Jacob_, _Seventy Souls came out of his Loins_; if so then that Spirit\nor Soul that is begotten by Generation, it must and doth die: For this I\nsay, God never breathed the Breath of Life into no Man, but into _Adam_:\nThe Spirit of Life in all Men and Women else or since have been\ngenerated and begotten, and what Spirit and Soul of Man that is\ngenerated, it doth die and turn to Dust, till the Regeneration, when God\nshall raise it again, which will not be a Minute of an Hour to the dead\nSpirit, as I said before. So it may be clear to those that have the true\nLight of Faith in them, that the Soul or Spirit of Man doth die as well\nas the Body: They both came into the World together alive, and they\nshall both go out of the World again dead, as I have shewed before. Also\nthe Reader may see, that those Scriptures have been misunderstood\nthrough the Ignorance and Darkness of Mens Minds, to think that the Soul\nor Spirit of Man doth not die, but slips out of the Body; but to imagine\nthat Spirits may walk without Bodies, or that any Witch can raise any\nSpirit without a Body; and many other Conceits that do arise out of the\ndark Mind of Man; which have been grounded upon those Scripture Words;\ntherefore I have given the Interpretation of all those Places of\nScripture that are of most Concernment, and seem to bear such a Sense,\nas is generally conceived among Professors of the Scriptures: So that\nwhoever understands the Interpretation, may receive great Satisfaction\nin their Minds in this Point; so much for Satisfaction of the\nUnderstanding in Heart, and for the Discontent of the Ignorant and\nDark-minded People, who believe by Tradition that their Spirits do not\ndie, but slide out of the Body at the time of Death; and if they have\nbeen evil and wicked Livers, their Spirits do walk afterwards, and\ncannot be at rest. These Conceits have been exceeding brief in the World\nheretofore, when People were in Darkness, and so is still where the\nDarkness of Mind ruleth.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAP. XVI.\n\n\nThere is one thing more that would be necessary for the wise in Heart to\nknow, which the Scriptures speak of in several Places; but I never heard\nany of the Ministry tell what that Satan is the Scriptures speak of,\ntherefore I shall speak a Word or two to shew what Satan is, and so\nconclude. 1 _Chron._ xxi. 1. _And Satan stood up against_ Israel; and\n_Job_ i. 6. _And Satan came also among them_; and Chap. xxi. 22. _And\nthe Lord said to Sathan, From whence comest thou? And God said to Satan,\nHast thou considered my Servant_ Job? Ezek. iii. 1. _And Satan standing\nat his right Hand._ Mat. xvi. 23. _Get the behind me, Satan._ Luke x.\n18. _I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven._\n\n1 _Chron._ xxi. 1. _And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked_\nDavid _to number Israel_. This Satan that provoked _David_, it was the\nMotions of Reason in himself, being lifted up in his own Mind, in that\nhe had overcome the Children of _Ammon_, he thought to make nothing of\nthe _Philistines_; therefore the Thoughts of his Heart moved him to\nnumber the People, to know his Strength. And this Motion that did arise\nin his Heart, it was Satan, it is called Satan, because those Motions\nproceed from the Spirit or Seed of Reason in him. In 2 _Sam._ xxiv. 1.\nit is said, _The Anger of the Lord was kindled against_ Israel, _and he\nmoved_ David _against them to say, Go, number_ Israel: that is, the Lord\nsuffered the Motions of Reason in _David_ to be powerful and strong in\nhim, that no Arguments should disswade him from it, but the People must\nbe numbred; and this was that Satan in _David_, and no Spirit without\nhim.\n\nSo _Job_ i. 6. _The Sons of God came to present themselves before the\nLord, and Satan came also among them._ To this I say, the Book of _Job_\nis no Scripture, neither are Men to build their Faith upon it, because\nthe Book of _Job_ was written before _Moses_, therefore no Scripture;\nfor _Moses_ his Writing is the first Foundation of Scripture. Yet this I\ndo confess, that _Job_ was a good and faithful Man; and because he was\nafflicted by Satan, and Satan is spoken of in several Places of\nScripture, yet none of them did declare what this Satan is, therefore I\nshall declare now what that Satan was, that came among the Sons of God.\n\nI declare, the Sons of God they were the Sons of _Job_, who feasted\ntheir three Sisters, as you may read. They were called the Sons of God,\nbecause they were that good and faithful Man _Job_'s Sons; as the Sons\nof _Seth_ were called the Sons of God, and _they looked upon the\nDaughters of Men, and saw that they were fair_, &c. as you may read in\n_Genesis_. Now that Satan came amongst them when they presented\nthemselves before the Lord, it was the Spirit of Reason in _Job_'s seven\nSons, when they feasted their three Sisters, they were moved in their\nMinds to Voluptuousness, Drunkenness and Lust, as the rest of the\nHeathen were where they lived; so that they did Wickedness in the\nAbsence of _Job_ their Father: And _Job_ fearing in their Wickedness his\nSons had cursed God in their Hearts, as you may see in the Verse before.\nSo _Job_ caused his Sons to present themselves before the Lord, and to\nworship the Lord, as it was the Manner for _Job_ to do in those times,\nand Satan came with them, that is, the Spirit of Reason in his Sons came\nwith them, reasoning in themselves; why should their Father _Job_\nreprove them for their Wickedness in their Feasts; this was that Satan\nthat came amongst them, for he was in them, and no other Satan but what\nwas within them.\n\nAnd this is that Satan that goeth to and fro in the Earth, to tempt and\ndestroy those that are faithful: So that this Spirit of Reason, this\nSatan, it goeth to and fro in the Earth, to tempt and destroy the\nfaithful.\n\nIt was that Satan that did motion the _Sabeans_ and _Chaldaeans_ to take\naway _Job_'s Oxen, and slay his servants as they were plowing; and fired\nthe Sheep, and burnt up _Job_'s Servants; and the _Chaldaeans_ came with\na Band of Men, seeing _Job_ smitten and destroyed by the _Sabeans_; and\nthey came with three Bands of Men, and destroyed the Camels and the rest\nof his Servants.\n\nFor this must be minded, that in those Times there was no Law to deliver\nor help the Innocent, but he that had the strongest Sword carried the\nDay. And the Lord for Trial of _Job_'s Faith and Patience, and for a\nPattern for the Ages to come, he suffered the Spirit of unclean Reason\nin the _Sabeans_ and _Chaldaeans_ to go to and fro in the Earth, to stir\nup their People to destroy _Job_ and all his House and Cattle.\n\nAlso God suffered the natural Wind to blow down the House where _Job_'s\nSons were feasting, and destroyed them according to the Desire of the\nSpirit of unclean Reason in the _Sabeans_ and _Chaldaeans_. For the Sons\nof _Job_ were wicked Children, though called the Sons of God.\n\nAnd last of all the Spirit of unclean Reason in _Job_'s Wife was that\nSatan that tempted _Job_ to curse God and die: So that there is no other\nSpirit or Satan without Man: But that Satan spoken of in _Job_, it was\nthe Spirit of unclean Reason in the Minds of the _Sabeans_,\n_Chaldaeans_, and in _Job_'s Wife and Sons; that was the Satan, and no\nother.\n\nAnd as for those Disputes; God had with Satan, and Satan with God; it\nwas nothing else but the Motions of _Job_'s Heart passing through his\ntroubled Soul, the Seed of Faith disputed in him for God, persuading him\nto be patient, and let that have its perfect Work, and so Hope did\nincrease in him; and the Seed of Reason, which was Satan in him as well\nas in others, it pleaded against God, Reasoning in him as if God did not\ndo well or justly by him, that had been so righteous in his Life, one\nwho never did no Wrong to his Neighbour, but always feared God; yet that\nGod should suffer the wicked to destroy his Cattle and Servants, and\nsuffer the Wind to blow down his House, and destroy his Children; and\nnot only so, but suffer his Body to break out with Boils and Botches\nmost loathsome, as if he had been the greatest Sinner in the World; so\nthat he thought that God dealt more cruelly with him then with any other\nCreature. And further, he thought God dealt hardly with him, that he\nwould neither take away his Life, that he might die out of this troubled\nMind and Pains of Body, nor restore him to Health. These and such like\nReasonings and thoughts passed through _Job_'s troubled Soul even from\nthe Spirit or Seed of Reason in him, which is the Dispute of Satan: For\nas the Seed of Faith in _Job_ disputed for God so did the Seed of Reason\nin _Job_ dispute for Satan; for there is no other Satan but what is in\nMan, as I said before.\n\nSo in _Zach._ iii. 1. here _Zachariah_ the Prophet saw in a Vision the\nRedemption of the Seed of Faith by Christ under the Type of _Joshua_ the\nHigh-Priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing\nat his right hand to resist him. This High-Priest was Christ clothed\nwith filthy Garments, when he became Flesh, when on Earth he appeared\nunto Men, to be clothed in filthy Garments, being so mean, and had not a\nPlace to lay his Head yet professed himself to be the Son of God, the\nHigh-Priest that should offer up himself for to save his People; for\nHigh-Priests in former Times did appear to the People with rich and\nglorious Garments; but this High-Priest doth appear to the Seed of\nReason, to be clothed in filthy Garments, not fit (as Reason thinks) to\nstand before the Angel of the Lord.\n\nAnd this Satan that stands as his right Hand to resist him, it was the\nSpirit of unclean Reason in those People of the Jews when Christ was\nupon Earth, and when that Devil that tempted Christ, spoken of in\n_Matthew_, disputed with Christ, he resisted the High-Priest, and stood\nat Christ's right Hand at that time; and this Devil that tempted Christ,\nit was a Man endued with an high Pitch of Reason, and that Spirit of\nReason, or Wisdom of Reason, in that Man that tempted Christ the\nHigh-Priest, it was Satan that strove to resist Christ in dispute,\nwhereupon Christ said, _Get thee hence Satan_.\n\nThis Satan was a Man, and the Spirit of Reason in this Man is that Satan\nthat always resisteth the Wisdom of Faith, which is the Wisdom of God.\nBut this hath been more largely treated upon in our other Writings, so I\nshall speak no more of that Devil and his Temptations here.\n\nSo in _Matth._ xvi. 23. Christ said unto _Peter_, _Get thee behind me\nSatan_. Here you see _Peter_ is called Satan, because it was the Spirit\nof Reason in _Peter_ that said, Master, pity thy self: That is, the\nThoughts of _Peter's_ Heart they did savour of the fleshly part, that\nis, those Motions to persuade Christ to save himself from Death, they\ndid arise from the Seed of Reason in _Peter_, therefore called Satan;\nfor there was no new Spirit that came into _Peter_ at that time to cause\nhim to speak those Words, but those Words proceeded from the Seed of\nReason in him, as aforesaid, therefore called Satan.\n\nAnd wheresoever that Expression is used, as _Peter_ said himself in the\n_Acts_, _Why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost?_\nthat is, why hath the Motions of Reason in thee persuaded thy Heart to\ntell a Lie unto us, that have the Holy Ghost in us?\n\nSo the Reader may clearly see, there is no other Satan to tempt God or\nMan, but the Motions and Words that proceed from the Seed of Reason in\nMan and Woman.\n\nSo in _Luke_ x. 18. _And Christ said unto his Disciples, I beheld Satan\nas Lightning fall from Heaven_. This Christ spake, because his Disciples\nrejoyced that the Devils were subject to them. The Meaning of Christ\nwas, that he saw the Spirit of Reason, that was in the Rulers of the\n_Jews_, very high in the Righteousness of the Law of _Moses_, even as if\nthey were in Heaven, thinking in themselves that none could be more\nhappy and surer of Heaven and Peace with God, then they that kept to the\nLaw of _Moses_.\n\nNow Christ knowing that this Righteousness of the _Jews_, should be\nthrown down by the Righteousness of Faith, which his Apostles should\npreach, therefore he saw by Faith that the Spirit of Reason in the\nRulers of the _Jews_ should fall like Lightning from Heaven; and so it\ndid, and the Disciples of Christ should, by the Doctrine and\nRighteousness of Faith, tread upon Serpents, and upon their Persecution,\nand upon their Righteousness of the Law of _Moses_, and upon all that\nwhich did fall like Lightning from Heaven; they should tread upon Satan,\nthat is, upon the very Wisdom of Reason the Devil.\n\nThis is the true meaning of Christ, when he beheld Satan fall from\nHeaven like Lightning, and what Satan is so much spoken of in Scripture.\nMuch more might be said to enlarge this Point, but I have spoken more\nalready then I did intend; but I suppose there is enough written here in\nshort to satisfy those, that can understand by a little what a great\ndeal Means. And also People may know when they speak of Satan what Satan\nis, and when they speak of the Devil, they may know what the Devil is.\n\nSo much concerning the Interpretation of Satan, and the Conclusion of\nthis Epistle, written by\n\n_Lodowicke Muggleton_.\n\n\n\n\n  _A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet_ Lodowicks Muggleton, _to\n  Mr._ Edward Fewterrill _of_ Chesterfield, _bearing Date from_ London\n                            March 29. 1660.\n\n\n_Friend_,\n\nI Received your Letter, wherein I perceive you are a Man that hath been\nled through several Opinions, yet not suffered to joyn with any, but\nhave been made to wait upon Jesus Christ the only God for Satisfaction;\nand now it hath been his great Love, which he hath loved you, to let you\nhave a Sight of those infinite Truths, written by the Hands of his two\nWitnesses, and _Lawrence Claxton_; which Writing of ours, I perceive by\nyour Letter, have given you more Satisfaction than any that ever you\nread before.\n\nOnly this I perceive, that you did and do still much approve of _Jacob\nBemon_'s Works; and for this Cause, because you were as I perceive by\nhis Writings, exhorted to resign your Will unto God's Will, and to come\nunto that happy State, neither to Will or Desire any thing, but to abide\nin the Will of God, which is Jesus Christ, into which Estate the Lord\ndid twice bring you in some Measure.\n\nAlso you say, That it is a hard thing to cast out that Devil that is in\nus, nor can it be done as we say or think, but by that Resignation and\nFaith in the true God.\n\nLikewise you say, that you were a great Disputant against all Forms and\nformal Worship, till the Lord silenced you, and did let you see it was\nbut a vain Thing to wrangle and jangle with the Devil more.\n\nBut I shall pass by part of your Letter, and I shall answer you to those\nthings that are of most Concernment.\n\nYou say, that there was that Portion of Scripture brought into your\nRemembrance of his Promise, _I will send the Spirit of Truth, which\nshall guide you into all Truth_, and there have you had your rest\nreposed.\n\nIn the last Place I find, that you would have some Answer to some\nDoubts, concerning that Devil that doth appear to Witches, and suck of\ntheir Bodies, and what that is that doth appear to Conjurers, and the\nAuthors of lying Wonders of _John Robins_; though you do believe there\nis no Devil but Man, you do believe also that the Soul of Man is mortal,\nand must needs die, and so cannot appear, though you thought otherwise\nin your Reason.\n\nYou say, Whether is there a Spirit in Man that surviveth and is allured\nby them, or do they stir up awaking the Power of the first fallen Angel\nthrough their devillish Faith, or is these Things from their vain\nImaginations. If so, how? if not, what it is, is your Desire to know of\nme.\n\nTo which I shall give you some Answer both to the first of Part your\nLetter, and also to the latter Part of it.\n\nFirst you say, that you have been made to wait upon Jesus Christ the\nonly God; for Satisfaction thereof, I would have you to consider, how\ncould you wait and be satisfied in the Belief of such a God which you\nnever knew. For the Letter of the Scriptures did never declare to you,\nthat Jesus Christ was the only God, neither did God commissionate no\nProphet nor Apostle for to declare it, though their Declarations was as\nnecessary to be believed in their Time and Place, as this Commission of\nthe Spirit; which Commission of the Spirit hath deeper Mysteries held\nforth in it, than the other two Commissions had: For God never did give\nto any Prophets or Apostles, the Knowledge of his own Form or Nature\nbefore he became Flesh. If they did know it, they did not reveal it. But\nhe hath given it to his two last Spiritual Witnesses and Prophets, _John\nReeve_'s and _Lodowicke Muggleton_, who were those chosen Witnesses of\nGod, which should have more Understanding of the Mind of God in the\nScriptures, than all Men in the World.\n\nWhich Knowledge of God's Mind in the Scriptures, doth consist of these\nsix Heads.\n\n_First_, Of the Form and Nature of God before he became Flesh.\n\n_Secondly_, Of the Form and Nature of the Devil before he became Flesh.\n\n_Thirdly_, Of the Place and Nature of Heaven.\n\n_Fourthly_, Of the Place and Nature of Hell.\n\n_Fifthly_, Of the Nature and Persons of Angels.\n\n_Sixthly_, Of the Mortality of the Soul.\n\nUpon the Knowledge of these six Principles, depends the eternal\nHappiness of many. And the Knowledge of the two Seeds, is those two Keys\nthat doth open those two, namely, the strait and narrow Gate that\nleadeth unto Life, and the broad and wide Gate that leadeth to\nDestruction. And those two Keys are given unto us two aforesaid, which\nhath the Commission of the Spirit given unto us.\n\nSo that there is no coming unto the Knowledge of the true God, nor the\nright Devil, but where the Declaration of this Spiritual Commission doth\nopen the Doors or Gates of Mens Hearts, and lets them see what Seed they\nare of, and so Men come to know the true God and the right Devil. And\nthen a Man may truly say, that he can resign his Will to God's Will, as\nyou say _Jacob Bemon_ in his Writings doth declare.\n\nYet this I would have you to know that _Jacob Bemon_ had no Personal God\nat all not to resign his Will unto, but his God was an Infinite,\nIncomprehensible, Formless Spirit, as all the World hath.\n\nNeither had his Devil a Person nor Form; neither had his Angels he\nspeaketh so much of any Body or Form at all, but they were all Spirits\nwithout Bodies, which in the Conclusion was no more but so many Letters,\nthat is, three Letters, G, O, D, and so of the Devil and Angels.\n\nAnd yet this Man would resign his Will into God's Will, and yet his God\nhad no Form nor Nature at all; therefore they could be no Will in his\nGod, whereby any Man should resign his Will into God's Will; whereas\nthere can be no Will in God, except he hath both Form and Nature.\n\nAnd this is that Will of God which you call Jesus Christ, into which\nEstate the Lord did twice bring you, which Estate of yours in that Faith\nof _Jacob Bemon_'s, could not be a true Estate, because there was not\nthe Knowledge of the true God; and where there is not the Knowledge of\nthe true God, there cannot be the Knowledge of the right Devil; without\nthe Knowledge of these two, there can be no true lasting Peace in Man.\n\nAnd as for your being a great Disputant amongst all formal Worship, I do\nnot question the thing, because I know that the Wisdom of Reason, which\nis the Devil, doth love to be uppermost in Disputes.\n\nBut how can you say, that the Lord did Silence you, and made you to see\nthe Vanity of all Disputes; whereas you did not know any other God, but\nwhat is generally believed on in the World; that is, an Infinite,\nIncomprehensible Spirit, not minding whether God had any Nature or Form\nat all.\n\nTherefore it could not be the true Lord that did silence you, but it was\nsomething that did arise out of your own Seed, which did shew you the\nVanity of all Disputes.\n\nIn the next Place you say, that there was brought into your Remembrance\nthat Portion of Scripture concerning his Promise, _that he would send\nhis Spirit of Truth, which should guide you into all Truth_, and there\nhave you had your rest reposed.\n\nAnswer, That this Place of Scripture did not belong unto you, nor to any\nMan in the World at this Day; for that Promise was given only unto his\nDisciples; which Disciples of his to whom those Words were spoken, were\nafterwards made Apostles of Christ; so that the Promise which Christ did\npromise to his Disciples before his Death, was that of the Blood which\nwas given unto his Apostles, which was called the Spirit of Truth,\nbecause they should witness unto the Truth; that is, unto his Death and\nResurrection and Ascension.\n\nTherefore take Notice of this, that that Promise was fulfilled upon his\nApostles after he was ascended up to Heaven, as you may read in the\nsecond of the _Acts_, and to every Man that doth read the Promises,\nwhich God did make to his Commissionated Apostles, it doth not belong to\nevery Man that doth read them, but every Man is to mind that Commission\nwhich he is under.\n\nTherefore for you to repose your Trust upon such Promises as was given\nto other Men in their Commissions, that Peace will not endure to the\nEnd, but will vanish like Smoke in the Fire.\n\nIn the next Place, I shall give you some Answers to those Doubts, which\nyou spake of concerning that Devil which doth appear to Witches and\nConjurers, and how those lying Wonders were acted by _John Robins_.\n\nAnswer, There is a twofold Witchcraft, the one is Natural, the other is\nSpiritual.\n\nNow this natural Witchcraft is acted by such as are called Witches and\nConjurers. Now as for those ignorant Women which are Witches, their\nWitchcraft lies in their wicked Nature, by giving themselves up to\nbelieve, that there is no God at all but Nature only, and so by that\nstrong Faith that they have in Nature, they have Power over those whose\nUnderstandings are of a lower Capacity than themselves, and so People\nbeing ignorant and fearful of them, doth many times disturb and search\ntheir Blood with Extremity of Fear, which they have of one that is\nsuspected for a Witch, and so by their own Fear and Imagination, they\ncome to be bewitched. As a Man being overcharged with extream Grief, or\nbeing prevented by one that he loves, he goes Distracted or runneth Mad,\nwhich is no other but his being bewitched. And so it is with all those\nthat are ignorant, and over charged with Fear: and as for those Children\nand Cattle that are bewitched, it is by some other Sorcery which they do\nuse with Herbs and Plants, and some other things of Nature, they having\nsome small Knowledge of that Sympathy, and Influence the Stars have over\nthose Bodies and Herbs, and so mix their Faith and Experience together,\npretending to do all Manner of Good, but intendeth nothing but Evil. So\nthat there is no such thing as People do vainly imagine as for Spirits\nto suck Witches, but all the Devil that is, is their own dark Reason;\nand that Spirit that doth bewitch any Creature, it doth arise out of\ntheir own Imagination: And as for Conjurers and Magicians, their Reason\nis more enlightened than the others is, because they do go altogether by\nthe Figure, which is an Art by which the Reason of Man hath produced\nCharacters and Figures for the several Stars and Planets, and so they\ncame to imagine the Influence of those Stars and Planets upon the Bodies\nof Men, and many times they do hit rightly, yet it is still but\nWitchcraft. For it is nothing else but the Imagination of Reason, that\ndoth pry into the Secrets of Nature. And the first Witchcraft that ever\nwas, it was produced by learning of Numbers and Figures; I say, it was\nfirst from the _Egyptians_ Arts, and from thence came Conjuration, and\nthe Knowledge of the Influence of the Stars and Planets and the\nKnowledge of Physick, which are no other in the Original but Witches,\nonly this their Witchcraft is more tolerated by the Power of the\nNations; but I am confident that there is more People in the World\nbewitched with them, than there is with the other Sort of Witches, that\nis, they are deceived both in Body, and in Mind, and Estate. For when a\nMan is deceived in his Expectations and Faith which he had in that Art,\nhe may very well be said to be bewitched: But as for raising Spirits\nwithout Bodies, there is no Witch, no Conjurer, or Magician, nor the\ngreatest Artist in the World can do; neither can any Spirit assume any\nBody but its own. So much for natural Witches.\n\nAnd for those lying Signs and Wonders which _John Robins_ did act, it\nwas by a more Spiritual Witchcraft; his was not by the Knowledge of the\nStars, though he had some Skill in that too, but the Power of his\nWitchcraft did lye in the assuming and taking upon him the Title of the\nGreat God, as you may read in our Books: And so that his Reason being\nmore exercised in the Scriptures upon Spiritual Matters, because the\nwhole Body of the Scriptures doth consist of Spiritual and Heavenly\nMatter; and he having more Knowledge in the Mystery of the Scriptures at\nthat time than all Men in the World, therefore he had many that did fall\ndown and worship him; because his Knowledge in the Scriptures, did\nsurpass other Men, and so produced Voices in himself, and could present\nlying Signs and Wonders, unto all those that were deceived by him, or\nthat where afraid of him; yet he did not deal with Spirits that, had not\nBodies; but all that Wisdom and Witchcraft that he did shewn it came or\narose out of his own Spirit of Reason, which was inclosed in his own\nBody.\n\nAnd there is the Influence of the same Spirit of Witchcraft doth now\nremain upon those People called _Quakers_, notwithstanding there seeming\nHoliness, for they have many Times such fleshly Fits falling upon them,\nwhich doth seem as if they had the Falling-Sickness, and be as Men dumb,\nand will not speak a Word for three or four Hours together, and upon a\nSudden they will break forth into strong Language, as if the Spirit did\nimmediately move them to speak. This I say, it is nothing else but an\nInfluence of _John Robins_'s Spiritual Witchcraft, which is produced out\nof their own Spirit within them, and not from any Spirit which hath no\nBody without them. And all this is, they have no Knowledge of the true\nGod or the right Devil.\n\nTherefore it is that the greatest Part of the World doth lie under\nWitchcraft, either a Natural Witchcraft or a Spiritual Witchcraft, there\nis a very few that is delivered from being under one or both of them;\nthere is none delivered but those that are come to have Faith in this\nSpiritual Commission, which is now extant in the World; for Faith in it\ndoth lead Men to the Knowledge of the true God and the right Devil, with\nall those deep Mysteries which doth depend on them, the Knowledge of\nwhich doth free a Man from all Witchcraft whatsoever.\n\nTherefore I would advise you to read the Books of ours called the\n_Divine-Looking-Glass_, for that you may see there, that there can be no\nSpirits without a Body, neither can any Witch or Conjurer raise any\nSpirit without a Body: But these Conjurers may do through the Ignorance\nand Darkness of Man's Reason, and that Fear and Belief that is in the\nIgnorant, they may by their ignorant Power raise a Shadow of things, as\nif they were real Bodies, or Spirits in the Shape of Bodies; as the\n_Egyptians_ did before _Pharaoh_ King of _Egypt_, they did seem to raise\nFrogs and Grashoppers in the Sight of _Pharaoh_ King of _Egypt_; but I\nsay, they were not real Frogs and Grashoppers, but Shadows of such\nthings, which as soon as ever the Witchcraft Power or Art was over,\ntheir Frogs and Grashoppers were gone also, else would the King and his\nPeople been as much troubled at those Frogs which the Magicians did\nbring upon their Land, as they were with those which _Moses_ brought up,\nwhich went into their Houses. And now if _Moses_ had not raised Bodies\nas well as Spirits, or if he had raised Spirits without Bodies, they\nwould have been as little troubled at those things which _Moses_ did, as\nthey were at those Shadows or seeming things, which the Magicians of\n_Egypt_ did. There is something more in your Letter you sent to me, but\nI have not time at present to answer; _So resteth your Friend_,\n\nLodowicke Muggleton.\n\n\n\n\n_The Prophet_ Reeve's _Epistle to his Friend, discovering the dark Light\n   of the_ Quakers; _written in the Year 1654_ September _the 20th_.\n\n\n_Loving Friend_, Calling to Mind the Letter thou readest to me, which\nwas sent thee out of the Country, I am moved to present these Lines to\nthe View of thy ponderous Spirit; for as Words of Truth flowing from a\nreal Foundation, drew forth Humility and Love to God and Man, from that\nSoul that hath received an hearing Ear, so likewise thou mayst know the\nglittering Words proceeding from Man's Carnal Wisdom, is that which hath\noccasioned many Men to be exalted above Measure, and to imagine himself\nso essentially united to the Divine Glory, that at length that Man hath\nbeen so bewitched through the Adorations of Men and Women in deep\nDarkness, with high Conceits of his own Spiritual Wisdom, that he hath\nbeen willing to deny his creaturely Condition, and to embrace the Holy\nTitles and Honour of an infinite Creator. Yea, and to say in his Heart\nand Tongue also, that there is no Spiritual God or Personal Glory in the\nleast, but what is in Man only, notwithstanding, as sure as the Lord\nJesus liveth, both he and all that is in him must turn into silent Death\nand Dust for a Moment, yea, and would so remain unto all Eternity, if\nthere were not a distinct personal Majesty living without Man to raise\nhim again, to everlasting sensible Glory or Shame, according to the\nRoyal Pleasure of that God, that neither will nor can give his Glory to\nanother.\n\n_My Dear Friend_, be not deceived with Mens crafty Words, who have no\ntrue spiritual Distinction in them; for if any mortal Man have dwelling\nin him the eternal Spirit, all the Motions, Thoughts, Words and Actions\nof that Man must needs be as pure, holy and powerful as God himself,\nbecause thou knowest they proceed from a pure, holy, and glorious\nSpirit: But of the contrary, if thou perceivest a Measure of Light only\nabiding in thee, which thou in Mercy hast received from an everlasting\nJesus without thee, then thou often seest Darkness in thee as well as\nLight. For Light entred not into Sinners to make them spiritual Gods one\nover another, but it shined into them to discover their natural Enmity\ncontinually warring against a God of eternal Love towards them; and not\nonly so, but to prevent also their former Darkness from tyrannizing in\nthem for ever, yea and to consolate their elect Brethren by their\nspiritual Experiences.\n\nWherefore, from a Divine Gift which I have freely received from an\nunerring Spirit, I say unto thee, that those Men which labour to\nperswade their Hearers, that if they diligently hearken to the Light\nthat is in them, they may attain to such a Power, as to be dead in this\nBody from all Kind of inward Darkness, Sin, or Evil, have uttered the\nfalsest Doctrine that ever was declared to Men. Moreover, if the Light\nof Life Eternal be thy Guide, though must needs know then, it was\nneither the justifying Light of Christ within Man, no nor the Spirit of\nChrist without Man, that moved those Men to speak or write to the\nPeople; but it was their own lying Imagination which hurried them about\nto beget Proselytes to themselves in the Man Christ Jesus's stead, who\nalone _is God over all Blessed for ever and ever_. Amen.\n\nHe that is born of God sinneth not, that is he is not left to his own\nHeart to commit the unpardonable Sin of Unbelief in the true God, in\ndespising the Spirit of Christ Jesus, to be the only Lord God of his\nSalvation. _He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not\nis condemned already_, not because he hath not believed in a God, or\nChrist that is within him, but because he hath not believed in a\npersonal God or Christ that is without him, whose divine Majesty is\ncrowned with such immortal bright burning Glory, that if he did not vail\nhis fiery Nature within his own blessed Body, the Glory of it is so\ntranscendently infinite, that he in a Moment would consume all created\nBeings to Powder. He that committed that Sin of calling God a Lyar,\nwhich is the Sin of not believing in our Lord Jesus Christ as aforesaid,\nor he that maketh glorious Pretences of unfeigned Love to Christ and his\ntender-hearted People, and yet secretly lyeth under the Power of carnal\nFilthiness; such a Man is not only of his Father the Devil, (cursed\n_Cain_) but he also is a very Devil himself. _He that saith he hath no\nSin in him, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him_; that is, he that\nsaith Christ is so powerfully risen in him, that all Motions, Thought\nand Desire of Sin against God or Man, is perfectly done away, that Man\nis an horrible Lyar, and a deadly Enemy to all humble and broken-hearted\nSaints; for their natural rebellious warring against the Light within\nthem, and the Lord of Glory without them. Oh! my precious Friend, for\nwhom my Soul spiritually travelleth, till thou art firmly established\nwith glorious Things which are Eternal; not with empty Notions\nproceeding from an imaginary God or Christ within Men, only which with\n_Syrenion_ Songs is very pleasing to the carnal Ear, which may delude\nsome undiscerning Spirits for a Season, nor with Pharisaical Looks,\nSighs and Groans, to be seen of Men, which is nothing else but the\nEffects of Mens crafty Words and Gestures proceeding from Man's fleshly\nWisdom, which is abominable in the Sight of our God, who is the Lord\nJesus Christ in the Eternal Heavens above the Stars.\n\n_My beloved Friend_, give me leave a little to reason with thee, about\nThings of the greatest Concernment: What excellent Truths above other\nMen hast thou heard from the chief Speakers of the _Quakers_? Didst thou\never hear them speak to the Purpose? Or speak at all of any God or\nChrist, but what is in Man only? Or didst thou ever hear them speak of a\nbodily Glory and Misery to come sensibly to be enjoyed by the Saints in\nthe highest Heavens, and to be endured by the Serpents in this World at\nthe Day of eternal Accounts? Or dost thou see the Image or Likeness the\ntrue Jesus in that Ministry, the true and living Jesus, rejected not the\nCompany of Publicans and Sinners, even when his Light appeared not in\nthem; but on the contrary, do they not rashly condemn those Men that\nsoberly oppose them, and shun the Company of those that are not of their\nOpinion, as Serpents; much like unto those Hypocrites of old, who said,\nstand farther off, for we are more holy than you. Moreover, in all their\nSpeakings and Writings to the People, do they not make a grand Idol of\nthe Word Light, and occasion Men to worship it as their only God; as if\nmeer Words, were to be adored without a Person, or worshipped within the\nBodies of sinful Man as a God: Or as if those that enjoy true Light in\nthem, have such a Measure of God in them, that they stand in no need of\nany God without them in the least.\n\n_My Dear Friend_, thou knowest Men of unstable Spirits, Child-like, or\nrather Fool-like, are easily taken with every Wind of Doctrine: But if\nthou hast a Spirit of true discerning in thee, thou wilt be made\nthorowly then to try the Spirits and Doctrines of Men, whether they be\nof God or no, before thou embrace them; having been in the Fire of the\nDevil already, I hope thou hast gained Experience. Wherefore for thy\nclearer Sight concerning of the Fallacy of all Speakers, which say, the\nLord _Jehovah_, or _Jesus_ sent them, I shall give some discovering\nCharacters; he that saith the everlasting spiritual God or Father,\nbecame not a perfect Man of unspotted Flesh, Blood, and Bone, was never\nmoved by the Spirit of God or Christ, to preach or speak to the People;\nor he that saith, that Spirit which is dwelling in the glorious Body of\nChrist Jesus, is not the alone everlasting Father, God and Man in one\ndistinct Person glorified, is none of Christ's Messenger; or he that\nsaith, God is not in the Form of a Man, but is an infinite Spirit\nessentially abiding in all Creatures, that Man is a Lyar, and the Truth\nis not in him; or he that saith, Christ's Godhead died not in the Flesh,\nand did not quicken and raise his Manhood to Life again, and in that\nBody of Flesh and Bone, did not ascend into a Kingdom of Glory in\nanother World, the deep Things of God is utterly hid from that Man; or\nhe that saith all Mankind proceeded from the Loins of the first Man\n_Adam_, is ignorant of the two Scripture Seeds (namely) the Seed of the\nWoman, and the Seed of the Serpent, therefore he is none of Christ's\nsending; or he that saith Mens Souls do not die with their Bodies, and\nsleep together in the Dust of the Earth, till the Lord Jesus by the\nmighty Power of his Word speaking only, do raise them unto Life again at\nthe last Day, that Man is in deep Darkness, not knowing the Scriptures\nor the Power of God; or he that says Mens Bodies only perish (and not\nthe Souls) will be saved at the last, that Man is a Lyar, and the Truth\nis not in him.\n\n_Dear Friend_,\n\nThus far was I moved to write unto thee, as an eternal Witness between\nus, when the Secrets of all Hearts shall be opened. If thou seest good,\nthou mayst present this Epistle to the View of those Men called\n_Quakers_, not that I can expect a good Issue from any of them, unless\nGod hath endowed them with hearing Ears, unjudging, meek and patient\nSpirits.\n\n_Sept. 20. 1654._\n\n_Thine in all eternal Excellencies._\n\nJOHN REEVE.\n\n\n\n\n               _An Epistle of_ JOHN REEVE _to Mr._ HILL.\n\n\nDear Friend in the eternal Truth, my Love to you and the rest of our\nSpiritual Friends remembred.\n\n_Brother_ Hill,\n\nIt seems very strange to me, That you with the rest of former Friends,\nmake no Enquiry after me whether I am dead or alive. What have the\nunnecessary Things and Cares of this World swallowed up your former Love\nto the Truth? Though I am moved in this manner to write unto you, I\ntrust you have not so learned Christ.\n\n_Friend_, The Reason of my not sending unto you this long Season is\nthis, because my Wife and I were both very sick and weak, of which\nSickness the 29th of _March_ last my Wife died.\n\nImmediately after I had buried my Wife, the Lord our God called me to\nvisit some of his People living near _Cambridge_, as he once called me\nto visit you; yea, it was in the very same Manner: For one of the chief\nSpeakers of the _Ranters_ being convinced by this Truth, who formerly\nhad deceived them, took a Parcel of my Books and presented them to them,\nupon which they greatly desired me as you formerly did; I hope there is\nabout half a Score of them that have received the Truth in Sincerity of\nHeart, they are Husbandmen and Tradesmen that Labour for their Bread as\nyou do; they rejoyce in those that really possess this Truth though by\nFace unknown.\n\n    _Christopher Hill_,\n\n    You seem to forget your Engagement to your Father-in-Law, you know\n    the Time is expired concerning your Payment of the Money, which was\n    lent to you, and not to him; wherefore as you love the Truth, I\n    desire you to send me the Money remaining behind speedily, that I\n    may restore it to the right Owner.\n\n    Now concerning my own Condition it is thus; on _May Day_ last, I was\n    Senseless two or three times, insomuch, that if a faithful Friend\n    had not been by me to relieve me with a little Cordial, I had\n    immediately died. I still continue very sick and weak, so that of\n    Necessity, I must either mend or end in a little Space. As for\n    Relief now I have most need of it, it hath been very small of late;\n    I wish it may not be a Burthen to the Conscience of some when I am\n    gone; the Widow's Mite will be a Witness against all Carnal Excuses\n    in those that own this Truth. It may be you may think, I have no\n    need of your Charity now, because the Merchant for a little Season\n    allowed me a small Matter Weekly; but if you think so, you are much\n    mistaken, for I have had none from him a pretty while, neither do I\n    know whether I shall have any more from him at all: For when he took\n    Ship for _Barbadoes_, he had not wherewithal to leave his Wife and\n    Children, through the unjust Dealings of unreasonable Men. Brother\n    _Hill_, You may remember you sent me Word, that if the _London_\n    Christians would contribute Weekly or Monthly to my Necessity, you\n    would do the like, you will do well to keep your Covenant.\n\n    And so I commit you to the most High, and remain yours in all\n    Righteousness,\n\n    JOHN REEVE.\n\n    My Dwelling is in _Bishopsgate-street_ near _Hog-lane_ End, with\n    three Sisters that keep a Sempstris Shop.\n\n    Direct your Letters to our Brother _Muggleton_, to be conveyed to\n    me, and the Money to him for me, you know where he dwells; it is in\n    _Trinity-lane_, over against a _Brown-Baker_'s.\n\n    _London June 11. 1656._\n\n\n\n\n        _Another Epistle of_ JOHN REEVE_'s to the same Person_.\n\n\nFor his Loving Friend _Christopher Hill, Heel-maker_ in _Stone-street_\nin _Maidstone_, in _Kent_. These\n\n_Brother_ Hill,\n\nI Have received your Letter and your kind Token, for which I acknowledge\nyour Kindness to Truth.\n\nAs for my Neglect in Writing to you, my great Troubles of Sickness and\nMortality hath hindred it, I hope whilst I am able to write, for time to\ncome, you shall not charge me with any such Neglect; in the mean Season,\nI do not desire your Charity unless you can spare it. Remember my kind\nLove to your Mother _Wyles_, to _Tho. Martin_, and Goodman _Young_, and\nI rejoyce in the Lord for you, that the Truth abides in you. As for the\nMoney, I am glad of your Care for the Truths sake, because it was lent\nto me upon that Account.\n\nNo more at present, but desiring my God abundantly to establish you in\nall spiritual Excellencies, unto whose infinite Grace I commend you in\nall Righteousness,\n\n_London_, _June_ the last, 1656.\n\nJOHN REEVE.\n\n\n\n\n        _Another Epistle of_ JOHN REEVE_'s to the same Person_.\n\n\n_Brother_ Hill, _in the Eternal Truth_,\n\nMy Love to you and the rest of our Friends; this is a Spiritual Love\nLetter that I am moved to write unto you, wherefore by Virtue of my\nCommission, I pronounce thee _Tho. Martin_, _William Young_, and _Eliz.\nWyles_, the Blessed of the Lord to Eternity; the Remembrance of this the\nLord's Blessing, will do you no harm when I am in my Grave; in the mean\nSeason, our good God cause you to love one another more than your\ntemporal Enjoyments, and that will become a Heaven upon Earth in your\ninnocent Souls; Faith fetcheth Spiritual Comfort, the Fountain to each\nparticular Soul; but Love fulfilleth all Righteousness both to God and\nMan. Oh! the transcendent Excellency of the Love of Christ in his\nnew-born People, it is not to be express'd by the Tongues of Men or\nAngels.\n\nJOHN REEVE.\n\n\n\n\n  _A Copy of a Letter wrote by the Prophet_ JOHN REEVE _to Mrs._ Alice\n Webb, _containing her Blessing and the Six Principles, on_ August 15.\n                                 1656.\n\n\n_Loving Friend_,\n\nDesiring your Eternal Happiness in that Place of Glory above the Stars,\nI am moved from the Spirit of the Lord to write these Lines unto your\nSerious Consideration.\n\nThis I know assured as God knows himself, that Jesus Christ from his\nThrone of Glory, spake to me by Voice of Words three Mornings together,\nwhich Speaking of his hath opened my dark Understanding to declare such\nSpiritual Light to the Chosen of God, as never was so clearly manifested\nbefore, especially in these Six Foundations.\n\n_First_, What the Person of the true God is, and his Divine Nature.\n\n_Secondly_, What the Persons of the holy Angels are, and their Nature.\n\n_Thirdly_, What the Persons of the Devils are and their Natures, and\nwhat the Person of the Devil was before he became a Devil, and begot\nMillions of dark Angels or Devils, it being all one.\n\n_Fourthly_, In what Condition the Man _Adam_ was created in, and by what\nMeans he lost his first estate and the Effects of it.\n\n_Fifthly_, What Heaven and Glory is, and the eternal Residence of it.\n\n_Sixthly_, What Hell and eternal Death is, and the Place where it shall\nbe to Eternity.\n\nThis I know certainly, That before the Lord sent me to declare his\nPleasure unto his People, no Man upon this Earth did clearly understand\nany one of these Six Fundamental Truths, which to understand is Life\nEternal, and to be ignorant of them is Death Eternal. Now the Lord hath\nsent his two Messengers to declare them, I mean, to all those that may\nbe informed in these Spiritual Things, and do reject us (that are the\nLord's Messengers of these Things of Salvation) through the Love of\ncarnal Things, they must all perish to Eternity.\n\nAgain, We know from the Lord by that infallible Spirit that he hath\ngiven us, of divers Persons that shall be eternally blessed with us: and\nall that we pronounce Cursed to Eternity are eternally Cursed, as sure\nas Jesus Christ the Lord of Life is Blessed, because it is his Curse and\nnot ours.\n\nAgain, If the Lord Jesus do not bear Witness unto our Testimony, and\nmake it evident that he hath sent us in a few Months, then you may\nconclude, that there never was any true Prophets nor Christ, nor\nApostles, nor Scripture spoken from the Mouth of God to Men. But there\nis nothing but the Wisdom of Men and Nature their God. But this we know,\nthat those that are joyned with us, are Partakers of those Truths, and\nshall be blessed for evermore, and shall in the mean time patiently wait\nfor the fulfilling of our Prophecy, and shall have Power over their\nThoughts, Words, and Deeds, purifying their Hearts by Faith in the\nPerson of God even as he is pure, trampling all the Riches and Honour of\nthis World, under the Feet of their Souls as Dung, because they have\ntasted of that Glory to come, that no Tongue of Men or Angels can\nexpress, and this makes them not only love one another in carnal Things,\nbut for the Truth's sake they are ready if (need require) to forsake all\nRelations, and Life itself for one another; and is that Power of that\none only Faith and Truth, declared from the Spirit of God, the Man Jesus\nby us, which none enjoys but those of this Faith.\n\nMuch more might I write, but speaking Face to Face, (if it may be) is\nfar more profitable: _Farewell_.\n\nJOHN REEVE, _the true Prophet, of the only true Personal God, the Lord\nJesus Christ upon the Throne of immortal Glory in the highest Heavens_.\n\n\n\n\n     _An Epistle of_ JOHN REEVE _to a Friend, written in_ May 1657.\n\n\n_Shewing_,\n\nThat Elect Angels are distinct from him who visibly beheld him Face to\nFace, and what that Reprobate Serpent-Angel was in his Creation, which\nby the secret Council and unsearchable Wisdom of God, fell from his\ncreated Glory like Lightning from the invisible Heaven above, to this\nvisible Earth beneath; and through his super-seeming God like Counsel,\nhe overcame innocent _Eve_; and she yielding unto him, he wholly entred\ninto her Womb and naturally changed himself into her Seed, and so became\nthe first-born Son of the Devil, and afterwards a cursed _Cain_, and the\nFather of all those _Cananitish_ Reprobate Angels, spoken of in the\nvisible Records of the Scriptures; _Not as_ Cain, _who was of that\nwicked one, and slew his Brother_, the 1st of _John_, the 3d Chapter,\nand 18th Verse. _And the Tares are the Children of the wicked one_,\n_Math._ 13th Chapter, and the 18th Verse. Also in what Condition _Adam_\nwas created in, and how he come to fall from his created Estate, and\nwhat that sin was that _Eve_ and he were guilty of, and how Sin came\nfirst in their pure created Natures.\n\nAgain, what that heavenly Glory is and where it is, that God's Elect\nWheat, which are the Seed of _Adam_, and not of _Cain_ shall possess\nwhen time shall be no more, and what that shameful Eternal Death is, and\nwhere it is reserved for the Seed of _Cain_ and not of _Adam_, who are\neither a Spirit given up to Persecution of Mens Consciences, or else\nthey are left in Darkness to condemn the Things of Eternity, because\nthey cannot comprehend them for want of a true distinguishing Spirit,\nwhich is a Gift of the Holy Ghost, unto him which is immediately sent by\nthe Lord of Glory, that he may be distinguished by the new born of God,\nfrom all those counterfeit or deceived Preachers or Speakers in the\nWorld, who are apt and ready to judge Men in Darkness, if they soberly\nask them needful Questions concerning things of Eternity; the\nunderstanding of those glorious Excellencies, which is the Saints\nInheritance, being utterly hid from them, because they went before they\nwere sent.\n\n_Friend and Brother in the Eternal Truth_,\n\nBy this infallible Demonstration, you may know a Man that hath not a\nCommission from the true God, to preach and speak unto the People.\n\nIf a searching Speaker or Writer, deliver any thing unto those People\nthat joyn with him, then for fear of his Weakness or Ignorance being\ndiscovered, he will counsel the Hearers to stick close to the Ordinances\nin the Word of God, or to hearken to them, or to that in their\nConsciences, and to beware of false Christ's and false Prophets, and\nsuch like borrowing Scripture Languages, to prevent the People of ever\nhearing the Glorious and Dreadful Things of Eternity from the\never-living God, revealed both by Voice of Words without, and\nInspiration within, unto his two last despised true Messengers.\n\nThus it is clear, they have not the true Spirit of _Paul_ in them, who\ngave the true Saints Liberty to try all Things or Opinions of Men, (for\nthat was his Meaning) but to _hold fast to that which was good_.\n\nAgain, that Speaker or Preacher to People, whether publick or private,\nthat declares against all Appearances that are contrary to his Way,\ndiscovers himself to a discerning Spirit, not to be of the Lord, unless\nhe can demonstrate a Spiritual Commission received by Voice from Heaven,\nfrom the Mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that no Man can disprove\nhim, though few from a true Understanding received him.\n\nAgain, he that preaches or teaches only of a God or Christ in Mens\nConsciences, doth he not question the Scripture Records concerning the\nResurrection and Ascension of the glorious Body of the Lord Jesus\nChrist, who through Faith in his invaluable Blood-shedding, the\nConsciences of the Elect being sprinkled, are purified from the Power of\nall Unrighteousness of Flesh and Spirit, and so doth he not question the\nResurrection of Mankind after Death.\n\nAgain if after Death there be no bodily Resurrection for the Spirit to\npossess an immortal God-like Glory, or to suffer an eternal Devil-like\nShame, according to their Deeds done in their Bodies; is it not one of\nthe vainest Babblings under Heaven, for Men to talk of a God or Christ,\nor of Righteousness, or Purity, or Mercy, or pure Love without Envy, or\nof any Spiritual Excellency whatsoever, unless it be for Gain or Glory\namongst Men.\n\nThe eternal Spirit and alone everlasting Father, which essentially\nreigneth in the glorified Body of our Lord Jesus Christ his eternal Son,\nand spiritually, or motionally, or virtually liveth or reigneth in elect\nMen and Angels, bear Record between me and you for Everlasting, or World\nwithout end, whether this Witnessing be not sent unto you, and all the\nElect that shall view it principally for the re-establishing of your\ntender Spirit, upon that spiritual Rock of all Ages, the Lord Jesus\nChrist God and Man, in one distinct Person Glorified and everlastingly\nHonoured, with all Variety of Spiritual new Songs and Praises, from his\nRedeemed or Elect Men or Angels, when all Time or Times is swallowed up\ninto Eternity or Eternities.\n\nJOHN REEVE.\n\n\n\n\n                  _Another Epistle of_ JOHN REEVE_'s_.\n\n\n_SIR_,\n\nYour Replication to mine doth but still harp upon the same Matter as\nyour former, and yet you suppose you have given such Arguments as may\nquite silence my former Assertions, were that there are no Spirits\nwithout Bodies, but such as mere Shadows; and that God is not a bodiless\nSpirit, but hath and ever had Form, Substance, and Shape, and that is no\nother but the Form of a Man.\n\nThis is contradicted by you, and so you affirm these Particulars\nfollowing.\n\n_1st_, You take at those my Words which said, that if a Spirit have no\nBody or Shape, then it is no more then a meer Shadow: This you deny, by\nsaying, that a Shadow is only privative, but a Spirit, say you, is\npositive.\n\n_2dly_, You further say, that there is such immaterial Substances, which\nhave a separate Existence from such gross Bodies which we have about us;\nwitness say you the Soul of Man, which is immaterial, and lives after\nthe Body is dead, which is, say you, confirmed by _Paul_, 2 _Tim._ i.\n10. which saith, that the _Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light_.\n\n_3dly_, This Doctrine, say you, was known by the Light of Nature to the\nHeathen Philosophers, and hath since been confirmed by Scripture of the\nNew Testament to us, and so conclude it no ways repugnant to right\nReason.\n\n_4thly_, You charge me with quoting the Scripture falsly, when I said,\nthat Christ reply'd to the young Man, saying, _That no Man was good but\none, which was God_; therefore say you, it is false that the Scripture\nsaith, that God is a Man.\n\nTo each of these take this particular Answer, 1. If your Spirit have\nneither Shape nor Substance, it is but a Shadow, and no more then what\nthe _Egyptians_ Sorcerers produced before _Pharaoh_, what _Moses_\nbrought up were real Substances, but their's no other but Shadows, but\ntherefore a Spirit without Substance is not positive; for that which is\nprivative can have no Being without a positive, because that which is\npositive hath a Being or Substance: Now he that will not admit God to\nhave a distinct Being of himself, his God that he worships is nothing\nbut a Shadow.\n\n_2dly_, Where you speak of Spirits being immaterial Substances; if they\nbe immaterial, how are they Substances, and what Existence can they\nhave, and how can a Soul be immortal in a mortal Body; it is said, _the\nSoul that Sins, it shall die_; yet say you, it is immortal and cannot\ndie, and would prove it in 2 _Tim._ i. 10. when as that Place shews\nplainly, that it was Christ's Death and Resurrection which _brought Life\nand Immortality Light_; so that if there be not a Resurrection, then can\nthere be no immortal Life.\n\nTherefore it is, that the Scriptures doth affirm, that there can be no\nSalvation without a Resurrection, so that if the Dead should not rise,\nthen were all Faith vain, and God the God of the Dead (seeing Death is\nnot abolish'd) and not of the Living; so that there is no Spirit that\ncan subsist or have any Existence without a Body, either Spiritual or\nNatural.\n\nAgain, doth not the Gospel _bring Life and Immortality to Light_, and is\nthis Life and Immortality brought to Light without a Body, but it will\nhave a Spiritual Body suitable to that mortal Spirit made immortal. And\ndoth not the Scripture affirm, that it shall have a Body like unto God's\nown Glorious Body, and yet you say, God hath no Body, and a Soul hath no\nBody.\n\nDo you not read also, that Christ had a Body, and that it was after the\n_express Image of his Father's Person_: Would you trace substantial\nTruth into an Allegory, and say Righteousness, Knowledge, and Holiness\nis the Image of God, and yet must have no Body to act for it self in.\nWhen God said, _be ye holy, as I am holy_, must we turn our Souls out of\nour Bodies, to make them like your bodiless God.\n\nWhen we are said to worship God in Spirit and Truth, is this spiritual\nWorship performed without a Body, although there is a Mental, Privy, and\nPraise without a vocal Expression, yet it must arise from a Heart, and\nthat Heart must be placed in a Body.\n\nThere is no Light without a Sun, no Stream without a Fountain, and no\nSpirit without a Body.\n\n_3dly._ As to your third particular, this I must tell you, that no Light\nof Nature can discover Spiritual and Evangelical Truths, and it is very\ngross for any Man to subject the Spiritual Truths of the Gospel, to the\nheathenish Principles of Philosophers, making the New Testament no other\nbut for the Confirmation of the Principles of Nature, which Nature you\ncall right Reason, which say, you never repugns the Gospel, nor the\nGospel it.\n\nBy this your Discourse I find, that you own that Christ came, but to\nconfirm the heathenish Principles of Nature, as, that God, and Spirits,\nand Angels, were all without Bodies, being immaterial Beings, and you\nknow not what.\n\nNow give me leave to be plain with you, and to tell you, that I could\nnever read that the Gospel of Christ was ever sent to enlighten Nature,\nNature or Reason hath no Interest in it at all. In the moral Law it\nhath, and therefore it is written, _the Law came by_ Moses; and what to\ndo, but only to enlighten Reason unto whom the Law was given: But as to\nthe Gospel, _it came by Jesus Christ_, and particularly belonged to\nanother Seed; namely, _to the lost Sheep of the House of_ Israel; so\nthat you can no more distinguish between the Law and the Gospel, than\nbetween the two Natures of Faith and Reason, it is all a Mystery to you.\nDo you know what right Reason is, if you do, you must ascend up into the\nKingdom of Heaven, and view it in the holy Angels; for you will not find\nneither pure, nor right, nor uncorrupted Reason any where in this Orb\nbelow the Stars: For it is evident that Reason, Notion can never be\ncapable to comprehend Spiritual Truths, as from the Power of its own\nNature, it only serves to comprehend natural and temporal Things, it\nbeing but natural it self; but Gospel Truths are comprehended by another\nLight, according as it is written by _David_ saying, _in thy Light shall\nwe see Light_, &c.\n\nSo that from what is said, we need not fear (as the World have) of the\nHeathens rising up in Judgment against us, for maintaining Gospel Truths\nagainst their Darkness of Reason.\n\n_4thly_, As to your fourth Point, where you charge me of fathering upon\nthe Scripture those things that are not, and you make a Wonderment of\nit, that I should say, that God was a Man, and to quote Christ's Words\nfor it, telling the young Man, _that there was no Man good but one,\nwhich was God_; this you tell me was false, for you say, the Text saith\nthat _none is good but one, which is God_. Here your Ignorance appears\nvery great, and may be wonder'd at, considering your great Learning and\ncontinual Study; but it appears, it is but in those heathenish\nPhilosophers; for observe for better Instruction, did not that young Man\ncall Christ Master, and own him to be a Man and no more: Now to this you\nmay find that Christ's Answer did tacitely imply, that if he was but a\nMan, he was not perfectly good, and that no Man could be perfectly good.\n\nAnd furthermore, for a more full Answer in the Old Translation,\nattending to mark it, is render'd thus Word for Word, _that there is no\nMan good but one, which is God_.\n\nThis is plain Scripture, and yet you are ignorant of it; I perceive you\nare not very conversant in Scripture, your Philosophy turns you out of\nall Scripture Knowledge. But to proceed farther, cannot you find by\nScripture, that God was ever called a Man, did not you ever read that\nScripture that saith, _God was a Man of War_.\n\nMuch more might be said of this, and several positive Proofs from\nScripture might be produced to confirm it withal, but because it is not\nthe general received Opinion, therefore it must be quarrelled with; for\nthe Honour of this World must be both sought after and submitted to.\n\nAnd whereas you farther say, that the Apostles of Christ did ever teach\nafter they had received their Commission, that Spirits were immaterial\nand could subsist without Bodies, now answer to this:\n\nIt is most certainly evident, that the Apostles never taught, that any\nSpirit could subsist without a Body, but the contrary altogether; for\ntheir Doctrine was, that as the Soul and Body lives together, so it dies\ntogether, and at the Last Day rises together, and is ever without\nSeparation.\n\nWhen the Apostles said, _That many Spirits were generate into the World,\nwhich denied that Christ was come in the Flesh_, did he mean Spirits\nwithout Bodies: And when _Paul_ said, _that the Spirit speaketh\nexpresly, that some shall depart from the Faith_: Now what Spirit was\nthat, but _Paul_'s own Spirit of Faith, in his own mortal Body; for\nwithout a Tongue it could not be expressed.\n\nAnd where the Apostles tells of the Doctrine of Devils, were those\nDevils bodiless, and teached damnable Doctrine.\n\nSo that the Apostles never taught that there was any Spirits without\nBodies, but always Spirit and Body went together, and so makes Longitude\nand Latitude profoundly, as your Philosophical Notions teacheth,\nalthough you cannot apply it to any sublime or spiritual Thing, you\nknowing nothing of it, but all is nothing and of no Substance; and so in\nthat your Darkness I leave you, seeing you are no Friend to the Light;\nand rest yours in all civil Respects,\n\n    JOHN REEVE_'s, the only true Witness unto the very true God, amongst\n    many pretended Spiritual Messengers in this confused Age_.\n\n\n\n\n  _An Epistle wrote by the Prophet_ JOHN REEVE _to_ ISAAC PENNINGTON,\n _Esq; dated 1658. concerning an Answer to a Book of his, with several\nMysteries and Divine and Spiritual Revelations declared by the Prophet,\n           concerning God's visible appearing in the Flesh_.\n\n\nIn your Self-return, you seem to mourn over the sunk Spirit of both\nCreations, so termed by you. Also you write as though many from a\nSatanical Spirit write most accurately, both of the Works of Creation\nand Mystery of Redemption by an immediate Gift of God from our Lord\nJesus Christ. To this I answer, a little Season will produce Mourning\nenough in you, when you shall see your Angelical Motions like Lightning,\ncast down with Confusion of Fear from their former Perfection of\nimaginary Glory, rational Dreams and Visions, Revelations, Inspirations,\nExperiences, or Voices proceeding from an incomprehensible Spirit.\n\nAgain, I have both read and heard a Voice to say, that the Secrets of\nthe Lord are his Choice Treasures, reserved only for Redeemed ones; but\nI never read or heard from any Spiritual wise Man before now, that any\nSatanical Spirit was able to intellect deceived Persons, exactly to\nwrite of the hidden Mysteries of the Everlasting God. Again, you pretend\nunto no such Revelations as I proceed upon, but say you, there is\nanother Way more certain than Reason or Revelation, which whether as I\npresume you were led into, the Lord will one Day make manifest, from the\ntrue Light of Life Eternal. To this I answer, your Light as terming of\nthe true Inspirations of the Lord Jesus Christ, written by me to you, is\nbecause as yet his Holy Spirit vails them from your Eyes; but as for\nyour new Sound of teaching them from your God, more certain than Reason\nor Revelation, from the Divine Voice spoken in the Ear, through the\nGlorious Mouth of my Lord. I declare that in all Ages the Elect lost\nSheep of _Israel_, did never read or heard of any more than two original\nWays either Natural or Spiritual in Mankind, whether you call them\nCreature or Creator, Light or Darkness, Truth and Error, Revelation and\nReason, Inspiration and Imagination, Truth and Unbelief, Flesh and\nSpirit, and such like.\n\n'Tis confess'd, that visible Appearances of God or any else unto Mortals\nis teaching of all, but he that expects that kind of Teaching any more\nuntil Men are immortalized, lieth under at present as great an imaginary\nDeceit, as ever yet appeared in this Land. It is also granted that the\nmost holy God speaketh to his Chosen Messengers by Voice of Words, even\nto the hearing of the Ear, unto which Truth for Ends best known unto\nhimself, by his gracious Power only, can bear Record in this present\nGeneration, unto the Grief only of all Angelical, Wise, Envious, Proud,\nInglorious, Hypocritical Reprobates that hear of it.\n\nMoreover, yet if your more sure way of teaching from God were Vision it\nself, yet it is impossible for you to enjoy any true and lasting Peace,\nunless it swallows up all your former Writings produced from your own\nSpirit, without an immediate Commission from God, and in the room\nthereof, perswade your Soul to pour in your Oil, into the natural Wounds\nof oppressed Persons, under what Opinions or Appearances whatsoever.\n\nAgain, you say, O Lord God, pity the Captivity of Man, yea, pity the\nCaptivity of thy own poor Seed, hear the Prayers of that Spirit that\ninterceedeth with thee for every thing, not according to any fleshly\nImaginations, but according to Truth and Righteousness of thine one\nBallance. From the God of Truth, to this I answer, concerning that\nSpiritual Captivity of the Elect, in Reference of a right understanding\nof the Creator, you need not trouble yourself about that, unless you\nthink through much importuning the unchangeable God, may be perswaded to\nloose their Bonds before the decreed time thereof; but if you think that\nGlory of God's Eternal Love towards them, will provoke to their\nSpiritual Darknesses through the invisible Appearances of his own pure\nLight, then you may know, until his own Glorious Season, that all the\nDesires of Men or Angels are of no Effect, no nor of the Son himself, if\nyou imagine a Father besides. 'Tis confess'd, when the Time draweth near\nof some great Deliverance of the Chosen of God, usually the Lord\nprovokes his People to cry unto him with Sighs and Groans, which cannot\nbe uttered but from the innocent Spirit of his Spiritual redeemed ones,\nas his Due, he may receive all Honour, Praise and Glory for their\nDeliverance out of their natural Darknesses, unto his marvellous Light.\n\nAgain, I declare from the true Light of the true God, that the Spirit\nwhich entereth with the Creator for all Mankind, upon the Account of his\nEternal Happiness, was never principled upon a Spiritual Foundation of\nTruth, whatever subtile Expressions of God's righteous Ballance\nproceedeth from him. Moreover, is it not the new heavenly Glanses of\nChrist Jesus in Man's dark Soul, which upon an immortal Account, becomes\nall Light, Life, or ravishing Glory in him; and of the contrary, is it\nnot the absenting Voice or Virtue of the uncreated Spirit of the Lord\nChrist Jesus, that occasions Mens Spirits to be full of Satanical\naspiring Wisdom about the Creator; and whence think you cometh this to\npass, or possible could be of the Spirit, if the Creator were, and\nAngels were essentially living in one another there.\n\nAgain, if your literal Request unto the Lord God, as in Reference unto\nthe miserable Captivity of poor Mankind, lying under the miserable Yoak\nof unmerciful rich Tyrants, especially over his own innocent Seed or\nchosen People, then this will most necessarily follow; nay, you cannot\ndeny it, if there be any Light in you, that all your conceived Spiritual\nSpeakings, or Writings, or Prayers, in the Great Day of the Lord Jesus\nChrist, will become but fiery burning Death in you of utter Darkness,\naccording to the true Saying, _If that Light in you be Darkness, how\ngreat is that Darkness_. Unless as before said, answerable to your\nProfession of Love unto God, and Pity unto Man, you are a bountiful\nReliever of his oppressed Ones, according to his Bountifulness towards\nyou, then mind the Virtues of Christ Jesus thus shining in you, will\noccasion from the refreshed Bowels of his own Seed new Spiritual\nAcknowledgments, and a loving Return in the Lord for you, why because it\nis rare to find a merciful rich Man.\n\n_Friend_, I certainly know that if you are one of God's Elect, you\ncannot be offended with me for writing the Truth, though at present, I\nbe contrary to you in Spirit. Again, you write that you would beg unto\nthe Lord for me, both with Tears and Blood, and you would speak somewhat\nconcerning me, but you are afraid to open the Spirit before the Season\nthereof. _Friend_, As to that if ever the Lord of Life and Glory\nmanifest himself to your Soul, then you will see clearly the Vanity of\nthose Words.\n\nMoreover, if I should tell you, that in the pure Eyes of the Lord Christ\nJesus, that one Handful of your Silver Tears, are of more Value than a\nHorse Load of your Tears and Blood, you might account it a very strange\nsaying from me; truly I unfeignedly believe it will be found a principal\nTruth, when our Lord Jesus Christ shall say in the Day of Judgment,\n_Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, for\nwhen I was a hungry, ye fed me; Go ye Cursed into everlasting Fire, when\nI was an hungry ye fed me not_. So that without Controversy, there is\nnothing in Man comparable to Love, Mercy and Forgiveness, even to his\ngreatest Enemies.\n\nAgain, It is a marvellous thing, if you or any other Man, should have a\nSpiritual Gift to distinguish between Divine and Diabolical Appearances,\nand yet defer the Examination thereof to another Season, or did the most\nwise God ever Commission any Man or Angel to make a Discovery of any\nSpiritual Counterfeits, and yet that Messenger remaineth dark in his own\nUnderstanding, concerning the Creator that sent him. I remember such a\nlike Scripture Saying as this, _him whom you ignorantly worship, declare\nI unto you_. Moreover, if the most wise Creator, either visible or\ninvisible by himself or Angel, hath appeared in your Spirit, whereby\nunto your thinking, I was clearly discovered as a deceived Person among\nthe rest, is it not a strange thing that you should have Power over that\nLight above Men or Angels, before you for the producing of it at another\nSeason, the Creator himself will visible make it manifest, _even so come\nLord Jesus Christ, for thy glorious Namesake, come quickly, and in the\nvisible Sight of Men and Angels bear Record whether thy Holy Spirit sent\nme (as I have declared almost these three Years) or no_. Again, when the\nLord made Choice of such a simple poor Man as I was, as many can witness\nin the City of _London_, that have known me about these twenty Years,\nthat I might instrumentally discover the two principal Heads of\nmischievous Darkness in the Land; as namely, _John Robins_ past, and\n_John Tawney_ almost spent, truly I had no Power in me to put by his\nMessage until another time; why because (whether you can believe it or\nno) his Voice was so Glorious in me, that it shun as the Sun, and it was\nof Motion swifter than Thought, and so pleasant to be declared by\nTongue; yet for all that Godlike Glory piercing in me, and through me,\nthere arose a Desire in me to be eased of that Burden of the Lord\ncommitted to my Charge, because of that sharp Sentence that I was to\ndeclare against any Man that should despise it; then the Lord spake\nagain unto my Soul, Words of turning Death, of sensible unutterable\nDarkness, answerable to that _Jonas_-like Rebellion in me, against so\ngreat convincing Glory; and truly I was compelled immediately to cry\nunto him for Deliverance from the Wounds or Anguish of my Soul, that I\nmight presently obey his Word that shined in me with such Light, and\nMajesty, and Glory in whatsoever it should command me.\n\nWherefore _Friend_, happy are you if preserved from slighting an\nAppearance, that is contrary unto your Light, though it strike at the\nFoundation on which is built all your Spiritual Enjoyments; for alas,\nyou know in the End, all false Lights will be made manifest unto those\nthat possess the true Light of Eternal Life in them; Blessed therefore\nare those, that in Obedience unto the Creator from a purified Spirit are\ncompassionate to all Men, but especially to those innocent Appearances,\nin the Name of the Lord, though they all differ in their Declaration for\nthem. If there be but one true Messenger from the Lord among the rest,\nthey shall as formerly, receive an Angel of God unawares, and with him\nbe Partakers of the Glorious Secrets of the everliving God, to their\neternal Consolation: For this I know, from the Spirit of Truth, that\nthose that are left under a Spirit of rejecting and despising of false\nAppearances, coming forth in the Name of the Lord, they not clearly\nknowing them to be so, they will as readily despise a true Messenger of\nthe Lord to their eternal Hurt; wherefore are all those, that neither\nHonour nor Life it self is dear unto them, but upon an Account of\nSpiritual Wisdom amongst wise Men, when the Glorious Things of Eternity,\nthough in base Appearance presented unto them, from that Spiritual Rock\nof all Ages, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, is one\ndistinct Body or Person glorified; for whatsoever Men dream from their\nimaginary Gods, of two or three Persons, or a vast incomprehensible\nSpirit, essentially living in all Things and Places; from an immediate\nVoice from the highest Heavens, I positively affirm against Men or\nAngels, that there neither is, nor ever was any other God or Creator,\nbut that God-man Christ Jesus, which was nailed to the Cross, the which\nGlorious God will one Day visibly appear with his mighty Angels, to the\nEverlasting Terror of those that reject his Person, as to love a thing\nfor an infinite God to dwell in or to be; yea this very true God in\nOpposition to all other Gods, Men, or Angels, is already come with his\ninvisible pure piercing Light, to make an everlasting Distinction\nbetween the imaginary notional Mysteries of Men in rational Darkness,\nand the Spiritual Mysteries of his everlasting Kingdom, by true\nInspirations from an holy and unerring Spirit. _Even so come Lord Jesus\nChrist, visibly also according to thine own Word, come quickly._ Amen.\n\n                  *       *       *       *       *\n\nYours with all the Elect, in that only wise very true God, which in the\nSight of Men and Angels visible appeared in Flesh, and in that very Body\nof Flesh and Bone, is ascended far above all Gods, Heavens, Angels, or\nMen, and there to remain until the Resurrection of all elect Things, or\nthe Judgment-Day, whose uncreated Spirit of fiery Love, is all Variety\nof immortal Crowns of new ravishing Glories, prepared for all those that\nlong for his visible appearing, to make an everlasting Separation,\nbetween the merciful Elect, and unmerciful Reprobate.\n\n    JOHN REEVE, _the only true Witness unto the very true God, amongst\n    many pretended Spiritual Messengers in this confused Age_.\n\n_FINIS._\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nArchaic and colloquial spelling and punctuation was retained.\n\nMissing or obscured punctuation was corrected.\n\nText that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).","title":"A True Interpretation of the Witch of Endor","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":31530}