the Father and Mother the Son or Fruit cannot but must partake and bear a Simile of its Parents whence it proceeded for if the Foundation of any Creature be Evil the end must centre in the same for most of the great Out-rages Evils and Calamities that fall on and attend Mankind do arise and proceed from his acting and living under the Government of the disunited and self-ful Principles and Powers of his own Composition as was hinted before Therefore that Man should have the Knowledge of future Events either of this World or of that which is to come it would be a great addition of Evil and Misery to him seeing he transacts the Affairs of his Life under the conduct of such violent evil Principles and mischievous Methods Traditions and Customs But if Mankind had but one grain of true Wisdom and did see ever so little into themselves or own Magia then a Man would easily guess what Events such violent oppressive Methods of Life would produce and bring to pass both in the Evil and also in the Good for Nature and God's Law is always one and the same and true for ever for every Principle and governing Quality begets and brings forth Children like it self and endues them with all the Qualifications of the Father both in Body and Mind Soul and Spirit and where he is willing to presage or promise unto himself or Posterity any Good he must Live first and transact all the Methods of his Life in harmlessness and innocency avoiding Violence and all sorts and kinds of Oppression either to Man or Beast using all the Creatures to a good end and purpose and above all not to do or enter on any Action of Life without applying ourselves and taking the Advice of that Divine Power Principle and Advocate that dwells in the Centre of every Man's Soul whose Rule and Prescriptions if obeyed will render our present Momentary Lives comfortable and Dying-Beds easy and our future State most Happy My Dear Friend I doubt not when we shall meet in the Heavenly Regions but that we shall have a most undoubted Confirmation and Illustration of those Truths and wonderful Mysteries we have discoursed of in our Writings which the Ages to come will have cause to Praise God for who is the Giver of Gifts and the Revealer of Secrets to the Sons and Daughters of Wisdom from whom this Knowledge hath proceeded which undoubtedly in future Times will draw many into the innocent Method of God's Law which if Mankind Lived in would quickly ease the Soul of that great dread and fear of what shall happen after Death for nothing can hurt or perplex that Soul that hath lived a harmless Life neither in Time nor Eternity all Dread Fear and Srrrow comes in at the Door of Violence and Hurtfulness as also our not governing our selves nor the Creatures according to the Right of Nature and the one only Original Law and this great violent tormenting Monster doth first take its Birth in Man's Meats Drinks Exercises and Employments Words and Works are the Fruits that are generated from the central Powers and natural Spirits so that those evil Principles and Qualities are conveyed from one Generation to another the Children being Essentially endued with all the Principles Dispositions and Qualifications of the Father and that which makes another considerable addition to those Grand Fountains of Evil Violence and the breaking of God's Holy Union is the evil and preposterous Education of our Children and the wicked Examples and Precedents of Fathers Mothers and all concerned in Bringing them up so that what evil Qualifications are wanting in the Seed are made up and compleated in their Education which hath and doth take such deep root that every Generation are more and more Wicked notwithstanding the continual Preaching Teaching and Admonishing of the Clergy of all sorts and their threatning the Evil-doers with eternal Damnation and Happiness to those that do well and the Severity of the Magistrates too nevertheless all will not do because Precedents Examples and the continual practise of all Violence and Wickedness do take deeper root and make far greater Impression than Words and Precepts What great matter can be expected for Men to hear two or three hours Discourse of the excellency of Virtue and at the same time both Teachers as well as the Hearers do practise Evil and Violence all the Week Now when these things are understood and well considered how is it possible that Mankind can arrive at the Haven or Port of Rest or what satisfaction can that Soul have whose Methods of Life hath been in opposition to true Innocency and Virtue having lived and acted by and under all selfish violent and tyranical Spirits and Customs and though many of them be tolerated by Religion Laws and Tradition as those supream and highest Evils are viz. The Oppression and Killing those of our own kind and all the rest of the innocent Inhabitants of Heaven and Earth and Eating their Flesh too those violent Practises of Life the poor Soul can never excuse it self of or get over at the hour of Death when all the Natural or Spiritual Powers must be separated and the Soul left Naked to its Works which attracts a new Body to cloath it self with there can be no true satisfaction or content in that Soul that hath lived in Oppression and whose daily Practise hath been to break the Union both in himself and in all other things The Customs of Nations Laws of Princes and Ignorance will not obliterate those Evils that diametrically oppose God's eternal Law both of the Creation and his Divine Providence of Preservation whence do arise in Mens Minds and Souls in Sickness and at the hour of Death great Horror Trouble and Anxiety and through Blindness and Ignorance do place the cause of their dissatisfaction on some inferior Evil which they are guilty of too as was mentioned before Therefore he that would Live well and Die in Peace must first know God his Law and himself secondly do no Hurt thirdly do all the Good he can fourthly Live and Sustain his Life with harmless and innocent Meats and Drinks fifthly practise all innocent Employments sixthly observe the Rules of Justice Mercy and Clemency seventhly to Educate their Children in all Submission Honesty and Innocency and give them no Examples of Evil Violence or Oppression for in their tender Age the true and lasting Foundation of Unity true Virtue and innocent Methods of Government and Life are laid it being impossible for Mankind or any particular Person to act in a true and regular Method in Inclinations Words Works and Employments if he be ignorant of God's central Law planted in himself and the Qualities and Principles he is made and compounded of If this great and necessary Knowledge be wanting and not distinguished this Secret and wonderful Mystery of our selves being not known all Thoughts Inclinations Words and Works of Life are either done by chance or proceed
another End and Service 〈◊〉 take their Birth and proceed from the Dark and Stygian Deâ—…neracy and Separation from the Divine Power and Union 〈◊〉 from the Uniting Power and Eternal Love of God by whose Virtue all things were made and preserved this same Holy Principle became Flesh and Dwells in every Creature and is the Light and Life of Man This is the Voice of Wisdom that crys in the Gates of Man's Microcosmical City against all Violence to Man and Beast and is the Reconciler of Man's Soul to God bringing it into an Equality and Union This is the true and natural Effect of God's Love and whoever has attained to this Blessed State will esteem the Killing of an Ox as the Slaying of a Man as the Scriptures testify Man is called the Temple of God that if when Men have given up their Will and Desires to 〈◊〉 Governed and Guided by the Holy Principles of God's Eternal Light and Love in Jesus Christ which Inhabits the Centre of all Mens Hearts by which they are rendred capable of recovering that Union again from which they are Degenerated so thâ—… when the Souls of Men are once reinstated by this Blessed Foâ—…tain of Benignity into the equal Operation of those Principle and Forms whereof he is Compounded they will readily set their Seals to the Truth and Certainty of the above-mentioned Scripture But others who do not Live under the Influence and Conduct of this Holy Government are by the Operation of the Envious and Spiteful Powers betrayed into the Commission of such Enormities and violent Cruelties as are equally abominable to God and all good Men generally such is the Original Composition of Man that the Customs of Countries Religion and particular and formal Education will mould it into any Shape or Figure being Susceptible of all Qualities And this is the Grand occasion of Maâ—… so violently pursuing the ways of Wickedness and Evil as if it were their chiefest Good not being at first rightly Instituted nor wholly brought under the Power and Government of God's Holy Light and Love and withal living in a continued and wretched Degeneracy and Ignorance of their first Fall and Separation from the Holy and Peaceful State of Union in which they were Created This I say is the Foundation of all the Outrages Villanies and Violence we see so commonly Practised Ignorance giving them encouragement in their ways of Sin Therefore if God at any time permits Man to commit any Evil or to do any Injury to Man or Beast this Permission issues forth not from the Fountain of Benignity but from the dark and bitter Fountain of Spite and Vengeance separated from the Uniform Powers and Divine Vision as it is said Is there any Evil in the City viz. Man's Heart and am not I in the midst thereof For the Lord fills Heaven and Earth with his Divine Essence and Presence and where he is not in his Love there he is in his severe Fierceness and Anger Hence it is undeniably apparent that the Love and Light of God in Jesus Christ which is the true Redeemer and Reconciler of Man's Soul to God cannot commend Evil in Man it being its own Genuin Nature Inclination and Disposition to act like it self viz. Uniformly disposing and inclining Men to Holiness of Life and to the Exercise and Observation of all other â—…oncomitant Virtues as Cleanness Order Temperance Patiâ—…e Love and Mercy But the plain Truth is Men have gâ—…n 〈◊〉 themselves their Wills and Desires to be Captivated and â—…ed by the Fierce Violent and Angry Powers of the Fountain of Wrath from whence all Irregular Inclinations Words Works Commands and Permission doth proceed and derive their Original Birth and Being These Trâ—…s you ought strictly and daily to Examine and Consider 〈◊〉 earnestly desire that God would give you an Enlightned and Divine Understanding to distinguish rightly between these two Grand Fountains and their Operations which is the greatest Blessing Human Nature is capable of Enjoying in this Life and which will make it entirely Happy to all Eternity in that which is to come Yours in the most unreserved Respects T. T. LETTER XV. To the Honourable Colonel KENT Of a Soldier 's LIFE SIR I Received a Letter from you the last Campaign Dated from Bâ—…sels some time before the opening of the Treaty of Peace which brought along with it the welcome News of your Health and some Scruples concerning the Lawfulness of your Profession occasioned as you declare by Reading a Book of Ours Entituled The Way to Health c. I greatly Congratulate the happy Fortune of its faâ—… into your hands and am apt to believe it was some good Providence that directed you to it not imagining there could be any Treatise of such a Nature as that is in so Quarrelsome and Contentious a Country I confess it is a Discourse very unsuitable for a Soldier unless he could wholly dispossess himself of the Prejudice his very Profession subjects him to and bring an Unbyassed and Impartial Disposition to the Realing of it INdeed I must acknowledge Colonel that I have often admired what could possibly be the reason that Men of excellent Parts both Natural and Acquired of sound Sense and good Education should as it were Hand over Head voluntarily without any Necessity or Compulsion thrust themselves headlong into Arms as if a Life of Incessant Fatigue Hardship and Hazard were desirable and a Man's chiefest Glory did consist in having a Commission to Destroy his Fellow Creatures But now I find by your Letter that your Understanding is alarmed your Eyes opened and that you begin to doubt the Justice of your Undertaking I am very well satisfied you may make the Scruple without the least Imputation of Cowardize having already given unquestionable Evidences of an undaunted and fearless Spirit through the whole Course of the late Campaigns Therefore since you desire my Judgment of the Matter I shall endeavour all I can to advance your Conversion and set you right in your Nâ—…tions It must be considered then from what Grounds or Principles this natural Disposition to Revenge Blood and War doth arise surely all the Commands of God and Man do proceed from the two Grand Fountains of Good and Evil and according to the Predominancy Rule or Government of either of these Principles in the Heart or Centre of Life are all a Man's Actions Influenced and Denominated If the Harsh Fierce Oppressive Spirit obtains the Dominion all kinds of Evil are tollerated and become Lawful especially if the Teachers justify it and the Prince commands it for now a-days and in former times the main Business of those sort of People is to Study Reasons to support and approve the Actions of their Prince for let his Methods be never so Irregular they are obliged to Assert and Justify them and in the most plausible Dress their Rhetorick can Invent recommend them to the People being hired thereto by vast Revenues and particular Priviledges and Immunities so
be an error c. Hence it is clear that true Religion and the constant practice of Virtue doth chiefly consist in the true understanding and distinguishing the principles and Powers of God first in Man's self and next in other things for the great Eternal Fountain of God's Love Light and Mercy of which a very large Portion did not only dwell in the Human Body of Jesus Christ from whose Virtue and Holy Power did proceed and flow all those wonderful things he did but the very same united Fountain has been an Inhabitant amongst the Sons of Men even from the beginning and is the Eternal Son of the Great Creator by whom all things were made and by whose Power and Virtue they are preserved and as Christ himself said Except I be in you that is Except this Eternal Light and sweet Love of God reign in your Hearts You are Reprobates It is the Holy Eternal Principle and Fountain of God's Love and Power that Essentially dwells in the very Centre of all Mens Hearts and who give up their Wills and Desires to be Guided and Conducted by its Council It never failed to Reconcile and Unite their Souls to their Creator This Central and Holy Preserving Power in the Human Body of the World is in every Specifick Body or Thing respectively according to the Graduation of each Being or Creature and as each Creature is more or less dignified with a larger or lesser proportion of this Holy Virtue this Eternal Divine Power that Creature or Thing is accordingly better or worse This whole Visible World is nothing else but the Great Body of God which was made by his Eternal Love and Power and is ever sustained by the same and as God preserves the Macrocosm by his everlasting Fountain of Light and Love in the very same manner he doth the Microcosm Man or little World which contains all the true Properties of the Great so that the Power of the Eternal Son of God and Fountain of all Beings is not limited to any Specifick Body but is Incomprehensible and Unfathomable filling Heaven Inhabiting the Centre of all Bodies giving Virtue Light and Love to all according to the Graduation and Capacity of each It is therefore of great and unspeakable Advantage and Use to Mankind to know Christ or the Divine Fountain of God's Eternal Word manifested in the Human Nature that is to arrive at the true Knowledge of God in our selves for the Manifestation of Christ or the Son's Power in the Flesh is the right Distinction every Man makes in himself of God's Eternal Voice of Wisdom Love and Mercy c. that directs us in the Paths of true Virtue and secures us from the Spirit of Error Violence and Oppression Pray tell me what will it avail any Man that the Holy Divine Power of God did in an extraordinary degree and fulness dwell in the Human Body of Christ by which he performed many excellent and wonderful things and at the same time knew nothing of the Divine Manifestation of God's Eternal Love in his own Human Nature If that remains a Mystery unmanifested in and to himself he will be but little benefitted by the Divine Power and Love of God manifested in the Human Body of Christ It matters not what Names Men are pleased to distinguish themselves by God knows no Names 〈◊〉 Natures This is the true Use we are to make of the right Understanding of Jesus Christ's Humanity which it hath pleased God to manifest to many who have been willing to submit to and 〈◊〉 guided by the Voice or Principle of Divine Light which dwâ—… in the Centre of every Man's Life And certainly it is the greatest Blessing both here and hereafter to know Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 the Divine Fountain of God's Eternal Love manifested and distinguished in our Human Natures for from this Power of the Son our Gracious Lovely Fountain doth proceed Justice Merâ—… Love Compassion Cleanness Temperance Order and in 〈◊〉 doing unto all Creatures as we would be done unto it is the Eye of the Soul whereby Men are enabled to distinguish in themselves from what Principles and Fountains every Thought Word and Work doth arise and exert its self in the Humâ—… Ground or Nature Hence it is fully evident that the Knowledge of Christ or the Son of God manifested in our Flesh and Human Nature teachâ—… and powerfully inclines every one that obtains this Spring-heâ—… of Blessings to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth to 〈◊〉 his Neighbour nay his Enemies and behave himself as a 〈◊〉 and Faithful Steward in the Management of all things put undâ—… his Government to one who has the witness of this Truth 〈◊〉 fested in his Soul all Controversies Disputes and Contentâ—… cease having a firmer and better certainty in himself than 〈◊〉 can be drawn from partial and wrangling Debates It is Coâ—… ence bears him Testimony with St. Paul that all that can 〈◊〉 known of God is manifest and known in a Man's self Aâ—… this be true as undoubtedly it is wherefore do Men so fooâ—…ly enquire elsewhere and look abroad for what they may 〈◊〉 little Application readily find in themselves Therefore my Friend turn the Eyes of your Soul inward and 〈◊〉 shall find the Son 's Blessed and Amiable Power in the Centre of 〈◊〉 Life to which you must compel your Will and Affections to be 〈◊〉 and Obedient 'T is this Self-Study I recommend to your daily Prâ—… all other things are Foreign to your Interest but this Knowledge 〈◊〉 stand you in everlasting Stead and administer Infinite Comfort 〈◊〉 Satisfaction when all outward Assistances shall fail and desert yoâ—… Your truly Loving Friend T. T. LETTER XII Of an Afflicted MIND SIR I am now Reading your kind 〈◊〉 and am sensibly concerned you meet with such a heap of Troubles in your Affairs espeâ—…lly the Loss of your two Brothers which must of necessity 〈◊〉 sensibly invade your Peace and Quiet and if given way to multiply Afflictions in your Mind and Body there is no shelter 〈◊〉 such Cases but an humble and intire Submission to the Divine â—…ill and Providence which will in time afford you the best Reâ—…dy especially if you can perswade your self to lead a Philosoâ—…al and Pythagorian Life in Meats Drinks Exercises and Communications the last of these if duly observed will add â—…ndantly to the Health of your Body and the Content of your â—…ind I could heartily wish it were in my power to join with 〈◊〉 in so noble a Design nothing in the World could be more 〈◊〉 my good liking As to your Indisposition I cannot at preâ—…nt give you better Advice than I have already done when I â—…coursed you in London however I would have you if possiâ—… to exalt your Mind that your present Afflictions and Cirâ—…stances may not get Dominion over you for neither your 〈◊〉 Natural Spirits nor Body are able to endure such Fatigues â—…ations and Troubles as others who are of more sturdy Conâ—…tions Much
so ignorantly Blind in this matter that there hath been but very few that have considered or as much as thought of it But to endeavour as much as lyes in me to satisfy your curiosity I shall set down some probable Guesses concerning them farther than which I do not pretend to go and they are reduced to the following Considerations 1. IN all Birds and Fowl that excellent Element the Air hath the ruling power to which their very Constitutions are subjected notwithstanding the variety of their Shapes Forms Natures and Dispositions as all Four Footed Beasts and other Animals of the Earth and Water have those Elements predominant in them And for this cause Birds do excel all other visible Creatures in the perfection of their Senses of Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting and Feeling and that the Air has the principal government in them is very manifest first from their Voices Tones and Singing as that Element is known to be the very Life of all Tones and variety of Harmony wherein Birds exceed all other Sublunary Creatures Mankind alone excepted for which we may assign a reason in another place Secondly Their Flying and conveying their Bodies thro' the Air with a swift motion is a proof of it that being a Faculty that as far exceeds all the Inhabitants of this inferior World as Angels do them Thirdly They Build their Nests for the most part on Trees making the Heavens their Habitations wherein they mount aloft and with their speedy and swift motions can in a little while not only move themselves to great distances of places but at the same time behold the Earth creepers as I may term them grovelling in their heavy sluggish motions and herein have such exceeding advantages above even the rational part of this lower World that could a Man be but endued with this Flying Faculty as Birds enjoy it it cannot be thought he would be willing to lose or exchange such an Heavenly freedom and perfection for any Earthly Diadem or circumscribed dominion amongst us Fourthly Their manner of Subsistance for some parts of the year is in a manner unaccountable to us particularly in the Winter Season from about Christmas to the end of March which tho' subject to most pinching cold Winds Snow and Rainy Weather that never fail to cut off and destroy all Insects and Flies and that there is nothing visible to our Senses whereby such great numbers of Winged Creatures can be Sustained yet Birds of most sorts are then in the best case most Fat and so esteemed the best and most wholsom Food upon account of which Men double their diligence with Guns Snares and the like to destroy them without any consideration had either to their Innocency Harmonious Sounds and Voices or other Heavenly properties the Creator has endued them with above and in a far more excellent perfection than any other of the Sublunary Beings Now that these Creatures that are Corporeal and compounded of the same Elements and Qualities of Flesh and Blood as other Animals are should be able not only to support themselves from Starving but at such a time to grow Fat too when most other Creatures we know or communicate with sink and perish is very strange But as the Constitution and Composition of Birds are more Airy and Heavenly than other Creatures Inhabiting the dark cold lumpish Earth so their Support and Food must be more thin and Spirituous Fifthly Birds exceed all other Animals in their Love and Chastity and the Fidelity and Constancy of the Male and Female is admirable as I have set forth at large in my Complaint of the Birds which I know you have read with Satisfaction and as much may be said of them in respect to the Shortness Entireness and Intelligibility of their Language being well known to every one of the same Species and kind a Black-bird to be a Black-bird and so with the rest For Birds in their original Constitution are more Sublime than other inferiour Creatures or Beasts and still retain more of those excellent Branches entire than the most earthly since Mankind having had no commanding Power over them as over other Creatures besides Guns and Snares it must reasonably be supposed their Natures cannot be depraved as other Animals must needs be that are subject to the adulterated Methods of Men and this Preservation of theirs has been chiefly owing to that Noble and as it were heavenly Faculty of Flying in comparison whereof other Motions are dull heavy burthensom dark and melancholy seeming to be be but one degree behind that of Angels or the invisible Powers And this is most certain that the more entire any Creatures keep themselves from communicating with Mankind as has been just now hinted the more they keep or act within the Circle or Limits of their own original or first Love wherewith their Creator bound them so that is as the Fowls of the Air have a double Advantage over most if not all other Creatures for as by their first Constitution they are made more heavenly and Ethereal so by the Help and Assistance of these sublime Qualities they avoid those Evils and Adulterations of their natural constitutive Powers that other Creatures have been subjected to thro' the intollerable Burdens and Slaveries Men have imposed upon them for Mankind cannot but influence all the under-graduates whose Lives and Fortunes are at his Will and Pleasure with the same or the like Miseries and Depravities he has subjected himself unto which is plainly manifested by some of the winged Troops that are of grosser Compositions and familiar Dispositions such as Greese Hens Ducks Turkeys and others whose Bodies being gross in Quality and large in Quantity occasion them to lose most of their excellent Faculties and airy Qualifications and the like which they but very lamely perform in comparison of those that neither communicate with nor are fed by Men to say nothing of their being unhealthy liable to many Diseases and become short liv'd as all other Animals are which are governed by Mankind Sixthly As Birds and Fowls of the Air that do not converse with or are not fed by Men are much freer from Distempers than others so 't is to be observ'd that naturally there are but a few particular Diseases amongst them and that if they have any they are their own Physitians and 't is certain they have no sweeping or general Plagues amongst them so that they are not only healthy but long liv'd too and History tells us that some Birds have been observed to have lived three four or five hundred Years and yet appeared in youthful Dresses and undoubtedly their lives are very long and as unaccountable to us as their Diseases and more especially Deaths and Burial-places which few or none of the Ancient Historians or Philosophers have taken notice of and that we should remain I may say wholly ignorant hereof to this very day knowing nothing in what Climate Region or World those airy Beings make their Exit is as