in the Learned Scribes and Pharisees Mark 2.6 Luke 20.20 Matt. 26.3 Luke 20.5 Who held a Counsel and Reasoned in themselves how they might intrap Jesus in his Words And that Devil that tempted Christ he was one of them and no such bodilis Devil as your Reason hath created to it self that should carry Christ up to the Pinacle of that outward material Temple in Jerusalem no no But against all your Wisdom of Reason we affirm That he was a Man-Devil being a Learned Scribe well Read in Scripture and could argue the same from this Pinacle of his subtil Pate but Christ repulsed his Scripture Argument with Scripture again saying It is written thou shalt not temp the Lord thy God but him only thou shalt serve Now where was this Scripture written was it not in Deut. 6.13 16 And was it not writen to Men indued with the Wisdom of Reason It was not writen to a bodilis Devil for bodilis Devils do not commit Murder Adultery or tempt God it is Man that doth all this and it was to Man that the Law was given Exod. 20. Deut. 4.13.15 Psal 78.18 41.56 and so the Law saith Thou shalt not Tempt the Lord thy God as your Fathers tempted him And again You shall not corrupt yourselves Now from what is here said James 1.14 4.1.2.7 Compared it must needs follow that if Pride Envy Lust Covetuousness and Hipocrisy be the Divels in Men are not Men and Women those Devils that are brought under the Power of those Evils When the Apostle said That the Devil should cast some of them Saints into Prison Revel 2.10 the Saints were not cast into Prison by Devils that had no Bodies Therefore lay not your Brats at other Mens Dores John 6.70 8.44 Acts 1â— 10 Isaiah 3.9 but charge your own Souls home with the Evil you do For as it is Man 's own Soul that Sins so it is his own Soul that must suffer This will prove true and so will that of Moses and Elias altho you call it all Fable For why will you ty God up to your Imagination of cursed Reason Is anything too hard for God to do Gen. 22.16 when his divine Wisdom moves him to it Did not he Swear by himself to himself what he proposed to do Psal 8.5 Phill. 2.7 8. And may he not by the same Rule change his own glorious Condition into Flesh and having humbled himself to himself John 17.5 19. Matt. 27.46 2â— 2 Luke 24.4 Acts 1.10 Revel 22.9 may he not cause his Humanity to Pray and Cry unto his Divinity within him or to his spiritual Charge committed unto his Angels without him for a further Manifestation of his unserchable Power in Shame and Weakness as well as in Power and Glory Is it not writen How that his Angels had given them a Charge to watch over him And did not Moses and Elias do so from his Birth to his Assention Also is it not written Luke 1.17 Matt. 4.5 Mâ—â—â— 4.5 Matt. â—7 12.3 That John the Baptist came in the Spirit and Power of Elias Which is plain that John the Baptist had his Commission from Elias for there was none greater in Heaven then Elias was at that time for God was then on Earth eating and drinking with Man as Man as was before said Thus much may serve to satisfy all sober Men who will not violently oppose plain Scripture Again you further object against that Saying of theirs where they affirm That no one ever did declare the Knowledge of the true God in his Form and Nature as they have done Now in Answer to this say you There was Sabulus and Noetus held but one Person in the Diety called by different Names These you Representor call Broachers of our Doctrin which you judg so mischevious CHAP. XII ANSWER IF these Bishops of Sabulus and Noetus taught so they were in the right of it and they might hint at Truth but they wanted a full Revelation for it was not Revealed to them as it is now and these Two Prophets never read any of their Writings neither do I think that there is any of them that are truly theirs in being We have the Prophets and Apostles Writings through Providence to shew that Christ was the only God altho they were very sparing in their Proof how God became Flesh to what this Commission doth and wherefore why because the Mistery of God was not to be finished according to John until the Days of the Voice of the Seventh Anty-Angel's sounding of his Trumpet or Ministry Revel 10.7 namely the Quakers And Sabalus and Noetus were before the sounding of the First Anty-Angel the Papist with Power Sabalus the Bishop being about Two hundred Years after Christ and Noetus was Contemporary with him so that this being in the time of the Ten Persecutions there was Truth then in the World and a Trinity of Persons in one Godhead had not got Footing at that time during the Ten Persecutions But after Religion was set up by Emperial Power then Bishops were chosen out of Learned and Philosophical Men and Churches as they called them builded and Riches given for their Support then were Sinods and Counsels called to establish Error and formal Worship and to suppress Truth That was ever without outward Pomp and Glory Thus was Noetus and Sabalus's Doctrin Judged Heresy both by Trenitarian and Arian and tho they Cursed Excommunicated and Condemned each other by several Counsels as if Hell was broke loose and so it was for the Thousand Years time after Satan's Binding was ended Revel 20. as soon as the Ten Persecutions were over for then the Devil went forth to deceive the World with false Worship as John declareth The Arian being but as a Branch sprouted out of the Roman Catholick altho in Constansius's Days and some time after a very great Branch insomuch that the Catholicks could not then bost of Number for in the Counsel of Ariminum and Selencia there was 560 Bishops the greatest Convention that ever was known and yet they Decreed the Arian Faith So that will you Catholicks say That Number is an Argument of Truth But whichsoever of them that got the Emperor of their side gained Power over the other so that both of them altho they persecuted each other with deadly Hatred as they got upermost in Power nevertheless they could agree together to kill Christ in his Members and to tread the Holy City under Foot of innocent minded Men and Women Revel 11.1 by their Penal Laws that could not bow down to their outward Formalities and Antichristian Principles These were as Two Thieves that Trtuth was Crusified between Matt. 27.38 Now these Catholicks prevailing and they having not only the Scriptures order'd by the Emperor Constantine to be Translated into their Tongue but likewise their learned Counsels collected and gathered into a Heap and all the other Writings of preceding
many as believed in him shall Reign with him at that time And all faithful Men shall rise again and the Residue to Shame because they believed not in God that came in the Flesh to deliver Thus it is made Clear That God the Father became Flesh but one Evidence more from John befor I conclude this Point He in Admiration of his Lords Love cryed out saying 1 John 3.1 O What Love the Father hath bestowed upon us but the World knoweth him not but we know him Now who was this Father of Love was it any other but the Apostles Jesus his following Words doth shew it as clear as the Light saying thus We who are his Apostles do know him and we further know that when He doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is That is Psal 3.21 when he comes to change our vile Bodies and make them like his own glorious Body then shall we see him as he is in himself one personal God Cloathed with Flesh and Bone as a Garment of eternal Glory This is the Faith saith John That maketh Pure and he whose Faith abides in Jesus Christ that came by Water and Blood hath the everlasting Father and he that holdeth this Faith sineth not That is he sineth not to Act he may have the motion to Sin but it preserveth from the Act for that golden Grace of Faith crusheth that Cokatrice Egg of the Motion of Sin before it become a stinging Serpent and so Conquers and Overcomes This is the Doctrin of the Gospel and he that Imbraceth it hath the Father and the Son 2 John 10.9 where and to whom the Blessing and the Salvation of God-speed is given This is the true God and the Amen 1 John 5.20 Revel 3.14 and all other Gods are Idols This is the Muggletonian's Principle which the Ante-Scripturian calls a mischievious Principle Thus you curse the true God and defy the Holy one of Israel chusing to your self a God of your own lying Imagination In Page 19. you further Object against that Principle how that the God-head dyed This say you is quite contrary to Scripture which saith God is Immortal and that he hath Immortality 1. Tim. 1.17 6.16 Also you say That Muggleton teacheth That the Soul of Man is Mortal and turns to Dust To this say you the Scripture tells us That the Souls of Men are alive after their Death Matt. 22 32. And that God is said to be their God after they are Dead Matt. 10.28 And that we are not to fear them that can kill the Body and not the Soul And that Lazarus when he dyed went to Heaven and Dives to Hell Luke 16.22 CHAP. IX ANSWER The Scriptures Acts 20.28 say that God purchased the Church with his Blood Now the Blood of Christ was no other but the Blood of God and when he power'd forth that Blood then did he power forth his Life for Life lay in that Blood Therefore it is said That he powered forth his Soul unto Death Isaiah 53.12 Heb 9.14 and that he offered up himself through the eternal Spirit What is that but that the eternal Spirit entered into Death or passed through Death in a Moment into eternal Life Death being too weak to keep him under Coll 2.9 1 Cor. 15.54 so that whatever Life was in Jesus did enter into Death Therefore he that was the Alpha and Omega Revel 1.18 the First and the Last was Dead but is now Alive and behold he now lives for ever more and is that immortal only wise God blessed for ever So that we do affirm 1 Tim. 6.16 2 John 7. Revel 1.18 That God is immortal and we also know that Eternity did become Time for Flesh was in Time and Time did become Eternity again Now in that you Teach That God cannot dye it is evident that you do not belive that Christ was any God at all so that you Trenitarians Arians and Socinians you are all a like and that you are no more Christians then they For it will necessarily follow That if it were nothing but humane Nature or Life in Christ that died then the Death of any other Man had been equevolent to Christ's Sufferings and as Meritorious as his and so your Spirit God without a Body might have saved you by sheding of any other Man's Blood But the true Christian doth know that no Blood can make Attonement for Sin but the most precious and unvaluable Blood of a God to believe this John 6.54 is to drink his Blood And to believe that that blessed Body of his was no less then the very body of God this is to eate his flesh so that whosoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood so hath by so doing gained the full assurance of Eternal Life this is a standing Truth and shall prevail But how is it possible you should believe this when as you cannnot believe that any Life dies at all for say you The Soul of Man is alive after Death here your Ignorance appears very great for all your Learning Where did you ever find by Scripture That the Soul of any man was ever alive without its body The Scripture no where affirms it if rightly understood they are but old Wives Fables or Monks and Fryers Forgeries and heathenish Principles from their own blind Imaginations As for those Sayings concerning Dives and Lazarus 't is but a Parable Luke 16. and so must have a Spiritual meaning for Souls without Bodies have no Tongues nor Eyes nor Bosoms as that Parable speaks of but that Parable was only to set forth the two Seeds here in Mortality which is largely opened by this Commission of the Spirit And as to Christ speaking of God being the God of the living and not of the dead it was spoken to the Saduces who denyed the Resurrection therefore Christ shews that there was a necessity of a Resurrection Act 2.31 and 13.36 seeing that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the rest of the Prophets were dead and their Sepulchres are with us at this day and if God do not raise them again to that Glory their Faith was pitch'd upon then was he the God of the dead and not of the living in that all dyed to him instead of living to him And as to that saying Fear not them which can kill the body c. That is fear not him that may kill both Soul and Body by a natural death but rather fear him that hath an absolute power in himself to slay both Soul and Body with an Eternal or second Death Moreover when the Scripture saith the body dies doth not that include the soul or natural Life What have you your natural Learning for but to understand the natural sence of words Do you not find that that which our Translation calls body the Greek calleth souls as Numb 6.6 there it is said That he shall come at no dead body in our
we are Obedient unto all the Civil Laws of the Land and give to every Man the Respect due unto him All therefore that we desire of you is That we may pass peacibly through your Country towards our Inheritance but you are not willing that we should no more than Edom was with Issrael Numb 20. but have presumed to stop our Course by judging and condeming our Faith Now if our Faith be true as we know it is then you have given Judgment against your self you were not aware of that Caution of our Saviours Saying Judg not and thou shalt not be Judged Matt. 7.1 Now in that we know that our Faith is of God and is Truth therefore is it of Power to reign over that which judgeth it But if we might come to Reason together then I would demand of you wherefore you did send out your judging Pamphlet against us and would not subscribe your Name to it Were you afraid of holding Tryal with us for fear you should be worsted by us as others have been heretofore and so were for working Mischief privately and yet ly in Cognito thinking belike that Faiths Power could not find you out to give you an Answer otherwise how could you find a Name to your Book and a Name to the People you wrote against but have found never a Name for your self but have left it to us to find a Name for you which according to holy Writ is Elimas a Corrupter Acts 13.10 a sworn Enemy to Truth and the Accuser of the Brethren being of a worthy Descent Successor to Simon Magus being newly crept out of the Colledg of Priests which came out of the Mouth of the False Prophet such a one as Amaziah the Priest of Beth-el Rev. 16.13 Amos 7.12 who could not abide a poor Prophet a Herds-Man that he should once speak near the King's Chappel because it was the King's Court in which Learned Amaziah was the Doctor and Chaplain Thus have you delt with these Prophets of the Lord and for fear that this poor Prophets Doctrin which you like Amaziah call Mischevious should take any Ephect amongst the People From hence you have secretly spred this your Pamphlet into your Brethren the Priests Hands all the Nation over and have endeavoured to make our Principles as Contemptable and Odious as possibly you could in order to make them seem the more Rediculous and this your Book must be as a Pattern for them to frame their Arguments by and those their Arguments must be as Bulworks of Defence to them and as Bullets shot against us Sir Esther 3.8 You have acted in the very same way as Haman did against Israel saying in this manner to the King There is a certain malitious and mischevious People scattered abroad amongst the People in all places and their Laws are differing from all People neither keep they the King 's Church-Laws therefore it is not for the King's profit to suffer them let them be destroyed for their Principles are mischevious Now I being a Member of this dispised People seeing your Spite and Malice against us who have broke no Law am from hence moved to return an Answer and this my Reply shall not spare you altho I am given to understand That you are a Doctor of the National Church for God and Faith is no respecter of Persons in such a Case Therefore this my Reply shall persue you until it overtake you and when it hath overtaken you it shall fasten a Witness in your Conscience that you have been a Fighter against God his Prophets and People and against the Sacred Scriptures and a false Representer of the Muggletonian's Principles and I shall not be long in proving the same For In the Preface of your Book you say That John Reeve was by Profession a Baker which Saying of yours is utterly False So here you haue forfited your Title-Page which instead of a true Representation is a false one But you bring him in as a Baker to make him the more Contemptible with the Learned but if he had would that have made him more uncapable of being God's last Messenger I tro not no more than it did Amos who was but a Herds-Man as aforesaid For this is evident that the Saints have found in all Ages that the Learned have ever stood up as an Enemy and Judg of spiritual Truth as will more appear in the sequel of my Discourse But to proceed to The Accusation against us In your Presace you call us poor deluded Souls and by the Name of a contemptible and pernicious Sect and blasphemiously affirm that it is made up of Impiety Nonsence and Absurdities and that we have not so much as the Shadow of Reason to support us From hence say you we will not submit to the Tryal of it being uncapable of Argument and that you wrote not that your Trealise for our Sakes that have not Reason and Argument as you say to answer you but for the Sakes and Satisfaction of the World and of the Learned who are capable say you to hear Reason and Argument CHAP. II. ANSWER AS to them Judging and Condemning Censures against us shall be answered Chap. 15. And as to your Reason and Argument you so much bost of I am willing to allow it its Prerogative and give it its due of having Government as to all Terrestial Affairs Deut. 1.13 Acts 26.3 18.14 15. But wherefore should it enter upon God's Prerogative so as to take upon it to judg divine Things that are Eternal Luke 20.14 by its unclean serpentine Reason But to such as are learned in Faith's School doth know Matt. 11.25 that he that doth Minister spiritual Things is to lay Reason and Argument by as to the sinding out of any heavenly Secrets by the most persingst Reason that is For Reason is not Heaven-born James 3.15 and so is but Natural and it is the natural or moral Law that enlightens it but Faith being of another Nature which is Spiritual Psal 19.7 John 1.4 and so the Law of Faith serves to quicken and enlighten Faith and when it is enlightened then she Rules as Mistress over Reason Therefore though the Kingdoms of this World lys in Reason yet the Kingdom of Christ lys in Faith which ever appears simple John 18.36 Luke 17.21 2 Cor. 1.12 Luke 1.53 6.25 and yet it is this poor despised Seed that receives the Gospel it s the Simple and the Foolish that catch Heaven The Poor are filled with the Substance of spiritual Truth when as the Rich in Reason Notion and Argument are sent empty away Therefore away with your Arguments where Faith is sought Matt. 4.18 Amos 1.1 Acts 18.3 Coll. 2.8 there the Fisher the Herds-man the Tent-maker Ai and he that you call the Baker rather than the Philosopher are to be trusted Do you teach the World by your Reason and Argument as you say this manifests that you and
Voice be never so true if it be alone and without the visible Evidence of working Miracles it is of no value As also you say it must be proved by Scripture without which you make it of no value c. CHAP. III. ANSWER 1. THis your way is to overthrow all Prophesy Numb 11.29 2 Pet. 1.19 1 Thes 5.20 You will tie God to worke Miracles or you will not belive him Either God must do as you will have him or he must not be God It is no wonder that you cannot distinguish between a true Voice and a false because God never chose you by Voice nor never will But how should you believe a vocal Voice when as your God has never a Tongue You have made it here plainly appear that you are of the same Spirit of those murthering Jews who bid Christ come down from the Cross and they would belive in him Matt. 27.42 True Doctrin without Miracles is to you most detestable 2. Again Isa 6.8 52.1 was not all true Prophets chosen by voice of Words nevertheless the Seed of the Serpent could never believe them Jer. 15.10 neither could the Priests or Rulers ever abide them and there was few of them but what was either Persecuted or put to Death 1 Kings 18.22 by the Magistrates and their National Priests There was 450. false Prophets mustred up against Too or Three true Prophets as Elijah and Micaiah and one of them must strike Micaiah one the Cheek as aforesaid and this Priest and Ahab's Son flung him down to bracke his Neck But Elijah the Representor of God's Person by Word of Power slew them all Zâ—ph 1.4 as a Tipe of the Destruction of all false Prophets and false Priests at the end of the World Such a Miracle you want When Isaiah Prophesied of his God's becoming Flesh Isaiah â—5 1 not one would believe him neither Priest nor People Therefore said he Lord who hath believed our Report 1 Kings 19. and Elijah said That all were gon after Baall Nor regarded Truth for that was ever hated I hate him said Ahab 1 King 22 8. for he never said Good of me but Evil It 's now as it was then unless we could bring Fire from Heaven as Elijah did there can be no Belief and it must be to destroy them it might Convince them but it would never Convert them Psal 78.32 If Miracles were wrought now what would it avail this bloody unbeliveing World they would but say as the Jews said of Christ Matt. 12 2â— That they were don by the Devil But what said Paul Toungues and Miracles are but for a Signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not 1 Cor. 14.22 John 10 4â— but Prophesy serveth for them that believe only John the Baptist a great Prophet and yet did no Miracle Thus you call in question the glorious Truths of God under pretence of John Reeves's Weakness as to outward Miracles that you might believe when as his Commission is all spiritual Now the Seed of Faith believes not because of the Miracles wrought by the Lord or his Prophets but in that they were of the Election and fore-ordain'd to believe for the saving of the Soul and as the Christian Dove waits for a Sign within him or from behind Reason 〈◊〉 30.21 for a Word saying This is the Way walk in it Even so on the contrary the carnal Serpent he requires a natural Sign before his Reason that may be seen with his outward Eye to make him believe spiritual Truths and therefore Reason Cries saying Where are you Miracles and where is your Scripture Evidence to prove it Prove by Scripture Now if this Witness should write nothing but what is exactly set down in Scripture then should they write nothing at all But always true Prophesy hath somthing new to deliver Jâ—r 31.22 Again Did the Prophets and Apostles write Matt. 15.32 2 Pet. 1 21. by Imitation or Study or by Inspiration only they might allude somtimes to the Prophets Words for Convincing of Gainsayers Furthermore the Scriptures in themselves are Words of pure Truth to all that spiritually dissern them and that is such as have the Life and Power of them in their own Souls John 6.63 but they that have not the inner Life and Meaning thereof they study the outward Letter by their Reason to find the Life and Meaning thereof Oâ—ed 6.8 John 7 52. and then this their Imagination the Child of study trumpits out it 's own Conceptions upon it This is the work and way of all the seven Anty Churches of Europe every one of them endeavouring to prove their Ministry by the Letter of the Scripture or by the Light within them but never a one from the glorious Voice of the everliving God without them And from hence though they Judg and Condemn each other for false whilst they are all false yet can they agree to Fight against God and his true Prophets by the Letter of the Scripture And you keep these Chests and Boxes of presions things but the Jewels and Treasure is quite gon and is a Stranger to you you know it not but do Despite unto it and put your own Imaginations into the Letter 2 Pet. â— 3 verse 3. 〈◊〉 â— 10 and so turn and wind it about like a Nose of Wax and make it speak for your Honour and Riches Oh! how profitable hath this Letter of the Scriptures been to Reprobate Preachers Wherefore then we who are called Muggletonians in scorn do boldly affirm That though you have got the Letter of the Scriptures and run away with it as a Dogg doth with a Bone yet none of its spiritual Declarations were ever written for your Instruction Rom. 15.4 Deut. 4.6 Jer. 9.23 but for the Instruction of the Seed of Faith For the Law only belongs to you and it may make you wise but not unto Salvation that 's the Property of the Gospel to the Seed of Faith the Seed of the Lord 's own Body for it is the Man of God that is made Wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 31.15 so that he must be a Man of God and have Faith in those Scriptures before he can be Wise unto Salvation because they are given by Inspiration of the holy Spirit and no Man can know them but by the same Spirit as those had that wrote them These things considered how then is it possible that you should apply Scripture to purpose when your Wisdom is not Inspiration 1 Cor. 4.20 but Education what will your Form do to you without the Power If you have the Words of God and not that Word which is God what good will your Word do you What Commission have you to preach to the People Christ tells you that you are but Thieves and Robbers climbing up to Heaven by Ordinances of your own and your own stollen Doctrine John 10.1 for you steal
apropriates David's Key to belong to it Psal 149.4 which Key lyes in such and the like Sayings The Lord takes Pleasure in his People he will beautifie the Meek with Salvation this is the Key that opens Heaven And as follows Let the high Praises of God be in their Mouth and a two-edged Sword in their Hand and then with the other Key and Sword To execute Vengance upon the Heathen and Punishments upon the People To bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron To execute upon them the Jndgment written And this is the Key that opens and none can shut and shuts and no Man can open Psal 149.9 This Honour saith David belongs to all living Saints For these Keys and Sword belongs to all Saints Isa 54.17 57.4 and David himself in those and the like Sayings had flung into the Fire all that dispised his Spirit of Prophesie of his God's becoming Flesh and Sealed them up in these Words Saying divide their Tongues Psal 55.9 for I have seen Violence in the City Cast them down in thy Anger Consume them in Wrath Psal 59.13 let not them come into thy Righteousness blot them out of the Book of Life and let them not be written with the Righteous Psal 140.10 Let burning Goals fall upon them let them be cast into the Fire The Prophet Jeremiah likewise meeting with the Seed of the Serpent opposing his spiritual Declarations concerning God's becoming Flesh and his Sufferings by that Seed Seals them up to Death Eternal for they were for devising Devises against that Doctrine of his therefore he powereth forth these Imprecasions against them saing O Lord Jor. 18.23 29.22 forgive not their Iniquity neither blot out their Sin from thy Sight c. And then changing his Words he speaks in the Person of God saying Jer. 23.14 They are all unto me as Sodom So that we see that the Prophit's Curse is God's Curse Jer. 6.30 And further saith he The Saints shall call them Reprobate Silver This is Gospel Power the Lawes Curse penetrades down into the Grave Ezâ—k 32.24 26.27 29. the first Death but the Gospels Power and Curss raises it again from the first Death into a second and eternal Death being a living Death and dying Life And thus we see that every true Minister hath Power to set Life and Death before 〈◊〉 And that Ministry that hath not that Power Mark 16.16 John 3.18 is no true Ministry Now what a blind Guide is this that connot see these plain Scriptures but cries out Prove this by Scripture Woe be to all such as are led by these blind Guides Oh that all the Elect were but delivered from their Captivity and Bondage under their Formalities and might come to hear of Truth that their Joy and Peace might abound being the Seale of eternal Life But it is a wonderful thing that such Preachers as those who cannot Believe that any Prophet hath Power as aforesaid and yet they themselves shall take upon them to Judg Mans Faith and Condemn him for it so is it not a wicked thing to deny the Prophets and Apostles Power of the Keys of Heaven and Hell and yet presume to do that thing themselves whilst they acknowledg themselves but falible Men Doth not this Make you justly damned in your selves But it is no wondring at it for what saith the Scripture He hath blinded their Eyes John 12.40 they Stumble at Noon-Day They have all the Spirit of Slumber And now I shall return to Answer this Misrepresentor's false Reflections upon our main Principles yea such as the very Scriptures stands upon and on which eternal Life wholy depends In Page the 18th you bring in John Reeve sciteing him thus Saying God is not a Spirit but hath a Body Your Reflections are thus The Accusation The Scripture makes a Body and a Spirit Tow opposite things so that a Body is not a Spirit nor a Spirit a Body Eccles. 12.7 A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bone Luke 24.37 The Scripture calls God a Spirit but never a Body God is not in form of a Man but is invisible and no Man ever Saw him or can CHAP. VII ANSWER 1. Your Citation is false For John Reeve's Words are thus That God is not a Spirit without a Body By your false Citation you would have your worldly Disciples to think That he affirms That God is a Body without a Spirit But to come to the Point I must tell you That the Body and Soul are not Two contrary Things and if your Solomon Eccles 3.19 told you so with one Breath he tells you the quite contrary in another but many times wise Solomons Verse 20. do not know the meaning of their own Sayings Solomon was a wise Man 1 Kings 3.12 12 24 11.4 but the Wisdom which he craved and that God gave him was but natural so that Solomon's Writings are but the Operations of his natural Reason and from sum intrigate Sayings of his Father David So they are no Scripture for he was no Prophetical Man Matt. 12.42 2. Again If the Body and Soul are two contrary things as you say and in Oposition to each other then was the Body and Soul of Christ at variance with it self and in Oposition with each other and so two oposite Things If so then Christ's Body did not go to Heaven nor never would And belike you do not belive that Christ's Body is in Heaven any more than the Quakers and I know not how you should believe it because your God hath never a Body So Christ is none of your Fatherly God if he have a Body Can a Spirit live and subsist without a Body where do the Scriptures say That God is a Spirit without a Body Did not you learn your own Catechise or if you did have you forgotten doth it not teach saying to your Pupils That God is a Spirit Or a spiritual Substance most Holy Wise Just and Infinite Now if it be so that God hath a Substance then he must on necessity have a Body And if he be Holy Wise and Just he must have a Person to possess his ravishing Glory in and yet to be of uncompounded Purity Exod. 15.3 Is it not said That God was a Man of War that shews that he is in the form of a Man Also Christ told the Pharises Maâ—â— â—â— 17 Josh 9.1 3. That there was no Man perfectly Good but one which was God 3. Moreover if your Soul can be more Wise Just and Holy without your Body then turn it out of the Body and see what Holiness and Justice it can Act without its Body 1 Cor. 6.19 But the Truth of Scripture is That God had a Body and Person from all Eternity Râ—vel 21.23 1.14 10.1 a spiritual Body brighter than the Sun more clear than Christial and that is the Reason why Mortality cannot
behold him as he is in his full Glory Deut. 10.6 If God was willing at any time that some of his Servants the Prophets should behold him he was compelled to vale his Glory so as that their frail Nature might be in a capasity to behold him And this we further affirm That we can sooner find in Scripture that our God hath and ever had a distinct Body of himself than you can find in Scripture a Trinity of Persons in one Godhead for if you find Three distinct Persons then you must find Three Bodies and where then is your Spirit God become 4. Again is not the Scriptures clear That the Fathers of old did see God Gen. 17.3 Exod. 24.10 Isa 6.5 John 35.9 Exod. 33.23 and ever beheld him in Form and Shape of a Man Will you say that God assumed that Shape and yet had no Shape of his own this is to make God a Conniver It is no wonder as I said before that you dispise John Reeve for saying that the Lord spake to him to the hearing of the Ear for you do not believe that God hath any Tongue to speak at all For say you a Spirit hath no Flesh and hath no Body For say you Body and Spirit are Two contrary things As the Scripture saith that God hath a Body Dan. 7.9 Revel 10.1 1.14 John 6. â— Psal 94.9 Nâ—mâ— 12.8 Isa 6â— 5 so it attributes to this Body Hands Eyes Face Nose Mouth Ears Arms Leggs Breast Heart Back c. And yet must he have never a Body this is clearly to deny Scripture for the Scripturian saith That God hath a Body but the Antescripturian saith That God hath neither Body Parts or Shape but yet is an infinite vast God filling all things and is in all Places at one and the same time and so can neither Assend nor Descend Come nor Go but is everywhere at once as your great Augustin saith This is yours and the Worlds monstrous God Are those the Men that are so capable of Argument if we should be as ignorant in the Scriptures as you it were no matter if our Tongues should cleave to the Roof of our Mouths I wonder you are not ashamed to pretend to Scripture do you believe the Scripture Certain I am that there are many Doctors of your Church that doth not believe them at all for instance hereof there is one of your Doctors namely Dr. More This Man in one of his Books called his Cabila doth little less than give the Scripture the Ly for treating upon the Creation of Man by Moses saith That the Scriptures doth not always speak according to the exactness of Truth but according to their Appearance in Sense and the vulgar Opinion and he quotes Chrisostim Bernard and Aquinus as holding the same things and instances it as to the Creating of Adam and Eve Saying thus God hath no Figure or Shape altho Moses saith he hath he only permits the Ignorant and Vulgar People to Believe so it being his Prudence and Policy so to do Now is not this Odious for what Prudence is it to Flatter Dissemble and Deceive the People for must Gods Prophets be but like Polititians of State pretending one thing and acting another Again this Man brings in Moses speaking thus God took of the Dust of the Ground wrought it with his Hands into such a temper that it was fit to make the Body of a Man which when framed then comes near to it with his Mouth and breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life And when God had made a Woman of one of Adam 's Ribs he takes her by the Hand and brought her to Adam so when Adam was awaked Geâ— 2â— 21 he found his Dream to be true for he dream'd that God took a Woman out of him for God stood by him with a Woman in his Hand Now it is true says this Doctor Moses spakes in this manner to satisfy the rude Multitude who was ever ready to think that God was in Forme and Shape as they were and thus Moses complyed with their Humour and permited them to belive so yet saith he it is a Contradiction to the Idia of God to have Figure and Shape Now what say you to this is not this giving Moses the Lie Moses you see would permit People to believe That God was in the Form of a Man Now why will not you permit us to believe so Moses did not count this Doctrine a mischievous Principle as you do but you with this Man set your selves against Moses and against the Scriptures they are counted no other than a Lie with you Now it is clear by this that many of you Doctors are stark blind Athists your Protestant Church is now grown as blind with Age almost as your Fathers the Papists and as Atheistical as one of the Popes who said That that Fable of Jesus Christ had brought their Church great Riches And one of that Church said to me that the Scriptures were but balderdash Stuff Now as to that saying of Christ's to his Disciples That a Spirit had not Flesh and Bone as he had it was only to inform them that there was no such Spirit as the World imagined that could be seen that had no Body for Eyes of Flesh must have a Substance for its Object Therefore said Christ handle me and see for I have a Body a Substance of very Flesh and Bone John 20 2â— and they felt and believed him to be their Lord and God For Christ from hence would have them for ever after to know that all Spirits whither of God Men or Angels are always invisible for it is the Body that is visible for the Soul that is in it is always invisible which Spirit comprehends all visible things yet cannot Live Act or Operate without its Body And so much for that Principle Again Page 19th you Representor object against that most divine and misterious Principle of God the Fathers becoming Flesh and call this a Doctrine quite contrary to Scripture and produce those Scriptures for Proof against us namely that God sent his Son made of a Woman And the Word was made Flesh but say you there is not one Word That the Father was made Flesh CHAP. VIII ANSWER IT is confessed by us Gal. 4.4 John 5.26 10.18 Epb. 5.2 that the Scripture saith That God sent his Son as also that Christ came of himself and that he laid down his Life of himself Now if he laid down his Life of himself then where was the Father but in himself for it was his divine Spirit that was the Father by which he could lay down his Life by that self and by that self could take it up again For God transmuteing his spiritual Body into Flesh so gained the Godhead and humane Nature together Heb. 1.3 and so hath a Twofold Self Humane and Divine Therefore when he saith he hath Power of himself to lay down his Life Titus
Bible but after the Greek your own Doctors read thus He shall come at no dead Soul Is it not said Gen. 2.17 That man was made a living soul And was not the threatning charge given out That that soul that sinned Ezek. 18. vers 20. that soul should dye and yet say you the soul cannot dye Now that which the National Ministry do make a ground of the Immortality of the soul is to all spiritual wise men an evident proof of its Mortality as where it is said so such a one dyed and was gathered to his people now whether is it that they were gathered but into the grave As for instance see 2 Kings 22.20 If the Soul can enjoy Heaven without its body Col. 3.4 1 Thes 4.14 what matter of a Resurrection but it is certain that the Scriptures affirms the contrary and that there can be no Salvation without a Resurrection When God shall raise the dead Mat. 13.41 c. 24.31 c. 25.31 John 5. â—8 c. 11.43 he hath his Angels attending to gather the Saints together as God raiseth them neither God nor his Angels doth not bring their Souls from Heaven to â—â—ume their dead bodies but our God raiseth Soul and Body together out of the Grave by a word speaking as he did the Body and Soul of Lazarus Again on the other hand 1 Revel 20.13 Isa 66.24 must all the damned Souls come from Hell to fetch up their cursed bodies What Hell do they come from but out of the Grave Soul and Body out of the Grave and when the Soul and Body rises Jer. 17.13 Mich. 7.71 Exâ—d 10.21 Revel 10.10 then the Devil rises to his eternal Punishment and this Earth will be the place of the Devils Torment where he acted all his Lies and Cruelty there shall he suffer eternally after the Elect Men and Angels are assended with their God into Eternal Glory the Plagues of Egypt were a Tipe of this These things will be so in their time And so much in answer to this Principle In pag. 20th you oppose John Reeve for saying How that but one Angel fell from his Created Purity and Glory This Doctrine say you The Accusation is quite contrary to Scripture which tells us in Jude That the Angels fell and this say you cannot be apply'd to Kain and his Posterity For they say you by our own words never fell And as for Kain say you He never was from that fallen Angel but was of Adam's begetting as well as Seath. And again you affirm also That all Kain's Offspring nerished in the Floud CHAP. X. ANSWER IF that Offspring of that Serpent-Angel that was cast from Heaven could know it self Isa 29.10 John 12.40 Rev. 11.7 then you might know that these Angels spoken of in Jude were the Offspring of Cursed Kain the Serpent Angel transmuted into Flesh and reserved in Chains of Unbelief and the Darkness of Ignorance For Jude spoke of no other Devils but what were clothed in Flesh and it was they that were the Devils ordained to condemnation And therefore mind for he brings in Sodom and Gomorrah and the Rebellious Jews against Moses and those upstart Hypocrites who denied the Lord to be the only and alone true God and yet pretended his Name All these saith he were ordained to condemnation in that Serpent-Angel aforesaid being reprobated in the Seed and Kain was that Seed And therefore Jude pronounces the Woe unto them as the Off-spring and Seed of Kain v. 11. to whom Eternal Torment doth belong Again Rev. 12.7 where it is said that there was a war in heaven Michael and his Angels fighting against the Dragon and his Angels That Michael was the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in all his Angelical Believers and the Dragon was the Spirit of Cursed Kain in all his Seed This War was on Earth tho' said to be in Heaven because the Original of both Seeds came from Heaven for there never was any actual Rebellion in Heaven but that Angel-Serpent aforesaid being cast out all his Seed fell in him and was cast out with him and so actual Rebellion took place And therefore said John Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devil not Devils is come down amongst you Verse 12.17 And it was this Devil that brought the Wo both to Saint and Serpent in this Warfare doth these Two Woes take place to them Two Seeds one in this Fight having his Heel bruised Gen. 3.15 Rev. 13.7.10 which is in Persecution loss of Goods and Death natural the other having his Head bruised by the Saints Weapons of War which reacheth to a second Death And this Devil that was cast down 1 John 3.12 was the Father of Cain from whence all Wickedness and Cruelty hath flown for Cain was the very First-born of that Devil and the fulness of that Serpent-Angel's God-Head lived Boddily in Cain and such of his Seed that have in them a great Share of that piercing Reason or God-head-power became potent Angels Lords and Governours of this World it being given to that Seed and they labour in this their Kingdom to imitate the grandure of that Glory their Father the fallen Angel had before his Fall and to come as near to it as possibly they can And here it is Ezek. 29.3 That the Prophet Ezekiel compares Pharaoh King of Egipt to the great red Dragon And the Assirian Monarch was said by the Prophet to be in Dignity Power Glory and Buty like unto his Father the Angel before his Transmutation into Flesh Chap. 33.3 when he walked once in the Garden of Eden being greater than several others of his Father's Children The great Kings of Babilon were said to be from Lucipher and therefore were called after his Name Lucipher the Sun of the Morning And they are said by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 14.12 To be cast down from Heaven which could not be if they had not proceeded from the fallen Angel And as they were cast down from Heaven in that Angel even so they were for exalting their Thrones above the Stars and to be like unto God which doth shew That they were evil Kings and evil Beasts For good Kings and such as proceed not from Cain they are not for exalting themselves so high as to that Heavenly Throne of judging of Mens Faith and Conscience neither will they tiranise over their Subjects but do Justice according to the Law But to the Matter aforesaid The great King of Tyrus Ezek. 28.3 seems to out-top all the foregoing Kings with Angelical Perfection for he is said to be the very anointed Cherub himself he having as great a Share of that lost Glory as his fallen Nature could afford him for that Angel that he proceeded from was a Church which was the highest Order of Angels and this King was of the highest Degree of Wisdom Buty and Glory And therefore his Perfections was such Verse 13.14 as that he