-^..n,

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

DIVINITY AND
PHILOSOPHY Difle(9:ed, and fet forth, by a mad Man.
The firft Booke, divided into three
Chapters.
Chap. I. The defcription of the World in mans heart :
with the Articles ofthe Chrifiian Faith.
Chap. II. A defcription of one fpirit aSiing in all^which
fome affirme is God.
Chap. III. A defcription ofthe Scripture according to
the hifory and my fery thereof.

Amferdam^ Printed in. the Yeare,
1644.

Deare Friend and Reader, \ Ere is Divinity and Philofophy differed and laid open to the
view of the world, by a mad man ; therefore if the manner
& phrafe be not fo exaft, as that it is not able to fatisfie the
curious eye, or abide the cenfure of the nice Mercuriallift
(who is apt to carpe more at the mifplacing or negleft
of words then matter) it is no great wonder, nor care
I whether they be fatisfied or not, feeing my intention
is to declare the matter according to my own mad minde.
Unto thofe who will underftand it after my mad manner : The reafons why I
expofe it to the generall view needs not much be queftioned or inquired after in
this age, wherein the whole world is full of fo many diftrafted heads and religions
(which fay, Loe here, and loe there is Chrift) that many are put befides their wits
in ftraining them out of joynt to inquire with Pilate what is truth ; by which it may
be gathered that in many ages the fame hath been in obfcurity without being dif
covered or fearcht after : nor are there any to bee found amongft the multitudes of
thofe who beare the name of men, that are able, or at leaft willing to reftifie them
by refolving the queftion. Wherefore I have thruft my felfe upon the Theatre in
this mad pofture and ait, in publilhing my mad minde amongft the reft, ro prove if
any will accept my madnefte for truth, the which I dare not avouch for truth to all,
becaufe I know moft men are full of felf conceited or imaginary knowledge ; fo that
if the higheft, divineft and greateft wifedome and truth that can be written or ex
preffed by letters, were laid down to them, they will not admit of, nor receive it in

their underftandings, but will efteeme of it as the greateft blafphemy, folly and lie
in the virorld. Befides, I am not fo ignorant ih my ihadneffe, but that I know like-
wife that feverall eyes and judgements will looke upon and into it, and according to
their eye or judgement it will appear to or in them, and fo I doe expeft their thoughts
and verdifts to paffe upon it : therefore I fay, I will not, nor dare not maintaine it
to them, in refpeft of their various capacities, conceptions and difpofitions, but only
leave it to the diverfitie of cenfures as every one doth finde it to or in them, earneftly
defiring that they may underftand the beft fenfe for their utility or profit, which is
my reall intention. As alfo I propound it for a triall, to fee if there be any in this
uncharitable and felfe loving age, that out of true love and found judgement will
extend his hand to helpe a mad man, and anfwer him fo as is able throughly to
reftifie and cure his judgement in demonftrating to him by more probable, fubftan
tiall and apparant reafons, his error in this following Treatife, & be his direftot to
a more fublime and higher truth in the thing treated of. I doubt hot but the truly
divine, and right reafonable, or the truly wife, able and found in judgeraent, is fo wife
and good, that he is able and willing to cure diftempers of all forts, to whom I am
alwayes willing to fubmit my judgement upon better grounds : however, deare
Reader, whofoever thou art, whether friend or enemy, whether wife or mad man, I
wilh thee no leffe happineffe then to my felfe, who defire to be in my wits and right
minde to God, althpugh a fool and mad man to the World : if thofe things fpoken
here, trouble or offend thee, fo as thou conceive hatred or raalice againft me for the
fame, or that thou thinkeft that any prejudice may redound to thy owne or others
judgements (or religions) by this enfuing Difcourfe, I befeech thee pacific thyfelfe
firft, and judge not raflily, or before thou knoweft, nor blame rae, but firft enter in
judgement with thy felfe, by pondering and confidering in thy felfe, that if thou
hadft ever under ftood or known things aright thou couldft never have been offended
at any thing fpoken, or at leaft intended for thy good, much leffe could the words
of a mad man have ftumbled or offended thee, for to the wife all things are profit
able : but if any doe reap good thereby, let them know that out of a hearty love I
earneftly intend good to them and to all, and wilh from my heart that they may
attaine unto the perfedlion thereof, for their owne everlafting peace and tranquilitj'
in minde : nor is it impoffible but perhaps that which feemeth to be a lie and mad
neffe to fome, raay appear to be the reall truth and true wifdorae to others : thus
wiftiing thee the true knowledge of all things and their caufe, together with the
fruition and enjoyment of the trueft happineffe, which is God : I am thy true friend.

This remarkable work was reprinted at the expenfe
of the late John Hewetfon, Efq., who intended
it for prefentation to his friends. He died on the i8th of
April, 1876, before the volume was finifhed; fince that time
its iffue has been delayed in the hope of finding among his
papers an Introdudion prepared by him. This Introdudtion
not being found, it is thought advifable to iffue the work as
it is.HwiTH House, Ravenstonedale,
Westmoreland, Sept., 1879.

DIVINITY AND PHILOSOPHY.

CHAPTER I.
The defcription of the world in Mans heart.
'S FOR THE CREATION OF THE WORLD,
IT IS IN Mans heart, as Ecclefi-
aftes faith in the third Chapter, it
is internally ; and in the firft of
the Hebrewes, he faith that God
hath created the worlds, fpeaking in the plurall
number ; that is, he makes a firft and fecond
creation of Man: now the creation of Gods firft
world in Man, is Man and God j'oyned together
from eternity ; and this was that deep filence
and waters that God moved or brooded on,

..f

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and he feparated the waters from the waters, for
God is that light and holy fpring, and Man is
that darke and blacke water ; and God is the
Heaven, and Man is the Earth ; and the fepa
ration is the firft day for diftindions fake that
we may know God from our felves, I meane
the firmament and feparating light and dark-
nefte is the diftinftion; and that is the firft
day in Man which is called the Evening and
the Morning : So thefe waters is the fl.owing
of the mindes of God and Man which were
feparated; the minde of God floweth above
the firmament and in his owne light or fphere
or in himfelfe. The Man, his minde floweth
under the firmament and on the earth or in
himfelfe, that his dry land or earth might
appeare; and this feparation of mindes or
waters is the fecond day or light that difcovers
two, one difcourfing to the other, and faith,
let us make or doe thefe things, and fo this
day or light hath its evening and morning,
which is a whole day : and God faith, let the

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Earth bring forth fruits ; now the defires and
affedions are the herbs and fruits with their
feeds, that is their proper felves that bringeth
forth their owne kinde in Man, for every af
feftion, thought and inclination, hath its owne
feed in it felfe, and doth produce its own
fruit out of us, which is good in their owne
kinde ; and the appearance of thefe things in
us is the third day in man, with its evening
and morning, for the evening and morning
maketh the whole day. And God faid, let
there be light in the firmament, which light
is the Son and glory of God and Man, Chrif
Jefus, and is the light which diftinguifhes or
difcovers the mindes both of God and Man
to each other : and the Moon that is in this
diftinftion that rules the night or the darke
Man, is the inftruftion, and the good advifes,
that the Sunne or true day light fhineth
through [them] to the Man, and all the ftarres
in this firmament are the lights of Gods graces
that are feverall to the Man to enlighten his

Divinity and Philofophy.

darke heart that hee may fee the glorious
Son through thefe glimmering lights, for his
dark eyes are not able at the firft to behold the
glorious Sonne, but by degrees the holy God
brings him to it ; fo thefe holy lights in the
Man are the fourth day with his evening and
morning. And God faid, let the waters bring
forth fowle and fifhes ; which waters are the
flowing fea of thy minde, and the fowle or
birds are the flying fantafies that flye about
the heaven of our fouls, and the fifhes are
thy delightfull thoughts that fwim up and
downe in thy minde, and all thefe are proper
felves with their feeds, and are very good
in their owne kinde, and are ufefull for the
Man, and for his pleafure and delight; and
this is the fifth day in man with its evening
and morning. And God faid, let the Earth
bring forth all beafts and creeping things;
which beafts are the pafiions of thy minde,
fome of which thou maieft ufe and eat of,
and fome thou muft keep under and not eat

Divinity and Philofophy.
of, as the Hare which is thy fearfull paflion,
and the Swine which is thy voluptuous appe
tite, and the birds and fiflies (which will not
be orderly) thou muft keep under and not
tafte of; for we muft reigne and keep our
phantafies (that is the ravenous and deftruc-
tive birds) hoodwinkt, that they may not fee
nor goe beyond their limits to difturbe the
foule with their diforderlinefle ; for David did
kill a Lion and a Bear, and fought with Goliah
and kifled him : which Lion is thy ftrong un
ruly appetite, and the Beare is thy unorderly
and bloody felfe will, and the Goliah is that
evill or divell, that is thy unreafonablenefle
that raileth againft thy God, or good which
is thy reafonablenefl^e. Now thefe thoughts
and phantafies (unruly paflions, appetites and
unreafonablenefl^e) muft be kept under and
ruled, or elfe they will difturbe and deftroy
thy foul, but kept under, ruled and ordered
are ufefull to the Man ; but this keeping them
under is death to them, for they are mad and

6 Divinity and Philofophy.

cruell (let loofe) and keep the foule and reafon
in all fubjeftion, fo that no good fliall appeare
in the foule but they will deftroy it ; for thefe
beafts, birds and fifties, will deftroy and de
voure all the reft of the peaceable beafts, birds
and fiflies (as the dove, or thy innocencie or
meek lambe, or peaceablenefle) and all thofe
peaceable creatures that would be at reft in
thee, and pleafe thee, and give thee reft : for
Sampfon killed that Lion that came roaring
upon him, that was his ftrong and ravening
appetite that would have devoured him, fo he
faith afterward (when he had overcome his
ravening appetite) there came fweetnes out
thereof wherewith he was refrefhed ; for he
faith, out of the eater came meat, and out
of the ftrong came fweetnefle, fo that appetite
that would have devoured him (keepft under
and fet upon the love or defire of goodnefle)
was meat and fweetnefl'e to him. And God
and Man faid, let us make or fet forth our
image, which is male and female, that is true

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righteoufnefle, holineflTe and purenefle, that
fhould rule over thefe birds, beafts, fiflies,
and all creeping things that moveth in the
world of Man ; and they give them names
according to their natures and qualities that
they fee in them : fo this is the fixth day in
Man with its evening and morning, and all
things are good in their kinde. So the reft of
Gods difcovering (or creating things) is that
holy reft and dwelling of God and good in the
Man, for he hath fhewed Man all things, and
he difcovers himfelfe the laft, which is the
beft and holy reft and peace of things, and is
the Sabbath or feventh day with its evening
and morning, the holy reft in man which hee
fhould have kept for ever, and never have loft
or broken : this reft is the holy Godhead or
breath of life that is given to the Man, and is
light of his light, and the life of his life, or
breath of his breath ; for Man without God
is dead, and his life and breath is death with
out the life and breath of God : So God gave

8 Divinity and Philofophy.

himfelfe into the hands of Man to fee what
he would doe with him, for he loveth the
Man as himfelfe. Now when the Man feeth
that God hath given all things in his owne
power, then comes the fubtileft beaft that is
in the earth of Man to intice or allure the
Man, and to be mafter of all in him, and to
rule all things, and this beaft is the wifdome
of the flefli, or the wifdome of the darke man
which is fenfuall and devillifli ; and now the
Man or female having her will, and beeing
free, having all things in her pofl^eflion by the
free gift & love of God to her, defires to rule
by her will and wifdome, and to let God
alone, and forfake his counfell and wifdom,
and rule by herfelf and wifdome, which is
blind, fenfuall and evill, and this is her guide,
and fhe will be her own God to do her will,
lufts and defires, and fhe in blindeneflTe will
diftinguifh between good and evill, who
knowes nothing at all but by the light of Gods
grace and goodnefiTe in her, which flie hath

Divinity and Philofophy.
forfaken, and is ruled by her owne felfe and
wifdome, that calls good evill, and evill good,
and fo it is all lies and falfiiood which the
Man is ruled by ; and fo he is loft and damned
from God and goodnefiTe, and is joyned to a
lie and deceitfulnefiTe, and hath made God
tafte of her deceitfulnefl!e by her forfaking
him : for fhee that is his wife hath forfaken
him which is her mate and yoak fellow, and
fo he is loft and hidden from her, and is under
her earthly, man of fin, which is in hell : for
that which fhould be uppermoft is undermoft
(which is God) and that which fliould bee un
dermoft is uppermoft, for all thy bru tiall paf
fions and beaftly appetites (which fhould bee
kept undermoft and ruled) are uppermoft, and
they rule and governe thee, and all things in
thee, for they keep God and goodnefl^e under
them and will not let them appeare in thee,
but kill and crucifie them as foone as they
appeare in thee to give thee counfell for
thy good; and fo the Lambe of God is faine

IO

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in the beginning of our firft world, or at the
firft appearance, difcovering and diftinftion
of things in us ; for in our infancie or non
age, all things are in filence, and we are a
Chaos, and God is in this filence, and with us
in this Chaos, and in his time and when hee
faw the ripenefiTe of this Chaos, he fet forth
all things in us, and made them appeare in
their order and places to us, and gave all things
to us as our owne, and in our owne power,
becaufe we fliould be free to binde our felves
or ftand free according to our pleafure ; for
there was life and death fet before us, fo that
we might binde our felves to either or ftand free
as we were, and binde our felves to neither, be
caufe that Man fliould not complaine, nor
grieve in his fpirit that he fliould be tyed againft
his will to any thing, therefore all men appear
free to ftand or fall, or binde themfelves to what
they pleafe : but Man tyes himfelfe to the bru-
tiall pafiions of his mind, and leaves God and
goodnefle, and fo they are hidden and loft in

Divinity and Philofophy.
him, fo thy pafiions rule and domineer over
thee, and thy blinde wifdome or fubtle ferpent
carries thee into all mifchiefe and lies, and de
ceives thee, and makes thee have a hellifh
mind which is a cage of all unclean and hate-
full birds : for thou art the kingdome of hell,
and thou art full of Hell-hounds, Dogs and
Swine, Wolfes, and Tygers, Lions, and Beares,
Serpents, and Cockatrices, and all venomous
things, fo that there is no good thing in thee
in thy off^-faUen eftate, for if God or goodneflx;
fliould appeare in thee, thy beaftly and divil-
lifh crew would deftroy him out of thee, fo
that thy God or goodnefiTe doth lye under thy
earth (or under thy hellifh beeing) to which a
mighty power holding forth a flickering fword,
— the law of fin — that cries for vengeance,
faith, I wifl repay, and faith, thou muft dye,
and aU thy heflifh crew: for this law re
quires death for death, eye for eye, and tooth
for tooth, for thou haft killed God and good
nefiTe, and thefe murthers flye in thy face

1 1

12

Divinity and Philofophy.

by this mighty power with the fword of juf
tice in his hand, that ftands to execute thee
and kill thee for killing : and this is the pa
tience of the Saints, which faith that he that
kflleth by the fword muft dye by the fword ;
for this is juftice that the blood-thirfty might
drinke blood, and fo Man thou fhalt never bee
happy till this juftice is executed upon thee
and upon all thy hellifh crew, and that thou
art dead, buried, damned and loft with Chrift
and God, and that thou and thy wicked crew
are feen no more, and thou art turned to thy
duft, and into thy old filence with God againe,
and art as if thou wert not ; and then God in
his time will create thee a new world, and renue
all things againe in thee ; for there fhall bee new
heavens and a new earth, wherein fhall dwell
righteoufneffe in thee. David {aith. Create in me
a new [clean'] heart, 0 Lord, and renue a right
fpirit within mee ; that is, when thy old world,
or Adam is deftroyed in thee, that Man of
finne, or that vefiTeU of wrath that was borne

Divinity and Philofophy.

for deftruftion or to be damned ; for our old
world is to fhew the glory and juftice of God
and his mighty power in the Man, and to the
Man, and that the Man fliould fee himfelfe
loft and damned ; and when he is come to
this paflTe then fhall he fee His mighty power
in faving him, and creating him a new crea
ture or new world : for the firft world was to
fhew the manhood, and all her glory, what
fhe is, and that all things were given into her
hands to doe what feemed good in her own
eyes : and fhe let all things run diforderly and
fpoyled all things, and that which fhe fliould
have governed did governe her, fo that all
things are turned upfide down, and Man fees
his owne ftrength and wifdome is fooliflinefl^e :
for God lets man alone with his firft creation,
to fhew him what he is in his own freedome ;
and if man had not been left alone and free,
and had not had all things in his owne power,
he would have repined, therefore he was left
free to fee his owne weakneflTe and inability :

13

14

Divinity and Philofophy.

fo he defired to be his owne God and ruler,
therefore God gave man all things in his power,
yea even himfelfe alfo, to fee how he would ufe
him, for God faw mans covetous defires, and
fo God put himfelfe and all things elfe into
his hands to do what feemed good in his own
eyes, and fo nature or man appeared, for that
that is naturall is firft, and is the firft Adam, and
that which is fplrituall is laft, and laft Adam
or God ; for the firft man Adam is earthly,
and the laft Man or Adam, is the heavenly
or Godhead Man : fo man if he defires not
to be changed, or become the laft Adam, fhall
remain for ever in his firft eftate, creation or
firft world, for his firft world is his mifery,
becaufe he defires to be his owne guide, and
his blinde wifdome is his owne deftruftion ;
and becaufe he difregards all good, fo hee
fliall bee with himfelfe and his hellifh crew
till he is weary of himfelfe, for he hath given
himfelfe to pride, which makes him thinke he
is better then other men, which is a lie and a

Divinity and Philofophy.
deceit ; and he is given to covetoufnefiTe of
the riches of this world, which all perifii with
the ufing ; and he is given to luxury, glut
tony and drunkennefiTe, which make him
ready to ftarve, another time for mifpending
the goods he getteth to maintaine his liveli
hood : and he is given to feek honour and
worldly eftimation, to wrath and furioufnefl'e,
about thefe things which are all lies and vani
ties, and perifh with the ufing ; and to back-
byting and evill furmifing one another, to
murder in fecret and openly, to hatred malice
and hypocrifie, with all uncharitableneflTe,
about thefe lies which all perifh with the ufing,
for here is nothing but howling, crying, figh-
ing and mourning, about thefe lies and de-
ceiveable things : for when pride hath exalted
a man to honour and great eftimation, then he
rejoyces, and that is his heaven or God to
him; and ftraight envy in another man is trou
bled at this his honour and greatnefiTe, and
devifes fome plot to throw him downe, and

15

1 6 Divinity and Philofophy.

when he is throwne downe, that is hell and
death to him, then hee fighs, mourns and
grieves for this deceiveable lie ; and the cove
tous man he covets the riches of this world,
and will cofen, lie and cheat any man to make
himfelf rich thereby, and many times comes
fire and deftroyes his riches, or one backby-
ter or flanderer or other, devifes fome mif
chiefe againft him, and bringeth him under
the penalty of fome law of men, that he pre-
tendeth he hath broken, whereby all his riches
that he hath gotten are loft and taken from
him, then hee mournes and grieves, becaufe this
deceiveable god hath left him, and is fled,
leaving him comfortleflTe ; and the glutton
and drunkard that lives in luxury and volup-
tuoufneflTe (which is his heaven or god) when
penury, want and grievous difeafes commeth
upon him, then crieth he out againft himfelfe,
and grieveth at his folly, which is a hell to him
now when it is too late ; yet fo foon as he
recovers health and means againe, he returnes

Divinity and Philofophy.

as bad as he was before, like the dog to his own
vomit, and the f owe that is wafhed to her wal
lowing in the mire : and the murtherer that in
his wrath and choller doth kill a man (which
murder in his paflion is the heaven or god of
lies that pleafed him) afterwards when the
law of fin, or juftice of man, comes to execute
him, then juftice or the law of fin executing
its ofiice, proves a hell unto him : therefore
if thou defireft no harme to be done to thee,
thou oughteft not to doe any to another, but
if thou doft, this revenge (or juftice in him
whom thou wrongeft and does to him as thou
wouldeft not he fliould do to thee) retorts
backe upon thy felfe, and thy owne confcience
cannot deny but that it is juft and good, al
though it be death and hell to thee, and that
thou canft not abide to fufler it, for thy juftice
and law of fin faith, an eye for eye, tooth
FOR TOOTH, AND LIFE FOR LIFE : the morall LaW
ofthe ten Commandments is in thy felfe, and it
is thy own naturall defires to them, for thou

D

Divinity and Philofophy.

loveft God or good with all thy foule, minde
and ftrength to be done to thee, and thou doft
naturally love thy neighbour as thy felfe, becaufe
he is thy Samaritane, and doth good to thee,
for thou doft naturally love thofe that do thee
good, and that is reafonable ; thou doft love
the Sabbath day, for naturally thou doft love
reft, and naturally thou doft love and honour
the place from which thou cameft which is
thy father and mother; thou doft not natu
rally defire to be killed, therefore thou faieft,
I muft not kill ; thou doft not defire any
fliould take thy naturall propriety from thee,
nor falfhood to be done to thee, therefore
thou fayeft, I muft not wrong another man
by enjoying his wife and propriety, or rob or
fteale from him his right, or what he hath
laboured for, for the labourer is worthy of his
hire ; thou doeft naturally hate to have a falfe
accufation on thee, therefore thou doft fay, I
muft not beare falfe witnefl:e againft any one,
and fo the reft is what thou wouldeft not have

Divinity and Philofophy.

done to thee that thou muft not doe to ano
ther ; for S. Paul cryed out againft himfelfe,
and faid, that he did the thing he hated, and
did difallow, and did not the thing that he did
allow and love, but fold himfelf under the law
of fin which he hated ; for this law and curfe
is added becaufe of the tranfgreffion.^ which is
juft to reward every man according to his
works, for this law of workes faves no man,
but condemnes all becaufe all men have finned;
and as long as man lives in the fleflily lufts
of fin and concupifcence, he is under this law
of fin and curfe, and cannot pleafe God : but
the world is miftaken of Paul, and thinks that
he meant and faid that as long as he lived in
the flefli (or in this organicall creature of the
foure elements of clay) hee fhould fin ; if this
were the meaning of St. Paul, fure he muft
kill himfelfe, and advife all men to doe the
like, or elfe they could not pleafe God, for
that which hinders us from pleafing God
muft be taken out of the way ; but Paul faith,

Divinity and Philofophy.

that Chrift hath taken him away from the
curfe and law of fin by faith, which faith is
the power of perfwafion, and convincing the
heart of fin and unrighteoufnefiTe, AND THE
WORKES OF FAITH IS TO CRUCIFIE THE SINFULL
FLESH AND LUSTS, AND TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD
AND GOODNESSE, AND THAT FAITH OF ChRIST
SAVES THEE: and Paul faith, that he thanks
God he is dead, and that Chrift is now his
life, and that he lives now by the faith of the
Son of God, which is by his loving perfwa
fions, and that confidence and reality of truth
which he found by the obedience of Chrift
in him to God and goodnefiTe, and fo that
flefli of Paul is dead and crucified to him, fo
that it is evident by the fenfe of Scripture that
Paul meant that flefh of fin, and not the or
ganicall creature that he then lived in : for we
know nothing of God nor of the divell, but
what we fee in our felves : for St. John faith,
what we have heard and feen and tafted, that
declare we unto you ; for we muft not ima-

Divinity and Philofophy.

gine the powerfull and mighty Godhead to
be any Idea, Image, or likeneflTe of any thing,
but what he hath declared himfelfe to be to
us ; for it is faid, that Christ is in us, and
God is in Christ, fo that the Godhead lives
bodily in us that hath ceafed from fin, for of
that omnipotent and mighty power that up-
holdeth and difcovereth all things, wee know
nothing neither of our felves or any thing
elfe but what he pleafeth to difcover unto
us : therefore in thy firft creation, or firft
birth, God difcovers thy felfe to thee which
is Efau or Adam, and thou haft all things
in thy pofl'efiion, and thou art the God and
Lord of aft, for thou art the God of this firft
world that hath blinded thine owne eyes with
thy ferpent fubtilty and wifdome of the flefli,
and thou art afhamed of the naked truth,
that is the Hght of Gods grace to difcover and
lay aU things naked and bare before thee :
but thou covereft and hideft the truth with
the leaves of thy owne fruits, for thou art

Divinity and Philofophy.

afliamed ofthe truth, and when God calls thee
in the coole of His day, and that His light and
fire begins to wax cold in thee, thou hideft thy
felfe from him and art afhamed of him as thy
nakedneflTe, for thy wifdome hath opened
thine eyes to thy felfe will, and hath fhut
them up to the naked truth, and fo thou art
loft and damned from God and goodnefiTe,
for thou haft deprived thy felfe of him, and
hath hid God in thy felfe as thy fo ame, for thou
art ajhamed to come before him, and therefore
thou hideft him with thy partition walls of finne,
and now thou art cloathed with thy owne
death, that is the law of fin, and thy owne
juftice in thee ; for the fkinnes of thy inno
cency that thou haft killed within thee (which
is the death of God and Chrift) is thy cloath
ing, and fo thou art cloathed with the death oj
God in thee, and God now never appeares to
thee but in this death, with terror and feare
which terrifies thee, and this juftice of terror
and feare lyeth in the death of God, which

Divinity and Philofophy.

thou haft flaine and dif-regarded, and is that
flickering fword that keeps this death (which
was the tree of life) till thou be killed by it
as thou haft killed : as it is faid, " / have been
dead but am now alive for evermore^'' FOR this
TREE OF LIFE IS THE LaMBE OF GoD THAT IS
SLAINE IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR FIRST WORLD,
and fo hee lyeth dead to us till our wicked
world is at an end, and this our wicked world
fliall bring forth nothing but thornes and thif
tles, which are fins that fliall prick thee to
the heart, and thou fhalt eat of thy owne
fruits with the fweat of thy browes ; that is
the labour of thy finnes, that toy leth thee with
their laborioufnefi'e, and this toyle fhalt thou
have with thy finnes till thou returneft to thy
duft againe, or to thy old filence wherein
thou wert before, and thy ferpent (or flefhly
wifdome) fliall goe creeping on thy earthly
beeing of fin, and fliall live on their duft or
firft originall, which is lies, and is thy fubtle
ferpents food, and thy hufband which is thy

Divinity and Philofophy.

lie or unreafonablenefl^e that thou haft united
thy felf to) fhall rule and domineere over
thee, and thou fhalt be fubjeft to his will,
and all thy children or finnes that he beget
teth of thee thou fhalt bring forth in forrow,
and they fhall be a pain unto thee ; for what
is faid to Adam is faid to both, for fhe or he
is one, and is the female of God, for man or
woman fignifies both, and this fword of juf
tice which ftandeth in the death of Chrift, is
the enmity, the feed of the woman or hu-
maine nature, that fhall breake the ferpent's
head, and deftroy his feed ; and this enmity
fhall bruife the humanities heele or foot that
he fhall never walke any more in falfe wayes ;
fo this enmity or fword ftandeth in the death
of Chrift, crying vengeance, and faith, that
this world (or Adam, Edom, or Efau) is the
childe of wrath, and he hath prepared or or
dained himfelf to deftruftion, and fo this whole
world of Man is deftroyed, damned and utterly
loft, and Man fliall never bee happy in his firft

Divinity and Philofophy.
birth, becaufe of his fall, for he muft be dead,
buried and borne againe, or elfe hee fhall never
enter into the Kingdome of heaven, for his owne
nature is wrath, but God did not make him
fo, but his own nature was fo for ever, for ac
cording to Scripture we are the children of
wrath by nature, and at the firft wee appeare
fo, and God did make him appeare to him
felfe what he was, and gave Himfelfe and all
things into his power, that he might not com
plaine, and that the Man might fee how he
would ufe God Himfelfe, and all things in
him, and fo he deftroyes himfelfe, God, and
all things within him, and hath ordained him
felfe and all to be loft, fo the firft creation in
Man is loft, and God fliewes Man his mifera
ble condition in this death and lofiTe of God
and goodnefiTe, and the power of God that
lyeth in this death, is called the death of
Chrift, or the two-edged fword that ftandeth to
divide the foule afunder, or that fte fid of Chrift
that is the curtaine that ftands before the moft

25

holy place, or SanBum SanSlorum : and this
power of Chrift is in hell under our earthly
beeing and Man of finne, till we and aU ours
are turned to duft againe, and this power or
death ftayes with patience and long fufferance
under us in hell till we are weary of ourfelves
and fins, for we grieve the Spirit of God by
whom we are fealed, and he daily fhensos us our
owne mifery, and toyle, and forrow finne doth
male in us, and this toy I we fhall have for ever
till we are weary of our felves and defire to be
ended with all our hearts, and to forfake our
felves and our owne wicked world, and all that
is within us that is wicked, then doth this holy
power Man himfelfe in us, and deftroye us and
all within us, and turn us to our duft againe ,•
and when we are in filence with God againe,
then doth he create us anew and make us a new
world, and prepares us a bride for himfelfe, a
heavenly yerufalem, a City and houfe for God,
and he is our Lord and hufband, and he is a
holy and righteous ruler, and doth governe all

Divinity and Philofophy.

the faculties of our foule in peace and love,
with all orderlinefl^e and union, for then the
Lion (our ftrongeft pafiions) is in peace with
the Lambe or innocencie, and all our other
beafts, birds and fiflies (which are our phan
tafies) are orderly and in peace; then fliall
the Childe or innocencie lay his hand on the
Cockatrice's hole, and the Wolves, Beares and
Lions fliall be together, and one fhall not
fting or hurt the other, for God is King and
ruler in man, who ordereth all things well
and in peace in him, and the Son of glory or
God, fhines feven times more brightly than
Hee did in the former world, and this glorious
world or Man of God fhall laft for ever and
ever, in his glorious tranfcendent brightnefi!e,
and there is no forrow or paine in this world,
but everlafting ravifiiing joyes and fweet con
tent of minde ; for this holy God doth ravifh
the foule continually with his deleftable plea
fures, fo the foule is ever fatisfied ; for God
when he is our Lord, and we have given our

28

Divinity and Philofophy.

felves to him, Hee ufes us thus fweetly, and
doth give us aU pleafure and content, but
when he gave Himfelfe to us in our firft crea
tion, and firft world, we were afliamed of him,
and hid and deftroyed him from us, but He is
not afhamed of us, but ufes us with all love ;
for nature appeared firft, and in that Adam,
all dyed, for God and Chrift was Sonne and
borne there, and he became mortall in this
nature, for God appeared there in weakneflTe,
which weakneflTe is humility and lowlines of
fpirit, with all gentlenefiTe and love ; and
when the wifdome of the flefh (the ferpent's
fubtilty) had opened nature's eyes to pride
and high mindedneflTe, and to wrath, covet
oufnefiTe and envie, which eyes are ferpents'
eyes, which are the evill eyes or the Devils,
which the nature or man lookt through, which
made him thinke that this high mindedneflTe
and pride, with felfe-will, was a glorious tree,
and that there was glorious fruit on it, and
that it would elevate him highly, and that he

Divinity and Philofophy.
fhould be his owne God and ruler, and that
he fliould know good and evill which he did
by wofull experience, tafte of its good which
had the evill in it, for it was full of confufion
as was faid before, and was the mans toyle ;
but he thought it was a glorious fruit, and
much to be defired, and fo doe all men that are
in the firft creation, and firft world : fo when
Man had tafted of pride, high mindedneflTe,
and felfe-will (the forbidden fruit) he defpifed
God which is humility and lowlineflTe of fpirit
and meekneffe, and was afhamed of this, and
thought it foolifhnefl"e, to bee humble, meeke
and lowly, for hee thought this to bee poore
beggarly nakedneflTe, and was afhamed of fuch
a lowly and beggarly minde as he thought it
to be, fo he covered this meek and lowly
fpirit with his lofty high mindedneflTe, and fo
the divine, gentle and holy nature is in hell
under this filthy covering; and this is the
covering upon God and Man, and is the par
tition wall betwixt them, and fo man hath

29

30

Divinity and Philofophy.

made the Devill god and lord of all, and hath
given all that was given him into his hands,
fo God in man is in the Devils power, and he
reigns as King and Lord of all in this firft
world or creation that is fallen into the De-
vills hands by mans will that gave it him : for
God gave man himfelf and all, and man deli
vered, and gave or fold him to the Devill i for
nature in the firft creation is a Judas that is
raifed up to deftruSlion, and is the fon of per
dition that fells the innocent life in him, and
afterward he hangs and deftroyes himfelfe,
and puts himfelfe wholly into the Devils hands,
and in the end of time when the man is weary
of this wicked world, and with all his foule
and minde, and will, wholly returnes all into
the hands of God againe, Hee takes all upon
him with his mighty power and fword that
ftands in juftice's hands, and redeems Himfelfe
and the man out of the Devils hands, for He
comes to redeem Himself the loft fheep of the
houfe of Ifrael, which was loft and hid in man,

Divinity and Philofophy.
and covered with jnans finnes. Now this holy
and mighty power taketh all upon him, for
he becomes our firft borne Efau, Adam or
Edome, and will bee our firft world that is
fallen, and will fuffer with us and for us, as
ifhe had done all our finnes, for when he hath
our man of finne on him he gives the humanity
power to indure this juftice of the death of
God for his finnes, and this fword of juftice
and Gods death doth deftroy death, and this
death or fword of God that frights and feares
the man, is the beginning of the wifdome of
God in him to deftroy finne, for the man in
his firft appearance deftroyed the Lambe of
God or good, and then he and the Devill, the
wifdome ofthe flefh rule all in all in him till
the man is weary of himfelfe, and defires this
death of God to helpe him, and this death of
God is his backe parts that made Mofes's face
to fhine, for the wrath, anger and frownes of
God (which is his backe parts) is better for the
man than the Devills face or f miles ; and Gods

31

3 2 Divinity and Philofophy.
death is better for the man than the Devills
life, and his hell better than his heaven ; for it
is better to be in the houfe of mourning, than
to heare the fong of fools, though man in his
off" fallen eftate thinks it not fo : but this
death and mortality of God (which is his backe
parts) doth make our face fhine, for no man
fliall fee his face & live, nor fliall or can we
fee his face, glorious countenance, and cheer-
full fmiles till our man of finne is deftroyed
and rooted out, and we returne to our duft as
we were before, and in filence with God
againe; and fo this death and mortality of
God (which is his angry frowns and the wrath
of the Lambe that takes away the finnes of
our wicked world) is entered into our Efau or
Adam (which is the veffells of wrath prepared
for deftruftion) and is become our flefli which
is dead in finnes and trefpaflTes ; and this death
of God doth deftroy us which is death, for
this Efau with the death and wrath of God is
a hunter, and doth kfll meat or venifon for

Divinity and Philofophy.

his fathers fupper, which venifon is the wilde
and heathenifli brutiall man whofe death fliall
reconcile us to God againe : for in the fifth
ofthe Rom. he faith, that we are reconciled to
God by the death of Chrift, which death hath
mortified us and killed our man of finne, fo
this death hath given us power by his death
to deftroy, kill and mortifie ourfelves, for this
Chrift after the flefh or death, was it that lay
under our earthly beeing, and faid, that he
was a worme and no man, and that the great
Bulls of Bafhan gaped upon him to devoure
him, which was our finnes, and that the great
water fioods and feas of our finnes run over
him, and he lay ftill, and the man of fin
thought that he had been afleepe or dead, and
did not fee their evill workes, but he made
this darkneflTe (or darke man) his hiding place,
and fo he faw and heard all his evill workes ;
for He faith, I create light, and I create dark
neflTe, that is that, I fet forth my felf e which is
light, and I fet forth man which is darkneffe.

34 Divinity and Philofophy.
and he regards not me, nor my Ught, becaufe
his deeds are evill, and fo I am hid in his dark
neflTe ; but when the man is weary of himfelfe,
then he feeketh for mee, and hath need of
mee, though he thought I did not heare nor
fee him before, then he runs to me and cry
eth, and faith, arife, O Lord, in mee, and thy
enemies (which are my finnes) fliall be fcat
tered and rooted out in me ; fo this death or
flefh of God (which is death) deftroyes man
(which is death) in God in becomming his
death or his flefh, for in becomming the man
of finne, he deftroyes man which is finne and
evill of himfelfe without this power of the
holy Godhead, which holy power he hath given
to the man to arraigne himfelfe before himfelfe,
and to condemne himfelfe in himfelfe and to
execute himfelfe, and fo make an end of the
whole man of finne, and fo he becomes dead
and buried with this power of the holy God
head, for it is better be dead with God, and
to be at reft with him, then to be alive with

.V
Divinity and Philofophy. • 3 5

the Devill, and to be in torment in his hell :
for this death of God is death to the finne
(which finne is death) and fhall raife us up
into everlafting immortality and ravifiiing joyes
of minde: for Hee faith, that that which never
eye faw, nor eare heard, nor ever entred into
the heart of wicked man (in his firft creation)
is now revealed to them that love him, and
thofe that are of the new borne creature, and
the fecond creation that love him, and are the
men of God who are ruled and governed by
him ; for he faith, that the troubles and fuf
ferings which wee endure (in the crucifying
the man of fin in the former world) are not
worthy of that joy and fweet confolation that
we fhall receive, and lliall be given to us
that hath tafted of the death of Chrift, and
hath gone through his fufferings with him
into the fecond world that is full of joy, for
this end of Efau (or Edom) is the end of the
firft creation, and the veffell of wrath that hath
ordained himfelfe to deftruftion, and God

V

36

Divinity and Philofophy.

foreknew that man would doe all thefe things
to himfelfe, and gave him all in his hand that
hee fliould not complaine, and fay he was
tyed from any thing, fo that he was free, and
might have ftood or fell ; but he fell, and all
Adams know this, their owne confcience accufing
them, for hee made man upright and fhewed
himfelfe to bee good, but he fought out many
inventions to deftroy himfelfe, yet God hath
mercy on him, and hath brought forth his
elefted feed to fave him, which was Ifaac or
Jacob, that wraftled with God in this darke
night of man to fave and blefiTe him ; for this
Efau was faine to fell his birthright, and was
fo hungry with hunting and killing the man
of finne that he had almoft loft himfelfe, but
his brothers pottage (which is love, and mercy,
and power) was given him to ftrengthen him
to overcome the man of finne in himfelfe;
yet he thought this pottage fhould not have
taken away his birthright and deftroyed his
firft creation, which he wept for, although it

Divinity and Philofophy.
was too late, for it was for his further good
which is hid from his eyes for a time, and
whilft he is a hunting, for Jacob puts on
Efaus rough garment or flefh (which is the
law of fin which made the man of fin mad)
and hee thought to deftroy this Jacob, or this
fecond creation which appeared in the man ;
but in the end when finne is deftroyed, they
will be loving brothers, and one man of
God, for this Jefus Chrift (or feed of promife
the deftroyer of fin) will make all peace and
quietnefiTe, for this holy God is in Christ
RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELFE (in
mortifying and cleanfing this man, and burning up
allthe chaffe of fin with unquenjhable fire) that
THERE MAY BEE GREAT LOVE BETWIXT GOD
AND MAN AGAINE, for this Jefus was three dayes
and three nights in the man of finne, and in
the heart of the earth, and was carried into
his wflderneflTed land, and was tempted of
him, the manner whereof fhall afterwards be
exprefl'ed ; for He fliewed Man all his filthi-

Divinity and Philofophy.

nefTe, and how wicked he was and regardlefl'e
of God and goodnefTe, and this was the firft
day in him, and the night of that day was the
death and wrath of God that appeared in the
Man, which did terrific and feare him, and
was the wounds of confcience that told him
what he deferved, and he threw downe him
felfe at Gods mercy ; and the fecond day or
light God gave him true grace and forrow for
his finnes, and the night of that day is that
bloody fight in heaven betweene the Man of
finne and God, and that terrible agony and
fweat of death was on the humanity ; and the
third day or reigne of Chrift is that day that
Chrift fhall reigne a thoufand yeares in Man
with death, which day is that power of pa
tience and long fufFerance that lafts till the
Man of finne is rooted out, for a thoufand
yeares is but as one day with the Lord, and
one day in this fuffering and reigne of Chrift
is as a thoufand years to the man ; for he muft
reigne tfll all finne is fubdued, and the night

Divinity and Philofophy.
of that dav all hell is broke loofe to torment
the Man for a fhort time, but this Almighty
power gives the Man a ftrong and viftorious
power that he fights with himfelfe and over
comes himfelfe and all his devillifli crew, and
fo the wicked world is ended, and Man fhall
come into a happy condition : There are many
who think that Chrift will come and reign among
men on earth perfonally, but they are deceived,
for they look and judge of the Scripture after the
outward appearance, which is not righteous judg
ment, for we are to looke on it with a fplrituall
eye, and then fhall we fee it as it is, for the look
ing on it as a hiftory [and not as it is a facred
and holy myftery) makes fo many falfe Religions ;
for the birth of Chrift in this elementary world
was after a extraordinary manner, and not after
the ordinary manner of men, for He was not
as the feed of man, nor did the Virgin Mary
feele any manner of paine in bringing him forth
(as the wife and learned hold) nor doth the
Scripture make raention of her paine as they

39

Divinity and Philofophy.
doe of others, as Rebeckah Ifaacs wife, and
Rachel Jacobs wife, for the Divinity is a fpirit,
and the humanity is a fpirit, and the Divinity
and the humanity joyned together in conjunc
tion as man and wife, is but one fpirit, and
fpirits bring forth a fpirit, and can doe no
otherwife; for this Jefus Chrift is a Spirit,
and is the Spirit and life of God that is fowne
in our hearts and fpirits, which makes us cry,
Abba Father, for he was and is a Spirit com
ming forth of God and man that were and
are fpirits, and that organicall body or figure
that he feemed to be in (and to eat and drinke,
and that he was like flefh and blood) was as
three Angefls that appeared to Abraham, which
he did drefTe a kid for, who feemed to be men,
and did eat and drinke with them as they
thought : fo Chrift feemed to be in that figure
and flefli of the man, but He was a reall fpirit,
for with that body He walked on the fea, the
which Peter could not doe with his heavy
body, but did finke; and Chrift did hide

Divinity and Philofophy. 41
himfelfe many times and could not be found,
for he did walke invifibly, and when they did
feek him to deftroy him they could not finde
him till he pleafed to give himfelf into their
hands, and he could come with his body into
any roome the doores being fhut, as he did after
the refurreftion come to his Difciples, faying.
Peace be unto you, and he did eat a broyled
fifli, and they knew him by eating and break
ing of bread ; and there is furely fome fecret
myftery in that, for when hee walked like a
gardener they knew him not, but by breaking
of bread; and Thomas would not beleeve
that it was the body that was crucified (be
caufe he could come through a chinke of the
doore as he thought) tfll Chrift fhewed him
the print of his nailes, after which, he faid,
he beleeved becaufe hee faw thofe things ;
but Chrift faid to him, they were more blefiTed
that beleeved and faw not, but beleeved and
trufted in God without the death of Chrift :
for if we had beleeved and trufted in God, wee

Divinity and Philofophy.
fhould not have faften and finned, but have
been more blefTed, for the whole had not had
need of the Phyfitian : but we all have fallen,
and need the death of Chrift to make us whole
againe, and we cannot beleeve till wee fee the
print of his death and nailes in our hearts and
fpirits, which he hath taken on him, and is
now his humane nature ; for his Godhead
and humanity is in us, if Chrift be in us, for
he is whole Chrift in us, God and man, nor
can he be divided and be in part in us; and
if he had a corporall body of clay (confifting
of foure elements, made up of flefh and blood
as ours is) it were impoffible, and againft rea
fon that he could be in us ; therefore looke
into the Scripture with fplrituall eyes, for that
Chrift that feemed to have a body to be nailed
on a crofTe was a fpirit, and fhewed to thee
how he is nailed with thy fins to patience and
long fufFerance in thee which is death to him,
for he grieveth and mourneth for thee; for
we grieve the holy Spirit by whom we are

Divinity and Philofophy.

43

fealed and made the fons of God, and we
quench and put out the Spirit of God from
us, and this is death or griefe and paine to
God for us ; for there is no death to any but
grief and pain, and no Hfe but joy and plea
fure, and fweet content, for the foule is an
eye, and is compofed of joy and harmony,
and defires to flye into harmony which is
God ; and forrow and paine is a living death
and dying life ; nor know I any other life and
death but thefe, though there is fome other
things that is called life, as ftirring and mo
tion, and the leaving the body is called death,
and in forfaking any thing, I am faid to be
dead to that, and that dead to me. The Sonne
of God, Jefus Chrift was and is a Spirit, God
and man, who now doth live and walke
amongft us, and we doe really kill and crucifie
him every day to our felves, and the ftefh and
bloud of Chrift which he would have us eat a7id
drinke, was not fuch ftefh and bloud as ours is ;
but there were then fome that followed Chrift

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Divinity and Philofophy.

as foolifh as we are now, that when Chrift
fpoke thefe words they did leave him, for
they thought he meant they fliould eat this
figure or organ that he feemed to be in when
he was a Spirit. The flefh of Chrift which he
would have us eat is his bloud and paflion,
which is the death and mortifying of our fin
full flefli ; which St. Paul faith, fo long as he
lived in he could not pleafe God : fo Chrift
would have us eat his flefli and drinke his
bloud, and joyne our finfull fiefh to his flefh;
fo his death or flefh, doth deftroy our death or
finfull fiefh ; and fo that death of Chrift doth
fave us, and reconcile us to God again. Now
I know no other fiefh of Chrift but this flefh
which is the new and living way, is the cur
taine and vaile before the moft holy place,
and all that will be faved muft enter through
this vaile ; and when this vafle or flefh or
death hath done the worke he came for, hee
muft be taken out of the way,yir no flefh and
bloud that is death, can enter into the Kingdome

Divinity and Philofophy.
of Heaven; therefore when we enter into the
moft holy place, the vaile or flefh of Chrift is
rent in twaine from the top to the bottome,
and fo the death and flefli of Chrift is finifhed
and ceafeth, and he is taken out of the way ;
for there is no mourning, nor wayling in
the moft holy place, for all teares are wiped
from our eyes. Now he faith, that he (Chrift
after the flefh) muft be taken out of the way,
or elfe the comforter will not come, which is
the life and ravifliing joy of Chrift : and Paul
faith, though he knew Chrift after the flefli :
now hee knew him fo no more, as I fliall fpeake
of all thefe things more at large in this booke.
Now when Melchifedeck appeared on the
earth hee was without father and mother,
and he feemed to Abraham to be a man, a
Prieft and King, and bleffed him when he
came from the flaughter of the Kings, which
are the feven deadly finnes : This Melchife
deck is that Chrift that was before Abraham ;
as it is faid. Before Abraham was, I am ; and

46 Divinity and Philofophy.

this Chrift that appeared in the end of time,
is that Melchifedeck that was before Abraham,
and that Elias that was carried up into Heaven
in a fiery chariot with fiery horfes, which was
a Spirit and the power of God, though he
feemed to be a man of flefli and bloud ; for
Elias is faid to be the power of God in man,
and I beleeve that all mankinde (when they
have put ofF this lower elementary body that
is dead clay without Spirit) fhall be like Chrift:
Melchifedeck and Elias, which are fpirits, and
may afTume any bodily HkenefTe as they were
and did appeare in thefe lower elements : my
reafon is this, becaufe Samuell afTumed the
HkenefTe of his owne body, and came to the
witch at Endor, and Mofes and Elias appeared
to Peter and Chrift on the Mount -, fo I be
leeve any one may appear to their friends as
many have, for there have many appeared that
have beene killed in fecret to difcover their
murthers, and many of the Saints appeared
when Chrift was crucified : certainly it was

Divinity and Philofophy. 47
not their lower elementary bodies of clay that
appeared, but fome aireall and fpirituall body
they affumed, which was the likeneffe of their
former and lower elementary bodies, and like
unto Chrifts fpirituall body that appeared like
flefli and was not flefli but to our appearance,
and that it might difcover to us and tell us
what we do internally and in our intelleftual
man ; and Chrift called Lazarus his fpirit, and
made him appeare as if [he had been in his
former flefh and blood ; fure thefe things muft
be fo, or what did become of Lazarus, and
where did hee refide before Chrift opened
Heaven gates ; for it is faid, that He is the firft
that rifeth from the dead, and openeth heaven
gates to all beleevers : we read that Elias raifed
a childe from death, and another when the
Prophets dead body did touch his dead body,
the dead body of the Prophet did raife the
dead, fo the dead did raife the dead, which is
a miracle ; therefore there is fome greater and
further confideration in it; for certainly they

48

Divinity and Philofophy.
could not be dead, but this elementary body
feemed to be dead, which was dead before
(never being alive) although it feemed to be
alive whilft the fpirit of man Hved in it, as I
have fpoken more at large in this booke ;
therefore let us confider well how all thefe
things can ftand together with reafon, or elfe
wee fhall make a confufion of the holy writ
ten word of God that is given to lead us into
all truth; for there muft be a reafon given
where Lazarus and all the Saints were that
appeared, whether they did dye againe, or
where they now be ; for wee never read of
any thing they did on earth fince ; for it feemes
they have feen the laft day before it comes to
us, and before it came to Chrift; as the childe
that was raifed by Elias, and the dead man
raifed by the dead Prophet, and Lazarus that
was raifed by Chrift, as alfo a maid, where did
they refide with their corporeall body of clay
and elements till Chrift did open heaven gates.?
fure therefore the man muft be a fpirit, and

Divinity and Philofophy.
hath afTumed and taken this body out of the
foure elements, and cafting it off againe as a
borrowed garment, and may afTume a more
rarified and aireall body to appeare in, as Chrift,
Melchifedeck, Samuell and Mofes, for nothing
is impoffible ; only that may appeare to our
darke eyes to be flefiD which is not, as the three
Angells to Abraham and to Lot ; for we be
leeve appearances to be that which they are
not in deed and in truth (which we finde by
wofull experience) the which makes fuch con
tention, and cutting of throats about Religion;
the caufe of this diftraftion is that we doe not
fee things with a righteous eye.
I defire all friends and readers, who doe
read this booke, and all to whofe hands it
fhall come, that you will looke into it rightly,
and not conftrue it amifiTe, but as it is really
intended for the good of all; and where I
fpeak of the death of God, and Chrift in man,
I doe not meane that the Almighty and power-
full Godhead can dye or be loft, but as he is dead

49

H

50 Divinity and Philofophy.
and loft to the man that defpifes truth and treads
it under foot ; and fo I meane that God is dead
and loft, and the truth lyeth in the ftreets of
his heart (which is God, who is that truth)
and the two witnefTes lye dead in the ftreet of
his heart unregarded (which is mercy and
righteous judgement and is God) which we
fliould have fhewed forth to all the world,
even mercy, and righteous judgement, but we
have hid thefe witnefTes. So I defire that the
moft holy and righteous God may be your
guide and direftor to lead you into all truth.

The true Articles of the Chriftian Faith.
I.
T BELEEVE in God the Father Almighty,
maker of the holy Heaven and earth in the
man: I confefTe and acknowledge that the
fame is a true holy living God or good, and
that he is a mighty Spirit, and a perfeft clear

Divinity and Philofophy. 5 1
light that difcovers to the man the reall truth
of things, and how all things are in their
places, and in or to the Man, and He is the
reall beeing, the truth, light, life and love to
the Man, and this is his name, light, life and
love, for he is all this to the Man : for the love
of God to the man was fuch that he brought
him under the law of difcipline and correc
tion, inftrufting him what to doe for his good,
and convincing his confcience for what hee
hath done to himfelfe, and againft God or
goodnefTe ; fo he raifeth up all our finnes as
judges to condemne us for what we have done,
and they correft or punifh us, for God (or
goodnefTe) hath put it in them to doe it, and
God hath opened our eyes with his power to
fee it, which makes us hate and condemne
our felves for what we have done, & his holy
power or light hath perfwaded our hearts to
have true forrow and reall repentance for our
fins, with a broken and a contrite heart and
forrowfull fpirit, and fo we begin to hate our

52

Divinity and Philofophy.

felves and our fins, and doe really forfake
them, and doe confefTe that we doe deferve
to bee for ever loft and damned, and be de
prived of God and goodnefTe for ever, becaufe
we have chofen hell, death and devill, and
joyned our felves unto it ; but Gods mercy
and goodnefiTe hath inlightned our hearts
with his law, and hath really correfted us for
our fin, and hath brought us to the beleefe
of Jefus Chrift by his law or fatherly correc
tion ; for he receiveth no fonne but whom he
correfteth, and none comes to Jefus Chrift but
whom the Father draweth to him, ^W//6/> (a^r^^TO-
i7^g to Jefus Chrift is by the law of difcipline,
and this law is the river Jordan or judgement,
and Iohn the Baptift (or the Hght of Gods
grace) that doth dip or dye us in the river
lordan or ludgement of God's gracious good
neffe, and this his judgement doth cleanfe us
from all our finnes that were as red as fcarlet,
and we come out as white as fnow : and this is
the firft Baptifme in the Fathers Name.

Divinity and Philofophy.
2 . / beleeve in Jefus Chrift the only begotten
Son of God or good, and that He is the reall
fubftance of God, and that he is the goodneffe
that proceedeth from God or good : And I be
leeve that all good things are made in the man
by him and through him, and that all good
neffe doth confift in him, and proceedeth forth
of him into the man, for his goodnefTe in us
beareth in us our finnes by his mighty power
of patience and long fufTerance, with grievous
fufTerings and agonies which hee hath for our
finnes, and there hee lyes or reignes in us till
our finnes bee vanquifhed or rooted out by
this mighty power of patience and long fuf
ferance ; and when all our evill is overcome
(by this power of his goodnefTe) then he de
livers us (which is the Kingdome of God) to
his Father that God may be all in all.
3. I beleeve the Son of God or Righteouf
neffe, is borne of the holy virgin Mary ; which
virgine is the pure humanity, and this pure
humanity is overfhadowed by, the Angell Ga-

54 Divinity and Philofophy.

briell, or the power of the moft high God :
and this Son or righteoufnefTe of God is be
gotten upon the humanity, and is the promifed
feed to the man, which is borne for a bleffing
to all generations of man, as was promifed.
4. I beleeve that this holy feed of bleffmg, the
Sonne of God, lefus Chrift the Saviour of us,
hath fuffered death under Pontius Pilate, the
law of finne in us, and that he dyeth for and
to finne in us, and is dead and buried, and in
hell under our earthly beeing and man of fin :
and he fuffers for our fins in this hell, for they
be all upon him, and he is nailed to the croffe
of patience to endure all the reproaches and
blafphemies, contempts and falfe defamations
or accufations for our finnes caufe on him,
and for the love of God and to us, hath
taken us upon him that we fliould fufTer with
him all our own reproaches, contempts and
finnes to condemne us for doing them, and
that wee fhould condemne and forfake them,
and be dead to them, and they to us, by the

Divinity and Philofophy. sS
power of lefus Chrift that faveth us in us ;
and this is the baptifme of the Sonne, and is
the fiery tryalls, or the baptifme of fire with
which he faveth his owne body or us, which
is the humane nature that he hath taken on
him to fufTer for and with, and that it might
be faved through him, and by his power in
us ; and whofoever doth not fufTer this death
with Chrift for their finnes, that is, to fufTer
under the law of finne (death for finne and to
finne) the death of the crofTe, which is the
patience and long fufTerance of Chrift to the
killing of finne in us, he is no Chriftian ; let
him brag how much he will of his Chriftianity,
till he hath tafted the death and life of Chrift,
and that all this is come to pafTe in him ; for
they muft all tafte of this cup or paffion, and
be baptifed with his baptifme : for if we doe
not fuffer and dye with him, we fhall never rife
and reigne with him.
5. I beleeve that the holy God hath raifed
up his Sonne Jefus from the dead, and that

56 Divinity and Philofophy.

he was three dayes and three nights in hell
under the earthly man of finne, and in the
heart of his earthly being ; and the firft day
he fheweth and difcovereth unto man his fins,
and the night of the day doth terrific and
wound the confcience, and doth feare the man
which is the law of fin, or the wrath of God
upon the man that finneth. And the fecond
day is the grace and power of God, which
giveth the true forrow and repentance for thy
fins ; and the night of that day is that bloudy
fight in which is the fweat and agony of death
in thee that crucifies and kflls thee for thy
fins. And the third day is the power of Chrift
that gives thee viftory over death, divill, hell
and fins, fo that thou art dead unto fin ; and
the night of this day is the patience and long
fufferance of Chrift in thee tfll thou haft over
come the evill one ; for in this day and night
is the whole myftery of Chrift finifhed, and
the Son of God is darkned in thee, and thou
becommeft dead and buried in him, and he

Divinity and Philofophy.

S7

in thee, fo the laft day is comming on to thee
which is the refurreftion of Chrift in thee,
and with thee, which is the new creature, or
man of God, Jefus Chrift, which was dead in
thee, and with thee, and when you have fuf
fered together, you fhall reigne together in
perpetuall joyes with him in God, for ever, and
for ever.
6. I beleeve that this Jefus, or our Saviour,
is afcended up to his Father, and doth carry
them up that have fulTered with him, and hath
cleanfed them, and prepared them a Kingdome
for his Father that God may be all in all in
us; for he, Chrift after the flefh (which is death
and mortification) muft reigne in us till all fin
be fubdued, and then he delivers us up to his
Father : for he faith, except we eat his flefh
and drinke his bloud there is no life in us ;
therefore let us eat this flefli and drinke this
blood of mortification, and killing and cruci
fying our fins : This was the flefli of Chrift
that St. Paul fpake of, faying, though he knew

58 Divinity and Philofophy.

Chrift after the flefli, yet now he knew him
fo no more : O that we had all eaten this fup
per of Chrift, then were we happy, but till
then moft unhappy ; for we muft drinke this
cup or paffion, and fhew the Lords death tih
he come in his life and glory.
7. I BELEEVE THAT IeSUS SHALL COME FROM
THE STRENGTH OR RIGHT HAND OF GOD WITH
ALL HIS Saints or Angels, or the good
MOTIONS WHICH ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM, AND
THEY WITH Christ shall judge the quick
AND DEAD IN US, which quick is himfelfe and all
his Saints and holy Angells to live, reigne and
dwell in us, and judge the dead fins never to live
any more in us, but he damned and lofl for ever
out of us : fo this is the laft day or light, or day
of righteous judgement that flail laft for ever
in us. 0 that it were fo come to paffe in all,
and that they might fee this laft and everlafting
day or new day, which flail lafl for ever and
for ever.
8. I BELEEVE IN THE HoLY GhOST, AND

Divinity and Philofophy.

59

THAT HE IS THE ANCIENT OF DAYES, and is the
love of the Father and of the Son, which is
the reciprocall love of finging one to one, and
this holy love or Holy Ghoft hath joyned God
and man together, and hath pulled downe all
partition walls that hindered their comming
together, and hath baptized or dipt or dyed
the man in this his moft holy Hfe or holy
fpirit, and hath made him a holy houfe. Church
or Temple for God to live and dwell in, and
Chrift is the head ftone or foundation of this
moft holy houfe. O that all men were become
this Temple or houfe of God to dwell in.
9. / beleeve that there is one holy Church,
and this Church are all holy men that are with
out finne, fpot or wrinckle, for all holy men
are the body of our Lord lefus Chrift ; that is,
cleanfed by him and made pure, for hee is the
head of a pure body, and there is no fin in his
body or Church, nor is he head of a finfull
body, therefore looke to it you that are finfull
men, for you are not the members of Chrifts

6o Divinity and Philofophy.
body or Church of Chrift, as you may fee in the
fifth of the Ephefians, where it is evident that
he faith, that his body or Church is without fin.
IO. I beleeve that all flnnes are forgiven in
this Church, for Chrift hath forgiven them the
finnes that are paft, and hath covered them
with his holy life, fo that thofe evifls fhall never
rife againft us more, but wee fliall live and
reigne over devfll, death and heft with Chrift
for evermore, and fit with him at Gods right
hand for ever and for ever.
II. I beleeve the refurreSiion of the fle fl of
Chrifl that is joyned to the humanity, and this
flefli or death of Chrift, with the humane
nature fliall arife into immortality, and for this
mortality of theirs, fhall put on immortality,
and all death fhall be fwallowed in viftoriouf-
nefi^e : fo happy art thou, O man, that haft
put on the flefh or mortality of Chrift ; for
this flefh or mortality fhall carry thee into
everlafting immortality, and into everlafting
life and joy of holy minds.

Divinity and Philofophy. 6 1
13. / beleeve that there is but this one holy
and everlafling life, and this Ufe is the holy life
of God, and he hath chofen the man to live in it,
and to bee one with him for ever. Take it to
heart, for this- is the reall truth, and furely thou
flalt finde it : fo if thou feekefl for it, thou flo alt
finde it, and it flail bee fo unto thee.

CHAPTER n.
A defcription of one fpirit aSiing in all, which fome
affirme is God.
|OW what a fpirit is, is to be confi
dered ; for all things appearing to
the man he gave thetn feverall names
according to their natures, and as they appeared
unto him ; for in Gen. it is faid, that Adam
the man, gave every thing and creature his
name according as his nature was to the man,
and it was fo, and could be no other wayes ;
for the genius and wifdome of God in man

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Divinity and Philofophy.

gave thefe feverafl names by his infpirations
and lights which hee difcovered to the man
how the natures and qualities of things were,
and they are reafly io, for they be named by the
Spirit of God in man : but there are many
cavellers that difpute about it, and would de
ftroy all order, and bring all into confufion ;
for they fay they cannot tell what a fpirit is,
nor what man or beaft is, nor what fire, wa
ter, earth or aire is ; yet they themfelves fee
all thefe feverall things, and their feverall na
tures and operations in them and to them ; fo
that if thefe things had no name they muft of
neceffity give them fome name, or elfe all the
world would be dumbe, and have no dif
courfe ; for they could not difcourfe of thefe
feverall things (and their natures) unlefTe they
had names to call them by that the one might
underftand the other, and know what fubjeft
they fpeak of, and what each would have
another to do ; but thefe mad people love to
confound themfelves.

Divinity and Philofophy.
A fpirit is that internall fire, life and motion
of all things, as the fpirit or fire, and life of
herbes, and trees, which is named the vegetative
fpirit that manifefteth it felfe to the world and
all other fpirits. Now there is another fpirit
or fire that groweth and bloweth it felfe up
into one organ, and feeleth any thing that
toucheth it, and its name is the fenfitative
fpirit. There is another fpirit, eye, light or fire,
that groweth and bloweth it felf e up into an or
gan, whofe name is called the rationall fpirit or
eye of capability and judgement, which dif-
cerneth all things in their order and place,
and this is the man.
And there is another fpirit, eye, light or fire,
that is a motion joyned to the man, that difcovers
the reall truth of all things to him for his good
or hurt, and his name is called the fpirit of wif
dome or God, and this is the light or right eye
to the man, that forefeeth all things for his
good, if he will regard his inftruftions.
And there is another fpirit, eye, light or fire.

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Divinity and Philofophy.
that is a motion that moves to the man that he
feeleth in his intelleEluall, which is the fpirit and
eye of darkneffe that looketh into all things for
the mans harme, the which if hee looke through
leads him into all folly and blindnefTe, and
worketh him into all mifchiefe ; and this
fpirit is the deftruftion.of the man, and bring
eth him to all mifery and calamity ; and this
fpirits name is called the Devill, the worker of
mifchiefe; for thefe two fpirits move to the
man in his intefleftuall, and he feeleth, feeth
and heareth them internally, and difcourfeth
with them as two men difcourfe and talke one
with another, and thefe fpirits are inftrumen-
tall to the man to perfwade him to what he
fhall doe, for he can do nothing but by thefe
inftruments, the one for his good, the other
for his harm, and he tafting of both he knowes
the difTerence, and how oppofite the one is to
the other, and how they change him and make
him good or evifl ; for if any man doth good
by the good inftrument, hee that is ruled by

Divinity and Philofophy.
the evill inftrument contradifts the good works
of the good, and the good inftrument contra
difts the man that is ruled by the evill inftru
ment : but there bee fome that fay, the evill is
good, and the good evill, which cannot be ; for
the good is good ftill to the man, and is one
and the fame for ever, and the evill is evill
ftill to the man, and is one and the fame for
ever ; for if thou doft evill to any man that
evill is evill to thy felfe, and if that man that
thou doeft evill to, fhould retort the like backe
on thy felf, then thou wouldft quickly be fen
fible that it is evill, and not call that evill good
(falling upon thy felfe) which falling upon
another thou didft call good : for if thou
fhouldft vaffalize any man, abufe or ftarve
him, or cut ofT his limbs, and doe him all the
harme thou couldft, what good is this to thee f
furely thy confcience tells thee, it is evill and
not good to thee ; for thou doft not like to
have thofe things done to thy felfe, for retort
ing and falHng backe upon thy felfe thou

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66 Divinity and Philofophy-

findeft it evill : So thou art evifl and wicked,
O man, whofoever thou art that doft thofe
things, and teacheft another fo to doe, for
thou teacheft him lies, that the evill is good,
and the good evfll, and thy owne confcience
condemnes thee in doing the evill, and fo doth
the confcience ofthe others whom thou teach
eft fo to doe, alfo deluding him with thy lies to
deceive himfelfe with,y^r thou oughtefl not to
doe any thing to any man that thou dofl not Uke
to be done to thee, nor muft thou doe that which
thou wouldeft not have done backe againe ;
for thou feeft it is evill, fay what thou will,
to deceive thy felfe, for thou doft cofen thy
felfe with thefe vaine delufions. Surely thofe
that are of the minde that one fpirit afts in
all, would (if it were not for feare of the laws
of men) fall a cutting one anothers throats,
and doe all mifchiefe being devills one to the
other in their paffion, for they will admit of
no law of goodnefTe for their reftraint. If but
one man had this evill power to execute his

Divinity and Philofophy.
will upon all the world for pleafure, then
might it be thought to be good ; but you fee
in all men a defire to have their will, there
fore thou muft expeft, and it is juft and right
according to thy defert, that thou fhouldeft
be kflled for kifling, and for ftealing to re
ftore double, or be his fervant to worke it
out, and make double fatisfaftion for his loffe
and troubling him, for this is the law of fin,
and death for fin, and this is in man and can
be no otherwife, for the evill that hee doth to
another man rifeth up in judgement againft
him, by the other whom he hath wronged to
retort the like backe upon him,/^r this law of
fln in the man faith, an eye for an eye, tooth for
tooth, arme for arme, &'c. and fo with the fro
ward to be froward, and evill for evill, faith
the law of flnne in man, which is jufl to reward
every man according to his owne evill workes :
but thou canft not abide this law of finne, for
thou wouldft doe a great deale of mifchiefe
and injury to other men, and take pleafure in

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Divinity and Philofophy.
it, but that this pleafure brings this fting of
death and paine backe againe to thee, which
thou canft not abide, y^* this thy God or pleafure
perifleth with the uflng, and changeth thy plea
fure into pain by falling backe upon thee. But
thou wilt fay, that if thou murthereft a man
in fecret (fo that none be private thereto but
thy felfe) how can that murther be difcovered,
or the law of fin be executed upon thee ? I
anfwer, that the law of fin is in thy felf, and
rifeth up in judgement againft thee in con
demning and wounding thy confcience, fo
that thou art weary of thy life (and in the end
difcovers thy felfe) never being at quiet till
the law of finne be executed upon thee; for
we fee few murthers that are long concealed :
another queftion may be demanded, if this
law of finne (which feemeth to be good or
God, and is executed upon thee) is not mur
ther and cruelty Hkewife : I anfwer it is, and
is thy God and ruler (in thy ofT-fallen eftate)
that is a furious God and a confuming fire,

Divinity and Philofophy.
who will confume thee in his wrath and in
his fore difpleafure, for thy finnes have raifed
up this furious God that holdeth thee in with
a rough bit and bridle, whilft thou art a wilde
afTe colt that ftriveth to overthrow thy rider,
and this cruell God fhall be thy Lord, King
and hufband, and will torment thee, fo long
as thou liveft in thy finnes, and in thy hea
thenifh nature, for thy finnes have fold thee
into his hands; as it is faid in the ThefTalo-
nians, that thou haft thruft the holy God out
of his roome or Temple, and wouldft not re
ceive the love of the truth, that is the reall
good or God, and is true life and joy to the
man, who is one and the fame for ever, and
is no change to the man, as the delufive God
is, for he feemeth to be good, or is not the
God, nor reall good to the man for ever, as
the moft holy God is : for if we breake the
Law or Commandements of this angry God,
he is very cruell and jealous, and will make
us drinke the curfed and bitter waters that

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Divinity and Philofophy.
fhall make our belly fwell, and our thigh to
rot if we breake his Commandement, commit
adultery or Idolatry againft him, for hee it is
that worketh this evill of punifhment in our
City, and is that cruell thundering voice that
terrifieth us and makes our hearts to tremble :
we would fain be at quiet with our finnes,
and delight our felves with our wicked abo
minations ; but this God doth fo trouble us,
that we cannot injoy our wicked felves, hee
doth fo torment us, and fhall doe fo ftill, till
we are weary of ourfelves and finnes, and de
fire to be freed from all, or to feek fome way
to pleafe this furious God which wee by our
finnes have raifed up ; for this law is added
becaufe of the tranfgreffions, and doth con
tinue till finne endeth in us ; but wee are not
able of our felves alone to fatisfie this fevere
God that is the ftrong delufion and confum
ing fire (and is not the reall God or good to
us, which we fhall find in the fecond world
or creation) which now fitteth in the Temple

Divinity and Philofophy. 7 1

of God as God, and hath thruft the reall holy
God out of his roome, and is the juft God that
reigneth in the man of finne, being froward
with the froward, rendering evfll for evill, and
is righteous with the righteous; for he is juft in
rewarding every one according to his workes ;
and although the man is fo wicked that he
cannot abide this judge, yet he fhall be with
this feeming God or good for ever, if he doe
not hate and forfake himfelfe, and fend for
the mourning woman, and call and proclaime
a faft, and rend his heart and not his gar
ments, which is an acceptable day to him, and
feeke for the innocent Lamb to make fatif-
faftion to this angry God, that he may over
come him with his innocent life; for when
this innocent Lambe is borne in thee, he doth
ftrive and wreftle with this fevere God for
thee, and doth overcome his wrath and evill
with his goodneffe ; and if any do wrong him
he doth not revenge, but doth good for evill,
and fo overcommeth this revenging God : he

7 2 Divinity and Philofophy.
doth no wrong to offend this God, and when
he hath wrong done him he will not become
the evill God, or judge, to revenge evill for
evill : thus and in this manner doth he take
away the finnes of the world, and the law or
punifher of finne, and in taking away the caufe,
the effeSI ceafeth : but whilft the crucifying the
man of finne is a doing, it makes the human
ity in a great agony and bloudy fweat in over-
comming the finne and the wrathfull judge;
and this is that moft innocent Lambe which
worketh all in all in us, and for us, and he
is that ftill and foft voice that lyeth in thy
in moft felfe (and in the cave of thy earth) till
thou feek, cry and call for him to fave thee ;
therefore looke to it in time, and whilft time
doth laft. What time is, and concerning man,
I fhall fpeake more at large hereafter in this
book. The fpirit of man, and the two inftru-
mentall fpirits, is to bee feene and felt in the
man and by the man, and is difcerned by their
feverall natures^ the good inftrument is juftice

Divinity and Philofophy. 73
with which the juft doth juftly ; and pru
dence, with which the prudent doth ufe pru
dence ; and fortitude, with which the ftrong
doth valiantly, the good in heart; and tem
perance, with whicll the temperate walketh
temperately ; and faith, with which one be
leeveth that to be true that they doe not un
derftand, if they fee reafon for it ; and hope,
with which one hopeth and confideth in that
that is good ; and charity, with which (having
proper goods) he maketh them common to
the good of another that needeth them ; and
patience, with which the patient overcom
meth, and is not overcome ; and piety, with
which the pious condoleth the miferies of
another that is in mifery : fo if thou art guided
by thefe good vertues thou needft not be afraid
of the law of fin, nor any thing elfe, for thy
confcience juftifieth thee that thou doft what
thou wouldeft have done to thee, and if any
one is angry with thee for thy charity that
thou ufeth to another, this evill flyeth in his

74

Divinity and Philofophy.
own face and doth thee no hurt, for he con
demneth the good hee would have done to
him if he ftood in need, and fo he is a devill
to himfelfe for condemning the good that
thou doft, for all evill flyeth in the faces of
them that ufe it, fo that none is fo great an
enemy to a man as himfelf: therefore thou art
happy, 6 man, whofoever thou art, that is
guided by the good fpirit, for he is all good
to thee, and the other is all evill : let it feem
never fo good to thee, yet thou fhalt finde it
fo in the end, for his qualities are thefe : the
firft is avarice, with which the rich is poore
and a begger, becaufe he knoweth not how to
ufe his riches : and gluttony, with which the
glutton is imprifoned, and is never free to in
joy himfelfe in regard of his flavery to it : and
leachery, with which the man ufeth the powers
of his body unlawfully to his deftruftion : and
pride, with which the proud man endeavours to
be above all others, which is a lie and deceiv
eth him : and floth or negligence, with which

Divinity and Philofophy. 75
the idle grieves at the good of another man,
and rejoyceth at their harme : and envy, with
which the envious defires unjuftly the goods
of another, which covetoufneffe is Idolatry :
and wrath or anger, with which the angry
man bindes his owne liberty, fo that he is not
free but is a flave to wrath or paffion : and
lying or a lie, with which the liar fpeaks againft
the truth, doing great mifchiefe in the world :
and unconftancie, with which the man is
manifeftly changeable, fo that no good man
dare truft him : fo thou mayeft plainly fee and
difcerne if thou wilt (for thy owne confcience
tefls thee) which is the beft of thefe two, thinke
what thou wflt to deceive thy felfe, for none
fhafl fuffer for it but thy felf. This good in
ftrument is the ten-ftringed inftrument or
harpe of David, on which he praifed the
Lord, and chafed away the envious evifl fpirit
of Saul ; and thy foule being an eye or Hght
that is compofed of harmony and joy, this in
ftrument (which is the moft holy life) is given

76 Divinity and Philofophy.

thee to found fweet harmony to thy harmo
nious foule ; for if thou found on the evill
inftrument of ten ftrings, which inftrument is
that which was founded in Daniel before the
Image, and made him be caft into the Lions
den, it raifed up the moft horrible found of
thunder, lightning, and violent fire ; fo that
if thy brutiafl paffions touch the mount where
this found comes forth, he fhall be fhot through
with a dart, for thy touching of this evill ten
ftringed inftrument, hath raifed up the moft
furious God that is a confuming fire, who
turnes thy joyes into forrow and pain, fo
that thy life is now a living death, and a
dying life, which thou fhalt finde by wofull
experience ; for thou thinkeft thou knoweft
not what of thy felfe, that thou art fomething,
and that thou cameft from nothing, then by
confequence thou art nothing, and to nothing
muft returne ; fo that thou art like a mad
man that can give no reafon of thy felfe from
whence thou cameft, and whither thou goeft,

Divinity and Philofophy.

and fo doeft what thou lift and what feemeth
beft in thy owne eyes, although it bee never
fo much hurt to another man. 0 doft not thou
thinke that He that is the caufe of thy appear
ance will take account of thy life, and of thy
ftewardflip, and what thou haft done liere, whe
ther good or bad, thy owne confcience tells thee
he will, therefore doe not deceive thy felfe with
thy fallacies and deceits f Thou art that one
fpirit that is or may be afted in all, and thy
fpirit or eye is the great Abyfs of eternity,
and thy eye doth or may looke in or through
all eyes or worlds, whether good or evill, and
if thou be joyned or looke through the evill
eye, and art guided by that evifl inftrument,
thou art moft unhappy, and all that evill that
is faid before falleth upon thee, and thou fhalt
or mayeft for ever be with that evfll eye or
world, unlefTe thou defire with all thy heart,
foule and minde, to be changed and delivered
out of this evill and wicked world; for it is
thy will that hath damned thee by the evill

inftrument, and thy will faves thee by the
good inftrument, for thou art pafftve, and
mayeft be carried by thy will to give thy felfe
to what thou pleafeft, to bee carried or ruled by
the good or by the evill, and thou canft not be
joyned to both at once ; therefore thou muft be
dead to the evill, and the evill to thee, before
thou canft be joyned to the good to bee moved
thereby. Now when thou art afted by the
evill inftrument, thou calleft evill good, and
good evifl; fo that when thou thinkeft it
good, and takeft pleafure in doing wrong
or mifchiefe to another, thou takeft pleafure
in a lie, and thinkeft that evill to be good,
becaufe thou art not fenfible, nor feeleft
the truth of the thing afted, but the fallacie,
lie and deceit which deceiveth all mankinde ;
therefore afl things are not to man as hee
imagineth, for many imagine themfelves to
be better than other men, as Kings, Lords,
and afl others who thinke themfelves great,
taking pleafure in the fame, although in deed

Divinity and Philofophy. 79

and truth there is no fuch matter, for all men
are alike and made of one mould ; fo that it
may evidently appeare that they who doth thinke
fo, take pleafure in a lie, and this feemeth to
them to be good : this lie transformeth him
felfe into an Angell of light to be like the
reall God or good, when in deed and truth
it is but a delufion, and ajoy or pleafure which
perifheth with the ufing ; for the reall God or
good is one and the fame for ever, and no man
or thing can take away that joy, for it continueth
ftill the fame, being without change ; but thou
takeft pleafure in that which is nothing to
thee, and grieveft at that which is nothing to
thee, fo thy griefe and joy are lies ; for when
thou thinkeft that to be to thee which is not
reall in deed and in truth, thou deceiveft thy
owne foule, and none fliall fufTer for it but
thy owne felfe : when thou abufeft any man
the aftion falleth upon him and he it is that
feeleth it, and if the like aftion falleth upon
thee thou feeleft it in the fame manner ; for

8o Divinity and Philofophy.
all aftions of one kinde falleth alike to all that
are paffive or fufTer, therefore deceive not
thy felfe for thou that afteft is one, and he
that fulTers is another; and thou that afteth
is not the other that fuffereth; for that which
is felt by the one is nothing to the other
that feeleth not, for the paffive and ac
tive are two, therefore doe not thou deceive
thy felfe and take pleafure in that which is
paine to another, for in doing fo thou joy eft,
whereas thou wouldeft grieve if it did fall
upon thy felfe; and if harme fall to any man
we fhould participate of his griefe as if it did
befall us, and not rejoyce at anothers harme,
for this is the delufion of the Devill to rejoyce
where is no caufe of joy, but is his own ima
gined joy, which is a lie, and perifheth with
the ufing ; and to grieve where is no caufe of
griefe, is a delufion and lie to torment our
felves withal, as fome doe torment themfelves
that they have not fo much means and riches
as they would have, and fuch honour and efti-

Divinity and Philofophy. 8 1

mation as they would have, or to be fo well
or better thought of than others ; and they
grieve that they cannot doe as much mifchiefe
as they intended to doe, and they grieve when
any fhew mercy or charity to another whom
they hate, although they fee that other ftand
in need of his charity, and doth fay that this
aftion of charity is a Devill to that man that
hated him, and God to him that received it,
fo making an aftion to be God or the Devill ;
canft not thou difcerne the fallacie and the
lie here } is this charity any thing to thee fee
ing thou didft not receive it ? if it had been
to thee, and thou hadft received the fame, it
had beene as good to thee as to him, for all
things fall alike to all as was faid before :
therefore thou rejoyceft at thou knoweft not
what till thou feeleft the fame, and feeft where
the fallacie lyes : wherefore when thou dif-
cerneft the fallacie, thou mayeft fee that thou
oughteft to be glad when any good commeth
to another as if it had come to thy felfe ; for

M

8 2 Divinity and Philofophy.
nature tells us, that we fhould make evqry
mans cafe our owne : and the Scripture fpeak
eth (without exception) faying, Rejoyce with
them that rejoyce, and receive good, and grieve
with them that grieve or receive hurt or
harme ; but to grieve at another mans joy or
good, is the Devill that grieveth where no caufe
of griefe is ; for in grieving at the other mans
joy hee imagineth a lie (which is not the truth
of that joy in the other man) fo tormenting
himfelfe with that which is not, for if that joy
of the other were in thee it could not be
griefe, but thou deludeft thy felfe when thou
makeft anothers griefe thy joy, or his joy thy
griefe, and fo thy faith or beleefe is that that
is not, but is a lie, for joy is not griefe, nor
griefe joy ; but thou doft deceive thy felfe in
faying anothers griefe is thy joy, or his joy
thy griefe, for anothers joy or griefe can be
nothing to thee in reaflity, but by participa
tion, and fo it is thy joy or griefe, and no
otherwayes, fo that by participation, we rejoyce

Divinity and Philofophy.

with them that rejoyce, and grieve with them
that grieve, and when wee doe the contrary
(as to grieve at anothers joy, or joy athis griefe)
it is a delufion of the Devill that maketh joy
feem griefe, and griefe feem joy, by his de
ceitfull faflacies ; and when thou fhalt looke
with a righteous and juft eye, then thou fhalt
fee all thefe fallacies and deceits, wherein
thou haft fo willingly cofened thy felfe to lofe
thy owne foule : but thinke, thou canft not lofe
it, for thou thinkeft thou art fomething, and
nothing, and it is no matter let every thing
run which way it will, all things will bee well
at laft, but thou art as greatly miftaken in this,
as thou art in the reft, as thou fhalt find by
wofull experience when it falls upon thee,
and it is as true as thou art, and that there is
a God, that thou muft anfwer for all that thou
hiaft done whether good or evill, to him that is
the caufe of thy appearance, think what thou wilt
to deceive thy felfe. So thou thinkeft alfo that
all things elfe are fomething and nothing.

84 Divinity and Philofophy.
when fomething is fomething ftill, for there is
no fuch thing as nothing, neither is there any
demonftration or words to exprefTe the fame,
therefore in faying thou knoweft nothing, it
is true fo farre and in this manner, thou canft
not poflibly know that that is not, but canft
know fomething, and poffibly all things if
thou haft to doe with all or fome ; fpr that
that thou ufeft and haft to doe with all thou
knoweft its qualities, yor all things have qual
lities and quantities, and are to be knowne by
the fame ; and as their qualities be, fo are they
called and named, for every thing hath its
feveral quallity and fo a feverall name, and
thy owne eyes fee thefe feverall things and
their quallities, for thou feeft the quallity of
fire that it will confume or burne any thing
that is put in it, and fome things it will melt,
and harden others ; fo thou feeft really what
fire is by thefe quallities, and it is verily fo
and very true, and is no other thing than it
fhews it felfe to be : and the quallity of water

Divinity and Philofophy.
is to moyften and cleanfe, or to quench thirft
or fires, and many other things that I need
not exprefTe, which is reafly fo as it manifeft
eth it felfe to all the world, and can be no
other thing than as it is manifefted : And the
aires quallity is manifefted by many feverall
operations, for it makes the fire burne and fet
forth his quallity, and it deadneth and taketh
away the life of many things, and reviveth and
refrefheth many things that walke in it, and
many other operations of life and death it
hath which I cannot exprefTe : And the earth
hath divers fetting forth of its quallities, as to
make all feeds fet forth themfelves in their
fhapes and formes, making them appeare to
all the world : and afl thefe feeds and herbes
have their feverall qualities and fetting forth
of themfelves, which thofe who ftudy nature
can fet forth and fhew the reall truth of by
their efTefts ; for the leaft herbe, tree or met-
tall, or any other living creature hath his feve
rall quallities, as the Galenift, Herbalift, or

85

86

Divinity and Philofophy.
thofe who ftudy mineralls finde out; and
thofe Doftors and Phyfitians fee the feverall
quallities of things with the antipathies and
fimpathies of their feverall quallities, and it is
really fo, and they be the very fame thing as
they fet themfelves forth to ht,for their nature
is really declared by thefe their quallities.
Now every man and woman hath feverall
quallities, and a proper felfe, and their qual
lities are either antipathies or fimpathies one
with another, for the natures of fome are fo
oppofite, and there is fuch antipathy that they
cannot agree nor abide to live one with the
other, but in continuall oppofition ; and there
are others whofe natures and quallities doe
fympathize, and thofe doe agree and live moft
happily together in fweet fociety : now every
mans nature is as his complexion is, and is
compofed of the spirituall elements ^^«r/>6,
water, aire, and fire, which is the intelleBuall
und internall man: I doe not meane the
EARTH, water, AIRE, AND FIRE THAT IS MA-

Divinity and Philofophy.

87

teriall (and thofe lower elements which
are dead matter) but the intellectuall,
internall and SPIRITUALL ELEMENTS WHICH
are ALL SPIRIT AND LIFE ; for fome men and
women are compounded moft of the fpirituall
element of Fire, and they are more full of fury
and wrath ; and another is more compounded
of Aire, and hee is more amorous, fweet and
pleafantly difpofed, and given more to the aft
of generation than any other, for his minde is
full of fpirits that would appeare by him ; for
the fpirits ofmen and women doe more ani
mate the aireall man than any other to make
them appeare in this lower elementary world ;
the reafon is, becaufe he is moft flexible, and
more eafie to be moved by their inftigation
to bring them forth : and the flegmaticke
man that is more compounded of the fpirituall
Waters is more dull, and his capacity cannot
very foone reach or conceive any thing, but when
he receives he will hardly lofe it againe, whether
good or bad, therefore it is good for him to

88

Divinity and Philofophy.
have his mind fet upon the beft objefts. And
the man that is more compounded of the fpi
rituall Earth, he is of the moft deep reaching
minde of all, for he hath all the elements more
powerfully contrafted together in him, and
he containes more of them than all the reft,
being more capatious ; and if his minde be fet
upon the evill objeft the Devill, hee is the
moft wicked that is upon the earth, and the
Devill can worke more mifchiefe by him than
by all the reft, for his capatious minde can
fooner conceive mifchiefe (when it is fhewed
him) than all the reft befides, and the Devill
by him doth moft prodigious and horrid cruelties,
although hee doth enough and too much by all ;
for this wicked fpirit through and by them all,
fets Kingdomes together by the eares, making one
to kill another, perfwading them to take pleafure
in doing fuch mifchiefe, but it is a mad plea
fure and wickedneffe fo to doe, and fo it will be
found in the end, let them thinke as well as they
will of it for the prefent : fometimes they fet

Divinity and Philofophy. 89
Countries on fire, confuming all their vic-
tualls and corne, and this they take pleafure
in, but if rightly confidered it is miferable
paine and madneffe, for they themfelves come
afterward to fufTer fuch mifery and want for
their waftefull fpoyling and confuming of
things, that they ftarve and dye for hunger,
and are forced many times to eat one another,
as may be feen and heard of where thefe prac
tices are. If this be God or good that afteth
thofe things, and tells me that it is pleafure,
I will abandon fuch a god as the moft abom
inable and hatefull thing that is, and defire
to have nothing to doe with fuch an abomin
able and wicked god that blindes my eye, and
makes me thinke good to be evifl, and evfll
good ; for the Scripture faith. Woe to him that
cafleth evill good, and good evifl, and light dark-
nefl:e, and.darkneflie light; for wee are all ready
to miftake, but our nature and quallities cannot
be altered, for we ufe our quallities and natures
upon what objeft we light on, whether good or

N

90 Divinity and Philofophy.

evill : For the cholericke man, which is moft
compofed of fire, if he light upon the evill
inftrument, he hath fo many feverall tempta
tions to wrath and anger, that his foule or
himfelfe is never at quiet for one difturbance
or other, and many times in his wrath the
Devill tempts him to kill a man, and he is in
continuall vexations ; fo that he is in a living
death and dying life, although he fee it not,
but loves this living death more then the ever
lafting life which hath no bitternefTe therein,
but is full of all fweet content, and all the
workes that this life or fpirit animates thee
to doe, breeds thee no fting, difcontent or
any thing to be repented of; but this evill in
ftrument animates thee unto horrid and cruell
things full of mifchiefe, which cruelties rife
up in thy confcience and flye in thy face,
making thee condemne thy felfe, faying, what
a wicked man and beaftlike wretched creature
am I that doth fuch wicked aftions, I would
not have fuch things done to me, why would

Divinity and Philofophy.

91

I doe thus to another ? fure there fhall fome
heavy judgement fall upon mee, and I fliall
have the fame meafure met to me againe, and
fo ftfll the law of finne flyeth in the wicked
mans face, and is cafled the law of God or
the wrath of God, that moveth man to repent
for the wickednefTe he hath committed, and
to condemne and arraigne himfelf at this barre
of Gods judgement within himfelfe, which
fhews him all his fins and wicked life, and fo
hee kills and crucifies himfelfe with thefe
horrible wounds of confcience in him, and is
never at quiet, nor ever fhall till the caufe is
taken out of the way, which caufe is the De
vill and finne, and there muft a greater power
take away this death with another death (that is
by the death of Chrift being a Death unto
Devill and finne) which death is called the
death of Chrift in us, that fighteth againft our
finnes and all our lufts and affeBions, and cru-
cifieth all our fin and finfull life, fo that there
is no more fin, death and devill in us ; for it is

92 Divinity and Philofophy.
this death of Chrift that deftroyes the death
for fin, and the caufe of fin, which death of
fin was done by the law for fin executed upon
finne fo taking away the caufe and the efTeft,
which caufe was the devill and fin, and the
efTeft was the law of finne ; fo that when the
caufe is taken away, of neceffity the efTeft
muft ceafe : and this death or mortality of
Chrift fhall raife us up into immortality ; fo
that we may fay, O death, where is thy
fting ? O grave, where is thy viftory ? for the
ftrength of our fins was the law of finne,
which law or wounds of confcience was our
grave wherein we were dead and buried : fo
this death of Chrift hath freed us from all
deaths and mortallities, and his death and
mortallity will bring us into the true fweet
and everlafting life, which I defire all foules
may come into and injoy. Now he whofe
fpirit is moft compofed of fpirituall fire (as was
faid before) when he was ruled by the evill in
ftrument doing fuch wrathfull and cruell things.

Divinity and Philofophy. 93
when he is turned to God and goodneffe, his
quallity and nature of fire is turned into burn
ing zeale, fo 'that he is on fire of love to doe all
goodneffe, and is never well but when he can
doe fome deeds of charity and love to others ;
fo that his minde is fwallowed up in God, and
this his nature and quallity of fire is turned to all
God or goodnefTe, for the Divine Nature is
wholly incorporated in him ; the which I defire
all fiery and choloricke men may attain unto.
As for the fpirituall ayreall or fdnguine
man, if he fets his nature or quallity upon the
evfll inftrument, hee is very lafcivious and
given to lechery, gluttony, and drunkennefTe,
and to all vaine pleafure which doth befot
the minde, for nothing doth befot the minde
fo much as lechery and drunkennefTe, and all
thefe his follies doe flye in his face, calling
him foole and fot, and it doth fo befot them
to all good, that it makes them careles of wife,
children, and all other friends, and makes them
apt only to devife a thoufand plots and mifchlefes

94 Divinity and Philofophy.
maintaine their beaftly, brutiall and fenfuall
life, fo that they fpend all their owne eftates
and other mens, and in the end goe a begging
or live upon others, and they defile and fpoyle
their owne bodies with difeafes, fo fpoyling
both body and minde with their fenfuall liv
ing, for they are in an extafie below themfelves,
and ravifled with a brutiall and fenfuall life :
and this their evill inftrument (the Devill or
unreafonablenefTe) hath brought them to :
and when they have loft their organicall man,
then commeth in their greater griefe or hell,
becaufe they cannot execute their beaftly and
fenfuall life ; fo they are tormented in that
they cannot doe as they formerly did when
they had a body here, for their minde is upon
nothing elfe but on their beaftly, brutiall and
fenfuall life, which perifheth with the ufing,
leaving them in great difcontents ; and the
Devill fets alwaies this joy and pleafure before
their eyes, and the want of their bodies to
execute their former fooleries, which want

Divinity and Philofophy.
torments them to the death, fo that they are
in a living death, and dying life, and the law
of finne ftill rifing out of their confcience
condemneth them for what they have done,
and for what they defire, and fo they are
with death and hell, except they could re
turne : but the Scripture fpeaketh of time,
and of a day, and whilft time doth laft ; and
he faith, there is an appointed time, and after
that time there is no time more, for in that
time the death of Chrift fhould have taken
away death and the caufe of death, which is
the Devill and finne, who hath brought them
into this miferable condition under the law
of finne and condemnation which is the fecond
death : for he faith, in dying thou fhalt dye
the death ; fo then all men of all quallities
and complexions fhall be in this condition for
ever, except they bee amended by the death
of Chrift, for he is that innocent Lambe which
taketh away the finnes of the world, and fo
maketh amends for all.

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Divinity and Philofophy.
Now when this, ayreall or fanguine man re
turneth, and is moved by the good inftru
ment which is God, and doth wholly follow
him, then doth God ravifl his minde with his
fweet contents and ravifling joyes, fo that his
foule is taken ofT from all things below, and
is never at quiet but in this fweet contempla
tion : for he fings in minde, rejoycing in the
fpirit, fo that his foule is wrapt up in God
and goodnefTe, and hee fleweth forth to all the
world all love and goodneffe, fo that happy is that
man that can injoy his company : I doe earneftly
wifh all that ayreall or fanguine men or women,
may fet their minde upon the holy God that
they may injoy this good, for their minde in
this eftate, is carried up in fuch raptures in the
holy God, that they live here below in this
world as if they lived not. . <. ; ?
As for the phlegmaticke or fpirituall watry
man, which hath a dull and grofTe capacitie
if he fufTer- his minde to be moved by the evill
inftrument, hee is fo ftrongly fet on him that

Divinity and Philofophy.
he will very difficultly leave him; and he
maketh him live fo lazily that he is good for
nothing, and fetteth his minde on all lafcivi-
oufnefTe, on evill furmifings and fufpitions,con-
ftruing all things in the worft fenfe, fo that he
is never at quiet for one fufpition or another,
being in continuall miftruft of every one, be
caufe his capacity is fliallow, and the Devill
hath blinded his eyes with thefe faflacies, fo
that he thinketh every one to be his enemy ;
and he doth a great deale of mifchiefe in thefe
his evfll fufpitlons thinking to begin with others
firft, and in his blindneffe of minde doth un
doe himfelfe and others, and then rifeth up the
law of finne in his minde tormenting him,
accufing him of what mifchiefe he hath done
to others without any other caufe, fave only
his owne wrong apprehenfions, and fo this
law of finne condemnes and wounds him to
the death, till the death of Chrift takes away
this death, and the caufe of this death, which
is the devfllifh delufions, and the evfll furmi-

o

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fings which makes him do all this mifchiefe
to others without a caufe : And if this fpiri
tuall watry or phlegmatick man forfake the
evill inflrument with all his foule and minde,
and returne to the holy God, or good inflrument
with his whole flrength and minde to bee joyned
to and ruled thereby, then all his thoughts are
fet upon goodneffe, and then doth hee conflruB
all things in the befl fenfe which is done to him,
and he feeth all things that fall croffe in this
world, to be good for him, to wean and draw his love
from earthly things which perifl with the uflng,
and his minde is wholly fwallowed up in God
and goodneffe, and all his thoughts and contem
plations are upon God, and hee flieweth forth
nothing in all his life but God and goodnefTe
to the whole world, and to the fonnes ofmen,
for his life is fwallowed up in the moft holy
Godhead ; if all the phlegmatick men and wo
men were come to this eflate, then were they
happy, but till then mofl unhappy.
And for the fpirituall earthly or melancholly

Divinity and Philofophy.
man, if hee joyne himfelfe to the evill inftru
ment the Devill to be ruled thereby, he is
wifeft of all in doing mifchiefe, for he hath a
vaft capacity and can receive all fuggeftions,
and (as was faid formerly) by him is afted the
greateft cruelties, and therefore hee hath the
greater wounds of confcience ; for the law of
finne raifeth up all his cruell deeds againft
him, fo that his foule is heavily vexed unto
the death, and he hath fuch feare and dread
in him, that he wifleth that he had never been,
for he hath fuch fearfull and melancholy
thoughts that every hour he feareth to be
torne in peeces, and this is in him tfll the
death of Chrift takes away the caufe, and
then this wounding law of fin will ceafe : but
many love their fins too well to part with
them, to let Chrift take them away, and fo
they live and dye with them, fo that the De
vill and they are together for ever and for
ever in his world which is without end ; for
the beginning of his world is the ending with

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the man, for the beginning and ending is with
the man one and the fame for ever ; for as he
was at firft to him, fo hee is the laft and the
fame for ever, fbr he changeth not but con
tinueth ftfll evill : therefore, O man, looke to
it in time, and whflft time doth laft, for after
one time there is no time more, and looke to
it before the decree (whereof the Prophet
fpeaketh) come forth, for after that decree is
paft, there is no hope ; therefore looke to it
whilft it is called to day, and whilft this day
doth laft in thee, which day is Jefus Chrift that
commeth to help and fave thee; but if thou
doft not regard this day or Jefus Chrift, then
the decree commeth forth to thee, which is the
eternail black night of death and darknefTe,
which darkneflTe or night, is the depriving
thee of Gods grace and comfort, for thou re-
gardeft it not when it was offered to thee,
and fo in defpifing it thou fhalt bee for ever
without it, thinke as much as thou wilt to the
contrary ; for as fure as there is a God, and

Divinity and Philofophy.
as thou liveft, this will come to pafTe upon
thee if thou doft not looke to it before all
thefe things come to pafTe in thee : fo if this
melancholy and earthly man forfake the Devill
and evill one, and turne to God and goodnefle,
to bee joyned to and guided by him, he conceiv
eth more of the fecret myfleries of God then all
the r efl, for hee findeth out all the deepefl myfle
ries, and all things are opened unto him ; for as
he hath fuffered more, fo more is revealed to
him, and fo God and he are joyned for ever in
all love, and he is in everlafling joy and com
fort in God for ever and for ever. I wifl that
all fpirituall earthly and melancholy men and
women may bee joyned to this everlafling joy and
comfort. Whereas I have fpoken of the delufive God
in this Chapter, I defire I may not be mifta
ken, for the Scripture fpeaketh of two Gods,
the moft holy God, and the wicked God of
this world that blindeth the eyes of mankinde;
ONE IS THE REALL GOOD, AND THE OTHER IS

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THE REALL EVILL. And the Scripture maketh
mention of two Sathans, Devills or evills ; and
of two guiles or two deluflons ; the one Sathan,
guile, evill or deluflon, is for the good of the
7nan ; and the other Sathan, guile or deluflon is
for his utter deflruBion ; for the inceftuous
perfon was delivered to the good Sathan or
evill, for the deftruftion of his finfull flefh,
that his fpirit or foule might be faved in the
day of the Lord : and St. Paul tooke his dif
ciples with a good guile, and made them
grieve and mourne, deceiving them 'by that
godly forrow for their good. And in the
ThefTa. it is faid, that God did fend them
ftrong delufions that they fliould beleeve a
lie, becaufe they would not receive the love
of the truth. Now all the deluflons that God
fends to the man are for his good, and the
delufion is, that he worketh fuch a beliefe
and perfwafion in the mans heart for the
finnes caufe, that he feemeth to the man to
bee nothing elfe to him but wrath, fury, and

Divinity and Philofophy.
deftruftion; and thus hee terrifieth man to
make him forfake finne for his good, and
to make him returne from his evfll life : for
whatfoever God doth too or for the man, it is for
his reall good: whatfoever the man thinketh to
the contrary; and it is juft fo, as if a father
fliould correft his childe for his good and future
profit, although for the prefent it feem contrary
to him ; even fo is man deluded by Gods fa
therly difcipline and law, till finne ceafe in
him, and then this rod, difcipline or delufion
(which kept him in awe or fear to ofTend God)
fhall be taken away ; that is to fay, when finne
wholly ceafeth in him, and when he ceafeth
to ofTend God his Father any more : and this
is the evill which is fpoken of by the Prophet
faying. Is there any evill in the city, and I
the Lord have not done it? that is the evill
of punifhment. And that lying fpirit fpoken
of in the Kings (that the Lord did fend to be
a deluder in the mouth of the falfe Prophets)
was fent for a punifhment to them, becaufe

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Divinity and Philofophy.
they would not believe the truth ; and this is
done to reclaime the man, and to let him fee his
errors, and that he may returne home againe
to the reall truth : And againe it is faid, hee
created the deftroyer to deftroy, and hath fent
forth the evill Angells with flaming fire, ren
dring vengeance to thofe that will not know
God. And it is faid in the Pfalmes by David,
and in Job, That the arrows of the Almighty
ftucke faft in him, all which evills, wraths,
furies, or delufions, is the law of finne which
was added becaufe of the mans tranfgreffion,
and they fhall continue with him (as I have
formerly faid) till fin ceafe in him : but God
in himfelfe is none of all thefe, y^r He is a
moft pure and holy Spirit, and is fubjeB to no
paffions, but is a reall effence full of goodneffe,
neither is there any thing can change or diflurbe
him : but the evill one transformeth himfelfe
into an Angell of light, to delude and de
ceive the man with his feeming gpodnefTe for
his hurt, lofTe and damnation : So the mofl holy

Divinity and Philofophy.
God, by his minifler ing fpirits affumes an Angell
of darkneffe, or taketh. upon him the body of
flnne, to deflroy flnne ; and in the Scripture
the Divinity is fometimes faid to be Sathan in
the deftroying of finne, being evill, with the
evill, and he is faid to. be Lucifer the fonne
of the morning, or that ntorning flar re that is
fallen in our hearts, for hee could fall no where
elfe, and it muft be hee; that is that day or
morning ftarre that fhall arife in our hearts
againe : fo wee muft looke into the Scripture
with a. righ teous eye, and confider it rightly
in its order and place, how all things hang
and depend one upon another, or elfe we
fliall lofe our fefves, and confound the Scrip
tures, or forfake and negleft them as many
doe, becaufe they fee many feeming contra
diftions not having the fpirit of unity to re
concile or unite them together; for it fpeak
eth fometimes, and in fome cafes ihat man is
paffive, and God aBive, and that God is paf-
flve in fome cafe, and tnan the aBive ; and in

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fome cafe it is faid that the Divinity fuffers for
flnne and doth all in all, and fometimes it is
underftood that the humanity fuffers for flnne ;
THEREFORE IF WEE HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF
THE MOST HOLY GODHEAD, WE CANNOT FINDE
OUT THE INTRICACIES AND SECRET MYSTERIES
OF THE SPIRIT AND MINDE OF THE HOLY WRIT
TEN WORD, AND HOW ALL THINGS STAND IN
THEIR ORDERS AND PLACES : for fomc things
feeme ftrange, as that God who is all good
nes fhould deftroy fo many for David's num-
bring the people; and in one place of the Scrip
ture it is faid, that God moved him to num
ber the people, and in another place it is faid,
that Sathan moved him to number them ; and
in the fifteenth of Jeremy it is faid, that he
would deftroy fo many with feverall deaths
for the finnes of ManaflTes : fo that the Pro
phet Jer. was troubled and faid, that the Lord
feemed to him to be a liar, becaufe hee thought
thefe things feemed ftrange to him to come
forth of goodneflTe; but all thefe things are

Divinity and Philofophy.

107

fecret myfteries hidden from all finfull flefh and
h\o\id.,andnoneflallfee them aright but thofe which
have ceafed from flnne ; FOR GOD and man
HAVE BEEN FOR EVER TOGETHER, AND THEY
BOTH HAVE APPEARED IN TIME TO EACH OTHER,
and in this time there hath beene a partition
wall let in by the man which hath parted their
union of love,fo that the man feemeth to flght
againfl God and goodneffe, and God flghteth
againfl man and his evilneffe, and nothing can
be difcerned rightly by the tnan till the parti
tion wall of fln be pulled downe ; SO IN the
END OF TIME THAT HOLY JESUS THE SONNE OF
GOD PULLETH DOWN ALL PARTITION WALLS
THAT HAVE MADE THE DIVISIONS BETWIXT GOD
AND MAN, AND HE UNITETH THEM AGAINE IN
ALL LOVELY UNITY.

T08

.Divinity and Philofophy.

CHAPTER, in.
A defcription of the Scripture according to the hifory "¦
and myftery thereof.
)O^Y,S hath fpoken of the Creation of
the World, AND Certainly it can
not BEE THAT HE MEANETH THIS
EXTERNALL WORLD ; for I could never heare
any true reafons that can bee given to prove the
fame,{ox it flands at one ftay, and the Sunne,
Moone, and Starres keepe one courfe; and
the Sea runs her race up and dowa, and
they ftill are one and the fame in their orders
and places ; neither doe they increafe or de
creafe to or from what they firft feemed to
be unto man, nor doe they wax old as a gar
ment, nor as the creatures which we fee ap
peare that have a beginning and ending ; for
we fee every fpirit that appeares here hath
a created body which increafeth and is dimin-

Divinity and Philofophy.
ifhed, and is gone againe and is feene no
rnore : but this externall world is one cind the
fame for ever, for any thing I could fee or
heare to the contrary.
The greateft rnultitude of men beleeve it
to bee create^ of nothing, but I cannot fee
nor heare any reafon for the fame, becaufe
that of nothing can come nothing ; then
what muft it be made of? for fure it cannot
be made of the moft holy God as fome do
imagine and fay, that there was nothing be
fore but God, and therefore of neceffity (if it
be as they alleadge) he muft make all things
of himfelfe, but it cannot ftand with reafpn
that out of one fhould come fo many anti
pathies; therefore without all queftion the
moft holy Godhead that is one, is of a more
pure and exceflent nature then thefe lower
changeable elements of earth, water, ayre,
and fire, of which this lower world is com
pofed, for this lower world bringeth forth
nothing but his' oWne. nature, as earth, water.

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aire and its fpirit of fire, from which all
SPIRITS HAVE BORROWED A BODY WHICH THEY
CANNOT KEEP FOR EVER, bccaufc its nature is
changeable and runneth or whirleth round,
never ftanding at one certaine ftay ; for the
Sunne (which is Soule, fire or life of this
world) never ftandeth ftill but every yeare
runneth his race round, and in his running
he melts, hardens, congeales, withers, and
makes grow grtQ.n,fo that there is a continuall
death and refurreBion every yeare of things
under the Sunne ; for nothing ftands at one
ftay but is in continuall motion and change,
and in this change is, was, and fhall be one
and the fame for ever ; for no man can con
fume, diminifh, or annihilate the leaft atom
or duft, or bring any thing that is to nothing,
neither can any man finde the beginning or
end of things; but thou haft borrowed a
garment or body which did lye potentially
in that matter, and when thou makeft it ap
peare, it is faid to be a beginning to thee,

Divinity and Philofophy.
and when thou leaveft it as it was, it is called
an ending to thee : As for the world whereof
Mofes fpeaketh [that the mofl holy God made)
certaine it is fome more excellent, better, or purer
world for man to live in then this: for hee
hath no true content here in this world or
body of clay ; for this world is the vifible
God or good that is in continuall change, but
in the invifible world or invifible God is no
change nor fhadow of turning, but is one and
the fame for ever : if thou borrow a body or gar
ment of this internall and invifible world, he
never looketh for it again, for he is the righ
teous that lendeth never looking for it againe.
O that all foules did keep this body or gar
ment that was given them out of this inter
nall world, that they might fee with thofe
eyes the Sun, Moon, and all the glorious
orders of Starres, which glorious world is for
thee, O man, therefore look for thy internall
garment that is given thee for ever ; for the
eyes or lights of this body fhall never wax

III

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dimne,, but in thofe lights or eyes we fhall
fee and behold the eternail eye or light from
whence thofe our eyes or lights came, which
fhall be our everlafting body that wee need
not feare lofing or changing, for it continues
one and the fanie for ever, being the free gift
of the internall God.
There is a time wherein it feemeth to us
that we had a beginning to this internall and
invifible body, although in deed and in truth
this body hath neither beginning nor ending,
becaufe it lay potentially hid in God and in
his efTence, for its beginning to us is its ending,
becaufe the beginning reacheth unto eternity,
and we fliall for ever have this body if we
doe not lofe and difregard it, as I feare we
all have done ; for wee have not remembered
our Creator in the daye of our youth, before
our evill dayes came, wherein we have had no
pleafure; for our evill daye is this, when we
difregard this holy body, and then thofe eyes
begin to wax dim in us, though in themfelves

Divinity and Philofophy.

113

they are one and the fame for ever ; and thofe
grinders ceafe frotn eating the internall life, the
food of our foules, and the mourners flail carry
this dead body about the flreets and walks of
our hearts, mourning and grieving for us and
for our great loffe, and this is the grieving of
the holy Spirit by whom we are fealed ^ made
fonnes of God ; for we have quenched, crucified,
and killed this holy body of the Lord which he
gave us for a garment for ever to cover our
nakedneffe, and fo he returnes to that holy divine
earth from whence he came, and the foule, fpirit,
or life of that body, returnes to him that gave
it. And now, O man, what fhall we doe
for our great lofTe ? for we fee nothing but
death on every fide, FOR this externall
WORLD IS BUT A LIVING DEATH TO US, for Wee
are in continuall expeftation to be called out
of it ; and befides there is one that is worfe
then death that followes us to cloath us with
his mortall garments or body of wickednefTe :
for he prepareth a body which is a lie or de-

CL

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lufion, and fhews us a body which is a lie or
vanity to cloath us with, fo that this body
is worfe then death, for it is a living death,
and dying Ufe, and we were better to bee
dead (and if poflible to be annihflated quite)
then to live in fuch a wicked body of finne
and death : and it had beene better we had
never beene borne or brought forth in it, as
Job faith, curfing the houre of his birth, and
the day wherein he was borne, and wifhing
that he had dyed in the birth, and that he
had never been {^^li in this wicked world ;
therefore we fee many worlds, yet cannot fee
what reafon man hath to believe that this ex
ternall world was ever made as he imagineth,
feeing there wfll follow fo many abfurdities on
it; for what reafon- can be given that there
was but one man and one woman at firfl, feeing
there are blackmores or men, and white, and it
is contrary to nature and impoffible for a man
naturally black or blaekmore to bring forth
a white, or a white to bring forth a black.

Divinity and Philofophy.

and we fee it fo by experience ? and when
Cain kflled Abel, the Lord being angry with
him, faid, that he fhould be a vagabond and
runnagate; Cain anfwered, that his punifh
ment was greater than he could beare, that if
any man fliould meet him he fhould kill him,
when there was none to kfll him, for if there
was but one man and woman created at firft,
there was but his father and he in the world ;
and afterward it is faid that hee went into
the land of Nod, and tooke him a wife, who
did inhabit that land, and what man was the
father of his wife ? how can all thefe things
bee made good by the letter of the Scripture?
or doe you thinke that there was a materiall
garden, or a tree whereon did grow the fruit
of good and evill, or that a Serpent did goe
up in the fame to fpeake to the woman f fure
it cannot ftand with reafon that it could be fo,
for it is faid that all the creatures did come
to Adam, and he gave them names according
to their natures : now it is contrary to the

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Divinity and Philofophy.
Serpent's nature to fpeake after the manner
of men, unlefTe you will alledge that fhe un
derftood the language of the beafts, and
thought them wifer then God, and refolved
to be ruled by them, which to me feems alto
gether againft reafon, that the woman fhould
be fo ignorant and irrational, who was created
rationall after the image of God to be ruler
of all creatures : for at this day if a Serpent
went up into a tree, and did fpeake from
thence to men and women, it would make
them afraid in fo much that they would not
doe what he bid them : or doft thou thinke
that in Mefopotamia (a great way olT beyond
the feas) that there is a materiall garden where
in ftandeth the tree of life, and the tree of
knowledge of good and ifl, both in one place,
and an Angell ftanding with a flickering
fword to keep the tree of life from the man ; and
that Adam and Hevah were caft out of this
garden (for barkening to the Serpent) to tfll the
earth, and that it fhould bring forth nothing but

Divinity and Philofophy.
thorns and thiftles, all which in my judge
ment cannot ftand with reafon or truth ? for
the Scripture faith, that none flail be faved but
thofe who fljall eat of the tree that is in the
paradife of God: why then doe not all foules
or men goe to looke for this paradife and garden
of Eden to eat of this tree of life whereby
they mufl be faved, for none can be faved with
out it f And why doe not all men and wo
men goe to fight with this Angell that hold
eth this fword which keepeth them from the
tree of life, and confequently from falvation ?
I fee none, nor heard I ever any that went
to feek out this garden, Angell, nor tree of
life : and fo if the Scripture be to be under
ftood according to the litterall fenfe, or this
a materiall garden, none can be faved be
caufe the fame hath never been found out
by any fince the fall of Adam : and that
earth which is faid to bring forth nothing
but thornes and thiftles, cannot be the ex
ternall earth, for we fee it bringeth forth

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very good herbes, fruit and corne, fit for
the ufe of the externall manhood, and but
^^vj thornes and thiftles.
Therefore, 0 man, looke not thou on the
hiflory of the Scripture, but upon the myflery
which is hidden flnce thy wicked world began,
FOR THESE ARE ALL HOLY AND SACRED MYSTE
RIES WHICH ARE HIDDEN FROM ALL^ FLESHLY
AND SINFULL HEARTS, WHOSE FORESKIN OF SIN
IS BEFORE THEM AS A PARTITION WALL: there
fore, O man, let thy partition wall be pufled
downe by the mighty power of God in thee,
and let the forefkin of thy finfull flefh bee
cut ofT, and be thou plunged, dipped, dyed,
or baptifed in the moft holy and divine na
ture, or in the moft holy Godhead; for if
thou goeft into this river of Jordan or judge
ment as red as bloud with thy finnes, thou
fhalt come forth as white as fnow, and then
thou fhalt fee all thefe fecret and holy myfteries
which are revealed to perfeft and juft men, and
to no other; fof to the wicked and finfufl

Divinity and Philofophy.

119

man, it is a clofed booke, and a dead letter,
for S. Paul faith in the fecond chap, of the
fecond to the Corinths, that he fpeaketh the
wifdome of God to them that are perfeft, for
none can underftand it but fuch as are perfeft
and without finne; for to the wife of this
world the wifdome is fooliflines, and they
laugh it to fcorne, and think it meer mad-
nefTe, as Felix did of Paul, faying. That too
much learning had made him mad. 0 that
all foules had this fooliflneffe and madneffe, it
would be more pretious to thetn then all the wif-
domes and riches of this world, for the wifdome
of this world is earthly, fenfuall, and divillifh,
all which perifh with the ufing; and the fool-
ifhnefTe and madnefTe of God (as men efteem)
is to us our right and perfeft minde. O that
all men were baptifed into the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghoft, then fhould they fee things
cleerly and never have more trouble in foule,
then fhould they know all good things, and
afl teares fhould be wiped from their eyes, and

I20

Divinity and Philofophy.

be in everiafting ravifliing joyes and fweet
content of minde.
As for the feven Nations (that the Scripture
maketh mention of) which fliould be deftroyed
when their fins were full, as the Amorites,
Jebufites, Hittites, &c. it cannot be meant \as
to us'\ the deflruBion and killing of men, be
caufe it is contrary to the nature of God and
goodneffe to be the caufe of deflruBion, for he
is the author and caufe of all goodneffe and pre
fervation ; therefore wee fhould be like God,
to pray for them, and doe them all the good
we can, and not deftroy and kfll them in
their fins, for we fliould deale with them
by the fpirit of meekneffe, and not fend
them to hell headlong, for wee know not how
foone they may returne to God & goodneffe :
wherefore thofe feven are the feven deadly
flnnes which have fet themfelves forth as Na
tions in us, which when they are at the full in
us, the Ifrael of God [Jefus Chrift) muft come
and deftroy them out of us that the whole fociety

Divinity and Philofophy.
of God with Saints and Angells tnay dwell in
us, and that our foule may be a land that flow
eth with milke and hony, and till all thofe good
things come to paffe in us we are not faved.
And whereas it is faid of Abraham's beeing
commanded to kfll his fonne Ifaac (which is
contrary to the law of nature and to God and
goodnefTe to command him to kfll his naturall
fon) there is fome fecret &' facred myflery in it,
for in this is fet forth the whole paffion of Chrifl;
or Ifaac [or Jefus Chrift) is the promifed feed
which is hrought forth in the Ancient of dayes,
or in the end of time, and is the foie and only
joy of the man ; and God to trye the man
would have this foie joy and life of the man
to be brought to the facrifice, but the divin
ity OR holy life cannot dye [but as it may
feeme to the man) but the ramme or humanity
which was caught in the bufl of fln, he mufl
dye and bee facrificed for fln, for all facrifices are
for fin, and the foule that finneth he mufl dye:
wherefore we fhould not looke on the Scrip-

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ture as a hiftory, but as a holy and fecret
myftery : for in Gal. 4. 24. it is faid, that by
Hagar and Sarah is fignified the two Tefta-
ments, and that their chfldren are two feeds,
the one flefhly, and the other fpirituall ; and
Jacob and Efau that wreftled in the womb are faid
to be two Nations, the one fpirituall, the other car
nall: and the Scripture teftifieth them to bee two
worlds, which is meant the firft and fecond birth in
man, and not as mofl imagine, that God ordained
the one to damnation, and the other to falvation ;
andthe Scripture witneffeth plainly that thofe are
allegories, and to be underflood as myfleries, or
elfe we flail altogether diforder and confound the
Scripture, and this is the reafon offo many
Religions one flghting againft the other : for the
Scripture in the letter feemeth to contradiB it
felfe, fo that if we have not the Spirit of God
[which is above the Scripture) wee cannot under
ftand one word or tittle thereof aright, and none
can have that Spirit, but he that hath ceafed
from fln.

Divinity and Philofophy.
As for the drowning of the world and
building of Noah's Arke fo many cubits high
and broad, as the Scripture fpeaketh, it could
not containe all the creatures in the world
by couples and fevens, and all their meats fo
long time, alfo it might be thought that God
did infpire & move all the creatures to come
to Noah's Ark to be faved, the which I de
fire you to confider of, and the many abfur
dities that would fall upon it to be under
ftood according to the letter, which cannot
be agreeable to reafon, but that there muft be
fome higher myftery in it ; for the Scripture
faith, that there was but eight perfons in the
Ark, and that all the world was drowned
fave thefe eight ; and prefently after he fpeak
eth of Kings and Kingdomes : I pray tell
mee, from whence thefe Kings and King-
domes came from in fo fhort a time ? for we
read how many of the children of Ifraell went
into Egypt, and were there foure hundred
yeares; marke their increafe during that fpace,

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Divinity and Philofophy.
and compare the times, and you fliall fee how
many eight perfons could bring forth in fo
fliort a time ; for the Egyptian Kingdome,
and all the reft of the Kingdomes muft come
from thofe eight perfons, which they can never
prove to have increafed fo many in fo fhort
a time ; for we read but of fixty fix perfons
that came of Shem, betwixt his comming forth
ofthe Arke, and their entring into Egypt, and
their abode in Egypt was foure hundred and
thirty yeares, the which in all that time did
but increafe to fix hundred thoufand tfll the
time they came out of Egypt again to go into
the land of Canaan : therefore if you wifl
compare thofe things and exaftly calculate
the times, you will finde ftrange contradic
tions in them ; wherefore you muft not look
to the hiftory of the Scripture but to the myf
tery, /or the deluge of Gods wrath muft needs
fall upon fome other world then this externall,
even the world of flnne and iniquity, and drowns
all their delightfufl pleafures and marriages

Divinity and Philofophy.
by his heavy judgement and law of finne that
he executeth upon them many and divers
wayes : but the holy and divine manhood
with all the beafts (which are the paffions and
phantafies of his minde) and the eight perfons
(which are the five fenfes, with the will, rea
fon and underftanding, which is to rule and
governe all thefe beafts) are fhut up in the
Arke, Cheft or Divinity of God while this
deluge runs over the wicked world, and are
preferved in the fame to bee brought forth as
a new and heavenly Jerufalem to a better and
more divine world, which is the humanity to
live in the Godhead, or the holy divine life.
Likewife the hiftory of Jofeph & his brethren,
is to be underftood fpiritually, y^r the twelve
fonnes of Jacob, with their father and mother,
is the whole divinity and humanity joyned toge
ther, and Jofeph flgnifles the highefl perfeBion
or divinity, which was fold into the hands of
the wicked by his brethren which is the human
ity with his affeBions, and the wickedneffe fold

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him unto the lufl of the fleflj, which was Poti
phar's wife, fo that the lufts of the flefh de
fired to injoy the perfeftion to her luft, will
and defires, as the Devill did to Chrift, which
this doth prefigurate, and he left this garment
of flefh (which hee feemed to be cloathed with)
into her hands for a witnefTe againft him that
he was with her : fo the wicked lufts of the
flefh put this perfeftion or Jofeph in prifon,
becaufe he would not confent to her, and he
lyeth in this dungeon or hell under the flefhly
lufts of finne, till our Pharaoh (King of igno
rance and fervitude) begin to dream of all the
miferies and famines that is to come upon us;
then Jofeph or our perfeftion is fent for in
hafte, to provide food for us in this our fam-
ifhed land of fervitude and ignorance, where
wee muft fell ourfelves under this perfeftion
(who is as King and Lord in this land for a
dme) otherwife we cannot be faved nor pre
ferved; and after a fmall time this Jofeph
dyeth in the land of fervitude and ignorance.

Divinity and Philofophy.

1 27

after whofe death comes a cruell Pharaoh to
reigne over thee, who doth impofe fuch cruell
and hard burdens and tafles on thee, which
makes thee long and cry out for a Saviour ;
then comes the moft powerfull God with his
mighty fignes and wonders to helpe thee,
plaguing thy wicked king of wickednefTe in
thee ; and when all thofe wonders and plagues
are fulfilled upon thy king of fervitude, thou
muft enter into a wilderneffed land where is
no comfort, carrying the dead bones of Jofeph
(or thy dead perfeftion) and in thy going thou
muft eat the pafcall lambe, or the fupper of
our Lord ; which wilderneffed land, is the whole
paffion and death of our Lord Jefus, whereby
thou muft forfake the onions, garlike, flefh-
pots, and all the pleafant meats which thou
eateft of in the land of Egypt : and in walk
ing through this wilderneffe (or this death and
paffion of our Lord Jefus) we are brought to
the heavenly Jerufalem, or City of God, where
in we fhall reft in all peace and fweet con-

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Divinity and Philofophy.
tent : I DOE NOT DENY THE HISTORY OR LIT
TERALL SENSE OF THE SCRIPTURE, but there is
nothing therein profitable for me, fave only the
myflery and fpirituall fenfe. As for the facri
fice in the old law, where mention is made
of killing of bufls, rams, goats and lambs,
fure it cannot bee that the killing of thefe
creatures could ever make fatisfaftion for finne;
nor could the fpeech of a Prieft fpeaking over
the head of a goat, carry away finne into the
wildernefTe, as it is faid of the fcape goat ;
but thefe are holy myfleries, and mufl be under-^
flood otherwife, and the chufing of the Priefts
as that they fhould have no impediment, as a
lame leg, or one arme, or but one eye, and
that their attire fliould bee moft glorious,
with the breaftplate of Urim and Thummim,
and the Crown with writing upon it, and the
pure white linnen, which to underftand ac
cording to the hiftory feemeth ftrange for the
Priefts to weare fuch babling things, but that
all thofe are myfteries.

Divinity and Philofophy.
As for the facrifices which fliould be with
out blemifh (as the lambs and innocent doves,
with the fweet odours and perfumes) is this to
offer up a tnofl holy and upright life without
fpot or blemifl of flnne, which is his holy Son
Jefus in us, a facrifice moft pleafing in his
fight, for he careth not for the facrifice of
bulls and rams, but this moft holy body hath
he chofen : O therefore, let us olTer up this
moft holy body and pure life for an accepta
ble facrifice moft pleafing in his fight; this
holy life is the odours and fweet perfumes,
which fweet favor delighteth his noftrills,
and ravifheth his minde with moft fweet con
tents ; and the divine humanity is the Prieft
that muft ofTer up this moft pure facrifice,
for he muft be a perfeft man without the
blemifh of finne ; and muft wear the breaft
plate of judgement with Urim and Thum
mim, which is light and perfeftion, with the
crowne of glory which is hoHneffe to God,
and be cloathed in white linnen which is a

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moft pure and innocent life : and now you
fee that Prieft, people, and facrifice muft be
pure and unfpotted without finne having all
perfeftion. As for the holy Arke which was builded
by the free will ofTering of the people, and
Mofes going up into the mountaine to the
Lord for a paterne to fhew the people that it
might be builded with all their pretious ftones,
and fine filks for curtaines, and the drinking
pots of gold, with the candlefticks, fnuffers,
and fnuffing difhes, and the mercy feat, with
the Cherubim s that holdeth up the mercy
feat, and the holy, and moft holy place, with
the curtaine betwixt the holy and moft holy ;
and the Altar and hookes, the table and
fhew-bread, with Aaron's rod that budded,
and the pot of manna, which to underftand
as a hiftory, that fuch a glorious building was
made to look upon is nothing to me ; for to
looke or judge of it fo is to looke according
to the outward appearance which is not right-

Divinity and Philofophy.
eous judgement, for in this is to be feene the
whole myftery of the Godhead and the hu
manity ; for in the holy place is the whole
worke of the law, with the death and facri
fices for finne for a reconciliation, which death
and facrifice is the Godhead and manhood
which lyeth upon the holy Alter, fire, wrath,
crofTe or patience till the man of finne be de
ftroyed and rooted out of us : And the golden
candlefticks, with the lights in the holy place,
is the law or grace that fhineth from the
morning till the evening, or till finne is extin -
guifhed and done away in us, and is the light
of God' s grace which is true repentance for flnne,
with a broken and contrite heart and forrowfull
fpirit, which fhineth till all things are finifhed,
and then giveth up the ghoft unto the Father
from whence he came, and then the vaile or
curtaine which ftandeth in the moft holy
place is rent in twaine from the top to the
bottome, which vaile is the flefh and death of
Chrift, and is the new and living way, through

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which all mufl enter or elfe they cannot be faved,
nor enter into the moft holy or SanBum
SanBorutn, where the mercy feat is held up
by the Angells and Cherubims.
Now when the Priefthood which is the
holy humanity, hath fulfilled the whole worke
of the Law (the facrifice for finne in the holy
place) then they put on all their holy gar
ments and attires, and fo enter into the moft
holy place with their bells or hymns that
foundeth forth the praife of God internally
to God, and externally all good to men, for
in this holy attire muft he enter in the moft
holy place with odours and fweet perfumes
of a holy life, and the fmoke of thefe odours,
and perfumes of a holy life, afcendeth to the
mercies feat, and ravifheth the moft holy God
head, and then he imbraceth him in his armes
faying. Thou art my beloved Sonne in whom I
am well pleafed ; and this is he that maketh us
Kings and Priefts to God, and giveth us him
felfe to be ofTered up for a facrifice to God

Divinity and Philofophy.
his Father for us. 0 man, how great is the
love of God to thee, that Hee becotnmeth thee to
fave thee, and makes thee \_Uke unto~\ himfelf e for
the great love He hath to thee f for in thy firft
appearance he created himfelfe in thee, and
then there appeared unto thee foure worlds ;
firft this externall world, whereof thou haft
borrowed a body or garment, and knoweft
not how foone it fliall be called for againe,
for the world whirleth about and calleth for
her owne againe, and there can be no cer
tainty of any thing here, becaufe here is no
thing but change and mortality ; for this
world of it felfe is death, but that the fpirits
that are in it are its life, fo that this world is
not worthy fo much as to bee thought of,
for it perifheth with the ufing as doth a gar
ment, only it is good in this refpeft, becaufe
wee could not know light but by darkneffe, nor
life but by death, nor immortallity but by mor
tallity ; and the reafon we were in obfcurity
or in filence before wee could come here, is

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Divinity and Philofophy.
this, that there is one eternail increafe of the
feed of man, and they can but appeare in
time here ; for this externall world is time,
and time is a running round, and there is no
new thing here but as it is to me ; for this
materiall world doth neither increafe nor de
creafe, but is one and the fame for ever in
its turning round, only it feemeth to me to
increafe and diminifh, and fo it is finite, and
becaufe the feed of man is an eternail in
creafe ; and this world being one and the
fame may be called finite in this refpeft, be
caufe there is not matter enough for all fpirits
to have bodies or garments of one time, and
therefore fotne mufl goe before others can come,
for the fpirits to cotne are itifinite, and this
world is finite, becaufe of its materiall confine,
not increafing but running round, fo that which
is called the body of one to day, may be called
the body of another to morrow ; for there is no
certainty here, and all foules mufl flay their
time till they can come here, and in their com-

Divinity and Philofophy.
ming and being here is the time to fee diflinc-
tions and all worlds, and if thou doe not looke
about thee and fee them here in this world of
time (but be negleftive of the time) thou
hadft better never have been born or brought
forth in time, for this time vaniflieth away to
thee and thou fhalt bee feen no more; for when
man is in honour and knows it not, he is like
the brute beaft that perifheth being without
God in the world : therefore whilft time doth
laft to us, let us looke about us and redeeme
our mifpent time, and feek the everlafting
good or reall true world that is beyond all
time or change ; and this is the divine world
which God hath placed in thy heart, as is faid
in Ecclefiaftes the 3. and the world whereof
Mofes fpeaketh Gen. i. and is the Angelicall
world or paradife out of which the man had
an Angelicall body which is but a part of
Gods houfe, for God fhewed himfelfe but in
part, and this part man loft, and in that part
he was that great Lucifer or Angell that was

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Divinity and Philofophy.
the Sunne of the morning, or ftarre that feft,
and in falling fought againft his Maker, or
him that gave him that Angelicall body or
world, in which the moft holy world ftood
as a tree of life unfeen or untouched by the
man, for he had more minde of the diaboli
call world, for all worlds being opened to the
man he defires the evill and worft of worlds
defiring to be free before his time, becaufe he
could not abide the fervanthood to till and
drefTe the garden of the Lord (which fervant
hood is the angelicall body or world, which
is the fervant of the Lord) but defired to
be as great as God himfelfe before his time,
and fo his pride threw him downe into the
loweft world which is the diabolicall ; fo that
his body is now the body of finne, death, and
all wickednefTe : and befides, he hath pulled
downe the divine and moft holy world upon
him as a judge with wrath and violent fire,
and fo hee ftandeth ftill over him till the man
defire to come forth againe out of the diabolicall

Divinity and Philofophy.
world, and returne with humility, true repen
tance and reall forrow for his fin, and theti the
divme and mofl holy world doth worke this true
reall death in mans heart, and def c endeth into
the hell of his heart [that is into the lowefl parts
of his earth where the wrath of God is) and
there pacifieth this wrathfull Judge or God with
his hutnility and true forrow for finne, by which
forrow and hutnility he crucifies atid deflroyes
all fltt tie out of the tnan, and then he raifeth
hitn out of the loweft world into the divineft and
moft holy world ; AND THIS world IS THE
SECOND CREATION THAT GOD MAKETH IN MAN
AND IS HIMSELFE WHICH HE CREATETH IN HIM,
FOR IN HIS COMMING HE FIRST HUMBLETH AND
THEN EXALTETH THE MAN : for the divine
and moft holy world in his comming downe
into hell (or the loweft world to the man to
fave him) doth appeare in humility and low-
linefTe of fpirit, very meeke and gentle, en
during patiently all that the law would have
him fuffer, and fo teacheth and incorporateth

^Zl

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Divinity and Philofophy.

this humility and lowlinefTe of fpirit into the
man that hath learned God, fo that they twain
are made one fpirit ; and this is the new crea
tion of which David fpeaketh, faying. Create in
tne a cleane heart, 0 God, and. renue a right
fpirit in tnee: this is that poore, humble,
meek foule that lyeth in the duft and feeth
no help which fliall be raifed up from thence
to dignity, and fliall fit with Princes, which
is to fit with the moft high God ; and he is
the barren that fhall beare, and bring forth
the holy Godhead or divine life out of him.
Now, O man, mayeft thou fee how great
the love of God is to thee ; therefore forfake
all worlds for his fake, becaufe he loveth thee
fo deerly, and look upon all things through
his fpirituall and holy eyes, and then fhalt
thou fee things cleerly and as they are, and
not efteem of any thing above it felfe, nor
above its owne deferving. Wherefore wee muft
looke into the Scripture with thofe holy eyes,
or elfe we fhall fee nothing aright, or as it is.

Divinity and Philofophy.
Now TO LOOKE UPON ALL THE HISTORIES
OF THE PROPHETS, JUDGES AND KINGS WITHOUT
THOSE DIVINE AND HOLY EYES, WHERETHROUGH
WE SEE THE HOLY MYSTERY OF THE SAME, IT
WILL APPEARE VERY STRANGE TO US, AND CON
TRARY TO NATURE AND REASON ; as for ex
ample, that of Balaams Affe fpeaking to him,
and Nebuchadnezzar being turned to a Beaft
to eat grafTe with the Oxen till the dew of
heaven had wet him feven times ; and the
fiery furnace fpoken of in Daniell, in which
the three children were caft, wherein they
had no hurt, nor fo much as their cloaths
burned ; and the great Image of brafTe, iron
and clay, which is alfo fpoken of in Daniell,
with many other myfteries which fetteth forth
the creation, fall and reftauration of man by
the whole worke of the law, together with
his new creation : fo that the whole hiftory of
the Scripture [rightly underftood) tendeth to
thofe things, but are illuftrated and fet forth
many and divers wayes ; therefore this worke

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Divinity and Philofophy.

of man is wonderfuU, and would make an
eternail difcourfe in the minde of man to ex
prefTe himfelfe. And the hiftory of David
that he did kill a Lion and a Beare, and did
kill Goliah, is the whole worke of the law to
deftroy the Devfll and fin out ofthe man; alfo
he complaineth fometimes that he is in the
lov/eft hell, and in a deepe pit, and that he is
a worme and no man, and that he is in the
deep waters and the raging feas run over him,
fo that in all this he carries a double death
which is to kfll and be kflled, /or the whole
worke of the law is to kill and bee killed ; there
fore the law (or David) cannot build a houfe
for God to dwefl in, for hee faith that David
or the law is a man of blood, and that he
fhould pull down all bmldings of fin, and de
ftroy the enemies of the Lord, and prepare
timber and ftones hewed and cut for the
houfe of the Lord, that there might bee no
noife of the hammer, or of the worke man's
tooles ; for the law of the Lord hews, cuts and

Divinity and Philofophy.

141

prepares us for the houfe of the Lord before we
are or can be fet in, ''that there flould be no
noife of hammer or worke mans tooles hewing or
cutting, which hewing or cutting is the wounds
of confcience making a true forrow and mourn
ing for flnne, and when we are prepared and
made living ftones and a fpirituall houfe
(Chrift being the head and corner-ftone that
upholdeth this houfe and holy building, and
this whole houfe is covered within and with
out with pure gold, that is with a moft pure,
holy and glorious life) then the moft holy and
wife Solomon (the wifdome of the Godhead,
the fonne of David, or the law) enters in this
moft glorious houfe that fhineth with his moft
bright and glorious rayes, and there he wor-
fhips and adores this great and moft holy
Godhead, and there was and is continuall
fongs of Hallelujah, praife and thankfgivlng
to him that liveth for evermore : and with
out this houfe is the middle court where the
peace offerings that was and is ofTered up to

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Divinity and Philofophy.
this moft holy God, and was and is the fulfil
ling of the law by obedience in killing the
man of finne, the which doth pacific and re
concile us to God againe, that we may enter
the Temple with this holy and wife Solomon
to worfhip and fing praifes to the moft glo
rious and moft holy God. 0 that it werefo
well with all the foules of men, and that it were
fo come to paffe in them, then were they happy,
but till then mofl unhappy.
Now to underftand thefe buildings of the
Temple and houfe of the Lord as a hiftory,
with all thefe glorious externall things, how
that there were galleries and chambers, and in
thofe roomes piftures of Angels and Cherubims,
and that they did uphold the Arke and Alter,
and that the fame fhould bee covered within
and without with pure gold, and that the
ftones muft be hewed and prepared before
they were fet in that there fhould be no noife
of the hammer or workmans toole : what is
that to thee, 0 man, to read the hiftory of thefe

Divinity and Philofophy.
things f for all externall buildings muft perifl
with the uflng, and thou never the better for it ;
but looke thou into the myflery thereof becauje
it concernes thy felfe, for this building is thee
and God joyned together, and is the rocke Chrifl
Jefus, that Uving flone difallowed of men, but
chofen of God, and yee as living fl ones are joyned
to him and tnade a fpirituall houfe, and an
holy Priefthood to ofTer up fpirituall facrifices
to God by this holy Jefus Chrift our Lord and
only Saviour, that hath called us from death
to life, and hath made us fit with him in his
holy place, that is in the moft holy Father :
therefore 0 man, feeke after this holy building,
and let it be built in thee, for all the hyflorie
of the Scripture is concertting thy felf e, thy fal
ling, riflng, or fomething that concernes thee or
the holy Godhead ; therefore thou oughteft to
looke into the fcripture with a vigilant eye,
and vvith due refpeft, for it is the true looking-
glaffe which fhowes thee in what condition
thou art, and therefore read it not as thou dofl

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Divinity and Philofophy.
other hyflories, but read it and take it to heart,
and efleeme it as it is the mofl holy and facred
myfleries concerning the great and mofl power-
full Godhead atid thy felfe, 0 man.
And as for the Hyftory of Jefus Chrift that
He was borne in an Inn, and in a ftable,
betwixt an Oxe and an AfTe, and laid in a
Crach, and that the Inn was full and no
roome in it but the ftable, is a great myftery,
for this Inn is thy felf e 0 man, and the cham
bers of thy heart are full of thy flnnes, the great
Kings of thy earthly being, which are pride,
vaine glory, hypocrifie, luft, vanitie, wrath
and felfe will : fo that the chambers and
roomes of thy heart are full of fuch guefts as
thefe, and there neither was nor is roome for
the mofl holy Ufe but in- the worft place of thy
houfe, AND THY HEROD (OR BLOODY MIND)
WILL NOT LET HIM LY THERE, BUT SEEKETH
TO DESTROY AND KILL HIM, AND SO HEE IS
CARRIED AWAY AND HID IN THEE TILL THOSE
BE DEAD THAT SEEKE HIS LIFE : Now when

Divinity and Philofophy.
Chrift (the holy divine nature) comes into our
earthly Man of finne, hee hath not a place to
lay or reft his head on, but is fought for by
our finnes to bee deftroyed, for hee fayeth, the
foxes (that are our worldly Paffions) have holes,
andthe birds (that are our vain Phantafies) have
nefts, but hee hath not whereon to lay his head ;
Doeft thou not fee (O vain man) that the moft
holy and divine world or divine life is neg
lefted of thee ? and kept under thy earthly
being, and he is in the loweft parts of thy
earth, and under thy finfull manhood, hee is
that moft glorious and holy Hght that com
meth into thy wicked world of finne, but
thou art afhamed of him, becaufe hee difco
vers thy deeds of darkenefTe, fo thou putteft
out this light and quencheft this fpirit, for
thau loveft the deeds of darkenefTe more then
the works of light, therefore this light or holy
life is carryed away by Jofeph and Marie (the
perfeftion and fountaine of Love) to the holy
Hght, from whence he came, till all thy finne

u

146

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and iniquity which fought his life is dead in
thee,/?r the holy life cannot live in thee, till
flnne be dead and rooted out of thee.
Now to looke upon Chrift comming into
this externall world, in fuch a mean manner,
his birth fo low, and his condition fo poore
and difpifed, and fought out by the Kings ofthe
earth to bee deftroyed, was becaufe they
thought fcorne that one of fo poore and mean
birth fhould bee King of all the earth ; And
thou mayeft fee the myftery of his comming
into this world in fo poore and difpifed man
ner, which is to fhew thee how hee is in thy
felfe and in thy internall world difpifed and
fought for to bee deftroyed by thy finnes the
great Kings of thy earthly being : therefore
(O man) if thou readeft the hiftory of the
birth of Chrift, and look not into the myf
tery how much it concerns thee, thou art
never the better for his comming; for his
externall coming to the fight of the world
fhall vanifh away like a tale that is told, or a

Divinity and Philofophy. 147
dreame that is feene no more : therefore 0
man looke into the Scripture [and into the holy
writ) with a diligent and circumfpeB eye, and
into thy felf e where is written the holy word to
thy condemnation or to thy falvation : compare
thy felfe and the Scripture together, and thou
flalt fee thy felf e there, for it is the true reall
lookeing glafTe wherein thou mayeft behold
thy felfe ; and thy owne foule or fpirit is a
witnefTe to thee, that it relates to thee thy
felfe, and it fpeaks the reall truth to thee in
condemning or juftifying thee, wherefore O
man take it to heart, for thou needeft not
other witnefTe of the truth thereof but thy
felfe. As for Chrift's being led afide by the fpirit
into the WildernefTe to bee tempted of the
Devill, and that he fafted forty dayes and
forty nights, and that he was fet upon a Pin-
acle of the Temple, fhewing him from thence
all the Kingdoms of the earth in the twinck-
ling of an eye, and that hee told him all the

148

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Kingdoms of the earth were his, for they
were given him, and if hee would fall down
and worfhip him they fhould bee his; cer
tainly this cannot be meant of the externafl,
for no mortall creature (taking on this ele
mentary body of clay) can fubfift without
foode fo long, nor could it be that all the
Kingdomes of the world were the Devifls,
for who did give them to him ? nor can there
bee any reafon given, why or how hee could
poffibly fee all the Kingdomes of this world
with his externall eyes at one time : for this
world being imagined round, high, and low,
it is impoffible that any externall eye fhould
fee it at once : therefore O man looke to the
myftery thereof, for when this holy Jefus is
borne into us, this wicked fpirit commeth to
him, and feeing him cloathed with our fraile
and weake nature, thinking to overcome him,
fhewing him our barren and wildernefTed na
ture wherein is no good thing for foode for
him, fo that hee muft bee ftarved if hee lived

Divinity and Philofophy. 149
in it, therefore hee would have him obedient
unto him and hee fliould have all his honour,
kingdome and riches, but he did forfake them
all as abhominable, and brought his owne
foode or kingdome with him, for he liveth
by the power and life of the Godhead from
whence he came, and by this mighty power
he makes this ftony and barren ground of
mans nature food for him to live of and with,
for hee participates and liveth of both na
tures ; the Godhead and the manhoode, and
this Godhead and manhood being joyned to
gether by a conjunftion (or reciprocall union)
have betwixt them both brought forth Jefus
Chrift the Sonne of God and Sonne of man,
who is both God and man, and being in the
wombe of the humanity, is nourifhed and fed
by the fame as of his mother, for all children
live of the mothers life and nature, and are
fed by it : fo this Jefus Chrift comes into our
barren ground, and by his mighty power
maketh it fertill and fruitfull, bringing forth

I50

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himfelfe in us, to live of us, and we by him,
for our barren ground is plowed up by the
law of God, and all the thornes and thiftles
which are our finnes, are plucked up and
throwne away, that this holy feed may be
fowed in our hearts in place of our finnes,
and this feed is a tender plant: wherefore, O
man, look diligently to it, and weed up all
things that are Hke to deftroy the fame in thee.
And as for the Devfll carrying Chrift up
into the holy City, and fetting him upon a
pinacle of the Temple, and fhewing him all
the Kingdomes of the Earth in the twinkling
of an eye, and faying, that thofe Kingdoms
were given to him ; this holy City is thy
felfe, O man, and thou haft given it to the
Devill, and he hath begot many wicked gene
rations and kingdomes in thee which are his ;
and Chrift taking thy finfull nature upon
him to deftroy it, the Devill being in that
nature of fin thinks to exalt Jefus, fhewing
him what kingdomes he had got in that na-

Divinity and Philofophy.
ture, for which he would have him worfhip
him, and hee would give him them all; but
reproves him and cares not for his wicked
kingdomes, but crucifies him and them, and
cafts him out of this nature, and makes this
his humanity to worfliip God, and faith. Get
thee from me Sathan, for I will worfhip my
Lord and God ; fo Chrift the divine power
of God, taking upon him the finful nature,
had upon him the power of the Devill who
thought to deftroy him in it, fo the Devill
and hee being in one nature ftrove for victory
who fhould have this nature for his pofTeffion
and dwelling place, the divinity hath the vic
tory when the humanity confenteth thereto,
and then there are two againft one, but if
thou confenteft to the devill there is no fight
ing for thee, nor art thou worthy the fighting
for ; therefore if thou haft a minde to ftay
with the Devill ftifl thou mayeft, for Hee will
not pull thee out of his clawes againft thy
will : wherefore looke to it, 0 man, for there

151

152

Divinity and Philofophy.
flands before thee life and death, chufe life and
live for ever ; but if thou loveft death, thou
haft death for ever.
As concerning the AfTe that Chrift tooke
away, and his curfing the fig-tree, it feemeth
ftrange in the letter, becaufe it contradifteth
the truth, for the truth faith, that we fhould
ufe no violence, nor take any mans goods
from him, and that we fhould not curfe but
blefl^e ; but we fee here that Chrift hath taken
away the Afl^e that was bound, and curfed the
fig-tree againft reafon, for the time of figs
was not yet come ; therefore certainly there
is another myftery in it, for it cannot bee
true according to the hiftory that Chrift fhould
doe fuch unjuft things, for no falfliood nor
guile was found in his hands : therefore this
aa'c is that fimple innocencie that is tyed in
thee with the cords of iniquity and cannot
ftir; for the humanity never did ride thereon,
tfll Chrift came in our humanity to make it
free, and then he rideth into Jerufalem the

City of God meekly fitting upon this AfTe,
which AfTe is now the fimple innocencie of
God, on which (before Chrift came into thy
humanity) Balams did ride upon and did kicke
and fpurne this innocencie without a caufe ;
therefore bee thou, O man, this fimple innocent
Affe, that the King of Sion may ride meekly
upon thee to Jerufalem the holy City ofGod.
And for the fig-tree that had no time to
bring forth its fruits but was curfed, is the
humanity that Chrift did take upon him, in-
during therein the curfe of the law for the
fins caufe, nor could it bring forth fruit till
Chrift came in it, and made it indure the
curfe of the law, which made it feem to dye
and vanifh away : for this fig-tree or huma
nity, could not bring forth fruit till Chrift
came againe in fpirit to vivifie and renue the
fame,/r He is the Ufe of the true fig-tree that
bringeth forth fruit itt due feafon : fo this firft
fig-tree that was accurfed fhews unto us the
firft creation in man, how that it could not

154

Divinity and Philofophy.

bring forth fruit being lyable to the curfe for
fins caufe ; and this tree is the humanity of
Chrift according to the flefli, that indureth
the judgement and curfe of God with us for
fins caufe, without caufe in himfelfe, fave
only his love to us.
And as for that certaine man that fell
amongft the theeves and was hurt, many
paffing by and would not helpe him till the
Samaritane came : 0 man, this certaine man
is thy felf e that is gone out of lerufalem [the City
of God) to travell, and hath met with the Devill
and all his company, which is pride, vaine-
glory, hypocrifie, luft, intemperance, wrath,
envy, malice, bitternefTe of fpirit, covetouf
neffe, evill cenfuring, murtherous mindes, and
all the wickedneffe that is : and thefe are the
theeves that hath robbed thee of all goodneffe,
wounding thy foule, and leaving thee for dead:
fo the Priefl and Levite that paffeth by thee is
the law, wrath, and curfe of God that is upon
thee, and leaves thee alone to thy felfe for thy

Divinity and Philofophy.
condemnation, becaufe thou haft left the city
and houfe of God to travell thou knoweft not
whither to lofe and damne thy felfe with the
Devill and all his Angells and wicked fpirits,
that hath killed and fpoyled thy foule, for thy
wounds of finne ftinke and are putrified
within thee (as David faith, my wounds are
feftred and ftinke within me) and fo we lye as
dead in trefpaffes and flnnes till the good Satna-
ritane [which is lefus Chrifl) come and have
mercy on us, and take us up and fet us upon
his Affe which is his mofl innocent and harmleffe
life, whereon he carries thee as halfe dead,
and after poureth in the oyle of his gracious
goodnefTe into thy wounds to heale them, fo
that hee becommeth a plalfter for thy fores to
heale thee, and indures all thy ftinking filthi-
neffe upon him, for hee hath thy fores in his
falve which is himfelfe, and is that moft inno
cent and harmleflTe life, and Hee it is that
beares the iniquities of us aU,for all our finnes
and tranfgreffions are upon him ; fo this holy

^S^

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Divinity and Philofophy.

Chrift is in hell in us tfll wee are cured of
finne, for he is a falve for our ftinking fores
that is a hell to him, and he indures thee,
and the wrath of God upon thee, which is
upon him in thee, till thou art perfeftly cured
and made whole from all blemifh or fpot : O
HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD TO THEE,
O MAN ! WHY DOTH NOT THY HEART MELT
IN LOVE TO HIM AGAINE, SEEING HE IS SO GOOD
TO THEE ? Where, O man, canft thou finde
fuch a love and lover, or fuch goodneffe as
he is to thee without any caufe of thine, but
for his owne goodnefTe fake whereby he takes
pity on thee to helpe and fave thee ? there
fore, O man, (whofoever thou art that is dead
in trefpaffes and finnes) if thou doft not feele
this power of God Jefus Chrift in thee, who
is a falve for all fores (which doth draw,
fcoure, and wafh them within thee, and put
thee to paine with the power of his working
falves) thou fhalt never bee well, thinke or
believe what thou wilt of Chrift without thee.

Divinity and Philofophy.
and of his great works, he nor they fhall
profit thee nothing unlefTe thou haft the power
of Chrift working within thee, and that thou
fenfibly feele the power ofhis working againft
finne in thee, which is a grievous hell and
torment to thee for the prefent to indure ;
but thou hadft better indure this hell againft
thy fin for a moment, then be for ever loft
and damned, and be deprived of God and
goodneffe for ever, having the fting of con
fcience ftinging thee for what thou haft done,
and for what thou haft loft and deprived thy
felfe off for ever : therefore, O man, looke to
it in time whilft time doth laft, for this world
is time, the which if thou mifpendefl there is no
time more ; and in this time is all worlds
opened to thee, and if thou doft not chufe
the divine and moft holy world in this time,
it is for ever fhut up againft thee, and fo thou
art deprived of God and goodnefTe, and art
in a moft miferable condition : wherefore, O
man, doe not dally with thy felfe, nor deferre

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the time, putting it ofT from one time to
another ; for time is a thiefe and fteales away
from thee, therefore do not cheat or cofen thy
felfe with falfe bellefes and faiths of lefus
Chrift, and what he hath done for thee, the
which he never hath done till thou feele the
power of his working in thee with many
agonies and bloody fweats ; and till thou
feele the nailes of his crucifying pricke thee
to the very heart, and that thou feeleft the
ftings of death for finne in thee ; therefore
O man, put no confidence in Chrift till thou
findeft the mighty power and worke of Chrift
in thee ; for if thou doeft thou deceiveft thy
felfe, and thy beliefe is in vaine, and a dead
faith without this worke of Chrift working
mightily in thee, pulling downe all thy ftrong
holds of finne and vaine imaginations, and
offering thee up a pure foule to his Father,
that God may be all in all in thee : O that it
were fo come to pafTe in all foules, then were
they happy, but tfll then moft unhappy.

Divinity and Philofophy.

159

And for that man that was faid to be borne
bHnde, is Chrift after the flefli in thee, which
became thy felfe, who is conceived and borne
in iniquity in thee to fave thee ; for thy
father (which is the devill) is become his
father, and thy mother (which is luft) is be
come his mother ; and lefus Chrift is that true
Phyfitian that maketh hitnfelfe fee in thee, and
Chrift faying to his difciples that the father of
this blind man finned not, nor the fon, is meant
that as he is Chrift (the holy unftion or anoint
ing) he commeth of God, and is the Sonne of
God, and God is his Father, and they be no
finners, neither he nor his Son ; but Chrift to
fhew the glory of God became this blinde
man in us, and opened his owne eyes in us,
which fee not in man any good thing, till
finne is deftroyed out of the man : fo thefe
holy eyes are blinde in us, till that time that
Chrift have deftroyed finne out of us, and then
he openeth his owne eyes in us, which eyes
then are ours which finne had blinded in us

i6o

Divinity and Philofophy.
before, fo that we could not fee with thofe
righteous eyes, but made thofe eyes to us to
bee the eyes of the wicked nature, through
which we looked not as they were in deed
and in truth (righteous and holy eyes) but as
they feemed to us, in fo much that we have
taken the holy God to be that to us which he is
not in himfelfe, for our flnnes hath made us
thinke him our enemy whereas hee is our dearefl
friend, that till our finnes are deftroyed he
doth and will feeme fo to us that which he is
not in himfelfe, for his eyes fliall be blinde to
us, and his ears deaf to us, fo that he will
neither fee nor heare when we call and cry
to him, becaufe there is a darke cloud of finne
that feparateth him and us, and hee will not
heare us till this cloud is taken out of the
way, and that we become a true father and
mother to him, for we have been wicked
parents to him heretofore, and have brought
him into all wickedneffe and mifery, and have
killed him in fuffering for us as if he had done

Divinity and Philofophy.

all wickednefTe, when there was no guile
found in His mouth, but He is that innocent
Lambe that was flaine in the beginning of thy
world of fin.
Alfo thou art that woman that is bound with
Sathan eighteen yeares, and art become double
with his bonds untill thou goeft to Chrift, that
he may loofe thee from the bonds of Sathan,
and make thee whole and ftreight again.
And thou art fhee that haft that bloody
iffue of finne for twelve yeares : O touch
therefore his garment, his flefli or mortifica
tion, and thou fhalt be made whole ; and this
garment is the law of finne which cleanfeth
thee from finne.
And thou art he that is poffeffed with
legions of Devills or finnes ; O then let Chrift
by his mighty power caft him out of thee that
thou mayeft be in thy right minde againe.
And thou art the man pofTefTed with a deafe
and dumbe Devill, fo that thou canft not
fpeake to God, nor heare him when he

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Divinity and Philofophy.

fpeaketh to thee : O faft thou the true reall faft,
which is from all thy finnes, and pray to God
continually, (with a broken and contrite heart
and true forrowfull fpirit) then mayeft thou
fpeake to God and heare him when he fpeaks
to thee.
And thou art or mayeft be in that fhip on
that ftormy fea, that is ready to finck thy
fhip with its boifterous waves, for God and
the Devill are at ftrife for thee, when thou
haft once joyned thy felfe to God, and then
beginneth the bloody warrs betwixt thefe two
Kingdomes in thee, for when thy wicked
world of finne begins to be at an end, then is
there Kingdom againft Kingdome, and nation
againft nation in thee, and ftormy rageing
feas roaring, fo that the heart of thy man of
fin begins to faile in thee, and Chrift is afleepe
in the cabbin (that is in thy inmoft felfe, and
is that ftill and foft voice) therefore feeke for
him and awake him that he may fave thee,
and calme thefe raging ftormy feas within

Divinity and Philofophy.
thee, with his moft ftill and foft voyce : and
thefe are the feas that St. Paul did faile through,
God, and the Devill, the truth, and the lye,
which clafheth one againft the other, and the
humanitie is the fhip that faileth betwixt thofe
two feas and taftes of both and is broken, and
the fore part of that fhip that ftuck faft, (and
was not hurt nor moved by the clafhing waves
of thofe feas) is the moft holy and divine
Godhead Jefus Chrift within thee, which can
indure, and is able to make thee indure (if
thou ftay in the fhip with him) all the ftormy
feas of hell, death, and Devifl. But the
hinder part ofthe fhip (which is the humanity,)
muft be broken becaufe of our finnes and
tranfgreffions, and muft tafte of death for
finnes caufe, but nothing in the fhip that
ftayes in it to indure this ftorme of death fliall
perifli, and all the prifoners that are bound in
it fliall be faved and fwimme to fhoare on the
broken peeces of this fliip : the true sence
AND CONSUMMATION OF ALL IS, THAT WHEN

163

164

Divinity and Philofophy.
WE HAVE INDURED THE BATTLE TILL SIN BE
DESTROYED, THEN DO WE ENTER INTO THE
MOST HOLY LIFE AND ARE SAVED. ,
Now to read the hiflory of Chrifls lafl fupper
how that the fame was kept in an upper
Chamber, and that he did eat bread, and drinke
wine, and give of the fame unto his difciples :
and that he was whipt, fcourged, and crowned
with thornes, and how Judas fold him, and how
that he was afraid to die, infomuch that hee did
fweate drops of blood, and that hee was nailed
upon a Croffe, and was pierced through with a
Speare, fo that there came forth of his flde
blood and water, and that at his death the funne
was darkened and the moone was put oiit, and
that hee had gall and vinegar to drinke, and
that he was crucified betweene two theeves.
THIS IS THE MOST HOLY AND SACRED MYSTERY
WHICH IS ACTED IN THE SOULE OF EVERY MAN
THAT IS SAVED ; AND THIS UPPER CHAMBER IS THY
INMOST SELFE, AND THIS BREAD AND WINE IS THE
BITTER CUP OF GODS WRATH AND INDIGNATION

Divinity and Philofophy.
WHEREOF THY SOUL MUST DRINKE FOR THE
SINNES CAUSE, AND THOU ART NOT ABLE OF THY
SELFE TO BEARE OR DRINK THIS CUP WITHOUT
SOME MIGHTY POWER COME TO ASSIST THEp TO
DOE IT : NOW THY JUDAS OR MAN OF SINNE THAT
IS RAISED UP TO DESTRUCTION HATH SOLD THE
MOST INNOCENT LIFE INTO THE HANDS OFTHE
WICKED TO SUFFER FOR THY SINNES; FOR THE
MOST INNOCENT LIFE COMMETH TO THEE IN
FEARFULNESSE AND TREMBLING, AND THOU BE
ING IN HIM (IN THIS FEARE AND TREMBLING) PRE-
PAREST THY SELFE TO SUFFER WITH HIM; AND
THY JUDAS, DEVILL OR WICKED NATURE COM
METH TO THEE AS IF HE WERE THY FRIEND ; AND
NOW SEEING THAT THOU WILT LEAVE HIM HEE
FAWNETH ON THEE AS IF HEE LOVED THEE AND
WERE THY FRIEND, SALUTING THEE AS- IF IT
WERE WITH A KISSE OF LOVE ; BUT HE SELLETH
THEE TO THE BLINDE JEWES TO BE KILLED AND
CRUCIFIED OF THEM, WHICH JEWES ARE THY
BLINDE SELFE WILL, THAT NOW CRUCIFIES THY
SELFE AND SAVIOUR WITHIN THEE, AND THY

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Divinity and Philofophy.

SELFE WILL CARRIES THYSELFE AND SAVIOUR
INTO CONDEMNATION (WITH THY CONDEMN
ING CONSCIENCE) INTO THE JUDGEMENT HALL
OF CONDEMNATION, WHERE ALL THY SINNES
RISE UP AGAINST THEE TAUNTING, MOCKING
AND SCOURGING THEE, AND CROWNING THEE
WITH THE THORNES OF THY SINFULL LIFE,
WHICH PRICKETH AND WOUNDETH THEE AND
THY SAVIOUR WITH GRIEFE FOR WHAT THOU
HAST DONE; SO THAT THOU AND HE ART IN
A BITTER AGONY AND SWEAT OF DEATH, IN
SOMUCH THAT THOU DESIREST AND WOULDST
FAINE HAVE THIS BITTER CUP TO PASSE FROM
THEE ; BUT THOU MUST INDURE IT IF THOU WILT
BE SAVED, FOR GODS WILL MUST BE DONE AND
NOT THINE, FOR IT IS HE THAT RAISETH UP ALL
THY SINNES AGAINST THEE TO CONDEMNE THEE,
CROWNING, WHIPPING AND SCOURGING THEE
WITH WHAT THOU HAST DONE, SO THAT THOU
MUST NOW TASTE OF THE DEATH OF THY SINNES
OR OTHERWISE THOU SHALT NEVER TASTE OF
THE LIFE OF GOD, FOR THE LIFE OF THY SINNES

Divinity and Philofophy.

IS THE DEATH OF GOD IN THEE, AND THE LIFE
OF GOD IS THE DEATH TO SINNE ; AND THOU
AND THY SINNES MUST BE NAILED TO THIS
CROSSE, WHICH CROSSE IS THE PATIENCE AND
LONG SUFFERING OF JESUS CHRIST IN THEE,
UNTO WHICH THOU AND THY SINNES ART
NAILED TILL THOU ART DEAD TO THY SINNES,
AND THY SINNES TO THEE, FOR THY SINNES
HATH NAILED THEE AND THY SAVIOUR TOGE
THER, AND HATH PRICKED HIM AND THEE TO
THE VERY HEART, SO THAT HE AND THOU DOST
DYE OF THOSE WOUNDS, AND HE AND THOU
CRYEST OUT, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST
THOU FORSAKEN ME ? AND IN THE TIME OF THY
SUFFERINGS (OR JESUS THAT MAKES THEE INDURE
THIS CURSE OR SHAMEFULL REPROACH OF THY
SINNES ACCORDING TO THY DUE DESERT) THE
SON OF GLORY, THE LIFE AND BRIGHTNESSE OF
THE GODHEAD IS DARKENED OR PUT OUT, SO
THAT THERE IS ALL DARKNESSE, DEATH AND
HELL OVER THE INTERNALL DIVINE, AND MOST
HOLY WORLD, TILL THY SINNES AND THOU ART

1 68 Divinity and Philofophy.
DEAD ONE UNTO ANOTHER ; fo thou feeft that
the divine and moft holy world is in hell
under thy earthly being tfll thy finnes be de
ftroyed; and being in hell under thy body of
finne and death, he raifeth up all thy fins
againft thee to condemne and fhame thee,
and fhews thee what a partition wall is be
twixt thee and Him, which is the law of finne
and death that condemneth thee, alwaies
rifing againft thee till finne be deftroyed : fo
the love of God to thee ofTers thee His power,
which is Jefus Chrift that enters into thee to
deftroy the body of finne in thee, which body
of finne is the worke of the Devill that hath
deftroyed the body or works of God in thee.
It is not the divine and holy God that is againft
thee, but it is thy finnes that ftandeth in judge
ment againft thee to condemne and arraigne
thee, fo that thou muft goe under their judge
ment, condemnation and execution for what
thou haft done againft God and goodnefTe ;
for He it is not that is angry with thee, nor

Divinity and Philofophy.
condemneth thee,/)r he is that righteous and
holy One that can indure all, and is One and the
fame for ever ; nor can He be any other, for
he cannot be moved to wrath or fury, for then
were he changeable ; but he is the unchangeable,
and one and the fame for ever ; but the deeds
that thou haft done (againft that holy One
that is fo good to thee) flyeth in thy face cry
ing vengeance againft thee, and telling thee
that thou muft dye for what thou haft killed
and caft away from thee, fo till the law of
finne hath done his office and killed thee (for
kifling) and laid thee under the earth in hell
(where thou haft laid the holy One) thou fhalt
never be at reft ; for thou haft killed, but art
loath to be killed ; but thou muft caft ofT this
death or cup, otherwife thou fhalt be ignorant
oV^u^dcG, for juftice is to reward every one ac
cording to his workes, and as he hath done to an
other, whether good or evill ; fo the moft holy
One by his mighty power inlightens thee, and
fliews thee all thy finnes how they fly in thy

169

170 Divinity and Philofophy.
face againft thee, and fhews the juftice ofthe
law of finne, and that thou muft dye for thy
evill deeds, the which worketh feare and trem
bling in thy heart, and then doeft thou cry
and morne for helpe and can finde none, till
the goodnefTe ofGod commeth to thee, taking
pity and compaffion on thee, and helpeth
thee to indure the death of finne for finne in
thee ; fo that now thou lyeft on the patience
of God till thou art freed from finne ; and the
Devill lyeth upon the other ftde of the patience
or croffe, and is that theefe that cannot repent,
and thou art the other theefe that art repen
tant for what thou haft done, and fo findeft
mercy, and in that day or light of mercy thou
fhalt enter into Paradife thy Mafters joy, for
now you have fuffered together, you fhall
alfo rife and reigne together and enter into
the joy together, which joy lyes into thy in
moft felf in the cave of thy earth, even there
lyeth the moft ftill and foft voice, which was
not in the great windes that did blow downe

Divinity and Philofophy.
the rocks of finne, nor in that earthquake for
finne, nor in that fire that confumeth finne
in which God is loft to the man, for in that
the man cafteth the holy God from him, is
the very thing that doth condemne him and
rife againft him, fo that he can never be at
reft nor quiet till he hath found God againe ;
and even thus doth God appeare to the man
that which he is not in himfelfe, even a con
fuming fire, as he faith in ThefTalon. God
fendeth them ftrong delufions that they fhould
believe lies becaufe they will not receive the love
ofthe truth; for man thinketh that God is angry
with him, and he neither can nor flail believe
otherwife untill flnne be deflroyed out of him, for
God doth feem to appeare in thy finnes as an
angry judge, condemning thee till thou haft
fuffered under them and for them, and fo
worketh feare in thy heart, and all thefe angers
that hee feemeth to have againft thee, and
thofe feares that he worketh in thy heart, are
for thy future good, and for the great love he

171

172 Divinity and Philofophy.
hath to thee, recalling thee from thy finfull
life, and when thou hafl forfaken flnne, then he
doth appeare to thee in his glorious, atniable and
bright rayes full of fweet ravifling contents, and
then thy Judas, Devill or finnes hath condemned
themfelves in thee and with thee, and hath ar
raigned themfelves at the barre of Gods juftice,
and then they hang themfelves in thee and breake
their owne necks and bruft their bowells afunder^
and fo there is an end of them to thee, and an
end of thee to them, and then thou cry eft to thy
Father or God, It is fini fled, and fo yieldefl up
thy ghofl or fpirit into him, and the vaile [that
is the fleflj of Chrift that divided betwixt the
holy and moft holy place) is rent in twaine from
the top to the bottome, which vaile, death orflefl,
is the long-fufferance and patience of Chrift, that
lafteth in us till our flnnes are extinguifled and
blotted out, and this ftandeth betwixt the holy
place and the SanBum SanBorum, and all that
will be faved muft tafte of this flefh, death,
patience, long-fufTerance, bitter cup, agony, or

Divinity and Philofophy.

^IZ

bloudy fweat which ftands before the holy of
holies; and when wee have tafted this bitter
death or cup, wee enter through this vaile, ftefl
or death of Chrift [which is the new and living
way) into the holy of holies, or Sanftum Sanc
torum which is the Kingdome of Heaven that is
within you, and is peace, righteoufneffe, and joy
in the Holy Ghoft.
Now WHEN THE FLESH OF CHRIST HATH
FINISHED HIS COURSE, THEN IS He TAKEN OUT
OF THE WAY ; AND THEN COMETH HeE AGAINE
TO THEE THE SECOND TIME, AND IS THY
HOLY GHOST OR SPIRIT WHICH LEADETH THEE
INTO ALL TRUTH, WHICH TRUTH IS MEEKE-
NESSE, LOWLINESSE OF SPIRIT, GENTLENESSE,
LOVINGNESSE, REJOYCING IN MIND, RAVISHING
THOUGHTS, SWEET CONTEMPLATIONS, SINGING
HYMNES AND HALELUJAHS, PRAISE AND THANKS
GIVING TO THE HOLY GHOST FOR VICTORIOUS-
NESSE, and this is thy ravifhing joy and com
fort eternally, fo that all the externall loffes
in this prefent world doth not trouble thee.

1 74 Divinity and Philofophy.
for thy mind is not below on thefe perifhable
things ; for thou art dead to them and liveft
here as if thou livedft not, and ufeth all things
here as if thou ufed them not, and if thou had
all the honours and riches of this world thou
wouldeft difpife them, and think them but
dung and drofTe, for thou haft farre more
excellent honours and riches than this world
can afTorde, but if by chance the Godly have
the riches of this world, as it is but a chance,
feeing the Godly and ungodly oftentimes injoy
them alike here, he accounteth not the fame
his, but diftributeth as he feeth need or necef
fity, as a faithfull fteward, but the ungodly
thinketh all that hee getteth here is his ; and
wifl fufTer another to ftarve and perifli by him,
and in this thou may perceive a difference be
twixt the Godly and ungodly, let them brag
of their Chriftianity as much as they wfll,
their workes fhow what they bee, but wee fee
what a Chriftian is, and what a difficult thing
it is to be one, and how many difficulties he muft

Divinity and Philofophy.

runne through before he attain to the perfeBion
to be a Chriftian.
Now to underftand and read the hiftory of
the crucifying of Chrift, of his condemnation,
death, and buriall, what is this to thee or me,
if we feele not the myftery of his condemna
tion, death, and buriall, his refurreftion, afcen
tion, and comming to judgement in me and
with me,/>r if we doe not fuffer with hitn, we
pall tiot reigne with him : therefore let us dye
and bee buried with him, that we may arife
and afcend into the heaven with him, and
from thence come to judge the quick and the
dead, which dead is the finnes that is dead
and loft for ever out of us : and the quicke
is the living righteoufnefTe to raign in us for
ever; therefore unlefTe I fee the myftery of
thefe things wrought in me, the hiftory there
of can do me no good, for in the hiftory of
the death of Chrift, is fhewed a great deale
of weakenefTe, for it is faid that hee was fo
mightily afraid of death, that he did fweat

^IS

176

Divinity and Philofophy.
drops of blood, and all the wrath of his Father
did but extend to the death of the externall
manhood upon the CrofTe, but it feemeth
ftrange to me (that Hee that had the power
of heaven and earth) fliould bee fo much
afraid of an externall and bodily death, when
there hath beene many fince that have dyed
for their religion, and for His fake more ter
rible deaths : being drawn to peeces with wild
horfes, fleyed, burned alive, broyled, roafted,
boyled in lead, and all the terrible deaths that
could be devifed by wicked and devillifh men
to put them to, as is made mention of in the
booke of Martyrs, yet there was feene no fuch
weaknefTe in them, but they went to their
deaths cheerfully, thinking themfelves happy
to fuffer for his fake : Wherefore you may eafily
perceive, that there is a greater myftery in the
fame which few doe fee or difcerne.
For MY PART I DO NOT DENY THE HIS
TORY OF THE SCRIPTURE, BUT DOE BELEEVE
THAT THOSE THINGS WERE ACTED UPON THE

Divinity and Philofophy.
THEATER OF THIS EXTERNALL WORLD, TO
SHEW TO US WHAT IS ACTED UPON THE THEA
TER OF OUR INTERNALL WORLD ; but if WC
looke upon the hyftory of Scripture, as things
afted by other men, and take no more notice
ofit, we deceive our felves, for all the hyfto-
ries point upon us, and we are the man in
tended; for when Nathan the Prophet came
to David, he feemed to fpeake to him of ano
ther, when as hee meant himfelfe, and David
did conclude that the aftion reprefented to
him in the perfon of another, (by Nathan)
was unjuft, not thinking that the Prophet in
tended himfelf, but another, and fo judged
him to death : but when the Prophet faid it
was himfelf ; and that he was the man ; hee
was forry, and loth to dye himfelfe, although he
did judge the other to death, and thought he
deferved death juftly : but in condemning the
other he judged himfelfe. Therefore wee are
the men that are to be condemned or faved, ac
cording as our defervings are, and the Scripture

A A

178 Divinity and Philofophy.
is the reall truth, and is our true Nathan the
Prophet that tells us what we have done, but he
tells us our felves in hiftories, and in the perfon
of others, to try how farre we condemne others,
and juftifie our felves, but when wee condemne
others we condemne our felves, for wee are the
guiltie and that wicked man, therefore looke
INTO THE scripture AS IF IT WERE THY OWNE
SOULE, FOR ALL THAT IS WRITTEN THERE, IS
WRITTEN IN THY SELFE : and there is the two
tables, the table of ftone, (thy ftony heart)
that is ingraven with a rough penne and with
a thundering voice, which is the whole worke
and curfe of the law for thy finnes, and the
other table is the heart of flefh, which is foft
and melteth at the word that is written in
thee, and is ready to obey all the words of
the commandements that fpeaketh in thee :
but the table of ftone (thy difobedient and
ftony heart) muft be broken for thy finne and
difobedience caufe, and for thy Idolatries and
all thy finnes rifeing up againft thee, crying

Divinity and Philofophy.
vengeance, fo that thy God (or goodnefTe in
his great zeale) throweth downe thy ftonv
heart, breaking it to peeces, and burneth up
all thy Idoll Gods to powder, makeing thee
drinke up their afhes (which is to make thee
tafte of the death and lofTe of them) and ftill
his zeale is fo great towards thee, that hee
maketh thee fleath thy fword into thy brothers
helly, WHICH brother is THY NEAREST SELFE
WILL, OR THY DARLING SINNE ; fo when thou
haft fulfiUed the wfll of thy Jelous God, he
returneth to his place where hee was before,
and the tables of ftone or ftony heart is turned
to flefh, and is obedient to the will of God
and keepeth his commandements, the which
I wifh all Soules may do for their foules
health and fafety.
There be many at this time that looke ex
ternally for an infallible fpirit, when as the
infallible fpirit is internall in the foule of every
man, for the fame fpirit is Jefus Chrifl, the
word of life that is neare thee, even in thy heart

i8o

Divinity and Philofophy.
and mouth to do it, and to be obedient unto
the fame; and he is that pearle hid in the
field of thy heart, for which thou muft fell
all that thou haft to purchafe this field that
thou mayeft injoy that pearle.
And there are others that thinke that the
EXTERNALL BODY IS THE SOULE, and that it
muft dye and muft anfwer for flnne by that
death, and that it must rise againe at the
LAST DAY BY CHRIST ; therefore God cannot be
their God whilfl their body is dead, for he is not
the God of the dead but of the living ; then
whilfl they live here they may live as they lift,
and commit what flnnes they will, for their
BODY DYING (WHICH THEY TAKE FOR THE SOUL)
DOTH MAKE SATISFACTION FOR THEIR SINNE,
which of neceffity muft draw this confequence,
that if one tnan kill another he doth but the will
of God, for he faith, the foul that finneth muft
dye : I wonder much what thofe people (that
hold fuch opinions) can fay or think of little
children that dye in the wombe, or as foon as

Divinity and Philofophy.
they are borne, certainly no man in reafon
can fay that their foule hath finned, 'but you
will alleadge their parents have finned for
them, as others have faid; if it be fo, the
finne of one condemneth a great many that
of themfelves hath not finned, the which to
me appeareth to be altogether againft reafon
and juftice, and is againft the nature of God
to condemne the children for the finne of the
parents, for Ezekiel faith 1 8 that this proverb
fhould be no more in Ifrael, That the fathers
had eaten four grapes, and the childrens teeth
are fet on edge ; but he faith that every foule
ftandeth upon his owne bottome or its owne
felfe, and the foule that finneth fhall dye :
alfo there are many creatures or bodies (which
they call foules) that are drowned in the fea,
and divers fifles have fed upon that body, or
that which they call the foul, and thefe fiflies
have concofted or digefted the foule of this
man, and it is turned into the flefh of a fifh,
and afterwards this fifh is taken, and another

l82

Divinity and Philofophy.
man or foule eats this fifh which is the con
cofted foule ofthe other man, fo that his foule
is made fat and increafed thereby, the one
foule by eating the other, and Caniballs which
are men, eat other men and are fed thereby :
NOW WHEN THE SOULES OF ALL THESE MEN
ARE DEAD AND CONCOCTED IN THOSE THAT
HAVE EAT THEM, HOW SHALL EVERY ONE HAVE
HIS OWN PROPER SOULE AT THE LAST DAY
WHEN ALL THE SOULES SHALL ARISE ? I WOuld
willingly hear it proved by good reafon how
every one can have his owne foule againe, fee
ing they are all concofted and digefted one
in another : but perhaps you will fay we muft
believe againft reafon, which is confequently that
we mufl believe an abfurdity ; and the Apoftle
St. Paul defireth to be delivered from unreafon
able men, which were abfurd and did believe
againft reafon, for all men have not faith whofe
foundation is grounded upon reafon ; this body
[which they call the foule) is dead without
THE SPIRIT, AS ST. JAMES WITNESSETH IN THE

Divinity and Philofophy.
SECOND CHAP. WHERE HE SAITH, THAT AS THE
BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, EVEN SO
IS FAITH WITHOUT WORKES ; BY WHICH SCRIP
TURE IT IS MANIFEST, THAT THE BODY WITH
OUT THE SOUL OR SPIRIT IS DEAD, AND AS IS
SAID BEFORE, GOD CANNOT BE THEIR GOD,
BECAUSE THEIR BODY, WHICH THEY
TEARM THE SOUL, IS DEAD, / as he
ceafeth to be their God while they are dead,
all which is contrary to fenfe, reafon and
Scripture, where it is faid that he is the living
God, and the God of the living and not of the
dead ; alfo it is contrary to fenfe and reafon in
this, that that which is the God, good, felicity , or
chiefe happineffe of thofe that live, and are ra
tionall and fenfible of the fame, cannot in fenfe,
reafon or Scripture, be faid to be the joy, happi
neffe, or God of the dead, becaufe he is not fen
fible or capable of any joy, felicity or happineffe
at all.

183

184

Divinity and Philofophy.

THE SUMME OF ALL, AND THE WHOLE DIS
COURSE OF THIS BOOK IS, THAT WE SHOULD
FEARE TO DISOBEY] THE HOLY GOD, BUT KEEP
ALL HIS COMMANDEMENTS, WHICH IS THE WHOLE
DUTY OF MAN, AND TO LIVE A PURE, EXACT, JUST
AND HOLY LIFE, NOT DOING TO ANY MAN WHAT
WE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE TO US, BUT DOING
ALL THE GOOD TO ANOTHER THAT WE WOULD
HAVE DONE TO US ; AND THIS IS THE INFALLIBLE
SPIRIT, JESUS CHRIST, THE POWER OF GOD IN
US, WHO DIRECTS, CORRECTS, INSTRUCTS, PER-
SWADES, AND MAKES US WISE UNTO SALVATION;
FOR HE IS THE HOLY WORD OF LIFE UNTO US,
AND HE IS THE FATHER, ELDER, TRUE BISHOP,
AND HIGH PRIEST OF OUR SOULES ; SO THAT WE
NEED NO OTHER FATHER, ELDER, BISHOP, NOR
HIGH PRIEST, BUT THIS HOLY JESUS CHRIST IN US,
FOR HE IS THE HOLY UNCTION THAT WE HAVE
FROM ABOVE, AND THE HOLY ONE THAT TEACH
ETH US ALL THINGS, AND DISCOVERS ALL MYS
TERIES UNTO US, LEADING US INTO ALL TRUTH,

Divinity and Philofophy. 185
IF SO BE THAT WE ARE OBEDIENT UNTO HIM;
BUT IF WE ARE NOT OBEDIENT UNTO THIS IN
FALLIBLE SPIRIT IESUS CHRIST IN US, THEN WEE
SHALL KNOW NOTHING OF GOD OR OF THE SCRIP
TURE, BUT IT SHALL BE A SEALED BOOK, A DEAD
LETTER, AND SEEMING CONTRADICTION UNTO
US : BUT I HOPE WE SHALL ALL LEARNE AND BEE
TAUGHT OF HIM, AND DECLARE EVERY ONE TO
HIS FRIEND AND NEIGHBOUR WHAT THE LORD
(THE INFALLIBLE SPIRIT) HATH DONE FOR HIS
POORE SOULE, SAYING, WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED,
HEARD, FELT AND TASTED OF THE GOOD WORD
OF LIFE, THAT WILL WE DECLARE UNTO YOU.

F IN 18.

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