rnia TRUTH'S TRIUMPH: OR, A WITNESS TO THE TWO WITNESSES. TRUTH'S TRIUMPH; OB, n Wliimii& to fbt ^tuo WHtmnatH; FROM THAT UNFOLDED PARABLE OF ur Horn ann ^ai)ionv, I)e{(u0 (Sfivintf Vtt W^fi anti fi^ig^tn 0oti, MATTHEW, CHAP. 13, VERSE SO to 42, WHERKtN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FAITH ARE CLEARLY DISCUSSED, OPENED AND EXAMINED; ^ting tirabDtt up into t^tw i!?tg1^t ^t^tann folloUiing: THAT U TO SAT. First .... Of the True God. Secondly. . Of the Two Seeds. Thirdly Of the Right Devil. Fourthly.. Of Predestination. Fifthly . . Of the Lato's Nature. Sixthly . Of the Souls Mortality. Seventhly . Oftlie Devils Torments. Eighthly . . Of the SainVs Joys. By THOMAS TOMKINSON, A Reliever and true Lover of the Commission of the Spirit, being written for tlio benefit of Iiimself and others, who are of the Seed of the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the High and Mighty God, being both Father, Son, and Spirit, in one single Person, blessed for ever. Amen. Be not forkful to entertain Strawger$, for by tkat means some hare received AngeU unwcareM, amd kare not knoicn it. Hcb. 13. 2. WRITTEN IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD GOD, 1076; Transcribed by the Author, with some Alterations, 1690, and Printed by Subscription, 1633. UonHon: PRIKTED liV W. $.1|ITH, KINO (TRBET, LONG ACRE. CONTENTS. 8tadr Annex Cage PART PAOE. Subscribers* Names vi Dedication vii Preface to the Reader ix Introduction 1 I. Treating of Christ the True God 9 11. Treating of the Two Seeds 91 III. Treating of the Right Devil 119 TV. Proving the Doctrine of Predestination 225 V. Of the Nature of the Law 275 VI. Of the Soul's Mortality 321 VII. Of the Devil's Torments 379 VIII. Of the Saint's Joys in Heaven 407 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS, 1823. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Amor Mrs. Rebecca Burton * Miss Elizabeth Bilhald * Mr. Thomas Barlow * Mrs. Sarah Bush f Miss Mary Buck Mrs. Frances Brown Mr. Thomas Brown Miss Sarah Brown Mr. William Gates Miss Elizabeth Clay * Mr. and Mrs. T. Crundwellcj: Mr. John Drummond Mr. George Dickisson, jun.* Mrs. Sarah Fever Mr. and Mrs. Frost Mr. and Mrs. James Frost Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Frost Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Frost Mrs. Mary Flinders * Mrs. Sarah Gandar Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gandar Mr. Edward Gandar Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Gandar Mr. Elhanan Gascoyne Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Graham % Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hewett Mrs. Elizabeth Hewitt * Mr. Benjamin Hall Mrs. Hannah Hunt Mr. and Mrs. George Hunt Mr. Samuel Hunt Miss Hannah Hunt Mrs. Theodosia Hogg Mr. Robert Hogg Mr. Edward Kitchin * Mrs. Ann Law Mr. James May 1| Miss M. A. Morrison * Mr. Joseph Mason * Mr. Charles Marsh || Miss Sarah Norledge f Mr. and Mrs.- G. Robinson Mr. Richard Smith Mr. James Pearce Smith Mr. Thomas Spooner Miss Ann Slates Mr. William Vincent Mr. William Vincent, jun. Mrs. Wilthew Mr. James Windsor Mr. Robert Wallis Mr. and Mrs. John White Mr. William White X Nottingham, f Macclesfield. I Maidstone. Derbyshire. )| Deal. TO HIS HONOURED FRIEND, Mr. LODOWICKE MUGGLETOK GREAT SIR, IN this Treatise is an account given of my faith, and an evidence to your evidence, grounded from an enlightened knowledge in the Scriptures of truth, from those sacred words of yours spoke into me, or begot in me, by the report thereof. If I have done well, I reckon it to you ; if not well, the fault is from myself; if I have done ill, I beg your pardon. But if well, and that I have your accep- tation of this Treatise of Truth*s Triumph, then have I what I desire, and shall be filled VIU DEDICATION. with joy, in that by you, I shall be found worthy to witness to the truth of your wit- ness in all your Six Principles, which to me is life, as your words have been light and life all along, which hath led me this path. So shall presume to say no more, but sub- scribe myself. Sir, Your real friend in the eternal truth, THOMAS TOMKINSON. Sladehouse, August 7 th, 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER. COURTEOUS READER, 1. THE life of a true Christian, is faith in the true Christ; Paul's life, was his faith in the Son of God; and our life under this last Commission, that we live, is by faith in that Son of God, as the one only true God. 2. Here is the fountain of all wisdom, the light of life, the spring of lasting peace, and the way to felicity, joy, and glory. 3. What saith that divine Scripture, John the 17th, and Srd ; is not this the sense which follows? to know Jesus Christ to be the true God, is eternal life. 4. Dear friends, hold fast here, for this Lord is your life, and for you hath he given his life, because you are the seed of his own body. 5. I through mercy, having had the faith of his own Glorious Person quickened in me, have there- upon been moved, to treat of that divine portion of Holy Writ, namely, of the two seed's-men of heaven and earth, being the quintescence of all Scripture record. b X PREFACE. 6. From the knowledge of these two seed*s-men, in their forms and natures, depends the knowledge of the two seeds, wheat and tares, reason and faith, light and darkness, life and death, heaven and hell. 7. All which is opened and unfolded by this Com- mission of the Spirit, and this Treatise of mine is a building upon it, and a bearing witness to their witness, from variety of Scripture records, that do clearly agree with their doctrine of their Six Princi- ples; first, of the True God, his Form and Nature ; secondly, the Right Devil, his Form and Nature ; thirdly, the Form and Nature of Angels; fourthly, the Place and Nature of Pleaven ; fifthly, the Place and Nature of Hell ; sixthly, with the Mortality of the Soul. 8. This Treatise of mine upon this unfolded para- ble, doth illustrate all those doctrines, and shews that the Scriptures in their inner sense, are clear, for the proof thereof, to all that have the single eye of faith, and the hearing ear. 9. Now the reason that hath induced me so much to enlarge this Treatise, and put it into a method for the press against future times, as that the press shall be open, is because I had sent the three first parts of this Treatise of Truth' Triumph, up to London, as soon as it was written, to our dearly beloved brother, Mr. Alexander Delamaine, senior. PREFACJB. Xi 10. Now, he liking tbeui so well, caused them to be transcribed irito a book, in folio, by his son, leaving room for the rest, but he never obtaining them all, in that he died before they were fully perfected, so having them but in part, and in that our London friends did so approve of them, it encouraged me the more to go on )vith. l,hem, according to my pro- mise to them. 1}. Therefore, our dear and never-to-be-forgotten friend, Mr. Delamaine, writes thus to me, as to this Treatise, in his letter, bearing date, December the 18tli, 1677 : My dearest Brother, I salute you in the true faith, of a personal God, the only and alone true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, by which we shall enjoy eternal life, a testimony of the truth of this, abides in our souls, as a seal while in mortality ; I received your consolatory lines, they are like apples of gold ; I have drank of them cordials, and I have found them to revive my heart wonderfully, &c. 12. And in another place, saith he, my son is now In ig78. wliolly busied in transcribing your Truth's Triumph; and in another letter after, saith he, my son Iiaving finished your last volume you sent mc, having tran- scribed it fairly in a large volume, in folio, hath left a sufficient room, if you are so pleased to insert the residue of your revelations, (for so he was pleased to call them.) h 2 Xll PKEFACE. IS. Also, Mr. Alexander Delamaine, junior, desired of me, in his letter, dated December 15th, I678, to grant his father and him their request, in sending the rest belonging to that volume, &c. 14. So, that from the desire of these friends, and finding their well liking of them, and of several other friends, both in the city and country, I have gone on with this Treatise with more earnestness, and have perfected my promise in writing it, though not in sending it all up to London, having not perfected it before the death of those eminent friends of Mr. Delamaine's, both, and Mr. John Saddington, that famous believer, and true brother, and faithful friend ; as, Mr. Futerall, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Burton, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Shelye, with several others, who are gone before me, leaving me and this Treatise behind them. ^ 15. Moreover, I have been the more encouraged to perfect this work, in that I have had the sur- viving Prophet's approbation of it, as by the testi- mony of Mr. Alexander Delamaine, senior, in a letter of his to me, dated London, April 12th, 1679, writing thus : 16. Your last sweet writings I have received, and have read them over to the Prophet, who doth, with all that hear them, approve well of them, and they shall be transcribed with as much haste as can be : pray send me those twelve sheets you wrote to the PREFACE. Xiii Dissenter ; 1 long to see them, if you have a copy of them, &c. 17. And now, having shewed to all that read this ensuing Treatise, the grounds of my proceeding to so large a Treatise, was, in that it was so approved of by such faithful and knowing Christians, whose wisdom is in Christ, as God, from eternity, in time and to eternity, that is, who knows him to be God yes- terday, to-day, and for ever. 18. We, who are under this Commission of the Spirit, our learning is the learning of the Spirit, whose life is large, but its voice is still, yet works and will work, and who knows the extent thereof 19. For salvation truths are comprised in a little Doctrine room; the true spiritualist hath for his subject, as well as his object to learn by, this short doctrine, "Christ God over all, blessed forever." 20. We have but two Prophets of truth in this age, one is not, and the other is yet in being, they have laid a foundation for faith to build upon, even as aforesaid. 21. Now faith works upon that, and by dwelling Applied there, multiplies in wisdom, and from the true God knows the right devil, and the person and nature of angels, with the nature and place of heaven and of hell, and of the rise of the two seeds, with the soul's mortality, and much more besides. 22. AVhereforc, from the knowledge of this, true ship xiv, PREFACE. spiritual worship comes to be known, and performed by seeing itself to be the seed of the Lord's own body, and to be in the book of life, for this assurance of life is begot, by faith's fastening its hold upon Christ its redeemer.., .[-,\,,,r ; -.,i^ ,,; , ..- ./'' . ., True wor- 23. Now this operating faith offers true worship unto the true God, the Lord Jesus, who creates in it raptures of joy, and from this joy doth spiritual praise flow, and so hath a return of acceptation which doubles the blessing. 24. But the worship of all Scripturian literalists, let them be of what church they will, hath not the like effect in it, because they know not the true God, nor of what seed they are of, which occasions that fearful darkness in them. ;f,v,j.: , -,;: ;ir; : 25. Yet we see that the world hath heaps of teachers ; but what is the fruits ? but more ignorance than if they had none ; is it not a strange thing that reason should be so captivated, both in teacher and hearer, priest, and people ? 26. A curse is upon the learned and unlearned of priest and people ; are not the Scriptures to them a sealed book ? their preaching js such they might never have seen them. yU .jj^ Ji. :, _ i 27. Therefore to convince the teachers, and stop the mouths of their hearers, I have here undertaken to prove, that all the Scriptures are clear against them, and do justify and give evidence to the faith PREFACE. XV of this Commission of the Spirit, as the only truth, therefore have I entitled it Truth's Triumph, or a Witness to the Two Witnesses. 28. And now I recommend this Treatise to the sober, as well as to the faithful Christian ; therefore if thou be preserved from judging things that at first may seem difficult, who knows the worth and virtue thou mayest receive by reading hereof.'^ if thou be of the elect, before death comes upon thee, thou wilt close with the doctrine thereof, to the assurance of eternal life, and this is a blessing. 29. And if Providence doth make this Treatise instrumental to the conversion of some, or many, it will add to my glory likewise, so I shall say no more as to this point, but leave it to Providence, whether it shall be born and live, or die in the birth, and never be public. 30. I myself am satisfied, life and salvation is sealed to me, by my faith in this Commission. I have believed, therefore I have written, and I have written what I have believed, and whoever believes what I have written, may have the like return as I have had, which is a certain peace in a seal of life, as aforesaid, to the glory of the true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, blessed for ever. Amen. THOMAS TOMKINSON. Sladehouse, May 6th, 1691. j:.i ). ;> !if; )L. ;; TRUTH'S TRIUMPH; OB, A Witness to the Two Witnesses. MATTHEW, CHAP. xiil. FROM VERSE 37 TO 42. " He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Mntiy the field is the xoorldy the good seed are the children of the kingdom f the tares are the children of the 7vicked one, the enemy that soweth them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world , and the reapers are the A?igelsy as therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world, the Son of Man shall send forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father ; he that hath ears to hear let him hear." INTRODUCTION. IN this Scripture is containetl the v hole counsel of God as to the knowledge of liimself, the knowledfre of the right devil, and rise of the two Seeds, the ori- ginal of all mankind. In a word, Heaven and hell, God and devil, saint and serpent, the office and nature of Angels, the soul's mortality, the nature of the last judgment day at th(! end of the world, with A the two seeds, with the eternal life and eternal death, fully manifest themselves in this portion of Holy Writ, to all those that have the inward ear of the soul, and are the seed of the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, that mighty God and everlasting Father, blessed to eternity. 2. This is that unfolded parable, the spirit and life of which becomes a foundation for the Scriptures to stand on ; and he that hath the spirit and knowledge of the same in his heart, doth stand on such ground as that he can see into the highest heavens and lowest hell with one turn of his eye, and again upon a direct view can see through the field of the world, and be- hold the two contrary seeds of Wheat and Tares, Elect and Reprobate, and knows the seedsmen of both. 3. But though this parable is unfolded, yet is it but to the seed of the Lord's own body, for it is those >^" <^^P* he know an end of himself: for this is certain, that where there is a beginning, there will be an ending, but that which hath no beginning, will have no ending. B2 1^ Objection. Answer. Gen. 3. 19. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Opened. Doctrine 2. Luke 10. 11 .Revel. 21.2 Explicated. Amplified. 3. But some men may say, if every thing that hath a beginning will have an ending, then the joys of the Saints and the torments of the reprobates will termi- nate and have an end, for they were both seeds created in time, and that which hath its beginning in time, will end in time ; to this I answer, 4. Although the two seeds were created in time, yet the matter of which they were made of, was from eternity ; for the serpent angel was produced and made, both spirit and body, out of the substance of water and earth, being an eternal chaos of senseless and confused matter, in the place w^here the person of the Creator was resident. 5. And as for Adam^s body, it was made out of the dust of this earth, the substance of which was from eternity, and the Spirit that was breathed into Adam was of the divine nature. 6. So that we see, that the matter that both the seeds were made of were from eternity, and that brings them both into a capacity of eternal life and death. 7. But to the matter aforesaid, the Creator was himself alone before any sensible living creature ap- peared in his sight, and yet did he not want company to associate himself with, because he was a kingdom in himself. 8. For this we are to mind that our God is a king- dom himself, and a kingdom in himself, therefore in his mortal state he called himself the kingdom of God, and John calls him after his glorification, the New Jerusalem, and the City of God, and a four- square City, having reference to his arms and his legs, when stretched forth upon the Cross, then was the Holy City seen to be four-square. 9 And our Lord may most fitly be called a King- 13 dom and City, if we seriously ponder in our minds tlie variety of those divine (jualifications that are in- herent in his blessed person ; for these glorious and lieavenly properties operating in the person of God, do make him become a City in himself : for what necessity of much company without, when there is such society within, and in such harmony, and it must needs be so, in that it all proceeds from one divine voice, called Faith. 10. A taste of this is most lively felt in many of these children of the kingdom ; for as their Lord is, so are they in their measure, for the divine nature in them are streams from the same fountain, which doth abundantly nourish them. 11. Now those that have these companions within, have many times more variety of pleasures, than if they had a hundred companions without, unless they be such, that in wisdom and nature answer to the spiritual companions within, which if they do, then there is a blessed union, and it adds to the glory and makes strong and victorious. 2 Cor. 1. 11. 12. Even thus it was with the glorious Creator, he having these divine properties infinitely dwelling in him, must needs possess full satisfaction in himself, and not only so, but from the increase of wisdom, &c. in his heavenly and blessed nature of unutterable in- finites, he must on necessity abound with continual new joys and ravishing glories. 13. Wherefore from his divine revelation and in- Doctrine 3. crease of new wisdom, power and glory, the Creator^** ^f.- ^' did foresee that his unsearchable wisdom lay hid in * the infinite power of his word speaking, and the knowledge of his mighty power, together with his royal will and pleasure, was the glorious wheel that 14 moved him to form living creatures to appear in his sight. 14. Which, upon the counsel of his will, he did 5 J. R. 3. most abundantly. Angels and man being the chiefest beings made purposely for his spiritual society, and then did the Creator take pleasure in the work of his hands, because in the hand is power, but the Creator's work in the creation of every thing was without any bodily labour ; it lay in the virtue of his word speak- ing only. 15. And now had the Most High God enlarged his 1 John, 1.3. kingdom, and got spiritual companions without him, Angels being chief, but Man the chiefest, he having the nearest fellowship, according to the saying of John, saying. You have fellowship with the Father and the Son, which Father and Son is one God, as shall further appear hereafter. CHAP. III. Doctrines. The Creator a God of a glorious form frotn Eternity. What the form of his uncreated Person was. Of the darkness of those that deny God to be in a Form. 1. IT is already declared, that the Creator^s Doctrine 1. most glorious Spirit, is infinitely full of all divine virtue. Now is it to be shewed, that these holy and divine properties, as faith, love, justice, righteousness, goodness, truth and wisdom, with all other virtues, cannot be sensible of its divine excellences, or be a perfect blessedness, unless he hath a distinct body 15 suitable to his glorious and eternal Spirit, to enjoy his divine pleasures to himself, and at his pleasure to distribute by measure into the spirits of elect men and Angels, the inshining glimpses of his incompre- hensible glory. 2. For if it were as Reason hath imagined, in the illustrated, prudent of the world, that the Creator were an in- finite Spirit without any body or form, and that his formless Spirit infused itself into the whole creation, then could there be no God at all, unless the creature were God, it all participating of his spirit, in that its life were God's life and spirit, and then there would be as many Gods as living creatures, and then would the ox and the ass be more noble than an Angel, for the life and nature of Angeb is different from the life and nature of God. 3. But such as are the seed of the Lord's own body they are enlightened from above, by this his last com- mission, to know, and may comprehend in the verge of their understandings, that as the Most High God was a most substantial personal glory from all eternity. 4. Wherefore from hence, then, you the quickened , , ^^ seed of faith must know, that it was of absolute ne-24. * cessity that he should continue and remain in his own Doctrine 2. divine centre, and so for ever be a distinct glorious being, that as in time he gave being to every creature, so there should still be and remain an everlasting dis- tinction between the changeable creature, and the unchangeable Creator. 5. And now to prevent an objection, this know, Explicaied. that though the Creator did in time change his God- head glory into flesh, yet the purity of his nature neither was, nor could be changed, but only his in- fmitencss laid down in flesh for a season. 16 5 J. R. 18. 6. That he might for an cvx^rlastins; astonishment ^^* unto men and Angels, clothe his God-liead spirit with pure human flesh. r^nferwi e '^' -^S^"^' Y^^^ *"'^ ^^ know, that the form of the * uncreated Majesty, before he became flesh, did not consist of any elementary matter, but it was a bright shining glory of uncompounded purities of so unut- terable a nature in virtue, as that it was swifter than thought, clearer than chrystal, sweeter than roses, more purer than the purest gold, yea, and infinitely more glorious than the sun. 2. Inference. 8. Behold, you Saiuts, and wonder that this in- finite Spirit should change itself into flesh ; yea, be wrapt up in rags of flesh, and remains now in a body of flesh and bone ; but this body being now glorified is as glorious, yea, this his body of flesh and bone is more glorious than it was before, when it was a spi- Acts9. 8. ritual body ; for a very glimpse of this his new spi- ritual body of flesh and bone glorified, struck Paul Revel 1.17 ^'^^^^ ^"^ ^^ i^ would havc dazzled John's eyes too, if his eyes had not been strengthened above nature, or the person of Jesus presented unto him with a veil- ing a part of his glory. 3 Inference. 9- Moreover, although the body of the uncreated Majesty was of so pure, thin, light, soft and sweet nature, yet was it absolutely from the crown of his glorious head, to the soles of his divine feet, like f>j. R. 18. unto the first man, Adam, not the visibility of their persons that differed, but the glory of them only. A Use of Re- !<) Now the learned professors resist this doctrine proof. of God's being in the form of a man, and what is the reason ? Is it not through some guilt of fleshly lust, which is in their natures, thinking the same thing should be in the person of God as they find in them- selves, were he in the form of man ; but I will not ex- 17 hort the wise of the world to change their judgment, for they can but believe from the bare letter and the dictates of their own reason, which they have derived from their fetlier the fallen angel, in the spirit of Cain. 11. But it is the seed of the Son of Man, that ini l. M. Ep. time of a commission when true prophets are sent to ^ ^^ ?^ enlighten that seed ; they, I say, can trace the foot- steps of the prophets till they come to the paths of God, and so find him out and know him, when their faith beholds him. 12. Thus doth the seed of faith, and the seed of Hob.n.e. reason, each of them run forwards in their several ^^''s^eds. cliannels, until they come to their fountains, and there they drink ; the one seed comes to God and believes that he is one personal glory, the other seed is flung out of Heaven, and hath lost its knowledge. 13. Therefore, said Christ to his own seed, to you Matt is.n. it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom ; but to them, that is, to the seed of the wicked one, it is not given to know the kingdom, to know the true God ; for the true God is that kingdom, and to the seed of Cain that kingdom is a mystery. 14. Therefore, am I now resolved to address my- self to a free and full dispute with the sons of Solomon for their further convincement, for it is at hand now to be proved against all gainsayers, that the Creator he is a God of a glorious form, and was, and ever will be, in the form of the first man, Adam. C 18 CHAP. IV. Doctrine 1. God is in the Form of a Man. Doctrine 2. No Nature without a Form. 1 . O, ALL you wise Rationalists and Scripturian Phil. 2.6. 7. merchants, do vou not find it written that Christ is not only equal with the Father, but in the very form of God; then must God be in the very form of man, if Christ was in the form of a man. 2. Again, doth not the Scriptures abundantly prove this. What is the meaning of Moses, when he said, that God created man in his own image and in Gen. 2. j^-g ^^^ likcncss ? Had not these words relation to Adam's body as well as his spirit ? Surely it had, Ephe. 4. 29. although it be written that we are created after the Opened. jmage of God in righteousness and holiness, as Paul saith. 3. Can righteousness and holiness act forth itself without a body } Or do you ever read that righteousness and holiness was ever acted forth in, or by any other form, but the form of a man } AVhen Matt.G. God said, be you holy as I am holy, what, must their o^^ened ^^ souls run out of their bodies to be like him ? If they did, they would be nothing. Where would mercy, justness, meekness, and humility be ? Why there could be no such virtue in being did not that nature centre in a body. It is said we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works : can good works be done by the soul without its body } Cleared. 4. Again, every living being was created with a body ; why then should not the Creator have a body, 19 and if a body and form, why not the form of a man, seeing no creature was made after his image but man ? But more of this in Chapter V. CHAP. V. How that the principle of God*s being a Spirit icithout a The World's Bodi/f is derived from Cains Seed. octnne. 1. THIS principle of God's being a Spirit with- Heathen out a body, is derived from the ofl'spring of Cain; jJ^J,"j']j*Jj for none of that seed would ever own the God of the Children of Adam to be the true God. but did ever create to themselves a God of their own imagination. 2. For all the Heathen philosophers do teach that How proved. God is a Spirit without a body, and is diffused through the whole universe, every creature partici- pating of his nature. This is the doctrine of Pliny, Plato, Pithagoras, and others. 3. And when any man had attained to some high pitch of reason, then they presently concluded that God was come into them, or a great part of God at leastways; for their Spirit God was of such a bulk, as that he could diU'use himself into all, and he that had a great measure of wisdom, was ho- noured as a God. 4. This principle took its ground in Nimrod, that The anti- great monarch and fnst establisher of idolatry, and pri','eipfe''"' the first grand persecutor of God in his select seed, provtd. therefore called the mighty hunter before the Lord. Some of the Jews say that he persecuted Abraham Jj^'*''''"''^ C 2 20 for acknowledging one God in the form of a man, and cast him into the fire, saying, let the God whom Rchama thou worshippest come and free thee by his right JewKabie. hand. 5. This Nimrod, having the fulness of the Angels nature in him, made him exceeding proud, thinking himself equal with God, for he was owned as a God ; and hence it was that those princes and potentates that came after had their statutes erected, giving forth a law to do adoration to them, conceiting their Spirit God to be in them after they were set up, as one Arnobos confessed before his conversion, saying, I did speak unto it and flatter it, as though some pre- sent virtue was in it. National g Now, doth not the Scripturian letteralist re- doctrine \he ceive this doctrine of a formless God, and not only same. so, but glory in it as the fountain of life ? Do they not shew themselves the children of Belial, for Belial is derived from Bel the son of Nimrod ? One would think that Scripture professors should have a light surpassing Heathens concerning God, and yet they are as dark in their minds as the blind Heathen ; for though they have eyes, yet can they not see, &c. 7. Otherwise that great learned Augustine could not but have acknowledged that God was a glorious substance, and his form the form of a man ; yet he joins with the Heathen, and praises Plato for holding that God hath no body : therefore he argues thus, saying, if God were a body, he should have substance and form, and be subscribed to place ; but saith, God is every where present, he is in all places at once. 8. Yet no place includes him, for he can be pre- sent, and unconceived, and depart away again unre- moved (said this doctor). Now is not here a great Proved. 21 wonderment of an infinite nothing, and yet is every thing, tliat is every where, and yet no wlierc ? Oh ! palpable darkness. Oh! blind ignorance and sottish senselessness, what confusion and contradiction is here ? 9. And Cresostoni and Gregory are as dark as he, for they say that God is a spirit without a body, even as Plato, Thales, Deniocritus, and the Stoicks.held ; furthermore, Cresostoin and Gregory say,that not only man, but the Angels nor the Archangels neither can or do see God, and their children in these days do say the same thing, which shews that the same error is entailed upon them ; therefore said one of the learned j)ricsts of this age, that it was a great question whe- ther we shall immediately see the essence of God in Jieaven, or only see him in the glorified Uedeemer. Again he saith, that he is uncertain whether seeing face to face, be an immediate intuition of the essence of God. 10. To this purpose writes several others, which would be too tedious to relate. I shall only recite the sayings of learned Carill, who, on the 9th of Job, Carillon and verse 12th, saith, that neither Moses, Job, nor ** ' any Saint in Heaven did, or ever can see God ; and Baxter questionelh whether ever any Saint or Angel Baxter, in Heaven can see the essence of God or no. 11. Behold, what darkness is here, even Heathen Applied, like. Now you seed of the Son of Man, give glory unto your God in honouring his prophets, for they have taken you by the hand and led you into the patlisof God, the Scriptures, and unlocked it to you; so that by faith quickened, you see your God, and do know that he is a personal God, and at the Resur- rection shall see him face to face, as I shall make it 22 abundantly appear in the eighth part of this Treatise. Have patience till then, and rejoice withal. 12. For this we may know, that these mens' dis- ciples and hearers, can have small comfort in their hearts, when as they are taught that they must nei- ther see God in this life by faith, nor in the life to come by spiritual sense, and so they must never see him at all ; in these dark spirits is that Scripture ful- filled. 2 Tim, 3. 7. isa. 5. 13. i\gain, saith Carill, though Isaiah said he did see God, yet he was judged by the Jews to come to the pitch of high blasphemy for so saying, making God corporeal, and for that the Jews put him to death, together for calling the Jews the rulers of So- dom, &c. 14. In answer to this, I shall not deny but that the rulers of the Jews might put the prophet to death for his doctrine of a personal God ; but this I say, if they did, they will never see the face of God, but shall be kept out of his kingdom, as all will do that despise and speak evil of a personal God. Carill. 15. And Carill himself hath come short of the glory of God ; for saith he with them Jews that were rulers of devils, Isaiah did not see God; he saw, said he, but a manifestation of God. Now what was that manifestation, if it were a shadow ? Then it were not God, but the dark reason of Carill put a shadow upon God, and so it would not be God as Isaiah saw, but the dark side of God, as the Ranter said. 16. Therefore this doctor gains nothing by alleg- ing that the prophet Isaiah was put to death, for affirming God to be visible and to have a body ; for though this principle of the Jews be as old as Isaiah, 23 yet it is a lie : for let no one boast of tradition, con- ceiting it to be ever the truer, because the custom and practice hath been so long, for error and false E^o^ <>'<* principles have been ever since Cain ; therefore in matter of religion, it is no pleading for custom, an- tiquity, or tradition ; for Antichrist in Cain was l^efore Christ in Abel. CHAP. VI. 1 . How that those that fVorship a personal God are the Doctrines. Seed of Faith. 2. JVhi/ this principle hath not been public. Hoxv Godt being without Form, is the Lan- guage of the Sons of Cain ; being in Forfn, is the Language of the Sons of Adam, 1. ALTHOUGH Augustine doth say, that they may be ashamed that say God hath a body, yet none of Adam's seed, being truly enlightened, were ever ashamed of it ; for it is certain that there hath been a remnant in all ages that have not bowed in their ^oct" ' souls to Baal, but no age was there so many as be- lieved in a personal God, as when the Apostles' Com- mission was extant in the world, as in the time of the Ten Persecutions- 2. All that time there was many that believed and taught that God was in form of a man, and how that Christ Jesus was that God, and that his Godhead Spirit was the everlasting Father, and his powerful Spirit was the Holy Ghost, and 24 Why truth cannot be public. Proved by two Reasons, 2. Reason. Amplified. Revel. 11. Opened. Malt. 23. 3. These people that professed this faith were called Sabilians, from one Sabilis, their teacher, and were afterwards called by the name of Athrapamor- phets, which name signifies the adorers of a God that hath all parts of a man. 4. But the reason why this principle hath not been public, you that are skilful in truth may know, was for these two causes ; first, in that the mystery of God, as to his form and nature, were not to be fully published until the commission of the Spirit came forth, and therefore it was but sparingly delivered of by the Apostles, because their work was to worship God in the name of a vSon, as well as in the name of a Father, because of his twofold appearance ; and therefore in their doctrine they preached the faith of a personal God, but in that they clothed it with the appellation of several titles, it appeared more intri- cate and mysterious ; but yet there was enough de- clared by them to prove one personal Majesty and no more, to every discerning eye. 5. But then, secondly, this principle of Christ the only God, the cause why it hath not been public was, in that it never could be countenanced by earthly autliQrity, but ever hath been suppressed through laws that have been made for that purpose by angelical devils. 6. For as soon as Reason in the Gentile power had got the outward Court of the Scriptures into their hand, then did they subvert and suppress all men, and made them bow down to their way, telling them that they were the men that must interpret Scrip- ture, and so they sat in the Apostles' Chair, even as the Scribes, Lawyers, and learned Rulers of the Jews sat in Moses' chair, teaching for doctrines the tra- ditions of men of Canaanitish offspring. 25 7. And this was one of the doctrines of the Jewish Rabies, to wit, that God consists of no form ; very many of them did teach, saying, neither composition, nor division, nor place, nor measure, nor going up, nor coming down, nor right hand, nor left hand, nor face, nor back parts, nor sitting, nor standing; and where it is said, he that sitteth in the heavens, doth laugh, &c. ; these wise men of all such places have said that the Law speaketh after the language of the Sons of Adam. 8. But sure it is these wise men speak a language Error disco, according to the language of the sons of Cain, and ^'^^ they conceit that their Law speaks so too ; for they will have the Law to speak as they speak, for in that the I-aw doth not declare to them the form and na- ture of the true God ; therefore by their interpreta- tion they force the Law to affirm what they imagine of God, or else to say that the Law speaks after the manner of their own manners, speaking one thing, but doing another. CHAP. VIL L The Docfrine of a personal God the Language of the Doctrine*. Seed of Adam, and xvill continue for ever. 2. Hoxo Jacob could wrestle with God, and how the Angels appeared and did eat and drink. 5. How Moses could see God. 4. And how Moses and David did teach that God was in the vert/ form of Man. I. BUT in that Moses and the prophets are the Doctrine i. children of Adam, they in their Law do declare that D 26 God hath a glorious body, and that body in the form of a man, and this is the proper language of the Sons of Adam that hath been for ever amongst Adam's seed, and will continue for ever ; first, because it is the true lip or language of heaven ; secondly, be- cause it is the soul-doctrine of all the true prophets and apostles ; and, thirdly, in that it is engraven in the tables of the heart by the pen of a divine diamond. Proved. g. Oh ! you knowing seed of Adam, you may be- Gen o cha ^^^^ *^ Written, and read the record both within and 3. 9. 11. 13. without, according to Moses's testimony, that God ^^J-,^^'"- created man in his own image, likeness, and siinili- 1 7 cha 5 ver.24. clia. tudc ; also Moses hath said God talked with Adam, 32. 29. talked with Abraham, and walked with Enoch ; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they talked with God, and it was God that wrestled with Jacob ; but some may say how could Jacob wrestle with God, seeing that God was a spiritual body, and not of a gross substance as Jacob was ; unto this I answer, Exod. 29. 3. The most glorious Creator, as he did at that ^^^^^ ' time lay aside his heavenly robe of divine glory, even so did he appear in a solid body as a type and figure to Abraham of what he should have as from his loins, not that his body was changed from its nature, but only veiled with a solid semblance. 4 Much like as the Angels did when they ap- Oijened. peared to our forefathers ; they then as it were di- vested themselves of their glory, and appeared as mortalized for a season, and so did eat and drink with man as if they had been as mortal men, when as it is certain that they remained spiritual at that time, only they veiled their glory, and the meat they ate did not pass through them and return into the draught as it doth with man, but was dissolved or swallowed Angels na ture. 27 up into their own nature ; for their internal fiery glory did convert it into its own substance, as we find that the nature of fire doth diminish the substance of that which it takes into itself. Even thus when the great Explicated. Jehovah hatli appeared unto man, he hath either veiled himself or veiled the eyes of his servants, that his glory might appear, but as their spirits might be capable to behold ; for no mortal eye is capable to behold God as to the glory of his essence. 5. Therefore when the glorious God, upon the re- quest of Moses, would manifest unto him his per-Eo 119.73. these parts of body. In that Psalm, David ^vas J^. 33 j^'^jg troubled to see wickedness so much abound, and '^a. 2. 5. D 2 ^^^- 28 he shews the cause wherefore it was that the hearts of wicked men were fully set in them to do evil, and it was because they did think that God was some in- finite formless Spirit that could neither hear nor un- derstand. Cleared. 9 But for this their wicked imagination, David calls them fools and brutish people, and convinces them of their ignorance, telling them that he that made the eye should he not see, and he that planted the ear should he not hear, and he that teacheth man knowledge shall he not have a heart of his own to understand, &c. Abraham to 10. Behold now, my friends, is it not evidently Father's eye. (jgdared that the true God is in the form of a man ; what need be more said : if there did, there were more variety of proof at hand, but time would fail to divulge one half of what hath been said by true commissionated prophets and messengers of Rev 22 11 ^ Lord's own sending, and yet, notwithstanding * all this, the Scripturian Merchants count it a shame to acknowledge such a God; but those that be filthy, let them be filthy still. so CHAP. VIII. 1. Shaving how that the Principle of God^s being a Doctrines. Spirit without a Body, is the inducement to Atheism. 2. The Learned English Scripturian Doctor contra- dicts himself and condemns the Scripture, charging it "with untruth in its Declaration of a personal Majesty, 1. LIKE as that man that goeth into his gar-Pref4ce. den more for the love of the colour and beauty of an herb or flower, than for its virtue or goodness ; being ^""'**' thereunto enslaved either from his own fancy, or be- cause of an ancient praise to that colour, is not to be reputed wise. 2. Even so, likewise, that man is not to be counted truly religious or spiritually wise, that walks into the garden of the Scriptures, not for the flower of truth, but for the colour of ancient received opinion, mind- ing nothing more but as it agrees with ancient re- ceived opinion, or imagination of such as have been counted wise. 3. For in the nature of Reason, that depends on Doctrine i. custom, there is not so much or great love to the truth of a thing, as there is a desire for the maintaining of its own opinion ; hence it is that learned Reason loves or honors Scripture truth no further or other- wise than they can force it to acquiesce with their own imagination. 4. Also, again, learned Reason that seeks for ho- Doctrine 2. nor, makes not truth the ground of its faith, but it claspeth either upon long custom, or man's counsels, 30 Doctrine 3. Proved. Dootrine 4. Dr. More's Natural Cabala." or the authority of princes, or on great multitudes of people, or else on outward glittering shews of ho- liness, &c. 5. Wherefore if the truth of the Scripture, yea, the very literal record itself might be the ground of be- lief, then would the principle of God's being a Spirit without a body, fall to the ground, and there vanish away like smoke ; then would there not be so many Atheists as now there is, for most certain it is that this heathenish principle hath made most professors mere Atheists ; for that the Scripturian and Anti- Scripturian differ nothing but in name. 6. These things do I clearly apprehend, by viewing their writings and hearing their reasons ; for by their words and by their works are their spirits made known to me ; an instance of which I shall here sive for a further information to such as willingly would not be deceived. 7- In my perusing a Treatise of one Doctor More's, called his " Natural Cabala,*' upon his expounding the three first Chapters of Genesis, I find these words of his verbatim, 8. When God came to the greater masterpiece, man, he encourageth himself, saying, go to, let us now make man, and I will make him after the same image and shape as I bear myself, &c. So God created man in his own shape and figure, with an up- right stature, with legs, hands and arms, with a face and a mouth to speak, and as God himself hath. Again, saith he, 9- God, taking of the dust of the ground, wrought it with his hands in such a temper, that it was matter fit to make the body of a man, which, when he had but framed, was as yet but like a senseless stature. 81 till coming near unto it, with his mouth he breathed into the nostrils thereof the breath of life. 10. Again, when God had made a woman of one Note, of Adam's ribs, he took her by the hand and brought her unto Adam ; for when Adam was awaked, he found his dream to be true (for he dreamed that he it was Re- took a woman out of him) , for God stood by him veiation. with a woman in his hand which he had brought. 11. Lo I hear you. Church of England, what doc- trine your learned doctor hath preached ; hath not he here declared God to be the very express image of Adam, but doth this doctor believe as he saith ; no: he doth but dissemble; for in his defence (or furced violence) of his literal Cabala, he doth ut- ^jie Doc- terly destroy or condenin his former doctrine of ac"nt^diciied personal God ; he speaks the faith, but believes it not, but contradicts it, saying, that it was the opinion of the Athrapamorphets that God had all the parts of man; this opinion he calls vain and ridiculous, saying, again, that it is contrary to the idea of God to have figure and parts, as his great grandfather Austin had said before. 12. But why then did he say before that God had TheDoctor's figure and shape, and that God himself did declare the ^'*P^"y- same; why he did not declare it, he said, because it was truth ; neither saith he is it truth, although the Scriptures declares it ; for, saith he, it is manifest that Scripture speaks not according to the exact cu- riosity of truth, describing things according to the very nature and essence of them, but according to their appearance in sense and the vulgar opinion. 13. Now you seed of the Son of Alan, do you not see where these literal-mongers are ? Do they not manifest themselves to be Atheists ? It is not Dr. More alone, but thousands ; for the Doctor saith 32 it is not his judgment alone, but the judgment of Cresostom, Bernerd, Aquinus, and Augustin also. His further 14. Butif you would know wherefore it is that the blasphemy, gcriptures hold forth such things, and yet are not truth, why this doctor's answer is, that God and his prophets doth permit the ignorant and vulgar sort of people to conceit of God as having shape and figure, because, saith he, the rude multitude conceive it a great advantage to think of God as some all-powerful person, that can personally appear to them, and chide them and rebuke them. 15. This, saith he, takes more with them than Omnipotency placed in an immaterial being, so that it was requisite to the ignorant to have some finite and figurative apprehensions of God, and there was nothing so fit as the shape of a man, and this dissembling, this doctor counts true prudence and pious policy. Application. It). That dissimulation and deceit, is the fruit of worldly wisdom, it is most certain ; but this doctor would have it to be the effect of heavenly wisdom. 17. Now what is this but counting the Scriptures a lie, and an offering violence to the fundamental law of heaven ? Oh ! that the Lord God of heaven would be pleased to cause this his commission of the Spirit to be made known to all whom he will save, that they may be delivered from such sophisters, and may know him, as he is declared by his prophets, for an everlasting consolation of their souls. 33 CHAP. IX. 1 . Of God's becoming a Child. 2. Some ancient Pro- Doctrine* phecies recited. 3. How Enoch was the Priest of God, with the Manner of his Teaching, 1. NOW, having proved to both seeds, how Doctrine i. that the true God hath a true, perfect, substantial body, distinct to himself for everlasting, and that it was in the form of the first man, Adam, now it re- mains for me to declare how that eternal personal God humbled himself and became a child, by cloth- ing his pure Godhead Spirit with pure human flesh, dwelling aniongst us here on earth a matter of thirty- three years, and did eat and drink with man, and by man-devils, the seed of the wicked one, was he crucified and put to death in that body of his flesh, but quickening again by virtue of his Godhead Spirit, in that it was too potent for death to keep under, and rose and ascended to his kingdom of glory, and there doth he in his blessed body of flesh and bone glorified, shine as the sun, and is God over all, blessed for ever; Amen. 2. This my epistle now is not communicable toPro'og"e. any but the seed of faith, being too sublime for the children of the world to comprehend. Now, there- fore, hearken to this all you, the seed of the Son of ]\Ian, for it is your life and your glory to know your Ked(;cmer ; for, for your sake and in your seed are revelations written. 3. That your Creator was a spiritual body, in form of a man, halh been declared to you already: now shall my faith endeavour to untold his wisdom and E 34 power in his transmutation into a body of flesh and bone, which was an action of a wonderful humiha- tion, to the astonishment of men and angels. Thedoctriue 4. Wherefore, in the fulness of time, his eternal ^^^^^ ' Spirit moved him to descend from his throne (imme- diately (after the forewarning of Mary the Virgin by his angel of his incoming), even as swift as thought, insomuch that the eternal God was in the womb of the Virgin before she was aware of him, only by a wonderful change in her soul she felt him converting his Godhead glory into flesh. Hiustratd. 5 ^his was that wonderful mystery of God the everlasting Father, manifesting himself in a body of flesh, at which most men and women stumble and perish ; for who can believe this report ? none of the wise of the world, for a God of a non-omnipo- tency, the immaterial being, will take the best Avith them. 6. But you, my brethren in faith and truth, be- hold your Redeemer, who (as one said) came skip- ping upon the mountains, bringing glad tidings of peace, skipping from heaven to earth, from the throne to the cradle, from the cradle to the cross, and from the cross to the crown again. Amplified. j^ Qj^^ yQ^j Saints, be astonished with admiration at the wonderful love, meekness, and humility in your good God and gracious Redeemer, who was the very brightness of heaven, the paradise of Angels, the redeemer of men, the death of death, the king of saints, and yet should be so poor as not to have a Doctrine 2. house to put his head in, nor a penny to pay tribute till he had received it of a fish. Oh, you Angels, look down (said one) and you may see the Almighty ;at the feet of man. B Lanctansius had some ancient prophesies of 35 Christ from one of tlie Sibels. His words are as rfolloweth : 9. Thy God, thy good, thou brainless, senseless Doctrines, dust, not know who past and played in mortal words and works below. 10. Afterward it follows: he shall be taken with Doctrine 4. the ungodly, and they shall lay hold on God with wicked hands, and spit their venomous spittle in his face ; he shall yield his holy back to their strokes, and take their blows with silence, lest they should know that he is the word, or whence he came to speak to mortals : thou foolish nation know est not thou thy God. 11. Ovid had these words from one of the pro- Doctrine 5. phets ; God takes a view on earth in human shape. 12. I have caused, by my order, these verses fol- lowing to be in legible and capital letters by the painter, to be set up in my house for every one that comes in to read, which were by me collected from an old author, being thus, verbatim : 13. I, who at first did make all things alone, Doctrinec. Am vainly asked my number, being one; Three did not the work, it was only I That in these three made this groat Zizogie ; I know no three persons, I am the God-man alone, In one single substance clothed with flesh and bone. 14. But, my endeared brethrcn, above all that All the forc- ever I read, next unto the Scriptures, that doth bcar^"'"^ '^'^' testimony to the truth of Gods bcconnng flesh, is crfuiiy and contained in the twelve Patriarchs blessings of their ciwriy E2 36 Proved. A Preface to the proof from Euoch, Doctrine 1. children, and I question not but that these writings are infallibly true, and did undoubtedly proceed from the sons of Jacob, whose prophecies shall be recited in the next chapter. 15. Yet, mistake me not ; for it did not so pro- ceed from them as that all their speech and blessing was from their own inspired wisdom, but these divine prophesies of their God's becoming flesh, did most of them flow from Enoch ; for many prophesies of God's incarnation were published by Enoch and other pro- phets, but came to be lost. 16. Nevertheless, I will not positively affirm that Enoch did writedown his own prophesies, for there was little writing or none in those days ; but this I am confident, that the prophesies of Enoch were well known unto all the families of the faithful, being the ground of their faith at that time, and it is evident that there were very many families in his days, they all depending upon the teachings of Enoch. 17. For as Enoch was the seventh from Adam, so all the heads of the six families or generations were alive in the days of his prophesies ; for Enoch was born about the six hundred and twenty-second year of the world, and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years, so that Adam lived till about the three hun- dred and eighth year of Enoch's life ; so that Adam received much benefit and comfort in the latter end of his days by the prophesies of Enoch, the sixth from him, being his own seed and nature. 18. So that all these six heads, being all sons of God, honoured Enoch as the priest of God, and all their offspring that took of their seed and nature, were educated up in the faith of Enoch's prophesies, and this benefit was to the fathers before him. Illustrated. IQ. And for the generations 'following Enoch, Proved. 8T they taught it traditionally, from father to son, &c. Now this was as much authentic, and every way as much effectual, as if it had been recorded in books ; for the table of the heart is the only place for spi- ritual epistles to be written in, because the writing there can never be corrupted, defaced, or changed ; in that it is written by the finger of faith, and folded up in the chamber of the soul, the ark of the tes- timony. 20. Especially, considering the long lives of the Amplified. fathers before the flood, for their lives outlasted books of parchment, the ancient manuscript could liardly 1)6 found to last the life of Methusalem's age. Now this Methusalem was Enoch's son, and he lived through many generations, even till the end of the old world, for he dieri but about the year before the flood, so that Methusalem's declarations of his father's prophesies became a book in which all the faithful seed learned, and being under Enoch's teaching, they were thereupon carried on successively, and taught traditionally, from father to son, from Enoch till Noah, from Noah till Abraham, and from thence till Moses ; and then came forth the liaw moral to Reason, written in tables of stone, that the outward light might discover the inward nature of bhnd Reason. 21. Now if we had had but all the prophesies of Applied. Enoch, it would much have heightened our joy, be- cause they were so full and so clear concerning God's becoming flesh ; but Enoch's declarations were so heavenly, that the world was not able to bear it, and it must needs be so, because he was so conversant with God, for God had abundance of love for Enoch, therefore he vouchsafed him his company here on earth ; for God came down from heaven, ajid 3B walkedj and talked with Enoch, and Enoch with him. 1. Inference. 22. Now, if God had not had a body, Enoch could not have walked with him ; but Enoch knew that God had a body, that made his sayings so full, and so sweet, declaring that his spiritual body would be^ come a pure natural body. 2. Inference. 23. Moreover, the Lord had such love for Enoch, that he took him to himself, to walk with him and ' to reign with him in the kingdom of eternal glory, as he did Moses and Ellas afterwards ; and as Moses and Elias were made the protectors of their God, when he had made himself a child, and clothed his Godhead with mortal nature, even so it is my faith, that Enoch was made the protector of the Angels, and was sole governor of heaven, whilst Moses and Elias were ministering comfort to their Lord and Saviour here on earth. ,- : CHAP. X. Divide doc- ! Christ prophesied of by the Twelve Patriarchs, and declared by them to be the true God. Reuben's L GOD (saith Rcuben) hath chosen Judah to be testimony. ^\^q j-jj^g ^f j^jj people, whercforc worship you his ' seed ; for he shall die for you in battles, both visible and invisible, and shall reign over you world with- out end. -i 1 ; Simeon's tes- 2. In the fulncss of time (saith Simeon) all Adam's Doct"rme2 ^^^^ ^" ^^^ twelve tribes shall be glorified, when the 39 great Lord God of heaven and earth appeareth, as a man, to save Adam in him, then shall I arise again in joy, and bless the highest in his wonderful works, for God, taking a body upon him, and eating with men, shall save men ; for the Lord shall set up Levi, the Prince of Priests, and of Judah, the King of Kings, God and Man ; so shall he save all the Gen- tiles, Szc. 3. Levi, he prophesieth thus, saying, Now there- Testimony of fore my son understand, that the Lord will execute j)JJ.'j'j.j^gjj judgment upon the children of men, because that men continue in unbelief, even when the stone shall cleave asunder, the sun be darkened, and all crea- tures troubled at the fainting of the invisible Spirit, and the spoiling of hell in the passion of the highest. 4. My kingdom (saith Judah) shall be knit up inTesilmonyof strangers till the Saviour of Israel come ; even until l^^^^^- L/octnnc 4 the coming of the God of Righteousness, he shall maintain my kingdom in peace forever. 5. Levi and Judah (saitli Issachar) are glorified of Testimony of the Lord among the children of Jacob, for God hath n!!|'J!!l\ planted himselt m them, givmg to one the priesthood, to the other the kingdom. 6. God shall of himself raise up unto you the testimony of light of righteousness (saith Zebulon) ; he shall re- D^jrine^j. deem all men from the bondage of Belial, and all the spirits of error shall be trod down, and he shall turn nations to the following of him, and you shall see (jod in the shape of man. 7. The Lord (saith Dan) shall be conversant among Testimony of men, and the Holy One of Israel shall reign over }^""- . you, in lowliness and poverty, and he that believeth in him shall certainly reign in heaven ; for the Saints shall rest in hin), &:e. 40 Testimony of g. Neptliclem and Asber hath the prophesy fol- A^her! '" lowing: By Judah shall help and welfare spring up Doctrines, unto Israel, and in him shall Jacob be blessed; for by his sceptre shall God appear, and dwell among men upon earth, to save the flock of Israel. Tes^timonyof g Honour Lcvi (saith Gad), for out of them shall Doctrine 9. the Lord make the Saviour of Israel to come. Testimony of 10. You, my children (saith Asher), shall be dis- Doctrhie 10. Parsed into all parts, by reason of your sin, and so shall be despised as unprofitable water, until the Highest doth visit the earth, eating and drinking as a man with men, and breaking the serpent's head in pieces without noise ; he shall save Israel, and all the heathen by water, being God hidden in man. Testimony of H. And Joseph (of whose son Ephraim I came) Doct^r/ne 11 ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ' ^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^"* ^^ Judah was a Virgin ,. .. born, having a white silken robe, and of her came forth an immaculate Lamb, and on the left hand of the said Lamb was as it were a lion, and all beasts made against him, and the Lamb overcame them, and trod them under his feet, and in him joyed the Angels, the men and all the earth ; these things shall come to pass in their time. Testimony of 12. The Lord (saith Benjamin) shall take the king- Doctrine" 12 ^^"^ npon him, &c. ; he shall be despised and lifted upon high, to a piece of timber ; he shall ascend out of his grave to heaven ; he shall remember how base he hath been on earth, and how glorious he is in heaven. Worship the King of Heaven, which ap- peared un earth in the base shape of man, as many as believe in him shall rejoice with him at the latter time, and all these shall rise again to glory, and the other to shame. Doctrine 13. And thus you have the testimonies of all the ceare . Twclvc Patriarchs, and do by them clearly see (you 41 that are the offspring of Adam), that their faith was grounded in God's becoming flesh. 14. Moreover, for a further confirmation of this truth there is another evidence at liand, from an an- cient prophesy that was found long since in Saint George's Church, in Venice, cited by Mr. Fox, in his " Book of Martyrs," and I am persuaded it was fox's " Book one of Enoch's prophesies. The words are these, "^^^^f^v"" , . * ^ page 707- verbatim : boeirine i. 15. In the latter age God shall be humbled, and the divine offspring shall be abased, and Deity shall be joined with humanity ; the Lamb shall lay in hay, and God and Man shall be bred up under a maiden's attendance ; signs and wonders shall go be- fore among the circumcised. 16. Again, he shall choose himself out of fishers Twelve the number of twelve, and one devil, not with sword, Apostles. nor with battle, in dejection and poverty he shall Doctrine 2. conquer riches, and shall tread down pride, with his own death ; in the night he shall rise up, and be changed; he shall live and reign ; at last he shall judge both good and evil. 17- In the latter end of this prophesy, is a stretch- Doctrine 3. ing forth and declai-ation of future times, following God's incarnation, touching God's third and last commission, in the judging of antichrist and the end of all things immediately following. The words are these : 18. In the latter days two bright stars shall arise, The third raising up men lying dead in their sins, which shall ^""'."'J*^J-'"^ resist the Beast and the waters of the Dragon, ness prophe- testifying or preaching the law of the liamb, the*'*^*^'- destruction of the abomination, or antichrist, and judgment, and shall diminish his watei*s ; but tluy F 42 shall be weakened in the bread of affliction and they shall rise again in stronger force. Doctrine 4. IQ. Again, after the abomination, then truth shall be revealed, and the Lamb shall be known, to whom regions and countries shall submit their necks, and all earthly men shall agree together in one, to come into one fold, and to be ruled under one discipline, and after this shall be but a short time, &C' Conclusion. QQ. Behold here all you worshippers of the Lord Jesus the one only God, have comfort and courage in your worship, for truth is on our side, sing a tri- umph over hell and darkness, for we are strong, for Prophets, Apostles, and the Witnesses of the Spirit, we all meet here in the faith of the person of Jesus. 21. These things being so, how can there be a trinity of persons, as the anti-churches of Europe do teach ? from the seven Spirits to the seven true churches, I will use seven arguments, to confound the seven anti-churches in their doctrine of a three- headed God, as now doth follow. CHAP. XL Divine doc- L What a person in the Trinity is. 2. God is but one ^"'^^^* single person clearly proved. First argu- 1. FIRST, if God be three persons then there nient. ^^^ three Gods, for what do you Churches call a per- son ? or how do you define a person in the Trinity ? do not you say it is a substance subsisting of itself? 43 One of your Doctors defining a person in the Trinity, saith, that it is a living and understanding nature, subsisting of itself, 2. In this sense, saith he, a beast is not a person, because having life, yet they want understanding, now further saith he every person must subsist, that is, be some one particular thing, as John, James, Peter. 3. Now you seed of reason, by this definition, is Prored. it not plain that you have three Gods ? for if a per- son be a distinct living being, as aforesaid, and there be three persons, each of them distinct understanding beings, as John, James, and Peter are distinct, then on necessity you have three Gods, and so you have divided the substances, and of one God made three, one in one place, a second in another, and the third distinct from the other two. 4. Now you formal Churches, you are so much Proofs, the more in darkness and bhndness and wilful igno- rance, by how much the more you glory in your trinity of Gods, and yet you are to be pitied as chil- dren and fools, for saying and teaching that you believe that there is but one God in these three persons. 5. If James, John, and Peter, cannot be one dis-Pfoof 3. tinct man, in one substance, how shall Father, Son, and Spirit, if they be in three distinct persons, be one God in substance ? 6. Again, can they be one in substance, when dis- Proof 4. tinct in place by their persons, or can James be in Heaven and in Earth at one and the same time ? if part of him be in one place and part in another, then is his life destroyed, and he ceases from being a per- son. 7. Moreover, as aforesaid, can one of the tli*cc ^^{,'3" ^' 2 44 persons of the Trinity be in Heaven and a second in Earth, and yet these two persons to be but one in substance and undivided ? no : this is impossible ; and yet it is taught to the dark, bUnd, ignorant people, as one of their doctors saith, Christ (saithhe) is every where called Jehovah, as by Old and New Testament doth appear, whereof (saith he) I lay before you this ground as most certain and infallible, that whensoever the true God Jehovah is said to have appeared in the likeness of an Angel or Man, this was the person not of the Father, nor of the Holy Spirit, but of the Son, who appeared to the fathers as a man, to note out the mystery of his incarnation, so that all these scriptures that speak of Jehovah appearing, do mean the Son, the second person, and neither of the other two, as MaL 3, 1. Gen. 18, 15, 15, 17, '^0. Rosea, 12, 5. Esa. 1. John, 12, 4J, ^c. He con- 8. All these Scriptures, saith this Doctorare referred founded the to the Son, and was the Son, but not the Father, nor substance. ^^^ jj^^^ q^^^^ . ^^^ ^j^^^^ ^j^^ Father and the Holy Ghost were then, he doth not tell, belike he means they were both in Heaven, whilst the God-son was on Earth, inquirediuto Q. Now I besecch you that are sober and moderate men, tell me how this doctrine can stand, either with reason, sense, or faith, if they would stand to it that they are three Gods, seeing they will hold three per- sons, they had some ground for their reason, as the heathen that held forth a multitude of Gods, or as others who held forth two Gods, a good God and a bad God. The falsity 10. But in that they teach that these three make of three per- but One God in substancc, and yet are distinct each vered byT ^^^^^ Other, as far as between Heaven and Earth ; certainly if the God-father be in Heaven, whilst the 45 God-son is on Earth, and yet notwithstanding be but one in substance, then must he be more monstrous and giant-hke than the poets feign Hercules to be, who bears up the Heavens with his shoulders ; but God, if he be as the world imagmes, he must have his feet on Earth, his shoulders under the Heavens, and his head above. IJ. Otherwise their God cannot be one substance, oth Argu- that can be both in Heaven and Earth at one and the ""*"* same time, but how can they for shame say that their God is but one in substance ; when, as they say that the two persons of Father and Holy Ghost have neither of them a body ? yet they say the God-son had a body before his incarnation, and that he hath a body of flesh and bone for ever after. 12. But those that say that the Son, the second person, appeared to the fathers in the form of a man, yet notwithstanding they count it vain and ridiculous to believe that he had a body, for most of you Trini- tarians say, that he had not a body, but only assumed a shape ; and this is much what as true as to say witches may transform themselves into other shapes, or that men and women may be inciianted into a horse, a dog, a bull, or a bear, or any other animal ; and is not this making of God a conjuror or enchanter, to change himself into shapes, and yet to say he hath no shape. 13. J3ut to let these fooleries pass, let me insist a The 7ih little more upon their doctrine of a divided God ; proof orar- you all acknowledge that Christ had ureal body *""'*""* after his incarnation, and doth now for ever possess one to all eternity. 14. Now I reason thus with you, how can you Pmof a. make your God either co-equal or co-substantial ; is there any equality between a man that hath a 46 Proof 9. Proof 10. Cleared. body, and a God that hath none, or what communion or concord can there be ? 15. Besides, and how are they co-substantial ? can that which hath no body, be one in substance ? is there no difference between having a body and hav- ing none ? can a shadow make a man ? to be without a body, form or shape is to be nothing. 16. But reason, or rather the irrational doth say, that understanding and life doth make a person, and is a real substance ; to this I say, understanding and life doth make a person, because it lives in a person, that is, it is one essence with its body, for under- standing and life cannot subsist without a body, either spiritual or natural ; can there be any under- standing without a head, or any life without a mouth and nose, to breathe forth itself by, and is not the egress and regress thereof the life in continuance. 17. Now from hence doth it not clearly appear that the generality of professors bf Christianity, do worship a divided God, but I shall further discover their error by several more powerful reasons. CHAP. XII. Doctrines. 1 . Christ being begot by a Father makes him non-eternal, 2. Of Trinitarians holding forth Christ as twice begotten. 3. Their Foolishness discovered. Proposition 1. SECONDLY, it further follows, that seeing that Athanasion's creed doth say, that the Father is of himself unbegotten and uncreated, the Son is be- 47 gotten by the Father that was uncreated ; now you that are sober (though at present are under the dis- cipHne of this doctrine) may know, that that which is begotten by another, must be inferior to that which gave it its being. 2. Now how, or which way, God should beget a Doctrine i. Son, none of them can declare, therefore, some do P"^**^*^ ^y ^ 1 1 1111 reasons. say he was begotten, not made, others say that he was not bogotten of the Father's own substance, as fathers do their children, but that he did, by his mighty power, frame and fashion him after a wonder- ful maimer. 3. Now from this I say, if the Son was from eter- Reason 2. nity, how could he be begot? and if the Holy Ghost were from eternity, how could he proceed and take his original from Father and Son ? if the three persons were each of them eternal, that is, without all begin- ing, then they could not give being one to another. 4. Again, if the Son was begotten by the Father Reason 3. from all eternity, and begot again when he was incar- nate of the Virgin Mary in a body of flesh and bone, then it appears by blind reason, that the Son was a double Son, and twice begot or made by the Father ; and yet your blind reason will make this Son to be equal with the Father, although you confess that in his latter birth he was made lower than Angels. 5. O the darkness that lies upon the learned, had Applied, you known the Scriptures, then might you have known that the Son was but once begot or made, and that was throiigh God's begetting himself into a Son, according as it is written, God became flesh ; it is not said, you blind guides, that God sent a Son to become flesh, that was begot by him before. 6. But the meaning of these words is no other but John lo. lo. 48 that God sent forth himself to be made of a woman, to redeem us from the curse of the Law, according as it is written, I lay down my life of myself. Opened. 7. Now where Christ saith that of himself he can do no thing, and that he bears not witness of himself, and that he came not of himself, and the like ; that self as he speaks of is but his human nature, and that makes him but man, or our mortal weak nature. Explicated. g. But then Christ's nature, which is divine, is that self that can do all things, and that is equal with, yea, and is the very Father, and hath power to do all things, having glorified himself in his new spiritual body of flesh and bone, which was conceived of the Virgin's seed, by his Almighty power, that could live and die, and live again ; and now, behold, he lives for evermore, being one personal Majesty, distinct from heavens, earth, angels, men, and all things for everlasting. Augmented. (}. These things being so, is not your reason blind, to say that God sent forth any Son but himself? Is it not said that he gave himself for us ? What do you think by that place, where it is said, I have sworn by myself, that unto me every knee shall bow ? Now who was this that sware so by himself? Paul saith it was Christ, and he sware by himself, because there was none greater than himself. Heb 6. 13. Cleared. 10. Now, therefore, where was there a Father but in that Son, and a Son but in that Father, one God and leather in one person, all one ; the spiritual and glorious body wherewith the divine God-head (which was the everlasting Father) was clothed withal, was his dearly beloved Son, in whom his soul or God-head Spirit eternally delighted in. 49 CHAP. XIII. Shewing how Father, Son, and Spirit, are proved to be Divine doc- 07ie Essence. How the Father makes himself of no *""^" Value by undeifying Himself, to give his Son full Sovereignty. REASONS ANNEXED. Doctrine l. 1. 'rillRDLY, is not the soul, body, and spirit Reason i. of mail united and knit together, all making one essence or substance, individual and distinct to itself? And is not Fatlier, Son, and Spirit as truly joined together ? The Scriptures and all true prophets do aflirm it positively ; who then are they that do gain- say it? Are they not imprudent ? 9. May they not as well say, that man doth con- sist of three persons, because Paul prayed that the Soul, Body, and Spirit might be kept blameless ? How can God, who is one in himself, be divided into three persons ? 3. If the Creator be one eternal Bcin^, distinct Reason 2. from all other lieings, is it not necessary that he should so continue in his own divine centre ? Infi- nitencss hath power to change its glory into flesh, but not to create other deities out of himself, because that would be against his glory. 4. And the most wise Creator can make nothing Reason 3. against his glory, but for his glory only ; otherwise it would turn to his ruin : for if he should make out of himself other two Gods, as Son and Holy Ghost, and they both l)eing distinct from him, would on ne- G 50 Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Reason 7. cessity require Sovereignty ; for God cannot be God without Sovereignty. 5. Where, then, would his prerogative be ? There can be but one prerogative ; for if there be three, the kingdom is divided and cannot stand. 6. But this kingdom of one God will stand, be- cause there is but one sole King, and he hath said that he will not give his glory to another; yet all glory was given unto Christ, because he was the sole God; for men and angels, principalities and powers; yea, all things in heaven and earth, did, and for ever shall, bow to him and no other. This is my witness to the two witnesses, and the two witnesses do wit- ness unto this God. 7. -Again, if Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were not one individual substantial personal God, but that the Son and Holy Ghost were distinct from the Father, then, I pray you, what kind of a God would the Father be, seeing he both invested the Son with all power in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and hath made the Holy Ghost co-operator with the Son, in order to the sanctification and government of the Church, the Son being made Head of it, and of all things else as aforesaid ? 8. I say what a kind of a God would you make of the Father ? Nay, do you make any God of him at all ? Do you not make him useless, seeing he hath nothing to govern, nothing to do ? Surely you think that one of your Gods growed weary with governing, as Pharoah, King of Egypt did, who made Joseph sole governor of his kingdom, and he himself did nothing, or else you think he is old, and so is willing to be at rest ; and, therefore, having made a Son out of himself, and a Holy Ghost that he hath begot out of the Son and himself, doth therefore dispose of the 51 government to them, not in tanto, but in toto, wholly and absolutely. 9. This is a necessary inference from your doc- trine. What else can lie so incumbent upon it ? Many more absurdities doth lie couched under your doctrine of a trinity of persons, but I have not time to mention all, only a few more according to promise. C II A P. XIV. J. Forcible Arguments io Disprove a Trinity of Persons DWwtAoc- in one God-head. 2. Of the Chief Good, and m'""'* whom it doth consist. Riches a chokepear to the Covetous. Doctrine J. 1. FOURTHLY, if the Son be begot by the Reason 1. Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both, and are so severed as that they are distinct each from other, then can neither Son nor Holy Ghost be God, because they receive perfection one from another. 2. Now where one gives perfection to the other, the other is not God, because he had not his per- fection from himself; for if all had of themselves, none should give to other. 3. Therefore, if there be a Son and Holy Ghost Reason 2 distinct from a Father, then they can be no more than creatures, because they receive their perfection from the Creator, and not from themselves. G 2 52 4. Moral philosophy teacheth, that there is but one chief good ; whence therefore have you, Trinitarians, found out to the contrary : sure I am you cannot find out three Summum Bonums', neither by reason nor Scripture. James. 5. The Scripture saith that all good comes from one good ; even from the Father of Light, saith Opened. Janies. Now, whom is this Father of Light ? Why, it is he you call the second person ; for Christ is the word, and the word was the original of all light, and is the only chief good, and from him doth all perfec- tion and goodness come ; for he having all power, doth (since his Ascension) dispose of all gifts at his pleasure. 6*. As when one called him good master, he re- plied, saying, why callest thou me good, there is none good but one, even God. 1. Inference, j^ Here you may behold two things ; first, that there is but one chief good, and that is God ; se- condly, that Jesus Christ was that one chief good, which is plain by these his words to the young man, in saying, give that thou hast to the poor and follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; here did the one chief good promise the chief good. 8. Which might have been accomplished had Christ been received as that one good Master, or Lord, by him, who being the only God, had power to dispose of eternal felicity, joy, and glory. Reason 3. 9. Observe, if Christ had not been that one good God, he would never have called the young man to 2. Inference, the obedience of him for eternal life ; but it is clear that he w^as himself that one good God, other- wise he might have bid him to have sought to a God distinct from him for the gift of eternal life. 53 10. But Christ knowing his heart, and that it was not according to his word, takes at his word's saying, why callest tliou me good Master, or good Lord, as if he should say, 11. It is vain for thee to call me good, unless thou 3. inference. didst believe that I were he from whence all good- ness comes : there is but one that is infinitely good, and the fountain of all goodness, and that is God ; if thou canst believe me to be that good God, sell all that thou hast, &c., and cast thyself upon me, and though I here am poor, being out of my own kingdom, yet am I rich ; for Heaven is mine, and Earth is your's : part with all the superfluities of it; if thou canst part with that part, go along with me, and thou shalt have given thee, by [me] the riches of Heaven, which is eternal life, joy, and glory. 12. But the man goes away sorrowful, because he 4. inference, was choaked with this world's riches, and so could not drink down the assurance of eternal life; for this world and his own fleshly devil was his chief good, and his soul's delight only ; he could have been con- tent to have held fast his riches here, and to have had eternal life in Heaven hereafter, which is the religion of all the rich seed of reason, Sec. 54 CHAP. XV. Divine doc- trine. 1. Of the dissimilitude there is in the Three Persons. 2. How Union is destroyed thereby. 3. Two great Errors in believing God to be a Spirit without a Body necessarily follows. 4. Of the Virtue of a Word from God. Doctrine 1. With Rea- sons and proof abun- dantly. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. 1. FIFTHLY, how can there be any simihtude between the Father and the Son, or how can all the Tliree Persons be co-equal, when as you say that the Father and Holy Ghost have neither of them a body, and yet you say the Son or Second Person hath a body ? 2. Shall the Son have a body, and the Father none ? How then comes he to be the EXPRESS IMAGE of his Father's person ? 3. Again, how can the Father have any person if he have no body, seeing a person is a substance sub- sisting of itself ? Now, if he have no body, he cannot tell where to find himself; neither can the Son find such a Father. How then can blind reason find him ? 4. Furthermore, how can there be any affinity or essentialoneness betwixt a spirit without a body, and a spirit with a body ? Or how can the Son, that is a person and hath a person, be said to be in the Father, if the Father hath no body, shape, nor form. 5. Again, how can the Father be said to be in the Son ? Surely he cannot for these two reasons, ac- cording to the article of the Five Antichurches, 55 seeing they say that, first, he is a person distinct from the Son ; and secondly, that he hath no body, but is a Spirit, and so is every where at one and the same time. 6. These two principles are as contrary as fire and water, or as light and darkness ; nay more, for they are as contrary as something is to nothing, for there is a something of the one, but a nothing of the other, but air, or an empty name, a cypher that stands for nothing, as mind the explication. 7. Observe, if the Father be a person distinct from Reason 5. Christ the Son, how should he be in the Son ? For it he be in the Son, then he must cease from being a person of himself; for two persons cannot unite in one single substance, and yet be distinct from each other ; neither can they unite as two qualities may, as wine with water. 8. Secondly, if he have no body, but is a spirit, Reason o. and that this Spirit God is every where at one and the same time, then he is incapable of being wholly in Christ ; for being every where present at once, he can be but a part in Christ, for he must be parted into every thing, and every place, a part in Heaven, a part on earth, and a part in hell, a part in angels, a part in men, and a part in devils. 9. Oh, the blindness of reason in the things of Cleared. God, that cannot see that when the Scripture speaks of (jod's being in every place, and of living, moving, and having our being in him, and of his being in all, and such like ; all which places are to be under- stood, of his unalterable Law, placed in every man's conscience, to be in the room of God, to tell God what is done, as a watchman, and to speak a voice S6 in the conscience, to tell conscience likewise what it hath done ; the nature of which Law shall be dis- coursed of in the Fifth Part of this Treatise ; so no more of it here. CHAP. XVI. Divine doc- 1. Several more Arguments proving the Absurdity of nne. Three Persons in one Substance, 2. Of the Form of a Trinitarian s Prayer. 3. Shewing thereby that they Worship a divided God. Doctrine 1. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. 1. SIXTHLY, again you say that the Holy Ghost is a person proceeding from the Father and the Son, and yet you hold that he is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. Now this cannot possibly be ; for can that which receives its being from another, be made equal with that which hath its being of itself. 2. Can time be made equal with eternity : if the Holy Ghost proceeded from a father and son, then is he but a God of Time, and not a God of Eternity ; and such a God will end in time. It is true eternity did become time, and time did become eternity again ; but it did not create two Deities out of itself. 3. Again, if the Holy Ghost had not its being of itself, but proceeded from another, then is he no more but a creature, and being a creature, he must learn obedience. 57 4. Moreover, if the Holy Ghost proceeded as Reason 4. aforesaid, and was made distinct from Father and Son, into a person of his own, then must his God- head die, in his birth, or leave it behind him, other- wise he would have robbed God ; for God will not give his glory to another, and if he parts with his God-head, he parts with his glory. 5. Certainly there is no such procession as the letteralibts dream of, for God is one in three, and three in one ; he is not one in three persons, but is one God in three titles : we worship a God in one person, called Father, Son, and Spirit; it is a self-begotten God, and not a God begotten by ano- ther that we worship. 0. Therefore, as Paul doth say, all that are of Reason 5. Israel are not Israel ; so all that call themselves Christians are not Christians ; some are semi- Christians, and the Trinitarians are but a third part Christians ; for Christ is but a third part of their God. 7. From hence you may see, that the Five Anti- Churches of Europe do worship a divided God, a three-headed God, which is a monster, instead of the one true God. 8. Therefore when they pray, they divide a TrinitaH- their prayers into parts, as they divide their God, ""' P>er. and so they appropriate to each God a particular prayer, and their prayers are as follows : 9. Oh ! Lord God Creator, give me grace to serve thee, and in order thereunto, give unto me thy Spirit, K'c, that I may magnify thee, not only for my creation, but also for thy continual preservation of me, for which I praise thee for ever. Amen. 10. Oh ! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, I beseech thee to make reconciliation for me to thy H 58 Father ; Oh, stand thou in the gap between him and me, and pacify him, by shewing him thy wounds which thou didst suffer for me ; pray thou unto him, for thou art his beloved Son, whom he will hear, and I will praise thee for ever and ever ; Amen. 11. Oh ! Holy Spirit, proceeding from Father and Son, sanctify me with thy ^race, purge out mj' sins, and purify me from all filthiness, for the glory of thy names sake ; Amen. Application. jg Behold, now all that are sober, is not this a divided God that is worshipped in this manner ? Oh, how are they lost in this their grand principle ; they are in worse condition than the simple woman, that halted betwixt the Papist and the Protestant, for she not knowing whether to be right, but hoping that the one was, therefore in her devotion she prayed first a Papist prayer, and then a Protestant prayer, and when she had done, she cried, Blend, Lord, blend ; and whether thou likest better, take too. 13. Even so, when these treble worshippers of these treble Gods, have made their orisons to all three persons, they should say, with the woman. Blend, Lord, blend ; and which is the best accept of it, if thou thinkest that one may be above ano- ther ; but if thou think they are co-equal, then must thou measure out to every one an equal share as aforesaid. 14. But it is certain they do not, for they are par- tial in their faith ; for they give more glory to the Father than to the Son, belike it is because the Son hath a body, for they love a bodiless God the best, for the Jews are more honoured by them than we, because [though they deny the Son, yet] they own the Father, and the Father is such a one as they 59 own, to wit, a Spirit without a body, and yet the Jews own no such thing as a person, but a God that is a paternal fire, a fiery spirit without a form, body, or person. 15. But I will contend with the treble worship- pers in one Scripture argument more, and then I will leave them, and return into the channel where the water of life doth run. and into the garden of Eden, where the tree of life appears, and there we will feed of its fruit that we may live for ever. CHAP. XVII. 1 . Of the one God and the one Faith ; the 4th of the Divine doc- Ephesians Opened. 2. The Holy Ghost y and the Gift of the Holy Ghost distinguished. 3. Who it was that gave John the Baptist his Commission. 1. SEVENTHLY, and lastly, as there is but Doctrine i. one faith, so there is but one God, as to be the object ^^'"' *^*''*- of that faith: this is evident as Ephes. 4th, com- ***"'P'^""S- pared with 1 Cor. 8, 4: In the first it is said, that there is one Lord, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 2. Now, if there were many Gods, then must there Reason i. be many faiths, one believing in this God, and another in that ; but saith the Apostle in that other place, restraining the words to a particular select seed, [unto us there is but one God] the Father of whom H2 60 Scripture Proved. Inference. are all things, and we in him, and one Lord explicated. Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 3. Lo ! here is the union of Father and Son, in one personal existence, for what the one doth, the other doth, because they are one God and Father above all, through all, and in all ; above all by his work of Creation, through all by virtue of Redemption, in us all by sanctification and belief of the truth, as the truth is in Jesus, he being all in all. 4. For though the titles of God are many, yet faith finds but one single person in those double and treble names to pitch itself upon for eternal life; therefore what power soever is attributed to the Fa- ther, the like is given to Jesus , therefore said Jesus, you believe in God, believe also in me. 5. Christ did not here intend that they should have a double object for their faith, but that their faith should now be fixed upon him ; as if he should say, you are a little wavering in your minds, because you see me in a mortal state, thinking my Father to be God, whom you think to be distinct from me, but have faith in me, and then you believe in God ; for in seeing me, you see the true God : for I am the way, the truth, and the life ; therefore believe in me and vou shall have life, for I am now to leave vou, and to return to my former God-head glory, or Fa- ther's throne again, &c. 6. Again, as our faith is one, so our faith lays hold but upon one; for there is but one God, one faith, one baptism ; from hence have we peace, for now is the one spiritual baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost made good and accomplished ; when we have put on Christ, this baptism is said to be of fire, be- cause of that spark of flaming forth in love and Reason 2. 2. Inference. 61 ardent zeal, which is of nature, to burn up the evil, and to purify. 7. Also this baptism is said to be by the Holy 3. Inference. Ghost, because of that holiness and godliness that is in its nature, and because of the variety of the gifts and graces in order to sanctification of life, and true unity one with another. 8. Therefore it is that Paul saith, there is one body 4. inference, and one spirit, that is, there is one Spirit to animate that one body, and this is the spirit of faith, which is a spirit of union, which doth lead to none but Christ, because it came from no other God but Christ, as it follows in the next verse. 9. And thus the Saints come to be one mystical body, relatively so called, from the operations of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Faith, which is the Spirit of God, and this Spirit of God is the Holy Ghost, which he promised to send to his disciples, as Acts 2, 4. 10. It is said there, that the Apostles were filled 5. inference, with the Holy Ghost, that is (saith my faith) with the gifts of the Holy Ghost; for we are to distinguish betwixt the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, as we are of those sayings of Christ being in us, and his light, grace, or faith to be in us. Now you may observe, that this saying of Paul, Ephes. r^*P''cat<^'^- 4, 8., doth expound that of the Acts, who saith that when Christ ascended he gave gifts to men, and what those gifts were, he shows in the following verse. 11. Therefore you may understand that the Apos- Scripture ties had not the Holy Ghost essentially in them, but^P*"^^- virtually, as it is in another place opened, to wit, Verse 38., so Acts 10, 45. Heb. 2, 4. 62 Opened. Opened. Opened. Amplified. Cleared un- deniably. 12. These sayings open that other saying of the Holy Ghost descending from Heaven in the likeness of a dove ; this was but the gift of the Holy Ghost, that should rest upon Christ, of whom the heavenly dove was a type, or sign unto John, that he was the Christ that the dove should light on. 13. Now the Holy Ghost that came upon Jesus was given in these words : this is my beloved Son, &c. These words, though they came from on high, yet from no other than Elias and Moses, who being his representatives, had the gift of comforting left in their hands, to minister unto him at certain times whilst he went that sore journey in flesh: 14. John the Baptist had the knowledge of Uiis, in that he had his commission from Elias, therefore said to come in the spirit and power of Elias ; and it was Elias that did not only make him the messenger or forerunner of Christ, but also gave him a sign to know him, for the establishing him and better con- firming him in the faith, because that certain know- ledge gives strong assurance. 15. Therefore saith John, he that sent me to bap- tize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 16. Now the voice that John heard from Heaven, proceeded from Elias, and from no other God ; there- fore it was that at several times Moses and Elias, either one or both, appeared to him and to his friends; as one time they were the instruments of making the face of Jesus to shine. 17. Also, when Christ was upon the Cross, in the time of his agony, he cried with a loud voice to Elias ; and it was Moses and Elias that were the 63 Angels that attended the sepulchre of the Lord, and that acquainted his disciples that their Lord was risen ; and the two men in white that spake to the disciples at their Lord's Ascension, was the same Moses and Ehas. 18. 'J'hus all you that are appointed to know the truth, may see how and what is the meaning of those sayings, that speak of the Holy Ghost being given, for the gift of the Holy Ghost is one thing, and the Ploly Ghost is another; for Christ is the Holy Ghost himself, as well as Father and Son. 19. Therefore you may read that Mary was with- child of the Holy Ghost : what was that but the Holy God? And hence it is that he is called the Holy One, the Holy Thing, the Holy Child Jesus, the Holy Jerusalem. 20. What then is all this but Holy Spirit, and Holy Ghost? See for proof hereof, Ps. I6, 10. and 71, 22. Isa. 43, 15. Acts 3, 14. 1 John 2, 20. Dan. 4, 13. CHAP. xvni. 1. An Advertisement to the sober Professors to ponder well the precedent Arguments. 2. From uhence Strife and Division comes. 1. NOW for a conclusion as to these Seven Ar- Applied. guments. Let all sober men poise in their minds these reasons aforesaid that are exhibited, and see and examine whether there can be any solid ground in 64 them, either from Scripture, sense, or reason, found to convince me of error. 2. Oh! vain heads of the Churches of Enghind and Rome, cannot you agree in your worship; seeing you agree in your Gods, you might see the fruits of your rehgion (if you were not stone-bHnd) to be no- thing else but divisions and strife, war and blood- shed. 3. And from whence doth this flow ? Is it not from your worshipping of a false God ? Your divid- ing and mangling God into parts and pieces, is the cause of your divisions and strifes as a judgment upon you. 4. Whereas if you worshipped one God, in the per- son of Jesus, then would that faith, life, grace or spirit that was given to worship withal, knit you into unity, and make you one body, to fit you to that one Head, and then could there be no discomposure, but you would be all one in the graces above- said. 5. But this doctrine of yours', as it is the inlet to envy, so it is the road to Atheism ; many thousands of the Romish Prelates have been mere Atheists, but for the glory and riches they have got, by their Ministry of the Trinity, they have con- cealed it. 6. Yet, nevertheless, one Pope Alexander VI., in the year 1492, brake forth into these words, saying, This fable of Jesus Christ hath gotten to us great riches. 7- But I shall leave all Atheists and false wor- shippers to their broken cisterns, and return now to the fountain of life, the Lord Jesus Christ our God, and prove by ten Scripture arguments, from positive sayings in Holy Writ, that Christ is the 65 one only wise and alone true God, being Father, Son, and Spirit, or Lord Jesus Christ, in one single per- son, blessed for ever ; Amen. CHAP. XIX. 1. No Redemption but by God's becoming Flesh, 2. O/'oivinc doc- the Virtue of Christ's Blood. None but Christ. trine. FIRST ARGUMENT. 1. TFIAT substantial sensible light and life, Doctrine i. which was in form from eternity, was God ; but Christ Jesus was that substantial sensible light and life, which was in form, and was from eternity to eternity ; therefore Christ Jesus is the alone true God. 2. As for the proposition of the argument, it is The minor acknowledged of all that God was from eternity ; pr'>*^8 double account ; for first it was the blood of God, Ephe. 1. 5. for the God-head life was in it and suffered with it ; R'^ro^iT' secondly, it was precious blood indeed, for it washed away the sins of all the seed of Adam, and by this means he became our Redeemer, for his blood was our purchase. Doctrine 3. 5. Again, it is said that Christ's throne was for ever Psa. 45. 6. and ever; to this Scripture Paul alludes to when he Revel. 3. 21. ^^^^^ Christ the Creator: see and compare in the Proved. margin. 1 Tim. 1. 17. 6. Moreover, Paul salutes Jesus Christ thus, calling &ch. 6. 15. bim King Eternal, Immortal and the only wise God ; PrTved. so that we see that Christ is the only wise God, both by the testimony of Paul and Isa. Psa.41.13. 7. David's testimony may also come in, who saith Jo^hn^8^68. ^^ ^^ fpom evcrlastiug ; and Christ said that he was before Abraham, &c. See and compare Psa. 90, 2. and 103, 17. and Psa. IO6, 48. and 93, 2. Doctrine 4. Christ tells of a glory before the world was, that he opened^* ^^^ ^"^ ^" ^^^ prayer (to his God-head Spirit within him, which was the everlasting Father), he said glo- rify me with the same glory I had. 1. Inference. Now you that are quick may know, I say if you be quick in spiritual comprehension, you may know that this glory was not a distinct glory from his Father ; therefore he said, glorify me Avith thyself. Did not Christ know here that he once did enjoy a Father's thione or glory, though now it seemed as lost, be- 2. Inference, cause mortality became an eclipse to his God-head spirit, insomuch that at some ebbs he scarcely knew whether the God-head spirit was within him, or without him. 67 Nevertheless, revelation arose at certain times so 3. loferfnce. high in him, that by the strei)";th thereof he told the John 8.24. Jews, saying, unless you believe that 1 am he, you^j^ { shall die in your sins. As if he should say, unless you believe that I am John 3. is. that God that the Prophets did say should become ^'"P''^"** flesh, you shall die a second and eternal death : according as Lsa, my Prophet, told your fathers, chap. 43, 10., If you would know who I am, search the Scriptures ; they tell you there is but one God, and they all bear witness of me ; therefore unless you believe that I am he, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and that I came from the Father, and am with the Father, and one eternal bosom ; unless you believe this, you shall die in your sins, and be damned to eternity. Thus all whose eyes are opened, may see that there cleared, is none but Christ, no other God but the Man Christ Jesus, though men or angels should gain- say it. CHAP. XX. 1. Christ the sole Creator. 2. lloxv we are created Divint 60c in Christ, 3. jind how by Christ. Of God with ttj*''"** how understood^ and of his Wisdom and Power. SECOND ARGUMENT. 1. SECONDLY, he that is the Creator of the Doctrine i. world, and all things therein, must needs be God ; but Clirist is the Creator of the worlds', and all 12 68 things therein ; therefore Christ must needs be God. Proved. 2. The major part is undeniable by all that own Scripture, the minor follows to be proved ; in the 43d chapter of Isa, it is thus written. Thus saith the Lord, who created thee, O Jacob, and that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. So chapter 44, 24., Thus saith the Lord thy Re- deemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things by my- self, &c. Isa. 45. 23. 3. Bchold here is it not clear that one personal Ma- John, 1.8. jesty made all things, seeing the order of speech runs thus, in the singular number [I myselfj [by myself] [alone have I done it]. Now that Jesus Christ is this one only and alone true God, we have a positive proof at hand, and that he is the sole Creator, in John the 1st, verse the 8th, it is by him said that all things were made by Christ, 4. Now compare this last cited verse with Ephe- sians, the 2d and 10th, and it will help to open that verse which saith, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. 5. Here we are said to be created in Christ ; in John, we are said to be created by him : now in him and by him is no great difference, it is but as he is Creator, and as he is Redeemer ; and so it is ex- pressed in another place [in him] [through him] and Opened with [by him], are all things. This through him, and in Inferences, him, brings the new creation, and so makes new crea- tures, and we are created for him that we may glory in his purchase. 6. Again, we are not only in him by our new birth, but he is in us by his spiritual seed of living faith, and thus is he a God with us, according to his divine cm nature, and not with reprobates, as one Philipes, a Priest of the Church of England, did say in his book. 7- This Clerk, preaching upon Matt. 1, 23. on the The Priest's significant name Imanuel, which is God with us, saith blasphemy, that Christ is not only God with us in nature, but in person ; for, saith he, the reprobates are of the same nature with him, and he with them ; yet is not he God with them, but against them. If this Doctor's doctrine be not palpable darkness and horrible blasphemy, then am I mistaken ; but let sober men judge. But to keep close to my subject, you may see that Second proof whatsoever God hath done, it hath been done in and by, through and for our Lord Jesus Christ ; God hath created all things by Christ, said Paul, Eph. 3, 9- ; and that this Christ was God, and this God Christ, is plain by Paul, also when he saith that all things that were made, were made by Christ, both things in Heaven and things in earth, and that in him every thing doth consist. John saith that he was in the world, and the world Joim i. was made by him, yet the world knew him not, but gazed upon him and said, what man is this that makes himself equal with God ; we know not who thou art, or from whence thoucomest; others said, is not he the carpenter's son, his father and mother we know are poor people of no account ; if they had, they would liave gotten some lodging at an inn at the time of his birth, who was born but in an ox stall, and had but a manger for his cradle. But although these Jews could not believe he was Another the Messiah, yet, notwithstanding his poverty, he was ^^^ ' that God that created the world, and destrovcd 70 Ueb. 2. A note of ad miration. pride by humility, though his glory was wrapt up in rags of flesh ; although this be a strange truth, yet * it is a sound truth, that he that made man became man. Here is a mystery ; God became a little child, he that made the Angels, became lower than the Angels ; Heaven descended into earth, that earth might be capable to ascend into Heaven. Behold a pattern of humility, that the great God should divest himself of his glory, so far as that he should not only become a Son, but a servant, and confine himself in the womb of a Virgin, to the mi- series of a sinner, to a state of povert)^ and to the death of a malefactor. What calamities were ever so great as his were ? Therefore the titles of Great and Mighty God, Je- hovah, liOrd of Host, were turned into this appella- tion [a Man of Sorrows], that is, a God made man, and this God-man made up of sorrows. Thus do we behold the humiliation of God, who was in this world, and this world was made by him ; but the world knew him not ; but we, the seed of his own body, do know him to be God blessed for ever; Amen. Isa. 53. 3. Opened. John 1. 71 C H A P. XXI. 1. Christ a God of all Poxver. 2. Two Ohjectiom opened. Doctrines. 3. Two Natures in Christ. THIRD ARGUMENT. 1. HE that hath all power in Heaven and Earth Doctrine i. is (iod, but Christ hath ail power both in Heaven and Earth, therefore Christ is God. 2. Now for the proof of the aforesaid assertion, proved, peruse these scriptures in Zacli. 14, it is written, the Lord shall be King over all the Earth, in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name shall be one. 3. This scripture is a prophecy of Christ, as we may gather from these words [in that day] which intimated he was not then come in flesh, but when he should come, he should be King over all the Earth ; and he should be known by his own seed, to be one Lord, and his name one personal Jesus, King of Kings. 4. Now after he was come, and after his death, Mat. 28. 1 8. resurrection, and ascension, he gained that name of-'*'*'" lo, 18. King of Kings; and the apostles might well give him that honor, for the Lord Jesus himself said after his resinrection from death, that all power was given unto him, both in Heaven and Earth ; also, he laid down his life by hisown power, and by his own power he took it up again, which shews that he was God Almighty. 5. Here may we see how this scripture opens that R^m- 8. ii. other scripture, where it is said that God raised up ^***^"*^^' Christ from the dead ; now observe, if Christ had 72 power to lay down his life and take it up again, as he said he had, then there was no other God that raised him from the dead but himself. Explicated. Q, And if that place be objected, that saith I can of ray own self do nothing, the answer is, that this is spoken in reference to Christ's human nature, it being weak, because our mortal nature, but divine Godhead nature being united to it would increase in power, to overpower death, and to do all things as was decreed and fore-promised, and so is Christ the mighty God. Gen. 22, 16. 7- That Self, of divine nature or heavenly spark, isa. 45, 23. is powerful influential ly, but more powerful es- John5, 26. T n ' * J- '4- sentially in its own person, according as it is written, by myself have I sworn, by myself have I done it, of my own self have I power to lay down my life and to take it again. Opened. 8. So that this Godhead self can do all things, and in Christ was this Godhead, and never in any other, for the Godhead is not communicable to any but God, and it centres in a body, and that body was Christ, therefore said that the Godhead lived bodily in him, Col. 2. 9. 2 Peter 1, 4. 9- And although it be said that the Saints partici- Opened. p^j-g ^^ j.j-,g (Jivinc nature, that is not as that they should have the Godhead in them, but only the virtue or fruit thereof infiuentially, and not essen- tially, as aforesaid ; and that Christ Jesus was the God of all power, as aforesaid, hath been sufficiently showed, and will in the following arguments be made more apparent, and for this place see and compare these scriptures, John 10, 1 8. Mat. 28, 18. Luke 9, 45, 43, and 10, 19, Ephes. 1, 19, 21. Jude25, 1 Peter 3, 22. John 3, 35. 73 CHAP. XXII. ' How that the Prophets God was our Jesus. All Adam's Divine doc- Seed centre and settle in Jesus. FOURTH ARGUMENT. 1. HE that was the Lord God of tlie Holy Pro- Doctrine i. phets was the true God ; but Christ Jesus was the Lord God of the Holy Prophets ; tlierefore Christ Jesus was the true God. 2. Wherefore for proof hereof, turn your eye to Revel, chap. 22, verse 6, and you will find it thus written, And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the Holy Pro- phets sent his Angel to shew unto his servants things which must shortly be done. 3. Now that this Lord God is no other but Christ, Proved. see verse 16, being thus written, I, Jesus, have sent my Angels to testify unto you these things in the Churches, &c. 4. Observe that he that in the 6th verse was called Scripture re- the Lord God of the Holy Prophets, is in the l6th ^ived, and Verse called I, Jesus ; so that if there were no other proofs to be collected, this were sufficient, to prove Jesus all-sufficient. 5. But we have more cords to twist, and many Enlightened, more positive proofs at hand, and worthy witnesses. Do but read Psa. 73, 25. and you may plainly see who are enlightened from above, that the pro[)het David's God was no other but Jesus Christ; thcre- K 74 fore said he, whom have I in Heaven but thee, and whom do I desire on earth besides thee. And illus- Q Behold here, was not David's faith fixed upon God in a body of flesh, working redemption for him in that body ; this made David so long for his coming. E"-!!*^,?* 7- Oh, saith he, that thou would'st bow the hea- Psa. 46. lo! vens and come down, that thou would'st conquer Psa. 45. hell by thy death and resurrection, and so lead cap- Psa.' 47.5. tivity captive, and give gifts unto men. Oh, Lord, Zejii. 3. 14. delay not thy coming ; for thou art the God that will do wonders, and thy strength will be known by work- ing salvation in the midst of the earth, for his throne is for ever and ever ; worship him, be still, and know that Christ is God; but after his exalta- tion, declare it, then shout for joy, for thy king cometh and reigneth ; God is gone up with a shout. Cleared. 8. Thus, if we trace the footsteps of David, he will bring us to a full view of Christ, and to no other God ; all the rest of the Prophets pointed here, they all fixed here, and they and we do meet here : for brevity's sake, see and compare Jer. 31, 23. & 23, 5, 6. & 33, 15. Psa. 130, 5. Isa. 8, 17- & 28, l6. & 64. 4. &63, 1. Zach. 9, 9. Isa. 12, 6 & 51, 5. 75 C II A P. XXllI. 1. Of me God to be Worshipped. 2. Christ a Law-grver, DocU'mn. 3. Of the Natare of that Late. FIFTH ARGUMENT. 1. DIVINE worship is due to none but God, Doctrin i. but divine worship is due to Christ Jesus our Lord ; therefore Christ Jesus is the only true God. 2. The Scriptures do declare that God only is Major pro- to be worshipped, and the extent of it is with all^'^- the soul, and with all the heart, Deut. II, 13. 1 Sam. 7, 3. 3. So as God is to be worshipped, so there is but one God to be worshipped ; and therefore it is said that God will not give his glory to another, Isa. 42, 8. 4. Wherefore, then, in the second record, it is ap- Minor pro- parent that all glory was given to Jesus, both by elect ''^^' men and angels : who then is Jesus but the everlast- ing God ? 5. David declares this, and saith that the saints P"- * should worship Christ and praise him for ever ; see'**'"^^* Psa.66, 4. & 67, 7. & 72, 11- By Isa, it is written thus. Sanctify the Lord God of Host, and let him be your fear, and he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of ofl'cnce to the carnal Israel. K2 76 Note. Inference. Isa. 33. 22. Doctrine 2, Proved. Note. Note. Heb.1.6. Applied. Note. Faith's power. 6. Now this Lord of Host was no other but Jesus ; see Isa. 45, 29, 23. Zach: 12, 10. Compare this to Paul's words, Phil. 2, 10. and you may see this Lord God was no other than Jesus ; for saith Paul, at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue shall sware ; see the same doctrine in Romans the 14th, ver. 9, 10, only he changeth the name Jesus for God, the ground of which is because in this place of the Romans he speaks of him as a Judge, and so calls him God, but in Philippians, he treats of him as a Re- deemer, and so calls him Jesus. 7- Again, as Jesus Christ is only to be worshipped, even so he is the Saints only Law-giver ; see Isa: 42. & chap. 51, verse 4 Jer. 31, 33. This Law that doth give grace, and forgive iniquity, proceedeth from Jesus. 8. Moreover, it is said by the Prophet Joel, 2, 32, that the time should come that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved : now this God is no other but Jesus, for Paul applieth it to Jesus only; see Romans, 10, 11. and so did Ste- phen, Acts 7- 9- Furthermore, Paul tells the Jews, that that which they called heresy, so worshipped he the God of his fathers, which God was Jesus, and Paul's Jesus was this God ; to this God Paul bowed his knee, and declared that every thing both in Heaven and Earth did so likewise ; seeEphes. 5, 14. Isa. 45, 23. Philip. 2, 10. Rev. 4, 10. &7, n. & 14, 3, 4. 10. And we the believers of the Commission of the Spirit, or Third Witness, do bow the knee of our soul to no other God but to Paul's God, which is Jesus ; and if this God be not able to save us, then are we willing to perish, for no whither else will we go; if we perish, we perish. Therefore we conclude 77 with Judc, saying to the only wise God our Saviour, Jnde last, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, now and ever; Amen. CHAP. XXIV. 1. Pardon of Sin comes in by Christ. 2. Of Sins Weight, Divine doc- and Death's Power ; both overpowered by the Death of the Eternal Spirit. 3. How God did Die. 4. And the Despisers of the Doctrine thereof will perish. SIXTH ARGUMENT. 1. HE that can pardon and take away sin Proposition. by his own power, is the true God; but Christ ^***^^""* ^* Jesus hath that power in himself to pardon and take away sin ; therefore Christ Jesus is the true God. 2. In the First of Matthew, it is written. And she Proved, shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Jesus, and he shall save his people from their sins; here we see that the name Jesus signifies a Sa- viour. 3. Mind and observe this, that all the Prophets Note, preached the Promise, but the Priests and Levitcs only ^''*'^* preached the Law, and could go no further but to the words of the Law, do this and live ; but the Pro- phets point out an arm of faith, and not an arm of Hesh. 4. Therefore Isa encourageth the select seed Ish.4o. i. not to fear, because their God would come; even *^*-;^ J"' Christ, who was the Promise, and he should save hisi. &48. n. flock. 78 Doctrine 2. 5. Moreovcr, when God was come in flesh, then DootrineV. ^^^ those that were weary and heavy laden with sin, came unto Christ, and he eased them by pardoning the same ; they had no whither else to go but to him, for he was that fountain that was set open irines proTc'd ^^^^ them ; he was that Lamb of God that took away the sins of the elect world ; his blood was of that value, as that it washed away all sin in those that believed it to be the blood of God, Revel. 1. 5. ?4^26**'* ^ "^^^^ ^^^ ^^*^ ^^^y ^^^* Christ came into the Opened. world to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself ; as Paul saith, from hence you will find that he puts away sin by himself; it is by the offering up himself, there is not another God to offer him up, though it be said God gave his Son, for he gave himself, and he came of himself, and offers up himself unto death, as being the only sacrifice to expiate sin, because it is done through the eternal Spirit, his God-head Spirit, which was the everlasting Father, and was himself. Doctrine 5. J, For this Spirit which he gave for the life of his Note!^ elect, was an eternal Spirit, for had it not been Spiritinfinite divine and eternal, it could not have been able to Sin infinite, satisfy the cry of the guilt of mens* souls, because that sin was against an infinite majesty, and it in itself was infinite in weight and measure, and would have pressed all men down into death, and kept them there eternally. Note. 8. Nay, and not only so, but it was so infinite in A deepdoc-^gig]^|-^ that it made the eternal Spirit in Jesus divine doc- to bow SO far as to taste death, and so did hold down trine. all life in God for a moment ; but the eternal life being too strong for death, break through death, hell, and the grave, and through all the sins of the 79 elect, it being impossible for death to keep him under, though it was possible for death to enter upon the life of God, for God did know that although he submitted unto death for the redemption of his seed, that his eternal Spirit had power of quickening into life again, and that his word of faith spoken unto Moses and Elias before, was of power sufficient to raise him. 9. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God : these are great mysteries ; I want words to set it forth, but although it is life, joy, and glory in all the elect to understand and believe this doctrine of the nature of redemption from sin and wrath, yet it is so high and glorious, that none of the contrary seed can receive it, they having not the hearing ear ; wherefore say they, how can your God be eternal, and yet was dead ; to which I answer, but as a paradox to that seed, whose eyes are veiled, and ears un- bored. 10. Oh, you children of error and unbelief, rest Doctrine 6. where you are, and where no rest is, whilst we are^w** made to know, and believe that our God, the Lord revealed. Jesus Christ, was dead, and is alive, and behold he lives for evermore ; nay further, and that our God was dead and alive at one and the same time ; for the virtue of his everlasting word was existent, and stood as God, whilst his God-head passed through death more swift than thought. 11. Is any thing impossible for God to do when Proved, his holy Spirit, or divine wisdom, moves him unto it ? Doth not the Scripture say that he is the Alpha and Omega, and that he was dead, but is alive, and that he poured out his soul unto death, and that God pur- chased the Church with his blood, and offerecl up himself through the eternal Spirit ? 80 Note. Certainly true. 1 Tim. 1.15. John 1. 29. iCor. 15.3. Isa. 53. 4. Heb. 7. 25. & 9. 15. 14. 28. Luke 7. 47. 48. John 8. 44. Mark 2.7. iJohn 1.9. 12. Oh, my friends, behold here the work and power of redemption : Do we not see, and is it not certainly so, that he that looketh not upon Christ as upon God Omnipotent and all-sufficient, will never be saved } He that goes about to take away his di- vine power or God-head glory, shall never partake of his saving power ; he that will not allow him his Crown Royal, shall drink deep out of the wrath of his phial ; they that will not receive the Lamb, shall surely feel the wrath of the Lamb. Much more might be said in proof of this argu- ment, but it is enough ; only peruse the margin. CHAP. XXV. -,. . , 1. Christ mves all Grace, Faith beinjr the Root Divine doc- trines. . Qf the Virtue of Faith. 5. And of the pro- duction of Divine Wisdom. 4. Horv Grace doth Multiply. SEVENTH ARGUMENT. Proposition. 1. HE that is the giver of all grace, must needs Doctrine 1. be God, but Christ Jesus is the giver of all grace ; therefore Christ Jesus is the true God. Proved. 2. .That all grace is given by Jesus is clear, John Ephe^4.8.^ 1, 14. There is no grace that flows from the Law ; it springs from the Promise ; unto every one of the Apostles was given grace, but it was measured out from Christ ; when Christ ascended, he gave gifts to 81 men, and he ascended above all heavens, that he misjht fill all things. 3 Now how could he have given gifts to men, and to have filled men and angels with revelations of new wisdom, had not he ascended above all heavenly power, from whence he did till all his chosen ones with grace, and this grace is divers ; therefore Peter i Pct. i.io. calleth it the manifold graces of God. 4. Now faith is the root of all grace ; all virtues Luke 7. 5o. are fruits of faith ; its the only pimum mobile ; it sets J^o- i-*.J3. all to motion : therefore the grace of salvation enter- pj,u,'