THE
BEING
AN ANSWER IN FULL TO A SCANDALOUS AND
MALICIOUS PAMPHLET, ENTITLED
OF THE
Absurd and mischievous Principles of the sect called
MUGGLETONIANS ; '
WHEREIN
The aforesaid Principles are vindicated and proved to
to be infallibly true, and
The author of that Lible, his scandalous title and subject
proved as false to truth, as light is to darkness : and that he knows
o more what the true God is, nor what the right devil is ; nor any
true principle or foundation of faith, for all his great learning he so
much boasts of, than those Jews that put the Lord of life to death :
for learned and taught reason is but natural, and so falls short of the
glory of God : as will appear in the following discourse.
THINGS THAT ARE DESPISED HATH GOD CHOSEN TO BRING TO
NOUGHT THINGS THAT ARE. I COR. I. XXVIII.
BY T. T.
Printed in the year of our Lord God 1695.
REPRINTED BY T. HAYWARD, BEACH STREET, DEAL.
1822.
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The Epistle to the sober reader. ^ v
ffo :s?oted g A
Courteous reader,
I have here, in this ensuing treatise, vindicated the $?//
principles of the people called Muggletonians from - >,
that aspersion and slander that envious reason hath / A 3 V
cast upon it; I being a member of that body, and know-
ing those principles to be truth, having lived in the l'
knowledge and practice of them above this thirty years.
And now that providence should bring thee.in, to
see this my answer, and shalt find some things very
strange to thy understanding: and tho, perhaps thou
canst not comprehend it at first view for truth, yet if
thou canst preserve thyself from dispising it, thou
dost well to thine own soul.
Therefore keep thyself from judging, if thou wilt! Cor 2 . 15i
live in peace, because that none can judge of spiritual
things but spiritual men: and know this that the un-
judging man is easy, and may afterwards come to be-
lieve, being in the time of a commission, and so with
the five wise virgins bring oil in their lamps, before * a
the door be shut, or death approach.
But to contend against truth held forth by a com-
mission from heaven, is an evident sign of rejection,
for it will prove a sin against the holy Ghost: there-
fore I advise thee but to take care of these two things;
the one, not to break the law; the other not to
despise prophesy, because they are both damnable :
and more people are damned for breaking the law
than any other sin, for the sin against the holy Ghost
is not commited in every age, but only in the time
of a commission; so that more people have commit-
ed that sin within this forty four years than hath
commited it of thirteen hundred and fifty years
.1! ; . ._,]
[4]
before: so that these two thingi are to be shuned, the
Matt. 12. sa. last most especially, because there is no sacrifice for
fc2V. 8 6ii. that sin, but the other is pardonable in the time of a
Ephe. 2. i, commission, by having faith in the doctrine thereof, and
living free from the breach of the law after, as to the act
This is the benefit of a true ministry, but no true min-
jer. 23. 32. istry, no true conversion from the act of sin : but the
elect are preserved from the act of sin, and kept in.
innocency of life, at such times, and in such places as
truth is not known by their generated faith, which leads
them to that threefold precept of the prophet Micah.
1, To do justice, 2, to love mercy, and 3, to walk
humbly with God : this is the substance of pure and
undented religion: stand fast here, and be happy.
So that from what thou findest here written thou
upon sight thereof must examine thine own heart, and
see how it stands in this case ; if thou canst prove thy
election by faith in the true God, now he is made ma-
nifest, it is well for thee, and the benefit will be thine ;
but if thou canst not believe it, yet if thou despisest it
not, thou art not against us, nor against thine own soul,
neither are we against thee, be of what religion or
opinion thou wilt; but shall leave thee as the two
seeds shall find thee at the last day.
And so wishing well to all sober men, but more es-
pecially, to such as are not offended with these plain
truths touching the Lord Jesus Christ being that most
high and mighty God, and everlasting father, so abun-
dantly exalted through the Scriptures of truth, as is
now explained and fully declared, by the third and
last spiritual commission, which was to finish that sa-
cred mystery of God becoming flesh; and now it is
finished, if thou canst believe: and he that hath cars
to hear, let him hear. Farewell.
ATv :irr
: .
THE
-Trc" !>i:-i
MTJGGLETONIAN
PRINCIPLES '
-noifttl 'iih> *iui t 'jf>n/;jhoii; i?r
PREVAILING.
-dioilJ- ;*.ii 0* j)'>i-ia i.
j vino' ion Iliv
,o*fe iliw incf ".if ]^>bi77 on jfor ffoirfw
. If}0 CHAPTER iJ. , t eo*iD il^wovit
nn
J. HE Church of God was never without opposi-
tion; nor truth without hatred ; for in that there are
two Seeds, there must be a War introduced, because
the Seeds are in opposition to each other being from
two several Roots, Faith and Reason, Light and
Darkness, God and Devil ; so that the Seed of the
Woman and the Seed of the Serpent will hold con-
tinually enmity.
Now you that have accused the Muggletonian
Principles for impious and mischievous, let us come
to the Trial of it, with you and of you, and see how
you durst be so bold, as to make so false a repre-
sentation of the Muggletonian Principles; that you
should intitle your Diabolical Pamphlet by the name
of a True representation of the absurd and mischievous
Principles of the Sect called Muggletomans.
If you the Writer thereof, had cast them Aspersioni
u-pon our Persons, and not upon our Principles, we
would have borne it with silence, but in that you : , -
qo)a o
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
hare judged our Faith to be blasphemous and mis-
chievous, which we have received from the bounty
and love of God ; therefore in dispising and con-
demning it'j you despise and condemn our God ; so
in this case we must resist you, and stand forth for
the defence of our Faith. -, ...
And altlio it should be where Satans seat is, yet
we will not let go our Inheritance, for our Inheri-
tance lies in the belief lof our "Principles, wherein
we have the Charter of Heaven sealed to us ; there-
fore we will not only^mdicate those our Principles,
which you so wickedly represent, but will also,
through Grace, seal to them with our Blood, if yonr
Law can do it, and we be called thereunto.
FiO* we ; are able to maintain those Principles for
Truth;' therefore let us now come to the trial of
Truth, and let us set our Principles each against the
other; and them whose Faith and Wisdom is great-
est, let them hold the other under in bondage for ever.
./Sir, You aue come forth to curse a quiet and still
People, who meddle not with your affairs, nor Ma-
gistrates affairs: we lift not up our Hand, nor make
Mise<of a sword of steel to slay any man: we defraud
no man, we wrong, no man; (neither are we for
thrusting you out of your earthly Possessions ; no,
*iot out of your Pulpits or Parish-Livings ; we will
'have none of them : but on the contrary we are obe-
dient imto all the Civil Laws of the Land and give
to .every man the respect due unto him. v aw 'V' K 'io
All therefore that we desire of you is, that we
may pass peaceably through your Country towards
our Inheritance, but you are not willing that we
ishould; no more than Edom was with Israel', but have
presumed to stop our Course, by judging and
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 3
condemning our faith: now if our faith be true, as WQ.
know it is, then you have given judgment against
yourself; you were not aware of that caution of our
Saviours saying, Judge not, and t/tou shaft not fe Matt 7.1.
Judged; now in that we know that our faith is of
God, and is truth, therefore is it of power to reign,
over that which judgeth it.
But ^f we might come to reason together, then I
would demand of you, wherefore you did send out A , od
your judging Pamphlet against us, and would not
subscribe your name to it? Were you afraid of hold
ing a trial v> ith us for fear you should be worsted hv
us, as others have been heretofore; and so were for
working mischief privately, and yet lye in Cognito,
thinking belike, that faith's power could not find y^qu'
out, to give you an answer; otherwise how could you"
find a name to your Book, and a/ name to the People
yoq wrote against, but have found never a name for
yourself, but have left it to us to find a name for yptu,'
which according to holy "Writ is Eli mas a CY>rriipfpr/Acts is. 10.
a sworn enemy to the truth, and the Accuser/ p'
Brethren; being of a worthy descent, siicc^
Simon Magus_;.. being newly crept out of the
of Priests,' 'which, caine out of the Mouth of 'the Mse Rev M u
Prophet ; such .a one .as j^nwzfctfi the priest offtetfiel,,
who could not. abide a poor prophet, a herdsman,
that he should once speak near the King's Chapel,
because it.. was the^ King's. Court, in which learned
Aniuziah was the Doctor and .Chaplain. /V^"'
Thus have you dealt with these prophets of thle }
1 f /* A.1 A. A.\ ' '\ ! --'^>' * V
Lord ; and for fear that this poor prophets doctrine
1 1 l-f /* / 11 1 1 " "** ''l ' IT
(which you, like Amaztu/i, call mischieu)us y should
tak^ <i any,,efteet amongst the people: from hem
V(>n licivo -'ecn 1 ^'. ^I'.reiul this vo'm Pamf)fi1et' i:"
J fil0 98.
4 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING
your brethren, the Priest's hands, all the nation over;
and have endeavoured to make our Principles as
contemptible and odious as possibly you could, in
order to make them seem the more ridiculous ; and
this your book must be as a pattern for them to frame
their Arguments by, and those their Arguments must
be as Bulwarks of defence to them, and as Bullets
shot against us.
Esther 3. s. : g^ 9 You have acted in the very same way as Hu-
man did against Israel, saying in this manner to the
King, There is a certain malicious and mischievous
People scatteredabroadamongst the People in all places
and their Laws are differing from all People ; neither
keep they the King's (Church-laws) therefore it is not
for the King's profit to suffer them ; let them be destroy-
ed, for their Principles are mischievous.
Now I being a member of this despised People, see-
ing your spite and malice against us (w T ho have broke
no Law) am from hence moved to return an answer,
and this my reply shall not spare you, altho I am gi-
ven to understand, that you are a Doctor of the Na-
tional Church, for God and Faith is no respecter of
Persons in such a case ; therefore this my reply shall
pursue you until it overtake you, and when it hath
overtaken you, it shall fasten a witness in your Con-
science, that you have been a Fighter against God,
his Prophets and People, and against the Sacred Scrip-
tures; and afalserepresenter of the MuggletoniawpYin-
ciples and I shall not be long in proving the same : for,
In the Preface of your Book you say, that John
Reeve was, by profession, a Baker ; which saying of
yours is utterly false : so here you have forfeited your
Title-page, which instead of a true representation is
a false one.
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 5
But you bring him in as a Baker, to make him the: *(.,
more contemptible with the learned ; but if he had^ .tr%juM;i'
would that have made him more uncapable of being
God's last Messenger, I tro not, no more than it did
Amos, who was but a Herdsman as aforesaid. nib .tr.osojjj
For this is evident that the Saints have found in all >e$ tfr MltV
ages, that the learned have ever stood up as an ene-
my and judge of spiritual Truth ; as will more appear
in the sequel of my Discourse: but to proceed to tfjft
The Accusation against us.
In your Preface you callus, poor deluded Souls, and
by the name of a contemptible and pernicious Sect; and
blasphemously aftirm, d hat it is made up of Impiety ^ .- .' ,
Nonsence, and Absurdities ; and that we have not s&
much as the shadoiv of Reason to support us: from hence
say you, we will not submit to the trial of it, being- inca-
pable of argument, and that you wrote not that your
Treatise for our sate, that have not reason fy argument' ;. [
(as you say) to answer you; but for the sake and sati&<
faction of the World, and of the Learned, ivho are
capable (say you) to hear reason and argument.
Hn c y< -m; /hi^nmglfi fonr; <norK'ri <iio?.s9i fii ilpn oitt
- o-o-o-o -
ti'jitii M-wiI/r fctwuMiiiii;if; v:roV iHiv/vr/^f; ewO^i'yidT
CHAPTER II.
.
i AWblVER.
'":">'' ii i"' ' ~n-> 'ff'f^lK) 1jb/rt
AS to them judging and condemning Censures
against us shall be answered Chap. 15. And as
to your reason and argument, you so much boast
of, I am willing to allow it its Prerogative, and
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Dent. i. is. give it its due of having Government as to all ter-
restrial affairs.
But wherefore should it enter upon God's Prero-
gative, so as to take upon us to judge divine things,
Luke 20. 14 that are eternal, by its unclean serpentine reason.
Matt 11. 25. But to such as are learned in faith's school doth
know, that he that doth minister spiritual things,
is to lay reason and argument by, as to the finding
out of any heavenly secrets by the most piercing
reason that is.
James 3. is. p or reason j s n ot Heaven-born, and so is but natu-
ral ; and it is the natural or moral Law that enlight-
ens it ; but faith being of another nature, which is
Psai. 19. 7. spiritual, and so the law of faith serves to quicken
John i. 4. g^ en ijght en f a ith ; and when it is enlightned, then
she rules as mistress over reason.
Therefore, though the Kingdoms of this World
John is. 36. lye in reason, yet the Kingdom of Christ lies in faith,
J'icor. 1 !'. 12*. which ever appears simple, and yet it is this poor de- 4
Luke & 1 6 5 25 s pi se d seed that receives the Gospel; it is the simple
and the foolish that catch Heaven: the poor are
filled with the substance of spiritual truth, whereas
the rich in reason, notion, and argument, are sent
empty away.
Therefore away with your arguments where faith
Matt. 4. is. is sought, there the Fisher, the Herds-man, the Tent-
A^ts s is; I', wwker, aye and he that you call the Baker, rather
coii. 2. s. than the Philosopher, are to. be trusted.
Do you teach the World by your reason and argu-
ment, as you say ; this manifests that you and your
brethren are the World's ministers, and the World
hears you; and hence it is that you appeal to the
World, for the World will love its wra;:,*>>^ WX
.syiirrjoTj'!*! '--i* Ji ^'uilu oi jwilUw am i .1-
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 7
Here now you appear to be a right Legalist, in imi- Dent 27.
tation of the Levites of old ; for that priesthood was Jn n,' 12,' ia.
to teach reason, the moral law for its reasonable
service, that it should not Murder, commit Adultry,
Steal, or bear false Witness, which reason is subject
to do.
But all the prophet's spiritual declarations belong- p8aL11 '
ed to the elect seed of Faith, and was spoken unto
that innocent nature that cannot do evil, and that ^e'.V*3
in order to a further degree of knowledge, love and
obedience.
Wherefore then, if by your teaching you cat*
keep your disciples in sobriety and the bounds of
reason, this is a virtue, and brings with it the tern- Deat. 28. 2,3,
poral blessing promised that seed ; but if so it be, 4> 5> &
that your reason will seek Lordship, and would be ajgjj "^
judge and controller of faith, it is nothing less than
a Devil, and will be damned to eternity.
And herein appears your blindness, notwithstand-
ing yoiir earthly wisdom, because by it you cannot 'J*J. u. rr,
distinguish betwixt the two seeds of faith and reason, i Join.k u'.-
or the law and the gospel. But to proceed, and
come to the matter in question.
Would you Priests have us to be tried by your ar-
guments? Then you are like to have the cause, if
you must be your .own judges, like the Jews by our
Saviour, his Prophets ^and Apostles.
But this -we presume I to tell you, that your reason,
being but natural, therefore it cannot try spiritual
truth, but our faith can try your arguments, and iti Cor. 2. is.
can take up reason as a servant, to argue with you in Rom^.'V*
the balance of your own reason, the Angle nature ^1^2-
fallen ; nevertheless we can no more agree than the
prophet Jeremiah and those national false priests did
in the like dispute.
__~^
Rom. 1. 25.
Rev. 3. 9.
I Cor. 1. 20.
Rev. 11. 2.
J*r.aL,19.
<> THE MVGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
.T^jjrrfj-i Because faith when it takes .up reason, it takes
'Jr'Si 1* U P not to expound and open the sense of Scripture
sayings, but as a servant, to illustrate that revealed
Word by argument, for the further confounding
of that unclean domineering reason that doth oppose
its spiritual sense.
- But on the contrary, when learned reason takes
up words of faith, it expounds it by the imagination
of reason, in respect its reason is Lord in its Soul,
and so turns truth into a lie; and the elegancy of
its speech must form the substance of the matter,
and then war is proclaimed against the truth, and
so truth must be trod under foot.
Thus did the false Priests deal with Jeremiah, Come
say they, let us devise >evises against him, and let us
destroy the Tree icith its Fruit, and let us cut him off
that his name may be no more remembered: that is, let
us destroy his Person, which is the Tree ; and let us
destroy its Fruit, that is, his Doctrine or Declarati-
ons, for he is in bringing in another Priesthood there-
fore report and we will report; let us frame our
arguments against him, for he saith, Tliat they that
handle the Law know not God, when as it is written,
That tfte Law shall not perish from the Priests, nor
Counsel from the Wise.
i! MisrepresentingDoctor, are not your arguments an-
swerable to theirs, even to a Hair : therefore as true
Wisdom was departed from them, so it is now from
you, and from all those national pretended Gospel
.Ministers, tho you boast as they did; yet have you
nothing but an empty title, not so much as a grain of
.7i ^ . spiritual sense appeareth ; but as it was their blind-
ness, so it is yoursi, who understand not, that the
spiritual law -of faith will never depart from that
.oiiftfgif) 'jJi! Diit m
Jcr. 18. 18.
& 20. 10.
&2. 8.
Mai. 2. 7.
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Priest, the true Christian, but his lips shall E*ek. 7. ae,
ever preserve true knowledge: and this Priesthood will 1 Peter
never terminate, but will be with them to the end of
the world.
For after faith is enlightened by a commission from
heaven, then it needs no other teacher, but that uncti- l John *' 27 '
on which it hath received; for the spirit of faith is
Christ's Vicar. /'/M!^!
But your outward visible worships that are taken up
from former commissions, they are ended, and the spi-
rit of God is gone out of them ; but this will bring a box
upon my cheeks by your non commissioned minister,
as your predecessor did to Micaiah the prophet, with a 1 Kings a. 24
Wkiek way went the spirit of God from me to thee.
But as the law of faith, which we have known and i sa . 59. 21,
received, will never depart from us, so we need not to Heb- 19< ^
your assumed counterfeit priesthood, but live by our
own generated faith now awakened, or illuminated, by Epheg g 14
the doctrine of this commission of the Spirit; for we
have no new faith given, but the old awakened, as afore-
said ; for faith was but once given, and every commis-
sioned prophet, messenger, or minister of God, adds a 2 Petw 3> 18 *
further light and knowledge to it.
So that now through Grace, we have attained to a
more principal degree of knowledge of the true God,
and the right Devil, than others had before us ; so that
from hence, we are not wanting in wisdom to answer
your strongest arguments your reason can devise. ia, . n.
Therefore muster up your army, raise all your forces,
from all parts, and from all your Priests that you have
distributed your books to ; yet shall you never be able
to disprove by your subtility, quell by your power, or
subdue by your force, the Muggtetonian Principles, be- Iia> K * L
cause Salvation, and nothing less is their assured walls
and bulwarks. c
1Q THE MUGGLETQNIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
i .jji.But to your following arguments, I apply myself
< Answer by truth of Scripture..
.
Accusation against us.
ffOtft XL' 1 ! ^iuJfffO^ /- "^ b-t >. i!:'. .>!':';: 'IpT^ _
In Page the first, you make your Book to consist of
twp Queries. First, whether JoAra Reeve, and Lodowick
Muggleton, are sent of God. Secondly, whether they are
ttye.AYatness.es spoken of in the llth. of the Revelations.
, To yom*jii*st Query, you have largely repeated seve^-
ral of their sayings, which you say, they pretend to be
true characters, and evidences of their commission.
Now, after your ramble in Page the 4th. your first evi-
dence is, that Jo hn Reeve, saith, That God spake to him
three mornings together: \ and say you, Muggleton saith,
,,, 'That it is God's speaking plain words, to $he hearing of
the outward Ear, a^s. well as the inward $W, that doth
make a man a Commissioner. ,1 // o
This evidence, say you, is of no value; because, say you
I cannot tell whether it be a true voice, or an imaginary ly-
ing voice, such a one as John Reeve saidivas in John Ro-
.1*1 -wi/i bin&: it^is, say you, but their say so. And then you
conclude saying; For let their voice be nevea so true, if
it be alone, find without the visible evidence of working-
^Miracles, Hi is of no value: as also, you say, it must be
proved fyy Scripture^ without which you make it of no
SWi&fi^fr tnu
.j'-.^.r^i >*) in: 1 ) n ' "<i sliJ'JiA! :;,* t;
i')/ JL'i -'..". .7nni;-ij<>( 4J 'i^-i:
rvKil uo / Jf'nlt ^J^h c l : . -4 Hi: mff
Jii; - i 'j '.'(( !F<.^ '
TO . ..!/ ,<' ! . > f ^iiiiMn< \u/^d:
.1 .>- .*! ..^1 ^x-jii'.mr^'i - - i .'^j'ioi.in\v /j^JiP^ 1
i
ii'
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. |j
,.V/U|ar8 ^v>-vvjiV>4 A\M o\\'M AvuiA. .-id d* ! > '*"
CHAPTER III.
..,
.- -,VOH*'JJ ANSWER
i(r* A*A ** WW A^lXt^a
tl uum 3-ii!
1. THIS ytour way is to overthrow all prophesy: you Numb. 11 20.
will tie God- to work Miracles, or you will not believe \ ThLVao.
him: either God must do as you will have him, or
lie must -not -be God.
It is no wonder that you cannot distinguish between 1 *
u true voice and a false; because God never chose you
by voice nor never will. But how should you believe
a vocal voice, when as your God has never a tongue :
you have made it here plainly appear, that you are of * s ~
the same spirit as those murdering Jews who bid Christ
come down from the Cross and they would believe in him. Matt. 27.
True doctrine without Miracles is to ou most detestable.
&. Again, was not all true prophets chosen by voice Isa -
of words; nevertheless the seed of the Serpent could ne-
ver believe them, neither could the Priests or Rulers Jer. 15, 10.
ever abide them ; and there was few of them but what
was either persecuted or put to death, by the Magistratfef$
and their national Priests : there were 450 false prophets l ^^ 18
mustered up against two or three true prophets, as Eli-
jah and Micaiah ; and one of them must strike Micaiah
on the Cheek; as aforesaid, and this priest and AhaVtf .-,.. $ .
son flung him down to break his neck.
But Elijah the representor of God's person, by word
of power slew them all, as a type of the destruction of
all false prophets, and false priests, at the end of the e]
world: such a Miracle you want.
When Isaiah prophesied of his God's becoming flesh,
not one would believe him, neither priest not people : ii &>, 1,
. ' c 2
12 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
therefore, saith he, Lord, who hath believed our report;
i Kings 19. and Elijah said, That all were gone after Baal. NOT
regarded truth,for that was ever hated ; I hate him, said
i Kings 22. s. Aliab, for lie never said good of me, but evil; it's now as
it was then, unless we could bring fire from Heaven, a*
Elijah did, there can be no belief; and it must be to
destroy them; it might convince them, but it would
j*ia.' 78. 32 never convert them.
If Miracles were wrought now, what would it avail
this bloody unbelieving World; they would but say as
itt. 12. 24. t k e Jews gaid chri st) That they were done by the Devil.
But what said Paul, Tongues and Miracles are but
for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that
i cor. 14. 22. believe not ; but prophesy serveth for them that be-
jou 10. . j- eye on jy . j ] m t fr e Baptist t a great prophet, and yet
did no Miracle.
Thus you call in question the glorious truths of God,
under pretence of John Reeves weakness, as to outward
Miracles, that you might believe, when as his commis-
sion is all spiritual.
JVow the seed of faith believes not, because of the
Miracles wrought, by the Lord or his Prophets ; but in
that they were of the election, and fore-ordained to
believe, for the saving of the soul ; and as the Christian
Dave waits for a sign within him, or from behind
in so 27 r ? as $ n> f r a wor< i spying, This is the Way, walk in it;
even so, on the contrary, the carnal Serpent, he re-
qujres a natural sign before his reason, that may be
seen with his outward eye, to make him believe spiri-
tual truths ; and therefore reason cries, saying, Whert
are your Miracles, and where is your Scripture evidence
to prove it: prove by Scripture.
r , Now if this Witness should iwrite nothing but what
is exactly set down in Scripture, then should they
THE Ml'GGLETONIAX PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 13
write nothing at all: but always true prophesy hath
something new to deliver. j er . si. 22.
Again, did the Prophets and Apostles, write by
imitation, or study, or by inspiration only ; they might Matt is. 32.
allude sometimes to the prophets words for convincing 2 Pet ' l ' 21 '
of gainsayers.
Furthermore, the Scriptures in themselves are words
of pure truth, to all that spiritually discern them ; and
that is, such as have the life and power of them in
their own souls; but they that have not the inner life John * 63 -
and meaning thereof, they study the outward letter by
their reason, to find the life and meaning thereof, and
then, this their imagination, the child of study, trumpets O bed. c. &
out it's own conceptions upon it. John 7 - ^
This is the work and way of all the seven anti Church-
es of Europe, every one of them endeavouring to prove
their Ministry by the letter of the Scripture, or by the
light within them ; but never a one from the glorious
voice of the everliving God without them: and from
hence, though they judge and condemn each other for
false whilst they are all false, yet can they agree to fight
against God and his true prophets, by the letter of the
Scripture.
And you keep these chests and boxes of precious
things, but the jewels and treasure is quite gone, and
is a stranger to you ; you know it not but do despite
unto it, and put your own imaginations into the letter, 2 Pet. 2. is.
and so turn and wind it about like a nose of wax, and Jude g^ 3
make it speak for your honour and riches. Oh! how
profitable hath this letter of the Scriptures been to
reprobate Preachers.
Wherefore then, we who are called Muggletonians,
in scorn do boldly affirm, that though you have got the
letter of the Scriptures, and run away with it, as a
14 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
I)og doth with a bone, yet none of its spiritual decla s; *
Rom. 15. 4. rations were ever written for your instruction, but for
Jl^Vis!' tne instruction of the seed of faith; for the Law only
belongs to you, and it may make you wise, but hot
unto Salvation; that is the property of the Gospel to
the seed of faith, the seed of the Lord's own body; for
2 Tim. 3. 15. - t JS t k e man Q (i^xi 'that is made wise unto Salvation ;
so that he must be a man of God, and have faith in
those Scriptures, before he can be wise unto Salvation,
Because they are given by the inspiration of the holy Spi-
rit, and no man can know them but by the same Spirit,
as those that had wrote them.
These things considered, how is it possible that you
should apply Scripture to purpose, when your wisdom
1 (o . i. 20. j s no t inspiration, but education; what will your form
do to you without the power: if you have the words of
God, and not that word which is God, what good will
your word do you.
What commission have you to preach to the people ;
Christ tells you that you are but theives and robber*,
climbing up to Heaven by ordinances of your own, and
John 10. i. your own stolen doctrine; for you steal the words from
your neighbour, the seed of faith, and then cry, Thus
saith the Lord.
What do you bring as an Offering, but what you have
stolen from others; do you deliver any thing but tran-
scriptions and historical notions, the repetitions of the
letter of the Scriptures, and the sentences of the ancient
2 cor. 10. le.Fathers; there is the line you boast in, so that you do
no more, in effect, but rob the dead to cloath the li-
ving: for have you so much as opened the meaning of
one text of Scripture in all your blind Pamphlet; you
have named the words, and then left them to answer
for themselves, as I shall show hereafter.' &&''
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 15
Again, you further object against their doctrine of
infallibility, in that they say, They write by an unerring
Spirit: now, say you, an infallible Spirit implies the high-
eat certainty: but, say you, his book is inconsistant with
itself; for Muggleton saith, / am persuaded in my spirit,
and I do rat her Relieve that their ivere seven hundred thou-
sands, than seven thousands, though the Revelation o/*Rev. 11. is-
John doth but express it seven thousands: now, say you,
to be persuaded, and to believe a thing to be so, are incon-
sistant to infallibiliy; for that admits no less than I am
sure of it, say you.
> > ..
CHAPTER IV
ANSWER.
ru.'kr Kl?W& > fi *
THE Prophets did both of them write, by an infalli-
ble and unerring spirit, the doctrine of them six-
Principles, the knowledge of which, Salvation doth John 1T - s -
depend upon; but as to some particular points that are
besides the foundation, there is not that necessity to' be
so positive. But as to the essential points of faith,
they were written by an unerring spirit, and are
infallibly true; and against men and angels they
affirm it, and we as truly believe it, to the great peace
and satisfaction of our minds: for what is it that can
satisfy the mind of man but truth, having the seal of
life in it, as every true Minister of God hath,
For every tru.e Minister of God hath power to set life
and death before men and can say, Now is fulfilled**- 18i _ 18 -,
such and such things: also he that is sent of God/i
knoweth the things of God, and he that believeth in-
such a one, knoweth the things of God likewise.
30 TOE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
But how can you judge of infallibility; that do not
own yourself infallible, but fallible? What is fallible
Jbut a lie, and must a lie be the Judge of truth ] -.He
that knoweth the mind of the Lord, he may instruct
from the Lord; but he that hath not the infallible Spirit.
i cor. 2. 1.5. doth from his lying Spirit prescribe rules to God, and
lu * would be God's counsellor.. .
Now must such ignorant, carnal, fleshly men as these
judge infallibility, that have, nor own no other Spirit 'but
what is fallible : but to come to the point and charge
against Lodowick Muggleton.
For although the Prophets and Apostles were infallible
as to all essential points of faith; yet as to other things
that were circumstantial, and not so essential, in such
things Prophets and Apostles may differ about them in
their experience and judgment.
Gai. 2. 11. Thus Paul withstood Peter, and reproved him ; and
though Paul there gainsaid Peter, yet in some other thing
i Co- 7 c -PM/ himself was not positive: as for instance, Paut
treating on Marriage, he speaks as the prophet Muggle-
ton doth here, and tells the believers, That it was his
Judgment, that it were better for them not to marry : and
further adds That he [thinks,} that this his Judgment is
Ve-e 39> *- right, and that it was from the Spirit of God.
JNow I presume, (by what you have said of these)
that had you been living then, and had heard of Pauls
talking of having the infallible Spirit of God, you would
presently have judged him a false Apostle, notw ithstand-
ingthe Miracles he had done; and that he had contradict-
ed himself; and that his [t/iinkiftg] was inconsistant to
his infallibility, and so was not to be believed*
Again, if you had heard that Paul circumcised Timo-
p ^%> and yet nevertheless told the Galat ions, that if they
ivere circumcised they could not be saved. I say, had yon
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. \J,
been in those days, would not you have said, That
Paul had contradicted himself, and the Scriptures
both ? and would you not also have judged the four
Evangelists to have contradicted one another in se- JJJJ; ff- \
veral places ; for as you judge and condemn these, so
you would have judged them, for these were sent by
Jesus Christ, and Paul was sent by no other God.
Again, in Page 9 you quote John Reeve, saying,
that he saith, That he is indued with a divine Gift, to
write a volume as large as the Bible ; and as pure a lan-
guage as that is, without looking into any book, or
having any real contradiction in it. Upon these words
you make the reflection following.
Your Accusation runs thus, saying.
That if the purity of the language be a sign of truth
then, say you, I am sure it is far from being either
true or infallible. For, said you, they do not write
true English, nor good sense; as likewise, it often fails
in the propriety of words, in concord, and connection;
being without method, purity or elegancy, &c.
: sil J|J<1 '4 Ji n
fci;' ';'.:
.
THE MtGCLETONIAtf PRINCIPLES PRVA*LI*S. T
CHAPTER^'
; V s v J)fljj- C ,{ j,
SIR, iu answer to this, the truly wise do kno\fj.
that God's messengers never regard fineness of
"bill soundness of matter: not so much the
original' 6f words as the original of things, even
such as they, aVe moved' too by the Holy Ghost; and
ript such language -as yon are moved too by your
educated <: spirit 'of' reason, which is the Angle's
nature fallen: but in that, you have no where con-
tradicted our Principle, which shews what the person
and nature of AnfleS v% are';* therefore there is no
occasion given here to dispute it ; but to return to
tij^.h&tter aforesaid .
' - ; S^iritttaiytfat'i(, or Gospel life, was .ever plain,
&^(l;'wak ( pever delivered with new coined or high
i COT. 2. i. ifro'wdrd 1 df if "mah*s : ^visdom. Tliis made an old
r so hkrd by the
n i'-TJ
Revelaiimr &f l 5 f itt, J iiBt thirMng i'-TJ^hn^, 'becau'se of
^ e m ^ eness f tne st yl e : ^ or ' sa id ne ' I see n ^ s Greek
not exactly uttered the dialect and phrase not observed
I find him, said this Bishop using barbarous phrases.
And Paul was called aclouter of skins, acobler by
the Philosophers, and a man of no breeding : and he
acknowledged himself but rude in speech, though
not in true wisdom; but he had taken some learning.
up at the foot of Gamaliel, but he laid it down there
again, as soon as the Spirit of faith became his
teacher: all his wisdom that he now valued, was
the knowledge of Christ crucified, and risen again ;
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 10
which .his former wisdom could not know, but on Acts ffl 3
tlu- contrary, was the persecutor of him.
Again, spiritual truth, or faith, was ever brought
in naked and simple, and in poor array: but
falsehood doth ever endeavour to attire herself in all
her bravery. These rascals, said the Pharisees, are
accursed, they know not the Law : but said Paul,
That learning of theirs will come to nought. l Con 12 * 8 '
But as for truth, that guides to Heaven; it needs no John i. 4.
gloss to make it seem better than it is, for it hath light
enough in itself, to shew it the way to Heaven.
The Scriptures were written in as homely a style
as Reeve's and Muggleton's were ; only wise men in
reason, have put them into a better form, and now
boast of their literal accuteness, whilst they are out
of all spiritual power ; and it must be so, for he that
hafh learned nothing of truth, must teach by an 1001 ' 13 ' 1 '
eloquent tongue of empty words only.
For Sophisters, who want substance of truth,
must use their sophistry, to corrupt truth, and
adulterate the true sense, and then cover their own
errors with paint.
And thus have you done, in this Libel of yours ;
for in page 18 yo/u a^Hrra, That John Reeve doth say,
(pretending to quote his words) That the substances
of earth and water were from all elements : when as
John Reeve's words were in that place, that the sub-
stance of earth and water was from all eternity
Thus you turn their good sense into nonsense, and
so. belie them; for by this your way of clouding their
words you would darken the sense, and make them
appear the more redieulous; and to prevent a further ! ;j'| '
dispute on that subject, Of the substance of earth
10 ovioivn v D
20 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
.L .<.j a- and Water being made of nothing, which you were not
able to maintain ; and though you say, you would con-
fute that principle, yet passed it by, and would say no
more of it: and so you let it drop.
*' Now, as to your elegancy of speech; your
tongues and languages you boast so much of (and
'you have need of it to paint, your errors, as afore-
Rey. is. jr. sa jj^ we w -ji | eave this all to you Bable builders, as
acquired by your study and learning; it being
your trade, which teacheth your reason to play upon
the letter of the Scripture as upon a Harp, being very
melodious to the outward ear: and by these means
you (Arts- Masters) grow rich and honourable, ac-
cording to your gkilful merchandising of the letter
Her. is. 7. ^f tne Scripture, and ancient Fathers and Philo-
sophers : these must all be made to agree together,
for the Scripture must either make good Philosophy,
or else Philosophy must be brought to make good
; the Scripture; and in your wise handling of this,
you grow rich; some hundreds seme thousands a
'year, equalling the great men of the earth ; and as to
others of your brethren, though they be more inferior
Vet mu^t they be called masters, although they be
'but servants ; yet will they be well paid, for no
l^riify, 'no Paternoster.
'So having found you all in the way of Balaam, to
" { bless : and curse for money, which is your soul's chief
delight, -there 1 leave you to go on in your trade,
and receive your wages of men here, and of God
Matt. as. T, hereafter, whom you pretend to serve; then will
joL^io.ll: TOU have a full reward.
pwf "'IQ ^ further Accusation against ! this Witness you
Matt. e. s.' Irave, for affirming the power 6f sealing men up unto
7<23> eternal life and death, *as they receive or despise
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 21
i heir Doctrine: this you deny, that any man ever had
this power : saying, that it is quite contrary to the
Scripture, and the temper of the Gospel, which is
love; and then bid us prove it by Scripture.
CHAPTER VI.
bL-iWtti-jV* '& VfcMp" lf.Cf.jMt
ANSWER.
IT is confessed by us that the temper of the Gos-
pel is love ; but then that Gospel and eternal love Titus 2. if.
is but to the seed of the Lords own body, and it E P he8 - 1<3 -
must needs be so, because that Grace is written in
faiths nature; and though that seed did fall in
Adam, yet the Gospel came to seek and to save that job,, i<x 27.
which was lost and fell in Adam; for the Serpent's .
seed never fell in Adam, nor never knew themselves M<A K
lost. So the Gospel belongs not to them, but ac-
cording to tbeir obedience to their own Law, so
they have the blessing of the Law, That the Rain may
rain, and the Sun may shine, and the Earth bring forth t ^ ^
her increase, with long life and health : and thus ;
Christ, which is the Gospel, shewed his love to that
seed, when he wept over Jerusalem : now as he was L J e 14 6< .
man he wept to see what temporal Judgements they
would bring upon themselves.
But then on the other hand, as he was God, he}^*'^. 33 '
rejoiced at their eternal destruction; for upon their *\f- J- &
despising those declarations of his, he thereupon pro- 12! ss.'
fnounces upon them eternal wrath ; calling such
Devils, Serpents, and a generation of Vipers, and that j hn 12. 40.
22 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
they should not escape the damnation of Hell : and
John the Baptist pronounced the like sentence; and
all the Apostles had the like power after they had
received their cominission.
Matt. 5. 44. As for that saying of Christ's to them, to bless, and
curse not; that was but when they were but private
believers; as also, it taught that clemency, as not
to resist temporal injuries : but when they had received
Matt. 16. 19. the Holy Ghost, then was the keys of Heaven and
Luke 10. iG, Hell committed to their charge; and they had power
by them, to bind and to loose, to remit and to retain
20l23> sin. WJiat was that but blessing and cursing? for
p 8a i. 24. 7. the blessing of a commissionated Prophet or Apostle,
it opens the gate of Heaven; that is, it opens the
heart in love, to that God that sent such a message
of glad tidings of salvation : so on the contrary, the
curse of a Prophet, it opens the gate of Hell; that
Act* 7 54 i g ' it P ens the heart in envy, malice, and revenge ;
and whose heart that spiritual key doth open no
man can shut; and whose heart they shut no man
can open.
Therefore it was that Paul said, that they were the
i cor 6 2 savour of life unto life, unto those that believed them,
HeiTio.' 29. and the savour of death unto death unto those that de-
The Ss . 5. 20. gp^j t nem> Again, Paul and the rest of the Apos-
tles, did declare, That whosoever denied the faith of
Jesus, or despised prophesy, or turned apostate, that
i John 3. s. there could be no sacrifice for such sins, neither were
16, such to be prayed for; but upon the contrary, to be
sealed up unto eternal death.
-uinAll the spiritual declarations of the Prophets
reach to the. eternal state of. man, for they pointing
at their God becoming flesh, and that upon his death
and resurrection the eternal state of the two seeds of
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 23
faith and reason takes being; for the resurrection of
Christ gains power to raise the dead, and give each
seed his reward.
And therefore the Gospel appropriates David's key
to belong to it, which key lies in such arid the like FsaL 149- *'
sayings, The Lord takes pleasure in his people, he will
beautify the meek with salvation ; this is the key that
opens Heaven : and as follows, Let the high praises
of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in
their hand; and then with the other key and sword,
to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishment
upon the people ; To bind their kings with chains, and
their nobles with fetters of iron ; To execute upon them
the judgement written: and this is the key that opens
and none can shut, and shuts and no man can open. Psal< 149- 9 *
This honour, saith David belongs to all living saints.
For these keys and sword belongs to all saints ; and ^sfV 7 '
David himself, in those and the like sayings, had
flung into the fire all that despised his spirit of pro-
phesy, of his God becoming flesh, and sealed them
up in these words ; saying, Divide their tongues, for Psa1 ' 5 ' 5 ' a
I have seen violence in the city. Cast them down in thy
anger, consume them in wrath, let them not come into Psai. 59. is
thy righteousness, blot them out of the book of life, and
let them not be written with the righteous ; let burning Psai. 140. 10.
coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire.
The Prophet Jeremiah likewise, meeting with the
seed of the Serpent, opposing his spiritual declara-
tions, concerning God becoming flesh, and his suffer-
ings by that seed, seals them up to death eternal;
for they were devising devices against that doctririe l
of his; therefore he poureth forth these- impreca-
tions against them ; saying, O Lord, forgive not their
iniquity, neither blot out their sin from, thy sight, Jer> 2 J 8l J^ fl
24 THE MUGGLETON1AN PRINCIPLES PREVAIIlNCfrr
&c. And then changing his words, he speaks in
jer. 23. 14. the person of God saying, They are all unto me as
Sodom. So that we see that the Prophet's curse is;
God's curse : and further saith he, The saints shall
jet. e. w. ca ji them reprobate silver.
This is the Gospel power; the Law's curse pene-
trates down into the grave, the first death: but the
Ezek. 32. 24, Gospel's power and curses raises it again from the
26, 27, 29. fi rs t d ea th into a second and eternal death; being a
living death, and dying life.
And thus we see that every true Minister hath pqw^
er to set life and death before men : and that ministry
Mark 16. 16. that hath not that power, is no true ministry. INow
John s. is. wna t a blind guide is this, that cannot see these plain
Scriptures ; but cries out, Prove this by Scripture.
Woe be to all such as are led by these blind guides !
Oh, that all the Elect were but delivered from their
captivity and bondage under their formalities, and
might come to hear of truth ; that their joy and peace
might abound, being the seal of eternal life.
But it is a wonderful thing, that such Preachers
as those, who cannot believe that any Prophet hath
power as aforesaid, and yet they themselves shall take
upon them to judge mans faith, and condemn him
for it, so is it not a wicked thing to deny the Prophet's
and Apostle's power of the keys of Heaven and Hell,
and yet presume to do that thing themselves, whilst
they acknowledge themselves but fallible men : doth
not this make you justly damned in yourselves? but
it is no wondering at it, for what saith the Scripture,
jha 12. 40, ^ e kath blinded their eyes, they stumble at noon day
they have all the spirit of slumber.
And now I shall return to answer this Misrepresen-
tor's false reflections upon our main Principles ; yea,
THE MUGGLETOM AN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 25
*<uch as the very Scriptures stand upon, and on which
eternal life wholly depends.
In page 18th. you bring in John Reeve sciteing
him thus ; saying, God is not a spirit, but hath a body:
Your reflections are thus.
The Accusation.
The Scripture makes a body and spirit two oppo-
site things, so that a body is not a spirit, nor a spirit
a body Eccles. 12. 7. A spirit hath not flesh and bone,
Luke 24. 37. The Scripture calls God a spirit, but
never a body; God is not in the form of a man, but is
invisible, and no man ever saw him or can.
CHAPTER VII.
ANSWER.
1. YOUR citation is false; for John Reeve's
words are thus, That God is not a spirit without a
body. By your false citation, you would have your
worldly disciples to think, that he affirms, That
God is a body without a spirit. But to come to the
point; I must tell you, that the body and soul are
not two contrary things; and if your Solomon, told
you so with one breath, he tells you the quite contrary
in another: but many times wise Solomons, do not v e rse 20.
know the meaning of their own sayings.
Solomon was a wise man, but the wisdom which he i Kiagi s. l
craved, and that God gave him, was but natural ; & 1 J( < a &
so that Solomon's writings are but the operations
of his natural reason, and from some intricate
E
Eeclei. 3. 19.
26 THE MUGCLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
sayings of his father David : so they are no Scripture
Matt. 12. 42. for he was no prophetical man.
'2. Again, if the body and soul are two contrary
things, (as you say) and in opposition to each other,
then was the body and soul of Christ at variance
with itself; and in opposition with each other, and
so two opposite things : if so then Christ's body did
not go to Heaven nor never would : and belike,
you do not believe that Christ's body is in Heaven,
any more than the Quakers ; and 1 know not how
you should believe it, because your God hath never
a body : so Christ is none of your fatherly God if
he have a body.
Can a spirit live and subsist without a body; where
do the Scriptures say, that God is a spirit without a
body: did you not learn your own catechism, or if
you did, have you forgotten? doth it not teach (say-
ing) to your pupils, That God is a spirit, or a spiritual
substance, most holy, wise just and inlinite.
Now if it be so, that God hath a substance, then
he must on necessity have a body: and if he be holy
wise, and just, he must have a person to possess his
ravishing glory in, and yqt to be of uncompoimded
Exod. 15. s. purity. Is it not said, That God was a man of war;
that shows that he -is in the form of a man: also
Matt. 19. IT. Christ told the Pharisees, That there was no man per-
josh. 5. i. s. fectly good but one, which was God.
3. Moreover if your soul can be more wise, just,
and holy without your body, then turn it out of the
body, and see what holiness and justice it can act
_ .1 Cor. c. 19. w ithout its body.
But the truth of Scripture is, that God had a
Rev. 21. 23. &-body and person from all eternity; a spiritual body,
lf 4< & 10< l< brighter than the Sun, more clear than crystal,
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 27
and that is the reason why mortality cannot behold Deut. 10. e.
him as he is in his full glory; if God was willing
at any time that some of his servants, the Prophets
should behold him, he was compelled to vail his
glory, so as that their frail nature might be in a
capacity to behold him.
And this we further affirm, that we can sooner find
in Scripture that our God hath and ever had a distinct
body of himself, then you can find in Scripture a tri-
nity of persons in one Godhead ; for if you find three
distinct persons, then you must find three bodies; and
where then is your spirit God become.
4. Again, are not the Scriptures clear, that the
fathers of old did see God, and ever beheld him in ISd. 1 aaf'io.
form and shape of a man: will you say that God }^ n 6 j. 5 - 5 .
assumed that shape, and yet had no shape of his own; Exod. 33. 23.
this is to make God a conniver.
It is no w r onder, as I said before, that you despise
John Reeve for saying that the Lord spake to him to
the hearing of the ear; for you do not believe that
God hath any tongue to speak at all : For, say you,
a spirit hath no flesh, and hath no body : For, say you
body and Spirit are two contrary things.
As the Scripture saith that God hath a body, so it Dan - 7 -
attributes to this body, hands, eyes, face, nose, & T i. ii. '
mouth, ears, arms, legs, breast, heart, back, &c. And pl" %i\
yet must he have never a body, this is clearly to de
Scripture, for the Scripturian saith, That God hath a
body; but the Antiscripturian saith, That God hath
neither body, parts or shape, but yet is an infinite
vast God, filling all things, and is in all places at one
and the same time, and so can neither ascend nor
descend, come nor go, but is every where at once;
as your great Augustine saith.
E 2
28 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
This is yours and the world's monstrous God:
are those the men that are so capable of Argument ;
if we should be as ignorant in the Scriptures as you,
it were no matter if our tongues should cleave to
the roof of our mouths.
I wonder you are not ashamed to pretend to Scrip-
ture; do you believe the Scripture? certain I am,
that there are many doctors of your church that do
not believe them at all; for instance hereof, there is
one of your doctors, namely Dr. More: this man in
one of his books, called his Cabila, doth little less than
give the Scripture the lie ; for treating upon the crea-
tion of man by Moses, saith That the Scripture doth
not always speak according to the exactness of truth,
but according to their appearance in sense and the vul-
gar opinion; and he quotes Chrisostim, Bernard, and
Aquinus, as holding the same things, and instances it
as to the creating of Adam and Eve : saying thus, God
hath no figure or shape, altho Moses saith he hath; he
only permits the ignorant and vulgar people to believe
so, it being his prudence and policy so to do.
Now is not this odious, for what prudence is it
to flatter, dissemble and deceive the people; for
must God's Prophets be but like politicians of State,
pretending one thing and acting another.
Again, this man brings in Moses speaking thus;
God took of the dust of the ground, wrought it with his
hands into such a temper that it was fit to make the
body of a man; which when framed, then comes near
to it with his mouth, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life.
And when God had made a woman of one of Adam's
ribs, he takes her by the hand, and brought her to
B . v. 21. Adam; so when Adam was awaked he found his dream
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. $9
to be true, for he dreamed that God took a woman out
of him, for God stood by him with a woman in his hand
Now it is true, says this doctor, Moses speaks in
this manner to satisfy the rude multitude, who was
ever ready to think that God was in form and shape
as they were and thus Moses complied with their
humour, and permitted them to believe so; yet saith
he, it is a contradiction to the idea of God, to have
figure and shape.
Now what say you to this, is not this giving
Moses the ;ie? Moses, you see, would permit people
to believe, that God was in the form of a man:
now why will you not permit us to believe so?
Moses did not count this doctrine a mischievous
principle, as you do; but you with this man, set
yourselves against Moses, and against the Scriptures;
they are counted no other than a lie with you:
Now it clear by this, that many of you doctors are
stark blind Atheists.
Your Protestant Church is now grown as blind
with age, almost as your fathers the Papists, and
as atheistical as one of the Popes, who said, That
that fable of Jesus Christ has brought their Church
great riches: and one of that Church said to me, that
the Scriptures were but balderdash stuff.
Now as to that saying of Christ to his disciples,
That a spirit had not flesh and bone as he had ; it was
only to inform them that there was no such spirit as
the world imagined, that could be seen, that had no
body ; for eyes of flesh must have a substance for its
object: therefore said Christ, handle me and see, for I
have a body, a substance of very flesh and bone; and jo b n 10. 2T.
they felt, and believed him to be their Lord and God.
30 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
For Christ, from hence, would have them forever
after to know that all spirits, whether of God, man,
or angels, are always invisible; for it is the body that
is visible, for the soul that is in it is always invisible,
which spirit comprehends all visible things, yet
connot live, act. or operate without its body.
And so much for that principle.
Again, page 19th. you Representor object against
that most divine and mysterious principle, of God the
Father becoming flesh; and call this a doctrine quite
contrary to Scripture, and produce thorfe Scriptures
for proof against us ; namely, that God sent his Son
made of a woman, and the Word was made flesh ;
but, say you, there is not one word, that the Father
was made flesh,
".nwlqtoa on'i tern _
CHAPTER VIII.
ANSWER.
IT is cofessed by us, that the Scripture saith,
Gai. 4. 4. That God sent his Son, as also, that Christ came of
& 10. is. ' himself, and that he laid down his life of himself.
E P h. 5. 2. ]Vow if he laid down his life of hims,elf, then where
was the Father but in himself; for it was his divine
Spirit that was the Father, by which he could lay
down his life by that self, and by that self could take
Heb i s ^ U P a am : f? Gd transmuting his spiritual body
into flesh so gained the Godhead and human nature
together, and so hath a twofold self human and
divine.
Therefore, when he saith he hath power of himself to
Titus 2. u. lay down his life, then he speaks as in reference to
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 31
liis Godhead ; and when he saith, That he can of him-
iselfdo nothing, and the like, then he speaks as in i sa . 45. is,
relation to his manhood : God then hiding himself ci'm^LJ?.'
in that manhood.
Again, if it be granted, that Christ is God and
man, then it must be acknowledged, that where
Christ is, there the Father is; and Christ affirms it^iV'
himself, saying, That he that had him had the Father 1 Pet. a. 24.
and he that had seen him had seen the Father.
Now from all this, doth it not plainly appear,
that.he was the Father himself, as well as the Son;
and John saith, That in the beginning was the Word, John x \
and the Word was with God: and this Word was
God; and that God, or Word became flesh: then
surely that one God was Father as w r ell as Son ; un-
less you can prove there were two (rods, or with the
Arians, that Christ was one with the FaU^et in union,
but not in essence; and if so, then every believer is
as much 6rod as Christ is: but you have your two
Gods, one of which, you say, took flesh, the other
did not ; here you divide the substance.
What a monster do you here make of God; for
you had before Christ's incarnation those two 6rods
in Heaven, a Father (rod and a Son 6rod; and that
Son you say, the Father begot before all Worlds, and
then was begot again in this World; so your God the
Son was twice begot, or twice made : is this good
sense, is this your wisdom, is this good divinity ; nay
without all controversy, this is quite contrary to
Scripture, and to sober reason also. ., t Zach 14 9
For was there ever any more than one God, an d^ a t j i 6 5 2 4< 8
did not the Prophet Isaiah say that God would nOtgive &' a 48. 11.
his glory to another; and yet it is said, That all the n'eb. ^V '
2 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
43. 23. angels of God should worship Christ, and that to him
?hii. 2, 10. ever y k nee should bow ; and that not only in Earth, but
Rev. 22. 6. in Heaven also: who then could share with him, for
\rw. he was the Lord God of all the Prophets, testified by
the angel unto John; which angel bid John worship
God, even that God of the Prophets, which was no
other but Jesus Christ; therefore it is said, I Jesus
have sent my angel, and behold I come quickly, &c.
There is no other God to come, no other Father,
1 & h s ?" 2S no ^ ner resurrection and life, no other name or
2 John 9! power but Jesus Christ our Lord, tho men or angels
Acts 4. 12. should gainsay it ; as I have abundantly shewed in
a treatise entitled [None but Christ.]
John it. s. Moreover, to prosecute this principle a little fur-
ther here, because it is our life and foundation prin-
ciple, and it is impossible for any man to be saved
that shall presumptuously dispise this doctrine of
Jesus being the everlasting Father after so plain a
discovery.
I am now to enquire how you Trinitarians, Socini-
ans, and Arians, bring Christ in for your Saviour:
you say, That by the fall of Adam all men had incur-
ed damnation, and so were become God the Father's
debtors; and the Father standing upon justice would
not be reconciled with them, without the full payment
of that debt, as life for life. Now, say you, the Father
was so far pleased as to send his Son, to pay the full
debt : and say you, this Son came voluntarily and paid
the debt; and by this means satisfied the wrath of his
Father, and so purchased your life by his ransom.
Wherefore, if it be so as you teach, that the Fa-
ther is distinct from that Son, then are you not be-
holding to the Father at all : for take this similitude
for the illustration thereof; suppose, I owe a man
THE MUGGLET0NIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 33
a 1000 Pounds, or more, and I have not wherewith to
pay him, and he will not forgive me any of the debt;
or I must either pay it all or to prison ; there to remain
till I have paid the utmost Farthing; the son of this my
Creditor sees the strait I am in, commiserates my case;
steps in voluntarily, and pays the father the full debt
and so sets me at liberty
Now in this case, who am I most beholding to,
the father, or the son; not to the father at all, for
lie was for justice, and I wanted mercy; the son
therefore was my friend, and to him only am I
bound, and him only am I to love, serve, and
obey.
This is the very plain case; it is the Son Christ
Jesus that all the elect seed of Adam are beholding Fphe.'e.
to, and not to any Father that either is, or ever was } g| JJ
distinct from him : but the Father of Christ was his R<^. s. i.
own Godhead spirit, which through his eternal love 2cor! 7 5. w.
to the seed of his own body, was moved to change j i h 8, 9 36.
his spiritual body, (which was his everlasting son) 1 Pet u 1 ' t ^
into flesh, to the end he might be capable to die, and Hebl a.*u."
vshed his blood for their redemption; as also, that
he might have power to raise the seed of the Serpent
to a second and eternal death, for their cruelty acted
against him and his elect seed.
Therefore his coming in flesh was foretold by i,^ 9. .
Isaiah, and all the other Prophets ; and that the Son
that was to be born of a Virgin, should in time be call-
ed the mighty God, and everlasting Father: now at
this time this Prophesy is fulfilled, and by this Com-
mission of the Spirit, he is both called and known to
be the high and mighty God, and everlasting Father :
this Scripture is positive, and shall command all
primative Scriptures to bow down to it.
34 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Thus the Scriptures are clear, to all that are ap-
pointed to salvation, that Christ Jesus is that one only,
and alone true God, and everlasting Father : to this
the holy Patriarchs agree, observe their testimony,
which is consonant to Scripture, being grounded upon
Enoch's prophesy.
Sim shall be glorified, when the great Lord God of
Israel appeareth on the earth as a man to save Adam ;
for God taking a body upon him (namely of flesh and
bone) and eating with men, shall save men.
Ye shall see God in the shape of a man (said Zebu-
lun) he is the Saviour, he is the [Father] of nations; he
that believeth in him shall certainly reign in heaven,
saith Levi and Judah.
* .i . . God shall appear and dwell amongst men upon
earth, to save Israel; the Highest shall visit the earth,
eating and drinking as man with man; he shall save
~ l .7i ;',,;,'; Israel 1 : that is God hidden in man.
At the last day we shall rise, every one of us, to his
*1 T-fc ' ' -' 1 1 * /*
.; ,* own scepter, saith Benjamin, worshiping the king of
heaven, which appeared in the base shape of a man;
and as many as believed in him shall reign- 'with him at
that time: and air faithful men shall rise again, and
the residue to shame, because they believed not in
God th'at came in the flesh to deliver.
Thus it is made clear, that God the Father became
a <- '<i flesh ; but one evidence more from John, before I con-
, elude this point: he, in admiration of his Lord's love
* cried out saying, O what love the Father hath be-
stowed upon us, but the world knoweth him hot, but
we know him.
Now who was this Father of love, was it any
other but the apostle's Jesus; his following words
doth *ho\V it us' 'clear as the light; saying thus, We
*
'"jfoGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 35
who are his apostles do know him; and we further
know, that when [he] doth appear we shall be like
him for we shall see him as he is: that is, when hep sa i. 3. 41.
comes to change our vile bodies, and make them like
his own glorious body, then shall we see him as he is
in himself, one personal God cloathed with flesh and
bone, as a garment of eterrial glory.
This is the faith (saith John) that maketh pure, and
he whose faith abides in Jesus Christ, that came by
water and blood, hath, the everlasting Father; and
he that holdeth this faith sinneth not : that is he sinneth
not to act ; he may have the motion to sin, but it
preserveth from the act; for that golden grace of
faith cfusheth that Cocatrice egg of the motion of sin,
before it become a stinging Serpent, and so conquers
and overcomes.
This is the doctrine of the Gospel, and he that
embraceth it hath the Father and the Son, where and 2 John 10 - 9 -
to whom the blessing and the salvation of God-speed
is given: this is the true God, and the amen, and all JJ h 5 ^ 4 20 -
other gods are idols.
This is the Muggletonian principle, whichi t|ie
Anti-Scripturian calls a mischievous principle. Thus
you curse the true God, and defy the holy One of
Israel, choosing to yourself a God of your own' lying,
imagination.
In page 19. you further object Against that .prin-
ciple, how that the Godhead died. This, say you, is
quite contrary to the Scripture, which saith, God is/ "".f'iS I
immortal, and that he hath immortality, 1 Tim. 1. 17,' '** - l -' 5 *
& 6. 16. Also, you say, That Muggleton teacheth,
that the soul of man is mortal, and turns to dust: to
this, say you, the Scripture tells ns/that the souls of
men are alive after their death. Matt. 22. 32. And
F 2
36
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
that God is said to be their God after they are dead,
Matt. 10. 28. And that we are not to fear them that
can kill the body and not the soul. And that Lazarus
when he died, went to Heaven, and Dives to Hell,
Luke 16. 22.
'
'_
ycf a
CHAPTER IX.
ANSWER.
The Scriptures, say that God purchased the Church
with his blood : now the blood of Christ was no other
but the blood of God, and when he poured forth
that blood, then did he pour forth his life; for
life lay in that blood.
Therefore it is said that he poured forth his soul un-
to death, and that he offered up himself through the
, eternal Spirit: what is that, but that the eternal
Spirit entered into death, or passed through death, in
a moment, into eternal life ; death being too weak
to keep him under; so that whatever life was in Jesus
M - did enter into death.
Therefore he that was the Alpha and Omega, the
First and the Last, was dead, but is now alive; and
behold he now lives for ever more, and is that immor-
tal only wise God, blessecj for ever; so that we do
i Tim. c. is. affirm, that God is immortal; and we also know that
Re h i' ik eternity did become time, for flesh was in time, and
tinie ji]li<J jbecome eternity again.
No,w, in that you teach, that God cannot die; it
is evident that you do not believe that Christ was
im< "
Acts. 20. 38.
Isa. 52. 2.
Heb. 9. 14.
Col. 2.
Rev. 1. 18,
THE MCGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 37
any God at all; so that you Trinitarians, Arians and
Socinians, you are all alike, and that you are no more
Christians than they: for it will necessarily follow,
that if it were nothing but human nature, or life
in Christ, that died, then the death of any other man
had been equivalent to Christ's sufferings, and as me-
ritorious as his; and so your spirit God, without a
body, might have saved you by shedding of any other
man's blood.
But the true Christian doth know that no blood
can make atonemeut for sin, but the most precious
and invaluable blood of a God; to believe this, is to JobB6 ' 54>
drink his blood: and to believe that that blessed bo-
dy of his was no less than the very body of God, this
is to eat his flesh; so that whosoever eats his flesh,
and drinks his blood so, hath by so doing gained the
full assurance of eternal life; this is a standing truth
and shall prevail.
But how is it possible you should believe this, when
as you cannot believe that any life dies at all ; for
say you, The soul of man is alive, after death; here
your ignorance appears very great for all your learn-
ing; where did you ever find by Scripture, That the
soul of any man was ever alive without its body? The
Scripture no where affirms it, if rightly understood ;
they are but old wife's fables, or Monks or Friar's
forgeries, and heathenish principles from their own
blind imaginations.
As for those sayings concerning Dives and Lazarus Lake 16>
it is but a Parable, and so must have a spiritual mean-
ing; for souls without bodies have no tongues, nor
eyes, nor bosoms, as that Parable speaks of; but that
Parable was only to set forth the two seeds here in
mortality, which is largely opened by this commission
of the Spirit.
38 TiJE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
And as to Christ speaking of God being- the God of
the living, and not of the dead, it was spoken to the
Sadducees, who denied the resurrection; therefore
Christ shows that there was a necessity of a resurrec-
Acts 2.^31. tion, seeing, that Abraham, Isaac, arid Jacob, and the
rest of the prophets u ere dead, and their sepulchres
are with us at this day; and if God do not raise them
again to that glory their faith was pitched upon, then
was he the God of the dead and not of the living; in
that all died & him instead of living to him.
- < And as to that say ing, Fear not them which can kill
the body, &c;' that is, fear not him 'that may kill both
soul and body by a natural death, but rather fear him
that hath an absolute power in himself to slay both
soul 'and body with an eternal or second death.
Moreover when the Scripture saith the body <l\ ( <.
doth not that include 1 ' the soul, or natural life? wnat
have you your natural learning for, but to understand
the natural sense of words ?, d-o you not find, that
that which our translation calls body, the Greek
calleth souls? as Numb. 6. 6. there it is said, That he
shall come. at ! no dead body, in our Bible; but after
the Greek, your own doctors read thus; he shall
come at no dead sold.
era. 2. 17. j g ft nO B& {^ That man was inade a living soul ? and
was not-ithe threatening charge given out, That that
Ezek. is. 4. soul tbat sinned, that soul should die? and yet say
Terse20 ' you, the soul cannot die.
Now that which the national ministry do make a
, ground of the immortality of the soul, is to all 'spiritual
wise men, an evident proof of its mortality; as where
it is said, so such a one died, arid was gathered to his
people; now where is it, that they were gathered but
into the grave? as for instance, see 2 Kings 22. 20.
~!i '\-j
_
THE MUG.GLETOMAN PRINCIPLE?, PREVAILING. .39
If the soul can enjoy heaven without its body, what
matter of a resurrection? but it is certain that thecoi. 3. 4.
Scriptures affirm the contrary, and that there can be l Thes - 4> 14>
no salvation without a resurrection.
When God shall raise the dead, he hath his Angels Matt. is. .
attending to gather the saints together, as God raiseth I; 2; II',
them; neither God nor his Angels doth not bring Jo c hB 1 i' 'If
their souls from heaven to assume their dead bodies;
but our God raiseth soul and body together, out of
the grave by speaking a word, as he did the body and
soul of Lazarus.
Again, on the other hand, must all the damned ^'ff'jf'
souls come from hell to fetch up their cursed bodies \
what hell do they come from, but out of the grave,
soul and body out of the grave ; and when the soul
and body rises, then the Devil rises to his eternal J^b 17 ? 1 n.
punishment; and this earth will be the place of the g^w^i.
Devil's torment, where he acted all his lies and cru-
elty; there shall he suffer eternally (after the elect
men and angels are ascended with their God into
eternal glory) the Plagues of Egypt were a type of
this.
These things w.ill be so in their time : and so much
in answer to this principle.
In page 20th you oppose John Reeve for, saying,
How that but one Angel fell from his created purity
and glory.
This doctrine, say you, is quite contrary to Scrip- The Aecnsation
ture; which tells us in Jude, that the Angels fell : and
this, say you cannot be applied to Cain and his pos-
terity: for they, say you, by your own, words never
fell: and as for Cain, say. you, lie never was from that
fallen Angel, but was of Adam's begetting as well as
Seth. And again you affirm also, that all Cain's off-
spring perished in the Flood.
40 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
CHAPTER X.
.U .V .
ANSWER,
.
j sl u29.io. IF that offspring of that Serpent-Angel that was
ReV. n! t? cas * fr m Heaven could know itself, then you might
know that these Angels spoken of in Jude were the
offspring of cursed Cain, the Serpent- Angel trans-
muted into flesh, and reserved in chains of unbelief,
and the darkness of ignorance : for Jude spoke
V/v;. of no other Devils but what were clothed in flesh;
and it was they that were the Devils ordained to
condemnation.
And therefore mind ; for he brings in Sodom and
r , :; Gomorrah, and the rebellious Jews against Moses,
and those upstart hypocrites who denied the Lord to
be the only and alone true God, and yet pretented
his name : all these, saith he, were ordained to con-
demnation in that Serpent- Angel aforesaid, being re-
probated in the seed; and Cain was that seed. And
therefore Jude pronounces the woe unto them, as
the offspring and seed of Cain, to whom eternal
torment doth belong.
Rev 12 7 Again, where it is said, that there was a war in hea-
ven, Michael and his Angels fighting against the Dra-
gon and his Angels: that Michael was the spirit of the
Lord Jesus in all his angelical believers ; and the
Dragon was the spirit of cursed Cain, in all his seed.
This war was on Earth, though said to be in Heaven,
because the original of both seeds came from Hea-
ven; for there never was any actual rebellion in
Heaven, but that Angel-Serpent aforesaid being
*
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 41
cast out, all his seed fell in him, and was cast out
with him, and so actual rebellion took place: and
therefore, said John, woe to the inhabitants of the earth
for the Devil (not Devils) is come down amongst you. Ve re 12. IT.
And it was this Deul that brought the woe, both to
.saint and serpent; in this warfare doth these two
\voes take place to them two seeds; one in this tight
having his heel bruised, which is in persecution, loss Gcn . 3 . ls ,
of goods and death natural; the other having his ** v - 13 - 7 - 10 -
head bruised by the saint's weapons of war, which
reacheth to a second death.
And this Devil that was cast down, was the father i Jolin 3< ^
of Cain, from whence all wickedness and cruelty hath
flown ; for Cain was the very first born of that Devil,
and the fullness of that Serpent- Angel's Godhead
lived bodily in Cain; and such of his seed, that have
in them a great share of that piercing reason, or God-
head power, became potent Angels, lords and gover-
nors of this world, it being given to that seed; and they . .
labour in this their kingdom, to imitate the grandeur
of that glory their father, the fallen Angel, had before
his fail, and they come as near to it as possibly they can.
And here it is that the prophet Ezekiel compares Ezek. 29. s.
Pharoah king of Egypt to the great red Dragon: and
the Assyrian monarch was said by the prophet, to bfe
in dignity, power, glory and beauty, like unto his fa- Chap 33 3
ther the angel before his transmutation into flesh, when
he walked once in the garden of Eden, being greater
than several other of his father's children : the great
kings of Babylon were said to be from Lucifer, and
therefore were called by his name, Lucifer the son of the
morning: and they are^aid by the prophet Isaiah, to 1 '* 1 14< 12 -
be cast down from heaven ; which could not be, if they
42 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
had not proceeded from the fallen Angel,
And as they were cast down from heaven in that
Angel, even so they were for exalting their thrones
above the stars, and to be like unto God ; which doth
show, that they were evil kings, and evil beasts, for
good kings, and such as proceed not from Cain,
they are not for exalting themselves so high, as to
that heavenly throne of judging men's faith and con-
science; neither wiill they tyrannize over their sub-
jects, but do justice according to the law. But to
the matter aforesaid.
E*ek. 28. 3. The gTeat king of Tyrus, seems to out-top all the
foregoing kings with angelical perfection; for he is
said to be the very anointed Cherub himself; he having
as great a share of that lost glory as his fallen nature
could afford him ; for that Angel that he proceeded
from was a Cherub, which was the highest order of
Angels ; and this king was of the highest degree of
wisdom, beauty, and glory : and therefore his perfee-
\erse si. 14. fi ons were suc h, as that he was said to be wiser than
Daniel; by which wisdom he had gotten him riches
of gold and silver in abundance; as also in his
kingdom all sorts of cunning arts and sciences, and
a great merchant, mighty in traffick; all this from
his father the Angel.
Therefore, said the prophet to this prince, thou
hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious
stone was thy covering; yea, the tabret and the pipe
was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast cre-
ated: this was not Adam, but the Angel, &c.
Again, thou art the anointed Cherub that covereth
and I have set thee so. (Again saith the prophet)
thou wast in the holy mountain of God, and hast
walked in the midst of stones of fire : thou wast perfect
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 4$
in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till Verse is. 17.
iniquity was found in thee: thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom, by reason of thy brightness.
Now can this prince of reason, so exalted, be de-
rived from any other root, but that angelical repro-
bate, that was cast down from heaven for his pride,
in those his great perfections: therefore his wisdom is Matthew,
.said to excel Daniel's: and so it might be said to
excel' A dam's to.
Therefore these princes are not related to Adam,
but to that Angel, that corrupted his wisdom of pierce-
ing reason; for had his wisdom flowed from faith's
nature, it could not have corrupted itself; but the
wisdom of reason is subject to sin: yea, reason itself
(though so noble a nature and splendant, if not
upheld by that power that created it) is sin itself;
and here is the offspring and root of all fleshly glory:
so that, that which is adored for a God is damned for
a Devil. If this gives offence, I cannot help it: but
to proceed.
Again, whereas you, (the opposer of the Mugggle-
tonian principles) say ; first, that Cain was of Adam's
begetting; and then secondly, that all Cain's offspring
perished in the Flood: these are both absolutely
false: for,
First, it is evident, that Adam never begot Cain,
neither do the Scriptures affirm it, if rightly under-
stood: for tho Moses saith, that Adam knew Eve his
wife, and she conceived and bare Cain; yet Moses doth Gen. 4. i.
not say, that she conceived Cain of Adam's seed : and
therefore in the very next words after, Moses hath
these words [And she again bare his brother Abel:] Vsrie2
without mentioning a word of his knowing of her
after; and this was to keep the seeds of aspiring
G 2
44 TH MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
reason in the dark; for Eve had conceived Cain of the
Serpent- Angel, before ever Adam knew her; and
that was it that made her full of lust after her innocent
husband.
i John s. 12. Again, to clear this further, doth not the apostle
John say, that Cain was from that Serpent- Angel,
which he calls by the name of wicked one. Now dare
you say, thai Adam was that wicked one, from
w ; hence (as John saith) the spirit of Cain sprung; sure-
ly no, for that were wickedness indeed to men that
profess Scripture.
Matt. i. is, Furthermore, Cain and Abel altho they are said to
be brothers, yet their brotherhood comes but by the
mother's side, even as it is apparent, that Heli and
Jacob, the two attributed fathers of Joseph, the hus-
band of Mary, were brothers by the mother's side.
Now it is worth the minding here, that Joseph
could not be the natural son of both those men ; for
observe in the genealogy of our Saviour, Matthew
makes Mathan to be the father of Jacob, and Jacob
the father of Joseph: but Luke makes Melchi the jfa-.
Lukt s. as. ther of Heli, and Heli the father of Joseph.
Now here is a different race, for Jacob the natural
father of Joseph, he proceeded from Solomon, but
Heli sprung from Nathan, and was Joseph's father by
law or title, but not by nature.
Therefore, as Heli was the supposed father to Jo-
seph, and Joseph the supposed father of Christ; even
so was Adam no more than the supposed father of Cain
nay he is no where called the father of Cain, not in all
th Scriptures ; but on the contrary, that Cain's father
was called that wicked one, or Devil; for wicked
s one and Devil are both of one signification. See and
, Matt. 13. 19. Luke 8. 12. Mark 4. 15.
THE MLGGLCTONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 4^,
Therefore it is without all controversy, that Adam
was not that wicked one, Satan, or Devil, that begot
Cain: nay your own doctor Ainser, upon Genesis
saith, that Cain was from the Devil; and he quotes
some of the Hebrew doctors for proof of the same:
saying, that they teach how that Cain was born of
the filth, and seed of the Serpent, which was convey-
ed into Eve; and that one Menacham, a Jewish Rab-
bi saith, that unto this world there cleaveth the secret
nlthiness of the Serpent, which came upon Eve; and
because of that nlthiness death is come upon Adam,
&c. but no more of this here, having wrote largely
upon it in a treatise entitled, Truth's Triumph, or the
witness to the two witnesses, which may some time
come to public view.
Secondly, as it is proved that Adam did not beget
Cain; so it is false for you to say, that all Cain's
offspring perished in the Elood. Now you that affirm
this, will find it to the contrary; for if that had been
so as you say, then there would be no damnation for
any that have been born since.
But tho Cain was dead, and most of his offspring, Ge - 9 25.
yet his seed was alive in cursed Ham; so that the compared,
curse given to the Serpent- Angel in the womb of 1 ^'^^.
Eve run in a line, even from Cain to Ham, and so to De t- a. '*
Ishmael and Esau, and so on to the end of the world.
For altho Ham was begot by Noah, a good man, and
an elect vessel, yet was not Ham of that good seed;
for Noah had in him two seeds, as all men else have,
since the sons of'God saw r the daughters of men, and Gen. e^
took them wives of such as were the seed of Cain : and
so the seed of Adam and that seed of Cain, through
copulation, did participate of each others seed; and MattiU 37
which seed is uppermost in conception, that seed
46 THE MUGGLETOMAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING^
Matt. 10. 37. grows to be Lord over the other; and so a man comes
to have his denomination according to the predomi-
nancy of his seed: and thus it was with Ham, for
Cain's seed was predominant in Ham's conception.
j>hn s. 38. So it was with those Jews that boasted themselves
35, 3-. 44. j o k e o Ai) ra } iara . an( j t no they might be Abraham's
seed according to the flesh, yet Christ branded them
for Devils, telling them, that the Devil was their fa-
ther: which was no other than Cain, being the first
liar and murderer.
Now, from hence, all sober men may see, that a
devil and a saint is all one to you; for you can find
but one Scripture seed; for God and Devil, Heaven
and Hell, Saint and Serpent, with you come all from
one root.
Now, seeing it is so with you, I would advise you
to leave off playing the hypocrite, and forbear tell-
ing your hearers, that any of them will be damned :
for if there be but one seed, and that seed the seed
of Adam, then all will be saved; so deal plainly to
your people, and preach to them general redemption,
and prove it from Paul's words, where he saith,
i cor. io. 22. that as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be
made alive.
But will yea, or nill yea, this we must tell you,
Rom. 9. 27. that there is a seed, namely Cain and his offspring,
Matt. 9. is. tnat never f e jj j n Adam, but in the Serpent- Angel, and
johifii 2 Q 12 so are mca P a ble of ever being redeemed by Christ:
i Tim. 2. 4. for when on earth, he never prayed for them : for
B & t ifc 1 S.' U ' though he would have all men saved, yet it is but all
Rom. 11. 26. those that fell in Adam, that he had any spiritual
salvation for.
THE MLGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 47
This is that which makes that seed fret themselves
:tud call it a mischievous principle; and it will prove Mai. 3. \5.
sad to that mischievous man that condemns true
prophesy; and the true believers thereof: as likewise
that justiiieth the seed of the wicked to be the seed
of Adam, who was the seed of God.
Your further Accusation runs thus.
In page 20. you say, that there is a Devil distinct
from man, and would seem to prove it from that Devil
that tempted Christ ; which you would have to be a bo-
dily spirit; and you scoff at wicked imagination being
the Devil: and from hence you query from that Scrip-
ture, Mark 5. 4. saying, doth imagination break chains
&c. and that their affirming, that Ely should be
Christ's representative: this you call all fable.
CHAPTER XI.
ANSWER.
ife'i 10 & AI ' '^
IF you will have a Devil without a body, you must
go seek out a new found world, to find out your un-
known Devil: the works of this Devil are manifest,
and yet you cannot know him; for is there any
wickedness in this world but what flows from that
carnal spirit of men and women, who is a kingdom Rer . j 8 2 .
of wickedness in that Tophet or bodies of theirs sJJfYw 10 '
for it is the heart where the court is kept, and is the
only nursery of all evil spirits conceived there by
imagination.
-.48 THE MUGGLETON1AN PRINCIPLES PREVAIL!^.
Oh! the depth of this imagination in this its bot-
ki/ tomless Pit, and the uncleaness of the same: do but
compare Scripture, and in it we may find a very pit-
Jam' 4 I* e. devil : all the imaginations of man's heart, (saith God)
ia.'32. e, are evil, and continually evil: what is that but the
Devil. And hath not this continual work its first
formation in the heart, being it own work from its own
seed ; and its work is in this manner following.
For this is to be minded, that as the spirit of faith
in the heart of man, is the womb or mother, for the
revelation of faith to beget a son out of the seed of
faith.
So likewise the seed of reason is the womb OP
mother, for imagination to beget a son or familiar
jam. i. is. spirit, for all evil spirits are conceived in the heart:
familfi! 6 ' i*' e nvy be conceived, then murder is brought forth ;
if lust be conceived, then adultry is brought forth;
and if a familiar spirit is conceived, then it brings forth
Ter 23 16 sucn a spirit as speaks forth motional voices; and if
isa. 9 19. by its transformation into angelical light, then as false
Deut. 18. 10. J , 4 . . e V . . , .
prophets, it prodaces visions, revelations, and in-
ternal voices within them : now this familiar spirit is
nothing else but a witch; so that when it motions
Eph. e. 12. forth spiritual or religious matters, then it becomes
spiritual witchcraft, and when it motions forth upon
a temporal account, then it becomes natural witch-
craft: the one or other of these witchcrafts almost all
the world lies under.
Therefore it follows, that this familiar spirit that is
begot by imagination, doth sometimes produce such a
voice in itself, as if some spirit without them did. ap-
pear to them without bodies, and reveal things to them
as it was by the witch of Endor, and as Samuel
1 Slim, 28, 1. i n i
spoke in Sauls conscience.
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILmb. 4&
This hath been a common thing in all ages, and
guilt of conscience can quickly coin an object, and
produce a motional voice, thinking it is without the
body, whenas all is but from the familiar spirit.
And when this familiar spirit, or new begot wis-
dom is quickened in the evil heart, it grows from Exod. 1. 10.
strength to strength, from one degree of knowledge, Jer ' 4 ' 22 '
to a further degree of evil knowledge and evil wis-
dom, creating to itself such things as God never cre-
ated; as an immortal soul, or spirit, without a body:
and it hath made it so, as that it can appear in any
shape, form, or likeness, whether it be God, man,
devil, or angel: all these are made spirits without
bodies.
Also it hath created to itself, such a devil as can
whip into man, and out of man, at his pleasure : and
when sin is committed, then all the evil is charged up-
on that bodiless devil: and yet men must be hanged
for murder, whenas, they say, it is a bodiless devil
that is the murderer, or tempts to murder.
And more than this the devil must be chained in
hell-fire; and yet a bodiless spirit, and in all places at
one time, where he can tempt all the world to sin,
and yet nobody can see him; and yet he is in hell-fire
in chains, but may be called out at the pleasure of a
witch : this is the world's bugbear devil, and the pitch-
ey darkness all the world lies under.
Thus we see what fruits the imagination of reason
brings forth: and whereas you scoffingly ask, whe-
ther imagination breaks chains, pointing to that saying
of the Gospel.
Here you shew your ignorance, that cannot distin-
guish between devils in nature, and devils produced
by accidents in nature: nay, you know nothing at
H
T}iJJ MUGGLETOMAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING;
all, of neither one nor the other, and so make ' no
difference of their actions.
For tho distempers in nature are devilish, yet not
damned devils: ibr this we find, that Christ never
called distracted or mad men devils ; for these may
come through some extraordinary fright, grief, or loss;
and in some nuiy increase to that strength, as to break
"iron chains: for having broke the brain, the seat of
reason is quite out of order, and so makes them more
strong than when their reason was in order. And
phrist never judged and condemned these, but cast
those fiery, distempers, and devilish diseases out, and
restored them to their right mind.
So' that it is not the distracted or unreasonable that
Christ condemned, but the learned, and sensible, and
prudent man; even such as commit murder for consci-
ence sake, and condemn true prophesy, from their
Conceited wisdom of high flown piercing reason: this
as evident throughout all the Scriptures, especially in
Mark 2. 6. the learned Scribes and Pharisees, who held a council
M U a u e as. ?.' an d, reasoned in themselves how r they might intrap
Luke 20.' 5.' Jesus in his words.
And that devil that tempted Christ, he was one of
them,, and no such bodiless devil as your reason hath
created to itself, that should carry Christ up to the
pinnacle of that outward material Temple in Jerusa-
lem, no, no: but against all your wisdom of reason,
we affirm, that he was a man-devil, being a learned
/. Scribe well read in Scripture, and could argue the
same from this pinnacle of his subtile pate ; but Christ
repulsed his Scripture argument with Scripture again,
saying, it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord tin
God, but him only thou shalt serve,
t/: $iiuh"ji w'uiid )</ , ffiii : 'jnrJfifl fli
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. |f
Now where was this Scripture written, was it not,
in Dent. 6. 13. 16? and was it not written to men in-
dued with the wisdom of reason: it was not written . Tr .1 .-;,-.
to a bodiless devil; for bodiless devils do not commit
murder, adultry, or tempt God, it is man that doth all '- - - -
this; and it was to man that the law was given/ and Ex0 d. ao. &
so the law saith, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy K' i}^ 5
God, as your fathers tempted him: and again, you & 41. 56.
shall not corrupt yourselves.
Now, from what is here said, it must needs follow >fjamel le 14>
that if pride, envy, lust, coveteousness, and hypocrisy 4 - 1 - * 7.
T ', ,% i . " i Compared.
be tiie devils in men, are not men and women those
devils that are brought under the power of those evils
when the apostle said, that the devil should cast
some of them saints into orison; the saints were not ** v - 2 - *-
cast into prison by devils that had no bodies.
Therefore lay not your brats at other men's doors, John e. TO.
but charge your own souls home with the evil you do, A S%3*'io.
for as it is a man'6 own soul that sins, so it is his own 1 * 8 - 3 - i
soul that must suffer.
This will prove true, and so will that of Moses and
Elias, altho you call it all fable: for why will you tie
God up to your imagination of cursed reason? is any
thing too hard for God to do, when his divine wisdom Gen <& 18>
moves him to it? did not he swear by himself, to him-
self, what he proposed to do? and may he not, by Piflli85 .
the same rule, change his own glorious condition into phu - * 7 - 8 -
flesh; and having humbled himself to himself, may
he not cause his humanity to pray and cry untp his Jg t n t ^ .^9.
divinity within him, or to his spiritual charge, com- ^fa4*4 '
mitted unto his angels, without him, for a further Acts 6 1. io.'
manifestation of his unsearchable power in shame *** ** 9>
and weakness, as well as in power and glory.
H 2
52
4
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Is it not written, how that his Angels had given them
a charge to watch over him? and did not Moses and
Elias do so from his birth to his ascension? also is it.
not written, that John the Baptist came in the spirit
Mail. 4. 5. and power of Elias? w r hich is plain that John the Bap-
'tist had his commission from Elias; for there was
none greater in heaven than Elias was at that time,
for God was then on earth, eating and drinking with
man as man, as was before said. Thus much may
serve to satisfy all sober men, who will not violently
oppose plain Scripture,
Again you further object against that saying of
theirs, where they affirm, that no one ever did declare
the knowledge of the true God, in his form and na-
ture, as they have done.
Now, in answer to this, say you, there was Sabulus
and Noetus held but one person in the Deity, called
by different names : these you representor call broach-
.ers of our doctrine, which you judge so mischievous.
CHAPTER XII.
ATVqWFT*
iw>miil *WJ>WJUi.
'rj -IF these bishops of Sabulus and Noetus taught so
they were in the right of it, and they might hint at
r n - , r , truth, but they wanted a full revelation ; for it was
!i2 .,!; not revealed to them as it is now, and these two
.t^~a :, prophets never read any of their writings,, neither
.'"A*.". do * think that there is any of them, that are
truly theirs, in being : we have the prophet's and
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING./ 3
apostle's writings through providence, to shew that
Christ was the only God, altho they were very spar-
ing in their proof how God became flesh, to what
this commission doth, and wherefore; why, because
the mystery of God was not to be finished (according
to John) until the days of the voice of the seventh
anti-angel's sounding of his trumpet, or ministry ; Rev. 10. 7.
namely the Quakers: and Sabulus and Noetus were
before the sounding of the first anti-angel, the Papist
with power.
Sabulus the bishop being about two hundred years
after Christ, and Noetus was contemporary with him;
so that this being in the time of the ten Persecutions,
there was truth then in the world, and a trinity of
persons in one Godhead had not got footing at that
time during the ten Persecutions. ,-/ jjj w -,
But after religion was set up by imperial power,
then bishops were chosen out of learned and philoso-
phical men, and Churches (as they called them)
builded, and riches given for their support; then were
Synods and Councils called to establish error and
formal worship, and to suppress truth : that was ever
without outward pomp and glory.
Thus was Noetus and Sabulus' doctrine judged
heresy, both by Trinitarian and Arien ; and tho they
cursed, excommunicated, and condemned each other,
by several Councils, as if hell was broke loose; and. so
it was for the thousand years time after Satan's bind-
ing was ended, as soon as the ten Persecutions were Rer. 20.
over, for then the devil went forth to deceive Jhe
world with false worship, as John declareth.
The Arian, being but as a branch sprouted out>of
the Roman Catholic, altho in Constansius' days, and
some time after a very great branch, insomuch that
54 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
the Catholics could not then boast of number; for in
the Council of Ariminum and Selencia there were
560 bishops, the greatest convention that ever was
known, and yet they decreed the Arian faith : so what
will you Catholics say, that number is an argument
of truth.
But whichsoever of them that got the emperor of
their side gained power over the other; so that both
of them altho they persecuted each other with deadly
hatred, as they got uppermost in power, nevertheless
they could agree together, to kill Christ in his mem-
bers, and to tread the holy City under foot, of inno-
. 11. i. cen f. minded men an( j women, by their Penal laws,
that could not bow down to their outward formalities
and antichristian principles: these were as two
t. 27. ss. thieves that Truth was crucified between.
Now these Catholics prevailing, and they having
not only the Scriptures ordered by the emperor Con-
stantine to be translated into their tongue, but like-
wise their learned Councils collected and gathered
into a heap, and all other writings of proceeding bi-
shops; then must them books and traditional reports
be viewed by the learned now made bishops,
and what agreed and acquiesced with their princi-
T. _>. 2. pies were counted apostolical; and M hat did not
agree, was rejected and counted heresy; or else they
translated them falsely, placing down some things
of their sayings, and lea\ing others out that made
against them.
j^nd when any man was by these established bi-
shops judged or accused for heresy, tho he lived be-
fore their days, then all his books must either i.r
corrupted or burned ; for they must be nu '< to speak
THE MUGGLETONIAN, PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. .3.3
quite contrary to what they did in several things,
on purpose to make those authors the more con-
tempible : for it was ever so that all that are non-
commissionated ministers of God, and such as head
an anti-church, are for hiding truth from the people,
us the Papists do the Scriptures, to the end they may
keep up their fleshly honor; so that there is but little
known and received in the world at this day, as
well as heretofore, but the universal common opinion.
Therefore it is, that your national and traditional
Churches doth so sound forth their own triumphs,
raise heaps of authors of the first centuries, as agree-
ing with their catholic principles ; crying antiquity,
church visability, famous men are on our side, 6cc.
Whereas the truth of it is, all is but clamour and
noise ; for many of your authors are mere forgeries;
and lies.
1. There be several books that have the name of
such men's works, as were never their works; as
Abdyus bishop of Babylon, is said by some of your
catalogue makers to live in the days of Christ; others
say that he knew their great church historian Egisipus,
who lived near two hundred years after: now the one
of these must be a lie; and they make the substance
of this book to be of curious talk with bodiless or
infernal devils, which is a mere Roman forgery.
2. There is also that which is called Saint James
the apostle's liturgy, which hath a prayer in it for all
that live in Monasteries, and yet there were none built
for some hundreds of years after the apostle's days.
56 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
3. And that Egisipus, before spoken of, hath five
books under his name: but it is said by some of your
/church writers, that Ambrose that Roman-church
bishop (who lived in the year 380,) was not only the
translator, but the author of them books; which is
like enough, for he "was not chosen bishop for his
goodness, but for his greatness ; even as one of the
Dukes of Savoy was chosen Pope for his greatness
.sake, as your church : history doth sho^. '-
4. These corruptions have been very common, and
very ancient; for Dionisius bishop of Corinth, who
lived about the year of Christ two hundred, complain-
ed sadly of his being abused in this nature: therefore
said he, in one of his books (if that book was his) I
wrote several epistles, but the messengers of Satan
hath sown them with Tares, pulling away some things
and putting to other some, for whom (said he) con-
demnation is laid up.
And as there were these forgeries and corruptions
aforesaid, so likewise there are many of yotir other
great authors which you would make apostolical, and
yet they do not aigree with you in several things that
you quote them for; nay some differences are so great
between yon, that I 'wonder you do not condemn
them for heretics, as for example.
1. Turtulyon, who lived in the time of the ten Per-
secutions, being a great historian, and by your church
counted famous, did not much contend for bishops,
nor much valued ordination; but said that laymen
were priests, and gave this reason for it; saying, that
after faith is received, then man lives by his faith; and
that faith, said he, becomes Christ's vicar; and from
/ hence he concluded that three believers will make a
Church.
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING . 57
He also denied children's baptism; and therefore^
he, why hasteneth this innocent age to the remis-
sion of sins, we are much more wary in worldly thinga;
i* it meet we should commit the sacrament ofbaptism
which is a divine thing, unto them w r e would not com-
mit the things of this earth : he also condemned se-
cond marriages, and much more persecution for con-
science; all these things are quite contrary to you.
'2. Irinius, bishop of Lyons, who it is said, knew .
Ignasius and Policarp, yet he held and taught, the
soul's mortality.
3. And Justin, who lived in those days, you can-
not deny but that he did both hold and teach, that
God was in the form of a man from all eternity,
4. And further, there was never a one of all these
aforesaid, that held a trinity of persons in one God-
head; no not Origen himself, whom your church
doth so extol, altho he turned apostate, and denied
the faith, and sacrificed to devils, to save his life; but
what is he so cried up, both by Papist and Protestant
for; is it not for his lofty style, and philosophical no-
tions, and in that he would make his divinity to stoop
unto his philosophy ? for he held with Plato, 1. The
soul's infusion, and taught that all souls were made
together, and sent down from heaven to be imbodied.
2. He taught, that after we rise again, we shall
have all need ofbaptism to purge us clean. 3 He in
one place condemned second marriages, and in ano-
ther contradicts it again. 4. He taught that devils were
bodiless spirits; and also that all devils would be saved
at last. This sure is it that pleases you at a hair.
But as to his doctrine concerning God that cannot
please you so well, for the Arians challenge him
to be for them, and therefore they say, that Origen
i
$8 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
denied that the Son was to be adored or prayed to*
for he is, saith Origen, not the author, but procurer of
the good things of God: so that we pray not to him,
but to God for his sake. And Augustine your saint
produceth this as Origen's opinion concerning God.
And thus much as to your great apostolical Fathers,
as you call them, who lived in the time of the ten
Persecutions.
As to those other ancient Popes, Bishops, Fathers,
and Councils, that have been setup by the Roman im-
perial power and authority, I shall not treat on them
here; for he that hath a grain of spiritual sense
predominating in him, will easily see them no other
but the mother of harlots, or mystery Babylon, that
sits upon tongues, nations, and languages, as hath
been unfolded in a treatise intitled, The white devil
uncased; which may come to be extant in time.
This is the sum of your church history; so that
what satisfaction can any man have by all your au-
thors and apostolical Fathers, as you call them, as
also your translators of their works; who were most
of them corruptors, each one endeavouring to force
the matter to suit with his own opinions, as Epepha-
nius, Rufenus, arid several others, who it is said
corrupted several authors.
So that all their books are but troubled waters to
drink, being not of that efficacy as to quench the
i 22 thirst of sin; for their silver is become dross, their
. 4. 14. wine is mixed with water of a standing pool. This
will not pass current w r ith us, for no wine to us
like the wine of the Spirit ; no water to us but
the water of life; no balm for us but what is iu
Gillead, in one personal God-man, Christ Jesus, bless-
ed for ever; that will be accepted of with us, the
THE MUGGLETONI\N PRINCIPLES PREVAILING: 59
6nly true Christians in the world at this day.
Therefore take you all your books and learning tb
yourselves; we have but three to read, to wit, the
prophets, the apostles, and the witnesses of the Spirit:
in these is fulness of perfection; for the light and
life of their words, shining in our hearts, is the rule,
prop, stay, and guide of our faith; which is but
one, and this one faith hath one God of a single
person or substance for its object to pitch itself upon,
and not a trinity of persons, or substance; but
Father, Son and holy Ghost is one single substance,
and no more; which cannot be denied, neither by
Scripture, or sober reason; for,
First, was not the eternal Godhead Spirit the
everlasting Father-
Secondly, was not that glorious body, wherein
God the Father did eternally dwell, the eternal Son.
Thirdly, and was not that powerful word, which
proceeded from his Godhead Spirit through his glori-
ous mouth the holy Ghost, or holy Spirit, by which he
made the worlds, and governeth all things.
Is not this trinity in unity and unity in trinity;,
more agreeable to the Scripture of truth, than any Heb. i. 3.
other trinity, to all men that acknowledge but one BJ! V. I!
eternal being and no more? now your trinity of
persons, will neither be made to agree with Scripture,
reason or sense; so that your striving to explain it
doth but the more darken the sense about your airy
God, and you are quite lost in your definition^ and
now of late more than ever; are you made a con-
founded Bable, and your clergy clash one against
another, which doth make your hearers begin to
stagger, as well it may: for, - M
i 2
0Q THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING:
1. One party of your church doth hold and teach
that God is [three distinct persons, and but one sub-
stance] which is a contradiction.
2. The other party of your church teacheth, that
God hath not only [three distinct persons] but [three
distinct substances likewise ;] and from hence doth
boldly charge the Homausion, or one substance, with
the heresy of Sabilism, as they call it.
3. The contrary party makes their rejoinder again,
and chargeth the other party with holding of a plura-
lity of Gods : for, say they, if there be [three substan-
ces] then there are [three Gods,] which is true enough.
4. Again the adverse party replies, saying, that if
there be [three persons] there must be [three substan-
ces] which is true enough too: and they give their
reason why they are to hold three substances, as well
as three persons; it being a forst-put. For, say they,
there is now a greater necessity than ever there was,
to hold and maintain three distinct substances, as well
as three persons: otherwise,say they, we are in great
danger to lose the catholic faith, by the revival of the
heresy of Sabulus, which walks publicly abroad, tho
under the disguise of a new name : and therefore if
we do not allow the Godhead intirely to be (three
distinct substances) as well as (three distinct persons)
then comes in Sabalism : and there is an end then
say they of the trinity.
5. To this, the other old dark light replies, saying,
that if by retaining the old words of (three persons
and cme substance) there is danger of losing the
catholic faith, it must be lost out of the catholic
church: a/nidit&e revolt by Sabalism (say they) must
be both the most lasting, ami themost general apostacy
THE MLGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 61
that ever was foretold, or feared, should happen to
I lie Christian world. But, say they, we hope we need
not to be frighted out of our religion.
And thus, you see what a confusion is fallen upon
you; your Babylon is now r crying out, Alas, alas '.Rev. is. 10.
did not the prophets and apostles speak of these things
now is fulfilled that saying of David's to the full,
divide their tongues, O Lord, for 1 have seen violence Pgal 55 9
in the city.
Doth not this your division tend to confusion, or is Isau u n 16
it not confusion itself in a superlative degree? for tho
you be divided, yet our God is not divided, but is l John 5 7 .
one, yesterday, to day, and for ever: for I demand * 20.
First, how can Christ be called the great, the high Reb M 8
and mighty God, if he had two other Gods to share Thai 2.'iV.
with him? 'Itk 17
Secondly, how can Christ be eternal in your creed,
if he were begotten?
Thirdly, and how can that, which receives a being
from another, ever be made equal with that which
hath its being of itself alone.
Certainly, whatever you Trinitarians say to the
contrary, yet it is evident that you make Christ no
more than a titular God, the very same with John
Biddle, that you so much disown in your Pamphlet: ^^J
but I cannot see any great difference between you; .1
am sure you are as much out of the way of truth as he.
For, said John Biddle, Christ is our Lord and God:
but how, why, said he, not really but appellatively, ios
magistrates are called Gods; and so he makes him
God by deputation, as to title; being God, not in
nature, but in name; and so is subordinate to God.
j62 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Now, do not yon do so to ; for you make the Son
but to be begotten : and if you will make him God,
yet he must be divided from the Father and holy
Ghost. Now this is certain, that if there be a Father
distinct from the blessed body of Christ, it must then
be as John BiddJe said; and therefore it is, that John
Biddle, as well as Arms and.Sosimis, make him but
man; because they would have but one single God:
but you if you make him God, vet you will divide him
from the Father and from the noly Ghost; and so at
the best, you make him but a third part God.
And whereas you are so bold, as to condemn Sa-
bulus and Noetus, for worshiping one personal God,
under the names of Father, Son, and holy Ghost;
condemning and judging them forbroachers of heresy,
how will you free yourselves from this crime: as also
those Councils of Arians and Trinitarians, as cursed
them and their principles; together with those Coun-
cils and Synods, on both sides judging and condemn-
ing each other with deadly malice, as your church
history doth show: what, were those the church of
God? 'no.
But when God gathers up his Jewels, many of
Mai. 3. is, is, those that have been judged heretics will rise saints,
AcV s 'i b 'i4. and many of those that your churches have canoni-
zed for saints will rise devils: for no persecutors of
conscience will escape the stroke. If .any man
object Paul's persecuting the church, they may know
that Paul at that time acknowledged no Jes-us at all;
therefore when both sides acknowledge a Jesus, take
heed how you persecute.
I have been something larger than I intended, a^ to
church history* and that because your church
THE MUGGLETOMAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 03
loth so much boast and glory upon antiquity, like
i he Papists; for there is no great difference between
you nor the other churches, only in outward things;
tor the essential points of faith are one and the same
with you all ; for you have all one God, and one devil,
one heaven and one hell. So that if one of you be
true, you are all true; and if one of you be false, ye
are all false: therefore it were well, if your reason
would be so moderate, as to bear with, and forbear
one another: being you are all one, both in the root,
and in the fruit, but that you will never do; but on
the contrary, you will ever be exciting the magistrates
to persecution and bloodshed: bat happy is it for&^/e.'fe.
that nation in the temporal, and that nation or holy & 18 - 24
city in the spiritual, whose magistrates are so prudent
as not to hearken to the priest's instigations; but
on the contrary, to stop the course of the violent by
wholesome laws.
These are those good beasts, or head magistrates, Rer< 4 " 6 '
spoken of by the Scriptures, who are said to have
(yes before and behind: the eye of faith before, which
shows them that conscience belongs to God : and the
eye of reason behind, to see that all affairs in the
temporal be kept well, exercising justice and true
judgment; preserving and defending the innocent Rom/ is. a.
who break not the civil law: and on the other hand,
punishing the transgressors of any of the civil laws Act*. 5. ss.
of the land, according to their demerit.
These, and such like magistrates, are the truly
nursing fathers, and shall prosper: this w r e leave to
providence and proceed.
In the latter end of your Pamphlet you pretend a
great many of contradictions committed by Lodowick
Muggleton and John Reeve; but the answer before
64 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
might serve for them all that are worth the answering;
yet I shall answer to two or three things more that
you charge against them.
In page 25 you say, that John Reeve doth affirm,
that no man can foretel eclipses of the sun or moon,
but by revelation: from whence, say you, the astrolo-
gers are much beholding to him, who tells them they
write their Almanacks by revelation, if they therein
foretel eclipses, as what astrologer doth not.
CHAPTER XIII.
ANSWER.
. : * ~ . i -jj.t.'Kf Stir 7 !) K-fA'l >>** .(> JtUi,>.Ji
1. HERE you wrest their words, and frame a
wrong sense of them; for the time when an eclipse
falls out is one thing, arid the time of the effects of
working is another: of some of the eclipses, the
astrologers say, the time of their effects last for so
many months, others the time of so many years, be-
fore the effects will have done working.
Wherefore then it follows, that John Reeve doth
not say, that none of the figurative merchants doth
know when, or at what time an eclipse will fall, but
their effects, and time of their effects, how long they
will be in working: these things, said John Reeve,
can no man know but by inspiration; which is
positively true.
And thus you, church-doctor, raise slanders to blast
their reputation; and so truth comes to be vilified
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. '(35
as I showed before, for truth maybe buried undejf
falsehood for a time.
Again, page 25, yon charge them with another er-
ror, saying that they affirm that the eclipse of the
moon is never hut when it is near the Sun. Wheuas
say : you, it is manifest that its eclipse is when it, is
oppo&ite to the sun, and that the earth is between
tfeehi, which doth occasion it by withholding its bor-
rowed light. But to this I answer.
2. Here again you have abused John Reeve, and in
plain terms belied him; which one would think a man
of that seeming purity would not have done: for John
Reeve doth not deny its eclipse when opposite to the
sun; but saith (for these are his words) the eclipse of
the moon is through her near conjunction with the
natural light or ruler of the day, or a planetary fire,
answerable to its nature that occasions the eclipse.
Now this we do affirm, and your astrologers do
not deny it but that there are stars of a fiery nature,
and experience shows it: for what is the reason that
there is more heat when the sun is in Leo, than there
is when it enters Cancer, when as the sun is nearest
to 'us, when it enters that sign, but only that the heat
is occasioned by the rising of some fiery stars, as that
which they call the Dog star, and others of the like
nature.
So likewise the occasion of the moon's eclipse, it is
not by the sun not rendering its borrowed light, by
reason of the earth interposing herself betwixt those
luminaries; but it is through her being near to some
of them fiery stars, as those which the astrologers call
the Dragon's head, or Dragon's tail; one of which
being always near to the moon when she suffers an
eclipse. K
66 THE ^IVGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING*.
3. We do likewise affirm that the moon borrows no
light from the sun, but that it is a real created light of
Gen. i. ic. itself ; for Moses saith, that God made two great
lights; but your astrologers and you say, that God
made but one : whether should we believe, Moses or
you? for saitb Moses, one of them is made to rule the
day, and the other is made to rule the night
4. The sun and moon are of contrary natures, one
is fiery hot, the other is cold and watery ; therefore
it is contrary to reason that the one should receive any
light from the other, and therefore there can be no
agreement betwixt them, for experience shows us that
the moon is cold and watery, being made out of the
water, and so is the lady of the water, and occasions
the ebbing and flowing of the seas, and the running
of' all rivers, drawing the waters after her, as the
loadstone doth iron.
But on the other hand the sun is hot and fiery, being
the captain of all fire, and so draws combustible
matter up to itself, which occasioneth thunder, which
is a war betwixt fire and water; and thus they appear
in their contrariety of natures, which we see further by
experience, the clearer the sun doth shine, the hotter
it is, but the clearer the moon doth shine the colder it is
So that from what is said, may be seen who thr
astrologers are most beholding to, whether to you or
John Reeve, tet all men judge; for John Reeve, in
this principle, is as contrary to the astrologers, as the
sim and moon are contrary in nature.
Furthermore, you object against John Reeve, for
saying that the sun, moon, and stars move all in
one firmament: and for saying, that they are not
ijmch bigger than they appear to us. To this you $ay.
THE ; &tk3GLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILlH<i5 (fi
that they are quite contrary, and that they move in
several orbs, and that each orb at so much distance
ffom each other, as the astrologers affirm.
../ oJ-' "Hi
*fid* CHAPTER X jy
Bf'bc/i : i bifid era! re ' :7 -'*
A NTQtlWR
ilqott ai ibidTr .ANSWER.
1. IS it not as good sense, and better, to believr.
that the sun, moon, and stars move all in one firma-
ment, or heaven, as so many as nine several heavens,
as your blind astrologers teach you : and yet our flesh-
ly eyes can pierce through them all; nevertheless
every one of these must be so many thousands of miles
beyond each other; and this blind opinion must be
ratified forsooth, because the planets and fixed stars,
have several motions; and therefore from hence y.o,^
will have these several heavens, and these their
differences in motion, must show their difference in
height and substance.
2. Because Saturn moves so slowly, as %o be near
upon thirty years in finishing his course through the
nvelve signs, whereas the sun finishes his in one year:
Therefore, from hence, do you conclude, that he must
be of necessity thirty times higher, and thirty times
bigger than the sun, and thirty times further to go;
nay, and the next orb above Saturn to move so slow,
as to be forty thousand years in finishing his course:
pray how many millions of miles is it to that heaven,
or primum Mobile? one of your mathematicians says
it is one hundred and seventy millions, eight hundred
and three miles. K 2
68 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
Is this yoiir wisdom, in which you say we are not
capable to answer you in? I pray is this good pulpit
doctrine? one of your ministers that I did know,
whose name was Mountney, did mount so high, as to
affirm, in the pulpit, to 'his parishioners, that it was so
far to the primum Mobile, that if it were possible to
fling a millstone down from thence, that it would be
seven years before it would reach this earth : and yet
in another doctrine he taught, that a departed soul
would be in heaven in a moment, which is much
higher than that primum Mobile.
And your reverend doctor More, before quoted,
must be remembered here, for he taught, that a star of
the first magnitude is twenty thousand times biger
than this earth, and nine hundred thousand times
biger than the moon.
These are your rare learned men, I wonder how
they could get a line of that length to measure so far,
and yet to stand upon this earth : but let them go on,
for the time of their sophistry is almost at an end,
But to conclude this point ; as you upon our principles
of the sun, moon, and stars aforesaid, do call all men
to be judges against us ; so we, to retort your language
do call all'sober men to judge, whether your opinion
of sun, moon, and stars be not an error of the greatest
magnitude; and also, whether you have done us jus-
tice, yea or nay. And so much in answer to your
nrst query.
,oy (tj .; s?-Mii!J \ffrfi
uiJf 3 n-Ji; ;ij l)il v -* ;n
ii' snoHIfr? 'na^:^ b:i<> boibrwd
A
THE MUGGLETOMAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 69
CHAPTER XV.
SIR, your second query, or latter part of your
pamphlet, was to prove Lodowick Muggleton i'alse
from his interpretation of the llth. chapter of the
Revelation of John.
Bat your proof is but your denial, for you do
not so much as show the meaning of one word in all
that chapter: if they could but ascended up to heaven
in a cloud, as they had showed how Moses and Jesus
did, all had been well enough; even as the Jews, if
they could but have seen Elias to have come in person
as John Baptist did, then they would have believed
as they said.
So, if you could but have seen these prophets to
ascend up in a cloud, then perhaps you would have
said you would have believed them : but soft (say you)
they are not the two witnesses, for they cannot ascend
to heaven, for John Reeve is dead: besides (say you"
they must have been put to death by the hands of
violence, and then to have risen again, and ascended
to heaven, in the sight of all men.
This is all the interpretation you can give of them,
which is none at all, and all the proof you have against
them ; and as to Lodowick Muggleton's interpretation
of that chapter, you seem to be at a great loss about
it, being astonished at his words : for, (say you) I
cannot tell how to reconcile his words ; and from
hence you fling all off to others, saying, reconcile
them as can, for I cannot
70 THE MUGGLETON Y IAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 1
And what is the difference and matter that cannot
be reconciled : why, say you, he saith, that they two
are the two witnesses; and yet they say, that the
body of those two witnesses are the letter of the Scrip-
tures, and that the witnesses, or letter was slain 1350
years beforehand yet was slain in them again by the
beast out of the bottomless pit. To this I answer.
1. Here you would have the letter to be slain,
whenas it was the spirit and life of that letter that was
slain; for the life being gone, therefore the letter of
the Scripture remained as a dead body, in regard
there was none living that could give a true interpre-
tation of it.
Now this spirit and life was killed 1350 years ago;
for the last of the perseciitions did kill and root out
all the true ordained bishops 1 , 6r ministers of the
gospel; so that there were none left to give the holy
Ghost to others, by laying on of hands; so then there
was no quickening power remaining until a new
commission was given, which now is fulfilled at this
day; for the same spirit that gave the other witnesses
their commission, hath chose these to be witnesses.
3. So that they having received that same spirit
of life from God, as the others had ; therefore it is
they only that can, and do interpret the letter of
the Scripture ; for the Scripture is put into their
hands, as the priesthood was into the hands of Aaron,
and they by their interpretation do put life into the
Scriptures, making it to stand upon its feet in the
consciences of men arid women, with great power,
both to the seed of faith, and to the seed of reason,
e. 68. to save and destroy; for words of truth have spirit
li ' 3 '' and life.
THE MLGGLE.TOMAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 71
4. Afljd as that spirit of reason did kill that spirit of
life that did speak that letter so that now that spirit
and lite is come into them again, they will stand upon
their feet, and kill the spirit of reason with a- death
eternal; for there is now both body and life in the
Scriptures, and it is the body of the witnesses of the
spirit, which is not a dead body, but a living body
now, and so will remain to the end of the world.
o. Again, whereas you do affirm, that these wit-
nesses do declare, that the spirit and life was killed in
them, by the beast out of the bottomless pit, in their
persecutors : that saying of yours is utterly false, and
you did it maliciously, on purpose that his words
might not be reconciled; for Lodow r ick Muggletoii
did say, that the beast out of the bottomless pit made
war against them, and would have killed them, if their
law could have done it. And that roaring lion Jeffe-
ries did say afterwards, that he was sorry that their '
laws were so unprovided, that they could not take
away Muggleton's life, /i oJ r
To that it is apparent, that the spirit and life of
these two witnesses is not killed; but after the two
witnesses of the spirit are dead, the spirit and life
will remain in vigour. {B li '1
6. Wherefore as the other two witnesses of
water and blood did last to the end of the appointed
time of their commissions, even so likewise will
the revelation of this commission last to the end of the
world ; for though the doctrine is declared as to the
substance; yet in that doctrine will revelation arise,
grow and increase, in such as hear and understand
it, to their eternal happines*, joy and glory; and
shall prevail and triumph over all forms and
72 THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING.
opinions in religion, that now totters more than ever
through its own instability.
And now Sir, are you not either blind or malicioits
or both, that would forge contradictions where there
are none; yea and to make lies, on purpose to make
truth appear infamous? so that are you not a shifter
of all shifters, and know not where to fix, or what to
say, or how to disprove it, either by Scripture or
sober reason? it is a poor shift to falsify the words of
your opponent, because you have not any thing that
seems plausible to answer.
Sir, is this your learning? pray do you believe that
book of the Revelation by St. John, to be true revela-
tion, and a part of holy Writ? if you say you do, then
why will you not give your own sentiments of so
much as one verse, and tell the meaning thereof?
and if this interpretation of theirs be not good sense,
why do you not reprove them with better?
But finding your ignorance to be such, therefore it
had been better for you to have let this book alone,
and plainly to have said, that it was sealed, and you
could not read it in its own sense. And it had been
better for.you to have let these two witnesses alone,
and all the believers of it alone ; but you were ap-
pointed to that end, that your lies arid slanders
against it may bring you to a full reward.
For this book of the Revelation by John was not
written for your edification, but for the instruction
of this last witness, and benefit of the seed of faith,
to the end of the world, as a peculiar blessing sealed
to them from heaven: and therefore by this blessing
of faith and knowledge in the Scriptures of troth,
which are now given unto us, we do from
THE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 7$
hence find, that you have no part of the blessing of
this book of the Revelation of St John, as may appear
by these seven particulars following.
As first, this commission of the spirit hath seen into
the book of life, wherein they have found the names
of the prophets, apostles, and the witnesses of the chp. 20. is.
spirit recorded there, as true commissionated messen-
gers of God ; but your name was not found there as a
minister of God: this is the first evidence of your
exclusion.
Secondly, these witnesses, and thebelievers thereof,
have looked and seen those hundred forty and four
thousand virgins that were redeemed from the earth, Cha P- M - 3 -
standing with the Lamb, their only God, on mount
Sion, singing that new song of, all praise to the Lamb :
but you not having learned that song of, all praise to
the Lamb, were not found amongst them ; but we look- C b ap . 17. 5.
ing about, have seen you in that great city, mystery & ^ 18 -
Babylon, the mother of all haiioting and blaspheming
priests; who are said by the spirit, to have the curse
of this book, for adding and taking away from it. For
you add your own imaginations to it and so from . ;
thence will make your own confounded reason to be
the judge of it; as I shewed before in chapter 2.
n\t ji ' i j j
Ihirdly, as we have seen you add your own vain .M .u
thoughts to it, so likewise have we seen you taking
away from the words of this prophesy, and the two Cha P- 11 - 2 -
witnesses thereof; for you will not suffer those last
true prophets to have any footing here, but would
thrust them out of the book of life, and thrust yourself Chap> 18< 7 .
into it.
But this commission showeth us, that God will
take away your part out of the book of life; not
that you had any there, but that you thought you
74 TtJ^.J^UGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES
had and thought your name wa,s there ; but you are
qQ,j^!%b.ook of life to be found, neither as a teacher,
nor as a true believer, as those two witnesses are ami
thje true believers thereof: we have found our names
ckap. a. s. in this book of life of the Lamb, the only and alon<*
., ^ qjd wise God, to our etprnaj. comfort, and hj^ eYerla.sting,
JSHatbJooiaiiiun( rm-il ** >n y--r':a
chap. 22. 4. A ourt " 1 ^' a al ^ > y u na . Ye f^^ier taken a,wa# frpni
& 2.'i8.'& lothis bo.ojt, j, thajt ,5(ou denied God to have any body,
18t face or shape; so that as the blessing of this book is,
tfetat^.t^^&aj^^S: fi^a.1,1 see his a,ce: sx> the curse of .ti^is
book ^'thitsucl^ as have denied him, as afo.i;es^i4
shall never see his face to their comfort. ,- hniwuotf'
fifthly, yoja ha.Te likewise ta.kea awa-y from, this
book, in that you teach, that the Alpha and Omega
Cba! V A W>did nQt die '-> but this book doth declare that the Alpha
and Omega, the first and the last did die, and shed
his blood; by which he redeemed his elect seed; so
what part can you have in this purchase, seeing you
deny that God had any blood, or offered up any life
by sheding of the same.
Sixthly, you also further add, and take away from
iri*i9?'i6?' this book of John, in that you say, that there is a God
&'! W!a .distinct from Christ : and further say that Christ Jesus
e. m. &i& j. ouj- Lord is not the sole God : but this book of John
'owns no other God at all but Jesus Christ; giving
him the titles of first and last, the Alpha and Omega,
king of kings, Go<jl, very God, true. God, great and
almighty God, and the God of all prophets : where
then should there be any other God besides Jesus
Ckristour Lord; for this divine apostle who lived
and leaned in the bosom of this Lord, knew not any
other God as is abundantly prpT/ed.
->: l ~>>.h)i''. troy if:;!; c? v mti; ynu bsrf fjovtrair
TilE MUGGLETONIAN PRINCIPLES PREVAILING. 75
Seventhly and lastly, this God the Lord Jesus, you
have renounced, his prophets you have persecuted
and belied, the true faith you have despised; for you
hare not only contradicted and despised the doctrine
of the second commission, which was the commission
of blood, but you have also, to aggravate your crime,
called the doctrine of this third and last commission,
which is the commission of the spirit (and which is
one of them three great armies that in heaven will Cha P- 19< 14t
follow the Lamb upon white horses, which is the
righteousness of faith in his blessed person: I say you
have called this commission) blasphemy, delusion,
deceit: and that it is (say you made up of impiety,
nonsense, and absurdities: and in general, calls them
mischievous principles, confusion and contradiction;
and that we are a pernicious and contemptible sect.
So that, from hence, it doth plainly appear, thatJ a i^[' 22
you have brought yourself under the judgement and
censure of that book of John, and of this commission
of the spirit, which doth so fully explain that prophe-
sy being sent to iinish the mystery of God: and now Cha P* 10 - 7 -
behold it is finished, and you have heard, and now
you will find, that power belongeth unto this God, T?c - 1 - * n -
and to this his commission of the spirit.
FINIS.
ffHywatd, Printer,
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