Part 3

I say this is that by which they can truly divine by, in that they can foretel truly what shall come to pass, according to the Knowledge of the Revelation of Faith; and this Wisdom, and Knowledge being produced by Revelation out of the Womb of the Seed of Faith, it may and is called the Spirit of God in Man, that doth teach and shew the Wisdom of God to others, so that others cometh to be taught and subjected by it, to their great Peace here, and eternal Joy hereafter.

CHAP. VI.

And this Spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge and Power, which is produced by the Revelation as aforesaid, it hath motional Voices in the Conscience, as the Familiar Spirit hath in the evil Conscience; but the motional Voices in a good Conscience speaketh Peace. Likewise this motional Voice in Prophets, High-Priests, Apostles, and others, is that by which they do foretel Things by, whether it be good or bad, that shall befal those that shall enquire.

Also the Spirit of Revelation hath a standing Rule to enquire by, as those have that doth tell Things by a Familiar Spirit, as I said before; for the Witches doth imitate the way of the Prophets, and the Devil's Way is as like God's Way as he can.

Now let the Reader mind, and he may see how Men have enquired of the Lord by motional Voices in the Mind, by that Spirit of Faith which is gotten by Revelation, which is called the Spirit of God.

In the Time of the Law of Moses, the Ephod was a standing Rule, for to enquire of God for good or bad Success. Now there was no Man could tell what the Event would be that looked upon the Ephod, but such Men as had the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy in them; as David and the High Priest, as soon as ever they looked upon the Ephod, they could tell whether they should prosper in Battle or not; but if any other Man which had not the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy should look upon the Ephod, they could tell nothing by it.

Though the Ephod was appointed of God, on purpose to enquire of God, yet none could find out God's Mind, but such Men aforesaid; for as soon as ever David or the High-Priest looked upon the Ephod, they could tell what the Event would be, as may be seen, 1 Sam. xxiii. 6, 9. how David called for the Ephod and Abiathar the Priest to bring it to enquire of the Lord.

Yet God never spake to them by Voice, yet they had motional Voices in themselves in their Hearts, assuring them that they prosper or not prosper; yet God never appeared himself, nor any Angel, neither did God speak by any Voice, yet they are bid to go and prosper, as if they had heard some Voice by looking upon the Ephod, so that those Voices that bid them go and prosper, they were motional Voices that did arise from the Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy within them by that Skill they had in the Ephod, which was appointed of God for that Purpose. So that all David's Voices, and the High-Priest Voices, that were motional Voices, yet called the Voice of God, because they did arise from the Seed of Faith in David and others, which is the Divine Nature of God, therefore called the Spirit of God.

For this I say, if Saul had not lost that Spirit of Prophecy by his Disobedience, as he once had, when the good Spirit departed from him, he might have enquired of the Ephod, and have been answered with a motional Voice by the Ephod, as he was by enquiring of a Witch.

For the Spirit of Samuel did speak no more to Saul, then the Spirit of God did speak to David, they were both motional Voices that did arise from their two Seeds the one Voice spake Peace and Deliverance, and the other spake Wrath and Destruction; the one did enquire in the Way that God did appoint, even of the Ephod, or of the Lord's Prophets; the other did enquire of that which was forbidden, and forsook the Lord and his Prophets, and went to a Witch to enquire: It was because one was the Seed of Adam, which is the Seed of God, and so chosen of God in Mercy, even David; and the other was the Seed of the Serpent, even the Devil, who was chosen King in God's Wrath even Saul.

This is the true Interpretation of those Voices that Samuel spake to Saul, and of his being raised by the Witch of Endor.

Therefore you that can understand these things as aforementioned, you may see how the whole World lieth in Darkness, and are cheated of their Sense and Reason by this lying and vain Imagination, to believe that Spirits can be without Bodies, or that Spirits can be raised without Bodies, or that Spirits can speak without Bodies, or that Spirits departed can assume any Shapes afterwards; these Things and many more are produced by the dark Imagination of the Heart of Man: And if the Reader hath any true Light of Faith in him, he may understand the Interpretation I have given of the Witch of Endor, and how a Familiar Spirit is produced or begotten in them, and be satisfied in his Mind as to that Matter; so much concerning those Words in Samuel aforementioned.

CHAP. VII.

Again, it is said, Isa. viii. 29. the Prophet speaking there to unbelieving Israelites that did not believe the Word of the Lord through the Prophets Mouths, concerning the Destruction that should come upon Israel; this Judgment did the Lord threaten by the Mouth of his Prophet Isaiah to bring upon Israel for their Unbelief; and this Prophet seeing the People would not hearken unto the Voice of the Lord's Prophets, nor inquire of them, but altogether persecuted them as false Prophets, Deceivers and Liers, and the Inclination of their Hearts was more willing and desirous to enquire of a Witch or Wizard, who had a Familiar Spirit then of the Prophet of the Lord, as you may see Chapter and Verse above-written; the Words are these as followeth.

And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have Familiar Spirits, and unto Wizards that peep and that mutter, should not a People seek unto their God for the living to the dead. The Meaning of these Words is this, that unbelieving Men do think and believe that Witches and Wizards who hath a Familiar Spirit, can rise out of the Ground where dead Men were buried, living Spirits without Bodies that can reveal Things unto them, by that motional Voice that doth proceed from these Familiar Spirits, which doth peep and mutter.

That is, the Whisperings that proceeds from this Familiar Spirit, that is begotten by the Imagination of Reason the Father, and the Seed of Reason the Mother, as I said before, is that motional Voice all Witches and Wizards have, whereby they peep and mutter in themselves, as if they did hear Voices and see Shapes, and living Spirits arise out of the Ground, as the Witch of Endor said to King Saul, She saw Gods ascend out of the earth. When as there was no Spirit nor Shape came out of the Ground, at all; but the Gods she saw ascend out of the Earth came out of her own Imagination, even that Familiar Spirit begotten in her, it seemed unto her as if it did ascend out of the Earth, but those Gods she said she saw ascend out of the Earth, they ascended out of her own Imagination, and Saul believed her, and so was Partakers with her, and he did believe that she had raised Samuel's Spirit out of the Earth, as the Witch had said.

And this is to be minded by the Reader, that when Spirits are to be raised by Witches, her Familiar Spirit always ariseth out of her own self, even from the Seed of Reason and Imagination of her own Heart, whereby she doth hear Voices within her, whispering low Voices, as if some other Spirits without her did spake with a low Voice unto her, and present Shapes unto her dazled Eyes, which seemeth to the Witch to be real Voices of a Spirit without her, and a real Shape without her; when as in Deed and in Truth, it ariseth out of her own self, even from the Seed of Reason, and Imagination of her own Heart, whereby she doth hear Voices within her, whispering low Voices, as if some other Spirit without her did speak with a low Voice to her, and present Shapes to her dazled Eyes, which seemeth to the Witch to be a real Voice of a Spirit without her, and a real Shape without her, when as in Deed and in Truth it is nothing else but a motional Voice begotten in her self, and Shapes begotten in her self, by the Imagination in the Womb of Reason as aforesaid, which is that Familiar Spirit.

Which is that Familiar Spirit she doth deal with, she thinking it is from some Spirit without her, she not knowing it is begotten in her; and this Familiar Spirit begotten in her, it whispers within her with a low motional Voice, as if some Spirit did whisper out of the Ground. According to that saying of the Prophet, Isa. xxix. 4. concerning the Destruction or Judgment of God upon Jerusalem; the Words are these, And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the Ground, and thy Speech shall be low out of the Dust, and thy Voice shall be as one that hath a Familiar Spirit out of the Ground, and thy Speech shall whisper out of the Dust.

As if the Prophet should say, Seeing you have refused to hearken to the Voice of the Prophets, which hath declared the Mind of the God of Israel openly with a loud Voice; you have heard them speak plain Words with your Ears, but you have not believed they spoke Truth unto you; therefore you have rejected the Word of the Lord by his Prophets, and have persecuted and slain some of them as false Prophets, because they spake unto you in the Name of the Lord, as it was revealed by the Spirit of Revelation in them.

They spake plain Words unto you, as might be heard to the outward Ear by the Standers-by; they were visible Men that spake unto you, so that you need not to enquire after any that hath a Familiar Spirit, who speaketh so softly and so low, that no Standers-by can hear this Familiar Spirit speak, but he or she that hath it.

But as for plain Words openly declared by the Prophets, and publickly heard by the outward Ear, these you have rejected, despised, persecuted, and counted them Liars, Deceivers, false Prophets, and such like: Therefore God hath given you over to strong Delusions, to enquire of a Witch, who makes you believe that Spirits may be raised out of the Ground, and that Spirits do come out of the Dust, and whisper to the Witch with a low Voice, that none can hear but her self. So that those that enquire do believe as King Saul did, that a Familiar Spirit can enter into the Dust or Ground, and bring up another Man's Spirit that is dead without its Body, and so their two Spirits whisper so low together, that none can hear that stands by, nor tell what this Spirit that is raised did say, nor whether the Spirit so raised is gone into the Body again, or into the Ground from whence the Witch said it was raised; which Spirit that is said to be raised, or said to speak out of the Ground, I say, it was raised out of the Witches own Body, and no where else; and those low Voices and Whisperings were both within her, and not without her.

CHAP. VIII.

Now how a Man may be said to be brought down, and shall speak out of the Ground, and their Speech shall be low out of the Dust: The Meaning is, when a particular Man or Woman, or a People or Nation, be in the same Distress and Condition as King Saul was; that is, in Danger of loosing his Crown and Kingdom, his natural Life; and not only so, but his Soul is tormented with the Fear of eternal Death; this maketh the Heart of Man to melt in him; it makes his Speech to grow weak and feeble, so that his Speech can hardly be heard; it is even as if a Man did speak out of Death, or out of the Ground.

A Man with the Extremity of outward and inward Trouble, he becomes Speechless, yet he speaks in his Thoughts, but so low, that none that stands by can hear or tell what he saith. This many can experience, that have seen their Friend or Relation in this Condition; this is like speaking out of the Ground, and low out of the Dust. And the Voice of every such troubled Soul, who hath the Plagues of this Life, and the Horror of Conscience as to the Life to come, as King Saul had the Voice such People have, is as one that hath a Familiar Spirit out of the Ground, and their Speech shall be as if one did whisper out of the Dust.

This Place of Scripture hath the same Meaning as the Place before-mentioned, Isa. viii. 19. where such as King Saul was, are bade to seek unto them that have Familiar Spirits, and unto Wizards, that peep and mutter, (that is) that whisper out of the Ground; for whisper, peep, and mutter, signifies all one Thing.

These Things did Manasseh, 2 Kings xxi. 6. he dealt with Familiar Spirits, and did great Abominations; he made his Sons to pass thorough the Fire, in offering them up a Sacrifice to an unknown Devil, which he thought was God; and this he did by the Whisperings of the Familiar Spirit within him, and being acquainted with others, who were known to have Familiar Spirits also. And so did several other Kings of Israel deal with Familiar Spirits, and had those low whispering Voices in themselves, as if Spirits had risen out of the Ground, or from the Dust to speak unto them; and this they did attain unto by Industry, in that they forsook the Words of the Prophets, and would not hearken unto them, but gave themselves up to follow the Imaginations of their own Hearts; imagining they might as well know God, and what Worship would please God as well as the Prophets; therefore why should we, being Kings, hearken unto such mean inferiour Men as these? May not we by our Familiar Spirit as well know God, and what Worship will please him by our Familiar Spirit, as the Prophets do by the Spirit of Prophecy? Why should we be in such Bondage, that we can do nothing but what they say, the Lord commands us to do? So the Imagination saith, Come, we will not be tied up thus; we will see what our Familiar Spirit begotten in us will do; we will erect and build Altars in several Places, and sacrifice Bullocks and Lambs to an unknown God; and so by this Means they procure in themselves low motional Voices, which whisper in themselves, which becomes in them a Familiar Spirit, is produced in themselves: And there is a more Increase of low motional Voices, which doth whisper in the Mind, moving them to a further Degree of Knowledge, and endeavour after more Voices, so that to attain to this diabolical Wisdom in a more high Measure. They are moved by this low Voice within them to offer up their own Children in Sacrifices to their imaginary God, which they believe is an invisible Spirit without a Body, which reveals these Things unto them, and whispers and speaks those Voices unto them.

They count nothing too dear for this their imaginary God, no not their own Sons and Daughters, as Manasseh and others did, that made their Sons and Daughters pass through the Fire as a Sacrifice to their imaginary God, that had spoke so many Voices to them, and had whispered to them.

But all these Whisperings and low Voices, and peeping of Spirits out of the Ground, as they thought, I say, they were all within them; for when they came in any Trouble, their Familiar Spirit departs from them, and will not comfort them any more, let it be either in Poor or Rich, nay, Kings that have dealt with Familiar Spirits, when they have been in Trouble, all their comfort hath been lost, as the poorest Witch that is, as may be seen by Manasseh and other King spoken of in the Scripture.