Part 4

Now observe, when God doth bring upon a People, Nation, or particular Person, some great Judgment and Destruction, let it be either outward or inward in the Mind, when it comes upon a People, Nation, or particular Person, for their Sins and Wickedness they have committed, in forsaking the Lord's Prophets, and dealing with Witches and Familiar Spirits; as Saul forsook the Lord and went to a Witch, and Manasseh, and several other Kings of Israel, who ought only to have obeyed the Prophets of the Lord; but they forsook him, and enquired of Witches and Wizards, and dealt with Familiar Spirits themselves, and caused the People to worship the Devil (whom they imagined to be God) instead of the true God, whom the Prophets would have had them to worship.

But when this Punishment for Sin is inflicted upon a People, Nation, or particular Person, for dealing with Familiar Spirits, and worshipping of Devils; when Punishment comes, it makes the Heart or Hearts to fail, for the Spirit is brought down by this Judgment even to Death, and so goeth to the Ground; so that the very Fear, Trouble, and Sorrow of Heart, shall speak as it were out of the Dust, or out of Death; for Sin will speak out of the Ground, and the Speech of Death will be low in them that have escaped the Destruction which others did go through; for there will be a Resemblance in those that have escaped, how their Friends and Relations are fallen to the Ground or Dust of the Earth for their Wickedness, so that Sorrow and Grief will speak in the Mind of those that have escaped with a low Speech, even as one doth who hath a Familiar Spirit. Or as if their Friends and Relations, the Remembrance of their Destruction being taken away in Wrath for Sin, it speaks a small low Voice of Grief and Sorrow in the Heart of those that are alive, even as one that hath a Familiar Spirit, even a low motional Voice of Sorrow and Grief, and it cometh as it were out of the Ground, or out of the Dust.

That is the very Influence of Grief and Sorrow, for their dead Friends and People; it causeth, where Grief is, to hear as it were low Voices and small Speeches, even out of the Ground or out of the Dust of the Earth: Just as it was with Cain in another Case, the Lord said to Cain, Thy Brother's Blood crieth from the Ground for Vengeance; and so the Blood of those that were slain under the Altar did from the Ground cry for Vengeance, as in Rev. vi. 10. it crieth for Vengeance in the Consciences of all bloody Persecutors. So in like Manner doth the Death and Destruction of a People, who are destroyed for wicked Idolatry, as those were the Prophet Isaiah speaketh of, they spake from the Ground a low Speech in the Conscience of those that were concerned, Grief, Sorrow, and Fear of the same Punishment, and such like.

CHAP. IX.

For where Grief and Sorrow is rooted and settled in the Heart, it speaketh with low motional Voices in the Mind; that is, the thought of Fear in the Mind, both of temporal Losses and the Loss of eternal Peace. The Fear moves to and fro in that Mind, as if it were a Speech out of the Ground; for the Thoughts of the Heart are low Voices which cannot be heard by any but themselves.

So is it with those that have a Familiar Spirit, their Voices and Speech they hear from Spirits without them, as if Spirits did speak to them out of the Ground: Which Speech they say they hear, is nothing else but the Thoughts that pass to and fro in their own Minds, a low motional Voice in themselves, as if Spirits did speak to them with a low Voice out of the Ground, or out of the Dust. For their Faith is strong, and above all those that come to enquire of a Witch, they do all believe that Spirits may be raised without Bodies out of the Ground, as the Witch doth; so they both do believe, that the Spirit came out of the Ground that spake those low Voices to the Witch, and she tells it to the other that enquire of her, and they believe her as King Saul did.

So they are wholly departed from the Lord, and believe a Lye, to think that Spirits can be raised out of the Ground without Bodies after Men have been dead; it is a Thing God never did; we never read in Scripture, that God or his Prophets did ever raise any Spirits out of the Ground without Bodies after they were dead; but we read in Scripture, that God and his Prophets have raised some from the dead with Bodies, as that of Lazarus being raised out of the Ground by Christ, and the Child that was raised from Death by the Prophet Elijah, and another Child raised from Death to Life by the Prophet Elisha, and several others come forth out of the Ground at the rising again of Christ from Death, as those Saints that did arise out of the Graves, and appeared to many that were alive; these all did arise out of the Graves with Bodies after they were dead, and Lazarus came forth out of the Ground after he was dead, but his Spirit came not out of the Ground without his Body, but Body and Soul came out of the Ground together.

For it was always God's Practice to raise Soul and Body together; and because the Imagination of Reason in those that have a Familiar Spirit cannot do so, nor those that enquire of them, therefore they do imagine that Spirit may be raised out of the Ground without Bodies, or assume a Shape and appear like a Body, yet it shall be of no Substance, a Shape that can neither be felt nor handled by the Hand of Man.

Now mind, all those God doth raise out of the Ground after they were dead, they may be handled and felt, though they be Spiritual Bodies, yet they may be felt and handled, as Christ said to Thomas, Feel me and handle me, after he was risen from the dead, and Thomas laid his Fingers in the Print of the Nails, and on his Side. Yet Christ was at that time a Spiritual Body that was risen from the Dead, that might be felt and handled, and not a Spirit without a Body, as most People do vainly imagine that Spirits may be raised without Bodies.

And as for that Lazarus and others, that were raised by the Power of God out of the Ground after they had been dead, they had Bodies as well as Spirits that might be seen with natural Eyes, and handled and felt with natural Hands. So that God's Power in raising the Dead, it is no Cheat; the Creature is not cheated nor deceived, but is fully satisfied in his Mind.

But for a Familiar Spirit to say or tell People, they do or can raise Spirits out of the Ground in such a Shape without a Body or bodily Substance; or shall say, they hear Voices from this Spirit so raised, is a mere Cheat to the Ignorant and Unbelieving, and leads them into the Pit of Darkness, and makes them fear where no Fear is, and are afraid of their own Shadows; for it is the Nature of Reason the Devil to imagine, that this way of raising of Spirits without Bodies, to be of a more high Nature then to raise Spirit and Body together, as God doth; and the Imagination doth conceive it a more greater Power, to raise Spirits without Bodies out of the Dust of the Ground, than it is to raise Spirit and Body together, as Christ did; for Christ always raised Spirit and Body together, as the Scriptures do testify.

For the Reason in Man doth send forth the Imagination of the Heart, the unclean Spirit in Man walking through dry Places, seeking rest but can find none; the ignorant dark Thoughts of the Imagination goeth out of a Man, to enquire of one that hath a Familiar Spirit, seeking rest but can find none, as King Saul did: For the Imagination of the Heart being continually Evil, it always walketh through dry Places, where no matter of Life is to be had, to quench the Thirst of Sin or a defiled Conscience; neither can the Thoughts of Imagination be satisfied with what a Witch or a Familiar saith; therefore called dry Places: They may be called dry, because the Heart is never satisfied with what a Witch saith, for she always saith a Lie.

To tell a Man or Woman, that she doth or can raise Spirits out of the Ground without Bodies, as the Witch of Endor did to King Saul, or that she did hear any low Voice or Speech of Samuel out of the Ground, as she told the King; I say, she did but cheat the King, and made him believe she had raised Samuel, and had heard him speak to her with a low Speech out of the Ground, which had revealed unto her what sad Things would befal the King: so he believing her Words, his Spirit fainted, so that no Strength was in him; when as in Deed and in Truth, that Samuel she said she saw arise out of the Earth, he did arise out of her own Heart; and that low Speech she said Samuel spake, it was all in her self by the Motions of the Familiar Spirit begotten in her. And King Saul believing her, being Partaker of her Faith, Samuel spake a low motional Voice or Speech in him also, he believing it was Samuel spake out of the Earth, but it was nothing else but the Voice of his own guilty Conscience within himself, as it was the Voice her Familiar Spirit in her self that spake as aforesaid.

So that the Meaning of the Prophet Isaiah, Chap. xxix. 4. concerning the Destruction of Jerusalem, that Grief and Sorrow of Heart should speak in themselves; as if the Speech came put of the Ground, because they saw in themselves nothing but Death and Destruction did approach, and was like to follow upon them all, fearing they should all be destroyed by their Enemies, and slain and fall to the Ground: So that Fear of Heart of Destruction, it spake a low Speech in every Man's Heart, even as if it spake out of the Ground, or as one that hath a Familiar Spirit; for it is the Nature of a Familiar Spirit to speak as if the Speech did proceed from the Earth, and the Speech doth seem to the Witch, and those that enquire of her, to whisper out of the Dust: When as the Speech cometh not out of the Ground, neither doth it whisper out of the Dust, as is imagined by most People, because Ignorance and Darkness hath overspread the Minds of most People in the World. But that low Speech the Familiar Spirit speaks or whispers, it is out of her own Heart, even that Wisdom begotten by the Imagination in her own Thoughts, that speaks as aforesaid, and no Spirit without her, as hath vainly been imagined.

So likewise the People of the Jews, the Fear, Grief, and Sorrow of Heart, being begotten in them for such like Sins, as that of Witchcraft, Idolatry, dealing with Familiar Spirits, causing their Sons and Daughters to pass through the Fire as burnt Offerings and Sacrifices unto Devils, which they supposed to be Gods; these Things caused their Hearts to fail and faint, and their Thoughts were troubled within themselves, which causeth their Speech to grow weak and low within them, even as if some Familiar did speak out of the Ground, or whisper out of the Dust, Fear, Grief, and Sorrow of Heart: But all come out of their own grieved Hearts, who were punished for their Sins; and not out of the natural Ground or natural Dust, as People do vainly imagine. This is the true Meaning of the Prophet's Words, and how Familiar Spirits may be said to speak out of the Ground, and whisper out of the Dust.

CHAP. X.

Again, it hath been objected by many, that Spirits may be raised without Bodies, and that Spirits may be talked with after they have been dead and buried; and that Spirits have appeared in a Shape to several People, yet this Spirit so appearing hath no Body nor Substance at all, neither can it be felt or handled by mortal Man, nor no immortal Creature neither: this is the vain Conceit of most People.

But to satisfy the Reader in this, I declare, that there is no immortal Spirit whatsoever, but it hath a Spiritual Body suitable to its Spirit; if the Spirit be immortal, the Body is immortal also: For this I say, no Spirit can have any Being at all without a Body, no not God himself, who was from Eternity; his Spirit could not be from Eternity without a Spiritual Body, in Form like Man; they were both from Eternity, and the one was never divided nor separated from the other, but they were both Eternal. And further I declare, that God was a Spiritual Body from Eternity, in Form like a Man; therefore God created Man in his own Image and Likeness. Now observe, if Man hath a Body suitable to his Spirit, so hath God a Body suitable to his Spirit, else Man was not created in his Image, if God hath never a Body, but is all Spirit, as People do vainly imagine. For this I know, that God was Spirit and Body, in Form like a Man, from Eternity, and his Spirit was never divided nor separated from his Body, but they were both Eternal.

So likewise is it with Angels and Men, and all other Creatures; where-ever the Spirit of Life is, there is Bodies of Life also; let it be either in Spiritual Bodies, or in Natural Bodies. For if the Body of either of these be dead, the Spirit is dead also; and if the Spirit be dead either in Spiritual Body or Natural Body, the Body is dead also: For the one cannot have any sensible Being without the other. And further I say, that they were both together Spirit and Body from Eternity in God the Creator, and he hath ordered and created all his Creatures, both celestial and terrestrial, that Spirit and Body should be one living Being, and that one should not subsist nor have no sensible being without the other: Even as God himself could not enjoy no sensible Living being without a Body, he knowing this in himself.

Therefore he created all his Creatures Spiritual and Natural, with Bodies suitable to their Spirits, and Spirits suitable to their Bodies, so that one might not be divided nor separated from the other; for if one dieth, the other dieth; and if the Spirit live, the Body liveth also. For this I say, that if the Spirit of God himself could not be without a Body from Eternity, how then is it possible that his Creatures should have Spirits without Bodies, seeing he himself his Spirit could not have any Being without his Body from Eternity.

But this Conceit, that the Spirit or Soul of Man is immortal, and cannot die, and may have a Being without a Body, and appear in a Shape without any Substance; this vain Conceit proceeded first from the Imagination of Reason in Man, even from Cain, the first Devil in Flesh and Bone. And this Imagination in Cain his Posterity, being Heathen Men, who had no Communion with God, nor Revelation of Faith, as the Sons of Adam and the Sons, of Seth, the Generation of the Righteous, had; they knew that the Spirit and Body was all one Substance.

But the Imagination of Reason, Cain his Posterity, the Heathen Opinion, do imagine the Spirit of Man to be immortal, and cannot die; and that Spirits may appear in Shapes without Bodies; and that Spirits may go out of the Body, and go to Heaven or Hell and leave the Body to be laid in the Ground, as the Quakers and others do.

And this Imagination of Reason in Man hath created to it self a new Creation, which God never created. Man hath created and made in his Imagination a Spirit without a Body, and that this Spirit so created is immortal, and cannot die, nor is not capable of Death, that it can slip out of the Body, and that it can have a Being when it is gone out of the Body, and appear in a Shape without Substance or hath Power to assume what Shape it please, and yet this Shape, it doth assume, shall have no Substance yet it shall appear in a Shape and fright People.

And the Imagination of Reason in Man hath created Man in his own Image and Likeness, as God did Adam: As thus, First, he hath conceived in his Imagination, that God is a Spirit without a Body. Secondly, he conceiveth in his Imagination that the Devil is a Spirit flying in the Air, which can neither be seen nor felt; yet this Devil or Spirit without a Body doth tempt Man to Evil, whereby Man is punished, and the Tempter he is escaped away without Punishment.

Also it is conceived by the Imagination, that this Devil or Spirit is in Hell-fire, and in Chains of Darkness, and can go no further then God will permit him, because his Chain is no longer then God hath limited him.

Also it is conceived in the Imagination, notwithstanding the Devil is chained, and in Hell-fire tormented, yet he being a Spirit without a Body, he is so swift that he can be in all Places at one Time, so that he can tempt thousands of Men and Women to sin at one and the same Time, and they themselves never the wiser, nor know him when he tempted them. All this the imaginary Devil can do, and much more; and yet be in Hell fire, and tied in a Chain at the same Time, and all but one Devil, a Spirit without a Body.

Also the Imagination hath conceived that the Soul of Man is a Spirit infused or put into the Body by God himself, and that Man begets the Body, but not the Soul or Life of Man, that is conceived to be immortal, or a Spirit that is so invisible, that cannot be seen nor known what it is, and that it can live of it self when it is gone out of the Body.

Thus the Imagination of Reason the Devil, hath created its own Soul in its own Image and Likeness; and this hath been the Occasion of producing of Familiar Spirits, and of dealing with those that have a Familiar Spirit, being conformed to the very Image of the Devil. Many Things more of the like Nature might be said in this Point.