Part 5

But here the Reader may see if there be any true Light of Faith in him, how the Imagination of Reason in Man hath created Spirits without Bodies, and that the Devil is a Body-less Spirit, and in Hell-fire, and in a Chain of Darkness, and yet at Liberty at the same time to tempt People; and in Hell-fire, and yet out of the Fire when he pleaseth; and that he may be called out of Hell, or out of the Ground, when a Witch by her Familiar Spirit doth call; and that he shall appear in any Shape they will have him, yet he shall have no Body nor Substance, but a mere Shadow; yet this Shadow shall speak with a low Voice or Speech out of the Ground; as if Speech could proceed from a Shadow without Substance.

So that the Imagination of the Heart of Man hath created to it self a Devil, that God never created; and the Imagination of Man's Heart hath created his own Soul in the Image and Likeness of the Devil, that is to say, a Spirit without a Body; and that a Spirit without a Body may be capable of Joy or Sorrow; and that a Spirit may subsist and have a being in Joy or Sorrow without a Body, which Thing is impossible.

But observe the Creation that the Imagination of Man hath created to himself; for it is the Nature of Imagination of Reason the Devil, he always creates Spirits without Bodies, but God the Creator he always creates Spirits and Bodies together, for God never created any Spirit without a Body; for when God made Man after his own Image and Likeness, he made him with a Body as well as a Spirit, else Man could not be made in the Image and Likeness of God, if God had a Body of his own as well as a Spirit.

So that Adam was made or created in the Image and Likeness of God; for Adam had a visible Body and Spirit, undivided and unseparable one from the other; they were but one visible sensible Being, and when the Life was dead the Body was dead, and when the Body is really dead, the Spirit and Life was and is dead also; and both are laid in the Ground together, as is declared in all our Writings, but more especially in that Book entituled, The Mortality of the Soul.

CHAP. XI.

Also I do further declare, that God did never create any Spirit without a Body, neither of Angels, nor Men, nor no other Creature, neither in Heaven above, nor in the Earth beneath, nor the Waters under the Earth. There is no Spirit or Life whatsoever that is created of God, but it hath a Body to that Life or Spirit; but if a Spirit have any Being without a Body, that Spirit is none of God's Creation; for God never created any Spirit whatsoever without a Body, as I said before.

But the Imagination of Reason in Man, which is the Devil, hath created all Creatures in the Imagination to have Spirits without Bodies, both of Angels above and Man here on Earth, and all Creatures upon the Earth, and in the Waters, that have the Breath of Life, the Imagination of Reason saith, their Spirits may subsist without Bodies, or go out of those Bodies they have, and enter into other Bodies, and appear in the Shape of a Body, and yet be of no Substance: so that the Devil's Creation is all of Spirits without Bodies, and God's Creation is all with Bodies and Spirits together.

And this Darkness hath overspread the Nature of Man all the World over, which is the Occasion of that Opinion of Houses and Places being haunted with evil Spirits, and Spirits walking without Bodies, and dealing with Familiar Spirits, that peep, and mutter, and whisper as it were out of the Ground. These Things and many more are produced by the Imagination of the Heart of Man, for the Imagination of Man's Heart is evil, and continually evil; for it hath given a Being to Spirits without Bodies, to fright it self to that which hath no Being of it self.

For I declare and perfectly know, that there is no such Thing as Spirits to walk without Bodies, nor assume any Shape after Death, nor be raised out of the Ground by any Witch or any Familiar Spirit whatsoever; it is all produced out of the dark Imagination of the Heart, where Ignorance beareth Rule, for there is no such Thing can be presented but to the Ignorant and dark minded People.

Thus I have given the Reader to understand something more concerning the Power of Witches, and how they may be said to raise Spirits out of the Ground, and from whence that low Speech doth come, with those Scriptures opened that speak as if a Familiar Spirit did hear whispering out of the Dust.

Also I have given the Interpretation of that in Samuel concerning the Witch of Endor, and those Places of Scripture in Isaiah; these Places are the most concerning Spirits being raised without Bodies, of any in the Scriptures; but there have been some other Places of Scriptures, that do seem to carry a shew as if Spirits might rise again without Bodies, and I have been desired by some to open those Scriptures that seem to tend to that Purpose, though the common and general Objection amongst all People is, that of the Witch of Endor and King Saul, which I have opened before; yet for the further Satisfaction of the Reader, I shall open and interprete the other Places objected, that seem to tend to the same thing.

The Places of Scripture are three; the first is Isa. lxi. 1. the Words are these, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek: He hath sent me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound----So Luke iv. 18. the Words in Luke are much to the same Purpose, and little Difference; only that which Isaiah did prophesy of, it was fulfilled by Christ in his time----So the first Epistle of Peter, Chap. iii. and 18, 19, 20. Verses; the Words are these, For Christ also hath once suffered for Sin, the Just for the Unjust; that he might bring us to God, being put to Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Verse 19. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison: Verse 20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in the Days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few (that is) eight Souls were saved by Water.

CHAP. XII.

As for that Saying of the Prophet Isaiah, it was a Prophecy of Christ, that he should be anointed to preach Glad-tidings, unto the Meek, and that he was sent to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound. This Prophecy was fulfilled when he was upon Earth, as may plainly appear by those Words in Luke aforementioned.

Also the Reader may understand, that these Places of Scripture have no Relation at all to the raising of Spirits without Bodies; nor of Spirits being in Prison, nor delivered out of Prison by the Power of Christ without Bodies.

But the Meaning is this, that the Spirit of the Lord Almighty was upon Christ, and in him, and did anoint him to preach Glad-tidings of Salvation to the Meek in Heart, who did believe in him and trusted in his Words; all such as were broken-hearted, who were led Captive by the Error, Ignorance, and Darkness of the Mind; he came to proclaim Liberty to the Spirit of Man, who was in Captivity; and to open the Prison-door of Mens Hearts.

For this I say, all Mens Spirits by Nature are shut up in the Prison of Spiritual Darkness in the Mind, and are lead Captive by the Ignorance of Truth; so that the Spirit or Soul of Man is shut up a Prisoner in the Body of Man, until the true God and Saviour hath been preached to them, as it was by Christ himself, when on Earth he was anointed to preach Glad-tidings of Salvation; and he anointed his Apostles to preach Glad-tidings of Peace to Men, and to open the Prison, and to deliver the Captive out of Captivity, and to set the Spirits of many that were in a Prison of Darkness in their own Minds go free: This Prophecy was fulfilled at that Time by Christ and his Apostles in their Commission.

But the same Captivity and Prison of Darkness is now upon the Spirits of all Men, as it was at that Time: For this I say, and many People can Witness, that their Spirits have been shut up Prisoners in Spiritual Darkness in their own Bodies, until the true God the Saviour hath been preached unto them by his last Messengers.

For this I declare, that those Words of the Prophet Isaiah, they were spoken with Relation to a Spiritual Liberty, and to a Spiritual Captivity, of the Mind or Spirit of Man, and not to a Natural Captivity. Neither was it meant the opening of the natural Prison Doors, to them that were bound by the Powers of the Nations; but the Doors of Mens Hearts were opened at the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, in that Light, and Life, and Salvation was preached unto them, that whoever Believed that this Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of the World, should be saved and delivered from the Fear of Eternal Death: So that the Soul of Man that was lead Captive into Prison, and bound in Chains of Darkness, and strong Doors lockt fast to keep the Spirit of Men in Prison, by the Works of the Law, and the Expounders of the Law before Christ came, the Spirit of Reason in them did lead the Generality of People their Spirits into Spiritual Captivity, and shut them up in Prison, and tied their Spirits up in the Observation of the Ceremonial Law of Moses.

Which was as Chains of Darkness: and not only so, but shut the Door of Hope upon them, so that there was no Hope to be saved in them, but by observing the Law aforesaid, which Paul calls beggarly Rudiments, Gal. iii. So that this Spiritual Captivity and being bound in Prison, and the Doors being shut, it was the Spirits of People that were Captives and Prisoners in their own Bodies, kept by the Legal and Ceremonial Righteousness of the Law of Moses; and when Christ came to preach, and to give Power to his Apostles to preach the Gospel of Truth, both to Jew and Gentile, then was the Door of Hope opened in People's Hearts, and many that were bound in Prison, whose Spirits were led Captive, they were set at Liberty from that Bondage of the Ceremonial Law, wherein they were bound, and brought out of that Prison of Darkness in the Mind, into the glorious Light and Life of Faith, by the preaching of Christ and his Apostles.

Then was this Prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled in the Apostles Commission; then was Liberty preached to the Spirits of many that were bound and in Prison in their own Minds, the Word of Faith preached unto them, it opened a Door of Hope of Deliverance from the Bondage of the Law as aforesaid, wherewith they were bound; so that by Faith they had in Christ, their Chains fell off their Feet, and Darkness of their Understanding; so that they were at perfect Liberty, and delivered out of Prison, and the Prison-Door of Hope in Christ being opened, all true Believers in Christ were set at Liberty, free from Captivity, and out of that Spiritual Prison of Darkness into the glorious Liberty of the Sons and Daughters of God for ever and ever.

So is it now in this Commission of the Spirit, we the Witnesses of the Spirit have preached Glad-tidings of Salvation, and have opened the Prison-Doors of Mens Hearts, and have let many out of that Spiritual Prison, that were bound to the Righteousness set up by the Imagination of Reason now in these last Days, who were led Captive by their own Traditions, and kept in Prison in their own Bodies for many Years; but by the Declaration of Truth in all our Writings and our Speakings, many People have been delivered out of Captivity and out of Prison, their Spirits have been let loose out of the Chains of Darkness, because the Door of their Hearts hath been opened by the Word of Faith in the true God, which we have preached and written; this many can witness at this Day the Truth of it. So that now that Scripture is fulfilled again these last days; and this is the true Meaning of the Prophet Isaiah, in those Words concerning opening the Prison, and giving Liberty to the Captives that were imprisoned in their own Bodies by the Conceptions of the Imaginations of their own Hearts.

So that there is not the least Colour or Ground from those Words, for the Reason of Man to think that Spirits may be let out of Prison without Bodies, or that the Spirit of Christ did Preach to any Spirit in Prison without his Body.

CHAP. XIII.

And as for those Words of Peter aforenamed, where he saith, Christ was put to Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison, which sometime were Disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in the Days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, &c.

The Meaning of those Words are as followeth; that Christ was put to Death in the Body of his own Flesh, this is confessed by most People that profess the Scriptures of Truth, but very few do truly believe, that the Soul or Spirit of Christ did die, or was put to Death at all, notwithstanding the Scripture saith, that He poured out his Soul unto Death; and he himself saith, His Soul was heavy unto Death. Therefore that the Reader may understand what is meant in that Christ was put to Death in the Flesh but quickened by the Spirit; mind,

I declare, that it was the Soul or Spirit of Christ, which was the Godhead-life that dwelt in that Body of Flesh and Bone of Christ; for, as the Scripture saith, In him all the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt Bodily: And this Godhead-life that dwelt in the Body of Christ's Flesh, it was put to Death in the Body of Christ's Flesh, and the same Godhead-life that was put to Death in the Body of his Flesh. And when Christ's Body was crucified upon the Cross, then was the Soul and Life of Christ, or the Godhead-life did die, and was put to Death in that Flesh of Christ; for that Flesh of Christ was God become Flesh, as the Scripture saith; and the Soul and Life of Christ was the Soul and Life of God. And,

When Christ poured out his Soul unto Death, it was the Godhead Life that was poured out unto Death; so that the Godhead Spirit was put to Death, and did die in the Flesh of Christ when he was Crucified. But this Godhead Life which was put to Death in the Flesh of Christ, it quicken'd again where it was put to Death, even in the same Flesh where it was put to Death. And in its quickening again, it raised the same Flesh again, and so spiritualized the same Flesh that suffered, and made it uncapable to suffer Death any more.