not been wanting unto me and my fpiritual Companion Lodowick Muggleton, both from the Strong and the Weak.

4. Among the reft, not many Months paft, a Friend of mine being fomewhat troubled in Mind, was moved to propound these high Queries.

Whether any Creature was formed of purpose for eternal Sufferings.

Or whether it would not have been as advantageous for the Creator's Glory to have formed all Creatures for eternal Happiness, as otherwise?

Or if any Creature was made to be a Vessel of Wrath, to fhew forth the Prerogative Royal of its Creator, wherein is that Creature blame worthy of Sin or Evil, which, through a secret Decree, could not poffibly avoid it!

Or whence came that Sin or Evil into the Spirits of Man or Angels, if they were pure in the firft Creation?

My Chriftian Brethren, these curious Queries will occafion Variety of fpiritual Matter; yea, and it will further me alfo to treat upon the Original of all heavenly Secrets. Wherefore, in answer to thefe difficult Queries, I fhall write of feveral Things of most higheft Confequence unto Mankind, namely, concerning the glorious Creator himself, and the original Cause that moved the Divine Majefty to produce any Creature fenfibly to live in his Sight, and of the Creation of the true God, and of the imaginary lying Creation in the Spirit of finful Man, and whence it came. Alfo of the Creation of Angels before Man, with the Materials and Manner

of it.

I confess I have been moved briefly to touch upon moft of thefe Things to the publick View of many already; but now, through Affiftance of the unerring Spirit, I fhall handle them more fully, in removing many Obstructions in the Way, and for more clearer Satisfaction unto the true fpiritual Chriftian, and Confutation of all fleshly lying Antichriftians whatfoever.

6. First, by immediate Infpiration from the Holy Spirit, I pofitively affirm against all Naturalifts under Heaven, that there is a Creator.

7. Secondly,

7. Secondly, with the fame Confidence I affirm againft Men or Angels, that this our God from all Eternity was an uncreated spiritual Perfon, in Form like a Man.

8. Thirdly, from the fame Spirit I delare, that the bleffed God-Man Chrift Jefus, fo exalted throughout the true Scriptures, was and is that eternal Creator before-faid,

9. Fourthly, I declare against all Literal-mongers in this World, that this our Creator and gracious Redeemer was only one immortal, undivided, perfonal God-Man from all Eternity, and in Time, and to all Eternity.

10. Fifthly, I declare from the holy Spirit, that the Addition of two Perfons more unto this our only wife God, bleffed for ever, proceeded only from the old Serpentine Antichriftian Devil in carnal Men.

11. Moreover, as for thofe Words of Father, Son, and Spirit, or Lord Jefus Chrift, or any other divine Titles in Scriptures, you may know that they are only Variety of Names. to fet forth the infinite God-head Glory of the Creator's Person.

12. Again, I declare from the Spirit of Truth, that from all Eternity the Creator's Perfon was of a fun-fhining fiery Glory of fenfible heavenly Motion, Light, Heat, Voice, and Speech, and his divine Perfon was fwifter than Thought.

13. Moreover, all Variety of divine Excellencies, as a crystal Sea, did infinitely reign in his heavenly Perfon as namely, pure, fpiritual Faith, his Almighty Power, or heavenly Love, his ravishing Glory, or any other divine Virtue that can be named.

14. Thus you that are truly fpiritual may undoubtedly know, that from all Eternity the Creator poffeffed his heavenly Joys of new Glories by himself alone, when no created Being fenfibly appeared to behold his excellent Majefty.

15. By true Infpiration from the Holy Spirit, I pofitively affirm, that the principal Motion of all Variety of heavenly Wifdom, Joy, or Glory, which the Creator forefaw he should eternally poffefs, naturally fprang in him from an incomprehenfible Knowledge of his own endless Infiniteness;

16. Or from a perfect Understanding of an eternal Increase of all Manner of glorious Excellencies to folace himself withal, and elect Men and Angels that fhould be created by him.

17. If the Creator fhould be an infinite formlefs Spirit, as fome Men vainly imagine, my fpiritual Brethren, you know then that it were impoffible for any Spirit of Man or Angel to be made capable of fixing his Understanding upon any fuch fpiritual Creator.

18. You know that no Man can defcribe the Form of an invifible Spirit, whether it be finite or infinite, unless it be covered with a Body or Perfon.

19. Moreover, you know alfo, that no Man or Angel can be made able in the leaft to con prehend the Nature of any Spirit whatfoever that wants a diflict Body or Perfon of its own to inhabit in.

20. Therefore you cannot but understand that the Creator of Mankind must needs be a fubftantial glorious Perfon, and not a non-substantial formlefs Spirit as before said.

21. Again, notwithflanding every divine Virtue in the Creator's Perfon be infinite, yet by Infpiration from his own. Spirit I pofitively affirm, that there was never any Kind of Reafon in him.

22..

Whatever the learned Men of this World have long imagined concerning pure Reafon being the divine Nature of God, they are utterly dark concerning a true Undertanding of the Creator's divine Nature, or perfonal Glory in the leaft.

23. I declare from the true God, that all thofe Men that call pure Reafon God's divine Nature, if they understand no other Light before Death feize on them, they fhall find their imaginary Reafon nothing elfe but a dark tormenting fiery Devil of burning Envy in their own Bodies at the great Day, even against the Creator himself, and his elect Men and Angels for everlasting.

24. For this I fay from the Lord, unto you that are fpiritual, the very Nature of Reafon, though it be never so pure, is nothing elle but mere Defire: therefore you may know, that if the Creator himself fhould have any Defire in his Spirit, there would be a Kind of Want in him:

25. For

25. For if his Nature be all Variety of heavenly Satisfaction in itself, as it is, what rational Defire can find Place in fuch an infinite Fulnefs of divine Glory?

26. Moreover, my spiritual Brethren, what is the principal Ground of all Antichriftian Darkness in the Spirits of Solomonlike Men, in reference to a right Understanding of the Creator, and his divine Nature, is it it because they think to apprehend the true God, by a falfe Light, which they vainly call pure Reafon ?

27. What is this which worldly Men call pure Reafon? Is it any thing elfe but that proud angelical Serpent Devil in them, which by its own natural Strength continually ftrives to find out the Tree of eternal.Life, that they may cure themfelves of their deadly Wounds of Soul, arifing from all their spiritual and fleshly Rebellions against God and Man?

28. Again, doth the true Understanding of the Creator run in the Line of pure Reason, or pure Faith in the Scriptures?

29. Is there any Saying in Scripture that God's divine Nature is pure Reafon, or by pure Reafon we know the true God, or any thing that is fpiritual? Indeed I have read Scriptures that fay, By Faith the Apostles knew the Worlds were made, and by Faith they knew their mortal Bodies fhould be raised immortal Bodies, at the great Day of the appearing of Christ in bis Glory; but, as before faid, I never read or heard any fpiritual wife Man fay, that the invifible Things of Eternity were understood by Man's pure Reafon; no, nor Angels, that behold the glorious Creator Face to Face. It is written, With thee is the Well of Life, and in thy Light fhall we fee Light. It is alfo written, That Men were Partakers of the Divine Nature, and that Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness; and by Faith Men were juftified before the Creator, and in their own Spirits; and that without Faith it was impoffible to pleafe God. Furthermore it is written, That Faith is the Gift of God.

30. In thefe Records, and many more fuch like, you fee the Scriptures takes no Notice of the Word pure Reafon, by which Men could know any thing of the true God, or of his heavenly Secrets at all.

31. There

31. Therefore I would fain know whether thofe Men that call pure Reafon the divine Nature, are fit to interpret Scriptures, or to bear the Name of Gofpel Ministers? But I will leave them at prefent to him that will discover them foon enough to their Cofts.

1. What the Subftances of Earth and Water were from Eternity. 2. A great Secret revealed concerning Death and Hell. 3. Concerning the Heavens above. 4. Earth and Water not eternally glorious. 5. The Refidence of the Creator. 6. Earth and Water uncreated Subftances.

1.

GAIN, in the next Place, by Infpiration from the unerring Spirit, I pofitively affirm, that the Subftances of Earth and Water were from all Eternity in the Creator's Prefence, uncreated, fenfelefs, dark, dead Matter, like unto Water and Duft, that have no Kind of Life, or Light, or Virtue in them at all.

2. Also I declare from the Holy Spirit, that Darkness, Death, or Devil and Hell lay fecretly hid in that Earth above this perishing Globe, and in the Sight of the Creator were eternally naked and bare, both in their Root and in their Fruit.

3. Again, I declare from the true Light of Life eternal, that that World or Kingdom where the Creator's glorious Perfon is visible, is a Place or Throne infinite in Length, Breadth, or Height, anfwerable unto an infinite Majesty.

4. Moreover, for your Information that are fpiritual, from the true God I declare, that in this heavenly City there is no Firmament, Sun, Moon, nor Stars: fo that you may underftand that is an infinite open Place for divine perfonal afcending or defcending at Pleasure, only under Foot is fixed a fpiritual Earth, and a cryftal Sea.

5. Fur