this faving Truth, but are made obedient unto this crucified and glorified Jefus.

35. Again, if it should feem ftrange unto any Man, that the Creator fhould caufe fuch Variety of Expreffions in Scriptures, in Reference to one Divine Perfon only, if that Man be an earthly Prince fitting on his Throne, I would fain know of that princely Father, if he knew fufficient Power in himself for advancing of his Glory in the Spirits of his Subjects, whether he would not for a Seafon difrobe himself of all his princely Greatness, and abase himself in the lowest Appearance of a Subject, and ferve his Subjects.

36. Yea, and fuffer himself to be exceedingly abused of the bafeft of them for his Glory's Sake, and prerogative Pleasure over thofe Vaffals when he is fet on his Throne.

37. Again, moreover for the improving of thy kingly Power, and advancing thy princely Glory, wouldft thou not stoop to the lowest Way that could be imagined for fo mighty a Prince to bow unto? as namely, wouldst thou not commit the Government of thy Throne unto fome of thy princely Favourites, and furnish them with Gifts that fhould make them as fit in Measure for that Throne, as faithful as thou art to thine own felf?

38. After that, wouldst thou not enter into one of thy Virgin's Wombs, and tranfmute thy Fatherly Glory into a Condition of Sonship, and fo have a Beginning from thine own felf, in a new and wonderful Way of feeming Weakness unto thy Luciferian Subjects, that were ignorant of thy princely Wifdom, and tranfcendent Humility?

39. Furthermore, thou being now in the Appearance of a Subject thyfelf, wouldst thou not yield all Child-like Obedience unto thine own reprefentative Power in thy Favourites Perfons, as a perfect Pattern of all Righteousness to thy beloved obedient Subjects, whom thou delighteft to honour?

40. And for an everlafting Terror unto thofe non-favourable Subjects, whofe Pride and Envy caufed them utterly to abhor that Prince and his Laws, that should fo: abafe himself to his own Subjects:

41. Again,

41. Again, fuppofe thou waft the fole Emperor of thi whole World, and didft poffefs of thy Body only on Son and Heir, and being both alive at once, thou shouldst fet thy Son on thy Throne, and bequeath all thy princely Titles unto him; and command all thy Subjects to honour him as their only Lord and King for ever:

42. What art thou then, when thy Throne, Titles, and Honour, are invested upon the Perfon of another? Art thou any more unto that Prince, and his People, than a round O, or an abfolute Nothing?

CHA P. XII.

1. To own or believe any other God but Chrift, is a curfed Lie. 2. Who are the deceived Perfons. 3. Concerning the true Knowledge of God. 4. The Deceivers of others under Conflicts of Mind, defcribed by many and various Expreffions.

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LL the divine Titles of the holy One of Ifrael, made over to the fecond Man, the Lord from Heaven; and is not the Father's Throne invefted upon his Perfon? is not all fpiritual Honour, Praife, and Glory, commanded to be attributed unto him by Men and Angels?

2. And is not all the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily; and from his Fulnefs only do we not all receive, and Grace for Grace, if we have any Grace at all ruling in us?

3. And is he not the Redeemer of his beloved People with his own Blood? And is he not the Judge of Quick and Dead? And was not all Things made by him, and for him? And was there any Thing made, that was made without him? And was he not before all Things? And do not all Things confift in him? And are not all Things upheld by that almighty Word of his holy Spirit only?

4. Seeing

4. Seeing these are undeniable Words of Truth itself, do not all thofe Men that own any other God, or Father, or Creator, above, before, or befides our Lord Jefus Chrift, deny the holy One of Ifrael, and imagine a curfed Lie, and bow down to that curfed Idol of their own invented Words only, utterly denying that Honour and Glory due unto Jefus Chrift, the Creator himself?

5. Who is a Liar, but be that denieth that Jefus is that Chrift; the fame is that Antichrift, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the fame bath not the Father: He that hath the Son, hath that Life; and he that hath not that Son of God, bath not that Life: He that believeth in the Son of God, bath the Witnefs in himself: He that believes not God, bath made him a Liar; because be believed not the Record, that God witnessed of that his Son, and this is the Record, to wit, that God hath given unto us eternal Life, and this Life is in that his Son. But ye bave Anointment from that holy One, and know all Things. These literal Words of Truth are in the Epiftles by St. John. All Things are given unto me of my Father, and no Man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any Man the Father, but the Son, and be to whom the Son will reveal him. Matthew xi.

6. Again, Some deceived Perfons ignorantly hold forth a falfe God, or Trinity, which fay, that the infinite Majefty is a vast bodilefs Spirit; alfo they call their God by a two-fold Name or Spirits, a Spirit, Father, and a Spirit, Son, and thefe Spirits they fay are in their Spirits, and fo thefe three Spirits being one Effence, make up their imaginary Trinity in Unity.

7. These are those which affirm that there is no other God, or Father, or Creator, but what is invifibly living in the Creation, or in the Creatures only; and if you foberly afk them whether there be a Creator, and concerning the true Knowledge of any fuch Creator, you fhall receive fuch like Answers as this is:

8. The Creator is an infinite, incomprehenfible Spirit, effentially filling all Things and Places; or they will fay, that a Creature is utterly incapable of any Knowledge of the Creator himself, but within the Creatures only; or elfe they will

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tell you, that not to know the Creator, is the greatest Knowledge of a Creator.

9. Again, You fhall have fuch Confufion as this from some of thefe high flown Atheists, the Creator is all Things; and yet he is nothing at all, and is every where, and yet he is no where at all.

10. If a Man fhall reply and fay, Nothing is nothing: But if you grant a Creator, he must be fomething as well as his Creatures, or elfe there can be no Creator at all.

11. Further, if a Man fhall fay the Creator muft of Neceffity be fome glorious Thing, which is infinite in itself, and dfiltinct from all Creatures, as well as the Creatures are distinct from one another, or elfe you utterly deny a Creator.

12. Then thefe Men will fay, What is your Creator you pretend to know, and where is his Refidence? Did you ever fee him? Or fuch like.

13. If a Man fhall reply, that the Creator is an incomprehenfible, glorious Perfon, in the Form of a Man, and that by Virtue of his Brightnefs he fills Heaven and Earth, Angels and Men, fpiritually or naturally; only his ever bleffed Perfon is refident on a Throne of infinite Glory, in but one Place at once, as the Perfon of Man is in this World.

14. Then thefe Men are ready to villify fuch a Creator, as a fimple weak Thing; or elfe they will fay, this is to confine an unknown Infiniteness into a creaturely Subftance, and fuch a God of a bodily Appearance any Way like unto themselves in the least, they utterly abhor; but, as before faid, a wonder. ful God, which is incapable of ever being feen or known by the Creatures, fuch a non-fenfible, infinite Nothing, all vain, glorious Men delight to own; who love Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds are evil.

15. Another Sort there are of thefe Men, which appear more angelical than the reft; these are those which are full of Expreffions of heavenly Raptures, through a fuppofed Union with a Father and Son within them only, and various Songs, which they call Spiritual Breakings forth in them; unto which Hymns or natural Songs, mixt with many fpiritual Expreffions in Meter, or otherwife, they bow down their Souls, and ignorantly fay, It is the Father breathing forth thofe flefly

Ballads

Ballads through their Mouths. Moreover, if these notional Flashes fhall fee any of their own Fancies lying under a wounded Spirit, and through fome extraordinary Guilt crying out, they have that Fire of Hell burning in them, and are those Devils which are under eternal Damnation already.

16. Further, though their Condition be like unto Cain, through the eternal Abfence of the Spirit of God fpeaking Peace unto their outcaft Condition; yet when thefe notional Flashes fhall come to vifit their Friend in this his horrid, unutterable Pain and Shame, they will fpeak fuch like empty Speeches as thefe:

Come, come, it is very good for you, that you should be thus afflicted, it is a Token of the Father's Love unto you; he will bring all Men and Women into your Condition, more or less, that the Glory of his Mercy might shine over all. Or else they will fay, 'Tis the Father's Love in Darkness appearing unto you, if you could but fee it. Further, they will fay unto their hopeless Friend, Wherefore do you thus torment your own Soul? There is but one pure Being, and all our Spirits came forth from this Father of Spirits, and in the End we shall be swallowed up into the eternal Being again: Wherefore then do you talk fo much of eternal Damnation, or call yourself a Devil, making fuch Lamentation for your Sins, as if you could poffibly be divided from the Father's Love, or caft out of his glorious Prefence, I boldly affirm unto you it is no fuch Matter; for there are no fuch Devils, or Damnation, or Sins at all, but in the Efteem of Men deceived fo to think by their Fellow-creatures, which ignorantly lord one over another, from fome blind Opinion in them; wherefore our Counfel is, that you would hearken no more unto fuch vain Thoughts or Motion, or Imaginations within you, or Words from any Creature without you, as to become fo weak or foolish to trouble or torment yourself, seeing there is nothing in us but God only in Variety of Appearance. Furthermore, do you not know, that he is all in all: What is there befides himself? Comfort up your defpairing felf therefore, and understand that it is the Spirit of the Father only appearing in you, fometimes in Light and Love, and fometimes in Death, Darkness, or feeming Wrath or Envy, in the End you shall find that all Visibilities are but meer Forms, Shapes, or Shadows; and that all invifible Operations of feeming Contraristy,