I will not queftion this Scripture, as not Canonical,though fome do fcruple at it, feeing many of the ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine, read not this verse in their Bibles, as Beza notes; yea, a Father who wrote many Books for the Trinity, in all his Arguments against the Arians never quoted this of 1 John 5. 7. which is the cleareft Scripture for proof of this point.

Again, the Syriack Tranflation, which is very ancient, and even parallel to the Apoftolick times, reads not that verfe at all.

But truly I own that Letter of Scripture, because I fee a fpiritual truth therein, though the thing be carnally understood by molt men and Minifters, who conceiving God to be (as 'twere in a place) in Heaven, think the three perfons are three, as the Spirit, Water, and Blood are with us on earth.

O earth, earth, earth! hear the word of the Lord; how earthly and carnal are fpiritual men in their converfe and in the knowledge of God? To me,the fenfe of the Scripture is this. For whereas there were two forts of Saints formerly in the Church of Chrift, fome carnal or childish, others fpiritual and perfect man (perfect I mean in the present attainment, for the Apoftle himself had not attained to be perfect, or to the perfect that was to come); fo the Saints then were in a differing ftate: fome had their converfation in Heaven, their freedom or burge-fhip there, (as the Greek there reads) yea, Phil.3.20. they were faid to dwell in Heaven; others, being under a lower di- Rev. 13.6. fpenfation, having lower difcoveries of God, were indeed on the earth, as John's Miniftery was of the earth, earthly, and fpake of the Job. 3.13. earth; yea, the Apoftolick Miniftery afterward, though of the Spi-" rit, and in (piritual gifts was but the Image of the earthly for the most part, for they knew bur in part, and did prophefie but in part, 49. yet were partakers of the heavenly calling, and to convert in Heaven.

Now Saints who were in Heaven, and had higher discoveries of God, did fo know God as Father, Son, and Spirit, that Father, Word, and Spirit were all one to them, and they in one with it, though the record of that eternal truth was three, that be ing a full witness to their fpirits, and living only in the Father with Chrift by the Spirit.

1

Buc as the Spirit of God bears witneffe to the Spirit of Man; fo men living in low difcoveries of God as 'twere on earth, or (as the Apole phrafeth) living in the world, fubject to Ordinances, duties, and holy qualifications, and performances, their

per

I Cor. 15.

perfwafions were witneffed or affured by the Record of their own Spirit, water, and blood, that is, their fpiritual life was altogether in the death of Chrift: from whofe fide as water and blood came forth; fo the water-Baptifm of Chrift (with their breaking of bread, where was the communion of blood) also their juftification and fanctification (that's water and blood too) this (as I faid) was the life of Saints, who lived on earth, and taught by men,

But those who lived in the inner world in God himself, who had I Job.2.27 the anointing in them, whereby they knew all things, and needed not Col. 2.2. that any man teach them, thefe knew the Mystery of God, even the Father, and of Chrift, yea, had all the riches of the full affurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of it, leaving this record in themselves, of Father, Word,and Spirit.

Eph. 1. 17.

And yet our fottish Doctors and filly Divines, would bring down this high Mystery of God; not only to their own carnal underftandings, and to men in common; but think to manifest that by their childish Catechifms, and Syltems of Divinity, which must be by revelation only.

For, as God hides thefe things from the wife and prudent Profeffors, Mat.11.25 (uch the Pharifees, Rulers, and Elders of the Church were) and reveals them only to Babes. fo thefe Babes are not children in understanding, but men who are become little children to God, not acquainted with the traditions and teachings of men, but are taught of God, and learn the truth as it is in Jelus: and know Christ Jefus only as revealed in them by the Spirit.

Mat.11.27

For as no man knows the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any man' the Father but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal him: fo when it pleated God to reveal his Son in the Apostle, that he might preach him; then it appeared, that what he knew of God and Christ was not received of man, neither was he taught, but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift, Gal. 1. 12.

And though he did minifter Chrift after the flesh to men, yet this Col, 1. 27. was but to manifeft the Mystery of Christ in us, which was that word which he preached to the world, even Chrift in you the hope of glory, warning every man, that he might prefent every man perfect in Christ, or as Plantine's edition better reads, That we might prefent every man in Chrift, Col. 1, 28. Neither was it his own labour, study, or thriving could do it, but the mighty power of God only which enabled the Apostle to declare this Mystery to men, ver. 29.

And fo the death of Chrift, and his refurrection, the Minifters of Chrift could manifeft in the Mystery; that is, the fufferings of Chrift in our fleth, Col. 1 24. and our flesh facrificed to God, Heb. 9. 14. The death of Chrift in us, was that which the Apoftle preached as

experimented in himself, I am crucified with Christ, faith he, Galaıb. 2, 20, yea, Chrift was evidently fet forth and crucified among them, or, in them rather (as the Greek reads, Galathians 3. 1, 3,

And as by his Miniftery Christ was formed in them, he being both father and mother unto them, Gal. 4. 19. fe as a nurse he tenderly cherished them, till they should attain to the refurrection of the dead; till the glory of Chrift rifen, fhould be revealed in them, till by preffing forward be fould come to the price of the high calling of God ins Chrift Jefus, which is to the refurrection of the dead there declared, Phil. 3.11, that is, That the glory of Chrift rifen might be revealed in him, and he rife and appear in that glory.

Therefore he did alwaies bear in his body the dyings of the Lord Jefus, that the life of Jefus might be manfeft in his mortal body, 2 Corinthians 4. 10, 11, or in his mortal flesh; which manifeftech; this life or refurrection of the dead, to be a spiritual state of the Saints, in this life in mortal flesh, not after death (as men imagine, and as moft Minifters teach) though I do not by this deny the general refurrection of the body, according to the Scrip

tures.

By all this may appear, how few there be (if any) who can preach the Gospel or manifest the mystery of God unto men, or who do know the truth, as it is in Jefus, or can declare the Deity of Chrift indeed: for no man knoweth the Son but the Father, that is, God manifelt in us declares the Son to us; and the Son revealed in us, makes known the Father; God being once manifest in our flesh as in his, which is, Christ in us the hope of glory.

but

Cor. 4.15

I Thef.2.7.

So then, 'tis not by any humane learning, nor yer by divine labours, nor by fudy, nor by ftriving, nor yet by reading Scripture, or receiving any thing from man, but meerly by the Revelation of Jefus Chrift; his Deity, Death, and Refurrection comes to be known: for no man can fay, that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Spirit; that is, though he was the Son of God from his first conception in the Womb, yet he was not declared to be the Son of God with power, by the refurrecton from the dead, wch was the day he was begotten by the Rom.1. 4. Spirit of holiness. So no man can fay (confels) that Jelus is the Lord, but by the holy Spirit;that fpirit of life or power of God that was in Jefus, raifing up his flesh from death, muit be manifelt in our flesh, before we can come to the knowledg of the Son of God, or theGodhead of Chrift; then we fhal fee the three bearing record in heaven, the Father, the Word, & Spirit, & these three one in us. For as we need not go up to Heaven (above the sky) to fetch Christ from thence,be Caufe the word is nigh thee,in thy mouth in thy heart:o by the spirit of

wildom

2

Pfal. 10.4.

Fer. 12. 1.

wisdom and revelation the eyes of our understanding are enlightned to Hee God, even the Father in our flesh, as in Chriß, that's Chrift in us the hope of glory.

Your fecond Query was, as I remember, Whether there fhould be ever to the end, that which was from the beginning, viz, a differing ftate of men with God, clean and unclean; fome without God, and God in others.

I can answer you nothing in this, but according to letter of Scripture, and my own fpirit telling me, that All men live to God, and all live in him, not as other Creatures, but as his Image and Off-pring live, move, and have their being in him: and though men are laid to be without God in this world, because men mind not God, God being not in all their thoughts and far from their reins, yet God is not far from them, nor God without men in the world; only God doth manifeft himself to fome, and nor to others, not to the world there's the difference, Joh. 14. 22.

1. This difference in mankind was indeed from the beginning, but not so manifeft, as in the first dispensation of the Law, where were of Beafts clean and unclean, noting all Nations to be unclean, fave that of the Jews or National Church, who were all counted clean as in Covenant with God, though many, yea moft of the Nation, according to the Law were unclean as other Nations, and the Nations upon another account might be called clean alfo. This in parc appeared in the second dispensation of the Gospel, where the feet coActs 11.9. ming down from Heaven had all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fouls of the air all to be eaten, that is, to be made one with the body. Peter, an Apostle, and principal member of the Body, knew not the Mystery at first, but refused to eat any thing unclean or common, till 'twas told him What God hath cleanfed, call not thou common.

the

'Tis clear,That veffel or great Sheet knit at the four corners typified the wnole world, or four cornes of the earth; the beasts, yea wild beasts herein, was reprefentative of all mankind, and the worst and the wildest men in the world, God in the Gospel had cleanfed: Dot that they were before to him unclean, but this being not manifelt to men, fuch were counted unclean, though in God all were ever clean, even in himself; therefore 'tis faid the Heaven was opened and the veffel or sheet came down to Peter, that which was hidden in God being now made manifeft to him.

This mystery of God in men, Peter (though taught thus by God) did not yet know fo well, nor would (it may be) being a Minifter of the Circumcifion, and fo might love the Jews too much, looking on them only as clean; but Paul fays plainly, he dissembled and wal

ked

ked not with a right foot, when he turned afide from finners of the Nati- Gal. 2. 113 ons, whom Peter would not have fellowship with.

12, 14.

Yea, Paul himself, though he could fee fometimes all men with God, and fometimes fay, that to the pure all things are pare; yet he knowing God but in part, calleth others unclean. Men are fo indeed by the Law revealing fin, but the Gospel difcovering grace, and this Grace appearing to all men, yea the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man, did manifeft that God had now cleaned mankind, or man counted clean in God. But becaule (as I said before) God was known buc in part by the primeft Apoftles; therefore were they in part ignorant of mans pure eftate in God, which will be perfectly known when the Mystery of God fhall be finished at the founding of the feventh Trumpet, or laft difpenfation, which I call the third, in respect of Law and Gofpel-order; wherein as the Prophets wrote, fo the Apoftles waited for that third di'covery of God, which they call the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour, the new Heaven and new Earth, the new Jerufalem where God fall dwell with men, even God himself: not God in Covenant only, as under the Law, nor God in Chrut only, as under the Gofpel-difpenfation, but a God in us; this Paul calls the Glory to be revealed in us; the manifeftation of the Sons of God, when God will appear to be the glory in the midst of them; yea, God will fo come and dwell among them, that many Nations fhall joyn to the Lord in that day, and become his people: nor zach, 2. 5, one Nation, as the Church of the Jews, nor believers of all Nations, 11, as the Church of Chrift, but many whole Nations fhall joyn, not to the Church as at first; but to the Lord himself the Nations shall joyn at last.

Rom. 8.15,

23. com

Therefore the Apostle faid, that the whole creation (of mankind) groanes as a woman in traing to be delivered of God, or to, bring forth God in their flesh alfo, as 'tis in the flesh of the Saints, or fons of God, who are likewi e groaning within themselves, waiting pared. for the Adoption, the Redemption of the body, the fpirit of adop tion they had already to be the fons of God, in that fecond difpenfarion; but in the third there is a higher Adoption waited for, to be as the Son of God rifen in glory; for fo will be to thofe who overcome, Rev. 24 27. Rev. 3. 21. Rev. 21. 7.

4

When the Saints by the blood of the Lamb in thew, shall overcome Rev.12.11. all that is of man (which is the number of the Beaft) when they fhall/Rev.13.18. by the eternal (pirit in them overcome and crucifie all that is flesh Rev. 15.2. in themselves, and dye to their purest flesh (as Chritt did) not loving their lives to the death, nor any created excellency or fpiritual accainment, then they overcome, and thus overcome even by death, rifing to the glory of the Father, and living in God alone.

7

All