Heavenly, clear as Crystial, brighter than the Sun, fwifter than Thought, yet a Body.

16. But Man's Body is Earthly, and made of the Earth, in the Image and Likeness of God's own Body, only Man's Body is of the Earth, earthly; and God's Body is the Lord from Heaven, heavenly; yet Man's Body is the Image of God, as well as his Soul, as Mofes did truly mean as he spake.

17. For this I fay, that if Man's Body and Soul had been Spirtual in its Creation, then when Man's Thoughts do afcend up to Heaven, his Body would afcend with it, in the twinkling of an Eye.

18. For the Thoughts of Man are swift; and if his Body, which is Earthly, do but put on Immortality, then his Body would afcend with his Thoughts up into the Air, and fo to Heaven.

19. Thefe immortal Bodies can do and at the laft Day these vile Bodies of Ours that doth truly believe, fhall be made like unto his own glorious Body.

20. For now our Bodies are natural Bodies, but when thefe natural Bodies shall rife fpiritual Bodies, than fhall Immortality take Place; and these vile Bodies of Ours, that are now Mortal, yet made in the Image of God's own glorious Body, fhall be fpiritual and heavenly Bodies, even like unto his glorious Body. And because God's Body is Spiritual and Heavenly, and cannot be seen by the natural fight of the Eye, therefore it was that Chrift faid, God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth.

22. Obferve, For as a Man cannot worship in Spirit and Truth without a Body, neither is that any Cod at all that hath no Body of its own; neither is a Spirit without a Body of its own any Object of Faith or Worship; for a Spirit without a Body hath no Subftance: And as for thofe Words of Chrift being Spirit and Life, confider they were spoken from a Body.

23.

For this I fay, no Words whatsoever can be spoken of any Spirit that hath no Body: For those Words God spoke to

Mejes

Mojes and the Prophets, they were from the Body of God: And those Words Chrift fpoke, that was Spirit and Life, was from his Body when on Earth: And those Words he spoke to Paul, after he was afcended up to Heaven, it was from his own Body.

24. So that, without Controverfy, no Spirit can fpeak at all, or hath any being without a Body: And this is the very Caufe that Men find fo little Comfort, in worshiping and believing in fuch a God, that is a Spirit without a Body.

25. Alfo we declared unto him the nature of God; fhewing that there can be no Form without a Nature, for it is the Nature that gives the Form.

26. Also we fhewed unto him the Perfon and Nature of Angels, and the Perfon and Nature of the right Devil, and the rife of the two Seeds; and the secret Myfteries how God became Flesh; and how the Devil became Flesh, and many other things which fatisfied his Mind.

27. So that he became a true Believer of this Commiffion of the Spirit, and fhewed Kindness unto John Reeve all the Days of his Life, likewise his Brother George Leader became a true believer.

28. This Mr. Richard Leader grew very mighty in Wisdom and Knowledge, both in natural and fpiritual Wifdom; fo that every great Man of his Acquaintance did fubmit unto his Wifdom, and lov'd him for his Knowledge; fo he continued in it all his Life, but about a Year or two after John Reeve Died; he Died at Barbadoes.

Of one Mr Cooper a great Difputant, and bow convinced; And bow a true Miniftry is known from a falle. Of bis Converfion; And bow be poffed Sentance of Damnation upon Fifteen of his Companions; And of his trouble for fo doing without Commiffion; And of a Minifter's cenfuring him to be Bewicked.

1.

A

FTER this, in the fame Year, it came to pafs that a certain Man, a Silk-Weaver, his Name was Cooper,

he being acquainted with one Mrs. White, who was a believer of this Commiffion of the Spirit; fhe lived in Duningbill- Alley, near Moorfields.

2. This Man was very defirous that he would tell him how he might speak with thefe two Prophets, for he had a great defire to fee us, and fpeak with us; fo the directed him where.

3. So when the Man came and found us both together, the Man defired to drink with us, thinking in himself that he could talk and difcourfe better over a cup of Drink than otherway, because it was his Cuftom fo to do.

4. For he thought himfelf very ftrangely armed with Questions, thinking it impoffible for us to anfwer, because he could find none that ever he had talked withal, Minifters, nor others to do it.

5. So we went with him to Drink, and he propounded his Questions concerning the true God, and the right Devil, and how the Devil came to be; and how a Man may know the Hiftory of the Scripture to be true, feeing they did contradict themfelves in many Places, with feveral other things.

6. Unto which we gave him a full Answer unto whatsoever he asked, fo that he could not make any Reply against any thing we faid.

7. Alfo we fhewed him the Power of the Commiffion of Mofes, and the Power of the Commiffion of Chrift and his Apoftles, and the Power of our Commiffion in this Age.

8. And that every Commiffion had Power to Blefs and Curfe Men to Eternity; and that he was no true Minifter of Chrift which had not Power to Blefs and Curfe.

9. For if a Man pretend to be a Minifter of the Gospel, and eannot fay to him that believeth in him to be a true Minifter, and the Doctrine he Preacheth to be true, is Bleffed to Eternity. And fay to that Perfon as defpifeth and perfecuteth the Perfon of this Minifter, and his Doctrine, is curfed Soul and Body to Eternity; if he have not Power to do this, he is

10.

no

no true Minifter of Chrift, neither did Chrift fend him to Preach unto the People.

These things ftuck upon the Man's Mind exceedingly, and he was much affected in Love towards us, and he was elevated in his Mind, as if he would get up to Heaven immediately.

12. And he thought himself fo ftrong now, that he could drive all People before him.

13. So he departed from us elevated in his Mind: He went among his own Company, and thofe of his own Trade, and he talked amongst them of things he had heard, and that he had been with two Prophets.

14. But his Company laughed him to fcorn: But he in his Elevation and Zeal to what he had heard, gave Sentance of Damnation to Eternity, upon fifteen of his Companions.

15. Some were angry at him, and fome laughed and fcoffed at him, and faid he was bewitched.

16. It came to pass that the next Day after he had given Sentance upon thofe fifteen Perfons, he fell Sick, yet he held to what he had faid the Day before.

17. So that his Wife, and fome of them he had Damned, faid, the Man was Bewitched, and would needs fend for the Minifter of the Parifh to Pray with him, and give his Judgment whether he was Bewitched, or no.

18. But when the Minifter came, the Man would not let him Pray for him.

19. So the Minifter gave his Judgment, that the Man was abfolutely Bewitched; but after three or four Days the Man got up, and was well again, and told us what the Minister had faid, and confeffed that he Damned fifteen Men, which was the cause of that Trouble in his Mind.

20. Because he did it without a Commiflion; not but that I do believe they will be all Damned as I faid, but my Trouble was for giving Sentance without a Commiffion.

21. For

21. For at that time no Believer gave Sentance upon any Defpifer, but us two only; but in that he confeffed his Fault, he was forgiven by us.

****

CHAP IX.

Of one Captain Stafy, a Friend to the two Witnesses, and of their Dispute with a Minifter, proving that God was in the form of Man. And of the Minister's Blafphemy, and John Reeve's paffing the Sentance upon him, and ibat be fould never fee any other God but that Sentance: And how John Reeve was threaten'd with a Warrant from Cromwell, or the Councel of State: And bow John replyed, that if they dispised as the Priest bad done, that he would proncunce them Damn'd

I.

A

FTER this it came to pafs in the Year 1653, there was one Captain Stafy, in the Parliament's Service, that came to talk with us; he was a wife and moderate Man, able to hear and bear Words, but did not believe what we faid.

2. But he heard us gladly, and liked many things which we fpake, infomuch that he invited us to Dinner at the Inn where he Quartered.

3. So we went, there was of his Acquaintance a Minister, as they are called, a Cambridge Scholar, and with him an Excife-Man; his Name was Ebb, and the Prieft's Name was Goflin, and there was with them two Soldiers.

4. Thefe Men being at Dinner with us, Captain Stafy put the Prieft upon Difcourfe and Difpute with us.

5. So we difputed with him concerning God; and when we came to prove by Scripture, that God was a Form like Man, according to thofe Words in Genefis, God made Man in bis own Image and Likeness, the Prieft pleaded, that was Holiness and Righteousness.