R. H. His Answer to John Horn.

J. H. IN thy Answer to my Queries, thou seemest to be resol∣ved to say something, although it be absolutely contra∣ry to the truth, and to that which thou knowest to be Truth, as will appear in what follows.

In answer to my first, thou sayest, Christ in his Spirit ascended up to Heaven, when his Body was upon Earth: Is this an answer to the Question? Is the mind or Spirit called the Son of man, accor∣ding to John 3.13. which came down from Heaven? And no man doth ascend up to Heaven, but the Son of man which was then in Heaven. So by this thy Answer it appears then, that the Spirit is the Son of man, and that there is no other Son of man that ascends into Heaven, but the Spirit; then what becomes of that body thou speaks of, if the Spirit only be that Son of man?

In thy Answer to the second and third Queries, thou provest in thy way, that Mary did that which was forbidden by Christ, when she held him by the feet, and worshipped him; but in Mat. 28.9. there is no forbidding of her to touch him; but this is plainly manifest, that thou art in a snare, and cannot tel how to get out; and yet thou wilt be saying something, though thereby thou more en∣snares thy self; but this Scripture thou wilt once know fulfilled, The Wicked shall be silent in darkness.

When thou shouldst answer to the fourth, thou tellest of its being a secret, and of prying into things above what is vvrit∣ten; although the ground of my Query is grounded upon that vvhich is vvritten in Luke 24.4.

To the fifth thou saist, That the Women did distinguish which was Christ, vvas certain; but hovv they did so, is a foolish, cu∣rious Question: What certainty is there that they did knovv, vvhen thou knovvest not hovv? but this is like the rest of the Priests doctrine, beating the air, and leaving all people in uncer∣tainties, Page  274 and yet would be paid for so doing; but the Lord hath made thee manifest with the rest, that you cannot deceive much longer.

To the sixth thou sayest, the two Angels were seen visibly, but were not Bodies nor Persons of men; but in thy answer to the fourth, saist, that they both saw them as men and heard them speak, and had two individual Forms: Now if thou wert but simple, and not wilful∣ly blind, thou mightest be the more excused.

In thy answer to the seventh, thou art more lost and confu∣sed then in all the rest; for when thou shouldst answer who were the eleven Disciples that were met together, mentioned Luk 24.33. thou saist that Thomas might occasionally be gone out.

Ans. If he was gone out, then the eleven was not together, as Luke 24. Again thou saist, that Matthias was chosen before the Evangelist wrote his Book: What darkness and ignorance is this! Thou art not questioned when the Book was written, nor when Matthias was chosen, but who was the eleven that was together? and whether was Matthias one of the eleven, seeing he was not then chosen when Christ did arise from the dead? But there needs not much be said to thee, only to let thee see thy ovvn folly, lest thou should say thou art wise.

To the eighth thou seemest to affirm, that the Scriptures are to be taken as they speak, and not otherwise a Mysterie.

Ans. Then why dost thou and the Priests give meanings to the Scriptures, and do not let people take them as they speak, but makes them such a Mysterie without your meanings, and so plain with them? but this is thy practice and doctrine to con∣demn thy self in the thing that thou allowest, and builds again that which thou hast destroyed, and so makes thy self a trans∣gressor.

Lastly, In thy conclusion thou falsly chargest me, That I do not believe that any of these things mentioned in these Scriptures, be really done. Which is not my Faith; for I do believe that those things mentioned, were really done and fulfilled, as the Scripture speaks; but it is no new thing vvith thee to accuse falsly, and to make lyes thy refuge; but vvhat in all those things thou hast done against me, I do forgive thee, and do vvarn thee for the time to come, that thou go not on to commit the unpardonable sin against God and his Spirit, never to be forgiven.

Page  275Again in thy last paper thou declarest thy ignorance of the two Seeds, and askest, what be those two seeds?

Answ. These two the Scripture speaks of, the seed of the Wo∣man, and the seed of the Serpent.

2 Who did or doth sow them seeds?

Answ. God doth sow the one, and the wicked one the other.

3 Where be they sown?

Answ. In man.

4 When be they sown?

Answ. When man had a being, and a body to receive them.

5 What be the bodies they shall rise with?

Answ. Their own bodies according to their own natures, the one pure, and the other defiled.

6 Whether be these two seeds, and two bodies in all the world, or two seeds in every man, and the two bodies to or in every man?

Ans. The seeds are but two in the whole world, having each seed its own body, and in every one, until the one be cast out.

7 When shall those seeds arise, or be raised, whether after the bodily death, or after the spiritual death?

Ans. Every one in its own order, after the death of that which is born of the flesh, and also after the death of the spiritual wic∣kedness, which is yet alive in all hirelings and deceivers (such as thou art) where the seed of God is yet in its grave.

8 What are the graves these are in, and out of which they shall arise?

These of which the Scripture speaks, which when thou comest to understand it, thou wilt understand both the seeds and graves of which we speak; Christ the seed made his grave in the wicked, and in the rich in his death, and out of that grave shall rise with his body into everlasting life; if thou canst receive it thou maist be satisfied.

And as to the 9. Query, Why I say, that the one shall rise unto everlasting life, and the other unto condemnation?

Ans. Because it is so, therefore I say so, and if thou say to the contrary make it manifest; but in this as in other things thy folly and ignorance is manifest, to ask why I speak the truth which thou thy self darest not deny to be truth.