A divine looking-glass, or, The third and last testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ whose personal residence is seated on his throne of eternal glory in another world : being the commission of the spirit, agreeing with, and explaining of the two former commissions of the law and Gospel, differing only in point of worship : set forth for the tryal of all sorts of supposed spiritual lights in the world, until the ever-lasting true Jesus, the onely high and mighty God, pesonally appear in the air with his saints and angels / by John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton ...

CHAP. XXXVII.

1 The prerogative power of God is above all Law. 2 Why God cursed the fallen An∣gel in the womb of Eve. 3 The Angels nature (after his offence) was not satisfied without being ruler.

SOme men may say unto me, if it should be granted that that Ser∣pent by whom Eve was beguiled, was none of the trees of this Creation, nor an evil spirit in the body of a natural Serpent, as hath been long imagined by the learned Ministers of men, but was an ab∣solute Serpent Devil, as is abundantly declared by you, and that it entred into Eve, and in her womb, was pronounced cursed by the Creator, and so naturally brought forth himself a cursed Cain of her

seed; what was this unto Eve, or why should she suffer any kinde of punishment for being overcome by an enemy that was too mighty for her?

2 From the light of life eternal, to this I answer: Concerning the enemy being too potent for her, that was hid from her eyes by the unsearchable wisdom of the Creator;

3 For you that are spiritual may know, that the soul of Eve was not onely purely created in its kinde, like unto Angels, or other creatures, but it was also of the very same nature of his most glori∣ous spirit that formed it, so that she could not be ignorant in the least, that all obedience was most due unto her Creators command.

4 Moreover, you may know also that the Creator, by the vertue of his Royal will for manifesting of his glorious power, might give his creature a spiritual law of light and life in it self, and yet re∣serve to himself the prerogative power of it.

5 Furthermore, you know the glorious Creator might present unto the view of his image, a Serpent Devil, for the trial of his workman∣ship, and might upon pain of death forbid his creature of having to do with that tree, or of hearkening unto it in the least.

6 Also you know the Creator might leave his divine image unto its own present strength, through which it might by a subtile enemy be tempted and overcome to commit evil with it, against its Crea∣tors law, and yet its sin be upon his own head;

7 Why? not onely because it rebelled against its own divine light, but principally because there was no law to binde an infinite Majesty to protect it in its created purity.

8 My beloved moderate brethren, if men could forbear reasoning against the Creators prerogative power, wonderful wisdom, or ways which are past finding out, then would they enjoy true and lasting peace in their own souls, through deliverance from that conscience condemning evil, of rash judging things, they know not, but this grace of patience is prepared onely for the blessed Israelites, and not for scoffing Ishmalites.

9 Again, if the Angelical Serpent was in the body of Eve when he received his curse, some men may say unto me, was he capable of understanding of a sentence denounced against him, being in the womb of Eve, and changed from his former condition, as abundantly declared by you?

10 Or why should the Serpent and his generation undergo an

eternal curse, and Eve and her generation suffer but a temporal curse? seeing she rebelled against greater light then he;

11 Or if that Angelical Serpent was not cursed before Eve had actually rebelled with him, was not Eve as liable to an eternal curse as he, seeing they both transgressed against an infinite glory?

12 From the light of life eternal, to this I answer; That curse denounced by the Creator upon the Serpent in the womb of Eve, was not for his satisfaction in the least, but is to convince Eves de∣ceived thoughts of possessing such god-like happiness promised to her, if she obeyed his councel, as aforesaid;

13 Also it was to convince her in due time of that error of do∣ting upon her first born, as a blessing received from the Lord, for when she should see the fruits of her heir, in stead of her rejoycing in him as at his birth, her soul would not onely loath his company, but would also cast him out of her presence, lest he should murder her, as he did his righteous brother, for her former love and tender compassion towards him.

14 Moreover, that curse against the Angelical Serpent and his seed, was spoken unto her for her divine satisfaction afterwards, when the light of redemption should shine in her deceived soul, and shew her that her first-born son was that Angelical Serpent, cursed in her womb by the Creator;

15 And that his generation of men and women were cursed in his loins also, that she might the more abundantly magnifie the free grace of Gods electing love towards her deceived soul;

16 That having had so near a union and communion with that Angelical Reprobate, she was not eternally cursed with him also.

17 Furthermore, notwithstanding the soul of Eve rebelled a∣gainst a greater light then the Serpent did, yet you that are spiri∣tual, may know, that she was utterly uncapable of an eternal curse upon her person for these considerations:

18 First, because her soul proceeded from the heavenly nature of the eternal Majesty himself.

19 Secondly, because that consent unto evil in her, proceeded not from her own nature, but the unclean spirit of the Serpent speaking into her innocent soul, as aforesaid.

20 Again, you may know that the Serpent was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, before Eve was tempted unto evil, therefore though he had been a tree in his first estate, which had

known nothing but good, before Eve or Adam had any sensible be∣ings, yet being fallen from his created purity, he was now become a tree of sin or evil only:

21 Therefore he was a rejected, or cursed out-cast tree from the glorious presence of life eternal, before his visible appearing un∣to Eve;

22 So that though Eve through temptation was overcome to know both good and evil, with that cursed Serpent, yet she had some relenting light of life in her after her rebellion, which occasioned a secret shame and confusion of soul in her, for her rebellion against the Creator.

23 Therefore she was capable of being made a good tree again; yea, and a tree bringing forth fruit of a more transcendent glory then she was capable of before her fall.

24 But of the contrary, that Serpent tree was so far from any kind of relentation of sin, or rebellion against the Creator, before or after he tempted Eve, that in stead of being capable of reproof of sin or evil, whereby he might be restored from his most wretched estate, he did utterly abhor both God and man, unless he might be their Counsellor, and ruler over them for everlasting, as beforesaid.

25 This eminent truth of the two Scripture seeds, or trees of eternal life and death, is plainly proved in the seventh Chapter of St. Matthew, where it was said by Christ, the onely God himself, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit, therefore by their fruits ye shall know them:

26 So that you which are spiritual, may know, that according to the truth of Holy Writ, though men or Angels should gain-say it, the Serpent Angelical tree being Reprobate unto all maner of evil, he and his seed of Cananitish men and women, were not onely cursed in the womb of Eve, but also before this world was.

27 But of the contrary, innocent Eve being a good tree in her Creation, through her proceeding from the divine nature of the tree of eternal glory it self, though she was overcome by that wicked one as beforesaid, yet she and Adam, or any of their seed, could not possibly eternally perish, because they were trees elected to bring forth good fruit unto everlasting life and glory, long before this world was, as abundantly beforesaid.