The light and dark sides of God or A plain and brief discourse of the light side (God, Heaven and angels.) The dark side (Devill, sin, and Hell.) As also of the Resurrection and Scripture. : All which are set forth in their severall natures and beings, according to the spirituality of the Scripture. / Written by Jacob Bauthumley.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.

I Have onely directed my dis∣course to thee, though I know the most unto whose hand it may come cannot read it; But that it will be a Barbarian to them, and they to It. However, if I be beside them; yet I am not beside my selfe. (If I be it is to God) The reason why I have not

directed it to any particular man, or sort of men what ever: as is usuall in things of this nature, is, because I desire not any mans approbation of it, as knowing I am not subject to mans judgement: neither would I have any man to subject himself to mine: neither shall I be ashamed to own what I have writ for the present, or to cast it away for the future, if God shall lead me thereunto. I have cast up my accounts what all will amount unto, upon either of the former considerations, and so have sweet peace in my spirit, in my pre∣sent thoughts and apprehensions, leaving the issue of all to the wise disposing providence. All I desire is, that those to whom these few lines may come, would (if they can) be so charitable of me, as to conceive and judge, that I have not writ any thing with any spirit of opposition to any sort of men, under what forme of godlinesse soe∣ver, as knowing, that there is a sweet appearance of God in them All. And however my person, and parts be meane in the Worlds Eye, and so may cast an odium upon the things that I hold forth; yet I shall runne the hazard in that kinde, and leave the Lord to gaine his own Honour and Glory in it; as seeing by sweet experience, it is one of his greatest designes in the World, to con∣found the high and mighty things thereof, by the

most mean•• and contemptible; And so though men be not satisfied, yet herein I shall receive sweet content in my own spirit, that my worke shall either burne and consume, or else abide the fiery tryall of mens indignation; And as I shall wish no man to embrace it, or con∣demne me: So I shall neither thank them that do the one, or condemne them that do the other.

For the subject matter of the Discourse, I must confesse they are things of that nature, that are not obvious to every capacity, and so lye obnoxious unto their censure; and when time was, I should have been as ready to have sat in Judgement against the Maintainer of such Principles; yet to me they are such as wherein the Mystery of godlynesse mainly con∣sists, and so are not to be slighted.

And however, I do not looke that I, or any man else shall receive much by this, or any other Booke; which had almost perswa∣ded me, to have been silent in this kind; yet was I inwardly enforced thereunto, to ease the bur∣den that lay upon my spirit; which was one great motive to me, to act my part so publickly.

Besides, having converst with men under seve∣rall formes and administrations, not to speake of those of the inferiour sort, as Papists,

Episcoparians and Presbyterians; But those that are got to the highest: as Independents an a Anabaptists, commonly so called; and seriously viewing the carnall apprehention of things in themselves, and there mis-appre∣hen••ion of the minde of God held forth by o∣thers, condemning them as Heriticall and Blasphemous, in whom the Mysteryes of the Kingdome are most clearly revealed, and they themselves placeing Religion, and the Mystery of godlinesse in outward Ordinan∣ces, and administrations of which they are all but Shaddowes; Having a strong con∣ceite of a Creature happynesse, and selfe in∣joyment; and so are acted to attaine to the End. In all these respects, I could not but gratifie them so farre, as to set forth what is held out by a certaine Generation of Men and Woemen in the World; That if it may be, there may be such a favourable opinion of us from them, that we neither deny there is a GOD, Heaven or Hell, Resurrecti∣on or Scripture, as the World is made to believe we do; And I thinke they are all as plainly, and briefly made out, as they themselves could desire.

And further, I know by experience, that there are some with whom my spirit sweetly closed in the Ʋnity thereof, and that travell with me in the same birth; yet are not able to bring forth their conceptions, for so much as many times, the Truth suffers by a weake delivery; and for their sakes have I held this Glasse before them, that so they may be the better able to describe themselves to others; and to help them to bring forth that out of their mouths, which perhaps may lye in the bottome of their hearts.

For these Reasons have I taken the boldnesse to set pen to Paper, though otherwise I was unwilling, desiring that, and no more of others then what I would do to them; which is, to let every man stand and fall to his own Master.

One thing I thought fit to premise, onely to satisfie any that shall be so weake, as to make it a matter of offence to them. In that I have not set downe the chapter and verse, of many places of Scripture, which I do hint upon all along the Discourse. To answer them, and so to salve up that pretended soare; I found things of such a Mysterious

nature as they are, that while I was looking for them in the Letter of the Scripture, I was at a great losse, in the present delivery of my selfe, of those things which I found spiritually and secretly conveyed to me in the Spirit; and so rather then I would loose, or let passe what was spiritually discovered in me, I was willing to omit the outward viewing of them in a chapter or verse. Besides, there is nothing laide downe by me by way of Argu∣ment, or formall dispute, which might ingage me to an outward proofe of things, as men u∣sually do in matters of controversie; and what is positively affirmed, there is punctually Scrip∣ture for. But my designe was mainly, to de∣liver my private Meditations, and appre∣hension of such things which are most car∣nally conceived of. I thought it not therefore necessary, to trouble my self or the Reader, wi••h multiplicity of places of Scripture, to prove those things of which I hed so reall and spi∣rituall a Testimony of in my own spirit; and which I am confident, that the most spi∣rituall man can set his seale unto. And yet I dare affirme to the most rigid spirit that

workes in any man at this day against the things asserted, That there is not any thing positively affirmed; but I could with more ease prove the truth of them, by divers Testimo∣nies of Scripture and reason, then he could with any truth or Scripture oppose them; and any man that shall impartially weigh things, may see that there is nothing in the Treatise then the very Language, and correspondency of Scrip∣ture in the Letter of it: will easily speake, and sweetly comply with: in a spirituall sence. So much I thought good to premise by way of Preface to the Discourse. All that GOD aimes at in such things as are of this nature, is but to make out his owne Honour and Glory before men, and to gaine esteeme from them; And all I aime at, is, that we might resolve all the Comforts, Glory, and future felicity into GOD againe; and so to make GOD All, and the Creature nothing, and if in the Discourse, I shall detract or pre∣varicate from either of the Ends, I am much mistaken, and shall willingly confesse with that Prophet, O Lord thou hast de∣ceived me, and I was deceived.

And so I leave the Discourse, and thee together; and if you happyly agree, it is all the fruire of my labour that I expect to Reape; If not, I shall willingly waite an opportu∣nity, to make you both Friends,

As I am to every man. J. B.