THE SPIRITUALL Verses and Prose of JAMES HUNT, CONCERNING Angels of Light, and angels of darknesse.

Now if any man shall say, that some of my Verses are not good Verse, I hope he will acknowledge them to be good Prose, there­fore I say Verses and Prose: Dedicated to the most Honourable and High Court of PARLIAMENT.

LONDON, Printed for J.H. 1643.

The Spirituall Verses and Prose of JAMES HUNT, concerning Angels of light, and Angels of darknesse.

CHrist Jesus, who is the perfect God, saith plainly, Rev. 3.5. He that overcometh, shall be cloathed in white raiment. The white raiment signifieth the righteousnesse of the Saints, as you may read Rev. 19.8. and the righteousnesse of the Saints signifi­eth the sanctified soules of the people, which have their robes washed and made white in the blood of the lamb, Rev. 7.14. And their robes signifie the inward man of the hearts and minds of the people, which are washed and made white in the blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: I honour and glorifie his blessed name for ever.

But there is a black angell comes out of the West,
Which makes war against the white Angell that comes out of the East;
But the devill hath blinded the black angell that he crnnot see far,
But the white Angell proceedeth from Christ the bright morning star,
Againe the blacke angel he warres for the beast,
But the white Angell will wound him in the brest:
For a two-edged sword proceedeth out of his mouth,
Whereby he will conquer the beast and all his darke angels from East, West, North and South:
But if the white Angell you do not know,
He is a good archer, and drawes a strong bow,
To Wound the blacke angell that comes out of the West,
For he will place his sharp arrowes deep in his brest,
So that he will wound him till he be dead,
And with his sharp sword will out off his head.
He is a good archer that still hits the marke,
For the Owle in the Ivie bush sits in the darke:
But all her Ivie will be taken away,
And then the small Birds the Owle will bewray:
For the white Angell plainly doth see,
The Owles Ivie signifieth her Librarie,
By which she hath blinded all the dark angels with the black evill,
That they do not know the true God from the false devill,
But the white Angell hath lighted his candle from the glory of the sun,
And therewith the Owles library will burn and consume.
Therefore all you dark angels take warning by me,
To flie from false doctrine and hypocrisie,
Which our glorious God so highly doth hate,
For that cannot enter in at heaven gate.
For all those that shalbe welcome to the marriage day,
They must be all cloathed in white array:
I pray underst and and mark what I say,
You must cast all your old garments quite away:
I meane all your own righteousnesse which is of the old Law,
For S. Paul will be true, though his face you nere saw,
But his words do abide, and still shall remaine,
Which saith, if righteousnesse come by the Law Christ died in vaine,
Gal. 2.21.
For all the righteousnesse that pleaseth God well,
Proceedeth from Iesus Christ in the Gospell:
And all those that with it shalbe cloathed Christ wil present them compleat,
Before Gods holy and glorious seat:
I do not lie, but I tell you true,
He that sits upon the throne saith I make all now.
All glory be to God on high,
And to the Son eternally,
And to the Holy Ghost likewise,
Whose glory far surmounts the skies.

The Apostle S. Paul saith plainly, Heb. 12.22. Ye are come to mount Sion, and to the heavenly Ierusalem, and to an innumerable com­pany of Angels: If the Apostle should have said, we shall come to these things, that would have signified that which is to come; but he saith plainly, we are come to them, which doth signifie that which is now present: For I understand and shall prove the heavenly Je­rusalem plainly signifieth Christ and his glorious Church: for God gave Christ to be head over all things to the Church which is his bo­dy, the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all, Eph. 1.22. For Christ and his Church is as man and wife, as I prove, Eph. 5.31. For a man shall [Page 3]leave father and mother, and be joyned to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh: this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bone, Vers. 30. For Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4. Thus I have proved in brief the heavenly Jerusalem signifieth Christ and his glorious Church. Again, we are come to an innumerable company of Angels: I understand all the peo­ple in this world are Angels of light, or angels of darknesse: for all those people that are held under the old Law, and false doctrines of carnall men, they are held under the bondage and captivity of the di­vell, and are thereby made angels of darknesse. But on the other side, all those people that shall turn away from the old law and false do­ctrines, and be reconciled to Christ, and to the obedience of his word which is revealed in his Gospell, they shalbe joyned to the glorious body of Christ, and thereby made all Angels of light.

For now God of his great power (all people shall see)
That he doth not tie himselfe to the art of schollership which the Cler­gie have been taught in the Vniversity.
For there is no man can be a true and sound Interpreter of Gods Word,
But God must give him a powerfull two-edged sword:
That is truly for to divide
Betwixt the heavenly Bridegroom, and the hellish bride.
But will you know what Bride I meane?
The blind and false Church, which saith in her heart I sit a queene.
But now all those people that in true judgment shall sit,
They may behold the King and Queen of glory and wit:
I meane Christ and his Church which is from above,
Who is King and Queen of glory and love.

For God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him: for the Spirit of God drawes but one way, that is, to Christ, and to the obedience of his glorious Gospell, that they may reigne with him in glory for ever. It is written Eph. 5.13. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. Now by that glorious light God hath given unto me, I understand there are a people called Anabaptists, that will not suffer young children to be baptized till they come to yeers of understanding, but by the help of God I shall prove by humane reason, and spirituall significations of Scripture, that they are very much deceived in their judgement; for the law having a shadow of things to come, Heb. 10. I understand, [Page 4]the old Law was a type and shadow of the new: for S. Paul saith plainly, 1 Cor. 10.2. They were baptized to Moses in the cloud: the cloud signifieth the old Law, and Circumcision was a type of Bap­tisme: and we do know children were circumcised at eight dayes old. Againe I find it written Acts 2. when the Apostle told the Jewes that they had killed the Lord of life, they were pricked in their hearts, and said, Men and brethren, What shall we do? Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, and ye shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you, and to your chil­dren: Mark this point I beseech you the Apostle saith plainly, the promise is unto you, and unto your children.

This place of Scripture doth plainely prove, that all children of faithfull people are to be baptized to the body of Christ; againe, I finde it written, Acts 16. concerning the Jaylo and Lydia, which were converted by the Apostles: for the jayler it is said, he and all his were baptized; againe, for Lydia it is said, she and all her househould were baptized; now what man is able to gainesay, but that those two persons might have young children belonging to them, againe, Christ saith, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for to such belongeth the Kingdome of God, marke this point, I beseech you, for Christ saith plainely, the Kingdome of God be­longeth to young children: and Christ and his Church, signifieth, Christ and his Kingdome, therefore all those that will not suffer young children to be baptized, they do shut them out from the King­dome of God, againe, if there be any man can prove by Scripture, that Christ or any of the Apostles have forbid, saying, young chil­dren must not be baptized: I will be of their judgement: or if they can prove by Scripture that it is against the word and will of God, to have young children baptized, I will be of their minds: againe, if I aske any of them if they believe the baptisme with water doth be­long to the body of Christ, and to the second Covenant of grace, they will say yea, then I say plainely, those people that will not suf­fer young children to be baptized, they doe exclude them from the body of Christ, and doe prove, they have no right to the second Co­venant of grace, I pray God give all such people grace to turne away from that wicked practice, for feare they draw downe the wrath of God upon their owne soules: thus I praise God I have proved by humane reason and spirituall significations of Scripture, that young children are to be baptized to the glorious body of Iesus Christ; It is [Page 5]written, Iohn 16.13. Christ saith plainely, when he the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; he shall glorifie me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you: Mark I be­seech you the commanding power of God: for Christ Iesus who is the perfect God, he saith plainely, the spirit of truth shall receive of his, and shall shew it unto you: wherefore by the helpe and power of God I will shew the right honourable and high Court of Parlia­ment a plain and perfect way how they may establish true and sound Religion in a short time: for here are 4. Religions in this Land: the Protestant, the Papist, the Brownist, and the Anabaptist, and all these differ one from another, now if the honourable high Court of Parli­ament will be pleased to request the ablest men of each sort of these 4. religions to write their judgement in briefe concerning the signi­fication of Christ his glorious Church with the holy ordinances that belongeth to it, to show how children are to be baptized, and how the Bread and Wine is to be administred, and for marriage man with woman, and for the buriall of the dead, and of Church Government, and I by Gods helpe will doe the like.

If their be any Protestant, Papist, Brownist or Anabaptist, that can be able to shew and set forth the signification of Christ and his glorious Church, with those holy Ordinances that belonge unto it, in a plainer, and clearer, and briefer way then I by Gods helpe shall doe, my soule shall rejoyce to see that man, and I will be of his reli­gion, if it shall appeare soe to be by the judgement of the high Court of Parliament, whom God (I hope) hath gathered together for the triall of the spirits, wherefore I most humbly beseech you for to ob­serve the councell of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which saith, first seeke the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof, and then all things shall be added unto you (now I understand there are a­boundance of people that long and desire for peace: but I say plainely and truely, God hath drawne his powerfull Sword that here will be no true and sound peace in England, till true and sound religion be established agreeable to the word of God, which is revealed in the Gospell of peace, wherefore I, Iames Hunt, a Minister and Messen­ger of Iesus Christ, doe humbly beseech all good people that love Christ and his glorious Gospell, that you will stirre up the hearts and mindes of the honourable high Court of Parliament, for to establish true and sound Religion, and then you need not doubt but God will powre downe his blessings upon you, both spirituall and temporall, [Page 6]wherefore I humbly beseech you prolonge not the time with my po­werfull God, least you provoke him to anger, and so he may smite you with his wrathfull Rod.

For I have bin this seaven yeares day,
Beseeching the Clergie and higher powers to heare what I would say:
But for the true love to them I beare;
To hate and punish me they doe not spare;
Because that I would shew them the way,
For to come unto the marriage day:
For now the Bridegroome and the Bride,
Heaven Gates they have set open wide;
I meane those Parrables so darke,
By truely sounding on the harp:
But the Divell and all his darke Angels they strive and labour with might and maine
For to shut up the Gates againe.
But my glorious God by his great power;
He will confound them in one houre.

For I praise God he hath given me an understanding to know him that is true, and I glorifie the name of God I am in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God and eternail life, I in him, and he in me, by the divine power of his word, in his glorious Gospell which liveth in me, I honour and glorifie the name of God our glorious father for ever, and Christ Iesus our Mediator and Re­deemer, with the holy Ghost who is our loving Comforter, 3 glori­ous persons, yet but one God, for as they cannot be divided, no more cannot the true Church be divided from them 3. unto whom be all praise, honour, glory, power, might, dominion and majestie, both now and evermore, world without end, Amen.

And so God save the King and Queene, and their royall seed, with all the Nobility & commonalty of this Land, and give them al under­standing from above, that they may be reconciled to Christ, and to the obedience of his word, that they may reigne with him in glory here in this world, and in the world to come, world without end, Amen.

FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.