which God had with the blessed Angels in the Inner-Chambers of Heaven. Now that the same Scripture should speak one thing in the Letter, and another in the Mysterie, is not strange to mee, how difficult soever it may seem to another. For verily this Text may not concern the first Adam, who knowing Evill by Committing it, could not be like God in respect of that Knowledge, which made him sinfull, and altogether unlike him. For God (if I may so expresse it) knows the Evill onely speculatively, in asmuch as nothing can escape his Knowledge, and therefore is not guilty of Evill: For as Tritemius hath well observed, Scientia Mali non est Malum, sed usus; The knowledge of Evill is not Evill, but the practice of it. It remains then, that this Speech concern'd the Second Adam, Christ Jesus, who knew the Evill, but did not commit it, and therefore was like one of us, that is like One of the Trinitie, knowing Good and Evill, and yet no way guiltie of the Evill. This primitive and Compendious Gospell was no sooner imparted to the Angels, but they became Ministers of it, the Law (as St. Paul saith) being ordained in their hands, till Christ should take it into his own and their Administration to Man took Beginning with this Oracle. Thus (say the Cabalists) Raziel the Angel was presently

dispatch'd to communicat the Intelligence to Adam, and to acquaint him with the Mysteries of both world, AEternall, and Temporall. For as he could not obtain the Blessings of the AEternall World, unless by a true faith hee apprehended the Three AEternall Principles of it, so neither could he fully injoy the benefits of this Temporall World, unless hee truly understood the Three Visible substances whereof it consists. For there are Three above, and Three beneath, Three (as St. John saith) in Heaven, and Three on Earth; The Inferior bear witness of the Superior, and are their only proper Receptacles. They are Signatures and Created Books, where wee may reade the Mysteries of the supernaturall Trinitie. But to proceed in our former Discourse: The Cabalists doe not onely attribute a Guardian to Adam, but to every one of the Patriarchs, allowing Them their Praesidents and Tutors both to assist and instruct Them in their wearisome and worldly Peregrinations. A Doctrine in my Opinion not more Religious than Necessary, how Prodigious soever it may seem to some Phantastic, insiped Theologicians. For Certainly it is impossible for us to find out Mysteries of our selves, wee must either have the Spirit of God, or the Instruction of his Ministers, whether they bee Men or Angels. And thus wee see out of the

Traditions and Doctrine of the Jewes, how their Cabala, and our Magic came first into the world. I shall now examine the Scriptures, and consult with them: where (if I am not much mistaken) I shall find some Consequences, which must needs depend on these Principles, and thus I apply my self to the Task.

The first Harvest I read of, was that of Cain, and the first Flocks, those of Abel. A Shepheards life in those Early Dayes was no difficult Profession, it being an Imployment of more Care, than Art, but how the Earth was plow'd up before the sound of Tubal's Hammers, is a piece of Husbandrie unknown in these Dayes. Howsoever it was a Labour perform'd, and not without Retribution. Cain hath his Sheaves, as well as Abel his Lambs: both of them receive, and both acknowledge the Benefit. I find established in these Two a certain Priesthood, they attend both to the Altar, and the first Bloud was shed by Sacrifice the Second by Murther.

Now so dull am I, and so short of Syllogismes, those strange Pumps, and Hydragogues, which lave the Truth ex Puteo, like Water, that all my Reason cannot make these Men Levits without Revelation. For I desire to know how came they first to Sacrifise, and by whom were they initiated? If you will say, by Adam:

The Question indeed is deferr'd, but not satisfied For I would know further In what Schoole was Adam instructed? Now that it was impossible for him to invent these Shadowes and Sacraments of himself, I will undertake to Demonstrate and that by invincible Reason, which no Adversarie shall dare to contradict.

It is most certain that the Hope and Expectation of Man in Matters of Sacrifices, consist in the Thing signified, and not in the Signe it self. For the Material Corruptible shadow is not the Object of Faith but the Spiritual, aeternall Prototype, which answers to it, and makes the dead figure Effectual. The Sacrifices of the Old Testament, and the Elements of the New, can be no way acceptable with God, but inasmuch as they have a Relation to Christ Jesus, who is the great, perfect Sacrifice offered up once for all. It is plain then that Sacrifices were first instituted upon supernatural grounds, for in Nature there is no reason to be found, why God should be pleased with the Death of his Creatures. Nay the very Contrary is written in that Book, for Death both Natural and Violent proceeds not from the pleasure, but from the displeasure of the Creator. I know the learned Alkind builds the efficacie of Sacrifices on a Sympathie of parts with the great world; for there is in every Animal a portion

of the star-fire; which fire upon the Dissolution of the Compound is united to the General fire from whence it first came, and produceth a sense, or Motion in the Limbus to which it is united. This indeed is true, but that Motion causeth no Joy there, and by Consequence no Reward to the Sacrificer: for I shall make it to appeare elsewhere that the Astral Mother doth mourn, and not rejoyce at the Death of her Children. Now if wee look back on these two first Sacrificers, we shall find Abel and his Oblation accepted, which could not be, had he not offerr'd it up as a Symbol, or Figure of his Saviour. To drive home my Argument then, I say, that this knowledge of the Type, in whom all offerings were acceptable, could not bee obtained by any humane Industrie, but by sole Revelation. For the Passion of Christ Jesus was an Ordinance wrapt up in the secret will of God, and he that would know it, must of Necessitie bee of his Councell. Hence it is called in Scripture the Hidden Mysterie, for the Truth and Certainty of it, was not to bee received from any, but onely from him, who had both the Will, and the Power to ordain it. But if you will tell mee (like the Author of the Praedicables) that men sacrifised at first by the Instinct of Nature, and without any Respect [Marginal note: Porphyr. de Sacrif.] to the Type, I shal indeed thank you for my

mirth, whensoever you give mee so just a Reason to laugh. It remains then a most firme infallible Foundation that Adam was first instructed concerning the Passion, and in order to that, he was taught further, to Sacrifise, and offer up the Blouds of Beasts as Types and Prodroms of the Bloud of Christ Jesus, the Altars of the Law being but steps to the Cross of the Gospell. Now if it be objected that severall Nations have sacrifised, who did not know God at all, much less the Son of God, who is the Prototype and perfection of all Oblations: To this I answer, that the Custome of Sacrificing was communicated to Heathens by Tradition from the first Man: who having instructed his own Children, they also delivered it to their Posteritie, so that this Vizard of Religion remained, thought the Substance and true Doctrine of it was lost. And thus in my Opinion it sufficiently appears, that the first men did sacrifise, not by Nature as Prophyrius that Enemie of our Religion would have it, but some by Revelation, others by Custome and Tradition. But now I think upon it, I have Scripture to confirme me concerning this Primitive Revelation, for Salomon numbring those severall Blessings which the Divine Wisdome imparted to the Ancient Fathers, amongst the rest specifies her Indulgence to Adam. Shee praeserved

(saith hee) the first formed Father of the world, that was created alone, and brought him out of his Fall. Here I find Adam in some measure restored, and how could that bee, but by discovering unto him the Great Restorative Christ Jesus, the second Adam in whom he was to believe? for without Faith he could not have been brought out of his Fall, and without Christ revealed, and preached unto him, hee could have no Faith, for hee knew not what to believe. It remaines then that hee was instructed, for as in these last dayes wee are taught by the Son of God, and his Apostles; so in those first times they were taught by the Spirit of God and his ministring Angels. These were their Tutors, for of them they heard the Word, and verily wee are told that faith comes by hearing.