A True Interpretation of the Witch of Endor

by Lodowick Muggleton

But the Imagination of Reason in Man, which is the Devil, hath created all Creatures in the Imagination to have Spirits without Bodies, both of Angels above and Man here on Earth, and all Creatures upon the Earth, and in the Waters, that have the Breath of Life, the Imagination of Reason saith, their Spirits may subsist without Bodies, or go out of those Bodies they have, and enter into other Bodies, and appear in the Shape of a Body, and yet be of no Substance: so that the Devil's Creation is all of Spirits without Bodies, and God's Creation is all with Bodies and Spirits together.

And this Darkness hath overspread the Nature of Man all the World over, which is the Occasion of that Opinion of Houses and Places being haunted with evil Spirits, and Spirits walking without Bodies, and dealing with Familiar Spirits, that peep, and mutter, and whisper as it were out of the Ground. These Things and many more are produced by the Imagination of the Heart of Man, for the Imagination of Man's Heart is evil, and continually evil; for it hath given a Being to Spirits without Bodies, to fright it self to that which hath no Being of it self.

For I declare and perfectly know, that there is no such Thing as Spirits to walk without Bodies, nor assume any Shape after Death, nor be raised out of the Ground by any Witch or any Familiar Spirit whatsoever; it is all produced out of the dark Imagination of the Heart, where Ignorance beareth Rule, for there is no such Thing can be presented but to the Ignorant and dark minded People.

Thus I have given the Reader to understand something more concerning the Power of Witches, and how they may be said to raise Spirits out of the Ground, and from whence that low Speech doth come, with those Scriptures opened that speak as if a Familiar Spirit did hear whispering out of the Dust.

Also I have given the Interpretation of that in Samuel concerning the Witch of Endor, and those Places of Scripture in Isaiah; these Places are the most concerning Spirits being raised without Bodies, of any in the Scriptures; but there have been some other Places of Scriptures, that do seem to carry a shew as if Spirits might rise again without Bodies, and I have been desired by some to open those Scriptures that seem to tend to that Purpose, though the common and general Objection amongst all People is, that of the Witch of Endor and King Saul, which I have opened before; yet for the further Satisfaction of the Reader, I shall open and interprete the other Places objected, that seem to tend to the same thing.

The Places of Scripture are three; the first is Isa. lxi. 1. the Words are these, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek: He hath sent me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound——So Luke iv. 18. the Words in Luke are much to the same Purpose, and little Difference; only that which Isaiah did prophesy of, it was fulfilled by Christ in his time——So the first Epistle of Peter, Chap. iii. and 18, 19, 20. Verses; the Words are these, For Christ also hath once suffered for Sin, the Just for the Unjust; that he might bring us to God, being put to Death in the Flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Verse 19. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison: Verse 20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the Long-suffering of God waited in the Days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few (that is) eight Souls were saved by Water.

CHAP. XII.

As for that Saying of the Prophet Isaiah, it was a Prophecy of Christ, that he should be anointed to preach Glad-tidings, unto the Meek, and that he was sent to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound. This Prophecy was fulfilled when he was upon Earth, as may plainly appear by those Words in Luke aforementioned.

Also the Reader may understand, that these Places of Scripture have no Relation at all to the raising of Spirits without Bodies; nor of Spirits being in Prison, nor delivered out of Prison by the Power of Christ without Bodies.

But the Meaning is this, that the Spirit of the Lord Almighty was upon Christ, and in him, and did anoint him to preach Glad-tidings of Salvation to the Meek in Heart, who did believe in him and trusted in his Words; all such as were broken-hearted, who were led Captive by the Error, Ignorance, and Darkness of the Mind; he came to proclaim Liberty to the Spirit of Man, who was in Captivity; and to open the Prison-door of Mens Hearts.