So in Matth. xvi. 23. Christ said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan. Here you see Peter is called Satan, because it was the Spirit of Reason in Peter that said, Master, pity thy self: That is, the Thoughts of Peter's Heart they did savour of the fleshly part, that is, those Motions to persuade Christ to save himself from Death, they did arise from the Seed of Reason in Peter, therefore called Satan; for there was no new Spirit that came into Peter at that time to cause him to speak those Words, but those Words proceeded from the Seed of Reason in him, as aforesaid, therefore called Satan.
And wheresoever that Expression is used, as Peter said himself in the Acts, Why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost? that is, why hath the Motions of Reason in thee persuaded thy Heart to tell a Lie unto us, that have the Holy Ghost in us?
So the Reader may clearly see, there is no other Satan to tempt God or Man, but the Motions and Words that proceed from the Seed of Reason in Man and Woman.
So in Luke x. 18. And Christ said unto his Disciples, I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven. This Christ spake, because his Disciples rejoyced that the Devils were subject to them. The Meaning of Christ was, that he saw the Spirit of Reason, that was in the Rulers of the Jews, very high in the Righteousness of the Law of Moses, even as if they were in Heaven, thinking in themselves that none could be more happy and surer of Heaven and Peace with God, then they that kept to the Law of Moses.
Now Christ knowing that this Righteousness of the Jews, should be thrown down by the Righteousness of Faith, which his Apostles should preach, therefore he saw by Faith that the Spirit of Reason in the Rulers of the Jews should fall like Lightning from Heaven; and so it did, and the Disciples of Christ should, by the Doctrine and Righteousness of Faith, tread upon Serpents, and upon their Persecution, and upon their Righteousness of the Law of Moses, and upon all that which did fall like Lightning from Heaven; they should tread upon Satan, that is, upon the very Wisdom of Reason the Devil.
This is the true meaning of Christ, when he beheld Satan fall from Heaven like Lightning, and what Satan is so much spoken of in Scripture. Much more might be said to enlarge this Point, but I have spoken more already then I did intend; but I suppose there is enough written here in short to satisfy those, that can understand by a little what a great deal Means. And also People may know when they speak of Satan what Satan is, and when they speak of the Devil, they may know what the Devil is.
So much concerning the Interpretation of Satan, and the Conclusion of this Epistle, written by
Lodowicke Muggleton.