Abington, the 26th of the Twelfth Month 1737 [February 1738]

This being the tenth day of my fasting, it came into my mind: the carnal people’s vain notion of Christ the TRUTH being in heaven with a carnal body, or body of flesh. Now I think it is absolute blasphemy to say the eternal infinite Being is in heaven with a finite body—as a body or veil of flesh is—and so limit the blessed eternal maker and savior of mankind and set the saints above him. For they will allow the saints to be in heaven with a spiritual body. Where is the consistency of this dark, very dark doctrine?

But Satan’s children are disputing about the veil, the sanctified body of Christ (that was made perfect through sufferings, and he learned obedience by the things which he suffered), as their father did about the body of Moses, but could not find it; no more can they the other, although it be before their eyes.

There’s no occasion for veils of flesh in heaven, or a shadow—as the substance or essence of Mary’s flesh was—which Christ took on him for a time.  But there was nothing ascended but that which descended, no other. Now go, thou caviler! go learn what that was and is and ever will be the same that it was before all worlds: eternal Truth, Christ, Father, one divine Essence, not two essences, no, no! not flesh and Spirit, not earthly and heavenly—but heavenly only. 

There is no savior that saves from sin,
But he that saves and dwells within.

Pythagoras, that great and worthy philosopher, asserted that it is the greatest of injustices to separate children and parents from each other.  Is there any practice anything like slavekeeping? For that and all other gross sins, take it from first to last in all its twisting, twinings, and murderous complications.

Abington, the 29th of the Third Month [May] 1738

The right establishment, building, settlement, fountain, and foundation of the true congregation or church is God, is the TRUTH. And [it’s] in him, not in books—I say in him, not out[side] of him, no, no, no, not a great way off, but in Christ, not out[side] of him, but in him. The TRUTH is his holy house, built church, or congregation ([all] one)—his living body in him, and he in his living body and in every living member thereof. And every living member knows it to be so, in Verity and in the Truth; and the Truth, the Verity of Verities in them forevermore—in his children, born again in him the Truth, and he the Truth brought forth in them to his own praise and glory, forever perfected in his saints.

And this is the foundation, which is already laid, was, and ever will be firm as a rock; which did, does, and ever will stand sure; and no other foundation can any man lay. No, no, not Christ himself can lay no other than this, which is Truth, in the inward parts of his saints, his own children which he hath made clean and holy and hath perfected forever, such as he hath so sanctified. But this Foundation is not in the unsanctified, unholy, and sinners, that live and delight in sin, plead for sin [for] term of life, will freely acknowledge they cannot cease from sin in thought, word, and deed. Such indeed are established also, but it is in unrighteousness (a bad foundation) and in sin, which is Satan’s church, government, and kingdom, where he rules in his own body, and every member thereof are all sinners. And he himself is head of his own body, which is his sinful church, or church full of sin and iniquity.