devil and let his covetousnesse or pride be crost and then he is filled with vexation which is hel or darknesse even the torments of the flesh or devil And the Law of Reason suffered the flesh thus to fall and to weary out himself in his own folly that when the Spirit is pleased to breake forth and manifest himself to rule in flesh then man may see his wise flesh hath nothing that is good in al his selfish actings but that the spirit that brought it forth is the mighty Power And when the Fathers time is come to manifest himself to any one he will then dispell the darknesse which by his Law he made and will set the creature free from the bondage of that darknes burne up all those thornes and briars that flesh hath brought to terrifie it self and will take up the creature into his own liberty and life And then the Spirit shall be all in all whereas the flesh generally living up on objects is all in all or chiefe ruler in every man Qu. What is it to live in the Spirit Answ When flesh is made to see and to be subject to the spirit that brought it forth and is guided by the light of Reason and righteousnesse that might tie power ruling it And not led away like a bear by the nose by every object before his eyes which the flesh lusts after to enjoy and places contentment in They slander me And say I deny Prayer And to this I shall give this accompt Qu. What is Prayer Answ Prayer is of a threefold nature First it is to pay the king of righteousnesse his due and that is for every man to act according to the-creation of a man which is to righteously to all fellow creatures he being the lord of the creatures As first to doe righteously to his own body in taking food moderately for the preservation of the health of it and not to be excessive in drunkennesse and gluttony and not to give away to the unclean lusts of the flesh which tends to the destruction of himself for if the Spirit Reason within a man let the flesh alone and doth not govern and moderate it in righteousnesse it will destroy it selfe in a short time let the flesh walke in Reasons law of moderation and righteousnesse and it shall be preserved from heart breaking sorrows Secondly act righteousnesse to all fellow creatures till the ground according to Reason use the labour of your cattell with Reason follow your course of trading in righteousnesse as Reason requires doe to men and women as you would have them doe to you and by so doing you shall live as Reasonable creatures you shall act according to the creation of a man and so pay the King of Righteousnesse his due for when you hold forth him in your conversation to the view of others you honour him you glorifie his name and give him thanks and this is one part of prayer Qu. Thus the heathen walked according to the light of nature but Christians must live above nature Answ Then English Christians are in a lower and worser condition then the heathens for they doe not so much Men that are guided by principles of fair dealing void of deceit knowes not this day how to live but he will be cheated and cosoned and is this life of Christians for all England is so called above the life of the heathens Surely the life of the heathens shall rise up in judgement against you from the greatest to the least But let me tell you that that man whosoever he be that is not carefull to look into the light of his nature and follow the rules of that light to do as he would be don unto shall never come to see the Spirit that made and that dwels in nature which is the Father of the whole creation And if you know not him then I pray tell me what God you worship or pray to But secondly Prayer lies in the Reasonings of the heart as thus Ask this question within thy selfe Is covetousnesse the name of the Lord or the name of the flesh the answer within thee will be it is the name of the flesh not the name of the Lord now if thou walke in covetousnesse how can thou be said to honor the Lord by thy words in prayer when thou honorest the name of the flesh in thy practise And so is pride is envy is rash anger is hypocrisie is self-will is unmercifull cruelty is zeale without knowledge is uncleannesse the name of the flesh or the name of the Lord thy owne heart will give answer they be the name of the flesh not the name of the Lord and thou lives in the practise and power of those lusts and gives the Lord a few customary words and thinks his service lies in them I will have thee to know that the time is now breaking forth yea it is began that they that worship the Father shall worship him in spirit and truth and not in lip labor and custome according to the imagination of flesh Qu. What is the name of the Lord then I propound this question within thy heart Answ The name of the Lord is Love joy peace meeknesse obedience self-denial chastafie humility mercifulnesse Reason Now he that is drawne up thus to Reason within himself and to see himself this man is praying continually and calling upon the name of the Lord continually whatsoever he doth whatsoever he thinkes which way soever he goes he shall have still fresh occasions thus to be reasoning within himself and this reasoning will do two things First it will strike the heart dead when thou comest to see that for all thy praying in words yet thou art at a losse for thou honorest the name of the flesh in practise and only worships the Lord with wind like the way of the world your servant Sir when he could kill him in his heart when these things comes home to thee thou wilt be struck dead and thy mouth be stopped and this is a great power that stops the rage of flesh Secondly this way of prayer or calling upon the name of the Lord will kill thy distempers as they arise and wil keep thy heart in peace this I know if thou wilt beleeve anothers testimony for now the name of the flesh is spied out and the poyson of it killed for when once Reason begins to enlighten thee he will be thy keeper The name of the Lord likewise is hereby advanced first within thy selfe thou fearest and tremblest before him Secondly outwardly thou art moved to act righteousnesse to others from the savour of this sweet oyntment Now that man doth not live lesse or more in the practise of those two rules laid down did never pray in all his life though he use the words of prayer every day Words and actions going together are the declaration of a sincere heart but words in prayer without acting according to creation as the generall practise is are declarations
may rest no longer upon words without knowledge but hereafter may look after that spirituall pâ—wer and know what it is that rules them and which doth rule in and over all and which they call their God and Governour or preserver And this I hope will be a sufficient accompt why I alter the word what here followes may give more light into the thing Gerrard Winstanly Reade and judg let flesh be silent let the Spirit be honored TRUTH LIFTING UP HIS HEAD ABOVE SCANDALS I Have said That whosoever worships God by hear-say as others tels thâ—m knowes not what God is from light within himselfe or that thinks God is in the heavens above the skyes and so prayes to that God which he imagines to be there and every where but from any testimony within he knowes not how nor where this man worships his owne imagination which is the Devill But he that is a true worshipper must know who God is and how he is to be worâ—hipped from the power of light shining in him if ever he have true peace And from hence a report is raised and is frequent in the mouthes of the teachers That I deny God And therefore First I shall give account what I see and know is to be and let the understanding in heart judge me Qu. Wâ—at is God Ans. I answer He is the incomprehensible spirit Reason who as he willed that the Creation should flow out of him so he governes the whole Creation in righteousnesse peace and moderation And from hence he is called The Lord because there is none above him And he is called The Father because as the whole creation came out of him so he is the life of the whole creation by whom every creature doth subsist Qu. When can a man call the Father his God Ans. When he feels and sees by experience that the spirit which made the flesh doth governe and rule King in his flesh And so can say I rejoyce to feele and see my flesh made subject to the spirit of righteousnesse Qu. But may not a man call him God till hee have this experience Ans. No For if he doe he lyes and there is no truth in him for whatsoever rules as King in his flesh that is his God As for example If pride envy frowardnesse hypocrisy uncleanesse feare of men more then feare of God or covetousnesse If all or any one of these rule and governe thee either all or any one of these is thy God and so thou worships the flesh and that Devill is thy God And the spirit of righteousnesse is not thy God for thou dost not yet submit unto him Qu. But I hope that the Father is my Governor and therefore may I not call him God Ans. Hope without ground is the hope of the hypocrite thou canst not call him God till thou be able in pure experience to â—ay Thy flesh is subject to him for if thy knowledge be no more but Imagination or â—houghts it is of the Devill and not of the â—ather or if thy knowledge be meerly from what thou hast read or heard from others it â— of the flesh not of the spirit Qu. When then may I call him God or the mighâ— Governour and doe not descend my selfe Ans. When thou art by that spirit made â— see him rule and governe not onely in â—ee but in the whole creation so that thou â—eâ—s and sees that the spirituall power that â—â—vernes in thee hath a community in thee â—â—th the whole globe and thou art made subject to that spirit of righteousnesse peace meeknesse and love who doth subject all things to himselfe and brings all things into a one-nesse Now thou mayst call him God warrantably for thou knowest him to be the mighty governour And that the government of the whole creation is upon the shoulders of that spirit to which thou art maâ—e experimentally subject Waite upon him till he teach thee All that reade doe not understand the spirit only sees truth and lives in it Qu. But how shall I know the spirit of the Father so that I may call him God Ans. The spirit of the Father is pure Reason which as he made so he knits the whole creation together into a one-nesse of life and moderation every creature sweetly in love lending their hands to preserve each other and so upholds the whole fabrique Qu. Where doth this Reason dwell which yoâ— call Father and Lord of all Ans. He dwels in every creature according to the nature and being of the creature but supreamely in man Therefore man iâ— called a Rationall creature and the well-beloved son of the Father because by hiâ— creation he is to live in the light of Reason But when he acts unrighteously he lives without Reason and so contrary to his creation as a man But when he acts righteously then he lives in Reason and Reason in him and so according to his creation to the honour of his Maker Qu. Give some example how Reason made and governes the creation Ans. Take these among many and yet you shall finde that the further you dive into Reason the more incomprehensible hee will appeare for he is infinite in wisdome and mighty in power past finding out by flesh till the flesh be made to see light in his light The clouds send downe raine and there is great undeniable reason in iâ— for otherwise the earth could not bring fâ—â—â—â— grasse and fruit The earth sends forth gâ—â—sse or else cattle could not be preserved The cattle feed upon the grasse and there is Reason in it for else man could not be preserved The Sunne gives his light and heate or else the creation could not subsist So that the mighty power Reason hath made these to give life and preservation one to another Reason makes a man to live moderately and peaceably with all he makes a man just and righteous in all his actings he kils frowardnesse envy and pride in a man and why where lyes the Reason Because this man stands in need of others and others stand in need of him and therefore makes a man to doe as he would be done unto Indeed Reason is of such a mighty power that when he rules King in the flesh he governes all things in righteousnesse and there is no complainings or cryings out against oppression There is nothing but unreasonablenesse in all the powers of the flesh as in coveteousnesse pride envy and the like and hereby the flesh brings misery and ruine upon it self But pure and perfect Reason makes every thing to sing and rejoice in righteousnesse When this King reignes the City is glad Qu. What Reason is there that I should have such temptations within and afflictions without Ans. Reason sees it fit you should be befitted by your owne lusts which you have chose to delight in that hereby you being inwardly tormented and shamed you may be drawne to owne and submit to the spirit that gives peace and liberty and so for ever after
Saviour and therefore Paul after he had looked upon the Lambe along time that is looked upon Christ at a distance from himselfe he saw that would bring him no peace therefore saith he Though I have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know I him no more for now the mystery of God that hath been kept secret from ages and generations past is in these last daies revealed which is Christ in you the pope of glory Qu. But was not that body killed laid in the earth and raised again from the dead and ascended up to the Father into Heaven Ans. He was killed by the curse that ruled in the Jewes and was laid in the earth here was the wisdome and power of the Father seen that though all the powers of hell or covetous proud flesh did combine together to oppresse and then to kill a body wherein he himselfe dwelt bodily yet they could not distemper him for he was still patient and he was not heard to complain Qu. Wherein was his wisdome and power seene in this Ans. Hereby hee gives testimony to the World that it is he himself that is the Seed that bruises the Serpents head that is in mankinde for his spirit being so powerfull in flesh kils the spirit of venome that is in flesh and that body being laid in the earth purifieth the earth and purges it from that curse that man had filled it with by his unrighteousnesse and so his spirit doth spirit the Earth in righteousnesse Q. Did man fill the Earth with poyson and the curse A. Yea after he refused to live after the Spirit his Maker and made joyce to live upon the objects of the Creation he then dyed and corrupted and fell into all venimous and stinking unrighteousnesse and as his body went to the earth he did still poyson and corrupt the earth and caused it to bring forth poysonous Vipers Todes and Serpents and Thornes and Bryars For the curse being first falen upon mankinde through man it fell upon the other creatures and the Earth was cursed for his fake and the poyson of mans unrighteous body dunging the Earth filled the grasse and herbs with strong unsavory spirits that flowed from him whereby the cattell feeding comes to be made bitter spirited and mad one against another For the Ayre and Earth is all poysoned and the curse dwels in both through mans unrighteousnesse he that should have kept within order being made Lord of creatures he put the Creation out of order by forsaking his Maker and by acting according to the flesh Now this mighty spirituall man of righteousnes Jesus Christ doth purify humane flesh again and so restoring the head first doth new spirit the Creation and brings all into order again taking away the bitternesse and curse and making the whole Creation to be of one heart and one Spirit Q. But it is said that his body rose again and ascended up through the cloudes into the skies which is called Heaven or place of Glory where the Father dwels A. This speech hath blinded the understandings of many for the Father is not confined to any one particular place for he is in every place and in every creature and where Hee dwels in cleare manifestations there is Heaven and the higher manifestations the higher Heavens Now the body of Christ is where the Father is in the earth purifying the Earth and his Spirit is entred into the whole creation which is the heavenly glory where the Father dwels which is a glory above the flesh and where he rules King and Lord in and over all the Creation purging out all strong spirited powers that causes sorrow and bringing all into the unity of that one Spirit himself So that this Jesus Christ or mighty man that saves us is not in one particular place but every where And this certainly to me is very cleare That whereas the Apostles saw Christ arise and ascend and were witnesses of his Resurrection it was onely a declaration in vision to them of the Spirits rising up for death and hel and darknesse and sorrow could not hold him under he saw no corruption for as soon as that one body in which he was confined for a time was laid low he rose presently up again in the bodies of the Apostles so began to spread in the Earth and when his set time is expired that the Beast or flesh shall reign no more Then he will spread himselfe in sons and daughters from East to West from North to South and never cease encreasing till this vine hath filled the Earth And truly this is great comfort to me that envy could not kill that Spirit but though it killed that body through an appointed permission yet the spirit rose up and shewed himself and went to his Father that is entred into the Creation to purge it from the curse and to spread himselfe in sons and daughters of the Earth that by him their flesh being made subject and saved from the curse might by him become one with him and with his Father that is become one in spirit with him and enjoy communion with the Spirit that is in the whole Globe Qu. But how shall I know that Christ dwels in â—e Ans. It is the testimony of the Spirit it â—elfe that must give you satisfaction for â—hat which is a testimony within me is not â—ours till the same Spirit make it yours â—herefore you are to waite with a quiet and â—umble spirit till the Father be pleased to â—each you and manifest himselfe to you â—nd then you shall know what I speake I â—peake not of my selfe but what I have reâ—eived from the Father Qu. You seem to say that the body of Christ â—as laid in the earth and remains there but the â—criptures say that he saw no corruption how doth â—is agree Ans. His body was laid in the Earth as â—ther dead bodies of men are but it lay not â—n the Earth as other dead bodies doe for oâ—her dead bodies lay there corrupting the Creation but he rose up and purified the Creation death or curse could not hold his â—ody under its power Qu. What doe you mean by Creation in this â—nce Answ I mean fire water earth and aire â—f which four elements the whole creation is made and mankind is made up of them all Now when the first man fell he corrupted the whole creation fire water earth and aire and still as the branches of his body went to the earth the creation was more and more corrupted by the multiplicities of bodies that stil saw corruption for none rose up above the curse but all lay under it Now when the body of Jesus Christ went to the earth that body likewise being made of fire water earth and ayre he purified the whole creation and rose up and saw no corruption as others did Quest But how can he be said to be laid in the earth and remaine there and yet rise up out of it purifying the creation
with him that is that the curse shall â—e removed and the power of it killed and consumed And that created flesh by that mighty power the man of truth should be made subject to the spirit that made it so â—hat the spirit which is the Father may beâ—ome all in all the chiefe ruler in flesh And truly this is but according to the â—urrent of the whole Scripture that in the â—ay of Christ every one shall be made of one â—eart and one spirit that is all shall bee â—rought in to acknowledge the Father to â—bey him walke humbly before him and â—ive in peace and love in him This is the â—octrine of Christ and the Gospell This is â—lad tydings to heare of But when you are â—ade to enjoy this doctrine as yours then you shall know what it is to know the Son and what it is to be set free by the Sonne therfore wait upon the Father till he makâ— forth himself in you Qu. I waite that 's true but I must use the meanes Answ That which you call meanes doth harden your hearts and blind your eyes iâ— shuts you out from sweet enjoyment thaâ— is to run after men for teachings I speakâ— not rashly I speak what I know and yoâ— shall finde before your soules taste of truâ— peace that whosoever takes those Scriptures and makes exposition upon them from theiâ— imagination and â—els you that is the worâ— of God and hath seen nothing That they are the false Christs and false Prophets anâ— their way of teaching is meer deceit both to your soules and to your purses for now in this day of Christ which is begun and which will have a greater appearance ere long in the great world Men must speak their own experienced words and must not speake thoughts For thoughts and studies and imagination of flesh are the men that are found gathering sticks upon this sabbath day and these are stoned to death by the Power that is arising in some already and shall be stoned to death in all that the Lord alone may be exalte in this day of his Power Qu. Must I use no meanes at all or what meanes must I use An. These 3 first let your chief endeavour be to act according to your creation that is to doe as you would be done unto by all creatures as I have shewed and I le tell you this is as needfull a gospell doctrine to be practised as any I know for the present for I le assure you the world is at such a passe yea and among imaginary professors especially that I know not who I can say is a sincere hearted friend so that I am sure the sonne of man at his coming finds no faith in earth neither in my flesh nor in the flesh of other he brings it with him and gives it to us Secondly waite upon the Father with a meek spirit for his teaching And you shall find it a very hard thing to performe these â—wo meanes for the flesh is both very unâ—ighteous to seek it self and it is very hasty â—o have all knowledge peace and experience â—n a sudden it s so proud and hasty it will â—ot wait Thirdly if you would hear other men â—peak you may doe two things First read the record and there see what the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets your fellow servants were but do not alter their words by forceing a meaning till the Father teach you Secondly if you would hear then acquaint your selves with such as can speake from a testimony within for as they received what they have from the pure teachings of the Father so this second hand teaching will be pure teaching to you but be sure you do not prefer this second hand teaching before the first for now the everlasting word and gospel must reveale himself to you or else you cannot be satisfied I have now discharged my service to the Father in this declaration remember what is tould you despise not the Fathers meanes by preferring the way and meanes of the flesh above the wayes of the Father They say I deny the Scriptures because I say that the Scriptures were not appointed for a rule to the world to walke by without the spirit but were the testimony of the Father in those men that writ them for the comfort and benefit of those that are drawn up into communion with the same spirit And to this I shall give this accompt Qu. What is the Law and Testimony which if a man speak not according to it it is because there is no light in him An. This Law and Testimony to which I must have recourse for my comfort is not the words or writings of other men without me But the spirit of the Father in me teaching me to know him by experience and when I can speake purely what I doe see and heare from the Father this is the Law and Testimony within me from which I speake and if I speak not from this Law within I have no knowledge in me Qu. But are not the Scriptures the Law and Testimony of the Father Answ It was the Law and Testimony of the spirit which rested in and upon the Prophets and Apostles for they writ what they saw in vision and they spake what they heard by voice speaking to them spiritually Qu. But are not those Scriptures the Law and Testimony for people to walk by in these dayes Answ No For this is to walke by the eyes of other men and the spirit is not so scanty that a dozen or 20 pair of eyes shall serve the whole world but every sonne and daughter as they are called children of light have light within themselves The same spirit that fils one fils all and makes the whole number of them according to their severall measures to be of one heart and one mind Qu. But may not men take these Scriptures and spend construction upon them and hold forth those constructions to others as perfect light by way of office An. I answer no neither reason nor Scripture allowes any man to speake any words but what he knowes positively to be truth And he that spends constructions thereupon speaking from his imagination he speaks from the flesh and devill and so he makes himself to be a traytor to the father inholding forth that to be truth which is no truth And a thief robber and unrighteous dealer with the Prophets and Apostles First in taking their words as his own and secondly in expounding their meaning and so putting his own meaning upon their words But yet he that hath the same spirit may speak the same word where the Father hath given him the same sight and experience for no man can safely tell another this is a positive truth of God till he have the same testimoniall experience within himself as the penmen of Scripture had and this I am sure all that stand up to teach by way of office have not therefore it is clear that the power that
how came in that distinction of holy Spirit and of uncleane spirit which are phrases often used Answ Before man rejected the spirit his maker the spirit was his breath and life And he lived in the spirit treading the objects of the creation under his feet in comparison but after that man began to look after the objects of the earth delighting himself to live upon or among fellow creatures more then the spirit And so chose to himself another livelihood and protection then his master then his breath or power that guided him became mixed and turned uncleane Qu. Vnfold your meaning in this a little more Answ The spirit made the flesh to be his house to dwell in and set man in the midst of the creation as a lord to govern the creature which while he governed according to the light of his maker within him he did alâ— in righteousnesse but when he fell off and delighted to follow the lusts of his eye the lusts of his heart and guidance of the flesh then he governed al in unrighteousnesse and so pulling death and curse upon himself and upon the earth For the spirit that made all creatures did know that man as he was flesh would be looking after fellow creatures and take delight in the creation more then in the spirit of the creation who was his maker that dwelt within and lay covered from the eyes of flesh Therefore Reason the essentiall Father gave this Law that in that day that man left off to own his maker that dwelt within him and to suck delight from the creation he should then die or be cast into a condition to live below the spirit that is to live upon the creature and not upon the spirit And the spirit would suffer himself thus for a time to be trod under foot til the fulnesse of time came that he would rise up like seed of wheat from under those darke and heavy clods of fleshy earth and so himself the seed out of whom all things came would bruise the serpents head that powerfull proves that was in flesh to looke after objects without him rather then into the spirit within him Qu. Why then you seeme to say that the Law which Reason gives occasioned man to fall Answ Very true for if there had been no Law there had been no transgression if there had beene no binding law of reason to require him to cleave only to his maker and to eye and own him principally then he had not done evill though he had placed his delight in the objects of the earth his fellow creatures For note here it is one thing to live in and upon the spirit and another thing to fleight the spirit and to live in and upon the creation that came out or forth of the spirit Qu. I intreat you to tell me what you meane by the Spirit Answ The Spirit is the alone being of himself that gave a being to whatsoever we see and hear for whatsoever you see or hear is but the breathings forth or declaration of an infinite being that was before them as the words of a mans mouth are the declaration of the spirit or power within and are created by the spirit and so hold forth as a creature to the creation And therefore the Spirit is called the Father the King the mighty God or Governor Jehovah Elohim the Lord and the like Now he is called the Lord because he is the power that rules in and over the whole globe of heaven and earth for they are all governed by this one spirit Qu. But is death and darknesse made by this one Spirit likewise Answ The one spirit made light and drrknesse as in the great body of night and day so in the litle body man for that power of darknesse that dwels in humane flesh and which leads the creature captive into complainings and sorrow was made by the Spirit by these words In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die As well as he made that power of light liberty and life by those words Live yea I say Live Qu. I pray explaine this a little more An. After the Spirit had made the creation and mankinde to governe it Now Reason would manifest himself to this creation by the works of his own hands therefore let any man stand alone to the Law of Reason his Maker to see whether he would stick to the one spirit and live in him or cleave to the creatures and live in them and man rejected the spirit and cleaved to the creature and so by virtue of the Law cast himself under the power of death and darknesse which was the curse that Reason inflicted And thereupon the spirit within man being a prisoner to the flesh or divell As Reason would have it so for a time that when he comes to arise up in flesh like a corne of wheat from under the clods of the earth the creation may then come to know the spirit that is within it is the mighty Power and that al the creation being rested upon is still but weaknesse and cannot give true Rest that so the Father alone may be all in all Qu. What is the devill Answ The flesh of man within and the objects of the creation without is the divel under which the spirit within is for a timâ— buried and lies silent and while man is subject to his flesh or to the objects before him he is carried away prisoner under the poweâ— of darknesse for let him goe from creaturâ— to creature all are too weake to worke hiâ— peace or let him have all the desires of hiâ— flesh satisfied even that delight brings paiâ— and sorrow no true peace Qu. And why is the flesh of man within aâ— objects without called the devill Answ Because when it is King it leads the spirit of man into darknesse yea into utter darknesse and sorrow far from light liâ— and true peace for it drawes men to live uâ—on the creation and to reject the spirit the is that you call the serpent which tempteâ—Adam Qu. How doe you mean make it more clear Answ The flesh of man having lifted â— his hee le against the Spirit within which was his Maker seeks life and contentment from objects without in the globe not from the Spirit Reason that dwels within and that holds altogether by the Power As for example covetous flesh delights in the enjoyment of riches or creatures pride of the flesh delights in the enjoyment of the sight of the eye or inward delights placed upon visible objects Now the man lives in and upon the creation not in and upon the Spirit in the creation and though he say that the Father is his God yet he lies for he is led and ruled by the flesh which is the devil or father of lies which throwes the man into vexation and sorrow every foot for if his covetousnesse pride and lusts be satisfied he hath peace but this is the peace of the flesh or