and more righteous acting The voice of mourning shall be heard no more the birds shall sing merrily on every bough O rejoyce rejoyce for the time that the Lord God omnipotent wil raign in al the earth is beginning and he wil be servant to the Dragon Beast and man of the flesh no longer but wil tread down that murdering power and make him his footstool This is the work of the Lord that wil stop the the mouths of all hearsay and imaginary Preachers All mouths shall be silent and not dare to speak till the power of the Lord within give words to the mouth to utter And when men that are ful of wast words are made to see they speak they know not what when they shal see they speak other mens words like Parots not their own and sometimes they speak words from their imagination which may be false as wel as true for ought they know for they have had neither voice vision nor revelation to warrant their words when they see this Then they shal be ashamed and confounded in themselves For now lip service is to be judged to death and every one shal be fetched in to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth or else they shal perish for mens words shal grow fewer and fewer their actions of Righteousness one to another more and more and there shal no love be esteemed of but what is manifest in righteous actions And this shal be the ruler that every one shal observe to walk righteously in the Creation towards all Creatures according to the Law of equity and Reason and this Law shal be writ in every ones heart and he that hath this law in his heart is marked for a son or daughter they that have it not are marked for enemies and rebels to the Father And such a one is a Cain The Kingdoms of the whole world must become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ and this the Nations are angry at Therefore count it no strang thing to see wars and rumours of wars to see men that are put in trust to act for publike good to prove fals to see commotions of people every where like flouds of water stirred up raedy to devour and overflow one another To see Kings storm against the people To see rich men and gentry most violent against the poor oppressing the and treading them like mire in the street Why is all this anger But because the man of the flesh is to die his day of judgment is come he must give up the Kingdom and Government of the earth man-kind into the hand of his neighbour that is more righteous then he For Jacob now must have the blessing he is blessed yea and shal be blessed and Esau shal become his servant The poor shal inherit the earth CHAP. X. ANd here now is made plain That the first shall be last and the last first The powers of the flesh or Adam in me he appeared first and trampled the man-child the power of righteousnesse and peace under foot I but when the man-child begins to rise up to rule the other fals and becomes the tail the last nay must be destroyed Two Kings that claimes interest in one Kingdom can never live quietly together Light and darknesse will be fighting till the one be conquered And surely the man of Righteousnesse or that last man that appears shal be the first that shal be honoured and become the preserving and restoring power the great Law-giver that shall rule in the new heaven and in the new earth in righteousnesse Of further The first that is the worshipping of God in types ceremonies formes and customs in set times and places which are the invention of the first man which doth slight and loath the way of inward Righteousnesse for they that live in established forms are filled with dislike and willingly would â—either buy nor sell with those whom the Lord hath drawn up to live in him they cannot indure the way of the Spirit let them say and professe what they wil for he that is strict in a formal customarily way of worship knows not what it is to worship in spirit and truth or to walk righteously in the Creation but is bitter spirited and merely selfish And this power appears first in a man and makes people very zealous professours of God and Christ in preaching praying and hearing But without knowledge what God and Christ is and they know not what they do nor the end wherefore they do so And their teachers in the same forms are blind guides and poor hearts both shall fall into the ditch and be mired in their own inventions most pittifully And when you come to see your selves stick in confusion and disorder and knowing that your teachers have deceived you Then you will remember these words That the first must be last Moses though he was a good man yet he was not to enter into the laâ—d of Canaan which types out this to me That the first man of the flesh shall never enter into the Fathers rest Then likewise you shall see that your zeal was but zeal without knowledge and that heat in you did but carry you along to advance self not to advance the Lord And that covetousness was the Lord chief Ruler in you which being crossed grew impatient and that impatiency you called it The zeal of the Lord when experience teacheth you silence you will not be offended at these words but ashamed of your self And here likewise you may see what it is to make a Sermon for a Sermon is a speech made from the man-seer which is Chaist within for this anointing sees the Father in every thing And therefore Christ in that one body The Lamb was called a great Prophet or Seer Now that man or woman that sees the Spirit within themselves how he enlightens how he kils the motions of the flesh and makes the flesh subject to Righteousnesse and so can see light in his light this man or woman is able to make a Sermon because they can speak by experience of the light and power of Christ within them who is indeed the man Seer But now he that speaks from imagination or from tradition and not from experience of what he sees cannot make a Sermon as the publike Preachers generally do and so he is a deceiver or false Christ and false Prophet that runs before he be sent put forward by secret pride and covetousnes to get a temporal living Therfore let none speak so discontentedly against Adam the first man by Creation that they say lived on earth about 6000 years ago as though he brought in the misery upon all for the Scriptures seem to declare that there were men in the world before that time For when Cain had killed his brother Abel which in one verse Moses seems to say was the third man in the world yet in a few verses following writing of Cains punishment declares Cains own
The New Law OF RIGHTEOUSNES Budding forth in restoring the whole Creation from the bondage of the curse OR A Glimpse of the new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwels Righteousnes GIVING An Alarm to silence all that preach or speak from hear-say or imagination By GERRARD WINSTANLEY Out of the despised poor people which are the stones and dust of the earth man-kind upon whom the children of the flesh treads shall the blessing rise up that shall restore all things This is Sion whom no man regards in whom the Father delights to dwell This is Sion out of whom we are to expect the deliverer to come that shall turn ungodlinesse from Jacob You learned and great men of the earth take notice of this and remember you have been told LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1649. TO The twelve Tribes of Israel that are circumcised in heart and scattered through all the Nations of the Earth Dear Brethren THough you have been and yet are the despised ones of the world yet the blessing of the most High your King of Righteousnesse is in you and shall spread forth of you to fill the earth You are the field wherein the treasure hath lien hide all the dark and cloudy dayes of the Beasts time times and dividing of time now expiring Though dark clouds of inward bondage and outward persecution have over-spread you yet you are the firmament in whom the Son of righteousnesse will rise up and from you will declare himself to the whole Creation for you are Sion whom no man regards out of whom salvation shall come That blessing which is the seed of Abraham lies hid in you that is and must be the alone Saviour and joy of all men from inward and outward bondage and the restorer of the whole Creation from the curse it groans under He lies hid in you he is hated persecuted and despised in you he is Jacob in you that is and hath been a servant to Esau a long time but though this Jacob be very low yet his time is uow come that he must rise and he will rise up in you that are trod under foot like dust of the earth he will glorifie himself â—oth in you and from you to the shame and downfall of Eâ—au The report of this blessed promised seed shall go through the Earth in this ministration of the Spirit that is now rising up as well as that ministration of the flesh and letter that now begins to draw back and his dominion when he begins to rule the Nations shall reach from one end of heaven to the other the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and of his Dominion there shall be no end This is the consolation of Israel it draws near to be made manifest wait for it with patience You whom I writ to are the seed of Abraham and the blessing of Isaac and Jacob but 〈◊〉 me tell you not the seed of Abraham after the flesh for Ishmael and Esau are not to share in this portion Their portions was of the earth and they have received tâ—em and spent them already by their unrighteousnesse your portion is the Lord himself which endures for ever The powers of the flesh are to be made servants unto the promised seed and now comes the time that the elder sons that are born after the flesh shall serve the younger sons in whom the blessing lies this is the fall of Esau and the rising of Jacob and shall be really done in the sight of the whole Creation as the other was You are the Abrahamites in whom the blessing remaines that lives not now in the type but enjoyes the substance of circumcision For he is not a Jew that is one outward in the flesh but he is a Jew that is one inward whose circumcision is of the heart Whether he be born of the Nation of the Jews extant in the world or whether he be one born of other Nations in whom the blessing remains it is Abrahams promised seed that makes a Jew and these are they of whom it is said Salvation is of the Jews What was that seed of Abraham that is called the blessing It is the Law and power of righteousnesse which made Abraham to forsake his Isaac his dearest relations in the flesh rather then he would refuse the way of his Maker and herein Abraham found peace So that this King of righteousnesse and this Prince of peace that ruled in Abraham is the blessing of all Nations for this shall save his people from their sins and free them from all distempers of the unrighteous flesh This is the one spreading power that shall remove the curse and restore all things from the bondage every thing groans under This is called Abrahams seed because Abraham sprang from him as a tree grows from the seed which gave the tree its being and its name And the Law of righteousnesse and peace dwelling and ruling in any one is the seed of Abraham and the severall branches of men and women in whom that power rests are children and of the family of Abraham For it was not the man of the flesh that was called Abraham but the Law of righteousnesse and peace that did rule and govern in that body he was the Abraham the flesh is honoured with such a name by him that dwelt therein the name of the flesh before this righteous power was manifest in it was Abram As the humane body called Christ was not the anointing but the Spirit in that body was the Christ or the spreading power of righteousnesse which was to fill the earth with himself That body was but a house or temple for the present work which was to draw down Moses Law and become the substance of his types and lambs and sacrifices for that body was the lamb that did fulfill the righteous will by his voluntary and free-will offering up of himself without forcing So then This Law of righteousnesse and peace is Abrahams seed nay that manifestation in that humane body was Abraham himself for Abraham is known to the Creation by acting in or from that power that ruled the flesh And every man or woman born of Jew or Gentile in whom this power rules and breaks forth are the children of Abraham and the man Abraham in whom the spirit dwelt in a lesse measure for he hath failings was a type of the Man Christ Jesus in whom the Law of righteousnesse and peace dwelt bodily for there was no sin or unrighteousnesse in that body Therefore Christ hath the honour above his brethren to be called the spreading power because he fils all with himself And because this power did appear to the Creation first in Abraham of all men we hear of therefore every one that follows after him and that are ruled by the same Law are called children of Abraham or children of that seed But Christ the anointing he hath the preheminence
for Abraham sprang from him and all Abrahamits are but a tree or vine that did spring from that one seed for indeed the spirit of life lies in the bottom which lifted up both Abraham and his children and is the one seed of righteousnesse and life from which every one springs what name soever any righteous body is called Now this seed doth promise himself to be the blessing of all Nations and the restorer of all things from bondage but the Nations of the earth since that report was made never yet enjoyed the benefit of it for the curse hath still rested upon the Creation and hath been rather multiplied from year to year so that at this very day those in whom the first fruits of restauration appears do see darknesse nay thick darknesse do cover man-kind And the curse doth rest mightily in the fire water earth and air all places stinks with the abomination of the curse So that a man can go into no place but he shall see the curse and enmity is that power that rules the creatures that makes them jar one against another Likewise miserry breaks forth upon man-kind from these four Elements of which his body is made and the curse rests within him and the curse dwels round about him But Abrahams seed is and must be the blessing of all Nations and shall spread as far as the curse hatâ— spread to take it off And this seed Dear Brethren hath lien hid in you all the time appointed and now is breaking forth And the Nations shall know That salvation or restauration rather is of the Jews that King of righteousnesse and Prince of peace that removes the curse and becomes himself the blessing arises up in you and from you and fils and will fill the earth both man-kind and the whole Creation Fire Water Earth and Air for the blessing shall be every where And though the seed of the flesh have cast you out for evil and you have been the despised ones of the earth and the children of the flesh refuses to buy and sell with you yet now your glory is rising And the ancient prophesie of Zecharie shall be fulfilled That ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying Let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you This new Law of righteousnesse and peace which is rising up is David your King which you have been seeking a long time and now shall find him coming again the second time in the personall appearance of sons and daughters he will be a true Davider indeed between flesh and spirit between bondage and libertie between oppressours and the oppressed he is and will be the righteous Judge he will lead your captivitie captive and set you down in peace He is now coming to raign and the Isles and Nations of the earth shall all come in unto him he will rest every where for this blessing will fill all places All parts of the Creation in whom the curse remains shall be shaken and moved and the seed of the flesh shall find peace no where He will throw down the mountaines of the flesh fill up the low valleys of the spirit he will make rough wayes smooth and crooked wayes strait he will make the earth fruitfull and the winds and the weather seasonable he will throw all the powers of the earth at your feet and himself will be your governour and teacher and your habitations on earth shall be in peace that so you that are the Citie of the Lord New Jerusalem the place of his rest may be the praise of the whole earth If any one say The glory of Jerusalem is to be seen hereafter after the â—ody is laid in the dust it matters not to me what they say they speak their imagination they know not what I know that the glory of the Lord shall be seen and known within the Creation and the blessing shall spread in all Nations and Jerusalem indeed which is Abrahams children sprituall Israel gathered together shall be the praise and glory of the whole earth and the restauration of all things is to be seen within the Creation of Fire Water Earth and Air And all bodies that are made of the compound of these four Elements are to be purged and delivered from the curse and all shall know that this almighty King of righteousnesse is our Saviour and besides hiâ—â— there is none The swords and counsels of flesh shall not be seen in this work the arm of the Lord onely shall bring these mighty things to passe in this day of his power and the hearts of men shall tremble and fail them with fear to see the misery that is coming upon the world for the glory and riches of men shall be brought low and the Lord alone shall be exalted Therefore all that I shall say is this Though the world even the seed of the flesh despise you and call you by reprochfull names at their pleasure yet wait patiently upon your King he is coming he is rising the Son is up and his glory will fill the earth And when you see the Doves flock to the windows not to your Church-windows but to the teachings of the Father for his discoveries are the windows that lets the light of the Father shine into the soul and these are dreams voices and revelations immediatly from the Father himself his own inward teaching without which the soul is hungry and flocks unto the inward discoveries and teaching of the Father for satisfaction forsaking all other in point of inward rest When you see or hear of the risings up of Israel like the noise of mighty waters carrying all before them then rejoyce and say Your redemption draws near and the reports from the Lord are true wait with a meek and quiet spirit for the consolation of Israel even the coming forth of the deliverer That shall turn ungodlinesse from Jacob Then shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel shall be glad So I rest January 26. 1648. A waiter for the consolation of Israel JERRARD WINSTANLEY The New Law OF RIGHTEOVSNES Budding forth to restore the whole Creation from bondage of the curse CHAP. I. THere is nothing more sweet and satisfactory to a man then this to know and feel that spirituall power of righteousnesse to rule in him which he cals God For while the flesh through hasty and violent lusts doth rebell against the spirit it hath no true peace but is still pulling misery upon himself But when the created flesh is made subject to the law of righteousnesse and walks uprightly in the Creation in the light of that spirit then it lies down in rest In other writings I have declared what I know That Almighty power ever living Spirit is which rules and preserves the whole Creation fire water earth and air and of every creature in these elements or that is made up of all these in a compound matter as all flesh is And something I shall
two-fold sense First He is the wisdome and power of the flesh in every man who indeed is the beast and he spreads himself within the Creation man into divers branches As into ignorance of the Creatour of all things into covetousnesse after objects into pride and envy lifting up himself above others and seeking revenge upon all that crosses his selfish honours and into hypocrisie subtilty lying imagination self-love from whence proceeds all unrighteous outward acting This is the first Adam lying ruling and dwelling within man-kinde And this is he within every man and woman which makes whole man-kinde being a prisoner to him to wonder after the beast which is no other but self or upon every thing whereupon self is sâ—amped Secondly The first Adam is the wisdome and power of flesh broke out and sate down in the chair of rule and dominion in one part of man-kind over another And this is the beginner of particular interest buying and selling the earth from one particular hand to another saying This is mine upholding this particular propriety by a law of government of his own making and thereby restraining other fellow creatures from seeking nourishment from their mother earth So that though a man was bred up in a Land yet he must not worke for himself where he would sit down But from Adam that is for such a one that had bought part of the Land or came to it by inheritance of his deceased parents and called it his own Land So that he that had no Land was to work for those for small wages that called the Land theirs and thereby some are lifted up into the chair of tyranny and others trod under the foot-stool of misery as if the earth were made for a few noâ— for all men For truly the common-people by their labours from the first rise of Adam this particular imterest upheld by the fleshes law to this day they have lifted up their Land-lords and others to rule in tyranny and oppression over them And let all men say what they will so long as such are Rulers as cals the Land theirs upholding this particular propriety of Mine and Thine the common-people shall never have their liberty nor the Land ever freed from troubles oppressions and complainings by reason whereof the Creatour of all things is continually provoked O thou proud selfish governing Adam in this Land called England Know that the cries of the poor whom thou laieth heavy oppressions upon is heaâ—d This is unrighteous Adam that dammed up the water springs of universall liberty and brought the Creation under the curse of bondage sorrow and tears But when the earth becomes a common treasury as it was in the beginning and the King of Righteousnesse comes to rule in every ones heart then he kils the first Adam for covetousnesse thereby is killed A man shall have meat and drinke and clothes by his labour in freedome and what can be desired more in earth Pride and envy likewise is killed thereby for every one shall look upon each other as equall in the Creation every man indeed being a parfect Creation of himself And so this second Adam Christ the restorer stops or dammes up the runnings of those stinking waters of self-interest and causes the waters of life and liberty to run plentifully in and through the Creation making the earth one store-house and every man and woman to live in the law of Righteousnesse and peace as members of one houshold And in the next place I shall declare the mystery of the Spirit in a two-fold way First he makes the Creation man-kinde to see loaâ—h and forsake this Adam this fleshly man This devil or power of darknesse that rules in the creatures and leads them into waies that brings misery pain and death which is hell a condition of uncomfortable darknesse of the curse Secondly He makes man-kinde to see to love and delight in the Spirit Reason which is the law of Righteousnesse that made them and sâ—tles them in peace when in the light and power thereof they are made to forsake the flesh with all his wayes of bondage for truly when the flesh is made subject to Reason that light that inlightens every thing then it hath peace and liberty and is freed from those heart-aking pressures and sorrows which the flesh puls upon himself by his violent rash unrighteous and unreasonable actings The Almighty hath declared three methods in discovering this mystery in the compasse of six dayes or 6000 years near hand expired in every one of which he draws man-kind higher and higher into himself out of the power of the Serpent or bondage And when he alone is advanced he draws all men after him which is the finishing up of the mystery The first Method is this He was pleased to call forth Moses to be his servant and in by and through him he reveals himself to lie under types shadows sacrifices that man-kind by them might be led to see his Maker And this was the Covenant of an outward testimony which Moses a man that was mixed with flesh and spirit was Mediatour of And this Secondly did point out the Apostolical testimony which was to be manifested in aftertimes and that was to acknowledge honour and bear witnesse of the Lamb Jesus Christ that was the substance of Moses For the Apostles declare themselves to be witnesses of Christ the great Prophet that Moses said should come after him to whom every man should hearken and then leave the teachings of shadows which they receive from him Therefore say they We eat and drank in his presence we heard him speak and saw his miracles and bear testimony to the world that the Rulers of the Jews slew him and that he was raised from the dead by the Almighty power And this single appearance of the man Christ Jesus for herein the righteous Law dwelt bodily was a more spirituall declaration then the former And this types out The third Method of Divine discovery which indeed doth finish the mystery and herein the Lord takes up all into himself even into the Spirit that governs the Creation for he is in all and acts through all And all power of righteousnesse that appears in any subject is still but the Lord in such or such a discovery for as the man Christ Jesus swallowed up Moses and so the Spirit dwelt bodily in that Lamb which was spread abroad in the types And man-kind is to behold the Law of Righteousnesse in none but in that his wel-beloved Son Even so that single body is a type That the same Spirit that filled every member of that one body should in these last dayes be sent into whole man-kind and every branch shall be a joint or member of the mysticall body or severall spreadings forth of the vine being all filled with the one Spirit Christ the anointing who fils all with himself and so he becomes the alone King of Righteousnesse and peace that rules
another are all kept and swept away like locusts by this strong East winde the Lord himself at his coming And every creature in his kinde sings in Righteousnesse and man lives and rules in the strength of that Law by reason whereof all teares and are wiped away And when this glory is finished as it must be for it is begun to be made manifest for the poor they doe receive the Gospel and it is yet hid from the learned ones the teachers and the rulers of the world Then those writings are made good That all enemies are subdued under the â—eet of the anointing who is this spreading power of Righteousnesse and there is no opposite power remaining For the power that shall now appear is no other but the Lord himself dwelling every where And the whole Creation is his gaâ—den wherein he walks and delights himself And now the Kingdome is delivered up inâ—o the Fathers hand the one Spirit that fils all and is in all And the distinction of dominion in one single person over all shall cease and no distinction shall be owned but King of Righteousnesse dwelling in every one and in the whole body of the Creation all being sweetly and quietly subject to him and he sweetly and quietly ruling in them And this shall be that City Sion of which glorious things are spoken And now in this new heaven and new earth he himself who is the King of Righteousnesse doth dwel and rule and this is the excellency of the work when a man shall be made to see Christ in other creatures as well as in himself every one rejoycing each in other and all rejoycing in their King O ye hear say Preachers deceive not the poeple any longer by telling them that this glory shal not be known and seen til the body is laid in the dust I tel you this great mystery is begun to appear and it must be seen by the material eyes of the flesh And those five senses that is in man shall partake of this glory This is Christ rising up and drawing al things into himself This is the Spirits entrance into the Father which is heavenly glory which rises and shal rise higher and higer in Israel He that hath part in the first Resurrection the second death of the bodies laying down in the dust shal have no power to break their peace or hinder their glory but shall further the increase of it But now that power of unrighteousnesse that rules and fights in man kinde against this shall be destroyed subdued and shall never be reconciled to nor partake of this glory My â—eaning is this The power of pride and the power of humility shal never dwel quietly in one heart together The power of love tendernesse and righteousnesse and the power of envy hardnesse of heart and covetous unrighteousnesse shall never dwel quietly in one heart together Uncleannesse and chasticy shal not dwel in peace together The son of the bond-woman rebellious flesh shal not be heir with the son of the free-woman flesh made subject to the Law of Righteousnesse within himself There is no quiet peace in a man til the Kingdome of darknesse be conquered and the Serpent be cast out and so the heart made a fit temple or house for the Spirit to dwel bodily in A man is not counted a man from the bulk of his body of flesh but the power that dwels in that body of flesh is the man either the righteous man or the wicked And if the wicked power rule in the body of the flesh this is he that must be burned up subdued destroyed and never enter into rest This is Christs enemy But if the righteous power doe rule or being weak and so is kept under by the other dark power doth hunger and thirst after righteotsnesse that he might be King This power is to be redeemed from bondage and set at libety and sit down in rest and peace This is Christ rising out of the dust and hee shall wholly be raised up to live and dwel in the Father and the Father in him and all opposite powers of bondage that now afflicts shal be trod under his feet Therefore now yon zealous Preachers and Professors in al forms if you have eyes look within your selves and see what power rules within the bodies of your flesh If you finde that the inward power is envy rash anger covetousnesse self-honouring secret pride uncleannesse of flesh close dissimulation and the like know you that that power is your self your very self a devil the serpent the subtil and yet strong power of darknesse that would fain be counted an Angle of Light And though you be called by the name of such a man or such a woman yet you are but the father of lies and of the power of bondage that must be destroyed and perish And that humane flesh that you dwell in being part of the Creation shall be cleansed off you by the spirit of burning till it be freed from you that are the curse the bondage of it under whom it groans And when you are cast out who is the serpent it shall be a temple for the Father himself to dwell in a garden wherein he himself will take delight For it is thou O thou wicked power that is the curse I say The thorns and briars that troubles the Creation and thou must be rooted out and sorrow and everlasting weeping shall be thy poâ—tion for thou shalt never find the prince of peace Well I know you that would be Angels of light and are not will count this which I speak madnesse but you shall find these words true For all powers that are opposite to the power of Righteousnesse must and shall be dâ—stroyed and the Lord alone shall be exalted in this day of his power and this power of Righteousnesse shall be exalted in flesh as well as over flesh Who was it that put the Son of man to death Was it the humane flesh or the power of darkness that ruled in flesh Surely that power of darknesse in the flesh did it and that cursed power was the Scribes and Pharisees And so now that power of enmity that rules in those bodies of yours making your bodies of the flesh slaves to its lusts and will is still the Scribes and Pharisees or devil that fights against Christ and would not suffer him to rise up in flesh but cals his power blasphemy because he crosses you for if he rise flesh you must fall in flesh If he be King as he must be you must be his foot stool Well mind what power rules in you whether it be a particular confining selfish power which is the Devil the Scribes and Pharisees Or whether it be a universall spreading power that delights in the liberty of the whole Creation which is Christ in you The particular selfish power when it is either crossed or shamed it grows mad and bitter spirited and endeavours
either to kill that body it dwels in or some others that angers it But the Power of Christ the Law of Righteousnesse ruling within is not moved to any such rashnesse it is patient meek and loving and doth act righteously both to his own body and to others though they be his enemies CHAP. IV. ANd truly here lies the chiefest knowledge of a man to know these two powers which strives for government in him and to see and know them distinctly one from the other that he may be able to say This is the name and power of the flesh and this is the name and power of the Lord For these two powers are the two Adams in man-kind they are Iacob and Esau striving who shall rule in the Kingdom the flesh first Or these are the Son of the bond-woman viz. The powers of the flesh which is the serpent Devil or power of darknesse Or the Son of the free woman which is Christ the wisdom and power of Righteousnesse ruling in flesh and making it free from the others bondage And here I shall declare what I know the first Adam or son of bondage is And secondly What the second Adam or son of the free-woman is both which Powers I have seen and felt manifested in this body of my flesh First I shall shew how the first Adam in his time of rule hath suppressed and kept under the second man the anointing And then secondly how this second man in the time appointed of his rising doth kill and crucifie the first Adam daily with all his lusts and freeth me from that slavery The first Adam kils and crucifies Christ in me when I consent and make provision to satisfie my pride over humility covetousnesse over contentednesse envy over love lust before chasticy esteeming the power of an humble loving and righteous spirit towards the poorest creatute but a low and contemptible thing or the like Now Christ is crucified in me he rules not he acts not in a lively power but the first man of the flesh he governs the Kingdom my body in unrighteousnesse And Christ lies buried in this earthly tabernacle under those cursed powers in my enslaved body But then secondly When the fulnesse of time comes that it is the Fathers will that Christ the spirit of truth shal arise above the power of unrighteousnesse in me that is humility arises above pride love above envy a meek and quiet spirit above hasty rash anger chastity above unclean lusts and light above darknesse Now the second Adam Christ hath taken the Kingdom my body and rules in it He makes it a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels Righteousnesse I shall explain these two Adams a little more First then The first Adam or man of the flesh branches himself forth into divers particulars to fetch peace into himself from objects without himself As for example covetousnesse is a branch of the flesh or first man that seeks after creature enjoyment or riches to have peace from them Pride looks abroad for honour Envy seeks the revenge of such as crosses his fleshy ends by reproch oppression or murder Unclean lusts seeks to embrace strange flesh Imagination flies abroad to devise wayes to satisfie the flesh in these desires Hypocrisie turns himself into divers shapes ye sometimes into an Angel of light a zealous Professour to compasse these ends And self-love which is ignorant of the universal power lies couching in the bottom sending those six several powers of darknesse abroad to fetch in peace to delight self that lies at home in the fleshy heart And all these powers make up but one perfect body of sin and death one Devil or one compleat power of darknesse or that whorish power called the Beast with seven heads And it is called the Beast because all those seven discoveries are of the flesh and flesh is no other but a beast and the wise flesh of man is said to be the beast the King of beasts that was to raign fourty two moâ—ths or for a time times and dividing of time and then he should be destroyed by the man of Righteousnesse Christ And truly upon every head there is ten horns that is there are many branchings forth of powers from every head to satisfie self which are Kings indeed And they are called ten horns every head encountering against the five senses of the left hand man and against the five senses of the right hand man of righteousnesse and so fights against every particular spreading forth of Christ So that these Kings are not to be restrained to the Kings of the Nations though that is true such powers are enemies to Christ and they must yield up their Kingdoms unto him and those that are angry against Christ are to be destroyed But these ten horns are Kingly powers of the flesh that rules within every man leading him captive under the body of the power of darknesse for there is not the branching forth of evil in any kind to delight self but it springs forth from one or other of those seven heads all joyning to honour and advance the Beast The man of Righteousnesse Christ he is the second Adam and he spreads himself as far as the other to undermine him and to take the Kingdom that is the created flesh or the living earth man-kind out of that Devils hand For Christ is the spreading power of Righteousnesse and therefore he is called The anointing which was poured upon that humane body called by the name Iesus the Son of man and dwelt bodily there for a time but afterward was to spread in sons and daughters many bodies As the oyl upon Aarons head ranne down to the skirts of his garments if any one find rest and peace in this precious Alabaster which is the wisdome and power of the spirit he finds it not by looking upon him at a distance from him but by seeing and feeling that power ruling within the body of his flesh As thus contentednesse in all straits or poverty to live upon providence is this second Adam in thee killing thy discontented covetousnesse Humility and meeknesse is the same anointing which kils pride and loftines Love to enemies yea the law of love flowing forth to every creature is Christ in you which kils envy and rash anger Chastitie in the flesh kils uncleannesse wisdom that is pure and plain down right kils a subtil over-reaching Imagination Sincerity and singlenesse of heart the same anointing kils hypocrisie and love to others doing as a man would be done unto and so respecting the publick preservation of all creatures doth kill self-love And all these seven branchings forth of the pure spirit makes but one body Christ or one Almighty power or Mercie and Justice the holy breathing or Emanuel God in us And every one of these seven eyes or seven attributes of the Divine branches themselves forth into several horns of power to destroy the man of the flesh and to
deliver man-kind from his bondage For let the first Adam run out in what shape he will the second Adam follows after to trip up his heels to subdue him and to take the Kingdom from him that so when all enemies are subdued the Almighty power of righteousnesse which is the Father may become all in all And this now declares the meaning of that speech That Christ saves his people from their sins not only in pardoning evil Actions and removing the evil of sorrow from them but principally to kill and subdue the powers of the flesh and to make a man subject to the spirit and now a man is saved from his sins and not till now And this is to be made a new creature in whom old corrupt lusts are passed away and every power in him is a new power Now there is no man or woman needs go to Rome nor hell below ground as some talke to find the Pope Devil Beast or Power of darknesse neither to go up into heaven above the skies to find Christ the word of life For both these powers are to be felt within a man fighting against each other And in that soul wherein Christ prevails they know that this is truth for they find peace hi the salvation that comes out of Sion CHAP. V. THis first man is he by whose disobedience many are made sinners or by whom the whole Creation is corrupred Therefore you Preachers do not you tell the people any more That a man called Adam that disobeyed about 6000 years ago was the man that filled every man with sin and filth by eating an apple For assure your selves this Adam is within every man and woman and it is the first power that appears to act and rule in every man It is the Lord Esau that stepped before Iacob and got the birth-right by the Law of equity was more properly Iacobs Though Iacob who is the power and wisdom that made flesh did draw back and gave way that the wisdom and power of flesh should possesse the Kingdom and rule first till Esau by delighting in unrighteous pleasures lost both birth-right and blessing and left both in the hand of Iacob the King that rules in righteousnesse that is to rise up next The Apple that the first man eats is not a single fruit called an Apple or such like fruit but it is the objects of the Creation which is the fruit that came out of the Seed which is the Spirit himself that made all things As riches honours pleasures upon which the powers of the flesh feeds to delight himself And this is the messe of pottage which he prefers before righteousnesse or before righteous walking in the Creation towards every creature which is Christ that power that appears in the fulnesse of time to take the Kingdom and rule next Therefore when a man fals let him not blame a man that died 6000 years ago but blame himself even the powers of his own flesh which lead him astray for this is Adam that brings a man to misery which is the man flesh or the strong man within that keeps the house till the man of Righteousnesse arise and cast him out who is the second Adam And this second man is he By whose obedience many are made righteous that is by the power of Christ man-kind is purged from its drosse and this second man I say which is the righteous power doth cast the other man which is the unrighteous power out of the house even the heart and makes it a temple for himself to dwell in Now these two powers did the Father ordain should have their course to rule in the earth man-kinde And this is that day and night the light and darknesse Winter and Summer heat and cold Moon and Sun that is typed out by the Fabrick of the great world for within these two powers is the mystery of all divine workings wrapped up The first power that is of darknesse or the Chaos of confusion proves selfish and hurtfull to others tearing its own and the orher mans children especially to pieces by cruelty covetousnesse and oppression For he that is after the flesh persecutes him that is born after the spirit And in the fulnesse of time that is When the first man hath filled the Creation full of his filthinesse and all places stinks with unrighteousnesse as it doth at this day then it pleaseth the Father that his own wisdome and power should arise up next to rule in man-kind in rigteousnesse and take the Kingdome out of the others hand and restore all things and establish the Creation in peace and declare himself to be the alone Saviour of the world and to be the most excellent nay the almighty power The first man Adam is called The Son of God a power that the Almighty was pleased should be manifest but this is the son of disobedience the son that goes astray a son causing sorrow and shame and so becomes the serpent the Devil the power of darknesse the Beast the Whore the father of lies the murder of man-kind and the bottomlesse pit out of which all unrighteousnesse and misery rises up But the second Adam is called His wel-beloved Son the Son of his delight the Son bringing honour and peace Why Because by him the opposing power is cast out and the wisdome and power of Righteousnesse which is the Lord is that wisdom and power that rules in and over man-kind and the flesh is made subject hereunto without grumbling and so all things becomes the Lords And this Son or second Adam is called The Lord The King of righteousnesse The Prince of Peace The Saviour The mighty God The Restorer of all things The Salvation The Consolation of Israel The Blessing of all Nations of the Earth The Power of Light or Reason And thus we see the Father hath ordained that the powers of dark flesh should rule over him that made him for a time and he who is the Father of all things would be a servant and that dark flesh should be the mystery of iniquity or Antichrist that should oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God till by the other greater power the Father himself arising up in the Creation he be taken out of the way This teaches every son and daughter to wait with patience and quietnesse of spirit under all temptations till the Fathers turn come according to his own appointment to rule in flesh And then their sorrows shall be turned into joy and their mourning into laughter All tears shall be wiped away and they shall be delivered from the bondage and live in freedom and peace These two powers I say are typed out by Iacob and Esau Iacob put forth his arm first and it is marked by the midwife and then he draws if in again then Esau comes fully forth and is called the elder brother Iacob is Christ the elect or chosen one or the
peace and secret joy And since that time those words have been like very fruitfull seed that have brough forth increase in my heart which I am much prest in spirit in declare all abroad The poor people by their labours in this time of the first Adams government have made the buyers and sellers of land or rich men to become tytants and oppressours over them But in the time of Israels restoration now begining when the King of Righteousnesse himself shall be Governor in every man none then shall work for hire neither shal any give hire but every one 〈◊〉 work in love one with and for another and eat bread together as being members of one houshold the Creation in whom Reason rules King in perfect glory He that cals any part of the Creation his own in particular in this time of Israels return from the mistery of Aegyptian bondage is a destroyer of the Creation a lifter up of the proud covetous flesh againe a bringer in of the curse againe and a mortal enemy to the Spirit For upon Israels returne from captivity the Lord himself wil burn up the curse and restore the Creation fire water earth and air from that slavery and make the earth to be a common treasury to them all for they are but one house of Israel still though twelve Tribes And they have but one King one Law-giver one teacher amongst them all even the Lord himself who is Reason The King of Righteousnesse they are all filled with one spirit and they shall all live comfortably upon one earth and so the whole earth is the Lords And this is the inward and outward liberty which the Lord wil give to Sion And this work is begun the foundation of this spiritual building is laid and the spreading of this one spirit in every sonne and daughter and the lifting up the earth to be a common treasury wil make Jerusalem a praise in the whole earth and the glory of the earth indeed and so the Father of all things shall be honoured in the works of his own hands No man shal have any more land then he can labour himself or have others to labour with him in love working together and eating bread together as one of the Tribes of families of Israel neither giving hire not taking hire He that is now a possessour of lands and riches and cannot labour if he say to others you are may fellow creatures and the Lord is now making the earth common amongst us therefore take my land only let me eat bread with you that man shall be preserved by the lobours of others But it any man have Land and neither can work nor wil work but wil strive to rule as a tyrant burdening the Creation the hand of the Lord shall fal upon him either to destruction or torment and if his life be given for a prey he shall be made to work and eat his bread with the sweat of his own brows not of others til he know himself to be a member not a lord over the Creation and thus he shall be dealt with that hath lost the benefit of Sonship All the punishment that any one shall receive for any unrighteous act whereby he begins to bring the cause againe upon the Creation he sahll only be made a Gibeonite to work in the earth not in a prison and the eyes of all shall be upon him and the greatset offence will be this for any to endeavour to raise up some few to rule over others so to set up particular interest againe and to bring in buying and selling of land againe the sore displeasure of the Lord shall be such a peoples portion Israel is not to imprison or torment and by death or smaller punishments but only to cause them to work and eat their own bread for he or they that inflicts any other punishment upon fellow creatures is an unrighteous actour in the Creation and shall himself be made a servant to all till he by the spirit in him is made to know himself to be equal to every man not a Lord over any for all men looked upon in the bulk are but the Creation the living earth This imprisoning punishing and killing which is the practice of the first Adam ye visible to the world is the curse And it is a mighty dishonour to our maker that one part of the Creation should destroy another it was not so from the beginning but it is an honour to our maker that every part of the Creation should lend a mutual help of love in action to preserve the whole But is not this the old rule He that sheds man◠bloud by man shall his bloud be shed I answer It is true but not as usually it is observed for first know That the Spirit is the man who hath determined to suffer himself to be killed and lie dead in the streets or under the several forms of Babylon government three daies or times and a half The serpent is he or the wicked man that kils the man of Righteousnesse or sheds his bloud for that space of time which is indeed the wisdome and power of the flesh killing the wisdom and power of the Spirit and ruling in the Spirits own house the heart for a time Therefore now it is declared that the Serpent or beastly power of flesh that kils the Spirit shall himself be killed by the Spirit when the Spirit begins to rise and I can tell you that the resurrection is begun for all the great fightings is between flesh and Spirit The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head It is not for one creature called man to kill another for this is abominable to the Spirit and it is the curse which hath made the Creation to groan under bondage for if I kill you I am a murderrer if a third come and hang or kill me for murdering you he is a murderer of me and so by the government of the first Adam murder hath been called Justice when it is but the curse Besides none can call himself a man till the man Christ or Spirit rule in him for til then the greatest Lord of all is but a Beast and one Beast kils another for a man wil never kill a man therefore said the man Christ Jesus I came not to destroy but to save therefore such as kill are farr from being Saints or children of Christ for they are the children of the Serpent whose delight and work is to kill the man-child but he that sheds this mans blouds by the same man shall his bloud be shed in the resurrection Therefore O thou proud flesh that dares hang and kil thy fellow creatures that is equall to thee in the Creation Know this that none hath the power of life and death but the Spirit and al punishmens that are to be inflicted amongst creatures called men are only such as to make
the offender to know his maker and to live in the community of the righteous Law of love one with another For talking of love is no love it is acting of love in righteousnesse which the Spirit Reason our Father delights in And this is to relieve the oppressed to let goe the prisoner to open bags and barns that the earth may be a common treasury to preserve all without complainings for uhe earth was not made for a few to live at ease upon and to kil such as did not observe the Law of their own making but it was made for all to live comfortably upon and the power of life and death is reserved in the hand of the Spirit not in the hand of flesh None ought to kil but such as can make alive therefore let every one walk righteously in the Creation and trust the Spirit for protection He that makes a zealous profession of the Spirit as all professours doe and yet doth not act this universall power of Righteousnesse in labouring the earth for a common treasury is a meer self-lover and he professes but himself and is a complementing enemy to Reason the King of Righteousnesse and if stil thou saist it is the Spirit whom thou doest worship then make it manifest to the world what spirit this is that rules every where besids Reason And futher he that denies this community denies the Scriptures Likewise whether the Preachers prosessours or rich men that upholds this unrighteous power of particular propriety Therefore you dust of the earth that are trod under foot you poor people that makes both schollars and rich men your oppressours by your labours Take notice of your priviledge the Law of Righteousnesse is now declared If you labour the earth and work for others that lives at ease and follows the waies of the flesh by your labours eating the bread which you get by the sweat of your brows not their own Know this that the hand of the Lord shal break out upon every such hireling labourer and you shal perish with the covetous rich men that have held and yet doth hold the Creation under the bondage of the curse This voice of the Lord work together and eat bread together doth advance the law of Reason and Righteousnesse the rising of this is the fall of mistical Babylon the oppressing flesh the living in the practice of this Laâ—v of love declares the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles to be a true declaration of the Spirit and no lie He that denies the practice of this lives in a continual denial of those Scriptures Therefore your selfish tyth-taking Preachers and all others that preaches for hire with all covetous professours take notice that you are the Judahs that betraid Christ and the Pharisees that put him to death and you stil persue the murder by standing up to hinder Christ from rising and coming in sons and daughters his second time in flesh I have now obeyed the command of the Spirit that bid me declare this all abroad I have declared it and I wil declare it by word of mouth I have now declared it by my pen And when the Lord doth shew unto me the place and manner how he wil have us that are called common-people to manure and work upon the common Lands I wil then go forth and declare it in my action to eat my bread with the sweat of my brows without either giving or taking hire looking upon the Land as freely mine as anothers I have now peace in the Spirit and I have an inward perswasion that the spirit of the poor shal be drawn forth ere long to act materially this Law of Righteousnesse If man-kinde knew their liberty which their Creatour Reason hath given us none would be offended at this new Law that is to be writ in every mans heart and acted by every mans hand They that submit in love and offers what they have freely to further this work shal prosper and finde peace for they honour our Maker by lifting up the Creation in Righteousnesse They that wil not submit freely the hand of the Lord shal be as sure upon them as it was upon Pharaoh who is their type O you great Adams of the earth that cals the earth yours and looks upon others as servants and slaves to you as if the earth were made only for you to live at ease and honour upon it while others starved for want of bread at your feet and under your oppressing government Behold the King the Lord of Hosts hath sent his servants to bid you let Israel goe free that they may serve him together in community off spirit and in community of the earthly treasure Be not you more proud and hard hearted then Pharaoh your type if you be as it is like you wil for the anti-type oft times is more powerfull then the type then assure your selves plagues shal multyply and Israel shal be pulled from under your burdens with a strong hand and stretched out arm and you and all your company shal perish together The Lord hath spoke it and he will doe it All the men and women in England are al children of this Land and the earth is the Lords not particular mens that claims a proper interest in it above others which is the devils power But be it so that some wil say This is my Land and cal such and such a parcel of Land his own interest Then saith the Lord let such an one labour that parcel of Land by his own hands none helping him for whosoever shal help that man to labour his proper earth as he cals it for wages the hand of the Lord shal be upon such labourers for they lift up flesh above the spirit by their labours and so hold the Creation stil under bondage Therefore if the rich wil stil hold fast this propriety of Mine and thine let them labour their own Land with their own hands And let the common-People that are the gatherings together of Israel from under that bondage and that say the earth is ours not mine let them labour together and eat bread together upon the Commons Mountains and Hils For as the inclosures are called such a mans Land and such a mans Land so the Commons and Heath are called the common-peoples and let the world see who labours the earth in righteousnesse and those to whom the Lord gives the blessing let them be the people that shal inherit the earth Whether they that hold a civil propriety saying This is mine which is selfish devilish and destructive to the Creation or those that hold a common right saying The earth is ours which lifts up the Creation from bondage Was the earth made for to preserve a few covetous proud men to live at ease and for them to bag and barn up the treasures of the earth from others that they might beg or starve in a fruitful Land or was it made to preserve all her children Let
said the voyce of the spirit in me guiding my eie to the powers of the earth three times Let Israel go free Let Israel go free Let Israel go free Work all together Eat bread altogether Whosoever labours the earth for any one that wil be a burdning Ruler over others and does not look upon himself as equal to others in the Creation the hand of the Lord shal be upon that labourer I the Lord have spoken it and I wil doe it Declare this all abroad Israel shal neither give hire nor take hire Surely this is both ful of reason and equity for the earth was not made for some but for al to live comfortably upon the fruits of it And there cannot be a universal libertie til this universal communitie be established All tears occasioned through bondage cannot be wiped away til the earth become in use to all a common Treasurie And then Jerusalem wil become a praise to the whole earth and not til then At this time the barren land shal be made fruitfull for the Lord wil take off the curse And if any grumble and say The Heaths and Commons are barren and the like and so draw against the work All that I say let them go their way their portion is not here they live in the low flesh not in the height of the spirit And they know not the mysterie of the Lord who is now restoring Israel from bondage and fetching them out of all lands where they were scattered into one place where they shal live and feed together in peace And then there shal be no more pricking briar in all the holy Mountain This shal be the glory of all they shal lie down in rest This is the Branch This is Israel This is Christ spread in sons and daughters This is Jerusalem the glory of the whole earth Where then will be the railing persecuting Priest or the Tyrant Professour that sucks after the bloâ—d and miserie of those that wil not joyn 〈…〉 his forms But indeed as yet as the state of the world is while the first Adam yet sits in the Chair and corrupts the Creation by his unrighteous wisdome and power I say at this time the feirce wrath of the King of Righteousnesse is threatned over this Land called England and indeed over all the whole earth where particular interest bears rule and enslaves the Creation And if covetous proud flesh stil uphold this self-propriety which is the curse and burden which the Creation groans under Then O thou covetous earth expect the multyplying of plagues and the fulfilling of all threatning prophesies and visions for thy downfal in miserie But if thou wouldst find mercie then open thy barns and treasuries of the earth which thou hast heaped together and detains from the poor thy fellow creatures This is the only remedy to escape wrath and the door of acceptance to mercie is yet open if thou do this The Judge of Truth and Right waits yet upon thy comming into him Therefore O thou first Adam take notice that the Lord hath set before thee life and death now chuse whether thou wilt for the time is near at hand that buying and selling of land shall cease and every son of the land shal live of it Divide England into three parts scarce one part is manured So that here is land enough to maintain all her children and many die for want or live under a heavy burden of povertie all their daies And this miserie the poor people have brought upon themselves by lifting up particular interest by their labours There are yet three doors of hope for England to escape destroying plagues First let every one leave off running after others for knowledge and comfort and wait upon the spirit Reason til he break forth out of the Clouds of your heart and manifest himself within you This is to cast off the shadow of Learning and to reject covetous subtile proud flesh that deceives all the world by their hearsay and traditional preaching of words letters and sillables without the spirit And to make choyce of the Lord the true Teacher of every one in their own inward experience The mysterie of the spirit and the mystrie of Babylon Secondly Let every one open his bags and barns that al may feed upon the crops of the earth that the burden of povertie may be removed Leave of this buying and selling of Land or of the fruits of the earth and as it was in the light of Reason first made so let it be in action amongst all a common Treasurie none inclosing or hedging in any part of earth saying this is mine which is rebellion and high treason against the King of Righteousnesse And let this word of the Lord be acted amongst all work together eat bread together Thirdly Leave off dominion and Lordship one over another for the whole bulk of man-kinde are but one living earth Leave off imprisoning whiping and killing which are but the actings of the curse And let those that hitherto have had no Land and have been forced to rob and steal through povertie hearafter let them quietly enjoy Land to work upon that every one may enjoy the benefit of his Creation and eat his own bread with the sweat of his own brows For surely this particular propriety of mine and thine hath brought in all miserie upon people For first it hath occasioned people to steal one from another Secondly it hath made Laws to hang those that did steal It tempts people to doe an evil action and then kils them or doing of it Let all judge if this be not a great devil Well If every one would speedily set about the doing of these three particulars I have mentioned the Creation would thereby be lift up out of bondage and our Maker would have the glory of the works of his own hands They that offer themselves and what treasure they have freely to further this work shal find mercy and the blessing of all Nations shal be his Comfortor They that hinder this common interest of earthly community and wil keep up the tyrannical government of old Adam stil the hand of the Lord shal be upon that person whosoever he be Thus saith the Lord to all the great ones that are cloathed with objects and are lifted up flesh with honours in the government of the world Let Israel go quietly out of your bondage that they may serve me If you wil not let him go I wil not come with 10 plagues as upon Egyptian Pharoah of old but I wil multiply my plagues upon thee thou stout-hearted Pharoah that makes shew of love to me and yet all is but like Jehu to lift up thy self over the remnant in the Land Adam is the commer in of bondage and is the curse that hath taken hold of the Creation And he may wel be called A-dam for indeed he does dam and stop up the streams of the waters of life and
himself abroad amongst his Sons and daughters the members of his mystical body then this community of love and righteousnesse making all to use the blessings of the earth as a common Treasurie amongst them shal break forth again in his glory and fil the earth and shal be no more supprest And none shal say this is mine but every one shal preserve each other in love As Christ does thus rise and spread those that have riches gold and silver and the like and are taken into the onenesse of this Spirit they shall come and offer up their treasures willingly not daring to keep it That those that have nothing may have part and enjoy the blessing of the earth with themselves being all members of that one body unto whom the Kings of the East called the Wise men offered gifts gold frankinsense and myrrhe while he was the Child Jesus But those that do not come in and offer what they have willingly to the work of the Lord they shal be stripped naked of all and shal either be destroyed by the blagues that shal come upon the earth or at best if their lives be given them they shal be servants and not enjoy the benefit of Sonship til the Spirit of the Son rise up in them and make them free So that this work is not done by wars councels or hands of men for I abhor it though by those the government of Esau shal be beaten down and the enemy shal destroy one another But the Lord alone wil be the healer the restorer the giver of the new law of righteousnes by spreading himself every where and so drawing al things up into himself And the declaration of this law of righteousnesse shal rise out of the dust out of the poor people that are trod under foot For as the declaration of the Son of man was first declared by Fisher-men men that the learned covetous Scholars despised so the declaration of the righteous law shal spring up from the poor the base and despised ones and fools of the world and humane learning and such as love the oppression of exacting Tyths shal not be honoured in his businesse For they that stand up to be publique Teachers are Iudas that come to the Magistrates and covenants with them for the tenths of every mans encrease and they wil hinder Christ from rising and betray him into their hands that so the covetous and proud flesh may rule in oppression over their fellow Creature quietly And assure your selves it wil appear that the publique Preachers that stand up customarily to make a living by their teaching others as they cal it these are the curse and the spreaders of that cuâ—se and the hinderers of Christ from rising and the bitter Scribes and Pharisees to suppresse Christ where he rises calling him a Blasphemer For the Father wil have all men to look up to him for teaching and to acknowledge no other teacher and ruler but himself but these men wil have al people to look for knowledge to come through them and that none can have knowledge but such as are taught by such Preachers as they But covetousnesse after a temporal living and secret pride sets them to work and they shal be ashamed for the Lord alone now shal be exalted and he himself wil darw up al things into himself And al this great chang or seting up of this new law of righteousnesse ruling in every one and making every one to consent and act thus in love is but the â—â—lfilling of Prophesies and Visions and Reports of the Scriptures Let the Record be searched and let the publique Preachers deny it if they can Wel this wil be a great day of Judgment the Righteous Judge wil sit upon the Throne in every man and woman And that saying of the prophet that he saw every man with his hands upon his loyns like a woman in travel is now fulfilling every cevetous unrighteous heart shal smart with sorrow and shal be ready to fail them to see the miserie that is comming upon the earth This day of Judgment wil be sharp and short shortned for the Elects sake The man of the flesh or King Esau wil struggle hard before he give up the body of his Army he wil put forth all the subtil wit and opprssâ—ing unrighteousnesse that he hath before he deliver up the Kingdom to Iacob But truly Gaffer Dragon you had better yeild at first for the longer thou stand it out the sorer shal thy torment be for down thou must and Christ must rise Do what thou wilt speak what then wilt against Christ the Anointing thou shalt come off a loser threaten reproach imprison whip work hypocritically oppresse kil and stay fawn and frown do things out of fear or do things out of heavy rashnesse or out of a watchful moderation as thou thinks stil thou shalt lose ground for all thou doest is to advance self and thou must perish the Judgment is sealed the things that are determined against thee are comming upon thee Thou shalt find it shal not be as it hath been while the forty two months where in being thou prospered and encrease in strength But now it is done it is done it is done time shal be no more to thee for now the man of righteousnesse shal take the Kingdom and rule for ever and ever and of his dominion shal be no end he hath made himself manifest he is in the head of his Army already gathering in the Isles and Nations of the earth to himself Justice and Judgment are his witnesses and that Standard which he wil maintain and wil tread al proud flesh under his feet For the poor receives the Gospel He hath opened the salt-mines already the streams thereof runs apace and begins to over-run the banks of rotten stinking oppressing injustice they wil purge out corruption and bring the earth mankind into a pleasant savour The windows of heaven are opening and the light of the Son of Sighteousnes sends forth of him self delightful beams and sweet discoveries of truth that wil quite put out the covetous traditional blear-eyes but wil mightily refresh the single eyed Nathaneels Light must put out darknesse the warm Sun wil thaw the frost and make the sap â—o bud out of every tender plant that hath been hid within and lain like dead trees all the dark cold cloudy daies of the Beast that are past and silence every imaginary speaker and declare their hypocrisie and deceit openly Now the tender grasse wil cover the earth the Spirit wil cover al places with the abundance of fruit that flows from himself young and old shal al honour the Lord and be taught of no other but him the wheat fields which is the best grain the Fathers own people shal flourish abundantly the beanâ—ge of beastly Ceremonies forms customs abominable actings in unrighteousnesse shal cease there shal be lesse talking preaching and prating
rise up to kill and destroy light but in the end the flesh destroyes it self Let the power of humility and Righteousnesse appear to a proud unrighteous covetous man and shew him his evil as in these dayes it doth he swels presently and rises up to make war to maintain himself to be an Angel of light and pride being dispersed into divers bodies cannot yield one to another to preserve one another but rise up to destroy each other in the light of the Sun The Sun shines and the dunghill casts up his stinking smell The Lord he shines and proud flesh kils one another flesh kils but it self And truly I must tell you That all these wars and killing one another are but the rising up of the curse destroying Armies of men are but the curse the burden which the Creation groans under For in the beginning all was very good and the Creation at first was made to preserve it self and this rising up to destroy the Creation is the curse And the Spirit of the Father that dwels in any humane body that is killed doth run into the Ocean of life and purifies the Creation from the curse But did not God send the Chaldeans and Sabeans to punish Job Yes the god Devil did but not the God or Righteousnesse For the Devil desired a libertie to try Iob and the righteous power Reason gave him leave onely told him he should not touch his life and then the Devil sends these enemies and burns his house and kils his children give but libertie to the curse and he doth much mischief Who was it that the god Devil did afflict Not an enemy to the King of Righteousnesse but a body in whom he dwelt Yea the Father did but suffer himself to be persecuted by the Devil in that humane body Iob That at last that power of darknesse which is the Accuser of the Brethren and the bondage of the Creation might be made manifest in the light of the Sun and so be cast out justly Now the end of all is this that unrighteous flesh that thinks himself an Angel of light and the onely power may be proved to be a Devil and so be cast out of the Creation and perish That Jacob the King of Righteousnesse the blessing of peace might arise up and reign for ever in the Creation when all enemies are subdued under his feet There is a time appointed of the righteous Judge that all flesh shall see it self in its own colours and when the flesh doth see it self in his own beastly shapes he will appear so deformed so piteous a confused Chaos of miserie and shame that the sight thereof shall be a great torment to himself Therefore take notice of this you proud envious covetous bitter-spirited and unrighteous men and women this self-satisfying glory in which you live and seem to have rest shall become your hell-torment when you are made to see your unrighteous treacherous self as you must when the Judge sits upon the Throne You that are now ashamed to own the righteous spirit and fear to offend men lest they should either reproch you or injure you And so will do any thing thoâ—gh unrighteous to preserve the good words of devilish men you shall then see you are not men not Saints but Devils and cursed enemies even the Serpents power that must be burned CHAP. XII ALl these declare the half hours silence that is to be in Heaven for all mouths are to be stopped by the power of Reasons Law shining within the heart And this abundance of talk that is amongst people by Arguments by disputes by declaring expositions upon others word and writing by long discourse called preaching shall all cease Some shal not be able to speak they shal be struck silent wit shame by seeing themselves in a losse and in confusion Neither shal they dare to speak til they know by experience within themselves what to speak but wait with a quiet silence upon the Lord til he break forth within their hearts and give them words and power to speak And this shal be a mark of a covetous proud and close Hypocrite to be ful of words preaching by arguments and expositions putting a meaning upon other mens words and writings telling stories by hear-say of what they have read and heard from men as the fashion is now in publique work For none shal dare to speak unlesse it be those that are sealed to destruction but what they understand in pure experience every one speaking his own words not another mans as the Preachers do to make a trade of it for he that speaks from tradition and imagination and makes a trade of his preaching to others to get a living by is a child of the curse and covetousnesse is his Lord Men must leave off teaching one another and the eies of all shal look upwards to the Father to be taught of him And at this time silence shal be a mans rest and libertie it is the gathering time the souls receiving time it is the forerunner of pure language None shal be offended at this but the covetous and proud Serpent and he wil vex and fret if the people wil not heare him preach and think he hath much wrong done him if he be slighted Wel Judas thou must be slighted thy preaching stinks before the Father and he wil draw his people out of thy confusion and leave thee naked and bare and thy shame shall be made manifest to the whole Creation for indeed thou art the curse While a man is buying his head in studying what hath been done in Moses time in the Prophets time in the Apostles and in the Son of mans time called Jesus the Anointed and doth not wait to find light and power of righteousnesse to arise up within his heart This man is a pireous barren creature though he have all the learning of Arts and Sciences under the Sun for the knowledge of Arts is but to speak methodically of what hath been and conjecture what shal be both which are uncertain to the Speaker But he that speaks from the original light within can truly say I know what I say and I know whom I worship This silence shal be both particular in every son and daughter and general in the practice of all before their eies and loâ—king upwards and waiting for teaching from the great and only Teacher Christ the great Prophet for truly the time is come that all flesh shal be made silent and leave off multiplying of words without knowledge before the Lord both in pâ—eaching and praying And your Preachers shal be all the objects of the Creation through wich the Father wil convey himself into you and manifest himself before you these shal be your outward Preachers And the same word of power speaking in and to your hearts causing your hearts to open to his voyce shall be your Teacher within And that mouth that stands up to teach others and doth not