false expositions and interpretations for no man knows the meaning of the spirit but he that hath the spirit And if the Father send forth any of these tradesmen to declare the testimony which is in them as in these dayes he sends forth many And these true labourers shall encrease let the Universitie men do the worst they can yet the Schollars seek to suppresse them calling them new-lights factious erroneouâ— blasphemers and the like And why do they all this Because the light of truth that springs up out of this earth which the schollars tread under feet will shine so clear as it will put out the candle of those wicked learned deceivers And therefore many of them that are more ingennous or subtile then the rest seeing light arises much amongst the people begin to comply with the people and give people their liberty to speak as well as they and denie the tithes upon this condition the people will give them a free contribution and own them as the chief Preachers and Prophets sent of God and to look upon themselves as underlings to the schollars And therefore stir up people to gather into Congregations and to make choice of one man to be their Preacher though they shall have a liberty to speak in the Congregation as well as he But all this is but deceit of the flesh to draw people under a new bondage and to uphold the hearsay-preaching that in time matters may be wheeled about again to advance the schollars and give them the supremacy in teaching And what is the end of all this but onely to hinder Christ the great Prophet from rising and whereas people should all look up to him for teaching and acknowledge no other teacher and ruler but Christ the Law of Righteousnesse dwelling in every mans heart the schollars would have the people to look up to them for teaching and truly let me speak what I find the more that you look upon them or any men for teaching the more you shall be wrapped up in confusion and bondage And therefore the upshot of all your Universities and publick Preachers and men-teachers is onely to hinder Christ from rising and to keep Jacob under and make him a servant and a slave to the man of the flesh So that all this do in the world about hear-say preaching and setled forms of worship is no other but the spreadings forth of the thorn-bush the fleshly man to hinder the worship of the Father in spirit and truth And all those strict and zealous Preachers and Professours of other mens words and writings and upholders of forms and customs are no other but the Scribes Pharisees and Judas that still pursue Christ in enmity And this is the Reason why man-kind are so ignorant and cold-spirited in the acknowledgment of the Father because the night-Vine or blanches of the Thorn-bush are so mighty great and thick that they hide the light and heat of the Sun of Righteousnesse from it This is the man of sin the mysterie of iniquity that lets and must let till he be taken out of the way Indeed this Thorn-bush doth so prick that none dares meddle with it unlesse he be well cloathed with Christ This Thorn-bush or night-Vine grows in the cold time of the night while the Sun of Righteousnesse is under the Clouds and the fruit it brings forth is unpleasant as pride covetousnesse envy self-love hypocrisie confusion bondage and all the misery under the power of darknesse to make Lord Esau a compleat Tyrant and they that act from this Vine are called children of the night Now from hence it appears what horrible proud men the Clergie are that call themselves Divines or Christ that grows in the light of the Father when alas their light is but a candle stoln from the Apostles and Prophets writings it is not their own light it is but hear-say in them Surely their pride and covetousnesse declares them to be the false Christs and false Prophers and that they are branches of the Thorn-bush that are full of sharp pricks in regard they endeavour to uphold a forced maintenance from the people whether they will or no and force the people to be silent to hear them preach hear-say and not to gainsay or question what they say under pain of punishment or being counted factious or sowers of sedition This is the bondage the people are under by these publique Preachers First they are filled with confusion by their saying and unsaying for they know not what they say they darken knowledge by their words Secondly they are like to be crushed in their estates by the power of corrupt Magistrates if they oppose these Preachers Doth not their shame almost appear to all men â—f it do not it will do ere long assure yourselve you Priests you must fall and be turned out as ludas Simon Magus and the Scribes and Pharisees that are the greatest enemies to Christ the spreading power of righteousnesse The Father doth not send hear-say men to be Labourers in his Vineyard but such as he first fils with the Divine power and then sends them to work in his Vineyard So that still it is but Christ in them that is the one man that is sent of the Father for the Father sends none but his beloved Son who is the law of righteousnesse and peace the spreading power And you shall find you proud and covetous Priests ere long that poor despised ones of the world that have this law in their hearts are the labourers than are sent forth and you that call your selves Divines and Labourers you are Traitors and Enemies to the spirit you have had warning enough you are left without excuse you are the men whose mouths must be stopped not by the hand of Tyrannicall humane power as you have stopped the mouths of others I abhor it for the Lord himself whom you dishonour by your hypocrasie will stop your mouth with shame and sorrow when he makes you to see your selves to be Devils Deceivers Scribes and Pharisees Simon Magaus's Demas's and Judas's that are Traitors to the spirit But if you say you do not assume the name of Day-vines but of Divines as you whrite your selves you are as bad under this description of Divines or Diviners are witches sorcerers deceivers as Balaam was and as the maid that got her Masters much gain by divination Suerly you are no other but Witches and Deceivers for you hold forth letter for spirit make people believe that your words of hear-say are the testimony and experience of the spirit within you and you pick their purses extremly by this divination and sorcerie Well your word Divinity darkens knowledge you talk of a body of Divinity and of Anatomyzing Divinity O fine languague But when it comes to triall it is but a husk without the kernall words without life the spirit is in the hearts of the people vvhom you despise and tread under foot You go on selling vvords for money to the
in man And the powers of the flesh which is the Serpent or curse shall be subdued under him and man-kind shall be made onely subject to this one Spirit which shall dwell bodily in every one as he dwelt bodily in the man Christ Jesus who was the Son of man Now as Moses declared That the Lamb Jesus Christ should be that great Prophet to whom every one should give ear delivered it in general termes leaving the particular discoveries of his new doctrine to the Lamb himself when he came and so did not go about to imagine matters that was above his circle and we see the Doctrine of Jesus Christ when he came far exceeded the Doctrine of Moses the one being the substance of the other and so moâ—â— spiritual makings forth then the other Even so the man Christ Jesus the great Prophet declared in general termes what should be in later times leaving it to every son and daughter to declare their particular experiences when the Spirit doth rise up in them and manifests himself to them For they that believe saith he out of their bellies shall flow rivers or plentifull discoveries of the water of life Therefore as Moses gave way to Christ for when Christ appeared in flesh Moses administration began to be silent and drew back and set Jesus Christ in the chair to be the great Prophet that should be the teacher in types after him And the ministration of these discoveries were to raign in the world their appointed times Even so the Lamb Christ Jesus or that single body gives way to the holy Ghost or spreading Spirit If I go not away the Comforter cannot come to you for he that dwels bodily in me is to spread himself in you that as the Father in me and I in him are one even so I in you and you in me may become one witâ— the Father And the testimony of the Apostles declares as much Though we have known Christ after the flesh in one single body yet now henceforth know we him no more so but we look after that mystery which hath been kept secret from ages and generations past which is Christ in you the hope of glory And therefore I must tell you that yet live in dipping in water and observation of Gospel-forms and types you live yet under the ministration of Jesus Christ after the flesh declaring the Lamb Christ to remain as yet in one single person But know you that as the ministration of Moses gave way to this so this ministration is to give way to the inward teachings of Christ and the spreading of the Spirit in sons and daughters which will more excellently declare the glory of the mystery The man Christ Jesus himself told the woman of Samaria Woman the time is coming that neither in Jerusalem nor in this mountain shall men worship the Father but they that worship him shall worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeks such to worship him By these words The Son of man declares that both outward forms customs and types of Moses worship under that ministration at Jerusalem likewise all forms and customs and types of this ministration of himself as the Lamb held forth at a distance to be our Mediatour should all cease and give way to the spirituall worship of the Father in the latter dayes or to the spreading of the Divine power in men the one Law of Righteousnesse being the teacher of all So that upon the rising up of Christ in sons and daughters which is his second comming the ministration of Christ in one single person is to be silent and draw back and set the spreading power of Righteousnesse and wisdom in the chair of whose Kingdom there shall be no end So as all things were gone out from the Spirit and were gone astray and corrupted The Spirit in this great mystery of truth being manifested in flesh burns up that drosse out of the Creation and draws in all things back again into himself and declares himself to be the alone wisdom and power of Righteousnesse that rules dwels that governs and preserves both in and over the whole Creation And now the Son delivers up the Kingdom unto the Father And he that is the spreading power not one single person become all in all in every person that is the one King of Righteousnesse in every one Here we may see what the dividing of time is which is the last period in which the Beast is to reignâ— for now every ministration pleads his priviledge till the Law of Righteousnesse drown up all in himself Moses yet pleads a priviledge in the practice of the Jews after the flesh The Son of man or Christ in one single person pleâ—ds a priviledge and not onely the true ministration of the Son of man according to the Apostles declaration But likewise many false forms customs and observations of Divine worship are raised up through a wrong understanding of those Scriptures all plead a priviledge And lastly the ministration of the Spirit forsaking all types and â—ormes worshipping the Father in the substance of truth This now pleads his priviledge as his due right by course So that you see here is the dividing of time But this last ministration is the sufferer for the present as being denied his right by the former that ought to give way And as the worshippers in Moses ministration envied and killed such as worshipped the Son of man the Lamb So now those that worship Christ at a distance in their severall Congregations and forms and are most zealous therein are in these dayes the most bitterest enemies to the ministration of Christ in Spirit and in truth But when this ministration of the Spirit spreads himself he will make the greatest separation that ever was For though Israels separation out of Egypt amazed the world and the separation of gathered Congregations out of Parish Churches so called did trouble the earth though it is no more but going out of one form into another not into the unitie of the one Spirit Yet this ministration of the Spirit now rising up by right of inheritance will take peace from the world much more for he hath begun and he will and shall go on to gather the scattered of Isreal together out of all Aegytian bondages and self-seeking oppressing government and out of all forms and customes of the Beast to worship the Father in spirit and truth being made to be all of one heart and one minde And this shall more and more appear as the earth grows up to be a common treasury for all Therefore let me tell you That all your enmity will not uphold your â—orms your imprisoning and reviving and making law to suppresse such as â—â—e contrary to you will never work your will but pull miseries and shame upon your selves as the zealous Scribes and Pharisees did in killing of Christ the Sonne of
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
to life And hence it is that many a poor despised man and woman that are counted blasphemers by the understanding Pharisees of our age as the learned Pharisees of old called Christ and people are afraid to buy and sell them but casts out their names for evil yet these have more sweet peace more true experience of the Father and walks more righteously in the Creation in spirit and truth then those that cal themselves teachers and zealous Professours And why Because these single hearted ones are made to look into themselves wherein they can read the work of the whole Creation and see that History seated within themselves they can see the mystery of Righteousnesse and are acquainted every one according to his measure with that spirit of truth that is to be the blessing of the whole earth and that enlightens al that come into the world these are the dust and stones so the earth that are trod under foot But out of this Sion whom no man regards shal the Deliverer come But now those that are called Preachers and great professours that runs a hearing seeks for knowledge abroad in Sermons in books and Uuniversities and buyes it for money as Simon Magus would have done and than delivers it out again for money for a 100 l. or 200 l. a year And those men that speak from an inward testimony of what they have seen and heard from the Lord are celled by these buyers and sellers Locusts â—actions blasphemers and what not as the language of Pulpits runs but the Lord wil whip such traders out of his Temple And truly the whole world wanders after the Beast and though the people many of them doe see that their Prheachers are blinde guides bitter spirited proud and covetous yet they are ashamed and afraid to disown them O great bondage under the devils And hence it is that they think they are wise and learned and the only men sent of God to preach the Gospel til the power of Righteousnesse come and declare before all the world that they are enemies to the Gospel and knows him not for the anointing is the glad tidings which are manifest within the heart not a distance from men And so Christ takes these wise and learned in their own crafty covetousnes and pride and declares them to be very silly men the most ignorant of all blinde guides painted sepulchers Prophets that run before they be sent and the great fooles of the world and troublers of Israel and the Scribes and Pharisees that stand up to hinder Christ from rising or to cast reproachfull dirt upon him where he rises as much as they can to keep him down and hold him under as a servant still and this they will doe till they be swept away amongst the refuge of lies as part of that treasure for that must be your portion Nay let me tel you That the poorest man that sees his maker and lives in the light though he could never read a letter in the book dares throw the glove to al the humane learning in the world and declare the deceit of it how it doth bewitch delude man-kinde in spiritual things yet it is that great Dragon that hath deceived all the world for it draws men from knowing the Spirit to own bare letters words and histories for spirit The light and life of Christ within the heart discovers all darknesse and delivers mankind from bondage And besides him there is no Saviour CHAP. XI WEll in the next place I must declare to you that all that which you call the history and have doted upon it and made it your idol is all to be seen and felt witin you before you cast oft true peace Adam and Christ you have heard are both to be seen within the heart Cain and Abel is to be seen within Abraham a power that prefers the honour of Righteousnesse before a beloved Isaac is to be seen within Meek spirited Moses that rules your bodies by an outward Law of Righteousnesse is to be seen within you killing of Sacrifices and offering them up is to be seen within you Israel or one that is a wrestler is to be seen within you And this is Christ the elect one that fights against your lusts The Canaanites Amalekites Philistines and all those armies of the Nations even troops of untighteous powers one following another are to be seen within you making war with Israel Christ within you The Land of Canaan the habitation of rest is to be seen within you travelling and drudging in the wildernesse and then comming to rest upon the seventh day is to be seen within you Judas a treacherous self-loving and covetous spirit The Commanders of the Jews the chief powers that are within the flesh first condemning then killing then buying Christ is to be seen within you Christ lieing in the grave like a corn of wheat buried under the clods of the earth for a time and Christ rising up from the powers of your flesh above that corruption and above those clouds treading the curse under his feet is to be seen within The stone that lies at the mouth of the sepulcher your unbelief the removing of that stone setting you at libertie is to be seen withing you Heaven and hell light and darknesse sorrow and comforts is all to be seen within the power of darknesse and the power of light and life is to be seen within you Good Angels which are divine discoveries or sparks of that glory And bad Angels which are the powers of the flesh let loose out of the bottomlesse pitâ—selfishnesse and so working its own miserie are to be seen within For man-kind is that Creation in which the great Creatour of all things wil declare and manifest himself Therefore it was said That God was in Christ That one anointed humane body reconciling or drawing all things into himself and so making peace For while al things are out of that one power of Righteousnesse jarring and flashing against him there is no peace in the Creation but sorrow tears and vexation but when all things are made to lie down quiet in him and acknowledge him in all and are subject to him the alone King of Righteousnesse now there is rest and peace every where Therefore if you look for heaven or for manifestation the Fathers love in you in any place but within your selves you are deceived for what glory soever you shal be capable of to see with your eyes or hear with your ears it is but the breakings forth of that glorious power that is seated within for the glory of the Father is not without him but it is all within himself or rises up from within is manifested abroad The Kings daughter is all glorious within All that glory which declares heaven is seen within that spirit that rules within the Creation man-kind And further if you look for any other hell or sorrows in any other place then what shall be made manifest within
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
here add to the rest which I only hold â—orth to my fellow creature man not customarily to make a trade of it for fleshly ends but occasionally as the Light is pleased to manifest himself in me that others from me and I from them may be witnesses each to other of our Maker how he shines forth in his own light through each other to the profit of the Creation In the beginning of time the whole Creation lived in man and man lived in his Maker the spirit of Righteousnesse and peace for every creature walked evenly with man and delighted in man and was ruled by him there was no opposition between him and the beast sowls fishes or any creature in the earth so that it is truely said The whole Creation was in man one within and walked even with him for no creature appeared to be a visible enemy to him for every creature gave forth it self either for pleasure or profit of man who was Lord of all And man lived in his Maker the Spirit and delighted in no other there was an evennes between man and all creatures and an evennesse between man and his Maker the Lord the Spirit But when man began to â—all out of his Maker and to leave his joy and rest which he had in the spirit of Righteousnesse and sought content from creatures and outward objects then he lost his dominion and the creature fell out of him and became enemies and apposers of him and then rise up mountaines and valleys and hils and all unevennesse both in mans heart and in mans actions And as the man is become selfish so are all the beasts and creatures become selfish and man and beast act like each other by pushing with their horns of power and devouring one another to preserve self And truly as man might see all creatures lived at rest in him in the beginning so he may see all creatures in him now but in a rest-lesse condition groaning under bondage waiting for a restauration The covetousnesse the subtilty the cruelty the pride the envy the devouring power that is in the flesh of man are the very distempers that are in such and such beasts and fowls So that while man is ruled by such powers and declares no other actions but what is in the beast he indeed goes in the shape of a man but properly he is a beast of such and such a ravenous principle And this now is the Curse Man is gone out of his Maker to live upon objects and the creatures are gone out of man to seek delight in pushing and devouring one another and the whole Creation of fire and water earth and air and all bodies made of these are put out of order through mans rejecting the Spirit to live upon objects But now the time is come that the Spirit will draw all things into man againe to live and be at rest in him as their Governour as their Lord and man and the Creation shall become even againe and so man returning to his Maker to rest in peace in none but him The whole Creation shall be governed preserved comforted by the one spirit the King of Righteousnesse and all bondage curse and tears shall be done away And this is that I wait for being assured it shall be accomplished having received a taste But as the state of the world is in the generality I am made to see That in times past and times present the branches of man-kind have acted like the beast or swine And though they have called one another men and women yet they have been but the shadows of men and women As the Moone is the shadow of the Sun in regard they have been led by the powers of the curse in flesh which is the Feminine part not by the power of the righteous Spirit which is Christ the Masculine power But when they come to see the spirituall Light that is in every ceature and in that power and light do walk righteously towards other creatures as well beasts as man-kinde that the creation as much as in them lies one by one may be upheld and preserved in its glory then they begin to appear and act like men and rise up from the low earth of a beastly and swinish nature to acknowledge and honour their Maker in the light of himself Experience shews us That every beast doth act in oppression and cruelty towards such creatures as he can master at advantage And thus doth the flesh of man which is the King of beast For when the wisdome and power of the flesh raigns which in deed is Adam that man that appeared first to rule the earth man-kinde and by his unrighteousnesse makes it a land of barrennesse For this first Adam is such a selfish power that he seeks to compasse all the creatures of the earth into his own covetous hands to make himself a lord and all other his slaves And though he gets lands moneys honours government into his hands yet he gives the King of righteousnesse but a company of sawning words of love and obedience for he makes unrighteousnesse to dwell in heaven and earth that is in the whole Creation by his unrighteous government and so he becomes the chief Rebell the Serpent the Devil the Murderer oppressing the Creation setting himself above all in tyranny And this power is the curse which the whole Creation groans under waiting for a restoration by Christ the King and law of rigteousnesse who is the restorer of all things And here first I shall declare what Adam the first man is who to me appears to be the wisdome and power of the flesh carrying along the Creation man to live upon creature objects and to loath and despise the Spirit that made all and that dwels in all things according to the capacity of every single creature and all that Adam doth is to advance himself to be The one power he gets riches and goverment into his hands that he may lift up himself and suppresse the universall liberty which is Christ And if he preach or pray or performe any service relating to the Spirit it is for this end that he may get peace thereby and so seeks to honour flesh by procuring his own peace by his own wit and pollicy if that would doe So that this Adam appears first in every man and woman but he sits down in the chair of Magistracy in some above others for though this climbing power of self-love be in all yet it rises not to its height in all but every one that gets an authority into his hands tyrannizes over others as many husbands parents masters magistrates that lives after the flesh doe carry themselves like oppressing Lords over such as are under them not knowing that their wives children servants subjects are their fellow creatures and hath an equall priviledge to share with them in the blessing of liberty And this first Adam is to be seen and known in a
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
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
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
libertie When slaverie began to creep in upon the Creation the Spirit might wel cry out in Lamentation Ah-dam A-dam which draws together a head of corrupted waters of covetous proud and imaginary flesh to stop the streams of the waters of life and libertie But saith the Spirit our Maker The seed from whence the Creation sprang shall bruise that Serpents head and open the dam againe and cause the waters of the Spirit which is Life and Libertie to run free againe without any stoppage This A-dam stops up the waters or Life and Libertie in a two-fold way Firâ—â— he ties up the Creation man in chains of darknesse within it self For there is not a man and womon â—ound since Adam's rise but the man Christ Jesus in whom the seed ruled in power but they were bound up in bondage to coveteousnesse pride imagination and to all the powers of the flesh So that the free running streams of the Spirit of life were stopped that they could not run which hath made every one cry O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of sin or death Here you see that knowledge libertie and comfort hath been stopped or dammed up within the Câ—eation maâ— Secondly this A-dam being the power of coveâ—ous proud flesh he sets up one part of the Creation man to rule over another and makes Laws to kil and hang thal part of the Creation that wil not submit to the ruling part And so he is become a God ruling in the spirits own house not preserving the Creation but does set the Creation together by the ears to kâ—l it self to the mighty dishonour of our Maker Therefore when the people would have Saul to rule them the Spirit declared that that outward ruling power was the curse and he set him up in his wrath to be a scourge not a blessing Now whereas the Creation man should live in equalitie one towards another this A-dam hath lifted up mountaines and hils of oppressing powers and there by that dammed and stopped up that universal communitie Therefore at the first rising up of this serpentine power to enslave the Creation he might wel be declared by way of Lamenattion A-dam Adam Covetousnesse or self-love is the dam the letter A before declares that he is a preparer to miserie and is delivered by way of Lamentation Ah or A-dam Dovetousnesse or self-love is the man of sin that appears first The imagination arising from that couetous power is the woman or Eve which like the Ivie clings about the tree and so covetousnesse and imagination does beget between them a supposed joy pleasure and delight but it proves a lie These two Covetousnesse and Imagination the man and the woman of sin or A-dam and his Eve or Ivie does beget fruit or children like both Father and Mother as pride and envy hypocrisie crueltie and all unclean lusts pleasing the flesh And now the dam-head is made up strong to stop the streams of waters of life and universal libertie But in the fulnesse of time the Spirit wil break down this dam-head againe and cause the waters of the Spirit of life to flow again plentifully And herein you may see how the publique Preachers have cheated the whole world by telling us of a single man called Adam that kiled us al by eating a single fruit called an Apple Alas this Adam is the dam that hath stopped up the freedome of the Spirit within and without so that while he rules a man can have no community with the spirit within himself nor community of love with fellow creatures he does so puff them up with covetousnesse and pride and desire of Lordly rule one over another Do but look into every mean and woman and into al the actions of the world and tel me whether that first Adam be one single man as the publique Preachers tel you or is not more truly that covetous proud and imginary power in flesh that hath dammed and stopped up the way of the spirit of life and universal libertie and so he is that Father of lies and Satan that holds the Creation under bondage til the Son which is the light in the Creation shine forth and sets us at libertie And if the Son set you free you are free indeed This Son is the second Adam which is A-dam indeed that stops the streams of bondage from runing and sets the Creation at libertie again CHAP. IX WHat I have spoken I have not received from books nor study but freely I have received and freely I have declared what I have received And the Declarations of the Lord through his servant shal not be in vain The beholding and feeling of the Law of righteousnesse within me fils my whole soul with precious peace the favour of the sweet ointment and I know as this power of love spreads in al mens hearts as it wil spread for Jacob must rise Then there shall be no begger no tears no complaining no oppression but the blessing of the Lord shal fil the earth Then our swords shall be beaten into plow irons add our spears into pruning hooks and then shall the Lord be known to be the salvation of Israel and the restoration of the whole Creation Iâ— any man be offended here let him know I have obeyed my Maker herein and I have peace in him When the Man Jesus Christ was one earth there was a sweet communitie of love between all the members of that humane body For the spirit that was within made every member a servant to the other and so preserved the whole body in peace one member did not raign over another in tyraâ—nie Even so when the humane body was laid in the earth the Spirit which indeed is Christ came again the second time upon the Apostles and Brethren while they were waiting for that promise at Jerusalem And as Christ then began to spread himself in sons and daughters which are members of his mystical body they did not rule in slavery one over another neither did the rich suffer the poor to beg and starve and imprison them as now they do But the rich sold their possessions and gave equality to the poor and no man said that any thing that he possessed was his own for they had all things common But this community was a vexation to Esau the covetous proud flesh and he strove to suppresse this commnuity And the Lord he gives this Beast a toleration to rule 42 months or a time times and dividing of time and in that time to kil the two Witnesses that is Christ in one body and Christ in many bodies or Christ in his first and second comming in flesh which is Justice and Jugement ruling in man I but now the 42 months are expiring we are under the half day of the Beast or the dividing of time and Christ or the two Witnesses are arising and spreading himself again in the earth And when he hath spread
words Thou hast set a mark upon me and every one that sees me wil kil me And yet by the story before there were no more men in the world but his Father Adam and he now Abel being dead Therefore certainly this Adam or first man that is spoken of is he that is within as I have spoke of which kils or surpresses Abel who is the anointing I am sure I have sound him the cause of my misery and I can lay the blame of no man but my self The first power that appears and draws my body into disobedience And this is he that is the causer of all your sorrow and tears he is Adam within it is your self your very fleshly self be angry at none but your self The Self is the first Adam that fals from the Spirit he is those branching powers in created flesh that leads you from your maker therfore blame not Adam without you but blame Adam the first man within you he within hath disobeyed and forsaken Reasons Law of Righteousnesse You are the man and woman that hath eaten the forbidden fruit by delighting your self more in the objects of the Creation then in the Spirit for the Spirit is the seed the Creation is the fruit As the Apple is the fruit from the root of the Apple-tree so selfishnesse is the fruit of the fruit it arises up not from the Spirit but from the Creation And this is the Serpent whose head must be briused that so the great maker of all things may delight in the worke of his own hands when all the branchings forth of selfishnesse is destroyed and the Creation made subject only to the will of the Creatour And this wil be the winding up of the great mystery spoken of God manifest in the flesh nor selfishnesse manifested in flesh for this I say is the Serpent whose head must be bruised Now if you delight more in the objects of the earth to please selfe then in the spirit that made all things then you eat of the forbidden fruit you take the Apple and become naked and ashamed and is made afraid to own the spirit least you despise fellow creatures And likewise being ashamed and afraid of the law of righteousnesse because it doth restifie of you that your deeds are evil and so begets sorrow and trouble in your heart you presently run and hide your self from him amongst the creatures runs preaching and praying and sheltering your self in a Congregation as a member and so doth sow the figge-leaves of your own observing forms and customary invented Righteousnesse together to hide your soul from the face of displeasure that you may not see your self for the sight of your self is your hell Whereas indeed you should flie to the Law of Righteousnesse and act righteously within the Creation and so honour the Spirit by owning of him and wait upon him til he speak peace For nothing wil hide you from his presence Reasons Law wil shine forth torment your unrighteous self-seeking power and bruise that Serpents head all his hidings wil not save himself for you must come to the fire and that drosse must be burned up before a Reconciliation can be wrought between him and his Creation Adams innocency is the time of child-hood and there is a time in the entering in of the understanding age wherein every branch of man-kinde is put to his choice whether he wil follow the Law of Righteousnesse according to the Creation to honour the Spirit Or whether he wil delight self in glorying in the objects of the earth unrighteously Now if he chuse to satisfie his lusts and his self-wil and forsake Reasons Law he shal fal downwards into bondage and lie under the powers of darknesse and live no higher then within the circle of dark flesh that hath no peace within it self but what he fetches from creatures without him But if he chuse the way of Righteousnesse and follow the light of Reasons Law then he shal partake of rest peace and libertie of the Spirit as if there were no creature objects at all for he that hath peace within uses the world as though he used it not and hath content and joy though he have no creature to have communion with But seeing that the man of the flesh wil and must appear to rule in the Kingdome of man-kinde first All men are gone astray and all flesh have corrupted their waies and the curse is spread abroad thorow the Creation And therefore the whole Creation wait for a Restoration or for the rising up of Christ the second man the blessing who must bruise the head of bondage and reconcile al men to peace and liberty And as the curse is seen and felt within so the blessing of freedom and life must rise up and be seen and felt within Therefore let not your blind guides deceive you any longer Doe not look beyond your selves to Adam a man that died 6000 years agoe though they bid you but look upon Adam within your-self who hath wrought your woe And for the time to come wait upon the rising of the second Adam the Law of Righteousnesse within you to deliver you from the bondage of the first power And here you may see the deceit of imagination and fleshly wisdom and learning it teaches you to look altogether upon a history without you of things that were done 6000 years agoe and of things that were done 1649 years agoe of the carriage of the Scribes and Pharisees then against the son of man And so carrying you first to one age of the world then to another age of the world travelling Sea and Land to find rest and the more that human learning and his professours travels abroad the further off from rest they are for they meet with nothing but confusion and starits and no true peace And why Because that which a man seeks for whereby he might have peace is within the heart not without The word of life Christ the restoring spirit is to be found within you even in your mouth and in your heart The Kingdome of heaven which is Christ is within you and disobedient Adam is within you for this is Esau that strives with Jacob in the womb of your heart to come forth first And this let me tel you and you shal find it true Goe read all the books in your Universitie that tels you what hath been formerly and though you can make speeches of a day long from those readings yet you shall have no peace but your hearts still shal be a barren wildernesse and encrease in sorrow till your eyes return into your selves and the spirit come from on high to make you read in your own book your heart Wherein you shall find the mystery of iniquity The man of sinne that first Adam that made you a sinner And the mystery of godlinesse the second Adam Christ who when he arises up therein he makes you righteous and restores you again
the bottomlesse pit your very fleshly self you are deceived and you shall find that when this bottomlesse pit is opened to your view it will be a torment sufficient for from hence doth the curse spread and all that misery you are or may be capable of it is but the breakings forth of that stinking dunghill that is seated within you is that power of darkness that rules within the Creation your body If the power of Righteousnesse peace take possession and rule in you then you shall live in rest and be free from hell and sorrow death and bondage If the Lamb be the light of your heart all tears shall be wiped away and you shall be in peace But if the selfish power rule your heart then as you live now upon uncertainties in confusion and vexation so this manifestation of hell darknesse and sorrows shall multiply within you and when your body goes to the Earth you multiply the curse upon the Creation and so you enter into the body of the Serpent that must be burned and consumed by the power of the Lord Hell and the curse doth rule within câ—eated flesh in every family of the earth and will rule till the feed of Abraham the blessing of the Lord come and burn up that serpent and deliver the Creation from that burden And let me tell you That this seed This blessing of the Lord is rising up in every family that lives after the flesh Whether Parents brethren or sisters they do hate grudge and persecute those in whom the blessing begins to rise up and tramples upon them like dust but out of that dust of the earth man-kind shall the deliverer come that shall turn ungodlinesse from Jacob A few years now will discover more and then that prophecy shall be materially fulfilled Then ten men shall take hold of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zech. 8. 23. The heart of man is the place wherein heaven and hell for nature and kind are both to be seen that is when the Law of Righteousnesse rules there is Christ or the Kingdom of heaven within even the manifestations of the Father appears in glory to the sweet rest and peace of that soul But when the power of unrighteousnesse rules in the heart which is the Serpent Dragon or God of this world this is hell or kingdom of darknesse for first the man sees and feels himself in bondage to his lusts and to the powers of his flesh This is death and the curse that he lies under And then secondly The man sees himself under bondage of sorrows and torment and the increase of this sensiblenesse is will be an intolerable misery As it is said That the King of Righteousnes takes delight in nothing but what is within himself and what proceeds out of himself So the Heaven of an enlivened heart is not a local place of glory at a distance from him but the seeing and feeling the Father within dwelling and ruling there and to behold the glory of that power proceeding forth of himself to which he is made subject through which he walks righteously in the Creation and in which he rests in peace Even so the souls that are lost and ashamed in their work are not tormented by any terrour without them in any local place but their hell or place of torment is within themselves seeing and feeling themselves chained up in bondage to fears terrours â—â—rrows afrightments intolerable vexations and powers of lust and under all that cursed darknesse â—â—till the judgement of the great day And what misery or torment doth or shall appear â—â—â—m outward objects it is but the breakings forth of their own cursednesse that creates misery to himself and so goes forth to fetch in torment from without For he that hath a troubled conscience turns every thing into gall and worm-wood to terrifie himself thinking every bush to be a devil to torment him he saies he sees fearfull shapes without but they arise from the anguish of his tormenting conscience within for they be the shapes and apparitions of his own caused flesh that is presented to him which comes not from any other but out of the bottomlesse pit the Serpents powr but rules and dwels within him and the sight of this is like the misery of tender flesh burning in the fire Let a man lie upon his sick bed and to the view or others the chamber is quiet yet he saith he seeth devils and flames and misery and torments Well this is but the rising up of his own unrighteous heart the flames of the bottomlesse it that appear to himself For certainly unrighteous flesh is hell the appearance or risings up of unâ—ighteous flesh to its own view is the torments of hell Pride lust envy covetousnesse hypocrisie self-love and the like being crossed by the spirit of Light are the particular devils that torment the soul in hell or in that dark condition Or if so be a man be tormented by visible bodies of fâ—ry and ugly shapes as he apprehends they be all the creatures of his own making and rods which the flesh hath made to whip and punish himself withall for a man suffers by no other but by the work of his own hands And as he hath acted envy venome and poison in strange wayes of oppression walking unrighteously in the Creation Even so when his soul comes to be judged he shall apprehend snakes scorpions toads devils in bodily shapes and flames of fire and direfull noises and pits of darknesse which are creatures of his own making or the shapes and fashion of those unrighteous turnings and windings and actings of his unrighâ—eous soul that now appear in their own colours to his own torment and this is â—ell For if the flesh be righteous within there is nothing without can trouble it When the bodies of men are laid in the grave we have a word That he is either in heaven or hell Now the senses of the body are not sensible of either such But now the power that ruled in that body righteously or unrighteously is fully manifested to it felt if the power of Righteousnesse did rule Now it enters into the Spirit the great Ocean of glory the Father himself If the power of unrighteousnesse did rule now it enters into the curse encreases the body of death corruption and enmity and becomes the bondage and Burden of the Creation that â—â—â—st be purged out by fire If there be a local place of hell as the Preachers say there is besides this I speak of time will make it manifest but as yet none ever came from the dead to tell men on earth and till then men ought to speak no more then they know wheâ— I speak I speak from what I have in some measure seen within me and as I have received from the Lord in clear light within my self But is not hell the execution of
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
or power one every where The sight of the King of Glory within lies not in the strength of memory calling to mind what a man hath read and heard being able by a humane capacity to joyn things together into a method through the power of free utterance to hold it forth before others as the fashion of Students are in their Sermon work which a plough man that was never bread in their Universities may do as much nay they do more in kind as experience shews us then they that take Tyshes to tell a story But the sight of the King within lies in the beholding of light arising up from an inward power of seeling experience filling the soul with the glory of the Law of Righteousnesse which doth not vanish like the taking in of words and comfort from the mouth of a hear say Preacher or strength of memory But it continues like the Sunne in the firmament shining forth from that established power of the divine within and the enlivened heart shall as soon be seperated from glorying in the Law of Righteousnesse that dwels in him then the heat and light of the Sunne can be seperated from the Sunne And truly let me tell you That as a man finds abundance of sweet peace in his heart when he is made to live in the Kingdome of heaven So the words hat this man speaks from this power within are very profitable to others are good seed wheresoever they are sown they will spring up and bring forth fruit for words spoken from the light of experience have a two-fold operation upon the heart of the hearers For first if I lie under straits and bondage in my spirit by reason of some inward and outward troubles but especially by reason of the enthraldome to my own lusts that over powers me so that I cannot do what I would Then the words of experience from the mouth of one that hath been in that condition and is passed thorow it sounds liberty and life to my weary soul I speak what I have felt in this particular Secondly If I delight in any way of the flesh as to seek peace in creatures abroad without me or to seek satisfaction to my envy self-will and lust and in the midst of this my folly I do occasionally hear the words of experience from some other declaring such actions and motions to be the powers of the flesh and devil and not of the spirit of righteousnesse Presently those words take peace from the earth that is from proud flesh and fill the whole soul with anger distemper grudging and torment And this is another operation that pure language produces which is a launcing of the dead flesh that the disease may be cured For this wounding is nor to the mine of the creature but it is a medicine sent from the Lord to heal him to take away the evil peace from the flesh that so the created part may lie down in rest and be at peace in Christ which cannot be moved For every comfort that is of the flesh shall be shaken and removed but Christ the one power of Righteousnesse and peace shall not be shaken nor moved but stand firm for ever And by this you may see the difference between the kingdom of the flesh and devil which must be shaken to pieces and fall And the kingdom of heaven or of God that endures for ever and is that Rock due cannot be moved CHAP. XV WHat do you mean by the kingdom devil or flesh I answer Covetousnesse the selfish power ruling in a man is the kingdome of darknesse in that man And as this power hath corrupted the Creation mankind so it rules or hath ruled in every single one more or lesse but is the curse And every one that hath lain under the bondage of this selfish power and is in any measure delivered he can from that experience declare what the power of darknesse is in whole mankind as I have shewed how secretly and closely this selfish power branches himself forth in every one till by the right of Reasons Law shining within he is discovered and cast out But what is it for a man to live in the kingdom of hell devil or darknesse I answer when a man takes delight in nothing but in satisfying of the lusts of his own heart when the way of the flesh is pleasing and the way of the spirit of Righteousnesse is a burden to him when he glories in himself and feeds with delight upon his covetousnesse pride envy lust self-will and in every thing that pleaseth flesh And if he can but overcome that power that checks or crosses his will O then this man is in his Kingdome he rejoyecs and is very well pleased but it is the kingdome of the flesh that must be shaken and removed This is no other but the glorying in that which is a mans shame What is the kingdom of Heaven or of Christ Answ. The Law of Righteousnesse and peace ruling and dwelling in mankind is the kingdom of heaven this is the universall power bearing rule treading the flesh-power under his feet What is it for a man to live in the kingdom of heaven Ans. When mankind or any single person is so made subject to the King of righteousnesse that all his delight is to walk according to that law towards every creature in the Creation through love to the Fathers honour that made al He glories in that law of righteousness which he finds seated in his heart finds content no where else and when the Spirit is honoured this man is in his kingdom he hath what he would have While the kingdom of darknesse rules in a man if he knows it not his sin is the lesse but when he comes to know the lusts of his flesh and delight therein in opposition to the righteous Law which he sees some light in also this makes the man exceeding sinfull for now he sins against the law of light shining in him and causing him to see himself Even so when the divine power rules in a man and he knows it nor as it may be in some measure this mans joy is but small for a man may act from the power of love and righteousnesse and yet not see nor know the excellency of that power which guides ◠him But when a man is made to see and know the law of love and righteousnesse within him and delights to act from that power of life and liberty which he seeth and feeleth seated in him Now this man is carried on with much joy and sweet calmness meeknesse and moderation and is full of glory This is the excellency of the work of Christ not onely to make flesh subject to rigeteousnesse but to know himself made subject to rejoyce in the sweet enjoyment of that prince of peace to make a man rejoyce to know the groun 〈◊〉 of his joy is unmovebale What do you mean by divine and divine power I anwer The divine
is the spreadinq power of righteousnesse which is Christ that filleth the whole Creation with himself And he is called a tree or a vine because he doth not lie in one single person but spreads himself in mankind and every single body in whom he breaths is but a bough or bud of the vine So that look upon all together in whom Christ is spread and they make up but one vine knit together by that one spirit into one body whether they be poor or rich learned or unlearned and therefore those rich men that despise the poor and those learned University men that despise the unlearned are pricks of the thorn-bush not branches of the vine they be the curse that is now near to burning And every single one alone in whom Christ breaths is but a parcel of the vine in whom the divine power dwels and rests Even as every branch of an Apple-tree is filled with the sap which is the life of the whole tree Christ is said to be the divine because he grows and flourishes in the time of light he is the Sonne himself he is a vine or tree that grows by day in the heat of light and so brings forth abundance of fruit to the glory of the Father Trees that grow in the heat of the Sun bring sorth pleasant fruit So those that are branches of this vine that grows in the heat and life of one spirit the King of Righteousnesse bring forth abundance of the fruit of Righteousnesse according to the nature of the vine they grow from Therefore the Saints are called Children of the day not of the night for they speak what they know in experience and what they have received feelingly from the Lord and their actions and words are not at random for they act Righteousness within the Creation from the law of Reason and Righteousnesse which they feel seated within Every one that doth act or speak from the light and power of the day-vine within himself can give an account of his words and actions But this is the glory that Adam the man of the flesh hides himself from This is the Law of Righteousnesse which fleshly Israel could not behold This is the new Covenant which our Clergie is unacquainted with Now opposite to this Divine which is Christ there is a night-vine which is the power of selfishnesse or the bottom esse pit spread abroad in mankind And every man and woman that is guided by this selfish power of darknesse are but branches of the night-vine And this nigt-vine which I called Lord Esau or fleshly man hath filled the whole earth with darknesse under pretence of his learning and fleshly Government so that he is a spread tree But he is called by the Spirit the Thorn-bush The fruit that he brings forth is sour and bitter and good for nothing but the dunghill for trees that grow alwayes in the shade or place of darknesse where the heat and light of the Sun doth not cooperate brings forth unpleasant fruit Now this night-vine but rather Thorn-bush is the branching forth of the wisdom and power of selfish flesh every bud from it is a sharp prickle treacherous covetous Judas is one branch from that root and he hath risen up to a mighty great tree for every treacherous and covetous heart is but the buddings forth of Judas So envious Scribes Pharisees are other branches from the same root these have risen up into mighty spreading trees for every one that is zealous without knowledge making a profession of the spirit of righteousnesse yet grudging and â—aring the way of the spirit are but the buddings forth of the Scribes Pharisees that killed Christ after the flesh and now is spread in every Land and Family to hinder Christ from rising or else to suppresse and kill him againe if they could after he is risen up in sons and daughters So covetous Demas proud Simon Mugus froward Nabal unrighteous Elimas and such like are all the buddings forth of the thorn-bush and have covered the earth with their branches to keep it in darknesse and to hide the Sun of Righteousnesse from it And all these are centred in the Clergy the Universities are the standing ponds of stinking waters that make those trees grow the curse of ignorance confusion and bondage spreads from hence all the Nations over The paying of tythes the greatest sin of oppression is upheld by them pride covetousnesse idlenesse bitternesse of spirit despising and treading all under-foot in whom the spirit of the Lamb appears is upheld by them these are the standing enemies against Christ Their Churches are the successours of the Jews Synagogues and are houses of bondage their Universiâ—ies are successours of the Scribes and Pharisees houses of learning And though they persecuted Christ and the Apostles and would own none of their Doctrines yet when they found that Christs Doctrines began to fill the earth and to make the way of the Law odious and their trade began to fail Then did those houses of learning begin to take in and own the writings of the Apostles and to own that doctrine prevailing with the Magistracy through the deceit of their subtilety to establish tythes in their hands still for their maintainance though Christs doctrine threw down that oppression And then from legall Sacrificers they became hearsay-Preachers of the Gospel not from any testimony of light within themselves but from the writings of the Apostles which they professe great love to and keep charily for their tythes sake and by the one they deceive the souls of people for they preach the letter for the Spirit and by the other they pick their purses And this is very manifest by their carriage for though those writings which they live by were not writings that proceeded from any Schollars according to humane art but from Fishermen Shepherds Husband men and the Carpenters son who spake and writ as the Spirit gave them utterance from an inward testimony Yet now these learned schollars have got the writings of these inferior men of the world so called do now slight despise and trample them under feet pressing upon the powers of the earth to make laws to hold them under bondage and that lay-people trades-men and such as are not bred in schools may have no liberty to speak or write of the Spirit And why so Because out of these despised ones doth the spirit rise up more and more to clearer light making them to speak from experience and every fresh discovery of the Father shines more glorious then the old till at last the creature is made to see the Father face to face in his own light But now the learned schollars having no inward testimony of their own to uphold their trade by a customary practice they hold fast the old letter getting their living by telling the people the meanings of those trades-mens words and writings but alas they mightily corrupt their meaning by their multitude of