hate the motions of the flesh Qu. But what reason is there that other men should oppresse me Ans. Still to let you see your owne unrighteousnesse to others therefore other unrighteous men are suffered to deale unrighteously with you to let you see that the wayes of unrighteousnesse brings nothing but paine and when you are brought to this the spirit which hath beene sleighted by you is now owned and honoured Secondly Reason suffers the flesh of other men to tyrannize over you for a time that in the day when he will sit upon the throne all flesh may be silent before him and confesse his Justice to be righteous upon them for their unrighteousnesse one to another Now Reason suffers all these things to be that the flesh may forsake himselfe he seeing in Reasons light that he being nothing but envy and misery to himselfe and so may returne to the spirit and submit thereunto in whom his life and peace lyes Qu. And what is the end that Reason hath in all this Ans. To destroy the powers of the flesh which leades creatures into divers waies of opposition one against another and to bring all into pure experience of that sweet rest and peace that is in the unity of himselfe the one spirit Qu. Is Reason to be seene in every creature Ans. Yes Qu. What Reason is to be seene in a Horse Ans. Reason carries him along to eate his meat that he may doe worke for the use of man Qu. But the horse doth not know this Reason that rules him Ans. No Neither hath any creature that priviledge to see and know that Reason rules him but man Therefore he is said to be the Lord of creatures because he knowes how to govern them by reason that is within himselfe Qu. But all men doe not see and know Reason to rule in them Ans. No Therefore some are called unreasonable men and though they are in the shape of men yet their actings are like their horses and they know the spirit that rules them no more then their horses But now when a man knowes that this King of righteousnesse Reason doth dwell in him and rule in him to which all the powers of his flesh are made subject which indeed is Christ dwelling in the flesh Now he may be said to be a perfect man for he acts like a man righteously and so as the Father lives in him he lives in the Father Qu. Who is he that cals men to an account for their unrighteousnesse Ans. It is the mighty spirit Reason who is King of righteousnesse and King of peace wherefore art thou proud saith Reason Wherefore art thou covetous Wherefore art thou envious and bitter spirited against thy fellow creatures Wherefore art thou unclean Ans. The Flesh answers It is to please my selfe Qu. Reason answers Didst thou make thy selfe that thou shouldst live to thy selfe Or did not I the Lord make thee to live unto me I tell you when Reason puts these questions to the heart the heart will be struck dead Qu. What is it to walke righteously or in the sight of Reason An. First When a man lives in all acts of love to his fellow creatures feeding the hungry cloathing the naked relieving the oppressed seeking the preservation of others as well as himselfe looking upon himselfe as a fellow creature though he be Lord of all creatures to all other creatures of all kinds and so doing to them as he would have them doe to him to this end that the Creation may be upheld and kept together by the spirit of love tendernes and onenesse and that no creature may complaine of any act of unrighteousnesse and oppression from him Secondly when a man lives in the knowledge and love of the Father seeing the Father in every creature and so loves delights obeyes and honours the Spirit which he sees in the creature and so acts rightly towards that creature in whom hee sees the spirit of the Father for to rest according to its measure And whereas before he exercised outward senses to follow creatures now he lives in the exercise of his spirituall senses and hee doth rightly and he knowes wherefore for his soul now sees feels tasts smels and hears the Father spiritually in all things and so doth all things in love and cheerfull obedience to the Spirit that discovers all things to him inwardly whereby he is made able to doe acts of righteousnesse outwardly This man that is thus drawn up knowes what it is to live in community with the Globe and to live in community with the Spirit of the Globe In the next place I said that Jesus Christ at a distance from thee will not save thee and that it is not the humane flesh but the Spirit in that body that is the Saviour and the Seed that must bruise the Serpents head in mankind And hence they say I deny Christ Therefore I shall give accompt here unto by these questions Qu. What is Jesus Christ I answer He is a man taken up to live wholly in the Father or a meek spirit drawn up to live in the light of Reason And here note two things 1. That Jesus Christ that dyed at Jerusalem by the hands of the Jewes he was the first in whom the Father did appeare bodily to dwell in and that humane body was the Lambe that answered all the types of Moses Law But that body tooke its name from the spirit that dwelt within it Qu. What was that Spirit Ans. He was the spirit of meeknesse and humility which saved humane flesh from all distempers that ariseth from pride or covetuousnesse and this is the Child Jesus a Saviour for he destroyes the covetuousnesse and pride in flesh frees the creature from all distempring fears and passions and rules King in meeknesse and quiet humility 2. He was the spirit of the Father that lived in the exâ—rcise and use of all the spirituall senses and therâ—fore as the Father was said to live in him so he was said to live in the Father Qu. But shall not that humane body of Christ save me by his death Ans The Spirit in that humane body is the Saviour The flesh profits nothing the patient death of that humane body declares the exellent power of the Spirit within it to be the alone Saviour of humane flesh from the curse and power of darknesse that workes and rules in it and so hath taken it prisoner And therefore when the same Anointing or Spirit that was sent downe into that body is sent down into yours changing your vile bodies and making them like that glorious body killing all the cursed powers in the flesh making your flesh subject to the Spirit now you are become one with Christ and with the Father which is your salvation Qu. But shall I not looke upon that body which was called Iesus Christ and expect salvation from him Ans. Jesus Christ at a distance from thee will never save thee but a Christ within is thy
the one spirit this makes the second man perfect for corruption and curse is removed and the whole earth is filled with holy breathing all acting and living in righteousnesse And this is Jesus Christ the second man They say I deny the Gospell and the doctrine of it hereunto I give this accompt Qu. What is the Gospell Ans. It is the Father himselfe that is the Word and glad tydings that speaks peace inwardly to poore soules Qu. But are not the writings of the Apostles and Prophets the Gospell Ans. These writings are the report or declaration of the Gospell which are to cease when the Lord himselfe who is the everlaststing Gospell doth manifest himselfe to rule in the flesh of sonnes and daughters Qu. But did not Paul say This is the word of the Gospell which we preach and so left those words in writing Ans. It is true his writings are the word of it or the report of it but it is not the thing it selfe for when it was reported that the Father would dwell in the flesh and destroy the Serpent this report savoured sweet But when man comes to see and feel and know that the Father dwels and rules in him This is farre more sweet This is to enjoy the Gospell himselfe The word of life within and this shall never cease but endures for ever Qu. But how doe you know that this is the Gospell Ans. I know it by the testimony that is within my selfe and by the sweet peaceable and soule-satisfying rest that I have through communion with the spirit The Lord our righteousnesse In the midst of the mad rage of the world Secondly For satisfaction to the world I desire all men to take the Record and search those Scriptures for they are they that doe testifie of the truth hereof as well as they testified of Christ after the flesh to be the Lambe And this is the mystery and testimony of the Scriptures The spirit dwelling and ruling in flesh The declaration or report of words out of the mouth or pen of men shall cease but the spirit endures for ever from whence those words were breathed as when I have the thing promised the word of the promise ceases Qu. What is the lively testimony or appearance of the everlasting Gospell to dwell in flesh Ans. I answer Justice and Judgement are the two witnesses or the manifest appearance of the spirit or the pure light of Reason teaching a man both to know what is righteous and to doe righteously And when these two rule in man then is flesh subject to the spirit Qu. But I have heard men say That the Scripâ—ures are not onely the word of God but God himselfe for the word and spirit goe together as I the beginning was the Word and The Word was God Ans. If that very written word were God himselfe truly God then would mightily be torne in pieces every day by the bad interpretations of imaginary flesh But I answer The spirit himselfe is the Word This is the power that tooke flesh and dwelt amongst us And the Scriptures are the testimony of those men to whom this secret was revealed by which testimony within they were made able to give First A report that such a mystery as God manifest in the flesh should break forth and appeare in the world in a child that should be borne of a Virgin and so all the writings of the Prophets foretold the coming of the man-child the Messiah The Lambe of God And so when the Pharisees told Christ he was a deceiver He answered I am he and unlesse that you believe that I am he you shall dye in your sinnes and search the Scriptures of the Prophets and you shall see that they tesâ—ifie of mee that I am the Messiah the Man-child the Lamb that am to answer all Moses types and the Prophet whom the Father hath sent For I came not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me Secondly The writings of the Apostles doe justifie the Prophets and declare posiâ—ively this is the Christ the Son of the Faâ—her well-beloved we ate and dranke with â—im we saw him and heard him and were â—ye-witnesses that the Rulers of the Jewes â—lew him and that the spirit raised him from the death Qu. But doe the Apostles writings report no â—ore but this Ans. Yes As they declared when they â—aw and heard how the spirit dwelt bodily â— that humane flesh or single man Jesus Christ So they have declared by the same â—estimony that the same spirit that ruled in â—im should in the latter dayes be poured out â—pon sonnes and daughters and shall spread â— the earth like the shining of the Sun from â—ast to West And this is that which this mouth and â—en of mine doe testifie of to all that heare â—ee that the same spirit that hath layne â—id under flesh like a corne of wheat for an â—ppointed time under the clods of earth is â—ow sprung out and begins to grow up a â—uitfull vine which shall never decay but â— shall encrease till he hath filled the earth â—his is the Kingdome of God within man This is the graine of mustard seed which is little in the beginning but shall become a mighty tree This is the fire that shall dry and burne up all the drosse of mans worke and turne all things into his owne nature This is that spirit which is broke out that will bring mankinde into one heart anâ— one minde For assure your selves I know what I speake The Thorne bush is burning but the Vine is flourishing The Ashes of the Thorne bush is laid at the root and feet oâ— the Vine and it growes abundantly Now search the Scriptures for this likewise for they doe testifie of the sending oâ— the spirit into the flesh of sons and daughters and they testifie of the utter destruction of the man of sinne the flesh with all hiâ— curse power inwardly and outwardly Now he that doth jeere the spirit or denies thaâ— the spirit shall come and rule in flesh in sonâ— and daughters as he did in that one man Jesus Christ is an Antichrist and a Traitor to the Father let him be whom he will Therefore leâ—rne to put a difference betweene the Report and the thing Reported of The spirit that made flesh is he that is reported of The writings and words of Saints is the report These reports being taken hold of by corrupt flesh that would rule are blemished by various translations interpretations and constructions that King flesh makes â—ut those sons and daughters in whom the â—pirit rests cannot be deceived but judgeth â—ll things They say I deny the doctrine of the Gosâ—ell I shall give this account to that Q. What is the doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Ans. What Jesus Christ is I have shewed â—efore The doctrine or report of hâ—m is â—his That mankinde shall be by him reâ—onciled to his Maker and be made one in â—pirit
Saviour and therefore Paul after he had looked upon the Lambe along time that is looked upon Christ at a distance from himselfe he saw that would bring him no peace therefore saith he Though I have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know I him no more for now the mystery of God that hath been kept secret from ages and generations past is in these last daies revealed which is Christ in you the pope of glory Qu. But was not that body killed laid in the earth and raised again from the dead and ascended up to the Father into Heaven Ans. He was killed by the curse that ruled in the Jewes and was laid in the earth here was the wisdome and power of the Father seen that though all the powers of hell or covetous proud flesh did combine together to oppresse and then to kill a body wherein he himselfe dwelt bodily yet they could not distemper him for he was still patient and he was not heard to complain Qu. Wherein was his wisdome and power seene in this Ans. Hereby hee gives testimony to the World that it is he himself that is the Seed that bruises the Serpents head that is in mankinde for his spirit being so powerfull in flesh kils the spirit of venome that is in flesh and that body being laid in the earth purifieth the earth and purges it from that curse that man had filled it with by his unrighteousnesse and so his spirit doth spirit the Earth in righteousnesse Q. Did man fill the Earth with poyson and the curse A. Yea after he refused to live after the Spirit his Maker and made joyce to live upon the objects of the Creation he then dyed and corrupted and fell into all venimous and stinking unrighteousnesse and as his body went to the earth he did still poyson and corrupt the earth and caused it to bring forth poysonous Vipers Todes and Serpents and Thornes and Bryars For the curse being first falen upon mankinde through man it fell upon the other creatures and the Earth was cursed for his fake and the poyson of mans unrighteous body dunging the Earth filled the grasse and herbs with strong unsavory spirits that flowed from him whereby the cattell feeding comes to be made bitter spirited and mad one against another For the Ayre and Earth is all poysoned and the curse dwels in both through mans unrighteousnesse he that should have kept within order being made Lord of creatures he put the Creation out of order by forsaking his Maker and by acting according to the flesh Now this mighty spirituall man of righteousnes Jesus Christ doth purify humane flesh again and so restoring the head first doth new spirit the Creation and brings all into order again taking away the bitternesse and curse and making the whole Creation to be of one heart and one Spirit Q. But it is said that his body rose again and ascended up through the cloudes into the skies which is called Heaven or place of Glory where the Father dwels A. This speech hath blinded the understandings of many for the Father is not confined to any one particular place for he is in every place and in every creature and where Hee dwels in cleare manifestations there is Heaven and the higher manifestations the higher Heavens Now the body of Christ is where the Father is in the earth purifying the Earth and his Spirit is entred into the whole creation which is the heavenly glory where the Father dwels which is a glory above the flesh and where he rules King and Lord in and over all the Creation purging out all strong spirited powers that causes sorrow and bringing all into the unity of that one Spirit himself So that this Jesus Christ or mighty man that saves us is not in one particular place but every where And this certainly to me is very cleare That whereas the Apostles saw Christ arise and ascend and were witnesses of his Resurrection it was onely a declaration in vision to them of the Spirits rising up for death and hel and darknesse and sorrow could not hold him under he saw no corruption for as soon as that one body in which he was confined for a time was laid low he rose presently up again in the bodies of the Apostles so began to spread in the Earth and when his set time is expired that the Beast or flesh shall reign no more Then he will spread himselfe in sons and daughters from East to West from North to South and never cease encreasing till this vine hath filled the Earth And truly this is great comfort to me that envy could not kill that Spirit but though it killed that body through an appointed permission yet the spirit rose up and shewed himself and went to his Father that is entred into the Creation to purge it from the curse and to spread himselfe in sons and daughters of the Earth that by him their flesh being made subject and saved from the curse might by him become one with him and with his Father that is become one in spirit with him and enjoy communion with the Spirit that is in the whole Globe Qu. But how shall I know that Christ dwels in â—e Ans. It is the testimony of the Spirit it â—elfe that must give you satisfaction for â—hat which is a testimony within me is not â—ours till the same Spirit make it yours â—herefore you are to waite with a quiet and â—umble spirit till the Father be pleased to â—each you and manifest himselfe to you â—nd then you shall know what I speake I â—peake not of my selfe but what I have reâ—eived from the Father Qu. You seem to say that the body of Christ â—as laid in the earth and remains there but the â—criptures say that he saw no corruption how doth â—is agree Ans. His body was laid in the Earth as â—ther dead bodies of men are but it lay not â—n the Earth as other dead bodies doe for oâ—her dead bodies lay there corrupting the Creation but he rose up and purified the Creation death or curse could not hold his â—ody under its power Qu. What doe you mean by Creation in this â—nce Answ I mean fire water earth and aire â—f which four elements the whole creation is made and mankind is made up of them all Now when the first man fell he corrupted the whole creation fire water earth and aire and still as the branches of his body went to the earth the creation was more and more corrupted by the multiplicities of bodies that stil saw corruption for none rose up above the curse but all lay under it Now when the body of Jesus Christ went to the earth that body likewise being made of fire water earth and ayre he purified the whole creation and rose up and saw no corruption as others did Quest But how can he be said to be laid in the earth and remaine there and yet rise up out of it purifying the creation