81. And this is the dry Rod of Aaron, which blossomed and bare Almonds, and the true High Priest; and it is that Humanity of which Christ spake, saying that, * He was come from Heaven ' and was in Heaven/ and that * no man could ascend into Heaven * but the Son of Man which is come from Heaven, and is in * Heaven/ 82. Now when he saith, * He is come from Heaven/ it is meant of the Heavenly Substance, the Heavenly Corporeality; for the Power and Virtue of GOD needeth no coining any whither, for it is everywhere altogether immeasurable and undivided. But Substance needeth coming; the Power or Virtue needeth to move itself, and manifest itself in Substance, 83. And that Substance entered into the human Substance, and received it; not that Part only of Heavenly Substantiality, which disappeared in Adam, but the wlwle human Essence in Soul and Flesh, according to all the three Worlds.
84. But He hath not received, or taken upon Himself, the awakened or impressed Vanity, which the Devil, by his Imagi- nation, brought into the Flesh, by which the Flesh did commit Sin. Though He hath indeed taken upon Him the awakened Forms of Life, as they were gone forth from their equal Agree- ment, each of them into its own Desire.
85. For therein lay our Infirmity, and the Death, which He was to drown with his Heavenly holy Blood, Herein He took upon himself all our Sins and Infirmities, also Death and Hell in Of ^generation. 75 the Wrath of GoD, and destroyed their Power in the human Properties.
86. The Wrath of GOD was the Hell into which the Spirit of Christ went, when He had shed that heavenly Blood into our outward human Blood, and tinctured it with the Love; thereby- changing that Hell of the human Property into Heaven, and reducing the human Properties into equal Agreement, into the Heavenly Harmony.
Chapter IF.
How we are born aneWy and how we may fall into God^s Anger again.
NOW here we may rightly understand what our New- Birth, or Regeneration, is; and how we may become, and continue to be, the Temple of Qod; though in this lifetime, according to the outward Humanity ^ we are sinful mortal Men.
88. Christ in the human Essence hath broken up and opened the Qates of our inward Heavenly Humanity, which was shut up in Adam. So that nothing is now wanting, but that the Soul draw its Will out from the Vanity of the corrupted Flesh, and bring it into this open Qate in the Spirit of Christ, 89. Qreat and strong Earnestness is required here; and not only a learning and knowings but a real Hunger and Thirst after the Spirit of Christ, For to know only, is not Faith; but an Hunger and Thirst after that which I want, so that I draw it in thereby to myself, and lay hold on it with the Desire and Imagi- nation^ and, make it my own; this is the Truth and Essence of a Christian's Faith.
90. The Will must go forth from the Vanity of the Flesh, and willingly yield itself up to the Suffering and Death of Christ, and to all the Reproach of Vanity, which derideth it because it goeth fortli from its own House wherein it was born, and regardeth Vanity no more, but merely desireth the Love of GoD in Christ Jesus.
Jesus.
91. In such a Hunger and Desire the Will receiveth and im- presseth into itself the Spirit of Christ with his Heavenly Cor- poreality; that is, the Soul in its great Hunger and Desire taketh hold of, and draweth the Body of Christy viz,, the Heavenly Sub- stantiality, into its disappeared Image, within which the Word of the Power of GOD is the Working.
y6 T'he JVay to Qhrist.
92. The Hunger of the Soul bringeth its Desire quite through Wit bruised Property oi its Humanity in the Heavenly Part, which disappeared in Adam; which Humanity, the sweet Fire of Love in the Death of Christ 6\di bruise^ when the Death of that Heavenly Humanity was destroyed.
93. And so the Hunger of the Soul received into it, into its disappeared Corporeality^ through the Desire^ the holy Heavenly Substance^ viz., Christ's Heavenly Corporeality, which filleth the Father all over, and is nigh unto all, and through all Things; and through that the disappeared Heavenly Body riseth in the Power of God, in the sweet Name Jesus.
94. And this raised Heavenly Spiritual Body is the'Member of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Qhost, a true Mansion of the Holy Trinity according to Christ s Promise, saying, *We will * come to you, and make our Abode in you.'
95. The Essence of that Life eateth the Flesh of Christ, and drinketh his Blood, For the Spirit of Christ, viz,, the Word, which made itself visible with the Humanity o{ Christ out of and in our disappeared Humanity, through the outward Man of the Substance of this World, swalloweth its holy Substance into its fiery; for every Spirit eateth of its own Body.
g6. Now if the Soul eat of this sweet, holy, and Heavenly Food, then it kindleth itself with the great Love in the Name and Power of Jesus; whence its Fire of Anguish becometh a great Triumph oi Joy and Qlory, and the true Sun ariseth to it, wherein it is born to another Will, 97. And here cometh to pass the Wedding of the Lamb, which we heartily wish that the Titular and Lip-Christians might once find by Experience in themselves, and so pass from the History into the Substance, 98. But the Soul obtaineth not this Pearl of the Divine Wis- dam and Virtue for its own Property during the Time of this Life; because it hath the outward Bestial Flesh sticking to its out- ward Man.
99. The Power of which Pearl of Divine Wisdom espouseth itself in this Wedding of the Lamb, and sinketh itself down into the Heavenly Image, viz,, into the Substance of the Heavenly Man, who is the Temple of Christ; and not into the Fire-breath oi the Soul, which is yet, during this whole lifetime, fast bound to the outward Kingdom, to the Bond of Vanity, with the Breath of the Air, and is in great Danger.
100. It darteth its Beams of Love indeed very often into the Soul, whereby the Soul receiveth Light; but the Spirit of Christ yieldeth not itself up to the Fire-breath in this Life's Time, but to the Breath of Light only which was extinguished in Adam^ Of ^generation. jj in which the Temple of Christ is, for that is the true and holy Heaven, loi. Understand aright now, what the New-Birth or Regene- ration IS, and how it cometh to pass, as followeth. The outward earthly mortal Man is not bom anew in this Life's Time, that is, neither the outward Fleshy nor the outward Part of the Soul. They continue both of them in the Vanity of their Wills which awoke in Adam, They love their M other y in whose Body they h*ve, viii,^ the Dominion of this outward World; and therein the Birth of Sin is manifest.
102. The outward Man in Soul and Flesh, (we mean the out- ward Part of the Soul) hath no Divine Will, neither doth he un- derstand any Thing of GOD, as the Scripture saith, * The natural * Man perceiveth not the Things of the Spirit of GOD,' &c, 103. But the Fire-breath of the inward World, if it be once enlightened, understandeth it; it hath a great Longing, Sighing, Hunger^ and Thirst after the sweet Fountaiii of Christ; it re- fresheth itself by Hungering dLi\d Desiring, (which is the true Faith in) the sweet Fountain of Christ from his Nezu Body, from the Heavenly Substantiality, as a hungry Branch in the Vine ChHst, 104. And the Reason why the Jf^r^ Soul cannot attain to Per* fection during this Lifetime, is because it is fast bound with the outward Bond of Vanity, through which the Z^^z///continualiy casteth his venomous Rays of Influence upon it, and so sifteth it, that it often biteth at his Bait, and poisoneth itself. From whence Misery and Anguish arise, so that the Noble Sophia hideth her- self in the Fountain of Christy in the Heavenly Humanity; for she cannot draw near to Vanity.
105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam, when she lost her Pearl, which is of Grace freely bestowed again upon the inward Humanity; therefore she is called Sophia, viz,, the Bride of Christ.
106. Here she faithfully calleth to her Bridegroom the fiery Soul, and exhorteth him to Repentance, and to the unburdening of himself, or going forth from the Abomination of Vanity, 107. And now War assaulteth the whole Man. The out- ward Fleshly Man fighteth against the inward Spiritual Man, and the Spiritual against the Fleshly; and so Man is in con- tinual Warfare and Strife, full of Trouble, Misery, Anguish, and Care.
108. The inward Spirit saith to the fiery Soul: my Soul! O my Love I Turn I beseech thee and go forth from Vanity, or else thou loseth my Love and the noble Pearl, 109. Then saith the outward Reason, viz., the Bestial Soul; *Thou art foolish; wilt thou be a Laughing-Stock, and the 78 "The Way to Qhrist.
* Scorn of the World? Thou needest the outward World to ' maintain this Life. Beauty, Power, and Glory are thy proper ' Happiness; wherein only thou canst rejoice and take Delight. *Why wilt thou cast thyself into Anguish, Misery, and Re- * proach? Take thy Pleasure, which will do both thy Flesh and * thy Mind good.'
110. With such Filth the true Man is often defiled; that is, the outward Man defileth himself, as a Sow in the Mire, and ob- scureth his noble Pearl. For the more vain the outward Man groweth, the more dark the inward Man cometh to be, until at length it disappeareth altogether.
111. And then the fair Paradisaical Tree is gone, and it will be very hard to recover it again. For when the outward Lights viz., the outward Soul is once enlightened, so that the outward Light of Reason is kindled by the inward Light; then the out- ward Soul commonly useth to turn Hypocrite, and esteem itself Divine y even though the Pearlhe, gone; which lamentable Error sticketh hard to many a Man.
112. And thus it comes to pass that the Tree of Pearl in the Qarden of Christ is often spoiled; concerning which the Scrip- ture maketh a hard Knot or Conclusion, viz,. That those who have once tasted the Sweetness of the World to come, and fall away from it again, shall hardly see the Kingdom of Qod 113. And though it cannot be denied, but that the Qates of Qrace still stand open, yet the false and dazzling Light of the outward Reason of the Soul so deceiveth and hindereth such Men, that they suppose they have the Pearl, while they yet live to the Vanity of this World, and dance with the Devil after his Pipe.
Chapter V.
How a Man may call himself a Christ tan y and how not.
HERE therefore a Christian should consider why he calleth himself a Christian^^XiA examine truly whether he be one or not. For surely my learning to know and confess that I am a Sinner ^ and that Christ hath destroyed my Sins on the Cross ^ and shed His Blood for me, doth not make me a Christian.
115. The Inheritance belongeth only to the Children, A Maid Servant in a House knoweth well enough what the Mistress would have to be done, and yet that maketh her not the Heiress of her Mistress' Goods. The very Devils know that there is a Of ^generation. 79 God, yet that doth not change them into Angeh again. But if the Maid Servant in the House shall be married to the Son of her Mistress, then she may come to inherit her Mistress* Goods And so it is to be understood also in the Matter of being a Christian, 116. The Children of the History ^x^ not the Heirs of the Goods of Christ, but the legitimate Children, regenerated by the Spirit of Christ are the only true Heirs. For GOD said to Abraham, Cast out the Son of the Bondwoman, he shall not inherit with the Son of the Free, For he was a Scorner, and but an His- torical Son of the Faith and Spirit of Abraham; and so long as he continued such a one, he was not a true Inlieritorol the Faith of Abraham, and therefore GOD commanded he should be cast out from inheriting his Goods; which was a Type of the Christen- dom which was to come.
117. For the Promise of Christendom was made to Abraham; therefore the Type was then also set forth by two Brethren, Iscuic and Ishmael, in order to show how Christendom would behave Itself, and that two Sorts of Men would be in it, viz., true Chris- tians and Lip Christians, Which latter under the Title oi Chris- tianity would be but mockers, as Ishmael was and Esau, who also was a Type of the outward Adam^ as Jacob was a Type of Christ, and His true Christendom, 118. Thus every one who will call himself a Christian, must cc^t out from himself the Son of the Bond- Woman, that is, the earthly Will, and be ever-more killing and destroying it, and not settle it in the Inheritance, 119. Nor give the Pearl to the Bestial Man, for him to sport himself with in the outward Light, in the Lust of the Flesh; but we must with our Father Abraham being the Son of the right Will to Mount Moriah, and be ready in Obedience to GOD to offer it up, ever in Will dying from Sin in the Death of Christy giving no Place to the Beast ^ Vanity in the Kingdom of Christ, nor suffering it to grow wanton, proud, covetous, envious, and malicious. For all these are the Properties of Ishmael the Son of the Bond' Woman, whom Adam begat in his Vanity on the wanton Whore the false Bond- Woman, by the Devil's Imagina- tion, out of the earthly Property in Flesh and Blood, 120. This Mocker and Titular Christian is the Son of the false Bond- Woman, and must be cast out; for he shall not possess the Inheritance of Christ in the Kingdom of GOD. He is not fit, he is but Babel, a Confusion of that one Language into many Lan» guages. He is but a Talker and a Wrangler about the Inheri- tance; he means to get it to himself by Talking and Wrangling,hy the Hypocrisy of his Lips and seeming Holiness, although he is 8o I'he Way to Qhrist.
no better than a blood-thirsty Murderer ol his brother Abel, who is the right Heir.
121. Therefore we say what we know^ that he that will call himself a true Christian must try himself, and find what Kind of Properties drive and rule him, whether the Spirit of Christ moveth him to Truth and Righteousness, and to the Love of his Neigh- bour, so that he would willingly do what is right, if he knew but how.
122. Now if he find that he hath a real Hunger after such Virtue, then he may justly think that he is drawn. And then he must begin to practise accordingly, and not be content with a Will only, without Doing. The drawing of the Father to Christ consisteth in the Will, but the true Life consisteth in the Doing; for the right Spirit doeth that which is right.
123. But if there be the Will to do, and yet the Doing followeih not, then the true Man is still shut up in vain Lust, which sup- presseth the Doing. And therefore such a one is but an Hypo- crite3ind an Ishmaelite; he speaketh one Thing and doth another, and witnesseth thereby that his Mouth is a Liar; for he himself doth not that which he teacheth, and consequently only serveth the Bestial Man in Vanity.
124. For he that will say, I have a Will, and would willingly do good, but the earthly Flesh, which I carry about me, keepeth ine back, so that I cannot; yet I shall be saved by Qrace, for the Merits of Christ. I comfort myself with His Merit and Sufferings; ivho will receive me of mere Qrace, without any Merits of my own, and forgive me my Sins. Such a one I say, is like a Man that knoweth what Food is good for his Health, yet will not eat of it, but eateth Poison instead thereof, from whence Sickness and Death will certainly follow.
125. For what good doth it to the Soul to know the Way to Qod, if it will not walk therein, but go on in a contrary Path? What good will it do the Soul to comfort itself with the Filiation of Christ, with His Passion and Death, and so flatter itself with the Hopes of getting the Patrimony thereby, if it will not enter into the Filial Birth, that it may be a true Child, born out of the Spirit of Christ, out of His Suffering, Death and Resurrec- tion? Surely, the Trickling and Flattering itself with Christ's Merits, without the true innate Childship, is Falsehood and a Lie, whosoever he be that teacheth it.
126. lihis Comfort belongeth only to th% penitent Sinner, who ^striveth against Sin and the Anger oi GoD. When Temptations cohie, and the Devil assaulteth such a poor repentant Soul, then it must wholly wrap itself up in the Merits and Death of Christ, as its sole Armour of Defence.
Of ^generation. 8i Of ^generation. 8i 127. Christ alone indeed hath merited Redemption for us; but not in such a Way as that for His own proper Merit* s Sake, He will freely grant us His Childship by an outward Adoption only, and so receive us for his Children^ when we are none. No. He himself \s the Merits He is the open Qate that leadeth through Death; and through that Qate we must enter. He receiveth no Beast into his Merits but those only that tum^ and become as Children. Those Children that thus come to Him are His Reward^ which he hath merited, 128. For thus he said, * Father, the Men were thine and thou * hast given them to me/ [as my Reward] * and I will give them * eternal Life/ But the Life of Christ will be given to none, unless they come to Him in His Spirit y into His Humanity^ Sufferings y and Merits and therein be bom true Children of the Merit.
129. We must be bom of His Merits and put on the Merit of Christ in his Passion and Death; not outwardly with verbal Flattery only, and bare comforting of ourselves therewith, while we still remain Aliens and strange Children, of a strange Essence or Nature. No, the strange Essence inheriteth not the Childship^ but the innate Essence inheriteth it.
130. This innate Essence is not of this Worlds but in Heaven^ of which St. Paul speaketh saying. Our Conversation is in Heaven. The filial Essence walketh in Heaven^ and Heaven is in Man.
131. But if Heaven in Man be not open^ and the Man stand without Heaven flattering himself, and say, / am. still without^ but Christ will take me in through his Qrace; is not his Merit mine? Such a one is in Vanity and Sin with the outward Man^ and with the Soul in Hell^ viz., in the Anger of GOD.
132. Therefore learn to understand rightly what Christ hath taught us, and done for us. He is our Heaven; He must get a Form in us, or else we shall not be in Heaven. Thus then the Soul's inward Man^ with the Holy Body of Christ, viz., in the New Birth, is in Heaven^ and the outward mortal Man is in the World, of which Christ spake, saying, *My Sheep are in my 'Hand, and none shall pluck them away; the Father who * gave them to me is greater than all.'
82 I'he Way to Qhrist, Chapter VL Of the Right and of the Wrong going to Churchy receiving the Sacrament Sy and Absolution.
BELOVED Brethren, we will teach you faithfully^ not with flattering Lips to please the Antichrist, but from our Pearl, the Virtue, Power, and Spirit of Christ in us, from a Christian Essence and Knowledge; not from the Husk and History, but from a New-bom Spirit, from Christ s Knowledge, as a Branch growing on the Vine Christ; from the Measure of that Knowledge '^\x\iAi is opened in us, according to the Will and Counsel of GoD.
134. Men tie us in these Days to the History, and to the material Churches of Stone; which Churches are indeed good in their Kind, if Men did also bring the temple of Christ into them. They teach moreover that their Absolution is a Forgiving of Sins ^ and that the Supper of tJie Z^r^^taketh away Sin: Also that the Spirit of Qod cometh into Men through their Ministry. All which hath a proper Meaning, if it was rightly understood; and if Men did not cleave merely to the Husk.
135. Many a Man goeth to Church twenty or thirty Years, heareth Sermons, receiveth the Sacraments, and heareth Absolu^ tion read or declared, and yet is as much a Beast of the Devil and Vanity at the last as at the first. A Beast goeth into the Church, and to the Supper, and a Beast cometh out from thence again.
136. How will he eat that hath no Mouth? can any Man eat that Food which is so shut up that he cannot get it? How will he drink that can come at no Water? Or how will he hear that hath no Hearing?
137. What good End doth it answer, for me to go to the material Churches of Stone, and there fill my Ears with empty Breath? Or to go to the Supper, and feed nothing but the earthly Mouth, which is mortal and corruptible? Cannot I feed and satisfy that with a Piece of Bread at Home? What good doth it to the Soul, which is an immortal Life, to have the Bestial Man observe the Form^ and venerate the Shell, of Christ s Institution, if it cannot obtain the Kernel thereof? For St. Paul saith of the Supper, — * You receive it to Condemnation, * because ye discern not the Lord's Body.'
138. The Covenant stands firm, and is stirred in the Use of the Institution. Christ proffereth His Spirit to us in His Word (viz., in His preached Word) and his Body and Blood in the Of ^generation. 83 Sacrament y and His Absolution in a Brotherly Reconciliation one to another.
139. But what good doth it to a Beast to stand and h'sten, who hath no Hearing to receive the inward living Word, nor any Qround wherein to lay the Word^ that it may bring forth Fruit? Of such Christ saith, * The Devil plucketh the Word * out of their Hearts, lest they should believe and be saved/ But how can he do so? Because the Word findeth no Place in the Hearing Mind to take Root in.
140. And thus it is with Absolution also: what Benefit is it to me for one to say, I pronounce or declare to thee the Forgive- ness of thy Sins, when my Soul is wholly shut up in Sin? Who- soever saith thus to a Sinner so shut upy erreth; and he that receiveth it without the Voice of God within himself confirming the same, deceiveth himself. None can forgive Sins but Qod only.
141. The Preacher hath not Forgiveness of Sins in his own Power; but it is the Spirit of Christ in the Voice of the Priest that hath the Power, provided the Priest himself is a Christian.
142. What good did it to those that heard Christ Himself teaching on Earth, when he said, * Come unto me all ye that are * weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Rest *? What good did this blessed Promise to those that heard it, if they laboured not, nor were heavy laden? What became of the Refreshment or Rest then? Seeing they had dead Ears, and heard only the outward Christ, and not the Word of the Divine Power, certainly they were not refreshed. Just so much good the Bestial Man hath of his Absolution and Sacraments.
143. The Covenant is open in the Sacraments; and in the Offi^ce or Ministry of teaching also the Covenant is stirred; the Soul doth receive it, but in that Property only of which the Mouth of the Soul is.
144. That is, the outward Beast receiveth Bread and Wine, which it may have as well at Home. And the^r;' Soul receiveth the Testament according to its Property, viz,, in the Anger of God it receiveth the Stibstance of the eternal World, but accord- ing to the Property of the dark World; it receiveth therefore, as the Scripture saith, to its own fudpnent or Condemnation, For as the Mouth is, so is the Food which is taken in by the Mouth. And after this Manner also it is, that the Wicked shall behold Christ at the last fudgment as a severe fudge; but the Saints shall behold Him as a loving Immanuel.
145. God's Anger standeth open in his Testaments towards the Wicked; but towards the Saints the Heavenly Loving Kind- nesSy and in it the Power of Christ in the Holy Name fesus^ 6—2 84 The Way to Qhrist, standeth open. What good then doth the Holy Thing do to the Wickedy who cannot enjoy it? Or what is it there, that can take away his SinSy when his Sin is only stirred and made mani- fest thereby?
146. The Sacraments do not take away Sin; neither are Sins forgiven thereby. But it is thus: When Christ ariseth, then Adam dieth in the Essence ol the Serpent; as when the Sun riseth, the Night is swallowed up in the Day, and the Night is no more: Just so are Sins forgiven.
147. The Spirit of Christ eateth of his Holy Substance ^ the inward Man is the Receiver of the Holy Substance; he receiveth what the Spirit of Christ bringeth into him, viz.^ the Temple of God, Christ s Flesh and Blood. But what doth this concern a Beast? Or what doth it concern the Devils? Or the Soul that is in the Anger of GOD? These eat of the Heavenly Bloody that is in the Heaven wherein they xlwell, which is the Abyss^ or Bottomless Pit.
148. And thus it is also in the Office or Ministry of Preaching: The Ungodly Man heareth what the outward Soul of the outward World preacheth; that He receiveth, viz.^ the History; and if there be Straw or Stubble in that which is taught, he sucketh the Vanity out of that. Yea, if the Preaching be mere Calumny^ Railing, and uncharitable Abuse, as is sometimes the Case, then his Soul sucketh the venomous Poison, and the murdering Cruelty of the Devil from it, wherewith it tickleth itself, and is pleased with learning how to judge and condemn others.
149. Thus if the Preacher be one that is dead^ and hath no true Life in him, but soweth only Venom and Reproach proceed- ing out of his evil Affections, thep it is the Devil that teacheth^ and the Devil that heareth. Such teaching is received into a wicked Hearty and bringeth forth wicked Fruits. By which means the World is become a mere Den of murdering Devils. So that if you look among the Herd of such Teachers and Hearers ^ there is little to be found but RevilingSy Slanderings, and Reproachings; together with Contention about Words, and Wrangling about the Husk.
1 50. But the Holy Qhost teacheth in the Holy Teacher ^ and the Spirit of Christ heareth through the Soul, which is the Divine House of the Divine Sound or Voice in the Holy Hearer, 151. The Holy Man hath his Church in himself wherein he Heareth and Teacheth. But Babel hath a Heap of Stones, into which she goeth with her seeming Holiness and real Hypocrisy. There she loveth to be seen in fine Clothes, and maketh a very cfevout and godly Show; the Church of Stone is her Qod, in which she putteth her Confidence.
Of ^generation. 85 152. But the Holy Man hath his Church about him every- where, even in himself; for he always standeth and walketh, sitteth and lieth down in his Church, He liveth in the true Christian Church; yea, in the Temple of Christ; the Holy Qhost preacheth to him out of every Creature. Whatsoever he looketh upon, he seeth a Preacher of GOD therein.
153. Here now the Scoffer will say that I despaie the Church of Stone ^ where the Congregation meeteth; but 1 say that I do not. For I do but discover the Hypocritical Whore of Babylofty which committeth Whoredom with the Church of Stone^ and termeth herself a Christian^ but is indeed a Strumpet.
1 54. A true Christian brings his Holy Church with him into the Congregation. For the Heart is the true Churchy where a Man must practise the Service of Qod, If I should go a thou- sand Times to Church, and to the Sacrament every week, and hear Absolution declared to me every Day, and have not Christ in me, all would be false, an unprofitable Fiction and graven Image in Babel, and no forgiving of Sins.
155. A Holy Man doth Holy Works from the Holy Strength of his Mind. The Work is not the Atoftement of Reconciliation, but it is the Building which the true Spirit buildeth in his Sub- stance; it is his Hesitation, But the Fiction and Fancy is the Habitation of the false Christian, into which his Soul entereth with Dissimulation. The outward hearing reacheth but to the outward, and worketh in the outward only; but the inward Hearing goeth into the inward, and worketh in the inward.
156. Dissemble, roar, cry, sing, preach, and teach as much as thou wilt; yet if thine inward Teacher and Hearer be not open, all is nothing but a Babel, a Fiction, and a graven Image, whereby the Spirit of the outward World doth model and make to itself a graven Image in Resemblance of the inward; and maketh a Holy Show therewith, as if he performed some Divine or Holy Service to GoD. Whereas many Times in such Service and Worship, the Devil worketh mightily in the Imagination, and very much tickleth the Heart with those Things wherein the Flesh delighteth. Which indeed not seldom happeneth to the Children of Qod, as to their outward Man, if they do not take great Heed to themselves; so busily doth the Devil beset and sift them.
Chapter VII.
Of Unprofitable Opinions^ and Strife about the Letter.
A TRUE Christian, who is bom anew of the Spirit of Christy IS in the Simplicity of Christ, and hath no Strife or Contention with any Man about Religion, He hath Strife enough in himself^ with his own Bestial evil Flesh and Blood. He continually thinketh himself a great Sinner, and is afraid of GoD: But the Love of Christ by degrees pierceth through, and expelleth that Fear^ as the Day swalloweth up the Night.
159. But the Sins of the Impenitent Man rest in the Sleep of Death, bud forth in the Pity and produce their Fruit in HeU.
160. The Christendom that is in Babel, striving about the Manner how Men ought to serve GOD, and glorify Him; also how they are to know Him, and what He is in His Essence and Will. And they preach positively, that whosoever is not one and the same with them in every Particular of Knowledge and Opinion^ is no Christian, but a Heretic.
161. Now I would fain see how all their Sects can be brought to agree in that One which might be called a true Christian Church; when all of them are Scorners, every Party of them reviling the rest, and proclaiming them to be false.
162. But a Christian is of no Sect: He can dwell in the midst of Sects, and appear in their Services, without being attached or bound to any. He hath but one Knowledge, and that is, Christ in him. He seeketh but one Way, which is the Desire always to do and teach that which is right; and he putteth all his knowing and willing into the Life of Christ, 163. He sigheth and wisheth continually that the Will of GOT> might be done in him, and that His Kingdom might be mani- fested in him. He daily and hourly killeth Sin in the Flesh; for the Seed of the Woman, viz., the inward Man in Christ, con- tinually breaketh the Hecui of the Serpent, that is, the Power of the Devil, which is in Vanity.
164. His Faith is a Desire after Qod and Qoodness; which he wrappeth up in a sure Hope, trusting to the Words of the Promise^ and liveth and dieth therein; though as to the true Man, he never dieth.
165. For Christ saith, * Whosoever believeth in me, shall never * die, but hath pierced through from Death to Life; and Rivers * of living Water shall flow from him,' viz., good Doctrine and Works.
Of ^generation. 87 166. Therefore I say, that whatsoever fighteth and contendeth about the Letter^ is all BabeL The Letters of the Word proceed from, and stand all in, one Root^ which is the Spirit of Qod; as the various Flowers stand all in the Earth and grow by one another. They fight not with each other about their Difference of Colour, Smell, and Taste, but suffer the Earth, the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Heat and Cold, to do with them as they please; and yet every one of them groweth in its own peculiar Essence and Property, 167. Even so it is with the Children of GOD; they have various Qifts and Degrees of Knowledge, yet all from one Spirit. They all rejoice at the great Wonders of GOD, and give Thanks to the most High in His Wisdom. Why then should they con- tend about Him in whom they live and have their Beings and of whose Substance they themselves are } 168. It is the greatest Folly that is in Babel^ for People to strive about Religion, as the Devil hath made the World to do; so that they contend vehemently about Opinions of their own Forging, viz,, about the Letter; when the Kingdom of Qod con- sisteth in no Opinion, but in Power and Love.
169. As Christ said to his Disciples, and left it with them at the last, saying, * Love one another, as I have loved you; for * thereby Men shall know, that ye are my Disciples.* If Men would ^.s fervently seek after Love and Righteousness as they do after Opinions, there would be no Strife on Earth, and we should be as Children of One Father, and should need no Law, or Ordinance, 170. For God is not served by any Law, but only by Obedience, Laws are for the Wicked, who will not embrace Love and Righteous- ness; they are, and must be, compelled and forced by Laws, 171. We all have but one only Order, Law, or Ordinance, which is to stand still to the Lord of all Beings, and resign our Wills up to Him, and suffer His Spirit to play what Music He will. And thus we give to Him again as His own Fruits, that which He worketh and manifesteth in us.
172. Now if we did not contend about our different Fruits, Gifts, Kinds and Degrees of Knowledge, but did acknowledge them in one another, like Children of the Spirit of Qod, what could condemn us } For the Kingdom of Qod consisteth, not in our knowing and supposing, but in Power, 173. If we did not know half so much, and were more like Children, and had but a Brotherly Mind and good Will, towards one another, and lived like Children of one Mother, and as Branches of one Tree, taking our Sap all from one Root, we should be far more Holy than we are.
88 "The Way to Qhrist.
174. Knowledge serves only to this End, viz,^ to know that we have lost the Divine Power^ in Adanty, and are become now inclined to Sin; that we have evU Properties in us, and that doing Evil pleaseth not GOD; so that with our Knowledge we might learn to do Right. Now if we have the Power of God in us, and desire with all our Hearts to act and to live aright^ then our Knowledge is but our Sporty or Matter of Pleasure, wherein we rejoice.
175. For true Knowledge is the Manifestation of the Spirit of God through the eternal Wisdom, He knoweth what He will in liis Children; He showeth his Wisdom and Wonders by his Children^ as the Earth putteth forth its various Flowers.
176. Now if we dwell one with another, like humble Children^ in the Spirit of Christ, one rejoicing at the Gift and Knowledge of another, who would judge or condemn us? Who judgeth or condemneth the Birds in the Woods, that praise the Lord of all Beings with various Voices, every one in its own Essence? Doth the Spirit of Qod reprove them for not bringing their Voices into one Harmony? Doth not the Melody of them all proceed from His Power, and do they not sport before Him.
177. Those Men therefore that strive and wrangle about the Knowledge and Will of Qod, and despise one another on that Account, are more foolish than the Birds in the Woods, and the wild Beasts that have no true Understanding. They are more unprofitable in the Sight of the Holy GOD than the Flowers of the Field, which stand still in quiet Submission to the Spirit of Qod, and suffer Him to manifest the Divine Wisdom and Power through them. Yea, such Men are worse than Thistles and Thorns that grow among fair Flowers, for they at least stand still and are guiet, whereas those Wranglers are like the ravenous Beasts and Birds of Prey, which fright the other Birds from singing and praising GOD.