The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seasons of time are passed over. According to the councell of God, revealed to his servants. By Gerrard Winstanley.

To my Beloved Countrey∣men of the County of LANCASTER.

DEar Country men, when some of you see my name subscribed to this ensuing Discourse, you may wonder at it, and it may be de∣spise me in your heart, as Davids Brethren despised him, and told him it was the pride of his heart to come into the Battell, &c. but know, that Gods works are not like mens, he doth not alwaies take the wise, the learned, the rich of the world to manifest himself in, and through them to others, but he chuseth the despised, the unlearned, the poor, the nothings of the world, and fills them with the good things of him∣self, when as he sends the empty away. I have writ nothing but what was given me of my Father; and at the first beholding of this Mystery, it appeared to be so high above my reach, that I was confounded and lost in my spirit; but God, (whom I believe, is my teacher, for I have joy and rest in him) left me not

in bondage, but set me at liberty, and caused me to see much glory in these following truths; and when God works none can hinder. It may be some things herein may seeme very strange at the first reading and you may crie out, an error; an error; for this is usuall, when the flesh cannot apprehend and be are a truth of God, it brands it for an error, and re∣jects it as a wicked thing; as the Jewes, because they could not behold God in Christ, did breake out in bitternesse of spirit against Christ, calling him a deceiver, and that he preached blasphemy, and error, & never rested till they had killed him; & our Lord Christ told his disciples, that he had many things to speak to them, but they were not able to bear them as yet. And this I speak in experience, that ma∣ny truths of God, wherein I now see beauty, my heart at the first hearing rose against them, and could not beare them; and therefore, if what I have writ meet with such hard entertainment in any of your hearts, it is no wonder, for I know that the flesh that is in you, lusts after envy, but it is part of your bondage which God will deliver you from in due time: You shall finde that I call the whole power of darknesse by the name Serpent, which dwells in, and hath taken every man and woman captive, and that God through his Sonne Christ will redeeme his own workmanship, mankinde, from it, and destroy the Serpent onely; but do not count this a slight thing; for when God lets you see into the Mystery of this iniquity, in the least degree of it, it will prove too hard for you, and you will be nothing but death,

curse, and misery. Therefore, as you desire that God would manifest love to you, and make you free, be not offended to hear, that God, who is love it self, hath a season to manifest his love to others that are lost, and quicken them that were killed, while you were made alive, and that fell further under death, when you that were lost are redeemed an houre or two before them. Iesus Christ shed his bloud wil∣ingly for them that did put him to death; and the Saints of God rejoyced, that Paul their bitter persecutor, was received to mercy with themselves: Why then should you be offended, and thinke you are miserable, if your persecutors and enemies should in Gods time be delivered from under the curse, and partake of the glory of the City, together with you. It is much for the glory of God for him to redeeme, not part onely, but all mankinde from death, which his own hands made, it is his revealed will so to do, therefore let it be your joy that the will of your Fa∣ther is, and shall be fulfilled; and do not thinke the Saints are made unhappy, and God disho∣nored, if he heale them that were lost, and that did not enter into the City, in the begin∣ning of the great day of judgment, for as he is honored in saving you of the Citie that were lost: so he will be honored in redeeming these that lye un∣der the power of the second death. and that entred not into the City, seeing there was no difference be∣tween you and them, till the will of God made the difference, in taking you at the first and leaving them till the last houre; for Christ gave himself

a ransome for all, to be revealed in due time. God doth not reveale his love to all at one time but when he will; and God hath some thing to do after the re∣surrection, as he hath, and will yet do much before that day. Well, I leave, not questioning, but if any of you be unsatisfied with what I have writ, that you will speak to me, and I hope God will be my wisdom and strength to confirme it; since I had writ it, I met with more Scriptures to confirme it, so that it is not a spirit of private fancie, but it is agreeable to the written Word. Farwell.

Your Country-man, that loves the life of your Soule, Gerrard Winstanley.