A discovery of the first wisdom from beneath, and the second wisdom from above. Or, The difference betwixt the two seeds, the one after the flesh, the other after the spirit.: With the true worship of God after the spirit, and the false worship of the world, who lives in outward forms, useth customes and traditions, not knowing the onely true God that dwelleth in his saints, and rules by his spirit of power, which causeth them to differ from the world, and those that have the form of godlinesse, and want the power thereof. ... Written by a servant of the Lord, whom the world scornfully nicknameth, and calleth a Quaker, who is prisoner for the testimony of the truth at Applebie in Westmorland, whose name is James Nayler.

I. The Wisdom from beneath which leadeth into bondage, and the Wisdom from above which leadeth up into per∣fect libertie, where there is freedom and Communion with the Father and the Son.

DEar friends, all minde your guide within you, even the pure light of God, which bears witness against all your ungodly wayes, ungodly words, thoughts, works and worships, which are after the world, and leads you without from the Lord your guide, for what stands in outward things, devised in the will and brain which is the Serpents seal, is ac∣cursed from God, kept out of the Kingdom, where the earthly will hath libertie, leads out to visible things and feed upon dust, which is the Serpents meat; but you who desire to be fed with that which is Eternall, lay aside all your wisdom which is naturall, for the naturall man receives not the spirituall things of God,

for that wisdom shall never know God which stands in the will of man, but darkens the pure light in you and opposeth it, and if you abide in the pure light within, you shall see, that what ever the light of Christ makes appear to be evil and to be cast off, then the other light which stands in mans wisdom, makes a cover for it that it may abide still, and thus the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and that wisdom which ariseth out of the earth opposeth that which is from above, and cals evil good, and good evil, and the wo being upon that na∣ture, you can have no peace, while that stands, and from hence comes all your troubles and darkness with∣in you, because that eye which is open to the visible offends, and here you are shut out of the Kingdom, which consists in righteousness, peace, and Joy in the holy Ghost: but were that eye pluckt out, and you turned within to see with that eye that is single, then the whole body would be full of light, and abiding in that light, it will shew you a path that leads to puritie and Holiness, without which none shall ever see the Lord: And it will let you see a Law written in your hearts, even the righteous Law of the new Cove∣nant, which is a Book sealed to all the wisdom of the World, and none can read it but the pure light that gave it forth, which light as it ariseth in you, it will open all Parables and read all Scriptures within you in your measure, and so you will come to the Unitie with all Saints in measure, and so come to Christ the first born, even to the innumerable company of Angels, to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to God the Judge of all, where no Serpents wisdom shall ever come; and that Law being laid open, will be a limit to the carnall minde, when it would run forth, and the

Judge will appear, who will passe true judgement upon all things as they are within you, and a separation will be made between the precious and the vile in you, and you will be brought to discern, what leads to obedi∣ence, and what leads to disobedience, and here is your true Teacher whereby all shall be taught of God, as saith the Scripture, and minding this light it will shew you a Crosse, to be daily taken up, whereby all the unruly nature must be crucified, for all must be brought subject to the yoke, even the most rebellious and stif∣necked in you, for he will tread upon the neck of Kings, and that which hath captivated the pure in you, must go into captivity, for now the Lord is Risen to disquiet the earth and them that are at rest, yea wo to them that are at ease in Sion, for he is risen who is to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron, and to deliver the oppres∣sed, and to set open the prison doors, and to set the pri∣soners free, that they may serve him and praise his name, even the name of the Lord, Holy and pure, blessed for evermore. And dear friends be faithfull in what you know, take heed of making a profession of what you are not, and so you be found dissemblers before the Lord, but keep low in meekness and patience, stand∣ing in the will of God in all things, and all those ene∣mies that will not that Christ should raigne over them, bring them before the Judge that they may be slain, even upon that Crosse that is daily to be taken up, for the Cross is to the carnal, wilde, heady, bruitish nature in you, which lies above the seed of God in you, and oppresseth the pure, now giving this up to be crucified makes way for that which is pure to arise, and guide your minds up to God, there to wait for power and strength against whatsoever the light of God makes

manifest to be evil, and so to cast it off, and so you shall see where your strength l••••th and who it is in you, that worketh the w••••l and the deed, and then you shall be brought into a possession of what you have but had a profession, and ••inde the power of what you have had but in words, which is hid from all professions in the World, and is revealed no other way, but by the pure light of God dwelling in you and you in it: take heed of searching into the hidden things of God, by your own wisdom, which is carnal, for that hath God shut out of the Kingdom, and separated it from him, and the things of God and his Kingdom are hid from it, and it is appointed for utter darkness, accursed from him, and doth oppose him in all things and in all ages, the wisdom of the great men of the earth have perse∣cuted the pure wisdom of God, and counted it foolish∣ness, and God hath said this shall come to nought, and abiding in the pure light of Christ within, you shall see that same wisdom in your selves, will be consulting and leading you any way, rather then to wait on the pure light, and this hath been a tempter from the be∣ginning, and hath eaten of the forbidden fruit, and that which hath eaten of the tree of knowledge, must not taste of the Tree of Life, but shall surely die, and the flaming sword is to this wisdom, therefore turn your minds within and waite for a wisdom from above, which begins with the fear of the Lord, which is pure, peaceable, gentle and easie to be entreated, and if you keep your eye to this you shall see as this growes which is pure, there will be a death to that which is sensuall and carnal, and of the Serpent; and as you grow in this pure, you will grow in the knowledge of Christ with∣in you, and this is not to be attained by seeking with∣out,

here and lo there, but onely by keeping your eye within to the invisible, and giving diligent ear to that voice that speakes to the soul, and spirit, for the ministry of Christ is to the spirit in prison, not to the outward, but to the inward man, which is led captive and imprisoned, by that Scrpentine wisdom that rules in the outward, and by which it is kept in death, which once coming to hear the voice of Christ, it is raised from death to life, and then that Scripture is fulfilled, the dead hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live, and this being once restored to life, is that which hath fellowship with the Father and the Son, yea it is one with them; and this is that which as it ariseth, overcomes the world in you, gets the victory obtains the Crown, for it is the promised seed, and heir of all the promised in this life, and that which is to come, but there is no agreement between this and the seed of the Scrpent, for where ever the Scrpents wisdom seekes after, it is that he may slay it, but God hath hid it from him, and doth hide it out of the Scrpents sight, but that seed sees the Scrpent where he is, and doth judge him and condemn him, and bruise his head: how deep are thy Counsels, Oh Lord, past finding out.

James Nayler prisoner for the name of Christ at Appleby; wisheth grace and Peace.