THE NAKED MANS PEACE IS OBEDIENCE In a word to the Magistrates Priests and People The Sword of the righteous mans war bringeth in Righteousnesse Holinesse and Peace without which no man shall see God True love pleads the cause of the just Behold Christ rideth to Jerusalem upon an Asse A naked man in true innocency is regarded more with the Lord then thousands which are cloathed and their hearts full of hypocrisie To which is annexed the will of dead living and living dead man now called NICHOLAS KEATE with a word in generall to all sorts Isaiah 66. ver. 16. For the Lord will judge with fire and with his Sword all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many James 1. ver. 16. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be as the first fruits of his creatures verse the 25. read Written by me Edmund Hide London printed and are to be sold neere Fleet-Bridge 1655. Friends and people J am constrained in my self to publish to you some lines not craveing any thing of you but what is meet NOw concerning my Friend and Brother who was constrained to go naked in publike view about ten miles unto the Town of Newbery which in appearance unto men might hazard his life yet through that powerful operation and constraint of that Spirit of God in him he was made to effect that which he was commanded to do which was to go naked and take a Sword in his hand and fire on the top of it and a golden girdle on his loyns and standalls on his feet for this his obedience he is condemned and cried out against with scorn and contempt saying he is mad and hath a devil with more such like cruelties as their scorn can afford him yet his joy still continues and his heart still moveth towards God for the day of our Redemption draweth nigh Therefore hearken now my beloved friends and you our enemies to what the Lord shall speak to you in this matter and is made good unto us by his spirit in love and so bringing of us unto the glory of the Father and also to the fellowship of the Saints by the overturning of iniquity and slaying of sin and giving to us the true life of the Gospell in the Spirit of peace to walk in it in our generation that so the light of God may shine and have its day in true appearance and manifestation of love then shall the fire of God be kindled in your consciences then you shall see that you are one slaying of another yet you shall have a pretence of godliness but woe unto all that go down unto Egypt for help for his Sword is a Sword of peace Now again my beloved the truth of Religion is a mystery to Magistrates Priests and people which have a pretence to maintain the fundamentals thereof for they are true in none except they â—re truly practised Therefore in the first place I shall write a word unto the Magistrate and shall bring or compare their life with the life of Christ to prove whether it is one with his When he appeared amongst the sons of men to make manifest his life he appeared in the love of his Fathers will and that he might be an example of it unto us to shew the righteousnesse of God amongst men and that it might be followed by us who own the righteousness of God Then you Magistrates take notice had he honour of men or did he crave it or was he full of pride and did use it was he a follower of the customes and traditions of men was he full of superfluities in meats and drinks and apparel or was he chiefest among them that did meet in the Synagogues did he lord it over Gods Heritage as ye do or was he ever inriched by the things of this world or gained he by the Sword or did he by his obedience to his Fathers wil get into the honor of men and so raign over them He rid unto Ierusalem upon an Asse but ye Rulers of men now ride upon horses that is swift judgment to be put in execution upon the simple the strangers and widows and them which have no Father on earth he was not swift to destroy as those are who have a pretence to the doctrine of the Gospel by one name or other or one Ordinance or other and so call themselves Saints when they differ not from the world but in words for who have gained honour and riches more then they that pretend for Religion or who have divided the spoil but they or who are more proud then they or have more superfluities of meats and drinks then they so let the light in your own consciences discover to you that you are not risen with Christ neither know you what it is to bear his cross or Religion what it is for that is it which tyeth us to God and also one to another but the Daughter of Sion is lest as a cottage therefore give ear ye Rulers of Sodom and ye people of Gomorrah may not I say unto you as it was said unto them ye pray and keep daies of fasting and appointed times it is iniquity before the Lord your hands are full of blood do not these things fall upon the back of the righteous and can such that practise these things maintain true Religion how many were laid up in prisons of those that held up the power of Antichrist by Christ or his Apostles it is the cruel one that doth imprison but it is mercy and love that sets free is Christ your patern then where will you find that he imprisoned or punished any for the breach of the Law of God if he did not so to wicked then why are you so to the righteous I am now called to speak to you in truth and let the light within you testifie that these are the enemies Laws and unrighteous judgments Do we not daily see that those Rulers that are put in Authority for to judg of matter concerning the Civil State will also take upon them to examine the spiritual man and inflict punishments if there be a crying out against wickedness or vain-glory or such like things they take advantage against the simple which do not nor cannot do wrong unto State or people for they have a Law within them which is Christ though they come in appearance within them which is Christ though they come in appearance with sword as this my Brother did where are the wrongs that are or were done by him or any of those who of late have been imprisoned by the Officers of State are all Magistrates full of Divine Mystery surely no but sit as Judges to let Barrabas go free The people of God in former times were cloathed in sheep skins and goat-skins and dwelt in dens and caves of the earth and what we may undergo now we know not but the Lord is our peace and our all and when Christ who is
bring forth the same body as it was when it was sown and in the mean time I am but a stranger to my own Countrymen a stranger to professors and so to the world Truly friends Love mates it self with no other then the Son of Love which is to be born in our earth and so lives in judgment within til the day of the pure manifestation be brought forth then love wil shine or be like a City built upon a hill that love of God which is born in others is that fellowship which I have chosen above all things beside it self love hath compelled me love doth bind me to the life of it and hath governed me and not I my self to govern it love hath destroyed me and bound me up again God will bring forth us in those things which are his own so that we might destribute of the same one to another which my heart have felt and known so that I drink in the cup of my own salvation which God gave me to drink of to you God is my witness that no unrighteousness falshood nor injury nor have I any toleration to it in my heart nor against the State in the things which are of the cruel state nor any person whatsoever to enjure but he that is filthy let him be filthy where love is sown it brings forth the same again love is like to the ripe grapes which give a relish to the wine so is the life of God in me when it shall be brought forth in order and have divine evidences to witness it in the demonstration of the godly nature in creature so he that is in true love abideth in the life everlasting which cannot end when God hath taught me his love by the quickning spirit and he hath opened to me the union and communion which is Gods in fellowship which is in order to the Resurrection of that body of Christ who maketh it manifest by subduing all things under his feet when all things are subdued then is God all and my self nothing but I have had this Proclamation read in me which is to take up the pure life of Christ and his Government and to live in the family of his protection so that they which live in it walk as thus so that he and his are one so that there is a oneness in all and all but one so that there is but one disposition one quality one nature one judgment one in suffering one in life one in death one in mercy one pity one in all ruling over all which is God blessed for ever This being a true harmony amongst us with such regulation as holds to the singular number one so that all are to stand still let God work in them by the power of his will so now let him that gather gather in God so that he that is alive lives to God but God is free in me so if he please to dispose of himself which is his own in me it will be in the bright day of God to manifest love to that Majesty for God doth dwell in our Temples in the acting power and we have the oneness of that Divine Nature planted in ours so now we are Simeon like Lord let us depart for we know we have seen thy salvation and as for my part or that party which is now in me seeks no propriety in community but only to know the godly nature which approves it self and quits it self it will spoil all our qualities all our fashions and degrees of our flesh and rewards of mankind and from being our selves any longer that union and communion which I have had with my brother and others is so unexpressible that the carnal cannot believe for love is to be manifested by divine acts Truly he that is born of God and is in the life and dwelleth in the life he is the true looking glass in which love can see its self a universal deluge is come upon our old world but Noah shall live truth and a oneness is my delight where there is a true oneness in love there can be no distance in order not being I am free to lay down my life to enter into the new Covenant to live with God love cannot be known by words nor that love which we have to all men love is to be opened when the seven seals be opened with the Ministery of them in thy self whomsoever thou art which hath them opened in thee then thou vvilt knovv thy interest vvith us in true love and life vvhich makes us one in the true love Novv this knovv that there is a broken longing come amongst the Professors hovv and they are broken in judgment and are torn to pieces for they knovv not the Lord nor that love vvhich passes all understanding so that my love to you all is peace vvithout vvrong or enjury to any so that my brother lives to the substance so that as he came naked out of his mothers vvomb so he is returned again to live in the naked truth of God vvith Christ in the Resurrection from dead vvorks to live in the heavens made vvithout hands vvhich is vvithout covetousness vanity or vain-glory vvithout vvrong and hath been to this day vvithout vvrong to any therefore suffer us novv both friends and people to dvvell amongst you vvithout strife for if any injuries be done by us vve are free that the Lavv may take its course vvith us vve crave but the same peace of you vvhich vve give unto you but if not vve are resolved to follovv the Lavv Novv this knovv all of you that Lavv gaint peace so farevvel Edm. Hide A Song of the true Life COme along come along you Virgins that pure be And we shall enjoy the life that is free And call up the dead which now lye slain To live the Resurrection which Christ did regain And for to annoy that which did us destroy Which was from lust and things that be vain A Cup of Love is filled up in me And I drink of it continually What though my love black seemeth to be And is judged by Fouls for cruelty Yet he is as the balm of Gilead to me And I know him in love in the eternity What although Christ be ascended on high Yet he is come down into humanity That the truth of the Father he might maintain To hold forth his glory to those which are slain Showing to us the way of man is but vain But the second Adam hath restored us again Now we are restored into the right way And for to demonstrate the Ascension day Of Christ who iâ— our life 〈◊〉 in us to 〈◊〉 〈…〉 all one in 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to â—…ound all 〈◊〉 which it a lâ—… But we shall live single in virginity The power of Love runs in me as a â—lood To see the pure Christ in pure manhood 〈◊〉 King there to Raign the flesh being slain Now the Lord himself his own life will maintain The Lord is the truth and ever will be 〈…〉 can be no communion but in Virginity 〈…〉 be declared and not his life known Then the glory is lost of the Resurrection But now I do see that Christ is liberty To all that are pure in purity The fool in his heart no God is there known 〈…〉 perswaded by evil to the transgression Come now you worldlings and â—…arken to me The Lord is a mystery in the life of purity The 〈◊〉 life it is now come down And 〈◊〉 I do know without any bound Seven times in the fire love hath tryed me But now I know thy love and my love knows me Now my love being pure I am not alone But J am touched in another by the Phylosopher Stone Which trieth all mistles of what sorts they be But love is that ocean which hath swallowed up me But for true love O let love try me But now I know my love and my love knows me If any of you this Song now can sing You are of the truth and in the truth are living And are in the being to glorifie the Sun And are partaker of Christs Resurrection But for true love it doth set free To lead our lives in true community Now J being 〈…〉 gin J am married to the King And J know that his love is everlasting And in one true nature now â—e he And of all that is his we are now made free But of all the fleshly Mammon which ever revived me But J never knew true marriage till thou marriedst me FINIS
your life shall appear in you then shall you be changed even as this my Brother for all naturall men have a Spirit which manifests unto them that the life which they now live shall be cast out now he that is spiritual his life runneth after love after peace even to beget to convince and bring deniall of all propriety upon himself as he did that is now gone forth from all his honour his credit among men his pride his oxen his farm and his wife so as not to live to his lusts even to be stripped naked of all and to be a sign to all and that it might appear that it is the Virgins chastity which holds forth Christs Divinity in all things Oh look look and behold it is the chast Virgin which knoweth Christs Divinity for the deeds thereof are not evil neither can a Virgin bind heavy burthens upon strangers for the Magistrate the Priests and the people are the strangers to the Ministery of Christ for the Magistrate is carnal the Priest is carnal and the People are carnal the Magistrate loveth honour with great revenues and by that means setteth himself in judgment and places of authority and so judgeth for money and pass censures for reward their friendship and love is to be obtained for money if any one is counted wise amongst them it is because he hath store of money and knoweth how to oppress so that the innocent are made beggerly by them but he that is born of God hateth all this and they which live in this are carnal and know not the fundamentals of true Religion for they that know them cannot lord and judg for money therefore be wise O ye Kings and be instructed ye Judges of the earth if you are born again not of corruptible seed but of immortal you will feel within you your spirits to be renewed your ungodly teeth to be broken and stripped of your honor and will leave off judging for reward and will find that you have no fellowship in the life of Christ but in simplicity it will take you from your farms your oxen your wives your lusts and all relations before you can dwell with Christ for whilst ye live in the Ministery of a carnal Government ye deny Christ and are in propriety with the devil Now as for those poor lambs which have gone up and down your streets some naked some preaching the Law of the Father and some destruction which God will bring upon the Man of Sin and some against the deceipt of the Priests and some against the corruption of buying and selling and several other voices as against crimes which you say are punishable by your Law so that the spiritual being come to preach against it and in his conversation to deny it you judg him mad and imprison him when indeed the Law cannot take hold of any unrighteousness in their lives or wrong done to any man by them so that all the heavy burthens which they bind upon your shoulders are to lay open all unrighteousness which is committed in secret and to manifest it upon the house top so as that the deed of the wicked are not justifiable before the Lord of Hosts Now to the carnal Priests and Ministers so called I write unto you that you would be exhorted to amend your lives and cease from cruelty lest ye be dashed in pieces like a Potters vessel for the wrath of God hangeth over your heads to prove that you are carnal I need not trouble my self because ye prove your selves so to be for ye covet a recompence for preaching more then to preach and will not suffer the people to be free if you read much you cannot but read your own covetousness for you eat the sins of people and as troops of robbers wait for a man so do the company of Priests murder in the way Read the fifth of Hosea there is spoken of Gods judgments against Priests and People and Princes in ver. 4. they will not frame their doings to turn unto their God and the pride of Israel doth testifie to their faces and this I say as Bastards at their doors for he that lives not the life of Christ is a Bastard in all ages we find that the Priests were joyned to the Magistrates against the Prophets and Apostles for they marry themselves one to another in deceipt they cried not unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corn and wine they rebelled against me is it not clearly to be seen that Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement there is a broken judgment amongst Professors take therefore a view of the Priests in every Parish which takes upon them to preach the Gspel they preach and pray to God for the Magistrate that they may be invested with the blessed Spirit I could rejoyce that they were so and that they themselves were filled with that Unction Christ then they would be debased in themselves and not take upon them the title of Ministers to minister life and salvation whilest all their Ministery tends to no other end but to serve themselves and favour the Magistrates because they favour them and so stiling themselves Divine Ministers for their own carnal ends deceiving the poor by telling them that God is love and yet they themselves are servants to malice contentious strife and debate and therefore take notice that it is not love that joyneth the Priests to the people but the power of the Magistrate for he is not tyed to the people but hath his liberty to leave them and so are free for their own advantage and make gain of the Peoples ruine gathering assemblies for corn and wine but he that is taught of God hath his Magistrate in him his Minister in him and by that love to the people will follow him and will live to that which is everlasting in God with those have fellowship in the communion of love There be many that give themselves the name of Preachers of the word but there are but few that are doers for most are enemies to the Cross of Christ I find them not to follow Christ in love neither in peace for they get a Prison for the poor and cry out of Blasphemy in those which are rich in the faith and make manifest the love of God to be in them forsaking of all another deceipt they have which take tythes they say they take it not for preaching but as a gift of the State so putting their preaching upon their own gift but he that lieth in wait to deceive him will God destroy now true love doth spring up the Priests cry out against it and so do the people Therefore a word to all ye people that are led by your Priests as may be witnessed by your following them there is pride in the Priest and also in the people covetousness in the Priest so in the people envy in the Priest so in the people the Priest his communion