A Collection of Ranter Writings: Spiritual Liberty and Sexual Freedom in the English Revolution - Softcover

Smith, Nigel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0745333605 ISBN 13: 9780745333601

Verlag: Pluto Press, 2014

Inhaltsangabe

The Ranters - like the Levellers and the Diggers - were a group of religious libertarians who flourished during the English Civil War (1642–1651), a period of social and religious turmoil which saw, in the words of the historian Christopher Hill, 'the world turned upside down'. A Collection of Ranter Writings is the most notable attempt to anthologise the key Ranter writings, bringing together some of the most remarkable, visionary and unforgettable texts. The subjects range from the limits to pleasure and divine right, to social justice and collective action. The Ranters have intrigued and captivated generations of scholars and philosophers. This carefully curated collection will be of great interest to historians, philosophers and all those trying to understand past radical traditions.

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Nigel Smith is William and Annie S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature at Princeton University. His books include A Collection of Ranter Writings (Pluto, 2014), Andrew Marvell: The Chameleon (2010), and Is Milton better than Shakespeare? (2008).

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A Collection of Ranter Writings

Spiritual Liberty and Sexual Freedom in the English Revolution

By Nigel Smith

Pluto Press

Copyright © 2014 Nigel Smith
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-7453-3360-1

Contents

Foreword, viii, 
Foreword to First Edition, 1983 John Carey, xi, 
Preface, xiv, 
Abbreviations, xvii, 
Introduction, 1, 
Further Reading, 32, 
ABIEZER COPPE, 
Preface to John the Divine's Divinity (1648), 35, 
Some Sweet Sips, of some Spiritual Wine (1649), 36, 
'An Additional and Preambular Hint' to Richard Coppin's Divine Teachings (1649), 64, 
A Fiery Flying Roll and A Second Fiery Flying Roule (1649), 72, 
Letter from Coppe to Salmon and Wyke (c. April–June 1650), 108, 
Divine Fire-Works (1657), 109, 
LAURENCE CLARKSON, 
A Single Eye All Light, No Darkness (1650), 114, 
Letter from ?Clarkson to William Rawlinson (mid-July–Oct. 1650), 128, 
From The Lost Sheep Found (1660), 129, 
Anon., A JVSTJFJCATJON OF THE MAD CREW (1650), 141, 
JOSEPH SALMON, 
A Rout, A Rout (1649), 159, 
Divinity Anatomized (1649), 170, 
Letter from Salmon to Thomas Webbe (3 April, 1650), 199, 
Heights in Depths (1651), 200, 
JACOB BAUTHUMLEY, 
The Light and Dark Sides of God (1650), 222, 
Index, 257, 
Index of Biblical References, 263, 

CHAPTER 1

A Pre-ambular, and cautionall Hint to the Reader; concerning the ensuing Epistles here inserted.

Deare Friends,

Heer's something (according to the wisdome given to us) written unto you, in all these ensuing Epistles. In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are Unlearned, and unstable, wrest: as they doe also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

But we brethren are perswaded better things of you &c.

Her's some Gold and silver.

But that is none of mine.

The drosse I owne.

The fire will fall upon it, and consume it; yet I my selfe am saved: yet so, as by Fire.

Here is Scripture language throughout these lines: yet Book, Chapter, and Verse seldome quoted.

The Father would have it so; And I partly know his design in it; And heare him secretly whispering in me the reason thereof. Which I must (yet) burie in silence, till — —

Here is a reede shaken with the winde, and the voice of one crying in the wildernesse,

Prepare ye the way of the Lord, &c. The day of the Lord is at hand, is dawned to some.

Here is a great cry, and at mid-night too; Behold, The Bridgroome commeth.

Here is a great pounding at the doors, — — But it is not I, but the voice of my Beloved, that knocketh, saying, Open to me, and let me come In.

Here is the voyce of one crying: Arise out of Flesh, into Spirit; out of Form, into Power; Out of Type, into Truth; out of the Shadow, into the Substance; out of the Signe, into the thing Signified, &c.

— Take this cautionall hint.

Arise, but rise not till the Lord awaken thee. I could wish he would doe it by himselfe, immediately: But if by these, mediately. His will be done. His is the Kingdome, the power, and the glorie; for ever and ever, Amen.

I would (by no meanes, neither indeed can I) pull you out of Bed by head and shoulders. — May the cords of Love draw you out.

If through the heat of love, mixt with zeale, and weaknesse (in these) thou shouldst start out of thy bed naked, into the notion of these — I should be very sorry for thee, Fearing thou mightest be starved these cold winter nights.

If thou shouldest arise into the Letter of these Letters, before the Spirit of life enter into thee, Thou wouldst runne before the Lord, and out-runne thy selfe, and runne upon a rock, For it is set on purpose, as one, — And as a stumbling-stone to some, — even to those who know Christ after the Flesh (only). But happy they, who are in the Inside of them, Nothing can harme them. And in them there is no occasion of stumbling.

To the Lord I leave you all, (Deare hearts) and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.

The word of the Lord is precious in these dayes, — There is no open vision to many.

Few know the Lords voyce from Elies, as yet: we shall trudge (it may be) to the old man, once, twice, thrice: till the word of the Lord be revealed to us. And, Then we shall heare, and say, Speake Lord, for thy servant heareth, reade 1 Sam. 3.1. to 15.

There are many voyces in the world. And some know the fathers voyce, in all voyces, and understand him in all tongues.

If the Trumpet here give an uncertaine sound, I cannot help it for the present. You will understand by that — the last seale is opened. If the Temple be filled with smoake, you shall not be able to enter into it, till the seven plagues of the seven Angels are fulfilled.

The vision is for an appointed season, but at the end it shall speake, and not lie: though it tarrie, waite for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarrie.

If the leaven be hid in three measures of meale, Queen Wisdome (the woman that hid it there) will make dough, and then you shall taste it in the whole lump.

If the graine of mustard seed here, be buried in the earth, wait for it: because it will surely spring up into a tree, and the fowles of the aire shall lodge in the branches thereof.

If I here speake in an unknown tongue, I pray that I may interpret when I may.

Only take one Clavall hint.

That which is here (mostly) spoken, is inside, and mysterie. And so farre as any one hath the mysterie of God opened to him, In Him, can plainly reade every word of the same here.

The rest is sealed up from the rest, and it may be the most, — from some.

One touch more upon one string of this instrument. Some are at Home, and within; Some Abroad, and without. They that are at Home, are such as know their union in God, and live upon, and in, and not upon any thing below, or beside him.

Some are abroad, and without: that is, are at a distance from God, (in their own apprehensions) and are Strangers to a powerfull and glorious manifestation of their union with God. That their being one in God, and God one in them; that Christ and they are not twaine, but one, is to them a Riddle.

These are without, Abroad, not at Home, and they would fill their bellies with Husks, the out-sides of Graine.

That is, they cannot live without Shadows, Signs, Representations;

It is death to them, to heare of living upon a pure & naked God, and upon, and in him alone, without the use of externalls. —

But the former reape a thousand fold more In their living upon, and in the Living Lord alone, then when they saw him through a vaile.

For instance,

They live not (now) in the use of the externall Supper, or outward breaking of bread,

But upon the Lord (whom they have not now by hearesay) but clearly see, know, and powerfully feele Him in them;

Who is a continuall feast of fat things in them, their joy, and chear, being (now) a thousand fold more in the enjoyment of a naked God in them, and of Christ in them, uncloathed of flesh and forme, then it was when they saw and knew him otherwise, in and through...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Pluto Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2014
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0745333605
• ISBN 13: 9780745333601
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 282
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar