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

by Nigel Smith

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745333601
Publisher:	Pluto Press
Publication date:	04/20/2014
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Nigel Smith is William and Annie S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature at Princeton University. His books include Andrew Marvell: The Chameleon (2010), Is Milton better than Shakespeare? (2008) and Literature and Revolution in England, 1640-1660 (1994).

Read an Excerpt

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 Signes, Vails, Glasses, Formes, Shaddows, &c.

Thus you have one Claval hint; if the Lord come in, it may be an instrumentall key to open the rest. But the Spirit alone is the incorruptible Key. And so I must have done with this Point, and with the Epistle too. Only I must let you know, that I long to be utterly undone, and that the pride of my fleshly glory is stained: and that I, either am, or would be nothing, and see the Lord all, in all, in me. I am, or would be nothing. But by the grace of God

I am what I am, and what I am in I am, that I am. So I am in the Spirit

CHAPTER 2

An Epistolar — Preparatory to the ensuing Epistles of — [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] A (late Converted) J E W.

To all the Kings party in England, and beyond sea; and to all that Treate with the King: and to all the Saints in the upper and lower House; 8 and to all the Strangers (Protestants, Presbyterians, Brownists, Anabaptists, Sectaries, &c. so called by Babels builders, whose language is confounded) To all the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Asia, &c. And to all the Saints in Rome, New-England, Amsterdam, London, especially Hook-Norton, & thereabouts in Oxfordshire, and at Esnill, [Warwick, Coventry, and thereabouts in Warwickshire. And to all the Saints, (of all sizes, statures, ages, and complexions, kindreds, nations, languages, fellowships, and Families, in all the Earth.

Once intended only, and primely for that precious Princesse [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] another late converted Jew, and for the Saints at Abingdon.

But it being told in darkness, it must (by commission) be spoke in light, and being heard in the eare, it must be published upon the house tops; to All —

And let him that hath an eare to heare, heare what the Spirit saith.

CHAP. I.

DEare hearts! Where are you, can you tell? Ho! where be you, ho? are you within? what, no body at home? Where are you? What are you? Are you asleepe? for shame rise, its break aday, the day breaks, the Shaddows flie away, the dawning of the day woes you to arise, and let him into your hearts.

It is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me my Sister, my love, my dove, for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of night. The day spring from an high would faine visit you, as well as old Zachary. Would faine visit you, who sit in darkness, and the shadow of death, as well as those who dwell in the Hill countrey.

The day star is up, rise up my love, my dove, my faire one, and come away. The day star woeth you, it is the voice of my beloved that saith open to me — I am risen indeed, rise up my love, open to me my faire one. I would faine shine more gloriously in you, then I did at a distance from you, at Jerusalem without you. I am risen indeed; I (the day star) would faine arise in your hearts, and shine there.

Then arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, for behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seene upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising, arise, come up hither.

Then, For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron. I will also make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall be no more heard in thy Land; wasting nor destruction within thy borders. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. — And the days of thy mourning shall be ended, Isai. 60.1,2,3,17, &c.

Then, Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong, and mighty, the Lord mighty.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

O! Open ye doors, Hearts open; let the King of glory come in. Open dear hearts.

Dear hearts, I should be loath to be arraigned for Burglary —

The King himself (whose houses you all are) who can, and will, and well may break open his own houses; throw the doors off the hinges with his powerfull voyce, which rendeth the heavens, shatter these doors to shivers, and break in upon his people.

CHAP. II.

A Prayer of [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] upon Siginoth.

Oh day of the Lord!come upon them unawares, while they are eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, divorce them from all strange flesh; give a bill of divorce to all carnall, fleshly fellowships, betroath them to thy self, (O God,) and to one another in the Spirit, marry them to the Spirit, to thine own Son, to thine own Self, O our Maker, our Husband.

Let them be joyned to the Lord, that they may be one Spirit, [if there be any fellowship of the Spirit] sweet fellowship! sweet Spirit!

Divorce them from Forme, marry them to power. Divorce them from Type, marry them to Truth [O the truth, as it is in Jesus!]

Fall upon them while they are Eating and drinking without, Let them eate and drink within — Bread in the Kingdom — And drink wine, new, in the Kingdom. Even new, in the Kingdom. New in the Kingdome, not in the oldness of the Letter, But in the newness of the Spirit.

Fall upon them while they are marrying, and giving in marriage.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

For thine is the Kingdome, the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

O Kingdome come! O day of the Lord come, as a thiefe in the night, suddenly, and unexpectedly, and in the night too, that they may not help themselves.

O come! come Lord Jesus, come quickly, as a thiefe in the night.

Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, these long dark nights, come in the night.

Give the word to the Moone, that it may be turned into bloud, and be as black as an hairecloath. Then fall upon them in the dark night, and plunder them of all flesh and Forme; that they may henceforth know thee no more after the flesh, or in the forme of a Servant, but in power and glory in them.

O consuming Fire! O God our joy! fall upon them in the night, and burne down their houses made with hands, that they may live in a house made without hands, for ever and ever, Amen.

The Prayer of [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] is ended

CHAP. III.

Well, once more; Where be you, ho? Are you within? Where be you? What! sitting upon a Forme, 14 without doors, (in the Gentiles Court,) as if you had neither life nor soul in you? Rise up, rise up, my Love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the Winter is past, the raine is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land, And [let him that hath an eare to heare, heare what the Spirit saith] the figtree putteth forth her green figges, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell: Arise my love, my fair one, and come away, Cant. 2.10,11,12,13.

The day breaks, the shadowes flie away. Rise up, my Love, and come away.

Come with me from Lebanon, with me from Lebanon, from the top of Amana, look from the top of Shenir, and Hermon, from the Lyons dens, from the mountains of the Leopards. Come with me, Rise, let us be going.

Awake, awake, put on thy beautifull garments. Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Awake, awake, thou that sleepest in security, in the cradles of carnality.

Arise from the dead.

From the Dead.

From the Forme thou sittest on, it is a dead Forme. From the dead. From flesh, flesh is crucified.

The Cryer crieth. And the voyce said, crie, All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, and the glory of the Lord is revealed. And [let him that hath an eare to heare, heare what the Spirit saith.]

(Continues…)

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Table of Contents

Foreword - John Carey & Greil Marcus
Preface
Introduction
1. Abiezer Coppe
Preface to 'John the Divine's Divinity' (1648)
'Some Sweet Sips, of some Spirituall Wine' (1649)
'An Additional and Preambular Hint' to Richard Coppin's 'Divine teachings' (1649)
'A Fiery Flying Roll' and 'A Second Fiery Flying Roule' (1649)
Letter from Coppe to Salmon and Wyke
'A Remonstrance of The Sincere and Zealous Protestation' (1651)
'Copp's Return to the wayes of Truth' (1651)
2. Laurence Clarkson
'A Single Eye All Light, no Darkness' (1650)
From 'The Lost Sheep Found' (1660)
3. Joseph Salmon
'A Rout, A Rout' (1649)
Letter from Salmon to Thomas Webbe (3 April 1650)
'Heights in Depths' (1651)
4. Jacob Bauthumley
'The Light and Dark Sides of God' (1650)
Notes
Index
Index of Biblical References

Editorial Reviews

'As a primer in the strangeness of radical thought during the period, as well as a wildly entertaining (if slightly crazed) read''Nigel Smith is to be congratulated for bringing these writings together for the first time in one volume''This splendid edition of Ranter writings covers the whole range of their politics and theology and shows the movement developing over time. Smith preserves the Ranters' highly distinctive spelling and orthography ... A fascinating and exhilarating read''Admirable and lively'

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