Forward James Nayler was a prominent leader and gifted minister in the early Society of Friends in England. Though a farmer by trade, and a man of limited education, his deep spiritual understanding, piercing discernment, and powerful communication of the gospel caused multitudes to acknowledge that he preached in the demonstration of the Spirit and power, as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Sadly, he is best known for a single (and much regretted) act of folly committed in a time of weakness and temptation, when, “because of the abundance of revelation” and the unchecked flattery of a few imprudent admirers, he accepted greater praise than is due to any man (as the appendix to this volume relates in detail). The complete works of James Nayler in four volumes are available today, but the great majority of read- ers find his original writings quite unmanageable. Beyond the difficulties presented by archaic words, spellings, and expressions, Nayler wrote in what might be called a “stream of consciousness” style, setting forth in long run-on sentences (with apparently little forethought or organization) the thoughts and arguments that flowed into his mind. To the eyes of a modern reader, the writing style of the 1600’s is often considered unnecessarily wordy and convoluted, but Nayler’s writings are particularly challenging in this respect. In fact, when George Whitehead (an intimate friend and fellow-Quaker) first published Nayler’s complete works in 1716, he made literally thousands of alterations to Nayler’s original words and expressions, not because of any difference in sentiment or doctrine, but entirely with a view to greater clarity of communication. With a similar motivation to that of George Whitehead, and from a strong desire that the writings of this pious and experienced Christian not be lost in history, I have taken upon myself the task of carefully modernizing some of Nayler’s most notable works. Modernizing is not a simple or straightforward task, and can easily be done poorly. Attempts to modernize early Quaker documents without a deep under- standing of their context, vocabulary, religious culture, and particular testimonies have led to some very unsatisfactory results. For this reason, I have approached the task with the greatest care and seriousness, and hope that I am in measure qualified for the work by a true intimacy with Friends’ literature, having read and re-read many thousands of pages (in their original format) for my own personal edification and enjoyment; also by a heartfelt agreement with the spiritual views contained in them; by a very real sense of loving esteem and respect for the original authors; by an admittedly imperfect but sincere attempt to live by the same light and grace to which the Quakers testified; and by a measure of the fear of the Lord— believing that the Spirit of God is the true source of much of what is presented in these writings. —JASON R. HENDERSON September, 2018 1 Chapter I The Possession of Living Faith and its Fruits And How it Has Been Found to Differ from the Dead Faith of the World Seeing that a right faith is the only ground of man’s eternal happiness, and the only thing which gains the creature an entrance towards his Creator, for “without faith it is impossible to please God;”1 and having found by experience how the true and living faith (which has the living power) differs greatly from that faith which is dead and without that power; and also seeing that so many at this day are at ease in a dead faith, with their souls in the grave—I am stirred up in tender love to declare something of the true faith of Christ which I have found effectual to salvation and reconciliation with God. First, I shall say a little about the faith or belief which I have seen in the world, which is a literal faith, grounded only upon the history of the Scripture with regard to God and Christ, and what Christ did in that body which the Jews crucified at Jerusalem. This is a faith which does not know Him in Spirit, nor believe in Him as the Immanuel to all generations, and so it does not work the believer into a conformity to Him, by His coming again in the same Spirit and power and working in them the same will, mind, affections, and obedience to the Father (in their measure) which was in Him—the true Example, Author, Worker and Finisher of the true and living faith. From this dead faith (having a variety of appearances according to the several opinions of men) come all the unclean spirits living in whatsoever abomination that can be mentioned in the world. All sorts of sects and religious opinions cover themselves with this faith. It is their strength, and in it they take refuge from all reproof within or without, though they openly live in the greatest whoredoms against the Spirit of holiness that can be mentioned. Though they keep at a distance from the life of Christ, yet they believe Christ came to save sinners, and will say that they are “the chief of sinners,” and that “those who are healthy need not a physician,” etc. as if the greater their wickedness, the nearer they draw to Christ. And by this false faith, the One who came to save people from sin and to lead out of sin both by example and Spirit, is made a covering for all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to strengthen the wicked heart against the life of holiness, some in one sin, some in another. Yes, with this faith all sorts do strengthen them- selves and harden their hearts against the light of Christ and the Spirit which reproves the world of sin and convinces of it, and would indeed lead out of it. Thus the holy Witness of God in all men is trampled under foot, and is little regarded in any, nor believed to be the way to the Father—though the world has no light but this, nor is there a promise of life in any other. This faith appears to me to be that faith of the devil, or the “dead faith”2 of which the apostle speaks, though it is perhaps even more hardened against 1 Hebrews 11:6 2 James 2:17,20,26 2 the fear of the Lord; for when the devils believe they at least tremble. So I now leave this faith, being judged already by its fruits with the light of Christ in every honest heart that loves holiness. Now I shall speak something of that faith in which I have found a measure of the life of Christ made manifest in me, in whose life alone is the true and eternal atonement, and union with the holy God, into which no unclean thing can enter. This faith is not a notion concerning what was done in another time (past or future—hundreds or thousands of years distant), but that which leads to the work of a new creature at this day, and a new birth spiritually begotten and born and brought to light, without which no one can see the kingdom of God nor enter therein. And this faith does not work by the comprehension of brain knowledge, as if, having conceived or declared of Jesus Christ in words or thoughts, I have therefore learned Him, or really know Him, or am grown up in Him to a perfect man. Such possessors of notional faith deceive their own soul, and also deceive others, by declaring and boasting of what God has not wrought in them, and leading men out beyond the measure of God’s present work in them. But the living faith works powerfully in the Spirit (by love thereto3), and the mystery of it is “held in a pure conscience,”4 working out the old leaven, purifying the heart, and making all things new. Indeed this faith judges, kills, and crucifies with Christ in Spirit the works of the flesh, casting out everything in me that is not of God, and renewing in me the things of God, in their order, by His mighty working in me. By this the soul is raised up out of the grave, and the dead is restored to life—truly, and not in notion. The Ground and Work of Living Faith Now, the foundation or beginning of this faith is a real believing in that which Christ did and suffered at Jerusalem, and that there in that body He bore the sins of the world, and satisfied the wrath of God for sins past, and overcame death, hell and the grave, and made way for the Seed to arise in all through the whole world who would believe in His light, which then shined through Him to all men, by which He may be seen to be “the way, the truth and the life,”5 openly triumphing over all that has risen above the Seed. Much more might be said of what He there finished, all of which I did believe according to the Scriptures, which was as an opening for me to receive Him from heaven in the same Spirit and power, and without which I could not have received the gift of that Holy Spirit. For God so purposed from the beginning, that the covenant of eternal life and power should be received no other way but by faith in Him, who, in the fullness of time, was there manifest in the flesh for the taking away of sins past, and making a way for the resurrection of life to come over all, to save from sins for time to come.