49. They are only the great master-builders of Babylon, where the languages are confounded, and men thereby set at odds and variance, and they set up war and contention upon the earth, for they wrangle and jangle about the mere husk, viz. about the written word and letter; and they have not the living word of God dwelling in them, from which they ought to teach. The Spirit of Christ itself must be the teacher in the word, with the living voice [or expression];
the spirit of man [The human spirit] must know and feelingly find Christ in it, otherwise none teaches the words of Christ, [but] only dumb [senseless] words, without power and spirit.
50. Now the Spirit of Christ in his children does reprove these, and shows them the true way how we must die wholly in Christ's death to the selfhood and the false self-full desire of temporal pleasure and honour;
and be born again of Christ's Spirit, with another new will and desire out of Christ's love, in peculiar real knowledge, and preach and teach Christ from our [own peculiar and singular knowledge of him in our] selves.
51. This, Babel in Cain cannot endure, that one should teach: that Christ himself must be the teacher in the human spirit. They plead their cause from the forewritten Apostolical word, and say, if they teach the same then the Spirit of God is poured forth. Yes, forsooth! very right, I say so too: If the same be taught in Christ's spirit and power, then 'tis so, indeed.
52. But the Spirit of Christ in his children is not bound to any certain form, that it need not [or ought not] to speak anything which stands not in the Apostolical letter; as the spirit in the Apostles was free, and they spoke not all one and the same words, but from one spirit and ground they did all speak, everyone as the spirit gave him utterance. Even thus likewise the spirit speaks yet out of its children, it needs no form aforehand composed and gathered together out of the literal word. It indeed does put man's spirit in mind of what is comprehended and contained in the letter; for Christ said, The Holy Ghost shall take of mine, and declare it unto you.
53. Christ is alone the Word of God that teaches the way of truth through his children and members. The literal word is only a manuduction and manifestation of Christ; that we should have the same before us, as a testimony and witness of Christ, [showing] what he is, and what he has done for us, that we should conceive, let and fasten our faith therein; and yet with the desire enter into the living Word, Christ; and be ourselves born to life therein.
54. None is a shepherd of Christ but he that has Christ's Spirit, and teaches from him. No art nor university makes one a shepherd of Christ, unless he be capable of the office in Christ's Spirit. If he has not that, living and working in him, then man has only chosen him to be a carver and builder of the great Babylon; a letter-changer [a verbal j angler and wrangler], without divine understanding and knowledge; for the Scripture says, The natural man perceives nothing of the Spirit of God. How then will he teach the way of God, who himself understands nothing thereof.
55. And Christ says, He that enters not into the sheepfold by him, viz. by the door of his spirit, but climbs up some other way, as by art [cunning?] and reason, or by the favour of man, into the same: whosoever sets up himself not being called of God's Spirit, to be a shepherd of Christ, for human and temporal repute and revenue's sakes, he is a thief and murderer, and the sheep hear not his voice, for he has not Christ's voice, and comes only that he may rob and steal.
56. But they say, the written word is Christ's voice. Yea, it is indeed the cabinet thereof, viz. a form of the word: but the voice must be living which opens the same, and likewise acts it in due motion as a watch-work. The letter is as an instrument thereunto, as a trumpet; but there must be a true and right breath and air which agrees with the air or tune in the letter.
49. They are only the great master-builders of Babylon, where the languages are confounded, and men thereby set at odds and variance, and they set up war and contention upon the earth, for they wrangle and jangle about the mere husk, viz. about the written word and letter; and they have not the living word of God dwelling in them, from which they ought to teach. The Spirit of Christ itself must be the teacher in the word, with the living voice [or expression];
the spirit of man [The human spirit] must know and feelingly find Christ in it, otherwise none teaches the words of Christ, [but] only dumb [senseless] words, without power and spirit.
50. Now the Spirit of Christ in his children does reprove these, and shows them the true way how we must die wholly in Christ's death to the selfhood and the false self-full desire of temporal pleasure and honour;
and be born again of Christ's Spirit, with another new will and desire out of Christ's love, in peculiar real knowledge, and preach and teach Christ from our [own peculiar and singular knowledge of him in our] selves.
51. This, Babel in Cain cannot endure, that one should teach: that Christ himself must be the teacher in the human spirit. They plead their cause from the forewritten Apostolical word, and say, if they teach the same then the Spirit of God is poured forth. Yes, forsooth! very right, I say so too: If the same be taught in Christ's spirit and power, then 'tis so, indeed.
52. But the Spirit of Christ in his children is not bound to any certain form, that it need not [or ought not] to speak anything which stands not in the Apostolical letter; as the spirit in the Apostles was free, and they spoke not all one and the same words, but from one spirit and ground they did all speak, everyone as the spirit gave him utterance. Even thus likewise the spirit speaks yet out of its children, it needs no form aforehand composed and gathered together out of the literal word. It indeed does put man's spirit in mind of what is comprehended and contained in the letter; for Christ said, The Holy Ghost shall take of mine, and declare it unto you.
53. Christ is alone the Word of God that teaches the way of truth through his children and members. The literal word is only a manuduction and manifestation of Christ; that we should have the same before us, as a testimony and witness of Christ, [showing] what he is, and what he has done for us, that we should conceive, let and fasten our faith therein; and yet with the desire enter into the living Word, Christ; and be ourselves born to life therein.
54. None is a shepherd of Christ but he that has Christ's Spirit, and teaches from him. No are nor university makes one a shepherd of Christ, unless he be capable of the office in Christ's Spirit. If he has not that, living and working in him, then man has only chosen him to be a carver and builder of the great Babylon; a letter-changer [a verbal j angler and wrangler], without divine understanding and knowledge; for the Scripture says, The natural man perceives nothing of the Spirit of God. How then will he teach the way of God, who himself understands nothing thereof.
55. And Christ says, He that enters not into the sheepfold by him, viz. by the door of his spirit, but climbs up some other way, as by are [cunning?] and reason, or by the favour of man, into the same: whosoever sets up himself not being called of God's Spirit, to be a shepherd of Christ, for human and temporal repute and revenue's sakes, he is a thief and murderer, and the sheep hear not his voice, for he has not Christ's voice, and comes only that he may rob and steal.
56. But they say, the written word is Christ's voice. Yea, it is indeed the cabinet thereof, viz. a form of the word: but the voice must be living which opens the same, and likewise acts it in due motion as a watch-work. The letter is as an instrument thereunto, as a trumpet; but there must be a true and right breath and air which agrees with the air or tune in the letter.
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