James Nailors RECANTATION, Penned, and directed by Himself, to all the People of the LORD, Gathered and Scattered.  
And may most fitly serve as an Antidote against the Infectious Poison OF Damnable Heresies, Although couched under the most Specious Vails of Pretended Sanctity.  
LONDON, Printed for Edward Farnham and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-head-Alley, 1659. July .7.   

TO ALL THE People of the LORD, Gathered or Scattered.  
IN the fear of God, and love to his Truth, and People, do I declare, in the Spirit of Meekness, what hath long oppressed my Soul, concerning those Unclean Spirits gone out from the Unity of the Truth and Light, by which we have been called and gathered into one Christ Jesus, the Head over all his blessed for ever: Whose Name hath been greatly dishonoured by many wild Actings, and his Innocent Spirit grieved, and many simple Souls deceived, many oppressed, and many offended against the Truth; for which work my Soul hath been much troubled: Who to this day raven about from place to place amongst the People of God, seeking to enter where they can, so to strengthen themselves into parties, to trouble such as they cannot enter, seeking to spoil the pleasant Pasture of the Lambs, that they should not feed in Peace; and for that end, haunt after the meetings of the People of God. All which Practices and pretences, I deny in my Soul, and the Spirit that acts therein.  
And the more it lies upon me, from the Lord to warn the simple innocent ones of his thereof openly, in that through me these Spirits have got much head and entrance into the minds of some who were simple towards God's Truth: And this the Envious One hath done, in the Night of my trial, and hour of Darkness and Temptation, taking advantage of my sufferings, in the day when my Judgement was taken away, and led captive under the power of Darkness, which all along hath sought my life, had not the Father held, and with his hand upon me, stayed me in those great Temptations, to whom alone I give the glory of my Deliverance from that great destruction, as his promise was to me before I came into that trial, who also hath brought me up again, and hath given me to see those Evil Spirits; and that the work of the Murderer and Devourer is therein, against the life of God in his Temple: Which, though they seek entrance under pretence of Humility, promising some great things, and more holiness in that way, to steal into simple minds, yet being got in, exalts himself above the Seed of God, and tramples the meek Spirit under foot, and so darkens the Vessels, and being exalted in the openings of the Imaginations, leads the Creature as God above that of God, and so against that of God, he wars in others, where God is above.  
And this mystery of deep in quity hath the Lord God in the spirit of the Lamb revealed unto me, whose powerful working I have felt, working in me above the pure measure and unspotted life of God. And also in the simplicity of Jesus Christ, I had given up my body all along a Free Offering to the will of God in Life or Death, for the Seeds sake yet ungathered in the World (as God knoweth I lie not) yet could I often feel that Exalted One above, secretly tempting to envy against the people of God already gathered, pretending another thing to come some other way. But this was ever judged the life of God also. I was often buffered therewith, sometimes so strongly as to force words from me above the meek and lowly principle, all which words were soon judged with the sufferer which lay under, and with his life be they condemned for ever, and this lieth upon me to declare openly, which God hath revealed unto me, for the sake of the simple ones, who may be deceived therewith, but would not did they know his subtlety.  
And by this you shall all perceive that Spirit, whatever it pretends, it will secretly withdraw your entire love from the Flock of God, already gathered, and cool your affections and zeal towards their present meetings, and if you judge it not there, it will grow on with an evil eye, to spy out for their failings, and to delight to hear of them with an hidden joy, whispering them to others, and adding thereunto, with a desire to see them broken, and their nakednss laid open, if any thing be amiss.  
And thus it hath wrought in a mystery of wickedness in some unjudged, until it be seated in the Throne of open enmity and strife against the Lambs of Light, preferring the society of the profane before them, and taking part therewith against them, joining to any who seek to scatter them.  
And whatever pretence this Spirit covers itself with, this I declare against it, having been kept by the good hand of God, to see it revealed in its ground and end, that it is the old spirit of the Ranters, which now in a new way make head against the Light of Christ and life of the Cross, which is the only thing which stands in its way, by condemning its filthiness in every Conscience.  
And so they, in whom this is entered, being exalted above the living Witness in themselves, would devour it in others, and this in the presence and fear of God I declare, without the least prejudice against any man or woman, but in obedience to God, and for his Seeds sake, lest any more of the simple should be deceived, and that such as are deceived already may recover themselves out of Satan's snares, having no selfish end therein, God knows.  
And long time hath my soul travailed, ere I could obtain power herein (so strongly hath he that letteth withstood my way) and therefore in the bowels of tender love I warn you all, to take heed how ever you come under that Spirit under what pretence soever, but let the fear of God and sound judgement in the spirit of meekness preserve you all above it, for wheresoever it enters by consent, it is hard to be got out again, and if it be, it is not without much sorrow. And this I have found in the depth, which for your sakes I declare in plainness and in truth, as I have learned of the Lord, labouring with him without ceasing, that the rest of the people of God every where may be saved from this Devourer, who daily goeth about to deceive, and whosoever he takes he casteth into the earth and into the sea; for wichednesse is with him wheresoever he goes.  
Even the Lord God almighty arm you all against his wiles, being warned thereof in his love, and the eternal power of Holiness preserve you all clean to himsef, who are dearer to me then ever, and that in no other thing but that innocent Principle in which you were kept free from all the pollutions of the world, and fleshly liberty, and do stand Witnesses for God against it before all men, and in no other thing have I fellowship with any, which is that I seek to set up above all.  
And this I was moved to give forth, to go every where a witness against that unclean spirit wherever it goes, feeling its work is to run to and fro to deceive, and that all may be warned by what I have learned in Suffering; and that they that will not may be left without excuse.  
James Nailor.  
FINIS.