mes from within, not from without. "The whole
Scriptures," he maintains, "are but a report of spiritual mysteries held
forth to the eye of the flesh in words." The Gospel he explains to be
"the Father Himself, that is, the Word and glad tidings that speak peace
inwardly to pure souls." The writings of the Apostles and the Prophets
he regards as "the report or declaration of the Gospel, which are to
cease when the Lord Himself, who is the everlasting Gospel, doth
manifest Himself to rule in the flesh of sons and daughters." Concerning
Baptism he says: "I have gone through the ordinance of dipping, which
the letter of the Scripture doth warrant, yet I do not press anyone
thereunto, but bid everyone to wait upon the Father, till He teach and
persuade, and then their submitting will be sound. For I see now that it
is not the material water, but the water of life; that is, the Spirit in
which souls are to be dipped, and so drawn forth into the one Spirit;
and all these outward customs and forms are to cease and pass
away."[65:1] As regards prayer, he contends that no one should pray
"until the Power within thee gives words to thy mouth to utter, then
speak, and thou canst not but speak."[65:2]

It is, however, in a subsequent pamphlet, _The New Law of
Righteousness_, that Winstanley more fully expounds this characteristic
Quaker doctrine, and summarises his deeply philosophic views concerning
silence as the necessary precursor of all true prayer, as follows:

"All these declare the half-hour's silence that is to be in Heaven
(Rev. viii. 1). For all mouths are to be stopped by the power of
Reason's law shining within the heart. And this abundance of talk
that is amongst people by arguments, by disputes, by declaring
expositions upon others' word and writing, by long discourse,
called preaching, shall all cease (Jer. xxxi. 34).

"Some shall not be able to speak, they shall be struck silent with
shame by seeing themselves in a loss and in confusion. Neither
shall they care to speak till they know by experience within
themselves what to speak; but wait with a quiet silence upon the
Lord, till He break forth within their hearts, and give them words
and power to speak.... Men must leave off teaching one another,
and the eyes of all shall look upward to the Father, to be taught
of Him. And at this time silence shall be a man's rest and liberty;
it is the g