***Loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke. Wherefore hie you apace to all prisons in the kingdom.īow before those poor, nasty, lousy, ragged wretches, say to them, your humble servants, sirs (without a compliment), we let you go free and serve you, &c.ĭo this or (as I live, saith the Lord) thine eyes (at least) shall be bored out, and thou carried captive into a strange land. Those doleful cries, Bread, bread, bread for the Lord’s sake, pierce mine ears and heart, I can no longer forbear. Mine ears are filled brimful with cries of poor prisoners, Newgate, Ludgate cries (of late) are seldom out of mine ears.

The eternal God, the mighty Leveler is coming, yea come, even at the door and what will you do in that day?*** ***Īnd the prime leveling is laying low the mountains and leveling the hills in Man. You shall not at all be accounted of (not one of you), ye sturdy oaks who bow not down before eternal Majesty-Universal Love, whose service is perfect freedom, and who hath put down the mighty (remember, remember your forerunner), and who is putting down the mighty from their seats, and exalting them of low degree. Those that have admired, adored, idolized, magnified, set you up, fought for you, ventured goods and good name, limb and life for you, shall cease from you. Hills! Mountains! Cedars! Mighty men! Your breath is in your nostrils. For the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord ALONE shall be exalted in that day.*** High mountains! lofty cedars! it’s high time for you to enter into the rocks and to hide you in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty. ***Behold, behold, behold, I the eternal God, the Lord of Hosts, who am that mighty Leveler, am coming (yea, even at the doors) to level in good earnest, to level to some purpose, to level with a witness, to level the hills with the valleys, and to lay the mountains low. Ranter Visions from Abiezer Coppe, A Fiery Flying Roll (1649) They reclaimed the irrational and they could write!

A Fiery Flying Roll by Abiezer Coppe