The Mystery of Iniquity somewhat laid open In a Letter to the Present Governour wherein is also contained an History and Recital and Proposal of Sundry Things to be made known and remembred and to be done accordingly In that Letter which I carried to thine House at Kensington on November 3. 1691. which was there burnt as near as I can remember the words contained therein was to this following Effect viz. THAT I having published my Book Entituled Things Plain and Weighâ—â— c. There was an observable Marginal Note in Page 12. That God would remove the Government off from thy Shoulders and yet not hurt thy Person It was my Duty to make this known unto you as soon as ever this was printed and published which was before thy last Expedition into Flanders But I neglected to do it then for fear thou shouldest Imprison me which now thou hast done Yet I was again troubled at this my neglect least thou going into the Wars it should happen otherwise with thee than I had there written and so the things which belong to thy Peace had been passed away and gone from thee for all Eternity Which was very likely to have come to pass when thou satest under a Tree and soon after thou wast arose from thence a cannon bullet did strike the very place whereon thou satest if the publick Gazette be true that relates it after this manner Herein thou lovest thine Enemies and hatest thy Friends for thou hast declared this day in Imprisoning me who do really and unfeignedly desire thy Temporal Preservation and * See my printed Letter directed to thee at the Hague that thou mayest live out all those days which God hath appointed to the Life of Man upon Earth and therefore I would admonish thee to cease from and not venture thy self nor send others into these dangerous Wars for I do perceive according to the Mind that then and now thou art in if according to the Dictates and Insinuations of thy Foolish Flatterers and Admirers Thou hadst descended into Battel and perished there they would cry it up for Brave and Honorable and the Thoughts of this vain Glory and Praise doth please thee well and spur thee on though if it had so happened thy mind would have been changed for all Eternity for thy Soul would still remember and remain full of Indignation and Wrath. Tribulation and Anguish for what thou soughtest to be commended here on this Earth But now I do well come and congratulate thy â—â—e coming here again into England And I do Pray and Hope that it will be exactly so done with thee according to that Word which God shewed unto me upon one of your appointed publick days of Fasting and Humiliation which I did then observe not for the Reasons mentioned in thy Proclamation for it but for the Sins and Hypocrisie of this People and that I might seek and Pray for their Good This same Word which then sprung up in my Heart and remained within me for several Months the Lord pardon my sinful Fear and Distrust in hiding within my Heart and concealing this Truth 〈◊〉 4â— 10. so long for this ought not so to have been I did at length write it down and publish it to the Great Congregation for so it would be if now all were gathered together who have read or heard of this Word And I came on November ◠〈◊〉 put to thy dwelling place at Kensington for to signifie and make known this with many other things unto thee But instead of thy receiving and observing the Law and Word of God thy Servants did burn that Book wherein it was written and they did Imprison me for some little time in a place where they keep Coals This was somewhat like 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 in the days of Old But what came upon him for so doing Therefore 〈◊〉 saith the Lord of Jehoâ—â—â—â— King of Judah He shall have none to sit upon the Throne of David and his dead Body 〈◊〉 be cast out in the day to the heat and in the night â—o tâ—â— Froâ—â— And I will punish 〈◊〉 and his Seed and his Servants for their Iniquity And I will bring upon them and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the Men of Judah all the Evil that I pronounced against them but they hearkened not Jer. 36. 3â— 31. Now what thy Servants O thou that art called King William do by thy Command or Approbation God interprets iâ— to be thine own Act. And here the former words are visibly true of thee thou shalt have none that is Issue of thy Body to sit upon the Throne of thy Father in Law As the Lord liveth and as sure as now thou livest thy day shall come to dye And though thy dead Body should be interred in the Royal Chappel at Wâ—stmâ—â—ster â—â—bâ—y among the Ancient Kings of this Nation yet things may so alter and turn that it may be taken up again and be removed or exposed to Shame But most ceâ—â—â—iâ—ly it shall rise up at the last day and then it may be tâ—rown into devouring Fire and everlasting Burnings and it may become subject unto Gnashing of Teeth which is ten thousand times worse than to be cast out in the day to the Heat and in the night to the Frost According to the Proverb 〈◊〉 must be verâ—â—ad to be worse thâ—n a Turk But I tell thee Truly and Plaâ—nly that the Turks shall rise up in Judgment against thee and condemn thee for they out of Reverence to thâ— Great God of Heaven and Earth will take up any Paper wherein but so much as the Name of God is written and lay it up very carefully and they will not put it to any common or undecent use So far are they from tearing it or throwing it upon the Ground or bâ—rning it for the Sâ—n or Provocation there seeâ—s to be of â—he same nature as that is oâ— seâ— purpose to cut deface or burn the King's Picture which is esteemed as a great Aâ—â—ront unto him In like manner to do so unto his Truth which though clothed and expressed in a dead Letter it doth bear the Image and Superscription of him that is Invisible is a most hainous Offâ—nce such as words cannot well express the utmost Aggravation thereof God will answer that Man or Woman in a like Punishment for the same Word which goes â—orth from him will be a consuming Fire to devour its Adversaries He shall speak and it shall be done accordingly He shall give forth the Sentence by virtue whereof they shall go to Hell So that the same manner as a Man sinned by the same he shall be punished God will punish thee and thy Servants He will bring them out by their Names and by their Persons whosoever they be for this their Iniquity and he will bring upon you and upon the Inhabitants of England all the Evils which He pronounced against Ye but ye hearkened not It is so in the Mind and Purpose of God
before it is made known upon Earth and so it remains notwithstanding they should forget or lose the knowledge thereof And it shall be done with thy â—elâ— and People and the Officers under thee according to the real Significations and true Meaning of those words which God hath published by me his Servant And though ye have burnt that Book yet I have by me more Copies of the same Book one whereof for thy own reading and pâ—â—usal thou mayest have whensoever thou wilt And besides what is there printed God doth keep the same in my Memory and I am ready to write again according to the same words which I wrote down there and now ye have given occasion to add many like words As pâ—rtiâ—ularly I did shew some of them the last Month in a letter to the Earl of Nottingham which I suppose either came not to his hands or he despised or concealed it So that if I would Honour thee in the sight of â—â—y People and only signifie the same in a written Copy this will not answer the End for I would have it made known unto thee So that I am forced to publish even some more trivial Matters which do not deserve to be made publick But I am willing that several Copies should go out if perhaps one may come unto thee or to thy hearing thereof And also when it is printed thou canst more easily read it than my hand-writing which is bad and difficult But then further it is agreeable to the Method and Will of God that what Sin or Evil his Creature doth secretly He will both reprove and punish before all â—â—râ—el and before the Sâ—â— 2 Sam. 12. 12. Nothing is secret but that it should be made manifest and nothing is hidden but that it should come abroad So that even for secret private and hidden Sins open Reproof is proper that others may fear and take heed of the like things But much more for the things thou dost openly the same may in like manner be reproved from the Word of the All seeing God notwithstanding He now keeps silence and set in order before you I am certain that things of a thousand times less Moment are printed and published If I could not get Admission to deliver my Books in Person unto thy self and thy Wiâ—e as I was before shewed that I should not then the Lord directed me to leave them however some way or other for that would turn for a Witness against you Which also ye are sensible and apprehensible of And therefore perhaps that was one reason why ye did act this kind of Revenge and Spite against me as to send me rather unto a wâ—rse place than that of Dragons to be covered with the shadow of Death but this is among the Ravings of Dâ—â—racted Persons which hath some Representation of Hell and the Howlings of Damned Spirits But ye did not know oâ— at least not throughly consider that this will make it turn for a yet greater Witness and Testimony against your selves So that to excuse the Sin hereof ye will one day wish that the Lord would impute Mâ—â—ness to you for as the Wise Man saith The Heart of the Sonâ— of Mâ—n â—◠〈◊〉 of evil and Maâ—ness iâ— in their Heart while they â—â—ve and after that they go to the 〈◊〉 Eccles 9. 3. So the more Wâ—se and discerning of them would be glad if the Lord would reckon their former Sin and Evil as Madness so that they might either escâ—pe or have their Punishment mitigated after Death But the All wise and All knowing is not as Man that He should be deceived He will minister true Judgment unto the People in Uprightness And He will â—â—pute this Act of yours not as Madness but as Malice Yea to be Rebellion as the Sin of Witcâ—craft and such Stubbornness which is as Iniquity and Idolatry because ye have rejected the Word of the Lord 2 Sam. 15 23 He will adjudge it to be an higher degree of Rebellion and a worse sort of Stubbornness than that here spoken of In that ye were not only contented to reject his Word but ye did Imprison his Servant who came in the Message and Ministration thereof But here ye may be apt to say Why then thou shouldest have carried away thy Books again when thou wert bâ—d so to do and then perhaps this Conâ—inement had not happened unto thee But I did not dare neglect what the Lord commanded me leaâ— I should have been Disobedient to the Voice of God within me And accordingly then I spâ—ke in as silent and friendly manner as one Man talketh to another that I might deliver my Books in Person but they would not admit me nor suffer me to leave them any where in the House but they turned me out of Dâ—â—rs And as I was going out I did not cry nor lifâ— up nor cause my Voice to be heard in the Hoâ—se nor did I shew the least sign of Madness 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—râ—vagancy in my Deportment but only as I was juâ—t gone without the Doors I drop'd them upon the Ground in a silent and peaceable manner there to remain And this was all my troubling of the Court according to their Phrase for they call it so though I did not speak one word of what was contained in my Books But here somewhat may be observed of the Work and Moving of God for like as when the Lord looked unto the Host of the Egyptians through 〈◊〉 Pillar of Fire and of the Cloud He troubled the Host of â—he Egyptians Exod. 14. 24. And as is signified by what is written 1 Sam 16. 5. Tâ—e Elders of the Town trembled at his coming and said Coâ—est thou Peaceable So at the coâ—ing of Christ â—â—o was the Word and the Word â—as God John 1. 1 into the World 〈◊〉 Herod â—he King 〈◊〉 these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Mâ—tâ— â— 3 In like manner each Manifestation or Rumor or Report of the true Woâ—d oâ— God doth cause a Motion or Trouble in 〈◊〉 Hearts of the Inhabitants of the Earth though they do only apprehend or guess somewhat but they do not know distinctly what it is So that let not People think as if any strange or new thing happened That Richard 〈◊〉 coming with the Word of God and his Righteousness the outward Testimony whereof being Written and Printed was the very same by Interpretation and his Reâ—l Intâ—â—tion as if he spoke out every Sentence Word and Syllable into their Ears but he did not open his Lips as to utter any thing audibly contained in it Yet by doing so far only he did trouble whom ye call King William and Queen Maâ—â— and all their Oâ—â—icers and Servants with them But I do hereby tell them fâ—rther That this Troubling is a short and little Earnest of a worse thing that shall befall them and â—â—at worse 〈…〉 Likeas the Fiâ—e at Kensington-House was a Sign or Warning of â—hat should come upon his or their own Heaâ—s for
a very fit and proper term for them So Samuel told Saul the King That Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft and Stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. and this is Rebellion against God the very Sin of those called our Kings and Rulers at this day And because these have also rejected the Word of the Lord I pray God to fulfil the other part of the Sentence upon them the Lord will reject and cast off the same Persons from being Kings or Rulers over us for they that would have others do according to their Laws Commands and Orders themselves should also do according to the Laws Precepts and Commandments of the most High God Here it is to be observed that though God had rejected Saul from that day forward in which Samuel speak thus yet he afterwards continued King over all Israel until he was slain in the Battel against the Philistines In like manner Those at this day may as yet remain upon the outward Throâ—e though they are disallowed of God and it is his Mind and Purpose that they should not be setled and established here All this forementioned is no Enthusiaâ—â—ic or strange Conceit which may be tauntingly said to be proper for the Notions of Bethleâ—em Hospital But it brings out the very nature of Sin that it may appear exceeding sinful according as it is also expressed in the Books and Sermons of Sober and Understanding Divines And hereby may be somewhat perceived of the Justice of God in inflicting an exceeding and Eternal Punishment for what is called light and transitory Offences But to return to our Subject and intended Matter I did in that Letter superscribed to the E. of N. Chief Secretary of State but within directed to the present King William put him in mind and also desire him that I might be brought down before him to speak or read many more words unto him And if he was fearful or apprehensive least I should do them any hurt then let him order my Hands to be bound and my Feet to be put into Fetters But as the Lord liveth who gave to him and my self Life and Being I would not so much as injure his outward Skin the Hairs of his Head neither would I touch the Skirt of his Clothing For Truth breaks no Bones it doth only trouble in order to the saving of the Soul I suppose that this my Proposal and Desire was either not made known unto him or he would not consent unto it knowing that if I did speak words into his Ears I should torment him before his time For as the Devil said so unto Christ who was the Word of God so at this Day the Word of God hath the same and like effect upon the Hearts of the Disobedient which are possessed with the Spirit of the Evil One for this makes them Disobedient and Wicked for the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a two edged Sword pâ—ercing even to the dividing a sunder of Soul and Spirit and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart So that it will vex and torture the Man or else actually bring him to Repentance It hath constantly this Effect where it is truly and powerfully Preached as that is seldom in these days for it doth work an holy Violence upon Men and Women as to cause them to give up their ill gotten Goods Many also of them which used curious Arts brought their Books together and burnt them before all Men. So mightily greâ—â— the Word of God and prevailed Acts 19. 19 20. So as to them which use sinful evil and indirect Arts in other things where the Word of God is throughly made known unto such and Prevails over their Consciences it doth make them forsake all those sinful and wrong ways and means And it works them into such a Condition that they come trembling to know what they must do to be saved In like Manner where a common Person gets Riches and not by Right the Spirit saith expresly He shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his End shall be a Fool Jer. 17. 11. That is in the midst of Possession and Enjoyment He shall have no true comfort of them and at last he shall lose Heaven Now there is no Folly to be compared to the losing of Heaven though it be for some hundreds or thousands of Pounds which then are Slipped away from him again where a great Person whom the corrupt World doth Respect and hath in Admiration because of Advantage but God will not excuse him who comes to great Revenues without Right seems to be a reaching out the Hand and taking and grasping of it by Violence when they should not do it but yet they do it Because it is in the power of their hand Micah 2. 1. I had a more lively Representation of this in my Mind than I can now express it forth in words when I heard that the * Who is so because He is in Administration of the Regal Authority King had seized the Seven Bishops Revenues So they oppress or defraud a Man and his House even a Man and his Heritage Micah 2. 2. And where is it done by a colour of Law and Authority this indeed doth deceive the Ignorant when wise and knowing Men do more abominate and loath it much more will the All-wise God hate and proceed against it for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him Actions are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. And when they are weighed in the Baâ—lance of the Sanctuary and considered out of the Book of the Lord and also from the Nature and last end of things with that abundant Reasoning which arises and flows from these several Topicks All this will make it plain and evidently appear to the Heart of Man that Better is a little with Righteousness than great Revenues without Right So that the Man will choose it accordingly for by so doing He will be more Happy now and hereafter After the very same manner you may conceive of that which is called Government or Authority without Right it is not properly Government but Vsurpation when another takes that upon him which doth not belong or appertain to him and then He doth lift up himself above the Congregation of the Lord Numbers 16. 3. above his Brethren and Fellow-Creatures And so even a Lawful Governour may Vsurp when He takes too much upon him v. 7. for both these kinds of Vsurpation we learn from this two-fold Saying of Korah and his Rebellious Accomplices had that bâ—â—n true which they falsly object unto Moses So again this is not Authority for this supposeâ— what is Lawful but if it is not thâ—â— it may â—e more properly stiled Power or Publick Force which is kept up by the Administration and Exercise thereof and it Grows stronger and stronger where it doth Oppress and Crush and it be sure to prevail But if it be once contradicted with true