7 8 14 15. And have not many or most of these Wickednesses been acted amongst many of you the Rulers Magistrates of ENGLAND and the Dominions thereunto belonging And have not many devised Mischief and Oppression against an Innocent People that have done no wrong nor harm to any of you nor to the Nation in general but have sought the good and everlasting Wellfare of the Sons and Daughters of Men every where And have not cruel Laws been made against them And have they not been with many other Laws which were never made or intended against us executed upon us with Cruelty and Severity though the breach of no just Law can be charged upon us to the Ruin Spoiling and exposing many Families to Poverty which were capable of relieving and assisting others And are not these Cruelties and Unrighteous Practices upheld and continued So that at this very day many undergo great Hardships Abuses and cruel Usages for no other Cause that can justly be laid to their Charge than for keeping their Consciences clear in the sight of God for Worshipping him according to his holy Requirings and for reproving sin in the Gate and crying to People To leave off their Wickedness Pride Drunkenness Whoredoms Cursing and Swearing with many other gross Abominations which abound too much among many both Rulers Priests and People for which God Almighty is angry with this Nation and will bring his dreadful Judgments on all those that continue therein And the Cry that hath run through many in this day to Rulers Priests and People hath been To break off from the above-mentioned Evils by true Repentance and by Amendment of their Lives and Conversations while the day of Mercy lasteth to them and to fear the living God that they might serve him in Truth and Righteousness And this is that which we have sought or desired even to see this Change wrought in all in our Labours and Travails for which we have this Reward of Oppression Cruelty Spoiling of Goods and Imprisonments with many other great Inhumane and Unchristian-like Abuses which our innocent Sufferings for many years and unto this very day which at this time is very great may plainly shew Though alwayes without any Just cause given on our parts for none can justly charge us with Plotting and Contriving Rebellion or Insurrections against the KING or the GOVERNMENT or Peace of the Nation But we have always sought the good and everlasting Happiness of all yea of our Enemies themselves though many times Shamefully abused by them both in Body and Goods and the good and wellfare of the Rulers and Magistrates of England though many of you have imprisoned many of us time after time some in Nasty Holes till Death and others to the Ruining of their Familes as to outward things because they could not wrong nor offer violence to their own Consciences And when Authority hath been given to Wicked Ungodly Prophane and Unreasonable men to make Spoil of their â—oods who were sure to have one part of the Spoil themselves they have not only made Havock and great Spoil thereof but have taken liberty if they had not Power given them grosly to abuse their Bodies also by hailing and beating them c. And all these Vnrighteous Vnjust Dealings and Proceedings have been patiently born only a cry hath been in our hearts to the Lord That he would open their Vnderstandings and let them see what they were doing that so they might repent and â—ind mercy with God without seeking Revenge as knowing Vengeance is the Lords and he will repay committing our Cause to God who will plead the Cause of the innocent And that this has been our Practice it is not unknown to many of you So I desire you Magistrates who have been most concerned in persecuting of us may consider those Cruelties and Oppressions which have been inflicted upon us and how there hath been no just Cause on our parts for it For what PLOTS have we contrived What Disturbance have we made to the Government Have we not always been an innocent suffering People Look back at our Lives and Conversations ever since we were a People in scorn called Quakers and at our Carriage and Behaviour towards all men And also take a view of your dealings with us and what hath been inflicted upon us and you may see whether we have justly deserved it by any Evil that we have done I am sure if some look back with an impartial Eye they will have cause to be ashamed of their Dealings and Proceedings against us who have made us as objects on whom they have executed their Cruelty and Oppression And also take a view of your doings and see whether many of you are not found too much in the steps of those of old whom the Prophet of the Lord cryed out against saying Hear I pray you O Heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the House of Israel Is it not for you to know Judgment who hate the good and love the evil who pluck off their skins from off them and their flesh from off their Bones Who also eat the flesh of my People and flay their skins from off them and they broak their Bones and chop them in pieces as flesh for the Caldron Micah 3. 1 2 3. And the Judgment threatned which was just upon them for their Wickedness Cruelty and Oppression which was inflicted on his People by them without any bowels of mercy was on this wise Then shall they Cry unto the Lord but he will not hear them he will even hide his face from them at that time as they behaved themselves ill in their doings vers 4. Again the Prophet saith But truly I am full of Power by the Spirit of the Lord and of Judgment and of Might to declare unto Jacob his Transgressions and to Israel his sins Hear this I pray you ye Heads of the house of Jacob and ye Princes of the House of Israel that abhor Judgment and pervert all Equity that build up Zion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests teach for Hire c yet will they lean upon the Lord and say as many are saying now is not the Lord amongst us No Evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a Field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the Forrest vers 8 9 10 11 12. And as the Lord was angry with that Generation for those Evils that abounded amongst them even so is he angry with this Nation because Iniquity and Transgression abounds and love to Righteousness Equity and Justice and to them that live therein waxeth cold in many who make a Profession of God and Godliness But behold the Lord hath looked down from Heaven and hath beheld the Iniquities of many to be of a Scarlet and Crimson dye and hath also beheld the great Oppression of his People and the
Conscience from death and dead works to serve the living God in newness and purity of a Holy Life And now Oh that you all may be willing to take that good Counsel which was given by the Lord to a People of Old when he said by the Mouth of his Prophet Wash you make you clean put away from before me the Evil of your doings cease to do Evil and learn to do Well seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widdow Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wool If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land c. Isa 1. 16 17 18 19. These are the precious Promises of God to all who are willing to forsake the Evil of their doings and to turn to him with all their Hearts who desires not the death or destruction of any but rather that they may Repent and live And again the good Counsel and Advice of the holy Apostle ought to be minded and observed by you all which is on this wise Cleanse your Hands ye Sinners purifie your Hearts ye Double-minded be Afflicted and Mourn and Weep Let your Laughter be turned into Mourning and your Joy into Heaviness Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up James 4. 8 9 10. And unless you thus humble your selves under the mighty Hand of God and turn to the Lord and forsake your sinful Wayes and evil Courses and wait to know a being washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth from all Sin that is the Fountain of God's free and great Love opened unto all Mankind you can never come to have a place in the Rest which God hath prepared nor in that Kingdom of eternal Glory which remains sure to the Righteous forever Now the Lord knows who searches the Hearts and tryeth the Reigns of all from whose all-seeing Eye nothing can be hid that I labour for and seek nothing more than your turning to the Lord with broken tender and penitent Hearts that you may find Mercy with God to your immortal Souls and that while you have dayes here in this world you may so live in his Fear Wisdom and Counsel as that when-ever your latter end cometh and Death looks you in the Face and summons you before the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth you may lay down your Heads and go to your Graves in Peace with God and in a full assurance of a Habitation in that Eternal Joy where no Sorrow nor Sighing shall ever come These are the Desires and earnest Breathings of him whose Soul hath often been wounded and his Spirit grieved in the hearing and beholding the Wickedness and Abominations which have abounded and yet do abound amongst many unto this very day and also hath mourned and been bowed before the Lord in the sight and sence of that dreadful Day which will certainly overtake and come upon all those who continue in their Wickedness and Rebellion against God W. B. A VVarning to the Rulers and Magistrates c. ANd now all ye Rulers Magistrates and Men in Authority in ENGLAND and the Dominions thereunto belonging the Lord God of Heaven and Earth in whom Power and Authority remains forever To pull down and set up whomsoever he pleaseth is highly displeased with many of you not exempting the Wicked and Oppressive Rulers through the whole World because you have not feared before his eternal Power and Majesty by whom the Life Breath and Beeing of all Mankind and every living Creature is continued who can take it away and bring the highest and loftiest of Mortal Men to the Dust from whence they come at his Pleasure Neither have you waited to receive Wisdom and Counsel from him the great Counsellour to act and to discharge your selves as you ought to have done in so great Affairs and weighty Concerns as you have undertaken which if you had done ye would have encouraged Virtue and Righteousness in all and punished Vice and Wickedness where-ever it appeared and have been a Terror to Evil-doers and a Praise to them that were found doing Well and so would have eased the Oppressed by breaking the Bonds of Oppression and executed Justice and Equity in the Earth and thereby Truth and Holiness Purity and Righteousness would have been exalted among you and this would have brought Peace and lasting Satisfaction into your own Hearts and Joy and Tranquillity to the Nation in general But have not many of you done and acted to the contrary For instead of punishing Debauchery and Wickedness viz. Swearing Cursing Drunkenness Whoredoms Looseness and Prophanness in others which you ought to have done and to have been good Examples of Purity and Holiness in your Lives and Conversations to all are not many of you your selves living and taking delight and pleasure in the above-mentioned Evils and gross Abominations for which God the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth who will not be byassed with Rewards will punish with everlasting Pain and eternal Flames if there be a continuing in them And many of you by your bad Lives and Conversations others having taken you for Examples have you not encouraged them in their Wickedness Is not that the cause which maketh Ungodliness abound as it doth among many at this day to the grief and sorrow of many who have truly desired to see the Current of Iniquity stopt And whether have you set up Judgment and Justice as you ought to have done Or executed it upon the Transgressors or eased the Oppressed or broken the Bonds of Oppression and have been a Terror to the Evil-doers and Encouragers of them that do Well But have not many of you punished and oppressed the Innocent and have executed your Cruelty upon them and have let the Transgressors and the Wicked go free And So are not Such found in the Steps of those against whom the Prophet of the Lord cryed out of old Saying Your Hands are defiled with Blood your Fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lyes your Tongues muttred Perverseness none calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lyes They conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity Their works are works of Iniquity The act of Violence is in their hands Their feet run to Evil They make haste to shed Innocent Blood Wasting and Destruction are in their Paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no Judgment in their goings They have made them Crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace and Judgment is turned away backward and Justice standeth a far off for Truth is fallen in the streets and Equity cannot enter yea Truth falleth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey And the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgment Isa 59. 3 4 6
the Land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord God because even because they have seduced my People saying Peace and there was no Peace And one built up a Wall and lo others daubed it with untempered Morter Ezek. 13. 3 4 6 7 8 9 10. Again the Lord cryed out by his Prophet saying Son of man prophecy against the Prophets of Israel prophecy and say unto them Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds Wo be to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves Should not the Shepherds feed the Flock Ye eat the Eat and ye clothe you with the Wool ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the Flock The diseased have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have you brought again that which was driven away neitheir have ye sought that which was lost but with Force and with Cruelty have ye ruled them c. Therefore O ye Shepherds hear the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against the Shepherds and will require the Flock at their Hands Ezek. 34. 2 3 4 9 10. Again the Lord cryeth out on this wife by another of his Prophets For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly They have healed also the hurt of the Daughter of my People slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among them that fall at the time that I shall visit them they shall be cast down saith the Lord Jer. 6. 13 14 15. And again another of the Prophets of the Lord cryed out on this wise Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their Mouthes they even prepare War against him Therefore Night shall be upon you that you shall not have a Vision and it shall be dark over you that you shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the Day shall be dark over them then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Monâ—y Mich. 3. 5 6 7 11. And are not you the Clergy of ENGLAND and the Dominions thereunto belonging highly guilty of most if not all these great Evils and Abominations which the false Prophets of Old were guilty of for which the true Prophets cryed out against them For have you not run when the Lord never sent you Though most of you have not run very far it hath but been to augment your Wages and to get fater Benefices So we find that filthy Lucre has been your greatest inducement in your Runnings for it hath been for that many of you have run from one place to another and have taken upon you to speak in the Name of the Lord though he never gave you Commission so to do and therefore you have not profited the People at all For notwithstanding all your Preaching to the People how does Iniquity abound and Transgression encrease amongst them Don't you hear with your Ears the horrible Crys Oaths and dreadful Cursings and Damnings which make the Land mourn Don't you see with your Eyes the Prophaneness Drunkenness Looseness and almost all manner of Wickedness and Debauchery which encreaseth amongst many of your Hearers And are not many of you your selves who should be Examples of better things living and taking Pleasure therein Yea I am sure many who live near the Fountains from whence you spring and where you learn your Arts and Sciences have too much cause to affirm it to your shame who daily hear and see to their great grief and sorrow of Heart that almost all manner of Ungodliness Debauchery and Uncleanness abounds amongst many of you in these places and not only in these places but also in many other places where you come Let but People observe your Lives and Conversations and see whether many of you who pretend to be Leaders and Teachers of others but let all People consider whither such can lead them it s but into the broad way the end whereof is eternal Misery Therefore let all People leave off following those Leaders who are such bad Examples to their Followers are not highly guilty of the before-mentioned Abominations and so are not Examples of Righteousness and Purity but of Wickedness and Prophaneness to your Hearers for which the Anger of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is kindled and nigh to break sorth upon you like a devouring Fire and if you Repent not speedily will consume you Root and Branch And are you not bearing Rule by your Means and endeavouring to make the People love to have it so and by Force and Cruelty oppressing and persecuting those who cannot for Conscience sake own you to be the true Ministers of Christ nor put into your Mouthes like those the true Prophets of the Lord cryed out against Read Isa 56. 10 11 12. And are you not seeking your Gain from your Quarters and minding the Fleece more than the Flock And don't you Preach for Hire and Divine for Money Yea Are you not selling both your Sermons and your Prayers for Money And so are doing contrary to the command of Christ to his Ministers and Messengers when he sent them forth as Lambs among Wolves to preach the Gospel of Glad-tidings to the People who said Freely you have received freely give Let your Doings testifie against you that you are not in the steps of the Disciples of Christ but are in the steps of Simon Magus or worse than he who would have bought the Gift of God for Money But you sell your own Divinations under a pretence of the Gift of God for Money And if his Practice was condemnable how can yours be justifiable So that which was said to him by the holy Apostle Peter may justly be said to you You have neither Part nor Lot in this matter for your Hearts are not right in the sight of God and you are seen to be in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Neither do we yet find or understand that you have yet repented of your Wickedness so much as he did of his for instead of Repenting are you not going on and endeavouring to obtain your Covetous Ends and are giving Flattering Titles to many and having mens Persons in Admiration for your own advantage self-ends and are crying Peace to many in such a State and Condition as the Lord never spoke Peace to any in And so are manifest to be like those that cry Peace Peace when suddain Destruction and Misery is at hand And you have