light of Christ in thee to meddle with other mens matters and so give way to the adulterated spirit in thee that is adulterated from the Lord and so the feet abides not in the house but followeth after that which entreth forth after that which saith Lo here and lo there and so mindeth not the Prisoner vvithin thee vvhich groaneth for deliverance and cries for vengeance upon the head of the vvicked one in thee vvhich bears rule and leadeth thee from obedience of what is made manifest to thee by the Light of Christ to go forth feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge where thou wouldst be as God knowing good and evill But to that in thy conscience do I speak thou knowest enough already to be thy condemnation for the Light of Christ is come into the worldly heart which sheweth thee sin and evill and wickedness is thy condemnation because thou lovest thy own unfruitfull works rather than the Light which sheweth thee it therefore saith the Lord the people have chosen their own ways and delighting themselves in acting that which was not good and have gone a whoring after their own inventions and will have none of me but casts my Law behind their backs and rejects my counsell and abhor my correction and receive not the fear of the Lord although I have sent my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them to cry in the streets the chief places at Concourse at the entring in of the Gates and in the high places saying unto all O do not this abominable thing which I hate and this voice doth also call in thee saying this is the way walk in it when thou art turning to the right hand or to the left and yet the Lord hath long waited to be gracious and to heal thy back-slidings and love thee freely but thou turnest to him thy back and not thy face O ye rebellious children How long will you delight your selves in mischie and how long wil you walk in a way that is not good How long wil you hold the truth of God in unrighteousness O people will you nor be made clean When shall it once be How long wil you follow after the false Teachers that are gone forth from Christ the Light the Truth into the world who have eyes full of Adultery with the Spirit that is adulterated from the Lord Hearts have they exercised with covetous practises and such that are greedy after the error of Balaam for rewards These are they that cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 but have a form without the power and from such turn away and mind the light of Christ the true teacher the true Light that sheweth sin evill when no man can accuse thee yet the Light will then condemn thy unjust practises and check thee in secret for swearing lying cozening and the like this is the Grace of God which appeareth unto all men which teacheth to deny all Vngodliness and worldly lusts which all they that are Christs have crucified with the affections who are become dead unto sin and alive unto righteousness and then how can these that are dead unto sin live any longer therein for the wages of sin are death and he that committeth sin is the servant of sin and whilest we were with you committing sin we were free from righteousness but being now made free from Sin by the clensing of his Blood we became the Servants of righteousness Therefore all you that are yet the servants of Corruption mind your condition his secvants you arâ— to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of righteousness unto life and not one of you can serve two Masters therefore be no longer decâ—iued God will not be mocked any longer by you if you continue sowing to the flesh thou shalt as certainly of the flesh reap Corruption therefore all ye that are readerâ— and not observers and hearers of the Word and not doers you are all deceived Iam. 1 2â— the swearer lyar drunkard hater proud covetous aâ—d scorner are deceived already none of all these ever comes to enter into the Kingdom of God until he be brought out of their deceit wherewith the Serpent hath deceived all the Children of wrath for no unclean thing ever enters into the Kingdome of God which is righteousness and joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost And all you that are condemning those that persecuted the Prophets and imprisoned them and you that are condemning those for persecuting imprisoning and crucifying Christ and his Apostles and are saying if you had been in the dayes of your forefathers you would not have persecuted the Saints as they did and yet in the mean time you your selves are in the same nature as they were and the Works of your fathers that sâ—…vv the Prophets you vvill do for this day are you persecuting the righteous Seed that ever suffered under your Generation prisons Stocks Dâ—ngeons yea death it self Therefore hear and consider Did ever the servants of Iesus Christ cause any to be imprisoned Or did they ever strike stone hate or revile any Did they ever make use of any Nationall law made by the will of man to ensnare any Or ever havvle any before earthly Magistrates Therefore consider you that are laying snares for the innocent and are havvling them to prison that cannot bovv to Hamans nature nor yours that Heathenish custome of putting off the Hat and that cannot svvear but abide in the Doctrine of Christ Mat. 5.33,34 And them that do not break the lavvs of God or man are dayly cast into prison and great sums of Money imposed upon them by the Wil of proud man Are not the great men of the earth taking counsell against the Lord and against his Annointed Is not Pilate and Herod agreed to crucifie Christ in his Members Are not the chiefe Priests and Rulers joyning together novv as they did Act. 24. Are not many moved vvith envy Are not the rulers novv seeking for somthing against those they can finde nothing vvorthie of death or of bonds like that of Act. 25.25,26 Is there not like tumult raised by the svvearing rude Multitude as vvas Act. 17.5 Are not many saying as they did of Christ one said he is a good man the other said nay but he deceiveth the people Iohn 7.12 Are not the great ones of the earth sometimes saying now as a certain Orator said of Paul that was not made a Minister by the will of man that he was a Pestilent fellow a mover of Sedition and a Ring-leader of the Sect of Nazarites Act. 24.5 Are there not many Hamans now that would have the true Mordecaies to bow to them and because they wil not all their glory in the world availeth them nothing and therefore are ever saying of those who are Jews indeed as it is said of the Jews East 3. that they are a certain up-start-people scattered abroad which regards not the Kings laws neither are they for the Kings profit And would
put his hand to which was scandalous against the Magistrates of the town and he said he put his hand to a paper which was no scandall but truth and he was there ready to prove it to be true and then for that time he was put by and the next morning about the ninth hour he was then called again and then they read an Indictment against him for setting his hand to a paper which they said was maliciously against the Magistrates and asked him if he owned it and he said all malice and spight I deny but for the printed paper he owned it to be true and was there ready to prove it and Robert Atkins said we conceive it to be scandalous and would not suffer him to call his Witnesses and said We must proceed to fine and so fined him 20. l. The 14th Day of October being the first day of the Week there vvas a meeting at Captain Edward Pitwaye's house in the morning and there vvere tvvo of our friends coming to the meeting and as they passed by the Goale they looked in at the the Goal hole and spake to the prisoners and before they had stayed half a quarter of an hour there came the Mayor and put them in prison and said they should go into the prison right or vvrong and in the afternoon Edward Young the Mayor came to our meeting before the Goal vvhere our friend Humphrey Smith spake out of the Goal-hole and the Mayor came and laid violent hands of many of our friends and sent them avvay to prison and several Country people he set in the Stocks although vve vvere all peaceable and not a man did give him or his Constables that vvas vvith him a vvord that vvas uncivill but desired that vve might be peaceable in our meeting but the Mayor vvas very outragious and one he did kick and another he did lay hands on and said he had almost forgotten the civil Gentleman and so sent him to prison and did put our friend Humphrey Smith and the rest that were in the Main-Goal into the Dungeon and said we should not see his face again it may be this twelve months except he had order from above to take him out and some Women he laid hands on and plucked them and said if he had a prison for them they should go to Prison TO all the Heads and Rulers of this Nation and Great men and Rich men who would have the haâ—… put off to you and would have your persons respected which is contrary to the Law of God for he that respecteth persons committeth sin and he is a transgressor of the Law of God and you that say authority commands it and would have your persons respected you that do so commit sin and would have others to commit sin and so to transgress the Law of â—od and to depart from the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which is without respect of persons which faith is held in a pure conscience which all who respect persons acts contrary to that which doth convince them and casts the Law of God behind their backs and are reprobates concerning the Faith of our Lord Jesus When Haman would have had Mordicai to have bowed to him when he could not disobey the Law of God Haman might say he disobeyed and was not subject to authority as you do now when men stands patiently by you which say authority commands it to put off the hat who would have the creature worshipped more than the Creator upon such the judgements of God comes as you may read Rom 1â— And as the three Children could not bow to the Image which Nebuchadnezar had set up they might say they disobeyed authority and was not subject to authority as you may do now because men do not off their hats in your Sessions and Courts and so they come to be fined which there is no example for in all the Law of God but it is a judge upon all that respect persons to which the soul must be subject And all who follows the lusts acts contrary to the Light which doth convince there that is let in which wars against the soul he that makes Laws and acts in that nature and with it which follows the lusts and sets up that which waâ—s against the soul which the soul cannot be subiect to but to the higher power that which answers the Law of God and the higher power is that which doth convince which the soul must be subiect to and not to mans will neither to that which is made in it nor to that which doth command for the cross is to it and so all you which would have hats put off to you seeing there is not one example among all the heathenish Kings or rulers as you read in all the Scriptures and all you who hath doth profess the Scripture to be your rule search it throughout and see if you can find any example in it that ever any that were rulers for God that commanded any to put off their hats to them and if you cannot you may see you are grown higher in iniquity pride and ambition than them all Nebuchadnezar lost his Kingdome Haman Pharoah destroyed who oppressed the seed of God And beware all ye that scoff scorn persecute the righteous seed of God the power of God is the same now that it vvas then to throvv you dovvn and that of God in all consciences shall ansvver it And you vvho profess your selves Christians and Christian Magistrates and the Scriptures to be your rule search it and see if you can find any example among all the Saints of God or any of the Christian Magistrates that did beare rule for God command any to put of their hats to them Did ever Moses Ioshua or Iephtha Solomon or Hezekiah vvho vvere Iudges and Kings in Israel command any to put off their hats that came before them Or did any of these imprison them if they did not or ever Pharoah Herod Pilate Darius or Foelex or any of the heathenish Kings or Governours command any to put off their hats that came before them or fine them or imprison them if they did not now seeing none of these commanded any to do it what can you plead for it but your own wills and beware how you make that your Law as you will answer it for you must all give an account to the just God of heaven and earth who will tender to every man according to his works without respect of persons From the Lord I warn you and to the Light in all consciences I speak that with it you may see the same nature ruling in you that ruled in Haman who would have had Mordecai to have bowed down to have satisfied his will which he would not do though the King had commanded it and he was justified by God in not doing of it and Haman who would have been honoured brought to shame and confusion Read East 2.7 10. Therefore all
ye Rulers fear the living God and give over persecuting the Saints which cannot respect your persons for Conscience sake for the Lord God of Heaven and Earth wil be avenged of all his Adversaries and upon all the oppressors of his own people that would make them transgress the righteous Law of God which respects no mans person and you that do so are enemies to God and so denies the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which is without respect of persons Iam. 2. With the Light of Christ you are all seen and with the Light you are to be condemned you that act contrary to it for this is the condemnation the Light saith Christ as you may read Iohn 3.19,20,21 Iohn 1.9 AND now all you that are called Magistrates in Evesham who are yet in the murderous nature hating persecuting and reviling the innocent whom you cannot iustly accuse this have I written that you may look back and be ashamed of all your former filthy actions which have been contrary to all that ever ruled for God therefore now minde that of God in your Consciences which will witness for me and iudge and condemn your unjust actings which have been contrary to the righteous Law of God in your heart and also to all the Laws in the nation and thou George Kemp when thou didst examine us these or the like words I then spake now write to thee that thou or any other to show if they can what Law I or Thomas Cartwright had transgressed or who we had harmed or what uncivill carriage words or actions we had offered to any man yet a Constable came and took us before them called Magistrates who having notice that we that are called Quakers would not swear nor put off our hats to worship the Beast in any man but use plainness of speech to all by which we are made a prey of so are many ensnared when there is no other way found out to intangle them that cannot bow to your generation that are found fighters against the Lord. And thou Robert Atkins Recorder and the rest that joyned and sate with thee at the Assizes in the persecuting of the Saints even of those that have alwayes had their outward habitations in the same town and none of you nor any other adversaries could then charge them with any thing of transgression or evill behaviour towards any yet you fined many and sent them to prison and fined them in sums of money for coming before you with their hats on and declaring against your filthy actions in a printed paper wherein your former actions are truly declared as fiftie of us can witness and that in your own consciences may witness the same Now are you made manifest and seen in the Light and declared to all the simple to be such who are out of the counsell of God acting in your own wills to your own shame are these your actions the fruits of your Ministry you are upholding do you thus requite the Lord for his Deliverance from the outward Sword Are you now leading into Captivity and set wholly to persecute and to delight your selves in mischief Now hear and consider all ye rulers of the earth that set your selves in battel against the Lord Thus in the day of his power wherein he is arising yea the Lord of Hosts is risen to take vengeance against â—u his enemies and to break you all like a Potters Vessel yea the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is kindled which burns all the day and his jealousie is waxed hot against you and his wrath you shall not escape the day of the wrath of the Almighty is at hand wherein he is raining and will rain snares upon the wicked dayly and the wicked shall be taken in their own craftiness and shal howle and lament for all your abomination for the Lord is coming a swift witness against all proud lofty and scornful persecutors who live in covetous practises whoredomes and the like Wo unto them that take counsell but not of me saith the Lord Wo unto you that go down to Egypt for help Wo unto you that decree unrighteous decrees Wo unto you that lay snares for the innocent the judgements of the living God are your portions for ever if you repent not speedily Oh! repent repent return return before it be too late that you may not all utterly be destroyed for ever for by you the just upright man is laughed to scorn and judgement is turned away backwards and justice standeth afar off truth falleth in the Streets and equity cannot enter and he that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey but the Lord loveth the righteous and he knoweth the wicked afar off for on them he will rain snares fire and brimstone and horrible tempests this shall be the portion of your cup Wo unto you that call evill good and good evill that put darkness for Light and Light for darkness Wo unto you that are wise in your own eyes and prudent in your own sight Wo unto you that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to pour down strong drink which justifie the wicked for rewards and cast the innocent into holes as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so your Root shall be rottenness and your blossome fade as the dust because you have cast the Law of the Lord behinde your back yea the Lord will render to every one of you in one day according to the evill of your heart and what measure you have measured to us shal be measured to you again and the Lord in his good time he wil deliver us out of the hands of the wicked and unreasonable men which make a man an offender for a word and the time will come when you shall know that you have been fighters against God and have been persecutors of the righteous seed of God which are in scorn called Quakers Therefore all people both Judges and Rulers high and low while you have time prise it and repent from all your dead works and serve the living God now in this the day of your visitation for there is no darkness nor shadow of death where you workers of iniquity may hide your selves from the presence of our God who is a consuming fire before whom all his enemies shall vanish like smoak and howle because of the torment that is coming upon all that are found in Babell out of which the Lord hath called many of us up into the Marriage of the Lamb where vve rejoyce over Babylon that is fallen and all that are found in her from vvhom vve are delivered to offer up praises and honour and obedience unto the living God of povver vvho sitteth on the Throne To him be given glory and honour for ever and ever Rev. 19.1,2,3,4,5 and the 18.20 NOvv a word in love to all people to warn you every one to minde your own condition and cease from the busie mind that goeth forth from the