not many Hamans in England give large Money if they might prevail to have the righteous cut off for ever out of the Nation as it was East 3. Nay are not you more blind and worse persecutors than they were either in the dayes of the prophets or Apostles who then spake the word of the Lord as they were moved from the mouth of the Lord 2 Pet. 1.21 and they had not a Scripture to prove it by yet you blame them that cast them into Prison Now we speak plain Scripture and write plain Scripture which you say is your Rule and we speak nothing neither do we act or uphold any thing but what is declared by plain Scripture yet are imprisoned therefore Are you not worse than your forefathers Now Daniel was put in the Den because say they he hath broke the Kings command in praying Dan. 6. But I was put in the Dungeon and there kept ten dayes onely for praying and making supplications to the living God and in it I did not break any Nationall Law therefore are ye not worse than your fathers Again they might have charged Paul with preaching contrarie to the Scriptures for he saith if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 and yet Circumcision was a command of God to last in Israel for ever Gen. 17.13,14 and Christ himself was circumcised yet the outward circumcision Paul preached against therefore Paul was persecuted but we now having so far a Declaration written Luk. 11. from those holy men of God who spoke forth the Scripture from the same Spirit Christ the Light of the world that was before the world was in which Enoch walked with God Noah preached and obeyed Arbaham believed before the Scripture was in the which Moses the man of God saw and writ the creation that was many hundred years before his naturall birth in the same the Prophets stood and prophesied of Christ to be the Light of the Gentiles and of them that sit in darkness Isa 4â— 6 9.1 who came to fulfil that which was spoken of him by the Prophets from the same light and life which dwelt in him Col. 1.19 in the which the Apostles preached in which we also preach repentance to the world as Christ the Light of the world did Mat. 4,17 Mark 1. Luk. 3 4. And we say from the same spirit unto the righteous it shall go well with them Isa 3.10,11 Mal 3 18 which is according to the Scripture and so we speak the truth of God which your selves holds forth in words but you live in untighteousness Rom 4 18 Therefore all people leave off your wickedness and turn to the living God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son Rom. 5. the light of the world which world is set in mans heart Eccles 3 11. of which Christ is the inlightner the which whoso followeth shall not walk in darkness but shal have the light of life Iohn 8 12 Now why wil you love the unfruitful works of darkness why wil you go on in your wickedness Do you not know that the wicked shal do wickedly and none of the wicked shal escape and that the unrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 6 9 and that the Lord wil in no wise acquit the wicked Exod 34 1 but wil wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in iniquity Psa 69.21 Now in the light of Christ thou mayst read thy portion with the wicked which shall be turned into hell as they that forget God and cast his righteous Law behind their backs and trample the blood of the innocent under their feet and turn the grace of God into wantonness foolish jesting corrupt communication vain jangling idle words the foolish heart being ful of laughter it is the sport of a fool to do mischief the God of the world having blinded the eye the Prince of the power of the ayr beareth rule in all the children of disobedience Therefore all ye slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets and Apostles have said you foolish people without understanding that have eyes but see not and ears that hear not fear ye not mee saith the Lord wil you not tremble at my presence Ier. 5.21,22 which is terrible unto all the workers of iniquity who are now committing iniquity with greediness drinking it downe as the Oxe drinketh water heaping up wrath against the day of wrath and righteous judgments of God which are now revealing from heaven upon all manner of unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. wherein in this day of the revelation of Iesus Christ all that do wickedly shal be as stubble before him that sits as a Refiners fire Mat. 3.2,3 and is coming a swift witness against his Adversaries therefore all people consider your wayes see what you are a doing for none can escape the wrath at hand whither can you go whither can you fly where can you hide your selves from the presence of the Lord who is come to call for an account for every idle word all unrighteousness is sin that which he will not suffer to go unpunished therefore whilest you are called to day Oh! harden not your hearts any longer let not your words be â—…out against the Lord any more let the wicked forsake his ways and own the light of Iesus Christ while it now shineth least the Lord cause darkness and thy feet stumble for ever at the dark mountains Ier 13.16 and so thou come â—o be for ever shut ouâ— into utter darkness where there is no recovery therefore give ear a little hear and thy soul shal live Despise not the day of thy visitation hear for wisdome cries and understanding puts forth her voice yea she speaketh excellent things Prov. 8 Oh ye simple turn you in hither and yee fools be ye of an understanding heart why wil yee die Oh ye house of Israel seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth turn yee again and ye shal live go on and yee shal dye the death eternally Therefore if thou hast any love to thy own soule that is more worth then the whole world mind thy condition flatter thy self no longer between God and Mammon thou canst not serve two Masters while thou servest thy own will which is above the Cross thou art contrary to the fathers wil which is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Iesus who is the Saviour of the soul and the testimony of Iesus is thâ— spirit of prophesy Rev. 19.10 which sheweth things to come Iohn 16 13. whereby the secrets of the Lord are revealed to us that fear him Amos 3.7 Psa 25.14 and the minde of Christ comes to be knownâ— 1 Cor. 2.16 unto the spiritual man that judgeth all things buâ— he himself is judged of no man 1. Cor. 2.15 for Christ the sonne oâ— righteousness is raised up in him Mal. 4.2 where the son bears rule unto whom all judgment is committed Ioh. 5.22 by whom now the Saints do judg the world 1 Cor. 6.2,3 that keepeth in wickedness therefore I witness against all the world that the works thereof are evil Io 1 1 fer in the world the dogs and the euil workers are who are all disc ouered in the light of Christ From them that are prisoners for the truth that are by the dark world called Quakers whose names in the flesh are Humprey Smith and Thomas Woodrove FJNJS
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
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