direct thee in all things and thy immortal soul will be satisfied with the bread that cometh down from heaven which the Father giveth and the Covenant of God and the mercies of David that are sure will be revealed and his promise fulfilled in thee and life and immortality brought to light through the Gospel which is the power of God which destroyes and puts off and confounds the first man and his knowledge and wisdom and his sin and righteousness all which is in transgression against the life of God and the Gospel the power of God being received it will raise up the seed of God in thee and bring thee to know the second Adam the image of the Father which the Devil hath nothing in but he overcomes the Devil who hath been the Lamb slain by transgression since the foundation of the world and he it is that comes out of death that must take away thy sin and destroy it and cover thy nakedness and create thee a new and give thee acceptance in the Father whereby thy soul in him may be refreshed and a habitation in him thou maist have when this world is no more and for this thou oughtest to wait above all things And friend thou hast need of the Wisdom of God which is from heaven to guide thee in all thy affairs that by it thou may be preserved from the will of thine enemies and from all that hate thee that their eye may be blinded that watch for evil and their wisdom and policy confounded and brought to nought that hatches mischief against thee so feel a measure of the Wisdom of God in thee to guide thee in dread and Authority and thy enemies will be afraid for to walk in the fear of the Lord and in his Wisdom and Authority in Justice truth and righteousness that will make thee a greater terrour unto thy enemies then all worldly policy and craft the Nations will over reach thee if thy strength be there and if Judgement Justice and Righteousness be neglected by thee how should the Lord honour thee and defend thee nay he will bring dishonour and give thee into the will of thy enemies for want of truth and just Judgement causeth a Land to mourn and her People to sit as a widow comfortless wherefore love Judgement truth and righteousness and walk therein and thou wilt leave a praise behind thee and a witness to other Ages that thou hast served the Lord in thy generation and then thy memorial shall never die nor thy name come into reproach among the heathen wherefore let all oppression be removed and let the just go free and let Judgement and righteousness run down and be thou a praise and a blessing to all that do well and a rerrour and a dread to all the contrary arise and stand up for the Lord and he will give thee strength and victory and will make thy horn as Iron and thy hoof as brass to push down down and tread under the high places of Idolatry in all the Apostatized Churches both Papists and others out of the life of the Apostles and as thou comes into the life the Apostles were in then thou wilt see and fathome over all this Profession of Christ and all these Churches that are without the life of Christ which is come up in the Apostacy and as the life of God ariseth in thee thou wilt see who the false Prophets are and deceivers which Christ prophesied of should come and Iohn saw were come in his dayes which hath over-spread the Nations and these are they which hath the sheeps cloathing upon them but inwardly they are ravening Wolves and such are they that will flatter thee for great Benefits and places and large maintenance they have Christs words and the Apostles words the sheeps cloathing but they that put not into their mouthes they will prepare War against them and raven upon them cast their bodies into prison or spoil their goods and wilt thou bring thy name into dishonour to all the Saints upon earth by defending of these in their evil wayes thou oughtest not to do it nor to suffer the innocent to be troden down and destroyed for denying such and witnessing against them that are out of the life of Christ and a great overthrow will the Lord make among those Teachers and such a Ministry that need to be defended by carnal weapons and by stockes and prisons for such Teachers and Ministry is not of Christ as is manifest and as People have been scattered after them for ages so they shall again be gathered from them by the spirit to follow the Lamb whethersoever he goes And take heed these Teachers come not too near thee neither put confidence in them for their hearts are not right before the Lord and they will flatter thee while they hatch evil against thee but stand over them in the Dominion of God and if they sow spiritual things let them reap carnal by a free gift and if they have flocks let them eat of the milk freely given them and if they have planted any thing let them eat the fruit as it comes freely and be not thou combered about maintaining Ministers but free thy self of that burthen neither suffer innocent men to be troden down and destroyed in their persons and estates about the maintaining of such Teachers which is become the grievousest oppression in the Nation And as concerning thy family thou hast need of Gods wisdom to guide thee that thou mayest Rule in Gods Authority over all light loose proud wanton ungodly and deceitful persons take heed of such spirits for they will be a temptation to thee to draw thee into evil and into the world out from God let no such be thy companions nor remain in thy house lest they betray thee with flatteries and honour which perisheth and such professe much love and great duty in words yet they being out of the fear of the Lord cannot be blessed unto thee in their service wherefore love such men and let them be thy companions that fear the Lord and that are solid and sober and upright such as may be good examples before thee which will quench evil and not increase it in thee and though such appear not in flatteries towards thee nor with a double minde yet they will be faithful to thee and such will the Lord blesse unto thee and let no drunkards nor covetous evil minded persons that seeks themselves and not the Lord have place with thee for they will be a dishonour to thee and bring the curse into thy family and love such as makes conscience of their words ways and be not an oppressor of the tender conscience of any but let the Lord be Ruler there both in thy self in all thy family and be of a pittiful tender mind and spirit towards strangers and all people and be kind and long suffering towards all yet let Justice reach to all transgressors and be an example to all
respect the Lord and his work and be obedient to his will singlely without any end to thy self living in the pure wisdom counsel and instruction from God then wilt thou see Gods enemies that live out of Gods wisdom power and counsel fall in their pits snare themselves fear where there is no fear slaying themselves with their envy and the power of the Lord will clear all the wicked off of thee as thou lives in it and art kept in it and this is the Word of the Lord God to thee and live in the wisdom and life of God that with it thou maist be ordered to his glory and order his creatures to his glory and be still and silent from thy own wisdom wit craft subtilty or policy that would arise in thee but stand single to the Lord without any end to thy self then God will bless thee and prosper thee in his wayes thou wilt feel his blessing in thy generation and thy mind stayed upon the Lord thou wilt be kept in perfect peace without any intent to thy self to the glory of the Lord God and there wilt thou feel no want nor a failing nor forsaking but the presence of the Lord God of life with thee for now the state of this present age is the Lord is a bringing his people into the life which the Scriptures were given forth from in which his people shall come to have unity with God with the Scriptures and one with another for their establishing is in righteousnes truth and peace in which is the Kindom of God From a lover of thy Soul and Eternal Good G. F. For the Protector FRIEND THE Salutation of my life wisheth well unto thee in the Lord and most especially that thy precious Soul may be reedeemed out of death to God and live that thou mayest have a rest and habitation in him when this world is no more Now whereas it is a general out-cry among the Teachers and people of this Nation and also is doubted and hath been sometime objected by thy self that the people called Quakers are deluded and deceived and in errour and such like and now if it be possible that thy self and and others may be resolved concerning us put therefore all thy objections and doubtings into plain positions or let the wisest of thy Teachers do it for thee and whatsoever thy self or any for thee can object against us or what thou doubtest of or stumblest at either in respect of our doctrines or practice let the matter be stated in plain words in positions or queries and if God permit a sufficient answer thou maist receive to remove all conscienceous scruples and to confound all subtile alleadgments and evasions whereby hereafter for ever thou maist be altogether inexcusable of all doubting or speaking against us or suffering evil to be done or spoken against us upon that account and this am I moved to give forth and send to thee that thou maist be satisfied and all things tried and made manifest in the sight of all men and that all rash Judgement and false supposition which lodgeth in the hearts of many may be confounded and brought to nought and let it be left off to cry out deceivers and heresie c. and causing any to suffer upon suspition thereupon but bring all things to light and true Judgement that what is proved to be the truth may be owned and not persecuted any more for we are willing to be made manifest to all men and if any thing be objected against us which may not be sufficiently answered and resolved to sober men then our enemies are more free and hath whereof to glory in against us but and if all occasions of stumbling be removed by answers according to the Scriptures and our principles practices and doctrines thereby vindicated then let all the Teachers and all our adversaries shut their mouths from biting at us and railing against us and accusing of us to thee and let thy ear be shut from believing lyes against the innocent and let none suffer in thy Dominion under the cruelty of men upon such a ground and hereof I should be glad to receive an answer and to joyn issue in this cause and in the mean time alwayes am a lover of thy Soul but a witness against all oppression E. BURROUGH This was delivered to his hands at Hampton Court in the 4th month 1658. For the Protector FRIEND Know that there is a God that doth whatsoever he will all power is in his hand and he bringeth to pass the Counsel of his own heart and he rules in the kingdoms of men bringeth down setteth up he killeth maketh alive he changeth times seasons Governments bringeth to nought the counsels of men for all power in earth and in heaven is in him and all his doings are right and his wayes are equal and thou and all mankind are as clay in the hand of the potter he can honour and exalt as he pleaseth and he can mar and break to pieces and dishonour whensoever he will wherefore be humble and low in heart before him for he is the highest power that subdueth all things under his feet if he wound who can heal and if he kill there is none can make alive and know thou it is the Lord God Almighty that doth this in whose hands are the Issues of life and death and he it is who can break thee down and build thee up who can wound thee and restore thee and bring thee to destruction and say unto thee return and to know him that doth this belongs to thy eternal peace Wherefore hearken thou to the word of the Lord that thy soul may come out of death and live and fear the Lord God before whom thy heart is naked and bare who can mould thee and change thee and fulfill his pleasure upon thee even according to his own will and who shall say what doth he and now come to consideration and let thy heart be more upright before him chuse his way and counsel that he may blesse thee and seek his face to behold his countenance that thy soul may be satisfied by his word and the milk of the word may nourish thee unto life immortal and mind his pure presence which is life even God with thee Christ the Immanuel to dwell with and walk in thee which is the promise of the Father and first come to the principle of God and feel the word of God in thy heart that will beat down the nature into which temptations enters and the word will bring thee to War against and to overcome all thy enemies which would defile thee or betray thee and it will bring thee to know a birth immortal born in thee and a Crown immortal received from God that dies not nor fades not away and then he that Rules over heaven and earth will be thy shepherd to feed thee and thy Teacher to guide thee and thy Counsellour to
moved in the bowels of pitty to lay before thee who am thy friend not in flattery but in an upright heart who wisheth well unto thee in the Lord A Friend to the Kingdom of Christ and not of this world but an heir of Immortality with the Son of God called EDWARD BURROUGH The Original of this was given to the hands of Oliver Cromwell then Protector in the third moneth of the Year 1657. For the hands of Oliver Cromwell called Protector FRIEND I am moved to write to thee from the occasion of being with thee yesterday and I take liberty from the true love and pitty stired up in my hart towards thee who am thy friend and wisheth well unto thee in the Lord even that salvation thou mayest receive and that thy way may be blessed upon earth and the fruits of the knowledge of God might more abound in thee and the fruits of ignorance lesse which doth appear which I wish might be cut off before they wholly over-grow thee and remove the blessing far from thee in this life and in the life to come and bring upon thee destruction for the fruits of all unrighteousnesse brings death sorrow and misery and the light of Christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justnesse of the judgements of the Lord Thou sayest in effect that thou wouldest not or thou desirest not our persecution or that we should be persecuted by cruelty or unjust imprisonment now consider what the cause is that what thou desirest not to be done yet is done thou having power in thy hand onely to prevent what thou wouldest not have done is it not thine own unfaithfulnesse to the principle of God in thee which beareth witnesse against the persecution of the innocent or is it that thou mayest please men and therefore rather suffers wickednesse to abound and injustice and oppression to be acted against the poor making it appear thou art willing to do the false teachers of this Nation and wicked men a pleasure then to own the people of God in relieving them and easing their cruel burthens and oppressions laid upon them by unjust men for a word of thy mouth or the shew of thy countenance in dislike of these many cruel and unjust persecutions would bind the hands of many blood-thirsty men and stop the mouths of many devourers and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulnesse doth that come to passe which thou desirest not and so I must needs say this appears to be evil in thee to say in effect thou approvest not or thou desirest not our persecution and yet it is done when the power is in thy hand to remove it and this in much love and great pains I declare unto thee in the fear and Councel of God Further thou sayest thou art not guilty of these persecutions acted unjustly upon us Again consider I say thou canst not be cleared in the sight of the Lord God from them being acted under thee and in thy name in the day of the Lord the light of Christ in thee shall answer this for there seemes to be rather a favouring of them in thee and by forbearance of the actors of cruelty by which their hands are strengthened then any dislike shewed by thee in bearing thy witnesse as thou oughtest to do against them for thou knowest of some in this City and elsewhere whom we know to be just men who suffers imprisonment and the losse of their liberties because for conscience sake they cannot swear and many others in this Nation furthering cruel things upon the like or same ground even for well doing and not for evil which oppression might be removed and their unjust sufferings taken off by thee by a word from thy mouth or pen and this makes it to appear that thou canst not be clear in the sight of God in these things because not helped by thee who hath the power to help it and this is true love I give thee to understand in the day of recompence shalt thou know the Lord will not clear thee except thou repent and ease the oppressed other things thou speakest about the light of Christ which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World with the light of life or with the light of condemnation and about the Ministry of this Nation with some other things which I had a desire to have answered if time had been seasonable and thou willing to have heard but thou shouldest not have appeared in such lightnesse especially when speaking of the things of God which did grieve the spirit of the Lord and vex the righteous soul which behaviour with some words which thou utteredst with the Light of Christ is to be condemned and which I do judge with the life of God and yet doth tender and preserve the measure of justnesse and honesty which is in thee but thou art high above the principle of God and cannot receive the teachings of the Father into that mind which is Light and unstable for the Councel of God is manifest to the meek and to the lowly but there is much in thee to be judged when thou comest to the witnesse of God in thee and as concerning the light of Christ at which thou stumblest by which every man that comes into the World is enlightened in short this I say the Light to thee is given of God and it must thou own to be thy onely teacher to receive by it from the Father and to be guided by it in all things if ever thou inherit Gods Kingdom of righteousnesse and peace and this is the word of the Lord to thee and as concerning the Ministry of England for which in part thou seems to plead thus I say in plainnesse generally it is not of God but of Anti-christ and the Lord is against it for it is the ground of the greatest oppression of the poor in its maintenance as any one particular abomination which this day is in the Nation and this is the truth from the Lord and if thou set thy self to uphold them by any law made or to make against such whom God hath raised to bear witnes against them their wayes and idolatries thou shalt fall with them into perdition and be overthrown amongst them in the just and righteous judgements and this is the word of the Lord to thee for God is risen of a truth to make war against the beast which long hath reigned and against the false prophets which hath long deceived the World and I warn thee with hold thy hand from helping them if thou mean to be preserved or blessed in thy person in thy family and in thy Armies for as I said to thee the Kingdom of Christ is setting up by his own power and all must bow and become subject thereunto he needs none of thy policie nor the strength of thy arm to advance him yet would he have thee nor to prove thy self an open enemy thereof by doing or suffering to be done cruelty and
forth the more is the Government unhappy and accursed and the sooner will the Lord overthrow it and bring it to a desolate end and therefore my Friends let this great enemy to your persons government and whole Nation to wit persecution for conscience sake be speedily removed least the anger of the Lord break forth against you and repentance be too late for this know in all ages the Lord stretched forth his hand and in his time he quickly avenged himself for his peoples sake after their innocent sufferings born by them for a season and he is the same and changeth not and the same will he bring to pass therefore I say again be awakned and let that deadly enemy be removed out of the land as you tender your own safety and honour and the glory of the Name of the Lord and his peoples peace even this very enemy to wit persecution for conscience sake for it doth and will obstruct all your good purposes at home and abroad It eats away the affections of all good people from you and it eats out your strength and valour and it consumes the weakness of all your enemies verily it is an enemy that will work your destruction speedily both in this world and in the world to come that of God in ye all shall witness me in the day of the Lord I am your Friend and these things do I write as a Friend unto you as to warn you of that secret enemy so much reigning and rebelling in this Nation which indeed may work a greater distruction upon you then any forreign invader and this in time you may witness to your grief and sorrow if something by you be not done to suppress it all health and peace I wish unto you in the Lord and thus far am I clear from the blood of you and all men come life or death EDWARD BURROUGH The several Copies of this was delivered to Oliver and his Counsel in the 12th month in the year 1657 Oh! OLIVER HAdst thou been faithful and thundred down the deceipt the Hollander had been thy subject and tributers and Germany had given up to have done thy will and the Spaniard had quivered like a dry leaf wanting the vertue of God the King of France should have bowed under thee his neck the Pope should have withered as in winter the Turk in all his fatness should have smoaked thou shouldst not a stood trifling about small things but minded the work of the Lord as he began with thee at first sober men and true hearts took part with thee Oh! take heed and do not slight such least thou weaken thy self and not disown such as the Lord hath owned thy dread is not yet all gone nor thy amazement arise and come out for hadst thou been faithful thou shouldst have crumbled Nations to dust for that had been thy place now is thy day of trial take heed of joining hands with the wicked against the innocent but hear the voice of God and that will keep thee from hardness of heart and mind the Law of God with which thou maist answer that of God in every one and his fear and his dread to be in thy family and that thou maist come to break the jawes of the wicked that rends the innocent and that thou maist be eyes to the blind and legs to the lame and an help to them that cannot help themselves and take heed that any of thy servants that be under thy dominion of quenching the Spirit or limiting the Holy one but wait for the Wisdom of God that with it thou maist order all to Gods glory and all his creatures by which Wisdom they were created and made and that thou maist find the blessing of the Lord God with thee and take heed of flatterers and take heed of wild light spirits that will speak thee fair but mind sober men for there is mischief in many minds but if thou be kept in the power of God and live in it thou wilt live over all and stop and cross and tread under the intents of wicked men and take heed in any thing they be not thy executioners for now thou hast time prize it A lover of thy Soul and thy Eternal good and for establishing Peace and Righteousness amongst the people G. FOX The Original copy of this was delivered to him the 11th month in the year 1657. Dear Friend BE still and in the Counsel of God stand and that will give thee wisdom that thou maist frustrate mens end and calm mens spirits and crumbel men under and arise and stand up in the power of the Lord God the Lambs authority and fear not the face of man but fear and dread the Lord God then his presence and wisdom and counsel thou shalt have to throw down the rubbish and quell all the bad spirits under thy dominion and fear them about thee live in the Lords power and life then to thee he will give wisdom and the pure feeling thou wilt come into whereby thy Soul will be refreshed and it will be thy delight to do the Will of God and thy meat and drink as thou in the pure Eternal Power Counsel Will and Wisdom of God dwells things all will be made plain before thee and to thee from the Lord God in what thou doest for the Lord God thou shalt have peace and the blessing and in that so doing all the sober true hearted people will be one with thee in travels sorrows and pains and then in that a blessing from the Lord will come upon thee will abound to thee and cover thee as thou lives and art kept in the power and dread of the Lord God of Heaven and earth where Wisdom is not wanting nor peace lacking but peace enjoyed and counsel and instruction from the Lord God given and the helping arm and hand that stretcheth over all the Nations in the world thou wilt feel it and with that thou wilt come to break down all mens ends that they have to themselves and the worships that men invent and images they have set up for the arm of the Lord helps the righteous by his hand he carries the Lambs which arm is turned against the wicked stretched over them and the hand of the Lord is against them that do evil in which hand the Soul is and brings it into peace therefore live in the power of the Lord God and feel his hand that is stretched out over the Nations for a mighty work hath the Lord to do in other Nations and their quakings and shakings is but entering So this is the Word of the Lord God to thee and a charge to thee from the Lord God in the presence of the Lord God live in the power of the Lord God of Heaven and earth that will make all Nations to tremble and quake for those be Gods enemies that be out of his power and counsel and be thou faithful to God singlely without respecting any mans person but
in Authority under thee and let not evil and cruel hearted men bear any place for such renders thee and thy Government dishonourable and by such the Land is filled with violence and the just mourns whereby the blessing is kept far away the curse near ready to devour Now friend if thou come to be guided by the spirit and with the wisdom of the Father then thou wilt bring the Nations into good order whereby the inhabitants may live in peace and perfect freedom from all oppressions and vexations that now is a bondage upon the just and upright for there is great corruption entered into all places and sorts of men and when the Lord toucheth thy heart and makes thee rightly sencible of all things as now they stand then thou wilt see the Ministry as now it stands to be quite degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles before the Apostacie and as it now stands there is much of it which is to be thrown down to the ground and crushed to pieces for it s corrupted altogether even in the way of its setting up and of its Call and in the way of its maintenance and practice in all these things it is corrupted and degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was before the Apostacy And this may be proved by the Scriptures and so it is not to be upholden by thee but to be corrected and thrown down the rather And likewise in Magistracy thou wilt see great corruption entered and abundance to be purged out for it is much degenerated from the state as it was ordained of God and in the Lawes there is much to regulate and correct when thou comes to the principle of God in thee if ever that arise in thee it will bring thee to thresh down and trample down all unjust men that handles the Law and all such that Judge for gifts and rewards and all such Lawyers that devours the innocent for gifts that will not plead the cause of the poor without great Fees and all the Priests that Preach for hire and the Teachers that teach for filthy lucere and to get gain all such men will be counted as bryers and thorns by thee to be plucked up by the roots and to be cut up as evil trees which cumbers the ground for such doth corrupt the Land and cumbers it and if ever the Lord doth arise in thee he will reward them by thee according to their wayes whose wayes are corrupt before the Lord And as concerning thy War and Armies abroad in Spain something there is in it known to the Lord seek not thy own honour in it but be faithful and leave the issue of all things to the Lord make no Covenant with Idolators but tread down their idol gods that they have set up and hew down their mountains in which their confidence stands and plow up their ground that the seed may be sowen after thee its honour enough to be the Lords plowman be thou faithful in what the Lord calls thee to and thou shalt have thy reward and seek his honour and he will honour thee and let thy mind be to the Lord in all things and feel his word and power and presence in thee to quench all that which is contrary and then thou wilt be blessed in this life and in the life to come but if thou continue in thy oppression the Lord will suddenly smite thee By a Friend unto thee in the Lord E. BURROUGH This was given to Oliver Cromwel his hands at Hampton Court in the 6 Mon. 1658. about a Moneth before his death For Oliver Cromwel FRIEND THe Lord hath visited thy house because thou hast suffered thy servants to smite the Servants of the Lord and Lambs of Christ and prisoned his Lambs and Sons and Daughters some until death Therefore thy sons and daughters and servants will I take away with death and visit thee and and thy house with sicknesse saith the Lord and thou shalt know that I am the Lord who reigns therefore spare my Sons and Daughters that I may spare thee and thy house and that thou mayest know that I am the Lord Oh! how art thou fallen under men and thy house will suffer as long as my Sons and Daughters and Servants suffers by thee and thy servants and die in prison and you not visiting them nor suffer their own friends to visit them therefore take heed least thou become as weak as water And Friend thou shouldest have invited all the Christians upon earth in all Nations that are against popery to thee to come in and joyn with thee against popery for thou hast had authority stand to it loose it not nor abuse it nor let any other take thy Crown and do not stand cumbering thy self about dirty Priests that flatter thee for means for thou hast had fair warnings and thou hast had power over Nations for Nations begins to be upon heaps and Nations and tongues and multitudes are waters and the beast hath power over them who hath long reigned and they begin to swell and the whore sits upon them neverthelesse do not thou heed nor fear them nor be of a doubtful mind neither fear their amazements but let thy heart be single to God and wait that the seed of God in thee may come until the top stone be layed and invite all them that professe against the Pope in all Nations to joyn with thee against him and do not loose thy Dominion nor authority nor the wisdom of God but with that thou may order all that will keep thee single in heart and mind to the Lord and let thy souldiers go forth with a free willing heart that thou may rock Nations as a cradle and keep thou in the fear of the Lord and all thy souldiers and them that be under thee this is a charge to thee in the presence of the Lord God that thou nor them may lose the dread of the Lord for that is it that strikes terror in the hearts of all people and set all the prison doors open for them to come forth that are imprisoned for Churches and Ministers maintenance and worship and learn the pacience for the Lords work is begun already in other Nations and the patient spirit remaines in the Lords work for that is it that tries stands and abides which gets the victory and obtains the Crown if any hurt come to thee it will be through thy disobedience to the Lord I am a lover of thy soul and Eternal good an establisher of righteousnesse G. FOX Written the tenth of the 6th month 1657. This is for the Protectors Kindred his Wife and Children to be read soberly by them in the fear of God FRIENDS REmember that by the Lord you were raised from a low state and when he will he can abase you and bring you down he gave you the Palace of Princes and threw out the high and mighty before you because of their
wickednesse which was great in the sight of the Lord Oh remember this every one of you and come to the witnesse of God in you and be humble and meek and lowly and let the Lords fear be in your hearts and be of a tender spirit having your mindes exercised in purity in holinesse and in righteousnesse and exalt not your selves nor be lifted up in your hearts in the pride and vain glories and honours of this World least the Lord cast you down and make your name and posterity a reproach as he hath done many before you even for that cause was the generations of the Stewarts cast out and if you walk in the same steps and do the same things and become guilty of the same abominations and suffer the Children and Servants of the Lord to be persecuted as many are at this day some until death shall the Lord spare you nay he will cause you to feel his hand of judgement and bring you down with sorrow and he will vex you in his wrath and smite you with his rod more and more till you learn his fear and depart from all your iniquities and the Lord will deface your glory and pull down your crown and he will make you know that he is the Lord that doth whatsoever he will Wherefore humble your selves under the hand of God and search your own hearts and cast out the abhominations that vexeth the spirit of the Lord and suffer not the people of the Lords pretious flock to be devoured and made a prey to the wicked for because of this the rod of affliction cometh upon you and may suddenly break you to pieces but mind the seed of God in you which is oppressed and wait to know the power of the Lord which will redeem you out of sin and death and reconcile you to God and bring you into fellowship with himself to enjoy peace and rest for your soules that you may be made heires of the inheritance of an endlesse life and this would make you truly honourable and will be more satisfaction to you and joy and content and true rejoycing then all worldly crowns and worldly glories which will waste and consume away and leave you miserable and remember that you are now warned from the Lord God by whom I am moved to write this unto you in dear and tender love to you all and one day you shall witnesse it And as concerning the Quakers so called who are accounted as vile in the sight of men and are cast out of all power and place in the Nation being despised of all and also are reproached persecuted and imprisoned and all manner of evil and injustice unrighteously done and spoken against them by wicked and corrupt men in authority yet are they the Children and Servants of the living God and greatly beloved of him and are as dear to him as the apple of his eye and his power and presence is with them and the time is at hand that the Lord will make their persecutors fall and their enemies bow and tremble though now they suffer unjustly and are troden down as not deserving a place on the earth yet it is for righteousnesse sake and because they shew forth the image of the Father and not for evil doing and will not their sufferings lie upon you for many hundred have suffered cruel and great things and some the losse of life though not by yet in the name of the Protector and about a hundred at this present day lies in holes and dungeons and prisons up and down the Nation and some at this time are sick nigh unto death whose sufferings cries for vengeance and the Lord heareth the cry wherefore save your selves and let the innocent be delivered and the cruel bonds of oppression broken and the exercise of a pure conscience go free without persecution and then the Lord will turn away his anger and cease to smite you with his rod which hath been upon you and he will give you peace and make you blessed if you come to be lead by his spirit into all truth and though these innocent Lambs of Christ suffer thus under this present power yet are they not enemies to you but are friends to your persons and families and pitties you and loves you and desires well for you in the Lord that you may repent and be healed and even that your hearts may be opened to receive refreshments to your souls and that you may be established in righteousness and truth over all your enemies and may not be confounded nor your posterity brought into reproach which is hastening upon you and though our love be disputed we accounted hateful in your sight and looked upon with derision yet we bare all things in patience truly desiring your returning and repentance and not your destruction but if these doleful sufferings of the Lords poor Lambs be continued by this present power it will destroy you and undo you and break you and confound you and the Lord will not cease to smite you with his rod of sharp rebukes and he will make you know his Peoples cause shall not be unpunished Oh did you but know how hundreds have and do suffer how the bodies of some have been tortured by stocks and cruel whippings and how some lies sick in stinking holes and dungeons on the ground or a little straw at best ten or often more in a prison together and sometimes their own friends not suffered to come to visit them with necessaries Oh did but your eyes behold or your hearts perceive the greatness of the cruelty which some of the Lords dear servants and your faithful friends undergo it would make your hearts ake and your spirits to tremble and all this is done in the name and under the Authorty of Protector therefore how should the Lord but lay it to your charge and afflict him and his family he will make you know there is a God that can do whatsoever he will and that life and death are in his hand and all creatures are as clay in the hand of a potter and he rules in the Kingdoms of men and pulleth down one and setteth up another according to his pleasure but if the love of God be with-holden from you it is because of disobedience to him and your transgression Wherefore be obedient to him and love his wayes and judgements that he may make you more happy with a Crown Immortal that never fades away and remember once more the Lord hath warned you by a Friend unto you in the Lord E. BURROUGH Written the 1. day of the 7. month called Sept. 1658. Copies of this were delivered to divers of his Children and Kindred the day before he died To thee Richard Cromwel called Protector of these Nations is this moved of the Lord God of heaven and earth to be written for thy Instruction from him THere is a great mighty Innumerable people come coming up out of Aegypts Land
travelling towards the Land of rest promised of the Lord to them to be obtained and enjoyed by them and they do and have sojourned strangers in these Nations over whom thou art called to Rule and appointed chief Governour this 7 years and greatly are and have they been afflicted and oppressed and even trodden down through unjust Judgment and unrighteous dealing by the Rulers and Inhabitants of the Land and all the dayes of thy Father the late Protector they were held in great captivity and bondage and unrighteous men made them a prey and layed heavy yoaks of cruel sufferings upon them and daily increased their task and something thy Father did for them in their journey of great distress yet but a little of what the Lord required of him and what the Lord looked for that he might have done for power was in his hands given him of the Lord but he was not fully obedient and therefore was the Lords hand stretched out somewhat against him and his Family and he was smitten of the Lord and suddenly taken away in Judgment for he hearkened not to the Counsel of the Lord concerning that people neither did fully relieve them from oppression but slighted many warnings from the Lord the day of his visitation passed over and death took him away in disobedience while this people were yet under great oppressions for he left above a hundred of them in prisons unjustly suffering for â—â—righteousness sake and not for evil-doing and in this he fulfilled not the Will of God but left his name and glory somewhat stained because of these things and though the Lord chose him and shewed love unto him and gave him power over his enemies and made him an Instrument in his hand to break down great oppressions yet he was not obedient to the end to do my will saith the Lord but left something undone which he was truly called unto Now this innumerable people that is come and coming up as aforesaid are them called Quakers and this Aegypts Land is that great darkness ignorance and wickedness and false ways and worships in the Apostacy and fleshly bondage to sin and death which all the world and kindreds and multitudes that are unconverted to God lives and walks in and that Land of rest promised to which they travel is the peaceable and quiet dwelling with the Lord free from the heavy oppression of sin and iniquity and cruelties of men and free in the exercise of their pure Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord as it shall move and lead them into all truth and their sojourning as strangers is their denying and despising the world and all its glories and walking in the daily Cross of Christ whereby they are crucified to the love and respect and renown and honours of the world and are come out of kindreds tongues and people counting the reproach for Christ great riches not respecting men but the Lord altogether in all things and also their suffering unrighteusly false imprisonment and spoiling of their goods for righteousness sake this is their sojourning as strangers And that something that thy Father did for them is he released many of them divers times out of prisons where they were unjustly cast and he signified sometimes his displeasure against them that made them suffer and shewed love to them in hearing their innocent cause with some respect thereunto and that which he did not which he might have done is he took not away Tithes that cause of great oppression to many nor the unrighteous laws wholly as he ought to have done and as the Lord required of him And know thou from the Lord that this same people are the people of the Lord and beloved of him and as dear to him as the apple of his eye and his presence is with them and he leads them as a flock by his Spirit into all truth and who shall bless them shall be blessed but he that acts against them shall not prosper but be smitten of the Lord for their cause will the Lord plead in his Judgments and avenge them of their enemies and the dread of the Lord God shall fall heavy upon the heads of their persecutors and though they are hated of all men and are under great afflictions yet are they a Just people and innocent seeking the good of all men and are peaceable towards all and receiving all manner of wrongs and evil and speakings against them by ungodly men but they render to no man evil for evil but bless them that curse and do good to their enemies and bears all things from all men in long suffering and patience for they are learned in the practices of doing and suffering of the holy Apostles and Prophets and are of the seed of Abraham who was the friend of God and they were thy fathers friends and are not enemies to thee nor to righteous Government but wishes well unto thee in the Lord and that thou may not be destroyed in wickedness but be established in righteousness and peace in thy Government to rule in Gods authority over all wicked men that may seek thy hurt and we desire for thee that the Lord may give thee wisdom a perfect understanding and the Spirit of just and sound Judgment to Judge righteously in all things and to settle the Government in true Judgment that the principle of God in every man may answer to it in defending and preserving and protecting all that walk in truth and righteousness and being a terrour to all evil-doers for for that end is rule and government ordained of God amongst men to be a praise to all that do well and a terrour to all that do evil and now the Lord having suffered it to be brought to pass that thou art set up in thy fathers stead to be chief Ruler amongst men this the Lord God Almighty requires of thee as thou hopes to prosper and be blessed in this life and to enjoy life Eternal when this world is passed away and this is the Word of the Lord God unto thee be humble meek and lowly in heart and exalt not thy own horn nor seek not this worlds honour but seek the Lord with thy whole heart and let Justice and true Judgment and righteous Government which is according to the Law of God be set up and exalted in the Nations and come to know in thy self the Dominion and Authority of the Lord God over sin and transgression and to keep down and condemn all that which is contrary to God in thy own heart and that will make thee a dread and a terrour to men and Nations and then the Lord will be thy Crown and his people will rejoice in thee and lift up their hearts to God for thee if thou throw down and abolish all unrighteous lawes and decrees which have been set up in the days of ignorance and yet stands wherereby the Lords dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day and establish such a Government
away and often when things are young they are tender but when they grow up into prosperity they grow wanton and forget the Lord therefore friend live in Gods Wisdom if thou wilt reign in his power and strength then none shall touch thee and all them that fear God will be on thy side and take thy part and be one with thee in all thy sufferings yea till death And friend let no wilde raw flatterers that will be lifted up by gifts rewards or high places bear any Offices for such to thee will be a burthen at last and will clog thee and flatter thee for their own ends shake off such spirits from thee and let no Judges or Justices or Priest be authorized that will persecute men for Religion for such are not in the mind of Christ not the Apostles for they wrestled not with flesh and blood nor watred with it but with the principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places Eph. 6. 2. that they struck down which caused the enmity amongst people and they did not strike at the Creatures nor wrestle with them with flesh and blood with such they did not war withal concerning Religion and Christ when they would have had fire come down from Heaven to consume them that opposed him and them Christ rebuked them and told them they knew not what Spirit they were of and he said he did not come to destroy mens lives but to save them so all Judges and Justices and Priests that will have mens lives destroyed and war with flesh and blood and wrestle with that about Religion they are not of the mind of Christ and his Apostles the true Ministers for abundance of prisonment to death and blood-shed hath been in these Nations by the blind zeal of Magistrates Judges Justices Priests therefore that 's the cause the Lord hath turned them upside down that they stand not long because they fight against the righteous and the just and wrestle with creatures and flesh and blood such are not worthy to have the names of Magistrates nor Teachers as thou maist read And friend take heed of letting any Goaler bear Office that 's a drunkard prophane swearers as many of them is or letting people lye long in goales twenty or thirty together for such they learn badness together one of another and Goalers be bad examples to them that they are worse when they come out then when they went in And friend take heed of letting any Judges exact upon the people in the poor Countries where they come and their Courts by tricks but keep them all to so saying and so doing not saying one thing and doing another for they have made many people come up to them 200 miles and when they have come they have said they do not mean as they speak and this be their tricks as by their writs they must appear personally and then when they come they must appear by Attorneys or Counsellers when the poor man knows his cause well enough himself And friend take heed of holding up the Priests and them called Ministers and giving them means and maintenance for which they do not work least in thy name they sue the people and cast in prison till the death and so make thy name to become a cloak for their persecution for who sets them on work let them pay them their wages and whom they work for let them give them their meat and that will be like the Ministers of the Gospel and now thou being free of these things keep thy self so And friend here is a great talk of Religion and Ministry and Profession and Christianity but if thou did but feel that which we feel and see it would grieve thy heart so much pride and haughtiness and loftiness amongst people and hard heartedness that there is so many beggers cripples blind lame men and women and children on their knees women lying with children in their lapps up and down every corner in the streets and high wayes and Steeple house doors throughout this great rich City that never knew want and do not know many of them what to eat and drink and put on now if these things enter into thy ears and tenderness strike thee and thou consider thou wilt feel it Now there hath been a cry of the Jewes hard-heartedness that turned against Christ now friend consider the Jewes that took Tithes had a Store-house to put it in and the Tenths were enough for to relieve the strangers fatherless and widowes that there need not be a begger amongst them Now I say the Tithes of this Nation would give strangers fatherless and widowes and Priests enough both if they had Store-houses to put it in that there need not be a begger amongst them as there was not amongst the Jewes but then you must own Christ is not come in the flesh for these Tithes were set up since the dayes of the Apostles for they preached them not up but down as Heb. 7. but they have been preached up since the Apostacy when all the want hath been and before the Apostacy among the true Christians there was no want among them every one had for his necessity now look amongst all the Magistrates and Ministery hear and see how things are out of order though there should be never such true Lawes given forth yet putting them into such corrupt Magistrates hands they will never act them but wrest them and pervert them and turn them against the righteous and by that the just suffers And friend let none bear the office of Judge Sheriff Justice or Minister that 's headdy perverse and peevish for such often slay themselves by their envy and it eats out the good in them and they will be a burthen to thee and a grief both thou living in the Power and Wisdom of God the simplicity in thee will be burthened as it is in us and thou dealing in truth it will stand by thee and answer the Principle of God in every man for such causes many poor men to go away with sorrow and grief And let no man bear office whatsoever his office may be that would have honour before he have humility for such will more mind honours below earthly and favours of men then Justice and are out of Solomons steps who said before honour is humility And friend take heed of giving Titles to men nor do not learn to do it but mind Elihu that young mans counsel that spake to Iob that great rich man the Judge who said if I give Titles to man which he had not learned to give Titles to men his maker would soon take him away as thou may est read Iob 3d. and the last And friend it is a just thing for thee to make all those Ministers that have cast into prison abundance of the servants of the Lord God because they could not put into their mouths that for which they did not work for nor never hired and