do God service that kills you 〈◊〉 casts you from among them and the Devil shall cast some of you into prison And thâ—… things you have done and fullfilled Christs words against your selves for 〈◊〉 witness against you and to shew that you are Enemies to Christ and to his Kingdom and that you will not have him to reign as I have said Therefore whâ—… he reigneth he shall say Bring hither those mine Enemies and slay them before me O! what will the just Judge of true Judgment the God of Heaven and Earth render unto you when he ariseth to plead the cause of the poor and needy and to deliver his Inheritance from under your oppression into perfect freedom What account will you give in that day when he brings swift destruction upon you And wherewith will you answer him when the secrets of your hearts are made manifest and when the true witness in you all is awakened which will bring to your remembrance all your cruel and unjust dealing and all your bitter and hard speeches which in your envy you have brought forth against the Lord and against his people What will be done to you his Enemies when Christ Jesus whom you have persecuted comes to reign in his Kingdom and subdues the kingdoms of this World and changeth them into the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ and the Saints which you have oppressed receives the Authority and Dominion It shall be said All that would not that Christ should reign slay them before him when it shall be given to the Saints to bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron and to execute upon the Heathen all the judgments written for behold all ye stout hearted the Lord cometh in ten thousand of his Saints to judge the World in righteousness and you shall be convinced of all your ungodly deeds for the Scriptures must be fullfilled and as you have done even so will it be done unto you when the suffering of the righteous is finished and your wickedness come to an end when the Lord shall reign you shall lick the dust off his feet and all the Persecuters of Christ shall be trodden down as mire and the righteous shall rejoyce over them and the Lord shall mock when your fear and calamnity comes which come suddenly in a day when you expect not how shall the Lord pardon you for this you have sinned against knowledge and gone on after warning and hardened your hearts after reproof and the day of your visitation you have greatly slighted ye Rulers have abused your power and ye subjects have abused your subjection and now consider what God did in Generations past unto the rebellious children what he did to Pharaoh and all his Hosts when his long suffering was finished how did Pharaoh harden his heart and his cruel Task-masters oppress the righteous even as you have done and they would not let Israel go free to serve the Lord but they kept them in bondage and this way you walk who exercise cruelty as they did and laid heavy burthens upon the Innocent grievous to be born cruel task-masters have you been over the Heritage of the Lord and in Pharaohs example of wickedness have you walked fulfilling his measure of cruelty and Pharaohs example shall you follow in a cursed end remember how the loftiness of his heart was bowed down and how his proud heart was abased in the day that God pleaded with him in his righteous judgments he and all his task-makers were confounded in a day and the bondage of the righteous was broken in a moment how was his whole strength of Tyranny overturned and turned into weakness the righteous were delivered and he and all his train overwhelmed in one day and thus shall it come to pass upon you Therefore consider this all ye that fullfill the measure of iniquity suddenly will the righteous God be awakened to take vengeance upon you and the just shall not always groan under your bondage for he that looketh from the Heaven hath pity upon the distressed for whom now his arm is stretched out to bring deliverance unto them and all their enemies will be confounded who have this long time ploughed long furrows upon the back of the righteous the oppression and cruelty and injustice brought forth in this Nation it calls for vengeance from Heaven Alas alas woe is me for you you Heads and Rulers and Judges of England what have you done and suffered to be done under you against the innocent people of God who is as dear to him as the apple of his eye for they be written on the palms of his hands and because of the cry of the poor and the needy will the Lord arise and plead their cause Oh consider and let it enter into your hearts the cruelty and injustice that hath been brought forth in this Land and remember what God did unto all the Persecuters of old how was their strength consumed and they overturned and destroyed what did he to Pharaoh and all his host who persecuted the Seed of God how was he destroyed and the righteous set free and what was done to Haman How was he justly rewarded who persecuted the Innocent Seed of God What did God to Herod and all his people who persecuted the Innocent and remember what he did unto them that persecuted the Three Children and them that persecuted Daniel how did they fall into the pit which they had digged for another and how were they destroyed and the Innocent delivered considered and remember these things ye that suffer the Just to groan by you Search through the Records of old and search what God hath done unto all them that lifted up their hand against Him and his People and is he not the same at this day his Hand is not shortened that it cannot save his people and destroy his Enemies his Ear is not dull of hearing that he should not understand this unjust suffering of his people though you live carelessely in pleasure upon Earth while the Innocent mourns yet doth the Lord regard though you spend your time in pleasure and delight your selves in vanities all the day long yet the Lord hath taken it to heart and his Spirit is grieved that his Innocent Servants should lye in Holes and Dungeons to be trodden upon and be accounted as the off-scouring of all things hardly thought worthy to have a place on the Earth Oh remember these things ye that are high minded and consider what God did to the Bishops and their crew of persecutors in this Nation your selves are witnesses how the Lord overthrew them and delivered his people in a few years time and as little as you did they think that they whom they persecuted should so soon come to have reigned over them the Lords Hand was then against Oppressors as it is at this day do you think the Lord hath forgotten or that he takes no notice of what is come to pass how should he forget his
that they should not always be deceived and alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth and hath no other end to our selves God is our witnesse but that people may be converted to the knowledg of God and as I said before though the Papists may hold some truth in words and cry against some sort of people out of a wicked end yet may not we therefore deny the truth as it is in Jesus neither must be silent is declaring against sin and wickednesse and let him say what he will concerting any advantage the Devil reaps by us it will but be the overthrow of his very kingdom Why but saith he If we do but unchurch all the reformed Churches the Papists will give us a fee I say it is a hard thing to unchurch them that never were truly churched and that we seek to unchurch such as are the Churches of Christ this is utterly false and the Papists fee and his reproach we trample upon them both together and let him take the Papists fee as he pleads for it for it was they first that took tythes for a fee and it is he now that strongly pleads for them to be maintained in his Ministry by them 13. His thirteenth Reason Saith he the Doctrine and practice of the Quakers is contrary to the experience and holy nature of the Saints why saith he they have sound a renewed light and life by the Scriptures and Ministry which the Quakers make so light of c. To this I answer this is as false as the rest for with all the Saints that ever were upon earth both in Doctrine and Practice we agree with them and as 〈◊〉 the peoples sakes of England I wish his words were true and that they haâ—… indeed found a renewing light and life by this Ministry but though he may boast of it now in the day of Gods righteous judgments it shall be found otherwise when it shall be tryed that the renewing hath been but in form and appearance from one likenesse to another and not a renewing from death to life and though there hath been sometimes appearing a zeal and a desire after him in the Ministry of England in times past yet from this day hath the Lord forsaken them and such as were sober and sincere in what was made manifest are now become Revilers and Reproachers Slanderers and Persecutors of the People of God and from hence-forth shall they not boast of many being Converted by them from sin unto the way of Righteousness But further he saith We tell the people that their Ministry doth the people no good and none are the better for it If we do we tell them true And though he saith The experiences of many thousands doth confute this yet say I the experiences of ten thousand times so many more shall confirm it It is true there may be thousands like himself which will not stumble to belye their own souls as he hath done of us yet betwixt him and I in this matter God shall be our Judg who hath not sent this Ministry and yet it hath run therefore it doth not nor shall not profit the people at all He saith It is quite contrary to the nature of Saints to damn and reproach the Saints and call them the children of the Devil This is true but it is not contrary to the nature of the Saints to reprove Hypocrites such as profess that which they do not enjoy and speak that which they have not received from the Lord but steal from other mens words such are many of the Teachers of England and it was the way of Christ and his Apostles soundly to reprove such And this is our way and we do not reproach the Saints nor damn them and yet to the wicked which are not Saints we dare not cry peace but do say The wicked and such who forget God shall be turned into Hell And for this David is our example 14. His fourteenth Reason He saith The Quakers are unlikely to be better then other men seeing they are so notoriously proud and thus this pride doth appear Saith he It is the supposed Spirit of God and the extraordinary holiness and inspiration and abilities that they are proud of and saith he They proclaim themselves perfect without sin And this is the pride he chargeth us with c. To which I answer We say that in Christ we are compleat as the Apostles said to the Churches and do not boast of it neither are proud of it more then the Churches were but in the Lord we will glory and in him rejoyce again and again and it is that which we press after and exhort all to press after to be perfect in him who takes away our sins and gives power over the temptations of the Devil And he saith We pretend to know mens hearts Yea we do know that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things and by mens words and works we do know their hearts to be evil that acts and speaks wickedness For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And if we should say we do not know mens hearts that acts and speaks wickedness we should be Lyars but as I said What we are it is by grace in Christ and we boast not of it in the flesh but our glorying is onely in the Lord in Spirit that our names are written in the Book of life And as for our crying against Deceivers which he so much stumbles at it is but the practice of Christ and his Apostles as may be read through the Scriptures and yet we do it not no more then they did in self-exaltation though he would charge us with it 15. His fifteenth Reason Saith he They plainly discover a persecuting spirit Why saith he what man can in reason think but that they run up and down the World to bring Ministry into hatred c. To this I answer Little of this doth appear that our spirits are persecuting spirits for we pray for our Enemies and do forgive them that do evil intreat us and renders to no man evil for evil for if we had sought vengeance or prosecuted the good Laws of England against those that had wronged and robbed us and unjustly caused us to be put in Prison many might have deeply suffered by true Justice before this day if we had not forgiven our Enemies and blessed them that hated us Such hath been the cruelty acted upon us that many might have been arraigned for felony if we had sought the prosecution of the good Laws and not forgiven our Enemies Why but the main thing is because we are moved to go up and down the World and declare against the false Ministers and holding forth that Ministry and truly applying it to many of the Teachers of England But let all the World know this is not from a persecuting spirit not more then Isaiah did it and Micah and the rest of
his People with whom you have thus dealt yea you shall suddenly know it the time is not long till he will crown his People in the sight of his Enemies he will crown them with Praise and with Righteousness with Honour and Majesty and he will keep them in safety even when Sorrow compasses you about his Mercy and Loving kindness shall extend towards them even when his Wrath and Judgments doth smite you and confound you O! what shall I say unto you for the deep sence thereof remaines upon my heart for when I consider how that in all Ages the Lord did avenge his Peoples Cause and when the time of their suffering was expired he brake the Bonds of Iniquty and set them free thus did he with his People Israel of old and many times it was his way with his People to bring them low by suffering and then to raise them up again in Glory and he suffered their Enemies for a season to glory over them that he might bring them down and thus he did in England in the case between the Bishops and their crew of Persecuters and the poor People at that day called Puritans Did not he confound that persecuting Crew and deliver his People And is not he the same to effect the same Work at this very day Yea doubtless and much more will he do in as much as the manifestation of Truth is more clear then it was in their dayes and in as much as the Rulers and People of this Nation have rejected a more clear Testimony then either the Papists in Queen Marys dayes or the Bishops and Prelets in their dayes even so much the more will the Lord God execute his Vengeance with more Violence in a more manifest way and all shall know that it is he that doth it and he will set his People free for he hath regarded their Sufferings and he hath said it is enough for he hath tried them and found them faithfull and all this hath been suffered to prove them and not to destroy them and like as he hath preserved them in patience and peace through it all even so will he give them Hearts to walk answerably to their deliverance and as they have abounded in Patience in their Sufferings so shall they abound in Praises everlasting in the day of their Freedom and the Earth shall be glad and shall yield the increase and blessing the Heaven and the Earth shall rejoyce and the Hearts of the Righteous shall leap for joy when the Lord hath broken the Yoke of the Oppressed and set his People free inwardly and outwardly and then shall they sing to the Lord over all their Enemies who shall be tormented and vexed in the Lord 's sore displeasure for their Reward cometh and their Recompence shall be even as work and he will give unto them Sorrow and Anguish instead of rejoycing But again when I consider the long Suffering and patience and forbearance of the Lord 's innocent People under all their Sufferings and when I looked at their innocency and at their Righteousness and Spirit of Holiness with which the Lord hath blessed them my Heart was made glad in the consideration of this and the more was my joy the more I beheld their innocency and the guiltlesness of their Cause whereby the unjustness of their suffering did the more appear and withal when I looked and beheld their increase under all their sufferings and how that the Lord had turned all these things to their good and to the overthrow of all their Enemies how that by that way wherein their Enemies intended to destroy them from being a People even thereby did the Lord most wonderfully increase them to be a great People for through all have they grown in Life and Power and in strength and in number and through it all have they been incouraged to follow the Lord with more zeal and boldness and in the consideration of this I did rejoyce with magnifying the Lord for ever that he had brought forth his Praise even through the wickedness of the Wicked and he had increased his People and exalted them through the cruelty of all their Enemies and that through all Opposition they were attained unto a happy Rest and through all the Tempest of great Trials they were arrived into the Harbour of Renown and great Glory And when I considered this how that the Lord had given them dominion and brought their life to reign over all their Enemies these things were a joy unto me and looking back into Ages seeing there was nothing nor any People for Generations that had grown and risen through all Opposition like unto these wherefore is is a Sign and a Testimony that we are the Lord's and that these things are of him and from him and by him alone that he might be praised for ever Again when I do consider how that the Lord hath raised this People even out of the Dust and them that were not a People are become a People and the Lord hath provoked Nations by them that were not a People within these few years and the Lord has carried on this Work amongst his People not by any thing of Man nor by the Arm of Flesh but in pure innocency and simplicity hath it been accomplished not by the Wisdom of this World nor by men in places of Honour and of Power in the Nations for all that has been wanting to them and what they are it is through the opposition of all this for they have had none of the great men of the Earth on their side to defend them and establish them but all have been against them and even Oppression and Tyranny executed upon them rather then any approbation or justification from men in outward Authority so that truely it may be said that there hath been nothing of man in this Work but all of the Lord by his own Power and in a contrary way to all the false Sects and false Churches hath the beginning and carrying on of these things been for we know that all the false Sects in this Nation have risen and been established through the countenance of men in Place and Power and upon man and the Wisdom of this World and Authority of the Powers of the Earth hath the rise and fall of all false Churches depended and as the Powers of the Earth have sided with them so have they been set up and at the displeasure of Authority have been cast down But as for this People they are raised of the Lord and established by him even contrary to all men and they have given their Power onely to God and they cannot give their Power to any mortal men to stand or fall by any outward Authority and to that they cannot seek but to the Lord alone who heareth their cry and will avenge their cause Wherefore let all the Persecutors bow before the Lord and let all the Saints walk humbly in his sight and let them continue in that
shall conquer by the sword of the Lord which the Lord hath put into their hands over Countries and Dominions For O Nation the Lord is with them and thy unjust Rulers and Officers cannot hurt them not a hair of their heads shall perish without my heavenly Father It is for a testimony of their Fathers love to them that they suffer shame and reproach and some of them imprisonment by the unjust Rulers and for a witness against them that some of them are brought before them the Lord is chusing the weak things of this World and he is making manifest his Counsels to Babes and revealing his Counsel and eternal Truth to Children and keeps his hidden Treasures from the eyes of the Wise and vulturous ones Praises praises be to him for evermore For the Lion of Judah is opening and hath opened the Sealed Book let all his Saints rejoyce for evermore This is the day of thy Visitation O Nation wherein the Lord speaks to thee by the mouth of his Servants in word and writing therefore return to the Lord thy God from whence thou art fallen Now will the Lord gather his Jewels and Chosen ones out of thee and will raise up the dead which lies slain under thy Teachers and Pharisees which makes a prey upon the people which was never sent by God to speak unto thee O Land Hear the Word of the Lord Depart from all thy Teachers for the Lord hath drawn his Sword and lifted it up against the false Prophet and the Vials of Indignation shall be poured upon him and upon all that upholds him in his Whoredoms and Witchcraft by which he deceiveth the simple therefore lest thou be partaker of their Plagues depart from them And all people mind that measure of Light within you which the Lord hath lightened every one of you withal for the Lord is risen to teach his people himself and he is fulfilling his Prophesie in thy ears O Nation they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will put my Law in thine inward parts and write it in their hearts Ier. 31. 33. The Lord is about his great and wonderful Work in thee and all the Wars and Contentions in thee O Land hath but been a making way for this Work of the Lord and hath not been the Work which the Lord hath purposed This Work is made known to them that feareth the Lord and abideth in his Counsel The Lord will overturn overturn the Nation and will create new Heavens and new Earth wherein shall dwell righteousness in which all the Chosen of the Lord shall rejoyce for evermore And all the Kings and Nobles shall cast down their Crowns before this Glory And all the men of War shall lay down their Armour and Weapons of War And Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation any more For the Lord will establish Righteousness and Peace this will the Lord bring to pass in thee O England through the destruction of that which now liveth and through the Resurrection of that to Life which now lieth in Death Hear O Land give ear O People for the Lord of Heaven and Earth is now turning the World up-side down all old things shall pass away all things shall become new by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of him shall be many corrupt Judges and Officers will the Lord sweep away and their name shall no more be found in the Nation the fire is kindled and the sword is drawn happy is he that keepeth himself from fighting against the Lord in this his Work and happy are ye O Brethren that stands faithful to the end to see these things accomplished great shall be the battel it is now begun many shall see death and shall yet live to see these things TO all the Despised and Contemned ones who are Persecuted and shamefully entreated by the Generation of the Chief Priests and by them who live in the highest Profession in the Word outwardly ye who are the scorn of the Nation and the derision of all the Heathen and are called Quakers you are my brethren children of my Father have been brought forth by the same Womb and have sucked the same Breast Ye are chosen out of the world out of all worldly glories and earthly excellencies and are not of this world and therefore the world hateth you you are brought out of the broad way of the flesh and are separated from all the world in their ways worships and forms of religion and are redeemed out of the mouths of all Idoll dumb Shepherds and hath one Shepherd and are gathered from all the mountains and out of all the desolate disinhabited places and are come into the pleasant sheepfold where is green pastures and fresh springs of living Waters By Faith with Abraham are ye come out of your native Country from among your kindred and out of your Fathers house And with Moses have you forsaken the glory of Pharaohs house and chosen rather to suffer affliction among the poor despised people than to have enjoyed the pleasures of sin but great shall be your reward ye Contemned ones glory and honor and everlasting happiness is prepared for you if you stand faithful to the end the Lord is with you as a mighty terrible one and therefore shall all your persecuters be ashamed and confounded the sound of a trumpet is heard among you which makes all Nations at a stand and all the Heathen to wonder and all the Rulers Nobles and chief Priests are in consultation combining together to suppress the Army of the Lord of Hosts which he is gathering together fear not nor be dismaid for the sounding of your trumpet causes an alarum and makes all the inhabitants of the Land to tremble and all bows before the sound of it for the sound of it is terrible to the Nations to all Kingdoms and Dominions the Lord of Heaven and Earth is your Captain which rides upon the Clouds and whose glory is above the World and therefore in the battel shall you obtain the conquest and all your enemies shall be put to flight and one of you shall chase a thousand for he is with you who hath all power in his hand and all your enemies are limitted by him therefore be not discouraged at the raging and swelling words of your Adversaries but be bold and valiant and faithful to him for his is the victory and by his own Right Hand will he get himself the victory Ye are my fellow Souldiers and fellow Members of the same body and my joy in the Lord stand faithfull to the Lord and be bold and valiant for the Truth upon Earth for you hath the Lord chosen of all the Families of the Earth to place his Name among you and he will glorifie his
Leaf and as an ungirded Vessel full of strife and distraction fears and jealousies eveâ— among your own selves unsetled in your Wayes and Thoughts in Truth Mercy and Peace but in Gainsayings and Oppositions and Confusions stand tottering like a rotten Hedge and the Proud are exalted and the poor are despised and they that love Sion are set at nought and verily you go not the way to settle the Nations upon the true Foundation but backslides from the Way of Truth Which is the Foundation upholding of iniquity and establishing the false Prophets and Diviners by a Law and such whom the Lords wrath is against who upholds the horrible filthy thing and abominations of the Earth and confusion is upon them till they be overthrown never to deceive the Nations more Therefore hear ye Deaf and look ye Blind and understand ye Hard-hearted love Truth and Mercy and Peace in your own hearts and and depart from Iniquity and cast away your Idols and cease from evil and learn to do well and put away the evil of own doings and turn to the Lord in this the day of your Visitation and to the Light of Christ Jesus wherewith he hath lightened you take heed thereby to be guided every one in particular in fear and tenderness towards God and towards man not ruling in Tyranny and Oppression nor making Laws in your own wills according to your own thoughts as some that went before you have done till they were cut off as you are Witnesses who were made in the Hand of the Lord their Executioners and if you follow in any measure their Example of Wickedness take them for an Example in a cursed end in love to all your Souls this I write and not to shame you in your wickedness but rather that you may repent and that you may know how to exercise your selves in the Law of God towards the Nations and that every Burden may be removed and the Oppressed may go free and the Bands of Iniquity may be broken and this is the Fast accepted of the Lord required of him from you which if you observe with your whole hearts a Blessing will the Lord made you unto the Nations in this present Age and unto your selves for evermore but if you hearden your hearts against the Lord and tread in the steps of your fore-fathers and seek to limit the Holy One or to bind the tender Consciences of the People of God then shall you fall into their perdition and be swallowed up in everlasting confusion and your Memorial shall stink in Generations to come and shall be a hissing among the Heathen Kingdoms and deliverance will God bring another way unto his People to your overthrow if you walk not in the Counsel of the Lord. And whereas upon the considerations and purposes aforesaid you have ordered that a Day be observed and kept for solemn Humiliation and seeking the Face of God through the mediation of Christ in England Scotland and Ireland To which in much tenderness of spirit I desire to say That if you seek his Face in the hardness of your hearts and in the way of your own precepts while the yoke of the great Oppressions in the Nations are not broken from off the neck of the Poor his Face you shall not behold though you seek it but in vain shall you weary your selves and shall travel without issue as to that which you desire and his Countenance shall be hid from you till he shew his Face for evil against you and not for good and to you it shall be said To what purpose are your Oblations and your solemn Meeting Who hath required it at your hands even your own doings and appointed Altars of Inventions which the Lord cannot accept from you Therefore give ear ye Mountains and listen ye tall Cedars if you establish the false Prophets which makes a prey upon the people through covetousness and which acteth the abominations of Israel in preaching for Hire and divining for Money and in crying peace to the wicked by a Law and maintain them through the oppression of the Poor in the crying Oppression of Tythes or otherwise imposing such things upon the tender Consciences by any Act or Statute made or allowed by you God shall not hear your cry nor answer your request nor ever establish you in peace nor the Nations over which you are set likewise if you make a Law or allow such a one to be acted which any way may tye or limit the Spirit of the Lord in any of his Servants from reproving the abominations of the Times in Rulers Teachers or People in your Streets or Temples or places otherwise at any time whatsoever the Lord will not hold you guiltless nay assuredly if you do but hide your face from the Suffering of such who through the wickedness of some under you may be afflicted upon such an account you shall not be altogether Innocent but Gods hand shall be upon you likewise If any for Conscience sake deny to Swear upon any account according to the former vain Customs of the Nations trained up thereto in ignorance and blindness in humane traditions and thereupon suffer Imprisonment or Fining or otherwise howsoever by any Order from you or any subordinate Powers you shall be guilty in the sight of God of that suffering the Innocent in such a cause much more shall you be guilty if by any means in any cause upon any condition men be compelled by any Authority of this Nation to swear likewise if any suffer for not bowing the Hat or Knee to any of you or any of your Judges or under Officers and thereupon be accounted Transgressors the Lord shall account such things Oppression from your hands and Tyranny and Cruelty and you shall not escape unpunished as the Lord lives these and many more Abominations cries for Vengeance against some of you who have had your hands deeply dipped in such Oppression and therefore to you this is a Warning to break off these sins by righteousness and these evils by true repentance lest your Fasts prove only for Strife and to smite with the fist of Wickedness Clear your selves and wash you hands from these Abominations lest the fruit of them be given you to eat for Food and let this oh ye Rulers be acceptable councel unto you that the dayes of Happiness may appear and the long expected and waited for day of Liberty may yet dawn through this dark night of Bondage which overshadows your heads that you cannot behold the glory of the Son and herein shall you be established and we shall have cause to bless the Lord for you and with you otherwise you shall never be renowned but all your counsels and purposes shall fail and be cursed of the Lord and evil shall be upon you and upon the Nation for your sakes And all you that fear God listen and give audience and let the fear of the Lord be before your eyes and keep your selves pure from
that will not sware contrary to the Law of Christ must be counted Evil-doers and Popish Recusants and punished and this is not for any Evil in us but because we cannot transgress the righteous Law of our God and also another Decree which takes hold upon them that travell to worship God on the first day of the week whereby the Innocent doth suffer and are like to suffer and not for Evil-doing is any occasion against us but because we will not stay from the Worship of our God but are made to travel that we may meet together to Worship him with such other Decrees which sheweth unto all men that they seek occasion against us concerning the Law of God not having occasion by doctrine or conversation or any other thing so for righteousness sake are we persecuted and not for evil-doing some are persecuted because for Conscience-sake they cannot stay at their own houses but are moved by the Lord to declare the Name of the Lord abroad in the Nation many by a decree are taken and punished as for vagabonds and this is an occasion concerning the Law of our God and Christ was persecuted and put to death by an unrighteous Decree for they had an unrighteous Law as they said and by it he ought to dye and unrighteous laws and decrees were made against the Apostles whereby they were commanded to depart out of their Towns and to preach no more in the Name of Jesus and by such decrees were the Apostles persecuted So that this may shew unto all that our fore-fathers who were of the Seed of God some were persecuted unto death by unrighteous decrees and statutes and as it was then so it is now he that hath an eye to see may see the same as ever was is come to pass in the Earth the seed of the Serpent striving against the Seed of God and persecuting it where it is brought forth by unrighteous decrees how did the late Bishops of England persecute the harmless What Laws and Ordinances were then brought forth whereby violence was done against such as feared the Lord and then was the seed of the Serpent striving against the Seed of God And this is given forth to shew unto all the World the cause of persecution in its first ground to wit the irrecoverable enmity which is betwixt the two Seeds the one continually hating and persecuting the other and seeking the overthrow each of other and the enmity betwixt the two Seeds is the cause of strife the one being Innocent and the other unrighteous so it is not for the persons sake or any other thing that the Just are persecuted but it is because of the Seed of God which cannot bow nor worship the seed of the Serpent that is the first cause of persecution Again all may see what unrighteous Laws and Decrees were and are brought forth to persecute the Innocent whereby they have suffered in all Generations for Righteousness sake and not for Evil-doing also it may be seen that it was the Wise the Learned the Presidents and Chancellors and chief Priests and Scribes who were and are the very active persons by whom the Seed of God is persecuted and even such as were and are zealous in their Observances and Sabboth-keeping and such like it was not the Poor nor the Foolish only which the Devil made use of to do his work but it was the Wise and the Learned and the Chief in Authority and such like it was such in whom the seed of the Serpent ruled who were the active men against the Servants of God Also it was through the evil Counsel of such as were Teachers and Scribes and Handlers of the Law and it was through the false Accusations of the chief Priests unto the Governors and Elders of the People and so it is now at this day as I have proved and also the Righteous were persecuted upon the false Judgment of others and they were falsly adjudged to be Deceivers and Blasphemers and Evil-doers and upon this account were they persecuted and as being falsly reputed to be destructive to Government and Revenue of Kings and upon such like and that they made void the Law of God and were Movers of Sedition and upon such accounts as these was the Seed of God persecuted as it it at this day and all men that read this with moderation may come to the good Undestanding upon what account and by what Instruments and by what means the seed of the Serpent hath persecuted the Seed of God even from Cain unto this day And this is to go abroad into this Nation and into the World and it is given forth from the Suffering-Seed of God to clear it self in the sight of all men that not for Evil but for Good are these Sufferings laid upon it But behold the Lord heearth and regardeth the Cry of the Poor and of the unjust Sufferer and he will remember his Mercy and his Covenant with his own Seed and when it passes through the Fire he is with it and thought it be afflicted it cannot be forsaken though the Lord hide his Face from his people and suffers most grievous things to be done against them by the wicked yet it is but to try them and to prove them that they may be found faithfull to him and the Seed of God shall reign in the Earth and the seed of the Serpent and his head shall be bruised and is bruised already and it bruiseth its heel by following after with persecution and cruelty but the Seed of God shall arise and is arisen and praiseth the Living God for evermore It plainly appears that the Suffering of the people of God in this Age is a greater Suffering and more Unjust than in the dayes of Christ or of the Apostles or in any time since Queen Maries dayes brought not forth a Suffering more cruel and in many respects as doth appear First What was done to Christ and the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in a great part by the due execution of a Law and also the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes had more just Examination and a more Just Prosecution in Law than the people of God have now for now it is a matter of Conscience among some of the Magistrates in England to cast men into Prison and confine them and to cause their Goods to be spoiled without any Law or the due execution of a Law which is utterly contrary to the Charters of England and hereby it appearts the Suffering to be more Unjust because what the Persecutors of old did to the People of God they did by a Law and by the due execution of a Law but now many are caused to suffer deeply whom the transgression of no Law good or bad can be charged against and others suffer without the due execution of a Law Again herein it doth appear to exceed the Suffering of the Saints in former Age in that many suffer now cruel things about trivial
hath been and what he hath done how hath this cloud of Folly cast a stink and darkness upon his former brightness and glory and nobleness and is this the end and final farwel of once noble Oliver what only the sight of an Image carried and set up Hath the City of London and the Nations to better Memento of him But oh had he been faithfull to the end to God he would have left a more lively and heavenly Character to have been read for his sake then an Image of him and such Idolatrous practises and my life could have sorrowed upon some considerations passed through me about this business and for some hours my spirit could not rest and in the very time it lay upon me to write this And after all this said my spirit Where are all the old Priests now and his ancient Teachers who once had a great zeal against all these things and against all such practises Where are they now are they blind also said I that they cannot see this abominable Idolatry and cry against it had they any hand in it or were they Consenters to these things What is become of them Is their zeal for the Lord and against Idolatry quite gone thought I they might have prevented this disgrace to their old Master who hath served them well and set them in great places and put them in large Benefices and they might have done something for him when he is dead and have prevented this Folly and Idolatry which is acted upon him this day for certainly all people in the Nation that fear God will be offended and judge in their hearts such work the framing of an Image and sounding Trumpets and beating Drums before it and cloathing Horses in Mourning and Trayling their Pikes and even the very Honourable of the Nation clad in Mourning and following this Image and all this stir and cost and preparation for many Weeks before-hand and such decking in Mourning Attire of great and noble Men and all but to accompany an Image from one place to another whereby people are deceived who might look upon it to be the Burial of Oliver Protector whenas it was but an Image made by hands decked trimed in a vain manner as if it had bin some Poppit Play which if it had been indeed his Bones they had accompanied to the ground in such a manner that had bin less condemnable and I should not had ought against it But for the Wisemen in the Nation to be chief in these things and to exercise themselves in such Folly and Vanity this grieves the Righteous Soul and if I should justifie it the Lord would condemn me but the shame will fall upon themselves that acted it and chiefly upon their Priests and Teachers because they were consenting to such Vanity and piece of Popery as this was And had these old Doctors and Teachers feared God and their Hearts been aright towards him they would have endeavoured the stopping of this Abomination and another way might have been thought upon whereby a more lively and godly Monument of their old Master might have stood to Generations What shall the making and visiting and carrying and setting up of a dead Image for foolish people to gaze upon and run wondring after in their wicked minds Must this be all the Monument And shall we have no other Representation of once noble Cromwel Is his Life and former Glory and Nobleness shaddow'd with the sight of a dead Image Alas This presents nothing at all to such as fear God but Folly and Ignorance Vanity and Idolatry and when they look upon it they shall be grieved in their spirits and vexed when they can find no more Monument of that once noble man but an invented â—…ge and Picture and the Priests shall be ashamed and may have the greatest rebuke for they that lead the people have caused them to err And now upon the whole matter from the very beginning to the end thereof I do declare against it and that a fearful Abomination hath been committed in the sight of the Lord in relation to this Image and you have vext the Lord's Soul and his Hand you shall feel upon your Consciences and the weight thereof in the time to come the spending of so much of the Creation and wasting Money and other things the Lord will lay to your charge and the whole City hath been abused with running and wondring after the work of your own hands And now all you that have gone to gaze and wonder after an Image What saw you What beheld you What wondered you after ought except folly and vanity and a dead Image whereby the man and his Nobility was abused in honour to whom they say it was done And when many dayes were spent what were you the better What were you edified were you not convinced of your 〈◊〉 Folly And might not your Wickedness reprove you And did not the Liâ—… in your own Consciences check you and prick you and condemn your vain minds that wondred after Folly Though now you may be hardned yet 〈◊〉 day you shall confess when the Witness of God in you doth arise and bring all your deeds to remembrance then shall you say This work was Abomination and 〈◊〉 great Sin in them who invented it and caused it to be brought forth and your selves that 〈◊〉 wondred after it and the Judgments of the Lord are against all these things E. B. A MESSAGE PROCLAIMED BY Divine Authority From the chosen Assembly of the Redeemed People in England to the Pope chief Bishop of Rome and to his Cardinals Jesuits and Priests and all other the Officers of the Romish Church where it shall meet with them through the World That they may appear and come forth to Tryal and shew if they have the same Faith Power Spirit Authority and Government as had the Apostles and true Churches before the Apostacy And this is a full Invitation and Challenge to the whole Church of Rome and the beginning of Controversie with her for the perfect manifestation of the long hidden Truth betwixt them that are in the Truth it self and such as have the Form but not the Power that all things may be brought to Light and true Judgment WHereas we a poor despised and rejected People among the Nations of the Earth yet Dreadful and Mighty because the Majesty and Presence of the Lord God is with us who hath called us and chosen us and gathered us and redeemed us from among men out of Kindreds and Multitudes and Peoples into one Body and one Spirit out of all the Sects upon the Earth and we are of one Mind and one Soul having Fellowship with the Son and with the Father being come through great Tribulations and many fiery Tryals and are refined and purified and made clean and white in the Blood of the Lamb being fully recover'd out of the great Deluge of Darkness and Apostacy which hath overflown and drowned the whole World and
single Eye be watchful that all things in good Order may be kept amongst you that the Name of the Lord may be a Renown and his Truth kept without Blemish and your Authority in the Truth may be known a Terror upon the Wicked My dear Friends whom I judge to be Honest and Faithful this was I moved to write to you as the dear Remembrance of my dear Love and I do from the Lord commit it to you to fulfil the will of God in these things and the Lord bless you all with Wisdom and Counsel and with Power and Strength and the Lord give you Authority that you may reign with all them that come amongst you in the Name of the Lord and over all them that come in their own name The Lord bless you with a perfect Understanding in these things and my Spirit even the Spirit of the Father be upon you all to teach you perfectly in all things My Love and Life is amongst you who desires nothing more then the Prosperity of the Lord's Truth amongst you The Grace of God be with you all Amen This is to be read amongst you when you are met together whom the Lord hath set to order things in his Wisdom and this is to all the Faithful amongst you Kingstone 1659. E. B. To the Churches in New-England Barbadoes and other Islands TO the Seed of God and to all that are called of him and unto all you that are hungering and thirsting after the Lord in Truth and Righteousness in new-New-England Barbadoes Mevis and the rest of the Islands where the Lord hath a People to gather the Father's Love through me doth slaute you all whose Faces are set towards Sion abundantly desiring for you in the Spirit of the Father that Grace Mercy and Truth from God may richly abound amongst you and in all your Hearts that at his coming who hath given to every one of you a Measure of his Treasure he may receive his own from you with encrease that you also may enter into the Reward which is Eternal Life unto all that are called and are found faithful Wherefore arise and awake all ye that have been scattered and strayed from the Lord and come forth thou oppressed Seed of Israel out of the Darkness and Bondage and Oppression with which thou hast been loaded for many Ages whilst a long Night of Darkness and Blindness hath been over thee I say Awake and come forth for now thy Light is risen and the Glory of the Father shall rest upon thee and thy Bonds shall be broken and thy Oppression shall cease for thy King shall Reign in Righteousness over all his Enemies and they shall become his Foot-stool and his Dominion shall be enlarged to the utmost parts of the Earth Dearly Beloved be assured of this That the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is doing great things his Day-spring from on High hath visited us and his Light hath shined into our Tabernacle and his Arm hath taken hold of Strength to Redeem the Oppressed People and he hath reached forth to us from his holy Habitation out of his Everlasting Loving-kindness and hath caused us to reach forth to others from his own Life revealed in us that they may know what God hath done for his People and may also receive of the same Salvation and may taste handle and feel of the Life which is manifest of which we are Witnesses and the Lord hath spoken who can but declare and he hath lifted up his Standard to gather the Nations that he may search and seek out his Sheep and this I declare unto you and withal am willing to discover and make manifest the Way and Means whereby the Lord doth bring â—â—â—vation to his People and love constrains me knowing the Lord hath a Seed amongst you unto which my Testimony will be acceptable wherefore all people turn ye turn ye for the Lord calleth unto you harken unto his Testimony which speaketh in you even the Light of Chriâ—â— Jesus with which every one of 〈◊〉 are enlightened and search your Hearts and feel what the Lord witnesseth unto you and what his Testimony in you giveth evidence of for who walks in Pride in Wickedness in Vanity and in the Pleasures of the World and acteth against God's Witness in their Consciences such are in a State to be condemned of the Lord because they act that and speak that which is reproved with the Light shewing that they are in a State unreconciled to God their Works shewing them to be evil Trees that cumber the Ground who are to be hewen down and cast into the Fire and therefore be not deceived in your selves neither let any man deceive you with a Profession or Conceit of a Justification by Christ while yet Iniquity and Transgression and the Evil of the World are lived in and not wholly denyed for to the Wicked there is no Peace from God but the Wicked are condemned by him and the Light in their own Consciences is witness against them Therefore all come to the Light which Christ hath lightened you withal which will manifest unto you your own Condition and whether it be justified or condemned of God and believe not against the Light nor hope not against God's Witness for they that do so their Faith and Hope is vain but what the Light testifies in you that believe And all you that may find your selves sinners loaden with Iniquity and that are the Servants of Sin and have no power over Temptations believe in that Light which gives you to see this and wait till the Power of God be made manifest in you to cleanse your Hearts and to judge out all Unrighteousness for Christ hath not taken away your Sins while you daily bring them forth into the World by Action but whose sins he hath taken away them he hath washed and cleansed from their sins and given them power to resist and overcome all Temptations wherefore wait upon the Lord all ye that are afflicted because of your sins the Day of a great Deliverance is approaching and mind the Light which lets you see Sin that is the Gift of God's Love unto you which will draw you from the love of the World and crucifie your Affections and Desires which go after it and if you mind the Light of Christ in you it will judge and condemn every Motion that ariseth in the Heart towards Evil and the Temptation being judged you will not fall into Sin but will be preserved from Sin and that which doth preserve you from the committing of that Sin unto which you are tempted doth blot out and forgive all the Sins that ever you have acted and that will witnes Reconciliation and Peace with God unto you as you come to be changed and renewed in your Hearts and Minds to be created in the second Adam his Image to bear and to follow his Spirit And Friends search your Hearts and let the Lord search you and judge you for him must
and I have not spared my own Life to serve you but have given out plentifully of the Lord's Treasure that you might be made rich and I have given out from my Life of the Lord's Substance that you might be fed and nourished and I have kept nothing back of the whole Counsel of God which was needful for you to know and for all this the Lord is unto me at this day a sufficient Reward and of you I desire nothing to my self but do sincerely desire of the Father for you all That Love and Faith and Purity and all the Works of the Spirit may plentifully abound in you all that 〈◊〉 Father may be glorified through your bringing forth much Fruit. Wherefore my dear and beloved Friends Look unto the Lord who hath begotten you to himself let his Fear be before your Eyes and his Judgments in your Hearts Oh! keep near the Lord at all times for it s he that preserves his People it s he that leads them and goes before them it s he that feeds them and refreshes them at all times for its be alone and there is not another that gives you Peace and Strength Wisdom and Knowledge and all good things he is â—ot streightened to any of his that sincerely wait upon him he is the Portion of his People and the Inhaeritance of their Souls and he causeth all them 〈◊〉 trust in him to lie down in Safety and none can make them afraid Therefore oh my Friends I say again and again Love the Lord and his Way and be Faithful in the Truth unto the End love not your Life nor â—â—y other thing for his Service sake but give up all things of this World that you may receive all in the Lord be watchful against all your Enemies that you be not overcome of the Devil but resist him in all his Apâ—… that you may not be defiled nor lose your Peace with the Lord 〈◊〉 is to me and I hope to you of greater price then all other things whatsoever and this I have said among you in Faithfulness and at this present do charge yoâ— all To dwell in Love and Unity one with another and to â—ear one with another and to walk in Wisdom one towards another and to be Examples of Righteousness one before another that it may be known that God is amongst you of a Truth and he is my Witness nothing without me can more add to my Joy then to know of your Welfare in the Lord and of your Stedfastness in the Faith of Christ Jesus and for this my Heart wisheth as much as for any other thing besides And though I be outwardly separated from you according to my Father's Will who gave his Enemies power over my outward man to cast it into Bonds for a moment yet am I present in Spirit amongst you and my Love and Life salutes you all in the Fear of the Lord and though the outward man may suffer yet am I in perfect freedom and in perfect Peace and in every respect perfectly well in the Lord who is my Strength my Armour and my Crown and in his Authority I yet once more beseech you all even for the Lord's sake That ye take heed to the true Light Christ Jesus who lighteth every one of you which Light leads to Christ who saveth and redeemeth from Sin and Death and from all the Wayes and Works thereof and this ye know who are God's Witnesses of his Love and tender Mercies and of the Faithfulness of his Servant Moreover my dear Friends All disorderly Spirits who are out of the pure Fear and Wisdom of God my Life doth judge and with the Power such I do deny who are not Simply in the Power of God and them that seek themselves in any thing amongst you my God shall judge and who are rash in Judgment and forward to utter words and bring forth Fruit and not in due season such are a Burden to the Lord's Soul Therefore take heed I charge you all to the guiding and moving of the pure Spirit of God alone for that will stand and its Fruits will never wither and whatsoever is otherwise brought forth among you the Lord will confound and it shall not profit the people This is to be read amongst you in the Fear of the Lord. E. B. To Friends in Barbadoes Virginia and new-New-England c. TO the Seed of God and to all that are begotten of him by the Immortal Word in Barbadoes Virginia New-England and that wayes even to all that have felt and tasted of the Word of Life Grace Mercy and Truth be multiplyed amongst you Dear Friends dwell in the Truth and walk in it that ye may be a sweet Savour unto God and may have Unity with him and one with another in his Life and Spirit and wait that you may have Victory over the World and the Spirit of it in you which hath captivated your minds in the Luâ—ts of this Creation and which hath led you in By-pathes of Iniquity while you were Strangers unto God and without his Knowledge But now having received Grace and Mercy from God and his Word hath entred into your hearts whereby you are begotten into the Hope of Eternal Life and are changed now the Lord requires of you to be Faithful in his Work and Valiant for his Truth that you may obtain the Promise and be made free from Sin and become the Servants of Righteousness and feel the Word and Power of God in your Hearts which will crucifie you daily to the World and make you alive unto God that he may live in you and walk in you and work all your Works for you and this is the Everlasting Covenant where God works in the Creature both to will and to do and man lives not but Christ lives in him and speaks in him and this you must wait for to be Witnesses of in your own Consciences For what is the Profession of God with the Lips and the Profession of the Scriptures while men do not walk by the Spirit aâ— gave forth the Scriptures and enjoy God in their Hearts so you must all wait to be Possessors of the Substance Christ the First and the Last the Beginning and Ending him must you feel in you to destroy the Devil and his works and to change you into the divine Nature which is like unto God and this is Salvation God with us destroying the Enmity and reconciling man unto himself by overcoming Sin and Transgression and your hearts must be cleansed by the Word of God and that which is contrary purged out and this is the New Covenant where the Heart is circumcised and the Body of sin put off and the Creature freed from the burden of Iniquity and then there is clearness and freeness where sin is remitted and washed away and no burden lying upon the Conscience but the Heir of God born the Redeemer which maketh free from the Devil and Sin and they are the Sons of
and thou of the Divel Seeing they that abide not in the Doctrine of Christ have not God hence I query of thee XII Whether by this rule thou art not proved to be without Christ and without God who abides not in Christ's Doctrine but are called of men Master and stand Praying in the Synagogue and hast the chief Seat in the Assembly and contrary to Christ's Command Answer these Queries with the Spirit of Soberness if thou hast it and shew thy self a man if thou hast the Heart of a man and Repent of thy Wickedness and own thy Condemnation upon thy Former Words and Works I am a Friend unto thy Soul but a witness against thy Deceits E. B. And after which time for the space of two years I had no Communication with Christopher Fowler till this last nineth Moneth at a place called East-Hâ—â—sted where a Meeting of Dispute was appointed and challenged by some of his Brethren at which place again I met with this my Adversary where we had some hours Discourse and many particulars of False Doctrine fell from Fowler 's mouth some few of which hereafter follow First one of his brethren in his prayer before the dispute prayed to God to forgive them the Atheism that were in their hearts of him and his Brethrens Answer now an Atheist is one that denies God and Atheism is denying of God according to common reputation Atheism is so taken so that how shall such a Generation of men bring people to the Knowledge of God by their Ministry or how should they ever convert people to profit them who yet in their own Hearts denyed God as the man acknowledged in his prayer before the Lord and many witnesses the Poor People of England had thought that the Spirit of God had been in your Hearts but now we know that you deny God in your Hearts and you have confessed it to your own shame are you Ministers of Christ and yet denies God in your hearts and in whose hearts lodges Atheism Oh! let not people be deceived by you but repent ye that know not God but with your Mouthes confess him and with your hearts do deny him Christopher Fowler also affirmed that day That the Scriptures are the Glorious everlasing Foundation of Foundations Answ. And hereby it is made manifest that he hath totally denyed Christ and so proved with his brother confest in his prayer that indeed Atheism is in their Hearts and so he hath denyed Christ whom the Scriptures say is the Foundation and no other Foundation can any man lay and upon him were the Saints builded in their Faith and all their Practices of Religion for he is the corner Stone as it is Written and thus he hath dishonoured Christ in setting the Scriptures above him and taking the Honour from him and giving it to the Scriptures and I shall leave this his Doctrine to be considered with a query to these people of his Church in Reading whether he is worth hearing or giving Money to for preaching that holds forth such Doctrine and whether it is possible he should bring them to Christ who hath in effect denied him to be the Foundation and held forth that the Scriptures are the glorious everlasting Foundation of Foundations Much I need not say to uncover the error of sucâ— a Doctrine Again he affirmed That a man at one and the same time might be a Minister of Christ and a Deceiver Answ. And here all may see the weakness and Ignorance of this strange Paradox and indeed which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith No man can serve two Masters and it s very certain that he that serves the Devil doth â—ot serve Christ at the same time and he that serves Christ doth not serve the Devil and so his Doctrine is Antichristian which would make People believe that though they serve the Devil yet they are the Servants of God and this is as much as he hath said that one may be a Minister of Christ and yet a Deceiver now a Deceiver is one that follows the Spirit of the Devil and a Minister of Christ is one that followes the Spirit of Christ and these two Spirits are contrary and not both ruling in one man at one time But then to help the matter he said a man might serve Christ in Office but not in Love to which my answer was let him say whether he and the Priests of England did serve Christ by way of Office or Love both or either and I should prove the contrary but that we prosecuted no further Some other things were affirmed by him that day not now remembred He said That Christ was a Sinner from this Argument laid down by him all that dies â—â—e Sinners Christ died therefore c. These and such things he held forth all that day besides the unsoberness of his words and carriages towards me who called me a Dog divers times and did use very ridiculous jestures and words towards me even to his own shame in the sight of many people and the people of that County do yet well remember his unchristian-like proceedings and were ashamed of him but at last went his way and all his brethen and I was left among the people and I need not now mention for many even themselves know it what loss and disadvantage they sustained that day and Gods loving Truth was advanced and the advantage of it that was obtained on the Lords behalf but I being not yet as it were wholly satisfied but would endeavour further to the laying open deceit and to invade Antichrists kingdom the next morning after the dispute it was upon me to write forth and to send him this paper of Propositions following whereunto is annexed his Answer C. Fowler FRiend seeing thou art so high in thy spirit against us and against the truth which we profess and from time to time dost open thy Mouth so wide in Justification of thy self and thy Practices and in false charges against us and though we have had divers Meetings and the differences between us alwayes appeared greater and greater therefore this I propound unto thee Whether thou wilt give another Meeting of open dispute for the tryal of thee and thy wayes and of us and the truths which we hold forth for the satisfaction of the people and these things following I propound as the subject matter worthy to be handled which may discover thee and us to the satisfaction of all that desires in that case First What be the evident signes and tokens of a Wolf in sheeps clothing and whether thou or we in the sight of the people and of the Lord God can clear our selves to be clear and free from the marks and signs of such aforesaid Secondly Whether wilt thou stand to be tried in thy Ministry in thy Call to it Practice in it and Maintenance of it by and according to the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and wilt thou admit of tryal of thy Church and
if you do thus and will not allow clearly and freely Liberty of Conscience but will by force and violence limit the Spirit of the Lord and tender Consciences this shall be a Snare upon you and a Rock oâ— offence against you to break you to Pieces for in so doing the God of Heaven will be displeased with you as with others if so be that you take upon you to prescribe the Lord a way how he must be worshipped and will take upon you to rule and judge in the cases of Conscience and in the matters of Christ's spiritual Kingdom which appertains to Christ alone to be Iudge of and Ruler in and not man and to him alone you ought to give the whole Rule and Government in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that he may prescribe and teach Worship and Faith and Duty to himself in all spiritual things and this I claim of you on his behalf even that you give unto him the whole Rule and Authority in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that you allow Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Faith and Worship to all Christian people in these Nations and that no man be compelled or forced to or from by outward violence any kinde of profession of Faith or practises of worship for it is of Antichrist so to do if that you impose any Sâ—rt of Worship and Religion contrary to mens Consciences upon penalties on mens Persons or Estates if you do thus you exercise not the Power of Christ but of Autichrist and it is â—â—depriving of Christ of his Heirship and of the Government of his own Kingdom which will be reckoned against you as a fearful abomination if you â—â—lk therein And therefore let men believe in Christ and Worship him according as they are perswaded in their own Consciences for a tender Conscience in the Sight of God is a thing greatly regarded of him and if you limit it and do violence upon it the Lord will be provoked against you and these Nations will not bear it but it will beget fiery contentions in the mindes of men if any Religion and Worship contrary to their Consciences be imposed upon them and while some men are gratified others will be displeased and if you allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of spiritual things the effect of it may prove sad and Miserable to your selves and your Government and this shall you know in time to come even the good effect of Toleration in Liberty of Conscience and of woful effect upon the contrary Therefore be wise and instructed ye Rulers of the Earth and kiss the Son lest ye perish out of the way of Peace and Happiness Now you have your day and time to be made happy or to be left miserable that your Government may be blessed or otherwise deprived of all Blessedness These things have I Written to You in Love and Honour towards You That Ye may know and be informed what the Lord requireth of You if so be You may escape the Wrath that is to come And love nor Wrath to You Your prosperity nor overthrow is determined upon You or prophesied unto You by me but as You walk in Justice Truth and Righteousness or as You walk contrary and bring forth Oppression and Persecution Bristol City the 4th day of the sixth Moneth 1660. Edward Burroughs A PRESENTATION of Wholsome Informations unto the King of England c. THe Servants of the Lord and his People that feared his Name and trembled at his Word never wanted false Accusers in any Age to repute them vile and to reproach them by slanderous words and that even to the Rulers of the World and to the Kings of the Earth have the chosen People of the Lord been falsly accused and reproached by the slanderous Tongues of ungodly Men in all Generations as in many Particulars might be proved out of the Scriptures by the Example of things in the dayes of old For even in those dayes it came to pass that the Elect People were reproached and falsly reputed by the men of the World as in the Case of the Iews in their building of the Temple again when they returned out of the Captivity How were the People of God at that day accused and reproached and that by the wise men of that Kingdom even unto the King Ahasuerus Ezra 4. 15 16. That good City of Ierusalem the Habitation and Dwelling of the Iews and then only named People of God was accused of being a bad rebellious City and hurtful to Kings and that the People moved Sedition therein to the danger of the Revenue of Kings c. And Neh. 4. 2. the People of God were scorned and reproached and called feeble Iews who builded the House of God and it was said in derision of them that a Fox should go up and break down their Wall And also how were the holy Prophets and Servants of God rejected reproached and accused even to the Princes and Rulers of the Earth in Generations past as Daniel to the King how was he accused Dan. 6. 13. and the three Children were accused to the King Dan. 3. 8. and the Apostles were reproached under the slander of being movers of Sedition and such-like Acts. 24. 5. being many times accused and haled before Felix Agrippa and divers others of the Rulers of the Heathen and it was told the Apostles by Christ That all manner of evil should be spoken against them for his Name sake And throughout the whole Scriptures there is very large Testimony how that in Ages past the Servants and People of God were accused and falsly reproached before Rulers and Kings by their Enemies that sought their destruction The truth of this is so clear and full that it needs no further Testimony And as it was in this case in the days of old so is it happened in this day who more now accused and falsly reproached then the Innocent People of God Is not all evil spoken against them and that even to Rulers and Governers and Kings And this is done by their Enemies that seek to destroy them even by such as would not have the Work of the Lord to prosper and his People to be preserved and on this account the cry is great against us every where as if we were Hereticks Blasphemers Seditious and Enemies to Magistracy and Government to Church and Ministry and such like And these with such like have been and are the Accusations against us whereby we are reproached falsly before men and this hath been our portion in this World since we were a People by the Men of this Generation and the very same is come to pass upon us in this case as was upon the People of God in former Generations and as it was done unto them so it is done unto us and therefore we are in Patience under all our Afflictions and Sufferings whether we are persecuted by Actions or Words and for the Name of
it hath been in my Heart divers times to declare the Substance of these things unto you but at last I have chosen to write my Mind to present to you concerning the Matters very needful for you to be informed in and it is for your sakes as well as theirs that I have done it that you may not run on to act any thing against them upon Suspitions and Accusations of others without hearing our Defence and therefore it is for the avoiding and stopping of Persecution in the Land for this Cause have I taken in hand Submissively and not Presumptiously to state this Plea before you and I must leave it to your Considerations and cannot impose my Faith upon you to believe as I believe but having laid the Truth before you I shall leave it to the Lord to work Faith and Love and Iustice Mercy and all good things in your Hearts that you may bring them forth in the Exercise of them in the World London the 10th day of the second Moneth 1661. I am a Lover of Justice and Mercy Truth and Righteousness E. B. A Just and Righteous PLEA presented unto the KING of England and his COUNCIL c. CHAP. 1. The Case Stated and Pleaded concerning Swearing at all and particularly concerning the Oath of Allegiance 1. WE do acknowledge our selves to be free-born People of this Kingdom of England the Land of our Nativity and we do assert That we have just and lawful Right and Title as such to possess and enjoy our Lives Liberties and Estates both by the Laws of God and Man having never unto this day since we were a People forfeited our Birth-right as men by any Rebellion Sedition Contempt or otherwise but have alwayes been and are a People exercised in the Law of our God by walking justly towards all men and doing to others as we would be done unto and have been and are a Peaceable People under every Government and Authority that hath been over us since the Lord raised us up And I do hereby declare That we now are and shall be Faithful Innocent and Peaceable in our several Stations and Conditions under this present Government of King Charles the second whom we acknowledge supream Magistrate and Governour over this Kingdom and for Conscience sake we are obedient and submissive to him as such in all his Commands either by doing and performing of what he justly requireth or by patient suffering under whatsoever is inflicted upon us in the Matters for which we cannot be obedient for Conscience sake when any thing is required of us different from the just Law of God And to this Subjection to the King and his Government we are bound by the Law of Righteousness and such hath ever been our Principle and Practice and is unto this day even to be Quiet and Peaceable and Patient under every Authority that is set over us and not in Unrighteousness to Plot or Contrive or Rebel against any Government or Governours nor to seek our own Deliverance from Injustice and Oppression in such a way And we are perswaded to seek the Preservation of the King's Person and Authority by all just and lawful Means and not to Rebel against him with carnal Weapons and so far as his Government is in Justice Mercy and Righteousness we declare true and Faithful Subjection and Obedience thereunto and wherein it is otherwise we shall be subject by patient suffering what is unequally imposed upon us and yet not Rebel in any Turbulent way of Conspiracies and Insurrections For our Principles are not for War but for Peace with all men so much as in us lie neither may we render Evil for Evil to any but are to be subject to the King and his Government Actively or Passively upon the Conditions aforementioned And we renounce all Forreign Authority Power and Jurisdiction of the Pope or any else from having any Supremacy whatsoever over the King oâ— any the good Subjects of England And this we Declare Acknowledge and Testifie in the Fear and Presence of God to whom we and all Mankind must give an Account and that without secret Equivocation or any deceitful mental Reservation 2. But as for all Oaths and Swearing we utterly deny for Conscience sake towards God because Christ Jesus hath commanded Not to Swear at all Mat. 5. And the Apostle saith Above all things my Brethren Swear not Jam. 5. And it was the Principle and Practice of divers holy Martyrs even some of the Protestant Church since the Apostles dayes in all Ages Not to Swear at all in any Case so for Conscience sake and according to the Example of Saints in former Ages we do refuse to Swear in this Case of Allegiance to the King and in all other Cases whatsoever and we cannot Swear at all Though the Truth and Verity of all Things in all Cases so far as known to us and as Occasion requireth we can acknowledge and testifie with Yea and Nay as in the Fear and Presence of God and with true Intent and Meaning to discover the Truth as is needful to be known And in this manner we acknowledge just Allegiance to the King and his Government that we shall live Peaceably and not Plot nor Rebel against him according to the Law of God and a safe Conscience but without any Oath or Swearing at all for we may not break the Command of Christ nor walk contrary to the Example of the Apostles and Saints by Swearing though we suffer the Loss of all because thereof And it is our known Principle and Practice ever since we were a People that in no Case whatsoever though of great Dependancy oft times to our selves both in respect of Advantage to us and also in avoiding of Sufferings we have not taken any Oath nor Sworn at all whereby it is manifest that our refusing chiefly to take the Oath of Allegiance is not because it is that Oath but because it is an Oath and for Conscience sake we cannot Swear at all 3. And thus the state of our present Case about this Oath of Allegiance is different from some others from all such who can swear and take Oaths in other Cases to whom taking of an Oath in it self is not matter of Conscience but as for us we make Conscience of an Oath in it self and that upon just Ground as we are able to demonstrate and therefore our Refusal of this Oath of Allegiance gives no Ground at all of Doubt or Suspition concerning us as if we would not live peaceably and quietly under this Government or as if we would Rebel against or Plot to destroy the King's Person or Authority and so deny to take this Oath as if we would leave our selves clear to proceed in such wayes this Judgment cannot justly be given of us because we deny to Swear at all in all Cases which if it were not so but that we could Swear in other Cases and not in this then we might justly be the more suspected
the rest but the Presbyterians and Episcopals and all of that way and these Professions stand in Reputation and are accounted Phanaticks and Hereticks even William Pryn himself and this is manifest by the Author of Semper Iidem who hath reviled and reproached all the People of England publickly and openly For seeing the Antient Martyrs the Fathers so accounted of the Church of England are villified as Phanaticks Then must needs follow that the Church of England even in the way of Episcopacy as being in their own account the Successors of the Martyrs in some things at least are also Phanaticks and such as Semper Iidem saith the Old Phanaticks were for the men being reputed Phanaticks who were as the Fathers then needs must the Children be the same and this deserves serious Consideration by the Protestants of England 3. Consider how the very Cause it self of Protestants in this their long Contest for these many years with and against the Church of Rome is now weakened and even as it seems in a way of losse and decay being now reproached and held under publick scorn in England by Semper Iidem I say the very Cause of the Protestants is new struck at and beat against and sought to be destroyed being already defamed and reviled as appears by the discourse of the nameless Author who hath rendred the Antient Martyrs that promoted as much as they could the Protestants Cause against the Church of Rome and dyed for it many of them sealing the Cause with their Blood as Hereticks Erroneous Rebels and Phanaticks and hath also rendred Fox and his Acts and Monuments who hath hitherto in England been counted a true Reporter and Historian of the PROTESTANTS Sufferings as invalid as possible even that he is a Lyar and his Chronology Untruths and hath justified Queen Mary and the Papists who put the Martyrs to Death And these things considered duly and justly how is the Protestants Cause it self struck at and weakened and as it were the very Victory given to the Papists against the Protestants in this long Quarrel between them ever since Henry the Eighth's dayes and long before 4. Consider How the Papists Cause seems to be reviving in England and how bold the Members of the Church of ROME are of late dayes growing as to appear so publickly in Print justifying their own Cause as good as Queen Mary and the Papists in her dayes in Martyring and Burning the Protestants and condemning the Martyrs of the Protestants as Hereticks and Phanaticks This I say is great Boldness in the Papists more than hath been for this Hundred of Years and a Sign of a Reviving and Recovering of their Cause more than hath been for many Years who durst not any of them appear so publick as the Author of Semper Iidem hath done with that Boldness and Courage to justifie the Papists Cause and condemn the Protestants For if such a Discouse as Semper Iidem had been brought forth and published in the dayes of Queen ELIZABETH which were Darker Dayes then these are it is possible it would not have been suffered to be cryed up and down LONDON but Restrained and Condemned for the Fire But now the Papists have taken Confidence to themselves and are of better Hopes than formerly even that they shall have Fire and Faggot again and to Burn and Destroy such as differ and dissent from them whom they may call Hereticks and Phanaticks And this I observe from the spirit of Semper Iidem 3. Consider The Nature and Constitution and Disposition of the spirit of the Church of ROME how that it is not Changed but the self-same that ever it was viz. A spirit of Murder and Cruelty that hath Killed and Martyred such as have Differed from them and been Contrary-Minded in Religious Matters and it would work and bring to pass the same still if it had its Power without Limitation in ENGLAND The Papists I say would Burn Kill and Torture such as they judge Hereticks and all that cannot Bow and Bend and Conform to their Wayes and Injunctions and Religion this they would be at again in England if it were in their Power as it was heretofore I say This ought to be considered even the Cruelty of that spirit and what Danger there is in it to give way to the Exaltation of that spirit and to embrace it in the least whereby to give it occasion to get into the Power and Judgment-Seat for if it doth then Fire and Faggot and Killing and Burning about Religion will openly appear again and this seems to be manifest by the Constitution of the spirit of Semper Iidem which may give Good and Wholsome Cautions that the spirit of the Papists is still a Cruel Spirit and would Destroy all that Differ from their Way if they had Power and that that spirit is not to be Hugged and Embraced nor set highest lest the Effect of it proves Woful to England by bringing forth again what it once did in Renewing Fire and Faggot for this is the Disposition of the spirit of the Romish Church as is apparent by Semper Iidem 6. Consider how Careful and Vigilant the People of England ought to be to wait and attend the Motions of the Spirit of the Church of Rome lest it insinuate it self into Authority and get its intended Advantage and Purpose against the Protestants and their Cause and advance it self against them and promote its own Interest and Destroy and overturn theirs For without all Controversie that same spirit is now at work to agitate its Desires and according to its old course its Hatching and Contriving how to promote it self and destroy all that 's contrary it is Undermining and secretly Surmizing its Opponents Overthrow that it self may be exalted For that spirit is diligent in its way to take the least Occasion for its Self-advantage as is manifest by Semper Iidem and therefore the People of England ought also to be Careful and Diligent in their Cause to Preserve themselves and their Interest from the defeat of the Church of ROME and they ought to watch against that spirit to keep it in subjection under Authority and Command and not to exalt it into Command over them lest they be subjected to the Idolatries and Oppressions and Persecutions of that spirit to their own Destruction both of Persons Estates and Religion for that spirit will attempt alwayes to Rule and if it Rule then will follow consequently An Utter Overthrow of the Protestants PERSONS and CAUSE that will be the Effect of the Authority of it though it bear hand in hand in seeming Love and good Agreement with the Protestants till it hath gained its desired end over them which is To promote it self and subdue by Burning and Cruel Tortures all that which is contrary to it Let the People of ENGLAND consider this Matter now while it is time and be Watchful over the Motions of that spirit and not put Confidence in it too far nor to