thy Law and defends by thy unrighteous power thy power is limited and it shall be taken from thee and thou shalt be overcome and the Lamb shall get the victory and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting place And thou false Prophet which hath deceived the Nations and scattered the Inhabitants thereof and builded by fraud and daubed with untempered morter thy Judgment is past upon thy head already and the Decree of our God is sealed against thee thy smoke shall ascend for ever and ever and of thy sin there is no forgiveness nor of thy torment no remission Over you do we and shall for ever rejoyce and sing and over your god and your King the Dragon that old Serpent cursed be he and his memorial for ever Ye Lambs of the true Shepherds fold with whom my soul resteth whether ever I behold you outwardly yet my heart is with you and I am one of your fold and I lye down with you under the shadow of the rock upon the Mountain which the beast cannot touch where we are safe from all our enemies and am to you wel known to be read in your hearts in the Record of the Lambs Book of Life and known only to the world by the name of EDWARD BURROUGH Written at Dublin City in Ireland To the Camp of the Lord in England Several Epistles to Friends in LONDON Written in the Year 1655. by E. B. Some of which were subscribed by F. H. who was Fellow-Labourer with him in the Work of the Lord. FRiends of God in the Truth whom the Lord is gathering as desolate Stones to build unto himself a Habitation whom the Lord is bringing back out of Captivity wherein you have been held under the Chains of Darkness in the Land of the shadow of Death the Lord is calling you and chusing you to place his Name in you and to spread forth his glory among you Therefore all dear Friends whose hearts the Lord hath touched by his Love and by his Power be faithful unto God who hath called you and look not out at any thing that is mortal to draw you from the Obedience of the Eternal Light of Jesus Christ which shines clearly in Darkness Resist not the Drawing of the Father but take up the Cross and abide in it daily that your wills may be crucified in which the ground of enmity lodges So all in your own conditions wait in the Fear of the Lord in singleness of heart and in simplicity of mind for the powerful Appearance of the Son of God to be revealed in you to destroy the works of the Devil for where he is not witnessed the works of the Devil stands and the nature of the earthly man in the fall All of you whose minds are turned home to within where the Pearl and the Lost Money is to be found dwell and walk in the pure Fear and Obedience to that of God which is made manifest in you and made known unto you and there will Peace flow in from the Presence of the Lord unto you and refreshment and strength to the Seed and the Pure will live and the Corrupt will die daily Beware every one that have put their hands to the Plow that you look not back at any thing which you have left behind in the World but press on in the strait Way which is the Light which gives no liberty to the fleshly man but which judges and condemns all that hates it and turns from it the Light is the Way that leads to Life and by it as you wait in it the Life will be made manifest which is immortal and your Redemption will be witnessed dwell in the Judgment and in the Burning that the Dross may be consumed and the Pure may be refined and the earthly carnal minds may be confounded and judged The Lord is near unto you wait for his powerful Presence in his own Light to see him and in it to comprehend all the World with all its Profession which leads not to God but keeps in the separation from God your Way is near walking in the Light you will see it and in the Light you will see all the paths and all the wayes of the Harlot which leads into the Chambers of Death look not out at words for that which feeds there is for the Famine but dwell in the Light joyning with the immortal Principle which receives nourishment from the Eternal Fountain which the World knows not nor comprehends as you grow in the Pure and in the Life so you are unknown to the World and your growth will appear by your obedience in the Cross of Christ so take off stumbling at the Cross for such hath no part in the Eternal Inheritance but walk in the Cross which is life to the New-man and death to the Old and so through Death Life is made manifest and the pure Life of God arising in all the World will be trampled upon and denied by you but such amongst you that chuseth the World wrath from God I declare against you and you who knows the way and casts off the Truth and for the love of that which is visible turns from the Truth you cannot escape the Damnation of Hell So all dear and tender hearts abide in the Counsel of God and let not the World overcome your minds but wait for a daily victory over it that so you may with the Saints possess the Eternal Riches and that in you which is carnal and corrupt may be overcome by that which is Eternal and Holy as you abide and walk in the Truth and grow up in the knowledge of the eternal God so our joy will be fulfilled in you and our rejoycing will be encreased by you therefore walk and live in that which God hath made manifest in you which is of himself and the eternal God of Life and Power prosper you and lead you up unto himself to dwell and walk in his Love for evermore Be not troubled at the rage of the World nor at Temptations but stand in the Will of God which hath been declared amongst you that you may all be established and guided by that which is not of this World but by the Principle of Life which is Eternal which judges all the fruits and grounds of Darkness Our love salutes you all who walk in the Truth and our prayers are for you that Life may spring up in you to praise the Lord for ever We are Servants unto you and unto all the Elect Seed of God every where for whose sakes we give our selves to be spent E. B. F. H. To Friends in London ALl Friends whose minds are turned to the Lord by that which is Pure which comes from him who is the Light of the World all mind it that with it your minds may be turned to him from whence it comes out of all the perishing things and out of all the visible to the invisible that so
grow exceedingly in Strength Wisdom and Number and the hearts of the people enclined unto us and the Witness of God in many stired for us for to that in all Consciences in our words and sufferings and wayes we did commend our selves to be known and approved And in the beginning we were but few in number onely a few that thus were carried on and dealt withall and that had received the Power from on high in such a measure and for such a work and no sooner did the Lord appear to us and with us but the Devil and his power rose up against us to destroy us and it wrought in Rulers Priests and People and all the wayes and means invented by the Devil that could be executed by his Servants were brought sorth to quench the work of the Lord and to stop our passage in what we were called to did ye but perfectly know as we perfectly found the craftiness and policy and wickedness of the Devil how to overcome this new born Babe and how to root out forever this Plant that was newly sprung sorth it would make you admire and wonder with admiration all the Priests and Rules were in an uproar the Priests they petitioned to the Magistrates and run up and down from one Sessions and Judicatory to another and took wicked Oaths and slandered the Just with Lies and Reproaches on purpose to incense all people against us and the Magistrates gave forth Warrants for the apprehending of some and made their orders to break our Meetings and that we should not meet in the Night season and such men might not pass abroad and such stir and Opposition was made against us it can hardly be expressed or declared there were uproars in Steeple-houses and uproars in Markets and often haling before Magistrates and abused and threatned and slandred and all manner of evil done and spoken against us and great injustice cruelty and Oppression acted against us where ever we came and all through the means of the Priests who spared not to enact and conceive Mischief against us and sought daily to the Magistrates for Persecution preaching in their Pulpits and praying against us setting days apart to seek their God against us crying without ceasing in publick and private Heresie Heresie Error and Blasphemy and that we were Deceivers Witches and Seducers and such like the worst they could say and imagine to stir up the hearts of people against us and running often to the Assize and Sessions and Courts to complain and inform upon false Oathes against us and through them were the whole Countries in a Rage and Madness Rulers and People often Imprisoning and abusing and resisting us with Violence banishing us out of Towns and putting of us out of our Inns and often threatning To burn the Houses over our Heads the whole Company of Rude People in a Town often gathering and besetting a House or Inn about where we were entred to lodge in our Travels We were often exposed to difficult and hard Travels and Journeys giving our selves to the Cross to take it up against all Earthly often drinking Water and lying in Straw in Barnes after a hard dayes Journey and yet for all these things the Power and Presence of the Lord was with us and we were carried on with much Boldness and Faithfulness in Courage and without Fear or Doubtings through the often hazzard of our lives many wayes in Uproars by evil men and in Markets and Steeple-houses and also in Ttavels by Robbers and every way were we exposed to Dangers and Perils but through all and over all were we carried and are preserved to this day And after this manner it came to pass concerning us and much more might be said but this is in short declar'd how we were entreated and dealt withal by Priests Rulers and People through all the Northern Counties of England in our first going forth through which Counties we first journeyed out of Westmoreland through Cumberland Northumberland and into some parts of Scotland and Durham Yorkshire Lancashire Cheshire c. and in all these Counties much Opposition we had and exceeding Sufferings and cruel Dealings from men of all sorts every Goal may witness in every County how any of them seldom were without some of us or our Friends imprison'd in them this six Years and scarce one Steeple-house or Market in all these Counties but may witness what Beatings what Bruisings Strikings and Halings Abusings and Perils we have suffer'd and sustained and not one Priest in all those Counties can clear himself from Hatred and Malice and from envying of us and doing Mischief in Words and Works or Thoughts or Desires against us nor scarce one Justice nor any Officer of the Peace can be excused in all them Counties from plotting acting Injustice upon us and threatning cnacting Cruelty against us And I call Heaven and Earth to record and the Light in every mans Conscience and do appeal to that in all sorts and places of people That by all sorts of people we suffer'd Evil and unjust Works and Actions and Words from them and let the Witness of God in all mens Consciences in all the North give Testimony what Dealings and Cruelty we suffer'd and how we have been dealt withal and also of our Patience and Innocency under all what they have done to us But notwithstanding all what was acted against us and spoken many hundreds of the Honest and Sober People owned us and also many Rude and Ungodly Persons were converted to the Truth I say many hundreds in all these Counties in two years time were brought to the knowledge of the Lord and to own us all which time we laboured and travelled in Patience giving up our selves to live or to die and to all manner of Sufferings and Reproaches and hard Trials that we might fulfil faithfully what we were called unto Sufferings without from open Enemies and from our own Kindred and Relations and Sufferings within for the Seeds sake and we are well acquainted with griefs yet in all our Tryals and Afflictions the Lord never forsook us but his Wisdom Love and Life and Presence increased in us and with us Then in the Year 1654 as moved of the Lord we spread our selves South-ward and entred into these South Parts and came the first of us into this City of London in the fift moneth that year and laboured in the Work of the Gospel in continual Sufferings and Oppressions divers wayes and were oppressed and gainsaid by the wise Men and by the Learned and had in reproach and contempt by all the High and Lofty and Proud Professors and we were set at nought and rejected by the fat Beasts of the South and it is well known to thousands in this City and South-Country what opposition we have had from all sorts of People opposed in our own Meetings and scorned and slandered by envious and reproachfull Tongues publickly and privately encountered withall by the Wisest of
Counties at divers Meetings and divers particular Friends he took his leave of them saying to very many That he did not know he should see their Faces any more exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their Souls And said to some I am going up to the City of London again to lay down my LIFE for the GOSPEL and suffer amongst Friends in that Place as having some sence of his Suffering before And a little after his return to the City at a publick Meeting which the People of the Lord have kept these many Years to hear and speak of the things of God to Edification at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate by certain Souldiers under the Command of Richard Brown then General of the City of London he was violently plucked down and haled away in a barbarous manner and carried to the Guard and so committed to Newgate not for Evil-Doing but for testifying unto the Name of the Lord Jesus and for the Worship of God as though this were become a great Crime worthy of Bonds and at last Death He was had to the Sessions in the Old-Baily and his Accusers were Witnesses against him and them that had abused him violently their Testimony was received as good Proof against him And at last after two or three Sessions he was fined by the Court One Hundred Marks which at last was reduced to Twenty Marks and to lie in Prison while payment where he continued a pretty long season about Eight Moneths with Six or Seven Score Prisoners besides upon the same Account many being shut up among the Fellons in nasty Places and for want of Prison-room the Natures of many were suffocated and corrupted till at last many grew Weak Sickened and Dyed At last this same Young Man grew Weak and though a special Order from the King was sent to the then Sheriffs of London for the Release of him and the rest that were left in Prison yet such was the Emnity of some of the Rulers of the City that they did what in them lay to obstruct the Execution of the Order that he should not be released And so Weakness grew upon him daily though in much Patience he was carried through all In the time of his Weakness he was very fervent in Prayer and that often both Day and Night unto the Lord as concerning himself and also his People and at several times he spoke several precious words from the sensible feeling of God's Spirit in his Heart and said I have had the Testimony of the Lord's Love unto me from my Youth and my Heart hath been given up to do thy Will And he said I have preached the Gospel freely in this City and have often given up my Life for the Gospel's sake and now Lord rip open my Heart and see if it he not right before thee Another time he said when he had a little ease There is no Iniquity lies at my Door but the Presence of the Lord is with me and his Life I feel justifie me Another day afterwards he said Thou hast loved me when I was in the Womb and I have loved thee from my Cradle and from my Youth unto this day and have served thee faithfully in my Generation And he spoke to Friends that were about him To live in Love and Peace and love one another And at another time he said The Lord taketh the Righteous from the Evil to come And he prayed for his Enemies and for his Persecutors and said Lord forgive Richard Brown he may be forgiven And though the Distemper and the Disease was violently upon him yet he was preserved sensible And in the morning before he departed this life being sensible of his deaâ—h he said Now my Soul and Spirit is centred into its own Beeing with God and this form of person must return from whence it was taken And after a little season he gave up the Ghost and died a Prisoâ—er and shall be recorded and is in the Lambs Book of Life as a Martyr for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus for which onely he suffered and gave up his life whose death was pretious in the Eyes of the Lord. But now he ever liveth with God and his Work follow him and his Labours shall testifie of him in Generations to come and thousands beside my self can bear witness his Life and Death was to the praise honour and glory of the Grace of God unto whom be the glory of all his Works for ever Amen ANd oh thou City of London who hast been a professing City of the Name of God and Christianity so many years must it be said of thee as Christ said of Jerusalem that a Prophet cannot perish out of thee Oh how many Warnings hast thou had and how dost thou remain in obdurateness and impenitency Oh thou art not worthy of those Heavenly Tydings of Salvation which hath been proclaimed in the midst of thee these many years by this faithful Messenger of God deceased with many more who is taken away in judgment unto thee because many of thy Inhabitants despised and set at nought that in which the blessedness of all Nations consisteth Oh how is thy Gold become dim and how is thy glory stained How is thy Countenance marred How is all thy Profession became dead and like a withered Tree without Sap The Symptomes of death are upon thee Your Sun is set your Glory is passed away Night is coming and Darkness is surrounding you and you shall have enough of Darkness and your Paths and Ways shall be filled with it because you have hated the Light and would not have him who is the Light of the World to rule in your hearts but have chused Darkness rather then Light because your Deeds are evil and in the end thou shalt be made to see you have chosen lying Vanities and have taken Pleasure in the Flesh and have forsaken your own Mercies Repent repent if any can find a place while it is called to Day lest you be shut up in everlasting Darkness and Truth be hid from your Eyes for ever â—ake warning cease from Persecution and afflicting the Lord's People who desire to live quietly and peaceably and to worship God in Truth and Righteousness with a pure heart It is too too much that you have done already the suffering and death of many Innocent Righteous Men who have suffered these Winters past will lie as a load upon your City in Summers to come Remember what God did to Amaleck the first of the Nations and to Moab when Israel would have passed to their own Land and Countrey that God had promised them and have eaten their own Bread and Drank their Water and have passed on peaceably but they rose up and fell upon the Poor and upon the Hindmost and Weak God was Glad to Force his Way though it proved the ruin of Amaleck and the Misery of Moab We would glad walk on
Law which is righteous and do witness the justness and goodness and holiness of it but if you make a Law in your own wills and judge by such a Law then you will make the Innocent suffer and oppress them who walk in the Law of God and in the exercise of a pure Conscience Christ was put to death by such a Law and the Saints in all Generations were persecuted by such Laws which were made in the will of man contrary to the Will and Law God Therefore take â—eed to your selves lest God hew you down and your Law together and condemn yoâ— by his righteous Law eternally which Law of God needs not to be made but iâ— made already and to be witnessed by the Light in every mans Conscience to Justification or condemnation and is revealed in all that love Righteousness So take heed what you do and know your place and the length and breadth oâ— your law which is committed to you which is to keep the outward man in good order and the Nations in peace and truth and from Theft and Murder and Adultry and Fighting and Quarrelling and Drunkenness and Wronging one another and such like such who acts these things walk contrary to the Light and so brings themselves under the penalty of the law but over the inward man you law which is outward hath no power to bind to limit or to tie too or from any way of worship in Religion but let Religion defend it self and lay not your laâ— upon the Conscience to exercise dominion over it for it is Christs Seat in whoâ— he will rule lest you be found Tyrants and numbred for destruction nor liâ—â—â— not the Spirit of the Lord how when where and by whom it must speak for the Holy-men of God in all Ages ever cryed against such laws as were contrary to the Law of God and did limit the Spirit of the Lord and against such Rulers as did judge false Judgment and for Gifts and Rewards and against such Priestâ— and Prophets as preached for Hire and divined for Money and sought for their Gain from their Quarter and made a prey upon the People and through Coveteousness made merchandize of souls Therefore be ye warned if such you uphold by a law which act those things which the Scripture declares against which the Holy-men of God gave forth by his Spirit the Scripture which you profess shall stand a Witness against you and the Law of God will condemn you and God will lay your honour in the dust and cast you out of the Seat of Judgment But judge the cause of the Poor and Needy of the Widow and Fatherless and joyn Mercy with Judgment and lay your Swords upon oppression and all tyrany and wrong dealing that the Land may cleansed of evil Doers and Equity and Righteousness may flow down and the Nation in good order may be kept iâ— Peace and Righteousness and so God will establish you among his Children who are taught of him alone and are far from oppression To the Light of God in all your Consciences I do speak which if you make laws contrary to it and judge contrary to it it is the eternal Condemnation of you and of your laws and judgment And remember you are warned in your life time and my Conscience is cleared to you and in the Day of the Lord you shall witness 〈◊〉 to be truâ— and this to be the Word of the Lord to you whether you will hear or 〈◊〉 â—ear Written to you by a Friend of Righteousness and true Iudgment from the Spirit of the Lord as moved of him in love to all your souls to go abroad among the Heads and Rulers and Iudges in Dublin and elsewhere through the Nation of Ireland from one who is called a Quaker by Scorners whose name in the flesh is Edward Burrough Written at Dublin the 23d of the 8th Moneth 1655. And now Oye Heads and Rulers happy had you been if you had taken the counsel of the Lord and submitted to have obeyed his Word which came to you as moved of him but in that you have neglected and have made laws in your will and exercise lordship over the Conscience and have limited the Lord and have purposed to â—e a â—error to good and strengthened the wicked and have not regarded the Will of God but have persecuted and imprisoned the Innocent and â—udged 〈◊〉 your own hearts therefore according to the Word of the Lord your blood will be upon your own heaâ—s for you have not taken Warning and I am 〈◊〉 hereof for ever An Exhortation sent to the chief Commander and his Council and the just Cause of the Innocent laid at their door WE who are Servants of the Lord of Hosts who is the Protector of Heaven and Earth we who stand in his Fear and know his Coâ—nsel are moved of him who lives for ever who is I Am and there is none besides him to clear our Consciences and our Lords Truth from the Lyes and Slanders which are cast upon us and the Good Way of the Lord which envious spirits whâ—â— are proud and know nothing that cannot abide sound Doctrine do reproach and slander us and by false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to our charge which we never knâ—w therefore we being innocent and clear cannot but deny and 〈◊〉 witness against all those proceedings which are â—ot according to the Law of Righteousness and equity and lay thâ—… at your door whom it nearly concernâ— Unto thee Henry Cromwel who is Commander in chief for the Affairs of Ireland and to thy Council we write We have seen two several Warrants â—â—der your 〈◊〉 dated at Dublin and in them both you say You have received information at your board of great disorders and disturbances of 〈◊〉 in the Couâ—… of â—â—rkâ— and Places adjacent by Francis Howgill aâ—d Edward Burrough This we say unto you your Informer hath declared an â—â—truth at your Board and we deâ—â—re that you may make it appear where in we have made any disturbance or disorder all these things in your Warrants we deny and do charge you in the Name of the God of Justice to send for them that so informed you that have so abused you and are so bold and impudent as to declare unto you any such thing and so have caused you to bring guilt upon your selves in sending ouâ— your Warrants to bring the Innocent before your Judgment-seat and caused us to be dragged a hundred Miles from place to place as Mâ—lefactors and as though we had done some criminal act and when we have dome before yoâ— you had nothing to lay to our charge but have endeavoured to give Sentence of Banishment of us out of your Nation who are free-born English men nor have we been burthenfom to your Nation nor transgressed any known Law of the Nation and you have judged us before our 〈◊〉 came and herein you do us great injustice and you act contrary to the Law of Equity and
no end and people shall be brought into that and they shall go forth no more for who come to this Time is no longer and the Kingdom and Government is delivered to the Father and he is become all in all And all that ever come to know these things must first come to the Light of the Lamb in them with which every man is lightned that cometh into the World And all that ever know these things must first be brought to the Principle of God in them which they have transgressed against And all that own the Light of Christ and walk in it shall come to know these things which to know and be in them is eternal Life Therefore all ye Christians come to the Light which Christ hath lightned you withal and that will let you see the Government of Satan and of sin and death which has been ruling in you and the Light will teach you to war against it till it be subdued the Light will discover unto you that nature in which the kingdom of Satan bears rule it will let you see the Devil who is the Prince of darkness who is the Adversary of God who is out of the Truth and he has drawn all people out of the Truth but if you love the Light of Christ in you it will teach you to war against him and against all that that is out of the Truth for all that is of Satans Kingdom that is out of the Truth and must be destroy'd by the coming of the Kingdom of Christ whose coming is in the Light which Christ hath enlightned every man withal who comes to destroy the Devil and his kingdom and all his works So to the Light must all minds be turned which will reveal the kingdom of the Man of Sin and consume it The Appearance of Christ is Light and Christ is the Light of Israel which is as a Fire to consume all fruitless Trees which cumber the ground which the Lord will consume by the brightness of his coming And now is the Man of Sin reveal'd even in the hearts of Christians so call'd and he hath long shew'd himself to be God but now the Lord will bring him down For Antichrist has rul'd for many Ages and the Lord of Life has been crucified in spiritual Sodom but Sodom shall be consumed by Fire and the Lord will avenge himself of all his Enemies and all People and Nations shal know that there is a God who executes Justice and true Judgment who is a God near at hand to reward his People with Everlasting Life and to give unto his Enemies Judgment and Condemnation Written by a Friend to the Creation a Servant of the Lord E. B. A DECLARATION To all the WORLD Of our Faith And what we believe who are called QUAKERS And this is written that all People upon Earth may know by whom and how we are saved and hope for Eternal Life and what we believe concerning God Christ and the Spirit and of the things that are Eternal appertaining to all Mankind to know and believe Concerning God Christ and the Spirit thus we believe FIRST That there is only one true God who is a Spirit and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth and he is Eternal and Everlasting the Creator and Preserver of all things that Heaven and Earth and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth and all things â—…in unto this day by his Power and whatsoever he willeth in Heaven and Earth he â—â—ings to pass by his Word and Power And we believe That this God only is and ought to be feared loved obeyed and worshipned by all Creatures and no other thing besides 〈◊〉 in Heaven and Earth Aâ—… we believe That his Worship and Obedience and Fear and Love is to be given in Spirit even in what his own Spirit moveth and leadeth his People unto And we believe His true Worship required and accepted of him 〈◊〉 not by the Tradition of men in outward Observances or Set-dayes oâ— Places but he is worshipped only in Spirit â—…d Trâ—th without respect of Time â—…ces or things and that none can worship â—â—m in Righteousness but his â—…n who are born of his Spirit and are led and guided thereby And we believe That this God hath given his Son Christ Jâ—… 〈◊〉 â—â—e World a free Gift unto the whole World and that every 〈◊〉 that coâ—…eth into the World is lighted by him that every man miâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayed And we believe That he is given into the World and no Nation 〈◊〉 or Pâ—ople excepted but unto all Mankind is he given of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them and every man through the World that believeth in him and receiveth Christ who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father shall be saved with eternal ' Salvation and every one that believeth not in him shall be damned and shall possess everlasting Misery And we believe That Salvation Iustification and Sanctification are only in him and wrought by him and no other for there is no other Name given under Heaven but hâ—m alone by which Salvation is And we believe All that receive him and believe in him are reconâ—…d to God and are made alive to God to live to him in all things anâ— do receive the Forgiveness of Sins and are set free from all Unrighteousness and from the Body of Sin and Death and have the Witness of the Spirit in them and the Spirit of the Father they have received and it witnesseth in them of the Father and of the Son and of the things that belong unto their Peace and it is the Earnest of the Inheritance and the Seal of the Promise of Eternal Life and by it are the deep things of God revealed to Mankind and by it the Father and the Son dwells in the Saints and by it have they Fellowship one with mother and the Father Son and Spirit are one And this we faithfully believe Again concerning Christ we believe That he is one with the Father and was with him before the World was and what the Father worketh 〈◊〉 is by the Son for he is the Arm of God's Salvâ—…ion and the very Power and Wisdom of the Creator and was is and is to come without Beginning or End And we believe That all the Prophets gave Testimony of him and that he was made manifest in Iudea and Ierusalem and did the Work of the Father and was persecuted of the Iews and was crucified by his Enemies and that he was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures And we believe He is now ascended on High and exalted at the Right-hand of the Father for evermore and that he is glorified with the same Glory that the had before the World was and that even the same that came down froâ—… Heaven is ascended up to Heaven and the same that descended is he that ascended And we believe Even that he that was dead is alive and lives for evermore and that he cometh and shall come
and persecuting of the Persons and Consciences of People about Worship Church and Miniâ—â—ry for in these things and by these Weapons you have defended the Whore 〈◊〉 through the force of your violent Laws and cruel Impositions unjustly laid 〈◊〉 people hath the Whore the false church been carried by you and deâ—…ded by you But lay aside all your cruel Weapons and not persecute nor 〈◊〉 nor shed the Blood of the Servants of the Lord by unjust Laws nor limit not the Spirit of God from crying against Babylon and reproving her Iniquities for these things have you done in defence of the Whore for you â—â—ve been the Carriers of her the Defenders and Preservers of her by your â—…ighteous Laws and through you hath she sate as a Queen thinking she 〈◊〉 never see sorrow because ye have defended her and taken part with her and caused Nations to drink her Cup for you have been the Executors of her pleasure to compel the Nations to commit Idolatry and to partake of 〈◊〉 Fornications and you give her authority to drink the Blood of all that would not drink her Cup and it is now time for you to forsake these your wayes and to learn Wisdom from the Lord that you may rule in Righteousâ—… amongst men as men but not to be Rulers in Christ's Throne nor his Kingdom by imposing such a Worship and such a Religion upon people's Consciences and to destroy and kill all that will not thus worship to your Image and bow according to your Prescription this you ought not to do 〈◊〉 the Lord never intrusted you with this power nor made you Rulers in his Kingdom nor to sit in his Throne of Conscience for while you have done 〈◊〉 your Authority has been from the Dragon and not from the Lamb. And now this the Lord required of you Let Conscience go free and rule not over the 〈◊〉 Man for while you do take that upon you to force such a Worship and such a Religion upon people contrary to the Spirit of God you are but Serâ—… to the great Whore Wherefore be warned for this is an invitation of Love Righteousness Truth and just Judgment Mercy and Peace unto you that you may know what the Mind of the Lord is unto you and may do it and rule for God and not for man upon which dependeth the happiness and well-being of a Natiâ—â— and Nations and their Rulers and on the contrary dependeth their overthrow and destruction and this will speedily be brought to pass 〈…〉 fore come out of Babylon and deliver your selves from that bondage 〈…〉 with the false Church hath bound you she hath caused you to drink hee 〈…〉 and you have been made drunk with her false Faith and Doctrines and Prâ—… and ye have compelled Nations to Drink the same Cup of Abominatioâ—… ye have executed cruelty and injustice upon all that would not and yâ—◠〈…〉 been Servants to the great Whore and being in Bondage your selâ—… 〈…〉 have brought all in bondage under you but now the Lord is 〈…〉 Times and Things and Powers and happy are you if you dâ—liver your 〈…〉 and let the Oppressed go free in so doing if ye fulfil this my Râ—… and do the Will of the Lord herein then Blessings and Peace Eternal 〈…〉 if ye be disobedient and take part continually with the Whore y◠〈…〉 partake of her Judgments And this hath the Lord spoken to you 〈…〉 the Day of Vengeance ye shall confess that you are warned By a Friend to the whole Creation that waits for the Redemption thereof Edward Burroughs AN ACCOUNT Of some Grounds and Reasons OF THE INNOCENT SUFFERINGS Of the People of God called QUAKERS And why they Testifie against the Vain Customs and Practices of the World Presented to the PARLIAMENT in the Year 1659. Also concerning a Great Cry up and down the Nation That the Quakers Meetings must be Broken and Suppressed and that this present Parliament intends to do it With a CRY of Great Judgment and Vengeance upon the Wicked near to be Executed as it was received from the Lord into his Servant FRIENDS IT may seem strange unto you as it doth unto others to hear that so many of our Friends should be cast into Prisons there being few Goals or Houses of Correction in England to which some of them have not been â—ommitted and you partly know how many of them are this day in Bonds â—nd it is no less strange to us that such frequent and heavy Sufferings for matâ—ers of Conscience should come upon us and our Brethren who for the â—ost part have been Instruments with you and others for casting off that Yoke 〈◊〉 Oppression which at the beginning of the late Wars lay upoâ— the Hoâ—…est People of this Land which made many flee into strange Nations and to â—…eek Habitations in the Deserts but we wonder the more that they should come â—rom those we accounted our Friends that so much have pretended the Liberty of Conscience and many of themselves practized the same things for which we now suffer May we not ask What hath been done by our Friends What Laws are these which they have broken Whose Persons or Possessions have they wronged What Force or Violence have they used to any man Have you found them in Plots or guilty of Sedition or making Resistance against Authority Have they not patiently born the greatest Sufferings that any People of this Nation ever lay under since Queen Mary's dayes without Murmurings and Discontents And when have they fought to revenge themselves or troubled you or others to be repaired for those many Injuries and false Imprisonments which they have endured How have they been counted as Sheep for the Slaughter persecuted and despised beaten stoned wounded stocked whipped haled out of the Synagogues and cast into Dungeons and noysom Vaults where many of them have dyed in Bonds shut up from their Friends denyed needful Sustenance for several days together not suffered to have Pen Ink or Paper and when they have lain there many Moneths and some of them Years denyed a Legal Tryal continued from Sessions to Assizes and from one Assize to another and no Equity to be found from judge or Justice If it be answered to us They are common Disturbers of Ministers they will not pay Tythes they will not Swear they will not put off their Hats they travel up and down from one Country to another without a Magistrate's Pass and on the First dayes to Meetings at great distance they will not pay Fee when they are brought â—â—to Câ—…ts nor plead in the Forms there used nor give Security to keep the Peace or to be of the Good Behaviour when the Iustices require it And we have Laws or Customs that require these things should be done It is forgotten what was one of the great Causes of our late Wars the Sufferings that then were imposed and lay upon many for matters of Conscience And was it not a chief Pretence of the
and many more other wayes have suffered grievous things as Banishments out of Towns and Whipping and Stocking and grievous unjust Abuses and none of these for Evil-doing but for Good even because they cannot bow to the Devil but are redeemed out of the World and therefore the World hates them and some have suffered hard Cruelties because they could not respect Persons and bow with Hat or Knee and from these Cruelties canst thou not altogether be excused in the sight of God being brought forth in thy Name and under thy Power consider Friend and be awakened to true Judgement let the Lord search thy Heart and lay these things to mind that thou mayst be an Instrument to remove every Burthen and mayst at last fulfill the Will of God are they nothing to thee that such things should be brought forth under thee O be awakned be awakened and now seek the Lord's Glory and not thine own least thou perish before the Lord and Men nay if Men would give thee Honour and high Titles and princely Thrones take it not for that which would exalt and honour thee in the World would betray thee to the World and cast thee down in the sight of the World and this is God's Word to thee what shall the whole Nation be perjured Men and thou the cause of it and wilt thou transgress by building again that which thou hast destroyed Then shall the Lord and his Light in every Conscience bear witness against thee let it not be but deny thy self and thou wilt find the Lord honouring thee Give heed unto my Words and understand my Speech Be not exalted by Man lest Man betray thee the Lord give thee an Understanding in this and guide thee in his Counsel and the rather above all things let thy Heart be stirred up in thee for the Lord For now is he setting up the Dominion of his Son which never shall have an End and thy Dominion must bow under it and all the Dominions of the Earth or else be confounded and broken to Pieces the Glory of the Lord is revealing and thine shall be vailed before it and the Glory of all Flesh shall fall Therefore strive not openly nor secretly against his Way for it shall prosper there is no Enchantment against us nor any formed Weapon that can prosper knowest thou not that the King of Righteousness might command thousands of his Saints to avenge him of his Adversaries and to plead his Cause against the Rebellious All Power is in his Hand yea and the Authority and Dominion shall be in the Hands of his Saints and every one that exalts himself against them shall be brought down not by an outward Sowrd or might of Man but by his out-stretched Arm and all Crowns that are Mortal shall be troden down by him whose Crown is Immortal and never fades away Therefore be wise and learned this is thy day as thou dealest or sufferest to be done with the Lord's People so to thee it shall be done in that day when their Government shall out-reach thine and be set atop of it as thou hopest for Mercy from the Lord when his Kingdom conqueres thee and thine now deal favourably and relieve the Oppressed boast not thy self though the Lord hath used thee in his Hand but know that when he will he can cast thee a Rod out of his Hand into the Fire for in his Hand thou art if thou wilt honour him he will honour thee otherwise he can yea and will confound thee and break thee and make thee weak as Water before him his Love through my Heart breaths unto thee he would thy happiness if thou wilfully contemn it not by exalting thy self and seeking thine own glory and hardning thy Heart against the Cry of the Poor and this I was moved in bowels of pittiy 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 E. B. 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 stirred up in my Heart 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 less 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 Unrighteousness brings Death Sorrow and Misery and the Light of Christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justness of the Judgments 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 unfaithfulness to the Principle of God in thee which beareth witness against the Persecution of the Innocent Or is it that thou mayest please men and therefore rather suffer Wickedness to abound 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 â—â—sing them of 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 cruel and unjust Persecutions would bind the Hands of many blood-thirsty Men and stop the Mouthes of many Devourers and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulness doth that come to pass 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 out Persecution and yet it is done when the Power is in thy Hand to remove it and this in much love and great pitty I declare unto thee in the Fear and Counsel of God Further thou sayest Thâ—n 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 in thy Conscience shall answer this for there seems to be rather a favouring of them in thee and by for bearance of the Actors of Cruelty by which their
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
The MEMORABLE WORKS Of a SON of THUNDER AND CONSOLATION Namely That True Prophet and Faithful Servant of God and Sufferer for the Testimony of JESUS Edward Burroughs Who Dyed a Prisoner for the WORD of GOD in the City of LONDON the Fourteenth of the Twelfth Moneth 1662. The Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance Psa. 112. 6. And they that be Wise shall shine as the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever Dan. 12. 3. In the sight of the Unwise they seemed to dye and their Departure was taken for Misery and their going from us to be utter Destruction but they are in Peace For though they be Punished in the sight of Men yet is their Hope full of Immortality Wisd. 3. 2 3 4 5. 5. 4 5. Being Dead yet speaketh Heb. 11. 4. Printed and Published for the good and benefit of Generations to come in the Year 1672. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the People of God In Derision called QUAKERS The Publisher of this Volumn wisheth all Peace and Prosperity in the Lord. Dear Friends I Having had much Exercise and care upon me in Collecting and for the Publishing these Books in this Volumn at length after much Travel Diligence for the effecting this Impression they are through the Assistance and Providence of God as I may well say brought forth and finished for you and your Children and such as are moderate and well-affected who shall desire any of them The reason why this Work hath been so long unfinished was partly the difficulty of Printing and partly it being also thus voluminous and weighty and partly since I began the Printing of this many other things of Truth 's Concernment intervened which required expedition in the publication howbeit this Work hath long lain as a matter of weight upon my spirit to use my utmost endeavours for its accomplishment and greater desires thereof could not be in any of you then in my own particular I having Travelled both to answer and serve Truth as also the desires of many Friends herein whom also I have been willing and desirous to serve in that true Love which stands in the Life and Truth of our God who requires faithfulness of us all that we may remain living Witnesses in our several Places this short time of our Pilgrimage and in the end lay down our Heads in Peace and Assurance of a Crown of Life and Glory as our Everlasting Reward for this is the End that crowns all The Diligence and Works of the Faithful And I having been an Eye and Ear Witness of the Faithfulness Valour and Courage of this Faithful Servant and Prophet of the Lord E. B. in his powerful Testimony and effectual Ministry which the Lord did bless with a very Glorious Success unto me and many more have found my self the more oblieged for the divulging of these his Works which though many of them were given forth in the time of his Youth soon after the Lord first raised him up and when the discovery of Truth was in its infancy both New Strange and a Wonderment to many in our Age it being after such a long time of Darkness and Night of Apostacy yet the Power of the Lord which then broke forth was very Mighty both in him and his dear Companion in the Gospel Fr. Howgill who were sent in the beginning amongst us in this City of London where though they met with much Opposition and Gain-saying by perverse spirits and formal Professors of all sorts who denied and resisted the Power of Codliness yet the Lord so accompained these his two faithful Servants and Ministers of Righteousness as to the confounding the wisdom of the Wise and stoping the Mouthes of many contentious Opposers and convincing of Gain-sayers yea the Lord did manifest and perfect his Strength through Weakness even through Instruments dispised and coutemptable in the Eyes of the Proud and Exalted of the World out of the Mouthes of Babes did the Lord ordain Strength and through Simplicity did his wisdom speak both in this his faithful Witness E. B. and divers other in the beginning So that let none contemn the honest Plainness and harmless Simplicity of any of his first Writtings or Books here inserted for many are living Witnesses that the Power and Wisdom of God did then even while he was young and tender every way appear and shew it self in him through such plainness and Simplicity to the confounding and overturning the wisdom of many that were high and lofty who conceited themselves wise with their opposition of science falsly so called And it may not be unnecessary for Friends and their Children to read and peruse these Testimonies Informations and Vindication of Truth where they are in way of Controversie with many others of like nature given forth by the Servants of the Lord in Truth 's Vindication the Perusal and Reading thereof may be of Service both to you and yours you being in the Light and Inspiration of the Almighty which gives Understanding from which all Scriptures or Writings that are given are profitable to the Man of God for his Accommodation and ought not to be slighted whether they be in plain Testimonies or in Vindications and Answers For though many are come to a particular Satisfaction in the true Light which is the Rule of the Understanding and know so much of Christ as to die for him yet cannot so well dispute for him though that be necessary and few given up and accomplished for that Service therefore there may be need for more to apply their hearts to Wisdom as to be furnished in every respect to stand up for the Truth against its Opposers to convince Gain-sayers and stop the Mouth of Iniquity where ever it opens it self against the Righteous to pervert the right Wayes of God and his Truth since the Labours and Works of this valiant Souldier of Christ are here manifest to your view and to continue on Record as permanent Monuments of his Service for the Lord and as Tokens of God's Love to many it being also apparently manifest how plainly and eminently many of his Prophesies came to pass and were fulfilled upon the Heads of the persecuting Powers Rulers and Government of O. C. and others of that Affinity who trod in the same Path who resisted God's Power in not removing Oppression from off the Innocent It is not my place much to endeavour B's applause in many words because I cannot add to him or what he hath done thereby nor yet to his Faithfull Companion Francis Howgill or his Works which many do also desire might be Collected and Published as these are for indeed he also wrote many weighty things and of much Service to the Truth which would be a very conderable Volmun that will require both much Care Charge and Industry to publish in Print and therefore it would be of much Service to Truth if Friends would so consider the
weight thereof as to encourage such a Work of value and worth for many know what a great Sufferer F. H. was and how he lay many years in a bad Prison at Appleby in Westmoreland for the Testimony of Jesus and of a good Conscience for that he could not Swear so that in the same Prison under the Hands of his Persecutors he cheerfully and with much Satifaction and Peace gave up his Life and ended his Dayes in Peace Oh! the remembrance of these two Faithfull Witnesses who both died Sufferers being Prisoners for Truth is never to be forgotten And thus Dear Friends as the Salutation of our dear Brother E. B. according to his desire while in the Body I recommend unto you this Volumn of his Books with my Love in the Truth to you all being therein The Truth 's and your Servant and Friend Ellis Hookes London the 1st of the 2d Moneth 1672. THE EPISTLE TO The Reader TO all the World to whom this may come to be Read that they read with a good understanding and hereby they may come to the perfect knowledge of the ground of difference between the Priests and Professors and all Sects in these Nations and Us who are in scorn called Quakers shewing that the Controversie on our part is just and equal against them all and that we have sufficient cause to cry against them and to deny their Ministry their Church their Worship and their whole Religion as being not in the Power and by the Spirit of the Living God as commanded of him or ever practiced by his Saints But this declareth the ground and Foundation thereof to be another thing and not the same on which the true Church and Ministry and Practice and Worship and true Religion was builded in the days of the Apostles And also this is an Invitation to all Sects and Professions of People to come forth and try if what they hold and profess be according to the Scriptures of truth and to do this in tryal by evident and sound Arguments and by the best spiritual Weapons they have and to lay aside all this Persecution and unrighteous Dealing and Stocking and Whipping and Imprisoning of us for speaking against their Religion and that they come forth in fair dispute to contend in the Spirit of meekness for what they Profess and Practice and to prove according to the Scriptures their Ministry Church and whole Religion that it is in and by the Spirit and Power of God or otherwise to renounce and deny all their Religion and the Profession and Practices thereof that every man may be satisfied who it is that are in the true and right Way and of the true Worship and true Religion and who it is that are not and this is desired by us who are called Quakers and also a true Account of our first beginning and coming forth in the World and of that great Sufferings we have sustained and how we have been carried on and are preserved to this day The Lord God everlasting who is true and faithful hath fulfilled his promise in us and unto us and we are gathered from the Mouths of all dumb Shepherds and out of the mouths of all Hirelings who have made a prey upon us and fed themselves with the fat and devoured souls for dishonest gain And we are come to the Fold of Eternal Rest where Christ Jesus is the chief Shepherd and he is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls that feedeth his Flock with living Bread that nourisheth us unto Life Eternal he hath called us by his Name and put us forth and he feedeth us in green Pastures and we are fed with hidden Manna and lie down at Noon with his gathered Flock and out of Nations Kindreds Multitudes and Peoples are we redeemed to God and are come out of the World and out of great Babylon and out of spiritual Sodom and Egypt where the Lord Christ was and is crucified and lieth slain to this day and a top of the World hath the Lord set us on the Mountain of his own House and Dwelling where we behold and feel the Life and Glory and Crown of the World that hath no end and the world that hath an end is seen over and its crown and glory is his Footstool that reigns amongst us And as for all that which this perishing world brings forth which men seek after only it s reckoned our temptation though all the Sons of Adam are seeking its glory its riches its crowns its contentments but of that Birth are we which hath no crown no glory nor rest under the Sun and a Birth is brought forth amongst us which is Heir of another Kingdom and Possessor of another Crown whose glorying is in the Lord all the Day long and he is our Refuge our Rock and our Fortress against all our Enemies and what though the Wicked arm themselves and the Ungodly bend their Bow what though all sorts of People from the Prince upon his Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghil exalt themselves against the despised People of the Lord's Inheritance who for his Name 's sake are kill'd all the day long What though the Wise-men bring forth their Arguments and what though the Rulers bring forth unrighteous Judgments against the Seed that God hath blessed what though the Revilers and Scorners open their mouthes and Reproachers and Revilers cast out their bitter words as a Flood against the Remnant of the Woman's Seed that has long been fled into the Wilderness And what then if the Teachers the Prophets and the Elders and the Heads and Wise men of the World set themselves to pray and preach and print against the chosen Seed of Iacob yet notwithstanding all this though this is come to pass and Hell open her Mouth and her Floods break forth to overflow and be much more increased yet shall the King of Righteousness rule among his People and his Presence will not forsake his chosen Ones but the Lord is with us a Mighty and Terrible One and the shout of a King is amongst us and the Dread and Terror of the Almighty covereth us and it goeth before us and compasseth us about And the Lord is working a Work in the Earth mighty and wonderful he is gathering the Scattered and binding up the Broken-hearted and his People shall dwell in safety and none shall make them afraid and no Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper nor no Hand that is lifted up shall prevail for Sion shall rise out of the Dust her beautiful Garments shall be put on and Mourning and Sorrow shall flee away and her Light is risen that is everlasting and the Sun shall never godown but his day shall remain for ever and the Night shall not again cover her brightness nor the Sun set upon her habitations the City that hath long laid waste shall again be builded and the dwelling that hath long been without Inhabitant shall be replenished for the numberless seed of
is insufficient to maintain his own Cause and to uphold the Rights and Priviledges of his own Kingdom Do you think that he hath need of you or a Multitude of wild and heady Men and Youth to fight in his Cause to uphold his Gospel and Ministry and Ministers Alas no you are deceived in this matter for his own Arm shall do all this and he will do it without you and not be beholding to you in this matter His Gospel nor the Priviledges of it shall not fall the true Ministry the Preaching and Dispensing of God's Word and Ordinances shall not perish though you be silent for the Lord by his own Power will maintain and carry on these things and all others belonging to his Kingdom without the help of Mortal Men or without the help of the Arm of Flesh so that you may put up your Swords and be still in this matter and leave it to God who is sufficient for these things without a multitude of men or without the Arm of Flesh For I must tell you that the faithful Teachers of God's Word and the faithful Ministry desire not your help to prosecute their Cause and the Cause of the Gospel but they trust to the Lord to be maintained countenanced and encouraged by him alone who is sufficient in that cause though its true the false Ministers and the antichristian Teachers through all Christendom for many Generations they have sought unto the Arm of flesh to set them up to maintain and defend them and their Gospel and false Church thus it is through the Popes Dominion and among some Protestants also they cry unto the Magistrates unto the Kings and Parliaments for the making cruel Laws to defend them and to the rude world they cry Help us and save us and defend us by fighting with Carnal Weapons for Heresies and Errors and such like and they stand in their Ministry in their Call to it and Maintenance of it and defence in it by the Arm of flesh and their Church is upheld thereby also but this is but Antichrists way and these are Antichrists Ministers and his false Church hereby is defended in the World and this shews that the Weapon of the Spirit of God is wanted by them which the Apostles had and it s very doubtful O ye Apprentices of London that your Ministers have prayed you and preached you into such a work as that you should stand up to maintain them and fight for them and their church against such that do oppose them but I must tell you if their Defence be not in another hand then in yours they are like to come to perpetual ruin and their Gospel and their Teaching and their Sacraments their Church cannot stand if they have not the Lord's Help more then yours And as for the Universities which you contend for alas many of you are ignorant concerning them and what Abomination is committed among them oh if you knew but the Prophaneness and Ungodliness and Ill-education that is among them it would turn your zeal for them backwards and it s not from humane Studies that the faithful Ministers of Christ come but who are so indeed are made so by the Gift of God's Eternal Spirit both in this Age and in Ages past So that O ye Apprentices Be still be still and do not ruin your selves and your City by Rage and Fury and Disorders upon such a Proceeding for your ground of Quarrel is not perfectly good nor your Endeavour in the Cause aforesaid well accepted with the Lord. But if your Quarrel be upon the account or about the matter of Church and Ministry leave that to the Lord and to your Ministers that they may defend themselves their Church and Ordinances and Worship by the Spirit of God if they have it for that is the Weapon of Ministry Church and Gospel-Warfare and not Carnal Weapons nor the multitude of an Host of Men Let your Ministers come forth in the best authority of spirit that they have and plead the cause of their Worship and Gospel and Ministry like Christians and not like Iews and Heathens for they use Carnal Weapons killing and murdering about Church and Religion that is the Papists Practice and not the Practice of the Saints So that ye Apprentices seeing you state your Quarrel against the Army upon the account of Church and Ministry my Advice is to you Proceed no further upon that ground but give your Trust to the Lord for the maintaining of all things related to his own Kingdom But the Cry is Those Sectaries those Sectaries away with them Your Trouble seems to be concerning them lest they prevail but wherefore are you troubled in this matter like as if you knew not that what the Lord purposeth must come to pass who are of God will stand this you need not doubt and who are not will come to nought and its vain for Mortal Man to oppose the Lord's Purpose but this was the Cry in dayes past How did the Bishops and Prelates in their dayes cry against the Non-conformists as Hereticks and such like even as the Ministers now cry against Sectaries But consider how did the Bishops proceed but in being the chief Cause themselves of raising War against the then Non-conformists thinking thereby to have smitten them all but you know it proved otherwise and as they thought to do unto others so was it done unto them which thing may be an Example to you For as they thought to have destroyed the then called Puritans in like manner were themselves destroyed and this may possibly fall upon you Therefore consider for I tell you as an equal man between you and them that there is more Sincerity towards God and Fear of his Name in some of them called Sectarians then there is amongst you and your Ministers though I do not here justifie the Sectarians so called in all things neither do I in every thing condemn your Ministers but this I say and do know If that you and your Ministers raise a War against those called Sectarians the effect thereof will prove your own Sorrow and their Advantage So this is my Advice to you rest and be still and that will prove your own Peace and Happiness Therefore take heed and beware lest ye oppose and gain-say the Work and Power of God which his purpose is to bring to pass in this his Day who is setting up his Kingdom in the midst of Tribulations that comes upon men The second Particular humbly desired by you is The Freedom and Priviledges of Parliaments as being the Great Charter of the People which you account very dear unto you and by which you hope to see you say a Settlement in Church and State and you humbly conceive that to be the probable means to establish the true Protestant Religion reform the Laws secure the Liberties promote Learning c. Answ. Now Friends do but truly consider and with a humble Mind what the Work of the Lord hath
been in these Nations for divers years and how he hath proceeded to overthrow and overturn Powers and Authorities Princes and Rulers and made them of no account before him and though the Instruments which God hath used in that matter in plucking down Men and Powers have been as much corrupted as those that have been overturned and whenas the measure of Iniquity in one was filled up the Lord threw that Power down even as it were by the Iniquity of another and because of the Oppressions of Rulers amongst us the Nation hath groaned and been left without a Comforter from any man and could not repose Confidence in its Princes and Rulers and this was that the Nation might look unto the Lord and that through him they might be saved and expect healing from him alone and in all these Overturnings you need not fear but the Hand of the Lord hath been in them and his Arm hath suffered and even brought these things to pass and therefore why should you murmer against God be unsatisfied in what he hath done for it s he alone and not another that must settle a happy and lasting Peace both in Church and State and he that must establish true Religion and reform the Laws and secure our Liberties and preserve our Lives and encourage all Vertue it is the Lord that will do all these things for this Nation and it s not any other in whose Hand the Salvation of a Person or a Nation is and how he shall do this and by what means leave that to the Lord limit him not to or from any thing for if the Nation can be but patient and still he will bring to pass these things in his day and season Wherefore O Nation and City Be still be still and be patient under the Hand of God which is upon you combine not Mischief one against another nor desire the overthrow one of another but be still be still this is the Word of the Lord to you be at quiet in your spirits and wait upon the Lord to receive what he brings forth For O ye Apprentices and Young-Men of London your rude proceedings in these causes will but destroy your selves and your City if you proceed any further for what is a multitude of men but as Bryers and Thornes in battel before the Lord if he purpose a Work you cannot prevent it and if he prevent a Work its vain for you to endeavour it these things are in the Hand of the Lord and Nations are unto him as Clay in the hand of a Potter but now I do not speak as your Enemy for I love your City wish it well Alack neither will I justifie the Army nor the men that you oppose in opposition to you for their ways are corrupted I know and their own Ends they seek and they are for Condemnation some of them and their Iniquities are fully ripe and God will bring them down but yet let you them alone the Lord will deal with them and he can execute his Judgement with his own Hand without you and if you can be but quiet for a little season it will make for your Peace hereafter but if your spirits rage and swell you may work Misery unto your selves and to your City but you cannot redeem it from Misery So do no talk of the Church as if you would Fight to uphold it leave that to the Lord for Christ will look to that to Govern it and Preserve it out of all and from all its Enemies and it belongs not unto you but that which the Lord requires of you is Patience and Submission to his Will and to be still till he appears with Salvation and Deliverance to this City and Nation to deliver them from all Oppression and Oppressors whose Coming is at hand and blessed are all they who are found in Patience at his Coming London the 10th Moneth 1659. TO THE Present Assembly MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER The Consideration of a Servant of the Lord upon the Present State of Affairs presented unto you for to read and consider as Informations unto you concerning present Proceedings in this Nation FRIENDS ALL these Overturnings and almost wonderful Changings that do come to pass in this Nation they are all effected through the Justice of the Lord's Hand and his Hand and Power is in and over all these things and it all Particulars which have happened since your first appearing on the Throne were accompted what hath come to pass but hath been accomplished and suffered to be by the hand of the Lord But particularly of the present state of things and this last Interruption which happened unto you Was it not a just Reproof upon you from the Lord though effected in Ambition and by corrupted Instruments For have you not promised great things unto this Nation in matters of Freedom and Liberty But what have you done Even left this Nation travelling under great and sore Vexations and undelivered from the Bondage of Oppressions though you have had time oftentimes put into your hands wherein you might have done good things for the Lord and for this Nation and Righteousness might have been established amongst you and in the Nation but you neglected many precious dayes and effected not many good things It would be large to instance the particular Oppressions that yet remain almost upon all sorts of people in this Land which might have been removed long ere this day had you bin faithful to God But because from day to day you have been rather careless and served your selves more then the Lord therefore hath he suffered you to be interrupted once and again and reproved by a Generation of men as unfaithful as your selves Well But to pass all this though much may be said you are now again at the stern of Government and on the Throne and I dare not but say it is of and by the Lord and that he hath done it contrary to the expectations of many and what his End is in it remains with him but I am sure one Cause is that you may execute part of his Wrath upon that Treacherous Generation of Hypocritical and Deceitful men some of the Army I mean some of whom have been deceitful to God and treacherous to the Nation and who have been fearful Hypocrites by a shew of Religion more then others and have mocked God as it were and his People I need not say to you how that many of them were raised up from a low Estate and instead of servnig the Nation became their Lords and Oppressors they have abused the Lord's Mercy to them and exalted themselves and became as great Oppressors and as grievous to the Nation as ever they were that went before them and some of them took the very Titles and Estates of their Enemies and followed their evil spirit also though the Lord was Long-suffering to them and gave them a day and put opportunity into their hands wherein they might have done good