Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the Error and out of the Truth let such deny their Worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confess to all the World under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their Mouthes and never profess nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and Conditions we will joyn trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the World it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers years have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the Ground of Quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful Tryal in Disputes or Writings for the Tryal and searching out of the Truth and the true Religion And were it not equal and reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to Prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to Prisons and Houses of Correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the Truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no Weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the Weapons of the Spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let Creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other Weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the Weapons of the Spirit of God which are powerful will bring down strong Holds and as for Creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose Weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and who do overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with Prisons and Whips and Houses of Correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but only the Power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their Enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry Deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be Deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the Election for no Deceivers nor the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ in the Election then if all the Deceivers upon Earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the Elect cannot be deceived and upon these terms we may engage with any people and Sect upon Earth Therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the Liberty to declare in soberness what you own and prosess you shall not be persecuted nor your Bodies nor Persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to declare in Meekness and Soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and profess and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withal and then let it appear whether we or our Enemies have a greater Testimony and more powerfull in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the trial of all things but doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by Violence and Whipping and Persecuting it shews you have not the spiritual Weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and Whippings and all Violence because the Authority of God's Spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the days of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their Enemies and so all Sects have been fighting one with another and killing Persons and Creatures and desending themselves by Prisons and Inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this hath been out of the Power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath power to kill and hath killed them by Fires and Tortures and cruel Deaths and all these have lost the spiritual Weapons and been without the Power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath been to be defended by Goals and Prisons and Whips and Stocks and violent Dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the Power and Spirit of God defends her always and not Inquisitions and Prisons and Whips these are Cains Weapons and not the Weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same Ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with whom you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the Protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now Dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be Deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindedness for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a Persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be Deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your
things unto your Idol-god hath been your defilement and pollution in the sight of the true God to Images and Pictures have you bowed and have worshipped the Saints Dayes and Names and bowed to their likeness of mans inventions but have slain their life and trodden under foot their nature and glory and buried their righteousness and knowledge in the grave of your wickedness and ignorance and in imaginations have you rested and in vain superstitions have you hoped honouring the Name of Christ and killing his Life the Womb of Darkness are you shut up in upon Earth and it will be your bed for ever in Hell and Death and your Purgatory will deceive you and your cleansing will never come Defiled defiled and loathsome are you in the pure Eye of Light which the secret of your deceit searcheth and your darkness feeleth and shall judge you for ever Rome Italy France and Spain and your Dominions to all your Kings Princes Bishops Priests Jesuits Prelates and Friers and Nuns and whole train of Idolators The Cup of my Vengeance is towards you and the Dreggs thereof you shall drink and my overflowing Whirlwind of Wrath as an inresistable Flood is against your Banks and my Fire of eternal Fury shall burn through your Stubble and my everlasting Light shall make search and inquisition for the blood of my Elect which is found in thy skirts Thou abominable Harlot of loathsome adultery Tremble tremble at my dreadfull living presence ye Worshippers of dead Images the day of repentance is well nigh past your long Idolatry will my long patience turn into everlasting Misery and Judgment and Nations shall see your shame and in the sight of your Lovers shall you be tormented And this from Authority by my Spirit of Glory is sent you a Warning and is the voice of a Trumpet which gives a certain sound against the mighty dreadfull Day of the Lord which upon you is coming to make you a Desolation for ever and ever and the Eternal Decree is sealing against you never to be altered To all you called Protestants of the Eldest sort THus saith the Lord my controversie is against you and my hand will be upon you you have a strong taste of the Bottle wherein the Wine of Fornication is and your scent is leavened with the first vessel of abomination you are seated in darkness pitched upon six of the first Mountains under another Branch of the first Tree Ignorance and are thildren of the first womb begotten in another appearance of the Whores Beauty and are more comly in stature then your eldest Brethren and little is your difference to be discerned from the first Beast in your appearance and nothing at all in the ground you say you believe for Eternal Life but your unbelief will bring upon you everlasting death your talking of Christ and his righteousness imputed which you profess will not cover your infidelity and filthiness for you are in the enmity against his Life the working of the first for life and your believing for life springs both out of one ground and while you say you eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ in the figure you kill and cruifie him in the Substance and art partakers of thy Sisters sins in Whoredom and Idolatry and must partake of her plagues Wo wo will be your Inheritance in the Pit of Earth for ever instead of a heavenly glory which you dream oâ— above the Sky I have armed my Armies to do my work herein which hath in part and will fulfil it to break you to pieces the intents of your heart have been known to be always against my people neither could you bear any appearance oâ— me but blasphemes my Name and Truth in every discovery you have loved darkness upon Earth and in its Chains shall you be bound in the Lake for evermore To all you that are called Presbyterians and Independents THe Lords controversie is against you for you are a higher branch of the first tree deeper rooted in the cursed ground of fleshly and sensual wisdom and the Womb of your conception is the first Whores daughter more comely decked and your Cistern holds the Wine of Fornication at which you drink in a measure her abomination and where you say you believe for Justification and applies the Promises for Savation your works of Wickedness and Hypocrisie will bring Damnation and gains the promise of Condemnation who are in pride and high-mindedness and double-heartedness which is the condition of that promise and you are found wanting every whit the conditions of the Promise of Eternal Liâ—e you have reformed the outward man into the obedience unto another likeness of the Truth without the Life and are as vile in the inward in hypocrisie and self-exalting and hath covered your selves with the Saints words and laid up more in store of the report of their riches then your fore-fathers and now you are become Worshippers of the form and words of the Saints and are grown in the knowledge more then some of your Fathers Children but in extolling the Saints words you limit their Spirit and keeps in Death their Life which was not of the World neither in appearance nor ground and while you say you eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ in secret and separate you put him to death openly and among the multitudes your hearts are full of bitterness against my Remnant whom I have called and aloud you cry Heresie and Error and Blasphemes my Name and loaths the Honey-comb in your full stomachs you worship the same God as your fore-fathers did only in another appearance more refined through stronger wisdom and appears in the reformed old man thinking him to be the new man and deceives your Souls hereby and are zealous in your blindness in your will-worships and feigned humility which is without the knowledge of God and you depend upon your imaginations thinking to have life in the Scripture as they did which put Christ to death and will not come to Christ that you may have liâ—e you are in the knowledge gathered from without you which is natural and in it you are corrupted and some of you are bruitish in your knowledge and are thereby pufft up into pride and vain-glory your separation from the World is sensual and self-separation and differs but a little in your appearance and nothing in the ground for the cursed ground stands within untilled and unbroken and you worship God ignorantly at a distance and feeds upon the report of a thing done many hundred of years ago and your Faith doth not give you victory over the World for it is set in your hearts and the vanities of it without is followed pride and oppression and fulness Some of you are hot and furious in your blind zeal and cannot endure sound Doctrine your fruits will wither and all your knowledge will perish and all your hopes and expectations will fail and all your praises and prayers and all
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
and Tradition what you have studied for out of Books and old Authors you preach to people and what ye have noted in a Book that you preach by an Hour-glass and not as the Spirit of God gives you utterance and you seek out and enquire after great Benefices and much Money by the year and where there is much Tythes and Gleb-Lands and such like thither and to such a Place you go and seek after to be Minister there and there you remain twenty forty more or fewer years as you can agree with the People and while they will give you so much as will content you and maintain you your Wives and Families as you say respect not whether any be converted to God by your preaching but people remain always in blindness and ignorance generally and without the Knowledg of God for you preach other mens words and what you have collected in your Imaginations from the Saints words an Hour by a Glass leaning upon a soft Cushion and for Money and Hire preaching to the people and this is your manner of practice and Ministry in these Nations but thus did not the Apostles nor Christ's Ministers but the contrary and by your Fruits and Works it appears that you are not Followers of that Spirit that Christ and his Ministers were guided by neither are lawfull Successors of the Apostles but by your Fruits and Practice you manifest that the Lord never sent you nor Christ never called you into his Service to be his Ministers for in all your Practices and in your whole Performances of Worship you differ and do not agree but are contrary to what the Practice and Worship of Christ's Ministers and Churches were in the days of the Apostles this I charge upon you in the Name and by the Authority of the Lord God and am able to prove it against you face to face or otherwise to shew that you are not of the same spirit but contrary to the Saints and Apostles of old and so not true Succeeders of them nor lawful Ministers of Christ as to all people it is and shall be made manifest Thirdly You disagree and are contrary altogether to the true Ministry and to the Apostles in respect of your Maintenance and Wages for the Wages which Christ allowed his Ministers was into whatsoever House they entered that was worthy they might eat such things as are set before them for the Workman saith he is worthy of his Hire and the Apostles eat only of the Fruit of the Vineyard that they had planted and of the Milk of the Flock which they kept by a free gift of the People which they had begotten to the Faith and to whom they sowed spiritual things it was but as a small matter if they reaped their carnal things yet as a free gift they would do it and the Apostle said he would not make the Gospel of Christ chargeable And in this manner were Christ Ministers and Ministry in Wages and Gifts upheld and maintained outwardly in the World But your Practise and Maintenance is not such but contrary as is fully made manifest for you will have so much by the year promised to you in Tythes Money or Gleab-lands or Stipends and of Drunkards and Swearers and prophane Wordly People who are not Sheep of Christ's Flock nor Plants of his Vine-yard you will have so much of each of them and of every man in such a compass as you call your Parish and if any either out of Covetousness or good Conscience cannot pay you you sue at Law and cast into Prison for Wages and spoil their Goods and take treble nay sometimes Five double damage and through Violence and Injustice and Cruelty are you maintained in such a manner and not as the true Ministers and Apostles of Christ were but in a way and manner quite contrary as it is manifest and so herein it is proved that you are not lawful Successors of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ. Fourthly Again you follow not the Apostles and true Ministers of Christ but are contrary to them in Doctrine as this following Volumn will clearly manifest which for this very end is collected from your own Mouths and Pens that all men may see what you are and what you hold and profess and being truely laid down and answered let your selves and all sober men compare your doctrines and sayings with the Doctrines of the Apostles and they may see you agree not with them but are contrary to them And now Friends to all you that profess your selves to be Ministers of the Gospel I do hereby declare unto you in the Name and Authority of the Lord that we have a controversie with you and a great charge against you in all these things in your Call in your Practice and in your Maintenance and in your Doctrines and our Mouthes hath the Lord opened and they cannot be shut from declaring and crying against you as such whom the Lord never sent but are contrary to Christ his Prophets and Apostles in all your Ways and Practices and the Hand of the Lord is certainly against you and his Power and Dread will comeover you and lie upon your Consciences Now Reader whatsoever thou are that reads this following Volumn if thy mind be sober and thy heart right towards God thou may come to a good understanding of the Ground and cause of this great controversie between the Priests and the Professors of this Nation and us who are in scorn called Quakers for it is not unknown to Nations of this great debate and battel now for some years of continuance in this Nation no man can be ignorant what putting in Prisons and what Persecuting and what Preaching and Printing against us and what Reports and Fame hath been through this Nation for some years past and the Quakers so called have written and spoken and printed against the Priests their Worships and Ways and Doctrines and declared against them as Deceivers and false Prophets and such as never were sent of God and on the other hand thus have the Priests and more abundantly cried out against and printed against the Quakers as Hereticks and Deceivers and Witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publickly brought to pass therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great Strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certainty of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit That we have just cause to do and strive against that Generation of Priests and Teachers and that we do nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our Mouthes in this his Spirit and what we were before in our Religion Profession and Practices is well known to that part of the Country
and the Lord appeared daily to us to our Astonishment Amazement and great Admiration insomuch that we often said one unto another with great joy of Heart What is the Kingdom of God come to be with men And will he take up his Tabernacle among the Sons of Men as He did of old And what shall we that were reckoned as the Out casts of Israel have this Honour of Glory communicated amongst us which were but men of small Parts and of little Abilities in respect of many others as amongst men Howbeit thus it seemed good unto the Lord to chose the weak things and the foolish things of this World as to the aspect of men that no Flesh might glory that no man because of his Parts might glory or because of his strength or wisdom might glory but that the Glory which is his might only be given to him Unto whom be the Glory of all his Works forever and ever Amen And from that Day forward our Hearts were knit unto the Lord and one unto another in true and servent Love not by any External Covenant or External Form but we entred into the Covenant of Life with God and that was as a strong Obligation or Bond upon all our spirits which united us one unto another and we met together in the Unity of the Spirit and of the Bond of Peace treading down under our Feet all reasoning questioning debating and contending about Religion or any part or parts or practice or practices thereof as to any external thing and we waited at time and times as God did grant us Oportunities and the more we had and could obtain from our necessary Occasions of this present life the better we were and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our Hope and Faith and holy Resolutions were kindled in our Hearts as a Fire which the Life kindled in us To serve the Lord while we had a Beeing and to make mention of his Name and Power whilst we did live and to hold forth that Testimony which was committed to us in the sight of Men and Nations by Doctrine by Practice by a holy Conversation and mightily did the Word of God grow amongst us and the desires of many were after the Name of the Lord. Oh happy Day Oh blessed Day the memorial of which can never pass out of my Mind And thus the Lord in short did form us to be a People for his Praise in our Generation Howbeit after all this and much more which time would fail me to write of neither is the purpose of my spirit bent that way at this time we did come through very great Tribulations extream Distresses great Perplexity and passed out oftentimes hungry and hard put to it both within and without yet such was our love to the Lord and such servency in our hearts That we rather chosed to dye and to undergo every Difficulty than to dishonour or deny the Name of Christ in the midst of suffering because of that Taste that we had of his Goodness and immortal Life revealed in our Hearts this Young Man of whom I am speaking had his share though but a Youth at that time of 16. or 17. years of age Because of the I ruth which crossed all the world's wayes his nearest Relations even his own Parents cast him off as an Alien and turn'd him out from their House as not to have any Part or Portion therein as a Son nay not so much as a hired Servant which this young Man bore very patiently without Murmuring or Complaining having a taste of that then which was better then all the World and through conversing with his people and amongst them the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding entred into his Heart and the Spirit of Knowledge and sound Judgment came to be seated in his Reins and the Spirit of Prophesie came upon him like as it did upon many more through the Holy Ghost's Power and Operation and he spake of the wonderful things of God among them that believed and was one of the first among us which the Lord opened the Mouth of to shew forth his Praise and to speak of the things of his Kingdom to as many as he met with who waited for the Consolation of Israel for the Riches of the Gentiles and to as many as desired and hoped after Eternal Life At last the Lord signled him out and commanded him to go forth into Countries unknown to him as he did some more besides upon whom he laid a necessity to preach the Gospel freely without Money without Price without Tythes Augmentations Gifts or Rewards and in that he was as faithful a man none exeeeding him in his Generation for those things were an abhorrency to his heart and where he met with any such Hireling Shepherds and deceitful Workers which had gull'd the Nations and cheated the people for dishonest Gain and kept them in Blindness the Indignation of the Lord was kindled in his Heart and the Sword of the Lord was very Sharp in his Hand and whomsoever he met with which walked after this sort they were sure to feel the weight of his Weapon and the force of his Blow by which many have been deeply wounded that they have grinned like Dogs on him as greedy Dogs indeed because of their present Wound and Blow that he did give them and though he was but young in years yet he was full of fortitude and true valour The Lord oftentimes when he exercised him in such War as this hath filled his Quiver full of polished Shafts and made his Bow to abide in strength and he was as dextrous and as ready handed as any that I knew in his day against the Dragon and his power against the Beast and his Followers and indeed he was very even-handed and had a special good Arm and seldom mist the Mark God had fill'd his Mouth with Arguments so that he hath often made a breach in the Face of an Host. And it was my lot which I cannot but say fell in a good ground to be his Companion and Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Gospel whereunto we were called for many years together And oh when I consider my heart is broken how sweetly we walked together for many Moneths and Years in which we had perfect knowledge of one anothers hearts and perfect unity of spirit not so much as one cross word or one hard thought of discontent ever rose I believe in either of our hearts for ten years together but our Souls were bound up in unity and peace having the frame of our hearts bent after one and the self same thing to wit the propagation of that Truth by which Liberty was obtained and Salvation received through Jesus Christ the true Light of the World seeing through his Light the whole World to lie in wickedness a necessity lay upon this person of whom I am speaking being constrained by the Spirit of the Lord
now I am but praised praised be the Lord for evermore who hath separated me from the World and worldly glories and hath made me a partaker of his Love in whom my Soul hath fall satisfaction joy and content Thus have I travelled through the World even unto the end and am now come to the beginning of that which never shall have end which the dark mind of man knows not E. B. I Am a Prisoner for the Truth sake and for Declaring to man of his Wickedness and of his Transgression of the spiritual Law of God which is spiritual and for writing of a Letter which was written from God to shew to man of his wicked ways and how he stood in the presence of God as by the spiritual Light of God which shines in the hearts of his servants was discovered and made manifest unto me for who Speaks Writes or Declares from the Light of God which doth discover all the dark paths of fallen man and all his spiritual Wickedness Speaks Writes and Declares not as from man whose light is only natural and carnal which is darkness in the pure Light which is eternal but as from God whose Light is spiritual and doth make manifest the secret Whoredom of fallen man and from this Light did the Prophets and Ministers of God who were sent by him to reprove Sin and Transgression Speak Write and Declare and in this Light did the true Prophets Ieremiah and Hosea discover Israel to be adulterous and in the presence of God to be guilty of Whoredom from whose presence they declared And all now who are sent of God to reprove for Sin and Iniquity declares from the same Light of God and by the same Spirit which Ieremiah and Hosea did For the pure Light of God is but one from generation to generation in all generation which discovers Sin and Iniquity the same Light now as in the time of the Prophets and Apostles and from this Light which is not carnal but eternal did all the holy men of God Write and Declare And all who are sent of God now witnesses the same Light and Speaks from the same Light now as they did then for who cannot witness this Light are no Ministers of God neither ever were sent of God to Declare the Truth from God but are Deceivers and blind Guids and speaâ—â— from the natural and carnal light the imagined and supposed light which hath not seen the living spiritual God for Declaring by Writing to a man that he is guilty of all manner of wickedness naming pride drunkenness and whoredom I am imprisoned I wrote not as from man whose light is only natural and carnal and doth only make manifest carnal Transgressions of a carnal Law but as from the eternal and spiritual light which doth make manifest spiritual Transgressions of a spiritual Law And in this Light is he to whom I wrote guilty of all manner of Wickedness Now this which I declared from God who is spiritual is above the reach and comprehension of the carnal and earthly Law for by the natural light through the earthly Law is no natural man able to judge of that which is spoken or declared from that which is eternal and spiritual for darkness cannot comprehend the light which light all the Servants and Ministers of God are guided by to Act Speak or Write and therefore do I deny to have this Cause put into the Judgement of carnal Lawyers who judges by the natural light through the earthly and carnal Law yet willing I am before any Authority to Answer for my self that whereof I am Accused but to the Judgement of earthly Magistrates I do not stand but to the Judgement of the Living and Eternal Judge who Judges not according to the sight of the eyes and hearing of the ears but who judges with Equity and Righteousness thus rather I chose to suffer imprisonment in the Body yet free as to God in the Truth waiting to be Redeemed not by the earthly Powers through the earthly Law but by him who is Eternal whose Law is Eternal who orders all things by his mighty Power to which Power I give up my self to be kept in it and ordered by it continually Here I have given to all People the ground of my Imprisoment in the particular of it though I might in few words have declared the thing for between the feed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent is Enmity put and he in whom the Seed of the Serpent is Ruling seeks the destruction of him in whom the Seed of the Woman is Raised And here is the Ground of all the Saints Imprisonment now as ever was the envy of the Devil working in Fallen man against the living Truth of God where it is made manifest By one who is a Labourer in the Vineyard who is not known to the World though named of the World EDWARD BURROUGH THE Walls of Jericho Razed down to the GROUND OR An Answer to a Lying Book called The Quaking Principles dashed in pieces Wherein one called Henoch Howet which goes under the name of an Anabaptist doth falsely accuse and maliciously belye us his seven Principles which he calls ours I shall lay down and what we own is vindicated and what he hath belyed the Truth in is turned upon his own head NOw is the time wherein the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is setting up a Kingdom and exalting his Name in the Earth and is exalting his own Son upon the holy Hill of Sion and is discovering the Mother of Harlots who hath made all Nations drunk with her Fornication and Iezabel shall be cast into a Bed of Torment and the fire of the Lord God is come down from Heaven and is kindled in the Earth to burn up and destroy and to consume to ashes even all those that have worshipped the Beast and hath his Image and the false Prophets that have deceived the Nations and they both shall be taken alive and cast into the pit for the Lord is grieved and wearied with this adulterous and viperous Generation who are offering up that which stinks in his nostrils and strange fire and are professing him and his Resurrection who crucifie him and put him to open shame and they deny the end of his coming and are offering in Cains nature while they slay the Just and are in the gainsaying of Corah who perished in it and so shall all those that gainsay the Lord in his Way and now the Lord of Heaven and Earth is proclaming War with the Dragon and his Angels and they shall be cast out and whosoever doth resist him in his way shall be broken to pieces as a Potters vessel and thou Henoch Howet who would limit the holy One of Israel and bind him up in thy carnal reason and stint him in his Way and Form up things in thy imagination from the Scripture and walks by Tradition thou art accusing us among the Papist but let it stand for
Rudiments of the World we testifie against being Witnesses of the Substance and your taking on practices in that nature which is contrary unto Christ from the Words and Commands of Christ unto them that followed him we also testifie against and in it you are found among the Papists which walks by Tradition and not from the Motion of the Spirit of God and here thou art found a Lyar for the Commands of Christ is our life our joy our peace and glory and hereby we know that we love him because we keep his Commandments and they are not grevious unto us which is not received by tradition from without us but by the Eternal Spirit Christ Jesus revealed in us which is not contrary to his Commands without but a fulfilling of them for he is not a Iew who is one outwardly whose praise is of men neither is the Obedience which Christ doth require a conforming the outward man unto an outward thing which Obedience is your boasting onely and there only your difference lieth from all the World in the outward appearance Pharisee-like but the ground of enmity and seat of the Beast is standing within and you are twofold more the children of the Devil and God is risen to confound you and to break your Image to pieces and he shall have the praise of God who is the Jew inward whose obedience and circumcision is inward and who have no confidence in the flesh And whereas thou exhorts to hear one loving Reproof out of the Scripture which their Predecessors I mean the Papists thou sayest would have taken from us in the English Tongue and these would take from us the vertue of it that is to say the sharpness and sweeness of it by working upon us a dislike to it I Answer we do deny thy voice and though thou mayst bring Scripture in thy mouth to us it is but as the Devil brought it to Christ and we deny it from thee for if thou sayst God lives thou swears falsly and the Papists they are thy Predecessors who walks only by tradition as thou dost from a thing without them separate from the Life and both them and thee we do deny and bears witness against you to be without God in the World in the alienation out of the Covenant knowing nothing of him but what you have heard by a Fame and a Report and that we in the least would take from any the virtue of the Scripture it is a Lye uttered by the Devil in thee for we testifie unto all that it shall every tittle be fulfilled even upon the ungodly and thou shalt know it one day to be fulfilled upon thee thou Lyar must be cast into the Lake that burns for ever and this is the sharpness and sweetness which thou must have from it who art a false Accuser of the Brethren bearing the Image of the Dragon the Devil whose servant thou art as it is made manifest by thy Writing and this many will witness with us that often we do declare upon the just and the unjust the Scripture must be fulfilled and the righteous must have a Reward and the ungodly must have their Portion in utter darkness according as the Scripture saith and herein we establish the Scripture in its place to be a true Declaration of God and Christ and what the righteous and the wiced shall enjoy but that it is God and Christ or the Way unto Life we deny it for this is its vertue a declaration of that which the Saints believed and he that witnesses the same Life and Truth which it testifies of to be made manifest in him is a Witness of it and it is a Witness unto him and this is the vertue of it if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear and that we work upon Any a dislike of the Scriptures I charge thee to be a Lyar for to the fulfilling and establishing of it we declare that every one may walk up in the Life of it by that which gave it forth and to be a true witness of it as they were that spoke it but thee and all such we do deny which adds your imaginations upon it to sell for money And whereas thou sayst by way of Query to us Hath the Scripture no power over you have you a spirit to guide you without a written word it is out of Gods Government if it cannot be brought to the Law and to the Testimony I answer Jesus Christ onely hath power over us and not a Letter without us and the Spirit by which we are guided is no other but that which gave forth the Scripture which Spirit is the Word of God and which Spirit the Scripture bears witness unto and this we often say if we speak or act contrary to Scripture let us be judged by the Scripture and we as Paul did do commend all that shall search the Scripture to try whether these things be not so which we declare and herein we are under the Government of God who alone hath power over us but you who have not the same spirit which gave forth the Scripture neither knows it nor us but out of the evil corrupt ground thou judgest of it as thou dost of us and both thy judgment of it and us is to be judged by the Eternal Light of Christ which never erreth nor changeth And whereas thou sayest We may be Familiar-spirits for ought thou knowest what muttering and uncouth howling is among us which you cannot but impute to be a spirit contrary to the Word if we will not come to the Word to be tryed I answer it is true thou knowst us not for we are unknown to thy Generation though you have the Scripture which we in our lives and practices are Witnesses of as Christ was unknown to the Pharisees who had the Scripture which he came to fulfil and thou art ignorant of the Scripture and a Scorner of the Power of it who callst the Power of the Lord uncouth howling what would you have said concerning David who lay roaring all the day long even as a man distracted and concerning Habakkuk whose belly trembled and whose lips quivered when he heard the Voice of God But here you are made manifest who scorns that which the Scripture bears witness of and never knew what it was to be pricked to the heart as they were which cryed out what shall we do to be saved and if thou canst thou may try by the Scripture whether this be any other but that which the Scripture speaks of and not the same Spirit which made the Servants of God to quake and tremble which the Scriptures speaks of which this day is become a reproach even unto them that profess the Scripture for by the Word of God which the Scripture declares of shall all flesh tremble and be confounded and then thy self shall be judged into the Lake that burns for ever except thou repent And whereas thou sayest How shall you do to try spirits if we
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
you may all come to know the Word of the Lord which endures for ever which is as a Fire and a Hammer which breaks down the Mountains and burns up and destroyes all that which is acted in that nature which leads into transgression and into the curse from God And therefore all dear Friends whose minds are turned to the Lord and have tasted of his Power all dwell in his Fear and keep in your minds from gadding abroad and that which hath discovered the lusts and filthiness of your minds and turned your minds from these things and from that nature that rules in the children of disobedience that so you may all come to know the Life and that he may lead you and direct all your minds up in his Fear and Wisdom that so you may be preserved out of those Paths that lead to destruction and out of all the deceitful Profession of the World and in the Light of Christ you will see the rise and ground of all Deceivers and Dreamers and all them that speak their own Imaginations and yet boast of great things and strive and contend about words and feed upon wind and bring no fruit unto God and all ye that are not of the Light and walk not according to the Light are there and lending your ears to such who act and speak in that nature you turn from your Guide which is near and lend your ears to the wicked and so have walked in Darkness But now you who have tasted of the Love and Power of God which all the Profession in the World knows nothing of in it dwell and abide in that which hath convinced you and in that which judgeth you abide in it that so you may witness the Fallow Ground plowed up and the Earth shaken and the Rocks rent and the Vail taken away that so there may be a way and a passage for the Pure to pass through the Earth and so the Earth may waste and wither and decay and the Lyons may suffer hunger and the gods of the Earth may be famisht and the lust destroyed and all keep low in the fear and wait in silence upon the Lord to be near you to direct all your minds and stay and establish you And as you have received the Truth so walk in the Truth we do charge you all in the Name of the Lord and be faithful every one to your measure and improve and wait for power and stand in the cross to the earthly that whatsoever your minds have delighted in in the first nature may all be denied and crossed and the Cross is to the ground to the lust and as you nourish the lust and let your minds and wills at liberty and deny the Cross then that which is pure is vexed and darkened and so the deceit and lust gets up again and so the Guide is lost and condemnation comes upon you and therefore all be diligent in the Work of the Lord and watch over your actions and deceit and you will come to see Satan hath many strong holds and would spare the best and the fat but in that which is a Cross to all mortal stand and abide and dwell that so you may be preserved and kept out of all snares of the Devil And now take heed of judging the Power of the Lord and that it knows not what it is to be silent and wait that you may come to see in the Light and be Partakers of the same and all who have tasted of the Power wait and keep out of imaginations and thoughts and false voyces that so the Enemy may not be hearkned to nor the deceit but all in the measure wait upon the Lord in singleness of heart out of all deceit and form nothing in your minds but all in Purity and Uprightness dwell And all Friends now take heed of carelesness slothfulness and sluggishness of mind and of giving liberty to the flesh and ease to the carnal mind And we charge and command you in the Presence of the Lord whose Power is dreadful that you meet together in silence and wait and none to speak a word but what he is moved to speak a word from the Lord take heed of adding to it but only what you are moved and take heed of striving and contending or letting out your selves to strange spirits but every one keep in his own Tent and sit down under his own Vine and eat not that which dyes of it self but feed upon the Eternal and so you will be nourished and grow up in Wisdom and Power in that which is pure that all deceit may be kept out And all Children and Servants be diligent in your places more willing more ready to labour in love and diligence that so the Name of God may not be dishonoured And all you who have Callings throw off nothing hastily nor rashly but wait and flee not the Cross for if you do you will be darkened and the Name of God dishonoured And therefore all dear Friends who have owned the Truth now wait upon the Lord in diligence that so you may grow in the Life in the Power of the Lord that nothing may be spared that is for destruction and so God Almighty bless you all and keep you out of all deceit in the pure Life which is made manifest that you may have victory over all and witness him who puts all under with it if you wait you will see him present and near you And so the Everlasting God of Power keep you all for great is our care over you and our love is to you that abide in the Truth which you are already made Partakers of and when Joy springs up keep in it and run not forth and spend it not and take heed of exalting for then pride and presumption gets up if you keep not in his Fear and so Darkness will come upon you but all dwelling in that which is pure you will be preserved out of snares and temptations and your minds kept clear and pure out of all things that defile and so the Everlasting God of Life and Power be with you all Your dear Brethren in the unchangable Love of God E. B. F. H. To Friends at London Dear and beloved Friends in that which is pure of God and made manifest in you all wait and abide and walk in the Light which comes from Jesus from whence it comes who is the Judge of the Quick and the Dead condemns all unrighteousness into the pit and therefore all wait in that which is pure of God which hath turned your minds from Darkness to Light and from Sataâ— to God and hath convinced you of all unrighteousness and hath let you see all that ever you have done behold he is the very Christ and therefore all Friends of God mind that which is pure of God which shews you the deceits of the heart the Light is the Eye which discovers all the secrets of your hearts and it will shew
unto you and your destruction cometh as an armed man and you cannot escape nor fly to hide your selves from the wrath that cometh which is kindled already to devour the pleasant Palaces of your wicked hearts delight Wo is me for you you that are exalted upon your mountain of ease and liberty having forgotten the rock from whence you are hewn who were raised out of weakness to reprove the mighty and gives not glory to the Lord neither considers what he hath done for you but are become ingratefull and disobedient children and of a double heart and tongue professing liberty of the pure conscience but living in corrupt fleshly bondage oppressing the Just and slaying the holy One and neglecting the cry of the Innocent having made your fingers as heavy as your Fathers loynes the hand of the Lord is against you and his wrath will break out upon you who strengthens the hand of evil doers and gives liberty in your Dominions unto the scum of the Nations to possess your Land in peace and will not give place unto the Seed of Iacob but fortifies your selves against him and will not suffer him to inherit how full is your Land of murderers of drunkards of Lyars and swearers and of prophane persons of fugitives and vagabonds and runnagades who are protected by your Law to possess in peace but in wrath have you turned your sword against the upright and have made Laws to limit the Spirit of the Lord and to uphold deceit Therefore repent of this your sin who have endeavoured to prevent the Lord and humble your selves ye Lofty for the purposes of your hearts are broken and a scattered Seed remains in your Dominions which the Lord will bless and which you cannot be able to suppress and as pricks in your eyes will it stand a Witness against you in your hypocrisie and cruelty and the more ye lay yokes upon it the more it will spring forth Therefore be wise ye Rulers and Judges and leave to imagine mischief and lay your hands upon your mouthes and open them not any more and turn in your minds to the Light of Christ Jesus wherewith you are enlightened and it will let you see what you have done and will set your sins in order before your eyes and will justly reprove you who have not done as you would be done unto but have cast the Law of God behind your backs and not regarded the call of Equity and if you love the Light of Christ it will change your minds and will bring you to Repentance from sin unto God and from the Dominion of Satan unto the Kingdom of Christ Jesus The Light is your Teacher if you love it and will guide you in the Way of God but if you go on in your wickedness it is your Condemnation eternally and shall seal to the justness of the Judgments of God when they come upon you now you have time and a fair Warning prize the day of your visitation before the Decree of Vengeance be sealed against you â—nd Repentance be hid from your eyes lay it to heart you are but men and not God and your strength flesh and not Spirit if you own the Light it will manifest the Will and Counsel of the Lord unto you and give you Power to act Righteousness unto God wherein you will be accepted Consider lest you go down to destruction and there be none to deliver you ANd unto all you that do profess the Name of the Lord and have got the form of the Saints worship in your imaginations and have separated your selves into an outward conformity without the Power of Righteousness brought forth in you and would be called Members of the Church of Christ all Sects and Sorts Repent ye of your Hypocrisie and stop your mouths in the dust for you are weighed in an equal Ballance and are found wanting and are tried by the Searcher of hearts the Light of the World and are found corrupted deceitful are you in the Root and cursed in your Branch deep and secret Hypocrisie Pride and Coveteousness and the love and glory of the World and fleshly Exaltations abounds among you as Branches of the Root wherein you grow And how can you bring forth good fruit out of your cursed Ground your knowledge is bruitish and vain and your outward conformity is a weariness to the Lord for you are found Fighters against him and Opposers of Christ Jesus and Deniers and Contemner of his Light by which he hath lightened every man that comes into the World You stumble at the Foundation and build upon the Sand one of you building a Wall and another daubing it with untempered Morter your hearts are not upright with the Lord but flatters your own souls Which of you have denied the World for Christ or what have you laid down for him In your vain imaginations you worship God ignorantly making his Commandmentâ— void through your transgressions You stand in the cursed Nature alive to the World following the vain delights thereof resisting the Way of the Lord through your wisdom which is foolishness with God you have the profession of the Scriptures in your natural knowledge but you are without the Life thereof out of the unity of the one Spirit of life in severall meanings and opinions which is death and in vain conceits are you scattered upon the barren Mountains where your souls are starved and strayed in the cloudy and dark day and you are devoured under your dumb Idoll Shepherds who are in Cains way of wickedness and in the steps of all the false Prophets and of the Scribes and Pharisees fulfilling their measure of wickedness and persecution against them is the wrath of God kindled to consume them as stubble they preach for hire and they divine for money and they seek for their gain from their quarter and they run and were never sent and you are not profited by them but are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth Awake ye Professors God calls unto you give ear unto his voyce Come out of Babylon and turn unto Sion that her desolate places may be builded you wander abroad in the darkness groping as blind men your profession will wither and all your knowledge will consume away and your righteousness is abomnation to the Lord your praying God hates and your oblations is a weariness to him for you are in the enmity against God and the Serpents head is not bruised Come down ye Cedars who are exalted above the Cross of Christ and make not a cloak of the Saints words to cover your unrighteousness grievous is your Idolatry who have painted your selves with the likeness of the Saints life and bows to the Image set up in your imaginations drawing near God with your mouths but with your hearts going after your coveteousness Repent the day of the Lord is coming upon all flesh and meet the Lord and prepare his way and bow your heads you lofty Oakes
as you do neither did one go from the Command which had been given to another using anothers words and excercising themselves in anothers practises when the Lord had not commanded but such they bare witness against which did use their tongue and transform themselves into the likness of true Prophets and Apostles as you have done and are in the love of the World and only separated in the appearance and not in the ground You stumble at the â—ight and therefore know not the Door of entrance nor where the Commands of Christ are to be received and the Will of God to you is to be known and so your obedience is the conformity in your own wills to that which was the Will of God to another this Sacrifice is also lame and blind and God saith to you Who hath required this at your hand For if you have observed and done all those things which the Declaration of the Law and Gospel doth require you are unprofitable Servants and yet one thing do you lack the dying with Christ and the Sufferings and Cross of Christ is not known but in the liberty of the flesh you are and not in the condition of the Promise to Life Eternal Friends you have ruâ— into the form of Godliness without the Power into a Church which is not in God but of the World into a Baptism which doth not wash away sin for you live in sin and plead for it while you live upon Earth into a Communion which is not with God which no unclean thing can enter into for the Proud and Coveteous partake with you and while some of you have said they that preached for Hire have been Antichristian you your selves are fallen into the same abomination taking Gifts and Rewards and large somes of Money and upholding such who do it Here you are unjust to your own Principle and are for condemnation with the Light in your Consciences Let shame cover your heads ye Hypocrites your covering will not hide you nor your high talking of Christ without you so long professed by you will not justifie you while you are found disobeying this Light in your Consciences which Light is one with God with Christ and with the Spirit in its measure and it doth convince you of sin and is a command to you and would lead you if you walked in it from all iniquity which is the Will of God to you and to that mind which is carnal which ruleth in you the Commands of Christ which are Spiritual are not given nor can be received but say Lo here and Lo there Christ is to be found with the Light you are comprehended which if the least measure of it you did own it would lead you to the Baptism inward of the heart and to the Church which iâ— in God whereof Christ is the Head in every Member and into the Communion with God and to follow the Lamb of God wheresoever he goeth and out of your imitations and liknesses and strife and contention about the words given forth from the Spirit who are in your own unity in Division and several Meanings and divers Constructions and Judgments and several wayes of Obedience and Worships and Belief which by your imaginations you draw from the Scripture which is the Declaration but of the one God and one Truth of one Obedience and of one Faith and thus you exalt the great Image of many mixtures your selves being a chief Member of his body You say the Scripture is your Rule but are divided into Opinions and Conceits contrary to the Scripture every one worshipping that which you imagine from the Scripture not being in the Unity of the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture which is one and not divided in Obedience Worship or Faith and while you say the Scripture is your Rule your lives are squared by the spirit of the Divel and hewn out into Pride and Hypocrisie and love of the World And to you who are called Free-willers who say Christ died for All. HErein you affirm that whereof you are ignorant which may be true in Christ but a Lye unto you for you are not dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World but are alive against him in the World they for whom he died are dead and they who yet live put him to death Free-will unto the wayes and fashions and vanities of the World stands in you you know not the daily Cross of Christ which is unto man's will nor what it is to follow Christ and obey him which is contrary to man's will You say He that is condemned it is because he will not believe this is true in Christ but not in your carnal apprehensions of the natural man in whom there is no power to believe He that hath an ear let him hear There are some true desires among you but your minds are not truly informed to the fulfilling of your desires and your minds are outward and apply peace to that which is for condemnation Your reason and wisdom is corrupted and cannot receive Truth but call it error and this is your sin Death over you hath passed and reigns over you as over all men and your knowledge is in time and you cannot hear of things which were before the World was your wisdom is sensual and your comprehension is strong and the little simplicity in you is betrayed by the subtilty which hath dominion in your Governour Your Crown must be laid down and Fools must you become before you be truly wise or can be crowned with the Lamb. And among the rest Remember you had warning and a Day of visitation before you were destroyed and this shall be by you witnessed in the day of the Lord. To all you who say you wait and believe for the Coming of Christ to Reign in Person upon Earth HEre you the Lord's Controversie which he hath against you The Way of his coming is not prepared but Rocks and Mountains are standing and Valleys are not filled up and rough and crooked is your present way your hopes and expectations in that ground wherein they spring will wither and fade away as the Grass for your hope of his comming hath no whit purified you as he is pure for you are in the flesh and in the liberty of it which is Rebellion to his Reign and Christ is kept in Prison in exile with that mind and the Divel is yet at liberty working in your earthly members and leads you captive into his covenant in his government in seeking your selves and to strengthen your selves in the Kingdom of the World and murmur that any should be above you and that is he which put Christ to death and will not have him to reign in his Power over the Earth and to you what purpose is it to desire the day of his coming for with wrath will he come and with vengeance will â—e appear and will break your Kingdom like a Potters vessel for suddenly will he come but your
expectation will be prevented for his Reign and Kingdom is not of this World Your high nature stands and Satan is not bound nor one of the dayes of the thousand years for his limit is not yet come your minds are outward and they are your own thoughts which are vain you know not of what Spirit you are The Sufferings of Christ must you know before you can see him Reign and through his War must you strive before you can obtain his Victory and him must you own in his convincing you of sin before you can witness his reign in Glory upon Earth over sin To all you that are called Ranters THe Controversie of the Lord God is against you your Seat is in the mystery of iniquity and Satan transformed into an Angel of Light is your god and King and the Kingdom of the second Beast is your Dominion your deadly Wound is falsly healed and Satan thereby hath enlarged his Government you continued not to the end but the Prince of Darkness is more strongly entred and your latter end is worse then your beginning and your last end will be the worst of all while you have scorned self-righteousness your selves have been impudently poluted with the spiritual Wine of Whoredom and though you have cryed against and abhorred the form of Religion your selves have been in the highest power of Iniquity sold to do wickedly and given up to commit sin with greediness glorying in your shame and are become vain in your Imaginations your foolish hearts being darkened because when ye knew God you glorified him not as God The womb of your corruption is the wel-favoured Harlot begotten by the false Prophet Plead with your Mother for she is an Adultress and hath aboundantly gone after other Lovers loving their Bed of Adultry where ever she saw it naked shall she be stripped and set as in the day that she was born and no Mercy shall be to you her Children You had a Convincement under the Law and were brought under condemnation some of you but as the viperous Generation you have fled the wrath and now are become Enemies to the Cross of Christ and turn the Grace of God into wantonness which largly to you appeared which would wholly have sanctified you if iâ— it you had walked but having slain the Witness of God you now are in the cursed peace following Drunkenness and cursed Speaking and Swearing and beastly Lusts and beggerly Vanities sporting your selves as in the day time and you are the Crucifiers of Christ afresh and Putters of him to open shame in the sight of the Heathen And while you speak swelling words of vanity your selves are the Servants of corruption and of sin in the highest degree and free from Righteousness in the least measure doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace and being bound in the Chains of darkness and your professed freedom is devilish stolen by you and is not the Freedom of the Son of God purchased through death you never came through the Law but by your Oaths and Drunkenness and Prophaness have cast it behind your backs you that are in wantonness do kill the Just and you that are in pleasures are dead while you live and you that live in fleshly lusts are in War against your own souls Iezabel is your Prophetess and the Dog that is turned to thâ— Vomit again is your example and seven unclean spirits worse then the first are entred upon you that is your Parable and your House is become the Den of Robbers which was once the House of prayer the Hand of the Lord is against you and his Breath will kindle the torment of Tophet upon you and everlastingly shall it burn upon you and shall not be quenched and your professed love shall be turned into my Wrath and Fury and sin shall you find in its Vengeance though you have seen none in the action and my Witness which you have slain to gain peace shall arise to your everlasting trouble saith the Lord and your myrth shall be turned into everlasting sorrow and your communion in unrighteousness shall become your unity in the just indignation of wrath and your liberty enjoyed in the World shall be turned into your bondage in the â—ake of Fire and your wisdom and knowledge shall rot in the pit and your righteousness and uprightness which once was in you shall never be mentioned to you for your own iniquities shall you bear in the Day of the Lord With the eternal Light you are comprehended your beginning which was in judgment and your time which is in false peace and false liberty and love and fleshly joy and your end which will be everlastingly miserable And though you speak of the Light and what it once wrought yet being from it turned into Darkness bringing forth fruits of Darkness and unrighteousness the Light is your eternal condemnation and because you are the highest stone in the Building of mystery iniquity the greater will be your fall into the Ditch of deeper perdition you have been the greatest dishonourers of the true God and in the way of the upright are you a stumbling unto this day your state is read and your portion is foretold and this prophesie shall not fail but upon your heads shall be fulfilled To all you that are called Seekers and Waiters THe Lord hath many things against you and his Controversie will be with you you are the highest in the Image of many mixtures and your Tent is pitched in the Plains of feigned humility and your goodly building stand upon the Sand repaired and beautified by the scattered stones gathered out of the ruins of the former Cities of confusion among you there is a simplicity and a calm spirit for you have been poured from vessel to vessel and your scent is not so strong as the former neither is your growth so perfect in the mystery of iniquity as by appearing in so perfect a shape of the Serpent you seek not at the true Door nor wait not at the Gates of Life and your seeking will end before life eternal you find for you with the rest stumbles at the Foundation and in him who is the Light of the World and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World you cannot believe you are airy in your words and knowledge and speak of that which through death you never obtained your knowledge is high but it ariseth out of the cursed ground which is not removed in you Form outward you deny but your Form is inward and your chiefest Idol is in your heart and while you say you eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Christ in the Substance you slay him in his least measure and your wills prophesie a false peace which will be turned into true trouble and when you speak the mans head is covered and the womans head is uncovered and this is a shame that the woman hath not power on her head your Seeking and Waiting is of your selves and
in your own time and the Lord is not all and in all among you for your Mother is not the Lords wife but married unto a Harlot and your seed is mixed with strange Children A Prophet was your Father and a Whore brought you forth and your Profession will wither as time passeth away and your covering is too narrow and your righteousness no more regarded then your sin for the Spirit convinceth of it as of sin with the Light everlasting your height and depth is comprehended And this to you is a Warning for a Preparation to meet the Lord and to put away your other Lovers The Beast which all the World wonders after but they whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life hath many Heads and many Horns ANd the great Image set up in the Earth worshipped by Nations and People is of many mixtures and it shall fall before the little Stone which strikes at the Bottom All your several Forms and divers appearances outward and different Judgements and Opinions will stand you in no stead in the dreadful day of the Lord which upon all flesh is coming and hastning in its glory Wo wo will be the end of all profession when Christ comes in his own way contrary to all your divided expectations and groundless hopes He was before the world was and doth and shall reign for ever when it is not and in this his day will the Lord God set up an everlasting Kingdom of whose Government and Dominion there shall be no end but it shall abide for ever and your divided Kingdom of the Beastly power and authority shall be dashed to pieces never more to be found and your Mountains shall be burned and your righteousness and your sin shall meet in the Pit of everlasting Wrath receiving the Sentence of eternal Judgment from him that sits upon the Throne of infinite Power and Glory and your rich Treasures shall be spoiled in a Day and your sun and light shall be darkned at Noon-day and all your goodly Buildings shall be thrown down and shall become the Habitation of Dragons I have viewed you all in the eternal Light and you are weighted in the Ballance of Equity and all your wise Builders stumble at the Foundation and at the Corner-Stone and Christ Jesus is become an offence unto you in his Light by which he hath enlightened every man that comes into the World of which you are unbelieving and therefore shut up in darkness and confusion groping as blind men being many Branches of one Root planted in the barren cursed ground of enmity And though you are divided as Herod and Pilate yet do you joyn your selves in one Body to war against the Lamb and his Followers who cannot bow to your great Image and you are listed in the Records of Gog and Magog against whom the Lamb is risen and his Followers come forth having the Bow and Sword conquering and going to conquer and will make you a Desolation for ever All your Sacrifice is corrupted and the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is weary with your Oblations and Offerings your hearts are far from him and your hands are full of blood and the Just lyeth slain in every corner of your Streets and the Earth covereth the blood of the Innocent and the Slain cryeth How long Lord how long But he hath heard in an acceptable time and will come forth in his Might and will slay and his Hand shall not spare and will wound and his Eye shall not pity Awake awake ye Careless and Slothful that have laid at ease in the dark night of Slumber and Come out come out ye Upright-hearted and separate your selves and touch no unclean thing nor no longer partake of their Idolatries and Inchantments The Lord is now coming to gather his own and to make up his Jewels of the Despised and his Angels are gone forth to Reap the Earth to bring in the Wheat and to bind the Tares in bundles for the fire of everlasting Fury and Babel shall be thrown down and the great Whore shall be rewarded which sits upon the Nations and Tongues and People and the Dregs of the Cup of Wrath shall be wrung out unto her and the Kingdom of the man of sin shall utterly be laid waste and every Subject shall be utterly driven away into everlasting captivity of Vengeanee and all your Sects and Opinions and many Wayes and Forms and Worships shall become heaps of Confusion for ever And your talking of Christ without you so long and largely professed by you shall not save you nor justifie you in another World who are found Enemies and Actors against his Light present in the World which is but one in you all at which you all stumble and by which you shall all be broken and which shall grinde you to powder and be your eternal Condemnation in this World and forever which Light shines in your darkness and convinceth every one of you of your sin which Light if it you love is your Way to Peace with God Eternal and will lead you into one Truth to be of one heart and one mind and to serve one God with one accord in loving him with all the heart and your Neighbour as your self and this is Sacrifice of the living God only accepted And to you all sorts of People my Conscience do I clear to the Light in all your Consciences which is but One without respect to your Persons whether you hear or forbear And this to you all is a Warning and A Trumpet sounded out of Sion your many gods and Idols to forsake and your Forms without power to turn away from and all your graven Images set up in your hearts to cast away And this is the Word of the Lord to you all which upon you all shall be fulfilled and by you witnessed when the Book of your Conscience is opened and your eternal judgment rewarded by the just Judge that sits upon the Throne of true Judgment judging nations and People righteously TO all you who are in the Light of eternal Life which doth comprehend the World who are born from above of the Immortal Word which doth live for ever who are not of the World nor of the many Opinions in Divisions but of one Heart Soul and Spirit Worshippers of the one living God with whom there is no change nor shaddow of turning who are not known to the World though by it scornfully called Quakers even you doth the Lord also remember with everlasting Kindness and infinite Love of whose beginning and end there is none and whose height and depth measure and limit cannot be found out for you hath he chosen above all the Families of the Earth to place his Name among and to stablish his everlasting Covenant with of Righteousness and Peace forever and Redemption and Salvation to you is come Judgment and Mercy in you is met Righteousness and Peace in you hath embraced each other In the womb of eternal
restored again to serve and worship and glorifie the living God who made Heaven and Earth and all things therein THis is chiefly to go abroad into the dark parts of the World among those called Heathens most especially but its service reacheth to all men and people upon the face of the Earth And out of love unto the Creation and to all People in the World was it written and is it brought forth in publick that all that have ears to hear may hear and it is to be translated into several Languages by any who are moved of the Lord thereunto for of a truth the Lord is risen among us and God hath given the Word from his Mouth and many are they that publish it abroad through the World TO all the Sons and Daughters of Adam in the whole World this is the Word of the Lord God the Power that made you and that made Heaven and Earth and all things therein your State and Condition consider How that you are all drove from God your Maker and from the knowledge of him and of his Wayes which are Life and Peace and are in Darkness Blindness and Ignorance separated from that Power that made you and in the enmity against it and are Enemies to it in all your wayes and words where the sorrow anguish wo and trouble is But the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Power by whom all things were made who is called Christ Jesus hath lightened every one of you with the true Light which shines in your hearts in darkness to give you the understanding of the knowledge of him that made you and of his Salvation and Redemption and of eternal Life if you love the Light with which you are all lightened And first The Light measureth every mans state in true Judgment and with it you may all see your selves in the state wherein you now stand which is a state separated from God and the state wherein man was created which was blessed Therefore search and consider your State and Condition in him that is the Light of the World of the dust of the Ground were you made and into man was breathed the Breath of Life from the living Power which formed all things and man was made a living Soul and brought forth into the World in the Image and Likeness of the Power that made him every one in particular that be come into the World for Male and Female in the Image of the Creator created he them without sin or evil And man was a noble Plant wholly a right Seed planted with the choicest Vine and placed in Paradise the Garden of the Creator and there was set to bring forth Fruit and to glorifie and honour him by whom man and all Creatures were made for man was made perfect and upright set in the Counsel of his Maker without sin or spot or evil in his sight and was the glory of the Creator and was made for his glory and Power and Wisdom was given unto man to rule and govern in Dominion in Righteousness and in Wisdom over all living Creatures and was Lord over all things and had rule and authority over all the Creation and was Steward over all things which the Creator had made who made all things for man and made them subject unto him to be ordered and governed by him and used to his Glory by whom they were made and in that day when man was in the Counsel of him that made him and was subject to his Will he was blessed above all Creatures and unto him were 〈◊〉 Creatures blessed and not any thing was evil that was made but good in hiâ— Sight that made it and good unto man that was to use it he being brought forâ—â— in the Image of the Creator and had a measure of his Wisdom and his Poweâ— to teach him and to lead him in the exercise of all Creatures and was in perfeâ—â— freedom over all things to rule in the Wisdom of God And this was the staâ—… of man before transgession which state was blessed and not subject to the cuâ—… of misery or sorrow nor trouble nor torment but man disobeyed the Power that made him and went from its Counsel and contrary to its Will and grievâ—… it and vexed it till it became his Enemy to fight against him and to curse him for he had transgressed against it by feeding on that part which he should not with the knowledg of things and so became wise and lost Uprightness and touched that which the Power that made him had forbidden and so his mind and heart adulterated from the Creator into the visible glories pleasures and things which were less then himself and so he became unprofitable to his Maker by transgressing against him and only profitable to himself to feed and nourish and delight and please himself in the outward Creation and forgot the Power that made him and thus being with his mind turned into the Earth there the evil entred and the Devil overcame him with his temptation and the power of the earthly darkness gained dominion over him to sway his affections desires and lusts into vanities of the Earth and he lost his dominion over the Creatures and they gained dominion over him to serve and worship them and to please himself with them who became captive with his mind to be ruled by them in vanity and in evil And thus man became unprofitable to his Maker and unfruitful in the Garden and kept it not undefiled and being turned from the Covenant wherein he was set into his own willing and desiring in the outward Creation the evil defiled him and he became evil and a fruitless Tree that cumbred the Ground and an enmity was placed in him by disobedience and all things became evil to him and the door of all misery and sorrow was opened and let in the curse upon him inwardly and outwardly for he became dead in transgression to the Life and Power and Wisdom of the Creator and every moment was subject to die in this World also And through transgression of the Power that made him he was cast out of the Creator's Garden and out of his Love to labour under the curse in unprofitable Ground and also out of his own dignity and honour and dominion was he cast and became Heir of death and Child of wrath and an Enemy in his mind unto the Creator and an enmity was placed in him against the Power that made him and rebellion in his mind from which all the works of unrighteousness proceed and innocency was lost and man became hurtful to himself and to all Creatures and grieved continually the Power that made him and was drove from the presence and feeling of his Creator into insensableness And in this state unto this day are all ye the Sons and Daughters of the first Adam in the enmity against the Power that made you every moment transgressing it and death reigns over you all and the power of
filthy Dreamers and know nothing but whâ—â— they know naturally as bruit Beasts and in that they corrupt themselves aâ—â— they have gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam aâ—â— they are Trees whose fruit withers raging Waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring Stars they are Murmurrers and Complainers walking after their own lusts having mens persons in admiration because of advantâ—… and these seperate themselves sensual having not the Spirit and of this sâ—… which Iude describeth are these Teachers in this Generation whose fore-fatheâ— crept in in the Apostles dayes and these are their cursed Children which 〈◊〉 abound in these Nations at this day and they are filthy Dreamers studdying fâ—r what they speak and dreaming without the Spirit of God an hour in a Pulpit and what they know it is naturally by natural Learning and natural Arts and iâ— that knowledge they are also corrupted in Pride and Vain-glory and Vanities like bruit Beasts in their Apparrel and Practises and not like Ministers of the Gospel nor Saints and they are in Cain's way in Envy and Murder and Wrath abounding no People like them and they do run greedily after Balaams Error â—or Gifts and Rewards and unrighteous Wages which they run after greedily and they are Trees which bring forth cursed fruits which will wither and fade away and they are like proud raging Waves of the Sea foaming out their shaâ—… in Lyes and Slanders and cursed speaking in publique and private and they have no Habitation in the Firmament of God but are wandring Stars and soâ—â—times in one Opinion and sometimes in another but the blackness of Darkâ—… is reserved for them and the Judgment of the great Day and they are Murâ—… rers and Complainers and can never have enough but seek for their Gain frâ—… their Quarter as the false Prophets did in Isaiah's time and they have mens pâ—…sons in admiration because of advantage to themselves bowing and worshippiâ—… mens persons who will advantage them in their Wages or Hire and Maintenance begging favour of the Magistrates and having their persons in admiration that they may have their advantage in oppressing poor People in Tytâ—… in this their wickedness is hard to be expressed and these have separated into self-seperation some into one Form gathered and some into another but aâ—â— sensual and in the wisdom which is from below and without the Spirit of God And thus it is proved that these Teachers of this Age are of the same Generation in their practises which Iude described to be creeping 〈◊〉 in his time And further the Apostle 1 Iohn 4. he saw that the false Prophets and Antichrists which Christ prophesied of to come were come in his dayes and said Many false Prophets are gone out into the World which is the spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard said John And even now already is it in the World and they were of the World and the World heard them and so are this Generation of Teachers who succeed them that went forth into the World then these are of the World in its wayes Pride and Wickedness Covetousness and Envy and all Evil and thâ—y that are in the evil of the World in wickedness hear them and maintain them so that according to Iohn's Description these Teachers of this Age are of that same flock which came in then and Iohn further saw that all the World was gone after them and worshipped the Beast which was then risen run after the false Prophet which then came in and sat upon the Beast and its plain that the World is all run after them unto this day which is a day of bringing back again from the false Prophet and from under the power of the Beast and the Beast and his Image and the false Prophet his Divinations must down to the ground and according as Iohâ— farther prophesied The holy City which had been troddâ—n down under the Gentiles feet for such a time should again be gained and the Saints should have the Dominion and the old Dragon should be chained and Christ shâ—â—ld reign and his Kingdom should â—e set up in the Earth and the Tabernacle of God should be with men and this is the day that the Lord is restoring again the Way of Peace which long hath been lost and the the Power of God is again witnessed which hath not been known for Generations So that of things spoken this is the sum of Truth and the Word of the Lord God to all People on the Earth that in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles it was a glorious Day of Light and Life and Power and the Lord gathered a People which honoured his Name while they stood with him and in his Counsel walked but since the dayes of the Apostles hath been an Apostacy and Darkness over all and a Subversion upon all and Night hath been over all wherein no man could work as Christ said and Forms without Power haâ—e been estabished the pure Way of God hath not been known in its purity so that this time wherein all are fallen is a time of ignorance of the reign of the Beast which all the World hath wandred after and a time wherein the Gentiles feet have trodden down the holy City and a time wherein all the World runs after the false Prophet and are deceived and made drunk with the Wine of the Whores Fornications I say this is the time wherein all the men of this Generation are fallen and the Scripture is fulfilled the Night wherein no man can work is upon the World and further this is the time of Antichrists dominion who hath exalted himself in the Seat of God shewing himself to be God and long hath he reigned with the Beast and the false Prophet even since the dayes of the Apostles and these same Teachers of this Generation which now are in the World are manifest by their fruit to be of that generation of that seed and stock of false Prophets which Christ prophesied of should come in the last time after his dayes and which most of the Apostles saw coming in in their dayes by their fruits I say they are known for these bring forth the same fruits and bear the same Marks which those described did in their time so we see Christ's Prophesie is fulfilled who said they should come for they are come and the Apostles descriptions are fulfilled on these for these Teachers are such as bear the same Characters as is proved as they said they should bear that would come and long have the Nations been deceived and kept under the worship of the Beast running after the false Prophet And we see Iohns Prophesie is fulfilled who said that The holy City was given to be troddâ—n undâ—r the feet of the Gentiles for so we see it hath been for many Generations and also we know the time is now approaching that the dominion of the Beast is near an end and the holy City
him with the tongue said They knew the Law should not perish from the Priest nor Counsel from the Honorable And it was Amaziah the Kings Priests that persecuted Amos and it was they that seemed to be religious that persecuted the Prophets and it was the wise Scribes and Pharisees and the chief Priests that handled the Law and that offered Sacrifice that persecuted Christ and the Apostles How zealous were the Jewes in their Traditions and Observations in their Sabboth-keeping and in the Dayes of their Humiliation in their Temple-worship and in all the Commandments of God They were zealous according to their own thoughts yet were they of the seed of the Serpent and persecuted the Seed of God in Blind-zeal upon false Judgment and the Persecutors had a Name to be Righteous and the Persecuted were accounted Unrighteous and so Darkness was put for Light and Light for Darkness and them that were Well-doers were accounted for Evil-doers and them that were Evil-doers were accounted for Righteous And such was the blindness of Rulers and people such as prophesied falsly and came in their own names were received for the people loved to have it so when the great abomination was committed but they that came in the Fathers Name could not be received but were Persecuted the Prophets Christ nor his Apostles could not be received of the World but were persecuted in it and Laws and Decrees were made against them whereby they suffered unjustly upon false grounds suspitions and jealousies for that Way was called Heresie in which the true God was worshipped Christ was called a Deceiver and the wisdom of the World could not receive the knowledge of the things of God and as it was then so iâ— it now in every particular if any man hath an ear to hear he may hear and a heart to understand and he may perceive for now is the Seed of God and the seed of the Serpent at enmity striving one against the other and the one persecutes the other in his Generation as ever it was we are persecuted upon the false account and false judgement of being Evil-doers and Deceivers and our Persecuters accounts themselves Righteous and zealous for Gods Wayes and such as are false Prophets and Deceivers are accounted true Ministers of Christ even them that preach for hire and seek for their gain from their Quarter and through covetousness by feigned words makes merchandise of souls such were and such are Deceivers and were never sent of God and yet such in this Generation are accounted Ministers of Christ and such as are Ministers of Christ who walk in the Doctrine of Christ as they have received freely so do they freely give and seek not advantage to themselves but are preâ—… cuted and reviled for righteousness sake such are accounted and falâ—… judged Deceivers and so true Judgment is turned backward Good 〈◊〉 called Evil and Evil Good Deceivers are called Ministers of Christ and Ministers of Christ are called Deceivers and thus people in this Generation errs in judgment and persecutes the Righteous who are of the Seed 〈◊〉 God And it was ever the Ministers of Christ that were presecuted and never any 〈◊〉 them persecuted any nor ever any of the Deceivers were persecuted for righteousness sake but they ever persecuted the Just and sought to the Rulers and to the Elders of the people for violence to be done unto them that feared the Lord and witnessed against their wickedness it was the Chief Priests and them that handled the Law which caused Christ and the Apostles to be persecuted Amaziah sought to Ieroboam to have Amos persecuted and as it was then so it is now How doth the Teachers of this Nation seek to the Magistrates to have the Innocent persecuted and yet these man are zealous for their Performances and Duties in the set-Days of Humiliation and Lectures and even they think they do God good service in imprisoning the Innocent they have great zeal without knowledge as the Jewes had and they are strict in their Sabboth-keeping in their Singing and Praying c. But yet is Violence done to the Just and true Judgment and Justice neglected and therefore all that which they perform to God is abomination in his sight Oh what complaining is there from the Teachers of this Nation to the Magistrates What crying out for defence shewing that they want the spiritual Armour and dare not trust the Lord What plotting and contriving is there against the Seed of God by the Seed of the Serpent who ever was a Persecutor and never was persecuted What Lawes and Decrees are there brought forth against the Lords people as Traps to ensnare their Feet like as it was in the dayes of old even like unto Artaxerxes the King who made a Decree and gave commandment that the City of God should not be builded and this was from the information and complaining of Rhehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe who brought certain Accusations to the King against the people of God and called the holy City a rebellious and bad City and that it was hurtful unto Kings and in danger to endamage the Revenue of Kings Here was a Conspiracy by the Scribes and such as handled the Law with the King against the people of God and thus is it also now he that hath but an eye to see may see How many Petitions have they put to the Rulers against the people of God What grieveous and false Accusations have they laid to the charge of the Innocent saying they be Popishly affected and disobedient to Government so that the seed of the Serpent ever doth hatch evil against the Seed of God to destroy it from off the face of the Earth and it was the Wise and the Learned and the Rulers whom the Devil made use of to persecute the Righteous it was such as Rhehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe and Pashur the chief Governor in the House of the Lord and it was such as the chief Priests and Elders of the people and the Wise-men of this World such as these it was that persecuted the Righteous and so it is now Orthodox men so called and Justices of Peace c. whom the Devil makes use of to persecute the Innocent against whom no occasion can be found but concerning the Law of their God as it was with Daniel as you may read in the sixth Chapter of Daniel and the fifth and sixth Verses against him they could find no occasion that they might presecute him but concerning the Law of his God and it was the President and Princes and Counsellors and the Governors which consulted together against Daniel who was the Servant of God And as it was then so it is also now in this our Generation they can find no occasion against us the people of God either by our Doctrine or Conversation but onely concerning the Law and Worship of our God for there is a Law made against the Law of Christ and all
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
and their work of God and their end alone his glory such we own to be Ministers of Christ and doth not revile or deny as he falsly saith such a Church and such Ministers of Christ but this we do and without offence to God too we do deny and bear our witness against such a people who professeth themselves to a Church and yet are in the pride in the wickedness and in the evil of this World and not redeemed clensed and seperated from the works and iniquities thereof such we do reprove for their Hypocrisie even â—…ll them that owns a title to a Church because they were sprinkled when they were Infants and hath not another ground and such who professeth themselves Ministers of Christ who hath not received their Ministry by the Gift of the Holy Ghost neither are led by the Spirit of Christ but are such as Christ â—nd the Apostles declared against such we cannot own to be Ministers of Jesus Christ but doth reprove them and deny them even such who Preacheth for Hire and hath Gifts and Rewards for Preaching and set-places for so much a â—ear these we disown and yet doth not offend God herein And this in honesty 〈◊〉 do shew to all people what that professed Church and professed Ministry is which we do deny and what that Church and Ministry is which we do set up to â—e preferred which is a right Ministry and a right Church And thus his reasonless reason is overturned and confounded and is found to be no sufficient reason wherefore a man should not be a Quaker 2. His second reason is No wise man can be a Quaker saith he because their Religion is an uncertain thing and so is not the Religion that must save us c. I answer This again is utterly false and no man that hath Gods wisdom would speak it for our Religion which we profess is a certain thing and we have openly declared it once and again and this is it To believe in Christ and to receive Christ and to be lead by the Spirit of Christ and taught in all things to love God with all the Heart and a mans neighbour as himself and through the Power of Christ dwelling in man to do all good and to be kept from all evil This in very short is our Religion and it is a very certain and established Religion and this Religion we all agree in And this in short is the substance of our faith Even Christ in us believed on and received by us This is the Truth and his lyes is judged and if he say this is an uncertain Religion let him give it under his hand and subscribe to it and he shall have a further Reply 3. His third Reason is No man of Reason should be a Quaker considering that amongst those scraps of their Religion which is made known there is so much notorious falsâ—â—d and ungodliness saith he Ans. Let all Christian people mark this his Reason they are even lyes heaped one upon another What secret Slanders are these behind our Backs who never would clear himself of what is truly charged against him in answer to his Catechism his words are turned by as utter lyes for that which we profess and practice for Religion which we have made known by word and writing is uprightness godliness sincerity and truth and neither notorious falshood not ungodliness as he wickedly saith And why did not he make it appear what this notorious falshood and ungodliness had been that had been more honest then to cast his charges and prove nothing And whereas he saith The very persâ—â— of Christ Iesus many of them do blaspheme c. this is utterly false for Jesus Christ have we owned and believed in onely and for his sake we do and suffer haâ—â— things 4. His fourth Reason is saith he Because their false pernicious Doctrines tâ—… practical Religion doth much consist in most notorious wicked injustice and uncharitableness c. Ans. Here is lye upon lye uttered and wickedness joyned to wickedness and drunk up as an Oxe drinks up water and no conscience made thereof by Richard Baxter it had been just to have mentioned these pernicious Doctrines their practical Religion injustice and uncharitableness and not to have slandered in the dark but we are delivered by the Lord from all pernicious Doctrines and notorious wickedness whatsoever and we find this false Reproacher guilty himself and his people of what he accuseth the Innocent And so his words are true unto himself and upon his own head I turn them 5. His fifth Reason is The worst of all saith he is That they behave themselves like malignant Enemies to the very Church and Gospel and Servants of Iesus Christ c. Ans. This man speaks as if he had sold himself wholly to lye but my answer to his first Reason is sufficient to answer this also and doth say That the Câ—…se and the Church and the Gospel and Servants of Iesus Christ we do fully and freely 〈◊〉 and are daily exercised therein as the very Servants of Iesus and are Friends thereof iâ— our hearts and doth not behave our selves in any way as Enemies thereunto God will judge every lying tongue and shall condemn our false Accusers guilty of that which they charge the guiltless to reprove and bear witness against the wilâ—… wicked and rude conversations and against such as have gotten the Saints words and by art frame an hours discourse thereupon for so much a Sermon or so much a year to deny such to be a Church of Christ and Ministers of Christ this we do and doth not behave our selves like Enemies to the Church or Gospel or Ministers and Servants of Christ as our Adversary wickedly saith 6. His sixth Reason saith he That part of the Quakers peculiar Religion which consists not in error and malignant impudency is made up very much of it of childish and unreasonable foppery c. Ans. As I have said No part of our Religion consists in error and malignant impudency and as for that which he calls childish and unreasonable foppery we stand not to mans judgement for it is a small thing with us for to be judged of any man for we do acknowledge that we are become fools for Christs sake and herein we have cause to glory though he upbraid us with it and it was such as he who called Paul a Babler and that his Doctrine was madness as he saith ours is foppery and let him know that which is foolishness with man is wisdom with God and we know God will confound the wisest of men by that which they may judge to be foolish and unreasonable and foppery for to such who are lost our Gospel is hid where the god of this World hath blinded their Eye as it is plain he hath done this our Adversaries and that is the reason wherefore he hath sent forth such lying Scribbles from his study of wicked inventions and let him make the best
are not of the true Christian Religion according to the Scriptures it remains to be proved if there be any who they be that are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and who they be that are to be protected in their Practice and Exercise of Religion And as concerning the dispised and rejected People called Quakers herein I shall speak for them as a Friend to them and a Lover of their Wayes who is nor ashamed of their Practices in Religion and shall measure and try their Practices in Religion whether they be according to Scripture and if it prove so to be that what they practice for Religion and hold forth for Doctrine be according to the Scriptures then why should not they own their Right and Priviledge to be upholden and maintained by the Protector 's Oath who hath sworn to uphold and maintain them and their Religion whose Exercise in Religion is according to Scriptures being that same People are and have been faithful Subjects of this Common-Wealth And first of all They dare not own themselves to be Christians nor to be Members of Christ nor to have any Right or Title to the Kingdom of God but as they witness converting by the Spirit of the Lord and are changed from Death to Life and from Darkness to Light and from Satan's power unto the Power of God through the Operation of the same Spirit and as in all their Works and Wayes and Exercises in Religion they are guided by the same Spirit who leadeth them out of the World and out of the Vanities and Evil-Works thereof and this is according to the Scriptures And their Religion herein is justify'd by the Scriptures who witness That Christ is in them and that they have receiv'd him through Faith and thereby are cleansed from all Unrighteousness and have put off and are putting off the Body of sin and death and walk with God in Purity and Holiness being led by the Spirit of God therein and with God they have Peace being reconciled by Jesus Christ who is their Salvation and they have no other And this is according to the Scriptures And again As concerning their Meetings and the manner thereof They are not contrary but according to the Scriptures for though they meet in many Parts of these Nations by great Numbers some in the open Fields and some on the Mountains in some Places and sometimes without Doors and sometimes in Houses all this Practice is according to Scriptures For we read Mat. 5. 1. in the dayes of Christ That there were great Multitudes of People that follow'd him and he went up into a Mountain and preached and taught them upon the Mountain And in Mat. 14. 14. we read That there were great Multitudes that came out of the Cities unto Iesus into the Deserts and he had compassion towards them and did good unto them And at that time there were many Thousands met together as you may read and it seems stay'd many whole dayes together for they sate down on the Grass and eat together and then Iesus sent the Multitudes away And in Mark 6. you may read how that Multitudes came to Iesus out of the Cities into a desert Place and Iesus began to teach them many things in that desert Place for he had compassion on the Multitude And in Luke 9. how the people again follow'd Jesus into a desert Place and he preached unto them the Kingdom of God Such Meetings then were counted strange as such Meetings are now when the People of God meet together by great Numbers to preach and to hear the Kingdom of God preached But their Meetings are according to the Scriptures for the People of God in Generations past met in the same manner as the People of God called Quakers meet now For sometimes Christ preached out of a Ship unto the People that stood on the Sea Shore And Paul kneeled down and prayed among the Saints near the Sea Shore at his passing into the Ship And we read Acts 2. that there was Three Thousand converted at one Sermon then there must needs be a great Meeting and a great deal of People met together Such Meetings now are wondred at but such Meetings are but according to Scripture so that this part of their Practice in Religion is agreeable to the Scriptures and the same as the Saints Practice was in Ages past And as for the People of God meeting together sometimes in the Night-season to wait upon the Lord and sometimes sitting in Silence and waiting upon the Lord and no words utter'd amongst them but every one sitting silent before the Lord having receiv'd nothing from the Lord to speak one to another at which the people of the World do wonder and falsly judge it not to be a Christian Exercise But we read in the Scripture Iob 2. that Iob who was a Christian for he was a just and perfect man he and his Friends sate upon the Ground seven dayes and seven nights and spake not a word one to another this would be a strange thing at this day to see practised And in Ier. 8. 14. you may read where the Prophet Ieremiah exhorted the people to assemble themselves and said Let us enter into defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to Silence But such a Practice now is thought strange by the people of the World who are not acquainted with the Wayes of God who are wise in their own Eyes and know not what it is to wait upon the Lord in silence who never yet were put to silence in themselves by the Lord. And you may read Ezek. 3. where the Prophet sate down among the People of the Captivity and they were astonish'd seven dayes and at the end of seven dayes and not before the Word of the Lord came to the Prophet So that you see it was the Practice of the Servants of the Lord oft-times to sit and wait upon the Lord in Silence though people wonder at such Meetings now And we do not read That there was alwayes speaking among the Saints in the Churches when they were met together But Acts 2. we read That the Church was met together in a Place and the Holy Ghost fell upon them and then they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance then it seems they had not spoken before though they had met together in a House and then they spoke the wonderful things of God and some that heard mocked and others said they were full of New Wine even as the people of the World do at this day when any of the People of the Lord are moved to speak as the Spirit gives utterance So that sometimes to sit in Silence being met together to wait upon the Lord as many of the Servants of the Lord do in this Nation is a Practice of Religion and not contrary but according to the Scriptures for many of the Servants
Mark of the Romish Whore and have her Symptoms and Characters remaining upon them unto this day as it is manifest Object And though some may object and say That God commanded a Temple to be â—â—ilded for the worship of his Name and Ordinances to be practised in the time of the old Covenant To which I do say yea it was so a Temple was builded by Solomon for the Seed of the Iews to worship in and to come to Sacrifice to the Lord in and there was an outward Worship and Ordinances but it is many hundred years since this Temple was destroyed and Worship and Ordinances thrown down which God once commanded and his people once practiced and Christ the Life the Power and Wisdom of God was the Substance thereof and unto whom he was made manifest and in whom he was revealed in the Spirit they utterly renounced and denied the Temple and the worship therein though once God had commanded it and the Saints after the manifesting of Christ to them in Spirit and after that the Holy Ghost was given we do not find through all the Churches of the Saints that they worshipped in the Temple of the Iews but witnessed against it and said That God dwelt not in Temples made with hands neither was he worshipped in Temples made with hands but in the Spirit and in the Truth their Worship consisted and therefore were persecuted but they bare Testimony against the Temple and the Worship and those Ordinances which God once had commanded and which once his People practized though it was to the peril of their lives But as for these Temples and these Ordinances and this Worship which are now on foot they were never brought forth by any Ordination or Commandment of God but the Foundation of them is the Inventions of Men and Mens Traditions taught them and not the Spirit of the Lord and therefore against those things those Temples and those Ordinances and Worships much reason have we to cry against them all as being neither Sign nor Substance of good but wholly Inventions of men The Iews Temple and Ordinances were Signs of good things to come and when the Substance was come the Saints deny'd the Shaddows and the Figures but as for these they are deny'd wholy as being Idolatry and Abomination from the beginning to the end of them for as I have shown These things which are the matter of which your Worship and Ordinance doth consist had their rise and beginning in the dayes of Darkness and Ignorance since the Apostacy came in and so in the Name and Authority of the Lord we do declare against them even against your Temples and whole Worship to the intent to bring you to the true Worship that is in Spirit and in Truth and that you might know your bodies the Temples of God and that he might dwell in you and walk in you according as be hath promised in the New Covenant Wherefore all people awake and come out of your Idolatry and idolatrous Worships separate your selves touch no more of it that the Lord may receive you and that you may come into his Covenant which is Life and Peace for your souls for in those Worships and Temples and all your Practices therein you have not true peace with the Lord nor the Refreshments from his pure Presence but Sin and Death reigns amongst you and great ignorance is over your hearts and Idolatry corrupts your minds and the Lord hath been forgotten by you dayes without number God is not well-pleased neither hath any delight in your Worship for your worship of him and fear towards him is but taught by the Precepts of men and by the Traditions of the Fathers in the dayes of Popery and if ever he opens your Eyes you will see it for it is with the humble and contrite in heart that the Lord dwells him that trembleth at the Word of the Lord whose heart is right in his sight and hath learned his Judgments and Fear and such as are changed and renewed and born of the Seed of God and begotten by his powerfull Word such are the true Worshippers whom the Lord is seeking and such will he find to worship him And whereas there is a great cry amongst you and among many people at this day about Deceivers and being deceived you say and your Cry is one to another Take heed you be not deceived by false Teachers and false Doctrine This is the Cry of Parents to Children and Children to Parents and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sters to Servants and of Servants to Masters and chiefly it is the Cry of 〈◊〉 Priests to the people Take heed yoâ—â— be not 〈◊〉 c. Now to all this I do say That there are many Deceivers and many are 〈…〉 ved this is certainly true and plainly manifest But now to shew 〈…〉 Deceiver is and what it is to be deceived and who they are that ar◠〈◊〉 ceived First That is a Deceiver that Person that spirit or that thing that 〈…〉 eth or inticeth the Minds of people into something to do or practce 〈◊〉 speak something which the Lord by his Spirit doth not lead to I say That which leads the Creature to take up a Joy or a Delight 〈…〉 Happiness in something of this World which is under the Sun to place 〈…〉 fidence or felicity in such a thing that which thus leadeth or draweth the 〈…〉 whether it be person or spirit it is a Deceiver and deceiveth the Soul 〈…〉 or they that do follow this and give up themselves into the obedience 〈…〉 to do or speak something that is contrary to God or which his Spirit 〈…〉 not lead unto nor guide in this person is deceived of the Presence of the 〈◊〉 and of the Comfort and Joy and Happiness that is in him and hath pleâ—… and joy in something of the Creation that is not of him but besides 〈◊〉 and this Person is deceived and in Deceit who hath placed a Joy and Happiâ—… and Confidence in some Creature or thing that is not perfectly the Lord 〈…〉 another spirit besides the Spirit of the Lord hath seated it self in the 〈◊〉 and taken possession of the Mind and the Mind and Heart is thereby caâ—…ted by that way in the works and pleasures of this World and this is a â—…ved estate and thus much of a Deceiver and Deceiving in the ground in 〈◊〉 declared But now You that are crying one to another Be not deceived be not 〈◊〉 Are you not such as are deceived already and lie wallowing in the Deceit and Vanity and Evil of this World For while sin hath power over you and that Spirit that is not of God doth lead you you are deceived and thus it is with you being unchanged and unrenewed in Mind and Heart are not you deceived For you want the feeling of the Presence and of the Comfort of the Lord God and you are deceived of that for that you have not and another thing possesseth your minds and the
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
be deceived and the Imaginations of your hearts will come to nothing and it s you that will fall and come to nothing and not we whom the Lord is bringing up out of the Apostacy which you all are in and all Nations are in since the dayes of the Apostles And we are not any of all those Sects and false Churches that have been on foot for many Ages for its true they have risen and fallen come up and gone down one after another and made a stir and a noise for a while and then withered and come to nought and dyed away of themselves and this is because their Foundation has not been Christ the Rock of Ages nor none of them have been his true Church his Spouse elected to him for if they had they could not have been prevailed against nor fallen as they have done nor they have not been the true Church which is the Ground and Pillar of Truth for they have wither'd and come to nothing and risen and fallen one after another in a few years time and they could not stand long any of them but must needs wither and be confounded and one consume another and be eaten up one of another for they have risen out of the Pit that hath had no bottom and into that have they and must they all sink down again and they have caused the world to wonder after them for a little season but being not upon the Foundation they could not remain for they have all come out of the Pit go into Perdition have risen one out of another and been destroyed one of another and though some of them have made war one with another and some of them hated the Whore yet have they given their power to the Beast and the Beast rose out of the Pit which had no bottom without Foundation and the Beast and all these Sects that have given their power to him go into Perdition with him and it s not possible that they should remain long but fall and come to nothing because Christ hath not been their Foundation but as I have said We are not any of all these that give their power to the Beast but are of them that stand with the Lamb upon Moun Sion that are redeemed unto God out of every Sect and out of Kindreds and Multitudes and we are of them that have overcome the Beast and his Image and the number of his name who are them that follow the Lamb whither soever he goes who cannot be overcome nor fall because greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and he overcomes the world and he is our Rock and Foundation and we cannot be moved but he keeps us we may not fall nor come to nought as our Enemies do falsly suppose and speak as they would have it but let them be at rest for we shall grow and spring and be encreased into a numberless Number which shall stand upon the Sea of Glass with the Harps of God in our hands singing Praises and Glory to the Lord God for evermore What though the Woman has been fled into the Wilderness and we her Seed made war against and slain and what though we be accounted as Sheep for the slaughter and killed all the day long And what though some that are convinced and come to the Faith of Christ in measure what though some such do turn from the Truth into the evil world again and deny the Lord and his People and their latteâ—-end be worse then their beginning the unclean spirit possess them seven fold more then at the first and what though the evil eye doth see this the Wicked do herein rejoyce and take occasion from such things to say They will fall they will fall and people turn from them again O ye Fools and Blind notwithstanding all this Truth shall prosper and such as are faithful shall never be ashamed nor never fall but the Lord will overcome and the Woman shall return and shall receive her Seed to life again which shall be as the Stars for multitude and your desires and conceivings shall be confounded And what though you say They cannot stand long for the Powers of the Earth and all the Rulers are against them and Parliaments they will make Laws to suppress them Nay ye Fools and Blind all this will not prevail for the Lord has broken and will break all that shall oppose his Kingdom which he is setting up amongst us of whose Government and Dominion there shall be no end nor no falling but it shall be encreased forever and ever and Powers nor Dominions of the Earth shall not prevail but all that which they do against us turneth to our Increase and their own Overthrow and Confusion while they think to suppress us and all what they can do and what you may suppose it is all nothing and will come to nothing for the Lord hath spoken it his Seed shall grow and his People shall replenish the Nations and in time it will be manifest whose we are and how we shall be increased and in the mean time we bear all things in Patience knowing assuredly that the Lord is with us and that none upon the Earth may prevail against us and this shall all our Enemies know in the Lord's Season E. B. A DISCOVERY Of some part of the War between the Kingdom of the Lamb And the KINGDOM of ANTI-CHRIST Held forth in this Account of several Disputes and Queries between a Minister of Christ really so and one that hath the Name of a Minister but is proved to be a Minister and Member of Antichrist by evident Testimonies And is a short Account of the Covetousness Ignorance Envy and the Fruits of Darkness brought forth by C. Fowler a professed Minister in Reading And here all may see in some measure the difference between Christ and Antichrist and their Authority and Weapons and also the Fruits and Effects of each of them are made manifest To the Reader Friend THE chief occasion of this being sent abroad to publique view is to the people of Reading most particularly but yet more general unto all and though that it be chiefly unto a particular Place and against a particular Person to wit Ch. Fowler one that hath the Name of a Minister of Christ in Reading whose Folly and Weakness and Ignorance is herein discovered yet it hath partly relation to the whole Ministry of the Nation and all men that do not shut their eyes may see and behold something of that great Opposition that is at this day between the Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Antichrist and I have no other end in publishing of this but for the satisfaction of them that desire it and for the general good of all and if Christopher Fowler shall see himself justly reproved and repeâ—t it may prove of good to him also and I am not a man of Strife for if he and his Brethren had
charging all this upon us Answ. 1 That we do boast of talking with God or of Revelation This is another of his false Accusations for we boast not nor do we glory in any thing saving in the Lord and this is no Error but that which we must acknowledge unto or else deny the Truth to talk with God and God with us in and by his own Spirit for all the Saints have converss with God and union and fellowship with him in his own Spirit as the Scriptures do declare and as for Revelations we do acknowledge according to Christ's Words that we had never known the Father nor the Son but by Revelation For none known the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him as it is written and all such as have not converss with God and that have not Revelation are not in the Way of Eternal life but are ignorant and without God in the World and neither know him nor have fellowship with him 2. As for killing all the Wicked this is another false Charge for it is not our Principle to war against the Persons of any Men and kill them with carnal Weapons about Church and Ministry and Religion as the Papists and Protestants do one against another but it is our Principle to war against the evil spirit in men and to smite that with the spiritual Sword of God's Word and we would have mens wickedness killed and their Persons saved and their Souls delivered and this is the War we make even till men be changed by the Power of God and all things made new even a new World and a new Earth we do expect according to the Lord's Promise so that it is no error to expect a new Earth and a new World for there is a new Creation which the Saints do witness created anew in Christ Jesus to bring forth good fruits unto the living God and all that do not witness this are in the transgression of the old Creation which brings the Wrath of God Again The Accuser tells a story of one that professed the Gift of discerning spirits and to know the Elect from Reprobates and that made holiness consist in speaking little and living homely and sordidly as our Quakers do saith he Answ. 1. As for discerning of Spirits that is a Gift which the Saints of God do receive in all Ages for the Apostles said to some was given the discerning of spirits by the manifestation of the Spirit of God So to profess discerning of spirits is no error in us though it be stated as a great error before you by an ignorant man who knows not what he saith nor whereof he affirms And its possible to know the Elect from Reprobates by their fruits and works for the Children of God who are the Elect are known by their holy and Righteous works and fruits and the Children of the Devil who are the Reprobates are known also by their works and fruits of unrighteousness which they bring forth and this the Scriptures bear witness of 2. As for speaking little and living homely and sordidly If he means by homely and sordidly plainly and without superfluity this is also works and fruits of holiness and its better to speak little than to utter multitude of vain words and its more justifiable to God and just Men to be plain and homely as he saith in Apparrel than superfluity of naughtiness in vain Attire and more holy for true holiness consists in the Power of God which crucifies all idle words and all superfluity in Apparrel and whatsoever is not like God And was but this Accuser as wise as he is envious he would never be seen to scorn the Quakers scornfully so called with speaking little and wearing plain and sober Apparrel but Fools love to be medling to manifest their own folly as it is written Again The Accuser telleth another Story of Muntzer how he did exhort some that were on his part viz. Anabaptists to kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice to the Lord and saith he by this we may gâ—ess if Anabaptists and Quakers should get the upper hand what they would do c. Answ. 1. As for the Quakers getting the upper hand we strive not for it by carnal Weapons to have victory over mens Persons though we know the Lord will give us victory and dominion over the Beast and over the false Prophets for the Lamb shall get the victory and they that are with him who are called and faithful and chosen but this victory is spiritual and obtained spiritually and thus we believe the Lord will give us the upper hand even victory over â—ll our Enemies 2. But what a wicked envious siâ—rmise and suggestion is here coutched under as if the Quakers if they had victory would kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice and that they would make War c. The Lord rebuke his slanderous Tongue who hatched Mischief in his mind against the Innocent and presented you with forged Lyes and Surmises and imagined guessed cruel and evil things against us who are far otherwise Principled than as he suggesseth but all this his own doings doth but manifest the folly of his own Heart and 〈◊〉 own wickedness for we are of the Spirit of Mercy and Peace and not of Murder and War not to kill mens Persons but to war with the Spirit of God against spiritual Enemies that mens Iniquities may be slain and their Persons and Souls saved Again The Accuser pag. 4. tells a long story of Micher Hopman and others with him what things they held As they condemned the Baptism of Children they would not take an Oath they pulled down Magistrates they undertook to kill all Princes they taught that in their Churches all were holy and that it was lawful to have many Wives that all Learning is prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Sâ—riptures and there must be no ordinary calling in the Church but every man must speak as he is inspired And thus it is saith the Accuser with the Quakers and Popish Agents who are their Ring-leaders have been endeavouring in these three Nations these eight or nine years by-past c. Answ. 1. It is to be considered that all these things are fully charged upon us as being guilty thereof and so to every particular I shall answer As to that of the Baptism of Children we do say there is neither Command nor Example for it in all the Scripture God never commanded it nor did the Apostle ever practise it in their dayes but it is a Tradition of the Church of Rome introduced into the World long since the Apostles dayes and except better ground can be shewed for the Practice of it than bare Tradition it is lawful to deny it as being no Ordinance of God in his true Church except I say that it can be proved that God ever commanded it or the Apostles and Saints practised it till which be done it is no error to deny the
Magistrates so as to punish them for Breach of the Laws for the preventing of these Evils But such Wickedness is too much suffered though there be divers Acts of Parliaments against such Persons and such Actions as well as there is one against our Meetings yet the Act against us is more put in Execution some Places for the breaking of out Meetings which are for the Worship of God than the good Laws for suppressing Wickedness though there is better Law for the one than for the other Divers other Laws and Statutes made for good Ends for the suppressing of Wickedness in the Land there are which are but easily Executed at this day but here is one Act against Peaceable meeting together for the Worship of God which is violently prosecuted and executed upon Innocent Men and let all just Men judge of these things Though there be a Law Enacted against our Meetings so there is against Drunkards and Drunkenness and Unreasonable Tippling in Taverns and Ale-Houses and against Minstrels Fiddlers Pipers and Players Common-Players and Stage-Players that go up and down the Countries and have their Play-Houses in publick Cities which Statutes ought rather to be Executed though they are not But these things we shall leave to all sober People to judge of And seeing that the Law against us is more put in Execution than these other Laws it doth appear That there is more Envy against us and our Peaceable Religious Meetings than there is against Prophaneness and Wickedness Drunkenness and Stage-Playing and such like and such Magistrates wheresoever they are are not excusable in the Sight of God though there is a Law against us while they prosecute it against us and not these other good Laws against Prophane and Ungodly Persons and Practices And therefore seeing we do suffer we must say It is not only because there is a Law against us but it is also or rather Because there is Enmity and Wrath and Wickedness in the Hearts of Men against us which is the main Cause of our Sufferings at this day And let the Magistrates compare this Law made against us with that Saying in Doctor and Student Chap. 2. speaking concerning the Law written in the Heart teaching every man what is to be done and what is to be fled And saith he Because it is written in the heart therefore it may not be put away nor is it ever changable by any diversity of place or time And therefore against this Law Prescription Statute nor Custom may not prevail and if any be brought in against it they be not Prescriptions Statutes nor Customs but things void and against justice and all other Lawes as well the Law of God as the Acts of Men ought to be grounded upon the Law written in the Heart And in cap 4. of the same it s said Every mans Law must be consonant with the Law of God and therefore the Lawes of Princes the Commandements of Prelates the Statutes of Commonalties nor yet the Ordinances of the Church are not Righteous nor Obligatory but as it is consonant to the Law of God And we are sure the Law of God and holy Scriptures do justifie our Meeting together as afore is expressed Also in the Statute 28. Hen. 8. chap 7. it is said in these words That no man of what Estate Degree or Condition soever he be hath Power to dispence with Gods Lawes as all the Clergy of this Realm and the most part of all the Universities of Christendom And we also Affirm and think these things truly compared one with another We leave them to the Judgment of the Law of God Gospel of Christ holy Scriptures and our Neighbours and let Truth determine So be it Edward Burroughs A TABLE OF THE Several Books Contained in this VOLUMN And of the Principal HEADS and Matters contained in the said Books A Warning from the Lord to the Inhabitants of Underbarrow and to all the Inhabitants in England Which containeth 1. A Warning to all who hold up the false Teachers and false Worship page 1. to 11. 2. A true Declaration to all the World of his manner of Life what he had been and what he was at that present p. 15. 16. The Walls of Ierico razed down to the Ground Which containeth an Answer to a Book called The Quarkers Principles dashed in pieces put forth by Enoch Howet called an Anabaptist p. 18 c. An Answer to several Queries Put forth to the People called Quakers by Phillip Bennit a pretended Minister of Christ and John Reeve one who called himself The Last Messenger and Witness p. 29 c. An Answer to a Book called Choice Experiences put forth by J. Turner p. 45. The Copy of a Letter sent to the Assembly of them called Anabaptists in Newcastle p. 51. An Answer to a Book called A Voice from the Word of the Lord put forth by one John Griffith against the People called Quakers p. 54. A Visitation of the Rebellious Nation of Ireland and a Warning from the Lord Proclaimed to all the Inhabitants thereof with a Lamentation over its Unfruitfulness and Rebellion after so many Visitations p. 77. Containing several particular Papers written in that Nation to several sorts of People viz. 1. An Information to the Heads and the Ground of the Law laid down to the Iudges and Iustices c. p. 83. 2. An Exhortation sent to the chief Commander and his Council and the Iust Cause of the Innocent laid before them p. 85. 3. The Unjust Sufferings of the Iust declared and their Appeal to the Iust Witness of God in all their Consciences p. 88. 4. A Challenge to the Priests of Dublin to try their Godd and their Ministry and their Worships p. 90. 5. A Discovery of the Idol Dumb Shepherds in that Nation and a Lamentation ever their starved and strayed Flocks p. 91. 6. An Invitation to all the poor desolate Souldiers to Repent and make their Peace with the Lord and their Duty shewed them what the Lord requires of them p. 93. 7. A Warning from the Lord to the Natives of that Nation of Ireland p. 94. A Trumpet of the Lord sounded forth of Zion Which containeth a Testimony from the Word of the Lord 1. To Oliver Cromwell and his Counsel p. 97. 2. To all the Iudges and Lawyers p. 98. 3. To all Astrologers Magitians South-sayers and Wise-Men p. 99. 4. To all the Generals Collonels Commanders Officers and Souldiers in England Scotland and Ireland p. 99. 5. To all the Priests and Prophets and Teachers of the People p. 100. 6. To all them called Papists and to their whole Body and Head at Rome p. 102. 7. To all them called Protestants of the eldest sort p. 103. 8. To all them called Presbyterians and Independants p. 103. 9. To all them called Anabaptists p. 105. 10. To all them called Free-willers who say Christ dyed for all p. 107. 11. To all them that say They wait and believe for the coming of Christ to