travelling towards the Land of rest promised of the Lord to them to be obtained and enjoyed by them and they do and have sojourned strangers in these Nations over whom thou art called to Rule and appointed chief Governour this 7 years and greatly are and have they been afflicted and oppressed and even trodden down through unjust Judgment and unrighteous dealing by the Rulers and Inhabitants of the Land and all the dayes of thy Father the late Protector they were held in great captivity and bondage and unrighteous men made them a prey and layed heavy yoaks of cruel sufferings upon them and daily increased their task and something thy Father did for them in their journey of great distress yet but a little of what the Lord required of him and what the Lord looked for that he might have done for power was in his hands given him of the Lord but he was not fully obedient and therefore was the Lords hand stretched out somewhat against him and his Family and he was smitten of the Lord and suddenly taken away in Judgment for he hearkened not to the Counsel of the Lord concerning that people neither did fully relieve them from oppression but slighted many warnings from the Lord the day of his visitation passed over and death took him away in disobedience while this people were yet under great oppressions for he left above a hundred of them in prisons unjustly suffering for â—â—righteousness sake and not for evil-doing and in this he fulfilled not the Will of God but left his name and glory somewhat stained because of these things and though the Lord chose him and shewed love unto him and gave him power over his enemies and made him an Instrument in his hand to break down great oppressions yet he was not obedient to the end to do my will saith the Lord but left something undone which he was truly called unto Now this innumerable people that is come and coming up as aforesaid are them called Quakers and this Aegypts Land is that great darkness ignorance and wickedness and false ways and worships in the Apostacy and fleshly bondage to sin and death which all the world and kindreds and multitudes that are unconverted to God lives and walks in and that Land of rest promised to which they travel is the peaceable and quiet dwelling with the Lord free from the heavy oppression of sin and iniquity and cruelties of men and free in the exercise of their pure Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord as it shall move and lead them into all truth and their sojourning as strangers is their denying and despising the world and all its glories and walking in the daily Cross of Christ whereby they are crucified to the love and respect and renown and honours of the world and are come out of kindreds tongues and people counting the reproach for Christ great riches not respecting men but the Lord altogether in all things and also their suffering unrighteusly false imprisonment and spoiling of their goods for righteousness sake this is their sojourning as strangers And that something that thy Father did for them is he released many of them divers times out of prisons where they were unjustly cast and he signified sometimes his displeasure against them that made them suffer and shewed love to them in hearing their innocent cause with some respect thereunto and that which he did not which he might have done is he took not away Tithes that cause of great oppression to many nor the unrighteous laws wholly as he ought to have done and as the Lord required of him And know thou from the Lord that this same people are the people of the Lord and beloved of him and as dear to him as the apple of his eye and his presence is with them and he leads them as a flock by his Spirit into all truth and who shall bless them shall be blessed but he that acts against them shall not prosper but be smitten of the Lord for their cause will the Lord plead in his Judgments and avenge them of their enemies and the dread of the Lord God shall fall heavy upon the heads of their persecutors and though they are hated of all men and are under great afflictions yet are they a Just people and innocent seeking the good of all men and are peaceable towards all and receiving all manner of wrongs and evil and speakings against them by ungodly men but they render to no man evil for evil but bless them that curse and do good to their enemies and bears all things from all men in long suffering and patience for they are learned in the practices of doing and suffering of the holy Apostles and Prophets and are of the seed of Abraham who was the friend of God and they were thy fathers friends and are not enemies to thee nor to righteous Government but wishes well unto thee in the Lord and that thou may not be destroyed in wickedness but be established in righteousness and peace in thy Government to rule in Gods authority over all wicked men that may seek thy hurt and we desire for thee that the Lord may give thee wisdom a perfect understanding and the Spirit of just and sound Judgment to Judge righteously in all things and to settle the Government in true Judgment that the principle of God in every man may answer to it in defending and preserving and protecting all that walk in truth and righteousness and being a terrour to all evil-doers for for that end is rule and government ordained of God amongst men to be a praise to all that do well and a terrour to all that do evil and now the Lord having suffered it to be brought to pass that thou art set up in thy fathers stead to be chief Ruler amongst men this the Lord God Almighty requires of thee as thou hopes to prosper and be blessed in this life and to enjoy life Eternal when this world is passed away and this is the Word of the Lord God unto thee be humble meek and lowly in heart and exalt not thy own horn nor seek not this worlds honour but seek the Lord with thy whole heart and let Justice and true Judgment and righteous Government which is according to the Law of God be set up and exalted in the Nations and come to know in thy self the Dominion and Authority of the Lord God over sin and transgression and to keep down and condemn all that which is contrary to God in thy own heart and that will make thee a dread and a terrour to men and Nations and then the Lord will be thy Crown and his people will rejoice in thee and lift up their hearts to God for thee if thou throw down and abolish all unrighteous lawes and decrees which have been set up in the days of ignorance and yet stands wherereby the Lords dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day and establish such a Government
injustice against them whom the Lord is redeeming out of this World into subjection unto that Kingdom least thou be such a one as will not enter thy self nor suffer others to enter and so destruction come upon thee wherfore arise as out of sleep and slumber not in this worlds glory and honour come away and appear for the Lord rather then against him be not overcome by the pleasures of this World nor the flattering titles of men wink not at the cruelty and oppression acted by some who shelters under thee and makes thy name a cloak for mischief against the upright but let the Testimony of God in thee answer for his people this Law is not just by which many suffers because they cannot swear and because they cannot cease to declare against sin and iniquity let that of God in thee bear witnesse and thou and thy name being chief in the execution of this Law what will thy account be to the Lord in his day Consider I say consider and be thou changed in thy mind and heart least thou having forgotten God and his many deliverances be shut up and numbered for destruction and I say and desire the Lord give thee a more perfect understanding of his wayes and judgements and that the Crown Immortal thou mayest strive for by meeknesse and righteousnesse through relieving the oppressed and shewing mercy to the poor and removing every burthen which lies upon the innocent and this is the desire of him who is thy friend and would not have thee crowned with dishonour through suffering the people of God to be oppressed in thy name which will be thy overthrow absolutely if thou remove it not by returning and easing the oppressed EDWARD BURROUGH This was delivered to his hands about the begining of the 4th moneth 1657. For the hands of the Protector FRIEND THou oughtest to stand in the Coucel of God in all things and not to follow the Councel of thy own heart nor to act things in thine own will neither shouldest thou suffer others to act under thee and in thy name that which is unjust and unrighteous much unrighteousnesse and great oppression is acted in thy name by which the good name Protector is abused and subverted and instead of protection by it great unjustice is acted under it and covered with it and this one thing I am moved to lay before thee which hath been acted by thee or under thee not without thy knowledge in which thou hast done evil in the sight of the Lord and one day thou wilt know it several in these Nations Justices of the peace and other Officers who have been in trust under thee when they have owned the people of God in scorn called Quakers have been cast out of their places though they have not denied to serve thee and the Common-Wealth neither hath unfaithfulnesse to their trust been proved against them and also several Souldiers now of late in Scotland and elsewhere have been turned out of their places because of the same thing viz. for owning the people of God and these things are not right in the sight of the Lord that such who have been for many years faithful in the service and in their trust and hazzarded life and liberty for conscience sake to injoy liberty of conscience which they cannot now possess because of thee but are cast out for the exercise of their pure conscience this thing the Lord is grieved with and with thee because of it for thou didest not obtain this victory of peace and freedom by thy own sword then why should it be thus improved to thy own ends Consider of it for this makes the Nations more unhappie and lesse blessed when such who delight in true justice and judgement are cast out of their places and so deprived of giving their judgement among men and absolutely this will make thy army lesse prosperous and more unblessed when such who feareth the Lord and against whom thou cannot justly charge evil are cast out and despised and this in time thou mayest see to thy sorrow and as thy friend I lay this before thee and do in plainnes tell thee if thou thus utterly deny the people of God in the day of thy prosperity and thus wholy cast them out of thy service they cannot stand by thee nor own thee in the day of thy trouble and such as thou cleavest unto may be a broken staffe in thy time of need Ah friend these things do shew that thy heart is not right in the sight of the Lord and that justice and true judgement righteousnesse and truth is even despised in this Land and not encerely owned by thee when as such who feareth the Lord are thus cast out of Judicatories in thy Government and out of defence in thy armies what is this the end of that long travel in wars and of so many fair promises of liberty of conscience that just men should thus be dealt withal the Heathen Kingdoms may mock at this that while some have pretended liberty of conscience are become persecutors of such whose consciences are justly exercised and as I have some time said to thee much injustice and great oppressions and cruel persecutions continues daily to be acted in thy name which is numbred up against thee upon account because of hiding thy face from the cry of the poor as one without bowels of compassion unto such who have truely served with thee in a faithful service for the Common-Wealth who many of them now are grievious sufferers under thee Consider of these things and search what will be the end of them the Lord open thy understanding that more of the wisdom of God may guide thee and lesse of the Policie and wisdom of man which will betray thee of Gods Kingdom and may in the end cast thee down in this World also Edward Burrough The Original of this was delivered to his hands in the fifth moneth 1657. FRIEND IT is upon me and also I am pressed in spirit thereunto to give unto thee even unto thee Oliver Protector the perfect measure of thy dominions and how they stand in relation to thee as concerning the affections of the people towards thee whereby thou mayest understand thy own condition and the state of thy Government as I have viewed it in true judgment and marked it upon serious consideration and what I writ is in perfect love unto thee how ever thou mayest judge of it and of these things it will be well for thee to consider now while it is time ere it be too late Many Enemies thou hast which watches over thee for evil and not for good who would rejoyce in thy overthrow and first there is a people scattered through all these Nations who is full of wrath and ravening envy towards thee even of those known by the name of malignants party in whose hearts to this day there is continual hatred and evil surmising lodgeth against thee and all thy off-spring and I
and under it how can they stand for thee and thy Government or out of pure love be subject thereunto though be it known to thee that we the People of God doth not envy thy person or Government in the least neither hath purpose of seeking advantage against thee or it to hurt or betray you by secret plotting or turbulent arising as others may yet friend the want of our prayers to God for thee is worse to thee then the secret plotting of all wicked men And how can we mention thee in our prayers to God except it be to be delivered from thee who are dayly cruel and unjust sufferers by thee or because of thee as I have said or how can we be friends to that Government or subject to obey that power under which we dayly suffer such hard and cruel things as the loss of our liberty and estates and danger of life also let that light in thy own conscience Judge though for all these things we do rather pitty thee and desires thy repentance then conspires against thee or wisheth thy destruction yet oughtest thou to consider of these things with a humble heart and what a condition thou art in who is hated of the wicked with deadly hatred and not loved of the Saints because thou lovest not the Lord also it might make thy heart to tremble to consider how that thy Dominions are thus devided and the affections of the people thus dis-united and few of them thy real friends some having real offence given by thee wherefore they are forced to loath that Government which is unjust and others verily supposing of great wrong sustained from thee wherefore they are turned against thee Moreover besides all this greatly it may be suspected that even they in whom thou dost repose confidence who seems to cleave unto thee may not be altogether true unto thee though in appearance subject yet may have secret hypocrisie and hatching of evil in their minds if it were possible to uncover thy nakedness and some others also there may be who may make use of places under thee which may have no more affection to thee nor service for thee then while their own ends of great advantage are served under thee by their subjection to thy Government and now friend these things being justly considered and viewed by thee in righteousness how is thy Dominions as a broken vessel that cannot easily be bound up and as a bruised reed not to be confided in by thee and these several sorts of people being substracted out of the whole how few is it that thou wilt find that are thy real and faithful friends who may stand by thee in a needful time some out of envy cannot be subject to thee and others for the fear of the Lords sake cannot own thee in such a Government whereby the just suffers even all men are ready to stand afar off from thee and because thou hast denyed the people of God therefore cannot he be thy trust and verily thy state and the state of thy Dominions are truly to be lamented thou hast so much sought thy self that thou hast lost almost all people and their affections every one judging themselves to be the greatest sufferers under thee Ah consider for thou art but the head of a disjoynted body which may not easily be bound up to thee and thou art lost for lack of true knowledge for the Lord hath done many things for thee though thou hast not known it altogether and much less then knowest thou of those things which are eternal which belongs to thy peace it shewes thou ownes not the Lord who cannot own his people but rather counts them thy enemies and suffers all evil to be inflicted upon them and this is the greatest of thy misery in that the Lord hath been so good unto thee and thy promises so large towards him for the freedom of his people and yet all forgot and the Lords goodness not answered and his people made as slaves and bondmen under thee suffering the loss of liberty and even their birth-right priviledge in many parts of these Nations wherefore be awakened O man and sleep not totally in carelesness but remember thy self either to perform the good or at least to escape the evil which may suddenly come upon thee And this I have written to thee out of perfect love in the fear of God without the fear of any man or without any secret or open envying of thee couldst thou but own the Lord he would be thy strength to forgive all thy iniquities and blot out thy sin and to defend thee from all thy enemies and above all things love Judgement mercy and truth and fear before the Lord and let not his people be thy bond-slaves who is more dear unto the Lord then all earthly glory is unto thee and if thou couldst own them they would own thee in the face of all thine enemies many times hast thou been warned and that from the Lord and thou shalt confess it when the Lords hand is upon thee and thou delivered into the will of thy enemies remember that I have told thee what the Lord hath shewed me happy art thou if thou canst receive it that peace may be unto thee and not war salvation and not condemnation renown and not dishonour which waits for thee except thou turn to the Lord Edward Burrough The Original of this was delivered to him in the seventh moneth 1657. To the Protector and Counsel A Servant of the Lord and to you a friend wisheth Grace and Wisdom the spirit of sound Judgement and the knowledge of God unto you that in all things true Justice and righteous Judgement may be brought forth and abound unto all people that you may be more honourable and may be made a blessing to your selves and this Nation and to generations after you but alas my friends how long shall Justice and true Judgement be neglected and the innocent deeply groan for want thereof how long shall it be ere the distressed cry of the unjustly afflicted enter into your hearts I say when shall your ear be bowed down to hearken to and consider of the guiltless cause of many of the faithful subjects who lies deeply afflicted through this Nation some under one cruel bond of oppression and some under another being most unjustly and wickedly imposed upon them by cruel men who perverts Justice and turneth true Judgement backwards and neither fears God nor regards men but contrary to Justice and the good Lawes of this Land as men without reason and natural affections to mankind doth act most illegally to the grievous oppression of many approved faithful subjects and the true knowledge and consideration hereof is enough to pierce the hardest heart and to vex the most patient mind and undoubtedly the fierce anger of the Lord is greatly kindled because of these things and even against your forbearance who seems to take little notice of such cruelties and in justice
yet like ravenous Wolves cast them into prison for bidding them repent and fear God and lay away their pride and their rings points and superfluities and tell them of their costly apparel wearing gold rings and costly apparel as said the Apostle it was not the wearing of gold or costly apparel and such it may be for speaking to them have been cast into prison and for telling them they be out of the Doctrine of Christ now to make all these put them out of Prison again and all those Justices likewise as have cast friends in prison for biding People fear God it may be moved of God to cry repentance through a Town or reprove sin in the gate they cast them into prison as sturdy beggars though men or women of sufficient estates now this gives an evil savour now to make them put them out again that will be for the convincing of People and be a sweet savour and the bringing and shewing the wisdom of the Lord God to thee And friend take heed of having any to compell another to maintain his meeting house or his Clark to say Amen but that every one maintain his own meeting house and if he will have a Clark to say Amen let him pay him his wages and every one if he will have a Minister to maintain his Minister for ther 's many thousands in the Nations that they need not to say unto them know the Lord that hath the Law of the Lord written in their hearts and put in their minds and are come under his Government and knowes Christ to be their Teacher and hears him as God said This is my beloved Son hear ye him and the Apostle said to the Hebrewes God spake to our Fathers by the Prophets and visions but now in these last dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son whom he hath made heir of all things and upholdeth all things by the word of his power And friend let no drunkard nor swearer or prophane man keep Innes Taverns or Alehouses but such as fears God whose houses are wholsom to lodge travellers that no young nor old People may be nursed up in such idle places to act wickedness and to keep Games and sports and things to play in their houses on purpose for people to spend and passe away their time in vanity now this is an ill savour to a Christian life and which is common in the Nations And friend let none that is called a Minister that comes and creepes under thee for maintenance Tythes and augmentations let him first go plant and plough and thresh and get a flock and then let him reap and eat for that is the Apostles counsel take it to thy side and then thou wilt not be cumbered with Ministers then thou wilt come to know the publick service that belongs to thy place which is to do Justice And friend let no officer whatsoever that is covetous after gifts or sums of mony rewards or Bribes let no man that is such bear office for the gifts rewards and Bribes blindes his eye and make him he cannot do Justice for because of such the helpless is not helped and the jawes of the wicked is not broken and for that cause the Lord brings Judgement upon a Land and men are blinded with earthly honours gifts rewards and high places and puffed up with honours and do not see it how the Lord brings Judgement upon them and overturns them with his hand yet they take not notice who are crying peace peace but sudden destruction comes upon them so thy time is now consider as thou stands in the Wisdom of God and lives in his fear counsel and dread and feels his hand and arm and stands in his Wisdom and power thou wilt prosper and reign but if any earthly honour blind thee the Lord will come upon thee when thou dost not see it and turn thee into the earth which the earthly honour comes to and where God layes it down in the dust but whose honour is from him that 's from above and hath his Wisdom and Power by which he made all the creatures they shall reign with the Lord God in his Power strength and arm And friend take heed how thou let any perverse peevish crosse malicious Justice or Magistrate whatsoever bear any office that will not do Justice except they have earthly honour but are in strife and peevish against them that cannot give it them such Magistrates have left the Counsel of Solomon but its honour for men to do justice and it will be an honour for thee to do Justice and see that Justice be done and the greatest comfort in the world to thee in that thou wilt have peace with God everlastingly and happiness for ever and his blessing and know a world that hath no end so the Lord God Almighty preserve thee in his Wisdom Counsel and strength over the heads of his enemies in thy self and in the world both that thou maist come to live in that which comprehends the world which was before the world was made in that and with that thou maist come to order the creatures by which Wisdom of God they was made and created to his glory And friend take heed of putting of honest godly men out of the Army or putting them out of place being Justices and such as fears God in so doing thou wilt blame thy self and weaken thy Authority and remove thy self out of the hearts of them that fears God From a lover of thy soul and thy eternal good and establishing of righteousness G. F. From the Church of Christ and Elect Assembly called of the Lord and gathered by his spirit and redeemed by his Power from amongst men out of all the many false Sects upon earth into fellowship with the Father and with the Son to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes and we are named in scorn and known in the Nations by the name of Quakers To thee Richard Cromwel chosen to be Protector and chief Magistrate Governour of these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland a faithful presentation and salutation by a servant of the Church WE are rightly and truly sencible in all things of the mighty hand of the Lord God who brings all things to pass by his own Power and according to his will and in heaven and earth and over the Kingdoms of men he ruleth and Reigneth he buildeth and breaketh down and planteth and plucketh up and he pulleth down one and setteth up another and who may say what doest thou or why dost thou it for he is a great God and a mighty and his Majesty is terrible and all things in heaven and earth and all the sons of men are at his disposure whose dominion is from everlasting to everlasting and he may be feared and had in reverence by all creatures that hath life and breath And in particular we are sencible of his great and mighty Power who hath of late years in these Nations
and Tythes but may reprove their evil and covetousness and wickedness Begging for Lawes against such and crying out against Error and Herefie because some may be moved to cry against their deceits and oppressions and for the like causes they will run about thee and seck their own advantage and this we know their nature and spirit is such and hath been for many ages But now friend do thou stand in Gods Authority out of and over all such Teachers and Sects and come not under any of them that have the form of godliness but want the Power who are in the Apostacy from the life and pure Religion that the Apostles were in nor believe them not that shall say loe Christ is here or loe he is there or who shall Ascend to fetch him from without or when shall he come from far to save his People go not thou after any of all these but hearken to the word of God in thy heart and know that Christ is within thee else thou art reprobate neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these Sects or some of them above others neither defend and maintain any of them against others of them nor tollerate not one of them above another for if thou do it will betray thee and the Nations Peace and set all spirits on fire about thee and while one is pleased and may pray for thee others will be vexed against thee and curse thee wherefore be not troubled about these things nor cumber not thy self about Religion how to establish it for it is in Gods hand onely to establish his worship and Religion it belongs to him as he will and not as man by his policy and wisdom but stand free from them all and neither establish any nor persecute any Sect whatsoever but let them all have their course and season they will fall and perish of themselves and the good old way and truth and the pure Religion only will remain and let them cry one against another and rebuke one another and meddle not thou with that but onely let thy Lawes and Authority preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another that all men may live peaceably under thee and no man wrong his neighbours person or estate and that 's only thy place to rule in outward affairs but not to rule over any mans conscience to compell him to such a worship or to limit from such a worship in Religion that belongs not to thee but to the Lord who alone will be the Ruler and guide and exerciser of his peoples consciences and if thou do medle therein thou shalt not prosper nor be blessed in thy deed so leave the establishing of Religion to the Lord and let all these Sects manifest if any of them have the spirit Power of God in them with them let them shew their weapons of the spirit for onely such as hath the power and Spirit of God in them will overcome and such will be increased and grow and thou nor none can hinder and such that wants the Power and Spirit of God in and with them may flourish in their form for a while but they will be blasted and wither and it is vain for thee or any to uphold such or endeavour to establish them but if thou meddle on these accounts it will undo thee and confound thee therefore be wise and know what the Lord requires of thee perfectly for if thou leave that undone which God requires then shalt thou be condemned and if thou do that which he requires not then shalt thou not be free and this is written in love to thee to inform thy mind how to walk towards the Lord and the people over whom he hath set thee and as for the maintaining of Ministers let that aloue also and be not troubled about it for it was ever the false prophets and deceivers that preached for hire and went after gifts and rewards and sought money and gifts of people and they that do the same now were never sent of God nor are they such as shall convert people to God for who are true Ministers of Christ will not seek to thee nor to men for wages and Tithes and money but live of the Gospel and not compel great sums of money from people to maintain them in their families in pride in fulness and idleness such things are great oppressions in this Nation and a horrible filthy thing in the sight of God and because thereof will the Lords Judgements come upon the land if thou were but rightly sensible what casting into Goals and what suing at Law of poor people and what spoiling peoples goods by destraint and all for and about Tithes and Priests wages it would make thee admire the wickedness of that generation but do thou let them alone for they do shame themselves and undo themselves and loose the hearts of all good people by their own doings and stand over them all in Gods Authority and know a measure of the Spirit of God in thy own heart and thereby thou wilt discern and try and judge of the spirits of all men and their religion and the Spirit will lead thee in the pure Religion to worship God in Spirit and in truth so let not thy mind be cumbered at all about establishing Religion nor about maintaining the Ministers but be faithful to what the Lord requires of thee and learn his will and do it and then thou wilt be blessed and honoured in this world in the world to come And friend know thou that the Lord is doing of a great work in these Nations he is raising up a seed to serve him and to worship him aright and the God of heaven is setting up a Kingdom over the kingdoms of the world and he hath a controversy with all sorts of people in as much as corruption and degeneration is entered amongst all and all must be purged of all orders of men and the evil cast out the work of the Lord is great and mighty and he requires no help from thee nor any man whatsoever for his own arm will bring it to pass yet he would not have thee to gain-say his work and strive against it and seek to quench what the Lord is bringing forth if thou do it then shalt thou be condemned and the Lord will speedily execute his Judgements and remove thee and overthrow thy power and authority into destruction wherefore be passive in this matter and look thou at the Lord and protect and desend mens persons and estates from wrong but meddle not with their opinions and professions in Religions to exalt any of them nor yet to persecute them And as concerning the Armies abroad let faithful and just men that will not seek themselves be put in trust for the Army is of great concernment to thee to stand or fall through them as to mans account and the war against Spain be faithful to God in it and let trusty men have authority the Lord may accomplish something by it to his honour and to thine if thou be meek and humble and walk with the Lord and to say no more about it there is something in it known to the Lord and he may bring it to pass in his season And thus Friend according as it lay upon me from the Lord I have written this unto thee in dear and pure love God is witness and I have cleared my conscience to thee thus far and if thou fall by thy own transgression it will lie upon thy self I have warned thee and I am clear and if thy fall comes remember thou wast advised Who am a lover of Iustice and true Iudgement and a Friend of this Common-wealth and to thee wisheth well in the Lord EDW. BURROUGH London the 18th of of the 8th month 1658. This was delivered to him the 8th month 1658. * This was meant that he should deny to be made King that was in agitation when this letter was written