whom her rule was great like as a stately Queen For Ages by-past its now seen She hath her Whoredoms plaid And Kingdoms have bewitched been And have her power obey'd But now it s seen she shan't deceive Her Witchcrafts they are known And men no more will her believe her Misery is shown And now the wofull Bed I see of Torments great prepar'd Whereon she shortly cast must be and Plagues must not be spar'd But wo to her the wrathfull Cup is fill'd she others gave She must it now her self drink up the same she now must have And drink she must and that full deep of God's fierce Indignation And then shall all her Lovers Weep and make great Lamentation The City also I have seen which once was great and fair Destroy'd and soon laid waste hath been her Merchants did dispair Who by her got great gain and trade to make them rich withall And trafficks from far she had but now lament they shall For Fire in her is kindled bright which must her all consume And up to Heaven day and night ascendeth up her fume And Antichrist who ravened from Truth within the Light Was with Sheeps Clothing covered and rul'd Kings by his might Who had laid waste God's Heritage and had a Kingdom great The Saints against him war did wage and Truth gave him defeat Behold the Whore's Flesh burnt I've seen her beauty doth now fall All Harlots Mother she hath been her Daughters are Whores all Behold the City great and fair she 's fallen to the ground By which Nations inriched were in her no profits found Behold the Antichrist once great his Kingdom 's near laid waste The Lord will bring him from his Seat the day comes on in haste Christ's Kingdom 's coming on with speed the Lord alone will reign He will for aye exalt his Seed o'er Antichrist and 's Train The Woman I have seen return the Wilderness did take A place where she did greatly mourn and rest she there did take The springing of her Seed I 've seen the Man child now must sway By'm Nations have replenisht been for evermore I say Then Praises to the Heavenly King when come to pass this shall Oh then do ye rejoyce and sing ye Saints and Prophets all When God shall pour his Vengeance great to cause our Enemies Fall Then is the Day of Praises meet for Saints both great and small E. B. THis Epistle was by E. B. prefixed to a Book of Fox's in Folio Entituled The Great Mystery of the Great Whore unfolded published in the year 1659. which though some of it related to that Book yet it being B's Epistle and much of it of a more general Concernment it was judged meet to be here inserted and published with the rest FRANCIS HOWGIL's TESTIMONY Concerning the Life Death Tryals Travels and Labours of Edward Burrough That Worthy Prophet of the LORD SHall dayes or months or years wear out thy Name as though thou hadst had no being Oh nay Shall not thy noble and valiant Acts and mighty Works which thou hast wrought through the power of him that separated thee from the Womb live in Generations to come Oh yes the children that are yet unborn shall have thee in their Mouths and thy Works shall testifie of thee in Generations who yet have not a being and shall count thee blessed Did thy Life go out as the snuff of a Candle Oh nay thou hast penetrated the hearts of many and the memorial of the just shall live for ever and be had in renown among the Children of Wisdom for ever for thou hast turned many to righteousness and shall shine as a Star of God in the Firmament of God's Power for ever and ever and they that are in that shall see thee there and enjoy thee there though thou be gone away hence and can no more be seen in mutability yet thy Life and thy Spirit shall run parallel with Immortality Oh Edward Burrough I cannot but mourn for thee yet not as one without hope nor Faith knowing and having a perfect testimony of thy well-being in my heart by the Spirit of the Lord yet thy absence is great and years to come shall know the want of thee Shall I not lament as David did for a worse man then thee even for Abner when in wrath he perished by the hand of Ioab without any just cause though he was a valiant man David lamented over Abner and said Dyed Abner as a fool dyeth Oh nay he was betrayed of his Life even so hast thou been bereaved of thy life by the hand of the Oppressor whose Habitations are full of cruelty Oh my soul come not thou within their secret for thy blood shall be required at the hands of them who thirsted after thy life and it shall cry as Abels who was in the Faith even so wert thou it shall weigh as a ponderous Milstone upon their Necks and shall crush them under and be as a Worm that gnaweth and shall not dye When I think upon thee I am melted into tears of true sorrow and because of the want that the Inheritance of the Lord hath of thee my substance is even as dissolved Shall I not say as David said of Saul and Ionathan when they were slain in Mount Gilboa The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places Even so wast thou stified in nasty Holes and Prisons and many more who were precious in the Eyes of the Lord And surely precious wast thou to me Oh dear Edward I am distressed for thee my brother very pleasant hast thou been to me and my love to thee was wonderful passing the love of Women Oh thou whose Bow never turned back neither Sword empty from the Blood of the Slain from the slaughter of the Mighty who made Nations and Multitudes shake with the Word of Life in thy Mouth and wast very dreadful to the Enemies of the Lord for thou didst cut like a Rasor and yet to the Seed of God brought forth thy words dropped like Oyle and thy Lips as the Honey-comb Thou shalt be recorded among the Valiants of Israel who attained to the first Degree through the Power of the Lord that wrought mightily in thee in thy day and wast worthy of double honor because of thy Works sake thou wast expert to handle thy Weapon and by thee the Mighty have fallen and the Slain of the Lord have been many many have been pricked to the heart through the. Power of the Word of Life and Coals of fire from thy Life came forth of thy Mouth that in many a Thicket and among many Bryars and Thorns it came to be kindled and did devour much Stubble that cumbered the Ground and stained the Earth Oh how certain a sound did thy Trumpet give And how great an Alarum didst thou give in thy day that made the Host of the Uncircumcised greatly distressed What man so valiant though as Goliah of Gath would not thy Valour have encountered with
that you may try every motion and every spirit and may by that which is infallible and errs not comprehend and judge that which is fallible and erring which flourisheth for a time but comes to an end is withered as that in your own Knowledge and Consciences will set to seal who have been strayed and scattered upon the Mountains in the cloudy and dark day but now the Light is breaking forth and the Day begins to appear and all you who abide faithful shall see the Glory of the Lord and shall enjoy him in the Land of the Living End of the Work of God We charge you all in the Lord that you who profess the Truth walk in it and who profess a change to let it appear by putting off the works of Darkness which by the Light are made manifest unto you and testified against by the Witness of God in you for know this that that which liveth in you which is contrary to God witnessed against by the Light of Christ shall be as a Prick in the eye and as a Thorn in the side for ever and Wrath is to be revealed upon him that spareth the best and saveth the fat from Judgment for to the slaughter all must come that Life and Glory may be made manifest and he that looks back by the way is not fit for the Kingdom and he that returns again to the pollutions his latter end is worse then his beginning and the Judgment of God cannot be escaped Therefore wait in the Power of God and stand in the Light which is the Armour against all temptations whereby the Darkness and Death and he that hath the power of Death is overcome and all that love the Light and are guided by it And all dear Friends who have tasted of the Love and Power of God and do witness the renting of the Earth dwell in the Power and pure Fear of the Lord that so all deceit may be kept down and under and take heed of the false Prophet speaking or suffering your minds to run out in the openings and so you will speak that which is opened in the Light and therefore we charge you all in the Presence of the dreadful God of Life and Power that you all wait in silence and wait to have Salt and Savour in your selves to know the Voice of Christ from the voice of the Stranger for till that be known in your selves you are not able to judge and therefore all wait in the Light which is the Eye which sees into the Mysteries of the Kingdom and none to utter a word but what you are Eternally moved unto or else that in every ones Conscience will bear witness against you and therefore be not hasty now when you see things open in your minds dwell in them and run not forth and speak but treasure them up in your hearts and take heed and keep low in the Fear of the Lord God that pride and presumption get not up nor nothing be exalted above that which is pure Dear Friends you are upon us as a great weight and burden lest we should have bestowed our labour in vain but we hope and trust the Lord will preserve you if you stand in obedience to that of God made manifest in you and so you will grow and take heed of striving and contending but judge that every one in your selves that you may all grow up in the pure Life of God And so the everlasting Power of God bless you all and keep you in his everlasting Love and Power and give the victory over your Enemies that you may come to witness eternal Life in you made manifest from God Your Brethren in the Work of the Lord E. B. F. H. To Friends in London DEar Friends in the evelasting Covenant of Life and Peace whom we bear witness of and unto whom we have declared and preached in season and out of season among yea and have often come unto in much weakness and fear and trembling and have not ceased day by day to watch over you lest any should start aside from the Hope of the Gospel which was declared amongst you in much demonstration of Spirit whereby your understandings came to be opened even by the Word of his Power which we directed you to wait in and for and you are Witnesses your selves of the Love and mighty Power of God which was made manifest among you which made the Heathen to rage and confounded the wisdom of the Wise So dear Children of Light of whom we have travelled in pains and great burdens that Christ might be formed in you fulfil ye our joy make our hearts glad in your growth up in him who hath called and spoken to you from Heaven by his Son in the Light and your ears have heard and your eyes have seen and you have been made to understand the Mystery of the Kingdom of God which is a Parable to all the World and sealed and cannot be read but to you who continue and abide in the Grace of God which hath appeared to all men which brings Salvation to all that walk and abide in it and leads to the Enterance and Earnest and the sealing of the Spirit until the time of the finishing transgreson and making an end of sin and so the everlasting Offering be witnessed which perfects for ever them that are Sanctified therfore all Friends whose minds are turn-to the Light and do witness a change in you by the working of the Spirit and now a door of Hope being set open abide in that measure every one and stay your souls upon him who is your Hope and keep low in the Fear to the just Principle of Life that you may have savour and discerning to know the Voice of Christ from the voice of a Stranger in your selves and in others and so grow up in the discerning and comprehend all spirits and judge them by the Light that makes all things manifest and all meet together in your several Meetings and watch one over another and be diligent all in your measure and take heed you neglect not and none be of a careless mind to meet and wait upon the Lord in silence for whose life stands only in words without such we deny for their eyes and ears are without and they would be ever learning and that is the silly woman that is loden with lust And all dear Babes take heed of taking liberty to the flesh nor give no ear nor liberty to the Earth but in the Cross dwell to the carnal and so you will witness the Plant of the Lord watered and a growth in the Immortal and the Seed you will see which is one in all which the Promise is to and all be still and cool and quiet and of a meek spirit that out of boysterousness and eagerness and feignedness and self-love you may be preserved in your measures up to God and if any be moved to speak a few words in your Meetings this we
them like to the Beast none upon Earth hath bought or sâ—â—d or judged or given evidence or been respected in all the World that 〈◊〉 not had the Mark of the Beast and the number of the names of Antichrist rich and poor small and great have receive his Mark as a Seal of their subjection to the Beast whose many heads and many horns have subjected all by the force of his arm and he hath blinded the eye lest men should see him and cast darkness over all faces and the false Prophet hath deceived many a Christ hath said and all the Earth hath been wandring in the Wildernâ—… of Wickedness and the Long-suffering of the Lord hath been wearied and he continually provoked to destroy the Nations who have followed Antichrist who hath shewed himself in the Seat of God to be God and hath sat in the Seat of God in the Seat of Justice Righteousness and of Mercy and the Abomination of desolation hath long stood in the place where it ougâ—â— not for many Ages and length of Times and his many Heads and many Horns hath swayed the World through the terror of the Beast who haâ—… made all worship him and they that would not he hath killed who hath carried the great Whore who hath made all men without exception and all Nations without respect to any wholly drunk with abomination and all hath staggered and fallen into grievous iniquities and the Dragon hath stood ready continually to devour the Child of Righteousness as soon as it was born and the Woman hath been forced to flee into the Wilderness that hath brought iâ— forth and hath fed there for so many dayes and for a long season hath the Lâ—â—d been blasphemed even the Name of God and his Tabernacle and them thâ—â— dwell in Heaven But now hath the Lord considered and looked down from his Habitatiâ—n and of a truth he is risen and hath taken to him his great Power that he may reign and put all things under his Feet and subdue the power of the Beast and Antichrist and all their Government and Rule and Laws and Decrees shall be overthrown and confounded all their worship shall be broken for great Babylon is come into remembrance before the Lord to render her according to her works the Lamb is now risen and advanced with his Bow and his Sword and he is going forth Conquering and to Conquer the Beast and all that have worshipped him and they that are with the Lamb are called and chosen and faithful they love not their lives unto death and they shall overcome him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony the Dominion of the Lamb is setting up and his Power is made manifest and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hand is a dashing at the feet of the Image and against the Beast and his Power and against all his Laws and Decrees is he risen and he will change Times and Laws and Powers and the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever for now the Spirit of Life from God is entred into the Witnesses which have been slain and they begin to stand upon their feet and great fear falls upon the great men of the World and the Devil is cast out into the Earth who hath sitten in Heaven in the Temple of God and deceived the whole World and his wrath is great against the Saints and against the Lamb because he knoweth his time is but short and the Man-child shall grow and shall rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron if any man hath an ear to hear let him hear he that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword the Purpose of the Lord shall stand who is now gathering and bringing back such as have been driven away and deceived by the Generation of false Prophets who have deceived the whole World and all that dwell therein and the Lord will take vengeance upon them upon the Beast and upon the false Prophet and great Babylon shall be thrown down and shall be no more at all but shall be made desolate and the voice of Harpers and Musitians shall no more be heard at all in her but her Glory shall wither and fade away in a moment for he that hath a true Weight and Measure is appeared to divide and to give due weight and measure unto every one and all the wicked who will not come from under the worship of the Beast shall have their part in the Lake that burnes with Fire and he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still here is the dividing of all things as they were in the beginning the Glory of the Lord is risen whose name is called the Word of God and out of his mouth goeth a sharp Sword and with it be smiteth the Nations and he shall rule them with an Iron Rod for his Name is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and he is gathering his Saints together to the Supper of the Great God to eat the flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains and the flesh of Horses and them that sat thereon the Purpose of the Lord shall not be disannulled though the Beast and the Kings of the Earth gather together their Armies to make war against him that sits upon the Horse who is already gone out to conquer and the numberless number of the Saints are gathering together before the Throne of the Lamb and they have no guile found in their mouthes And the day is now dawned and the night is far spent Wo unto the World and to all the Inhabiters of the Earth who have worshipped the Beast the Lord is coming to plead with you and ye that have partaken of the sins of the great Whore shall partake of her Plagues and she shall be rewarded double according to her works for her sins have reached unto Heaven The Day of great tribulation is at hand of Anguish and Destruction men shall seek death and shall not find it but it shall flee from them when the Lord ariseth and the Lamb standeth upon Mount Sion and his Saints with him who shall tread down the Heathen and cast them out even as they have trodden down the holy City and the Worship thereof and the Kingdom of the Beast and his Seat and his great Authority which he hath received from the Dragon shall all be thrown down and the Kingdom of the Son of God with his Government Scepter and Rule shall be established in all the Earth and the utmosts part thereof shall be given him to possess this is the Promise and this shall come to pass and through the whole World Laws and Decrees Ministry and Orders shall be changed and renewed the Law and Decree of the Most High shall rule over all and the
the one is the Word of God but the other is not and this all sober men confess to though thou dost jangle and twist about it with thy lame Arguments to no purpose at all except to shew thy Weakness and Folly And also No man is justified by Christ's Righteousness until he receives it and as he receives it and this thou shalt one day witness For though Righteousness be in him sufficient to justifie yet by it art thou nor any man justified but in the receiving of it and dwelling in it and this shalt thou confess to be truth in the Day of the Lord and in the mean time let me bear thy false censure in calling this Heresie And also a man may be tempted to sin and there may be evil motions to him yet he not being overcome of the Temptation not consenting to the motion of sin it is no sin unto him neither shall sin be imputed to him if he commits it not but he that commits sin though he profess never so much of Justification yet for his sin shall he be condemned and this shalt thou witness in the day of Iudgment Also That there is a Perfection attainable in this life even to be perfect and without sin in Christ Iesus and this I affirm to be the Truth of the Gospel and that wherein the Faith of God's People stands and though thou madest a twisting and a wrangling against it yet it is too strong for thee and in thy wisdom and thy arguments is thy folly and thy weakness seen and Truth stands over thee and thou canst not it nor me reprehend And also That some of the Scriptures were spoken to the World and not to the Saints this I also have sufficiently proved and thou art not able to detect it and all thy snarling in opposition to these things is confounded and thy Arguments made without effect and all whose eyes are open see thee to be of too short a measure and of too weak a capacity to understand the deep things of God which are hidden from thine Eye and them thou savourest not in that wisdom though thou hast the words yet thou art ignorant of the Life and the Life is in dominion over thee and to it must thou submit and lay down thy Crown And from thee am I hidden in that Life and Truth which I do profess And though I be as a Deceiver yet am I true and though I be slandered and reproached and back-bited by thee yet it is for Christ Iesus's sake and for his Truth 's sake and not as an Evil-doer But Friend learn more Wisdom then to judge a man before thou hearest him or to condemn the matter before thou hearest the Proof of it for by these things thou hast not gain'd a good Report but God condemns thee for it and men see thy shame in it and the burden of it one day shalt thou bear even thou and all that own thee in these things And now thy spirit is try'd and it is found too light and cannot stand in Judgement for it is unsavoury and though seperate from the World in appearance yet is thy spirit of the world and reacheth not the knowledge of the things that are eternal but art imagining in thy mind not being guided by that Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures and so thy knowledge is natural and cannot contain Spiritual Things Therefore Friend come down to God's Witness in thee the Light which shews thee sin and convinces thee of evil that Light is thy Teacher if thou lovest it and thy Condemnation if thou hatest it I have divers particulars against thee at a convenient season to manifest thy Folly and Weakness by them And whatever thou judgest me I am a Friend to thy Soul Edw. Burrough Richard Goodgroom held forth at the Dispute at Draton the 18th day of the 11th Moneth 1657. HE said The Letter was the Word and by the Letter he said he meant the thing contained in the Scriptures And when I said I had the Letter in my hand meaniug my Bible but not the thing signified he said But I had the Thing signified And he said People were justified by Christ excluding the New Birth and the Work of Sanctification and Christ justified Sinners as Sinners that is while Sinners remaining in sin At Justice Fortescue's house in the year 1656. he did deny That any was converted to God by a Light within And then I asked If it was not that same Light that converted which gave the Knowledge of God and they confessed Yea and yet did deny That the Light within converted to God though I shewed them that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 6. which did confound the Deceit At Uxbridge one time he said Christ needed not to have come to have judged the World for there was sin enough in the World to judge it before he came Then I asked If Sin judged the World and he answered Yea and he said They were in the Covenant of God spoken of Nehem. 9. which turned the Law of God behind their backs E. B. A TESTIMONY Concerning the Estate of the True Church What she hath been and what she is Being given forth from the Motion of the Spirit of the Father COncerning the true State of the Church what she hath been and what she is at this day and concerning her Increase and Decrease through Ages and Generations past And her present State is this Returning again out of the Wilderness where she hath long been fed having a place prepared of God Now the Apostle saw her a Woman cloathed with the Sun covered with the Light of Heaven and with the Glory of God having the Moon under her Feet the Light which was ordain'd to rule the Night Thus she was and this was her state in the dayes of the Apostles when many were converted out of Darkness and renewed to be Members of this Church for her Glory shone through the World and she flourished through Nations and this was her state in the Apostles dayes And she travelled to bring forth the Man-Child Christ Jesus which is the Child and Husband of this Woman which was clothed with the Brightness of the Glory of God the elected Spouse of Christ the Lamb's Wife and his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones having Power and Dominion and treading under all contrary And thus was it with her in Generations past whose Seed spring forth as Branches fruitful and glorious But in process of time it came to pass That this Woman the Spouse of Christ his Body the Wife and Mother of this Man-Child she was bereaved of her Beauty and her Garments were taken away her Seed was made War against and was smitten and overcome and she fled into the Wilderness and there hath sate desolate as a Widdow lamenting the loss of her Children and being deprived of her Husband and the Man-Child which should have ruled the Nations For she hath been fled into the Wilderness and her former Beauty
you Sects and false Churches and your beginning we know and the first beginning of Whoredom and when the Whore began with her Fornications since which time all Nations have drunk her Cup and her scent has been upon Nations and Multitudes and Peoples Her first Whoredom Iohn speaks of in his Epistle and her beginning They went out from the Body from the Spouse and from the Virgin they went out from the true Church being false Members not as ever being of the Body of Christ nor of the true Church but such as had been amongst the Members of the true Church and were once convinced which had got the Form and put on Sheep's Clothing upon the Wolvish-nature and here was the beginning of her Whoredom She went from the Spouse and went into the World and the World heard her and received her and they drunk of her Cup and committed Fornication with her and she played the Whore in the Unbelieving World after she departed from the Saints she went out from them and they denyed her and it was manifest she was not of them and this was the beginning of Whoredoms And she was but young yet in her Whoredoms and little in the world and had not yet deceived many but in process of time it came to pass she encreased so mightily that she made all Nations drunk and overcame them Kings and Rulers Bond-men and Free-men they all drunk of her Cup and she became so great that Nations Kindreds Multitudes and Peoples were her Seat her place of Government where she sate Ruler and Queen having Dominion over all and all were bewitched by her and made drunk with her Cup And of this Woman came ye all ye Sects upon Earth and you are the Multitudes Kindreds and Peoples upon which her Seat hath been and over whom she has had her Government And this is she that has drunk the Blood of the Saints and overcome them and the Heir and Seed of the other Woman the Virgin hath long been made war against and killed and slain by this woman and her seed and this hath been the State of the Church for many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles she has been fled and her Seed made war against and killed and her Heir caught up to God and the Nations which should have been ruled by her Heir the Whore has set upon them and the Peoples and the Multitudes which he should have govern'd have been the Seat of the Harlot the Mother of all Abominations And was it not like to be so and how should it be otherwise when the Man-child the Woman's Heir has been caught up to God and he has been as prevailed against and the Remnant of the Woman's Seed made war against and killed and this has been since the dayes of the Apostles And so all you Churches and Sects by what name soever you are known in the World you are the seed of the great Whore and she hath brought you forth while the other Woman has lodged in the Wilderness and remains childless If any man hath an Ear to hear let him hear Now it may be objected unto me and thus may it be said By this Accompt the Church the Lamb's Wife has been prevail'd against by the Whore because it is said She hath killed the Saints the Members of Iesus and of the Church This seems to sheâ— as if the Church of Christ had been prevail'd against but Christ sayes The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them but she should remain forever and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her And how do those two things agree it seems doubtful to us may some say Answ. To all this I do answer The true Church the Spouse of Christ in her self was never prevail'd against so as not to be in beeing or that she was not but in her self has remain'd in beeing and not prevail'd against so as not to have a Place or Beeing and Christ's words are true she has had a Place and Beeing to wit in the desart Wilderness which place was prepar'd her of God there to be fed for such a time So she has a Place and has a Beeing though in the Wilderness a place desolate and of mourning So she has not been prevail'd against as that she has not had a Beeing but the Lamb's Wife the Mother of the Heir that which is perfectly so which was and is to be joyn'd to Christ which is of his Flesh and Bones taken out of him that cannot be prevail'd against never was nor never shall be for the Devil nor Satan have nothing in him of whose flesh and Bones she is which is taken out of him and it is as possible for to prevail against him as to prevail against her for she is of him as Eve was of Adâ—â— if any have an Ear to hear they may hear But her Off-spring has been overcome her Seed made War against and her Heir taken away and caught up from her so she not prevail'd against nor overcome though banished into the Wilderness fled thither and there has she fed and had a place and has been left Childless as I have said So the Mother and the Lamb's Wife hath had a Beeing and in her self never prevail'd against nor overcome and Christ's words are true Yet has her Seed been kill'd made War against and overcome as Iohn said and both these are true and this is my Answer and if any have an Ear to hear they may hear though a Parable to the World yet plain to the Seed which now God hath raised and is raising for the Woman again is returning and her Seed again is springing and she is becoming as fruitful as ever and her Glory shall be as great the Light of Heaven shall cloth her and the light of the Night shall be under her Feet as perfectly when she is restored as it was before the Apostacy though People cannot believe this in the Apostacy No Revelation nor immediate Teaching nor Miracles now to be expected cry the Professors and these false Sects and Churches It was extraordinary Times and extraordinary Manifestations were amongst the Apostles and Churches of old say they but the same now are not to be expected nor never to be looked for but thus they are in Blindness and Ignorance and Unbelief But we believe the Glory of this Woman that hath been long fled into the Wilderness and hath been long without Issue while she hathbeen fled shall have the same Fruit and Issue and the same Clothing that she had before she fled When the Whore and her seed is removed from the face of the Earth the Glory of the Lamb's Wife shall be as great her Beauty as fair her Fruit as plentious as before the Whore was and they that believe it not believe not the Scripture for that testifies of the Glory of the Church to be the greatest in the last days as we are sure and certainly know it shall come to pass when
Laws and Decrees which have been set up in the days of Ignorance and yet stand whereby the Lord 's dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day and establishest such a Government which is justly according to God in which Righteousness and Truth Justice and true Judgment may run down and all the contrary may be stopped and chained and limited and confounded and then that which thy Father leâ—t undone the Lord will fulfil through thee And doing these things the Lord would make thee truly Honourable and Happy and Blessed in this life and in the Life to come but in doing the contrary the Lord will make thee a Curse and take thee away in his Judgments and thy Name shall be left a Reproach to Ages forever And if thou Rulest in Oppression and Cruelty and sufferest the Innocent to be Destroyed for want of True Judgment then shall thy Dayes be Fewer then thy Father's if thou be Disobedient to him the Lord shall cut thee off and thy Memorial shall Roâ— and this is the Word of the Lord God to thee And as for this Afflicted and Sojourning People They desire nothing to thee but Truth and Peace and Righteousness and no more of thee but Justice and true Judgment and that they and their little Ones which to them are brought forth may sojourn in Peace and quietly pass through the Nations till they come to the Land of Promise and they may not carry of the Glory nor Riches of this World with them nor seek great Places of Honour from thee nor be hurtful to thee nor the People nor to Mankind in their sojourning only what the Lord Commands them that they must do and what he forbids that they must not do For they have chosen the Lord to be their Leader and to give him their Obedience in all things and thy Government so far as it is according to God they will not destroy nor rebel against but are true Friends thereunto and subject in all things And if thou walkest with the Lord and chusest him for thy Councellor and abasest thy self and altogether exalt him and preserve his People that fear him then shalt thou prosper and thy Name shall be greater then was thy Father's and the Numberless Number of this now distressed People will be unto thee a Strength and stand by thee in thy Day of Trouble and defend thee and thy just Government and their hearts shall cleave to thee and thou shalt prosper for their sakes and none of thy Enemies shall have power over thâ—e to Destroy thee though many may seek for thy life Wherefore my Friend Awake awake and now consider The Day of thy Visitation is present and thy Father's is past and now thou hast a time to gain unto thy self Everlasting Honour and Renown or otherwise to leave thy Name a Curse and a Reproach for evermore Do thou hearken to the Voice of the Lord and fear his Dreadful Name and bow before our God that made Heaven and Earth who rules in the Kingdoms of Men and pulleth down one and setteth up another at his Pleasure and as he will and he will make thee know that he lives and reigns over all and doth whatsoever he will and if he smites thee none shall heal thee and if he wounds thee none shall comfort thee Therefore take him for thy Councellor and beware of the wicked Counsels of men for thou hast may Enemies and they would rejoyce to see thy Fall and if the Lord be not on thy side thou canst not long stand but if thou be obedient to him and preservest his People and breakest down all Oppression then thy Enemies shall fall and thy Foot shall tread them down and the Terror of the Lord shall be upon all that hate thee but thus shall it be done unto thee if thou be disobedient to him and rejectest his Counsel by his Servant I am thy Friend and a Lover of thy Soul and seek thy Happiness in this World and in the World to come known to many by the name of Edward Burroughs The Original of this was delivered to him a few dayes after he was proclaimed Protector 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 sensible 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 up and breaketh down he planteth and plucketh up and he pulleth down one and setteth up another and who may say What dost thou or Why dost thou it for he is a Great God and 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 have Life and Breath And in particular we are sensible of his Great and Mighty Power who hath of late Years in these Nations once and again overturned and overthrowed and changed at his Pleasure Times and Powers and Authorities and Dominions and he hath brought down the Mighty from their Seats and stained the Crowns and Glories of the Honourable and broken the Stout-hearted and the Oppressors of their Governments as Potsherd one against another and made the Highest of Men of no respect before him for he hath pulled down and set up whom he would according to his Will and in all these things hath his Hand been the very Doer and Accomplisher thereof that he might be known and feared amongst all people through the whole Earth who is the Dread and Terror of Men and Nations And as for thy Father the late Protector Great things and Honourable did the Lord do for him in raising him up and casting out his Enemies before him and giving him Victory and Power and Renown through Nations and we know the Lord shewed Favour to him and gave him Strength Wisdom and Valour and a right Spirit and he was called of God into that great Work to subdue the grievous Cruelty once ruling over tender Consciences and to break down the great Oppressions which for Ages had caused the Just to groan and the Lord was with him in Victory and went before him and was his Defence and preserved him from great Dangers and from the Wills of all his Enemies and made him prosperous against them all but yet we know to say no more of him He did not wholy fulfil the Will of the Lord nor the Work which he begun but became Disobedient and abused his great Deliverances and Authority and did not set free the Oppressed altogether but left Mountains of Oppression and grievous Yoaks of Bondage unbroken down and unsubdued and the Lord smote him and took him away
lay it upon you as being the present Authority that have Power to do it That you speedily order the removing of this Oppression of forced Maintenance to Ministers out of the Nation and that no man henceforth be compelled or forced to maintain Ministers and Ministry by Tythes or Money or otherwise but that every man be left free to give what and how much as he pleaseth to what Minister as he will only if any do hire a Minister and promise so much then it is Equity that he that is hired have the benefit of the Law to receive what he is promised by force if he cannot freely But let not any people be forced by your Law to hire Ministers neither one sort to maintain another peoples Minister but let every sort of people live under what Ministry and hear whom they please and also maintain their own Ministers that labour for them and this is reasonable and would content all the Faithful People for it is wholy unequal that any people should be forced and compelled to mantain another peoples Minister which doth no work for them and it is also wholy inconsistent with the good Government of a Common-wealth and absolute contrary to Christian-Liberty and is a very Chain of Antichrist upon the good People and the main Cause of Heart-burnings and Strifes and Envyings among Subjects and one of the chief Props of Deceivers and false Ministers that covet to run after great Benefices and care not for Souls and also the God of Heaven is vexed with this Abomination and it is certain that you and these Nations shall never be established in true and perfect Peace and Unity while this Oppression remaineth nor till that in all things Conscience be let free to the Exercise of the Spirit of God Wherefore I am come to your door on the behalf of the Lord all his People and I cry ten thousand with me in Spirit of the free People of your Nation Let this Unreasonable Oppressive and Antichristian Practice of forcing Maintenance to Ministers be speedily removed out of our Land and let the Persons Estates and Conscionces of your faithful Friends be freed from this cruel Burden that they have long born by your and their very Enemies And also I lay it upon you that you clear and free your selves in all things from the false Church and be not Servants to her drink not her Cup of Fornications neither in any thing carry the Whore and hereby should that long born and heavy Yoak of Antichrist be removed that hath laid upon the good People's Persons Estates and Consciences and false Ministers that run for Hire and not to win Souls who are Oppressors should hereby be limitted and the Faithful Ministers of Christ who are sent of him would be the more encouraged to minister freely who have received freely and this would be the way to bring Blessings and Peace amongst us and to rejoyce the Hearts of the Righteous and to stop the spirit of Oppression and hereby you would be made Honourable and the Lord himself glorified and his People a free People So that for these Causes it is upon me to demand it of you that you remove the Oppression aforesaid of forcing Maintenance for Ministers and leave every sort of people free to maintain their own Ministers as the Lord shall lead them For this was the Way in the true Churches The Ministers ' of Christ did eat of the Milk of the Flock which they kept and of the Fruit of the Vineyard which they 〈◊〉 planted Freely given them and they reaped carnal things where they sowed Spiritual yet as a Free Gift unto them and not by Force nor as a Debt for this way of forcing Maintenance was never in beeing among the true Churches but is of the false Church both in its Original and in its standing to this day and out of her Cup who hath made Nations drunk hath our Nation drunk this Abominâ—tion and Oppression and it is the remainder and one of the strongest parts of the Whore of Rome yet left in England and it is full time to be removed clean away from us and if you do it then shall we have cause to believe that you intend well to the Nations and our long decayed Hopes concerning you will be again revived and our Faith will be encreased that you will yet suffer Righteousness and Mercy to flourish if you take off every Oppression and make the People free but if you do it not but will be the Imposers of Unrighteous things upon the People under you and will carry the Whore and yet drink her Cup and compel others to drink it Then the Lord will break you to pieces and bring Freedom to this Nation some other way and you and they and the Beast and the Whore and your Oppressious shall all fall together and sink as a Stone into the Sea and your Remembrance shall be blotted out and perpetually perish and these are the Words of the Lord God unto you wherefore that you may live in true Honour and not Perish in perpetual Shame and that the Lord may bless you and not make you a Curse and that the Lord's People may pray for you and not against you I say consider in the Fear of God and with a willing Mind grant this my Desire and in so doing you fulfil the Will of the Lord and thereby be established over all your Enemies Many things more on the Lord's behalf I have to demand of you but this for present from a Lover of Righteousness and a Friend to this Nation London the 12th of the 7th Moneth 1659. Edward Burroughs A MESSAGE TO THE Present Rulers OF ENGLAND VVhether Committy of Safety so called Council of Officers or Others whatsoever Delivered unto them by an Ambassadour from the only right Heir of the Government whose Right alone it is to Rule And by special Authority and Commission from him this is sent unto them that they may hear and fear and learn Wisdom and may deliver up the proper Right of the only King unto him that they may be blessed but on the contrary dependeth their DESTRUCTION THese things were upon me to deliver even by Speech and word of Mouth to the present Men in Power that they might be warned lest they Perish But no way being made for me so to do I have written what was upon me even as short as possibly I could and in as little compass as might be having hinted at things which might more largely been spoken to And I order this to be Printed and given to their particular hands with speed FRIENDS MY Master is a High and Mighty and Powerful Prince and very Honourable and Fear Reverence Respect and Subjection belongs to him alone from you and all Mankind he is Wise and Understanding and of great Strength and his Dominion is from Everlasting to Everlasting and he can do whatsoever he will in Heaven and Earth for he rules with his
may escape the way of Destruction and Confusion therefore is it that the Lord hath put it into my heart thus to write unto you and not for another end nor of my self have I done it but as I found the drawings of that Spirit of the Father which leadeth into all truth to which I was made willing to be obedient without respect to any thing saving the Lord and that you might be advised in some things in present controversie occasioned as aforesaid and there are a few things towards you upon my spirit which well deserves your consideration as followeth First That there is an Eternal God who is great and mighty above all and â—e alone ought to be the fear of you and all man-kind for whatsoever he will it cometh to pass whether in Heaven or Earth he planteth and plucketh up he buildeth and throweth down he exalteth and abaseth whether Kingdoms Governments or Men Kings or Princes as he will and what time soever as he pleaseth he is onely wise in Council and mighty in Power if he purpose who shall prevent him he is the Being of all things that are and before him are all mankinde upon Earth even ye your selves as Dust and Ashes and Vessel of Clay and your Breath is in your Nostrils and he that gave it can sâ—â—n take it away from you and in a moment dissolve your seeming glorious substance into its first being And this eternal God hath overturned and changed Powers and Authorities Rulers and Governments in these Nations of late years even to the amazement of the Inhabitants who must confess that the God of Heaven hath pulled down and set up whom he would and taken the Government from and given it unto whom soever he hath pleased and he hath given unto many a day and a time to try them whether they would rule for him and he tried one sort of men after another to prove them if they would exercise Righteousness and Truth Iustice and Mercy and right Iudgement in the Land but when the Lord tryed them they have all proved deceitful and unfit men for the Lord to exalt his name by but they have neglected Iustice and true Iudgment and the cause of the Fatherless and the Widdow have they not regarded as they ought to have done but great oppressions and persecutions have abounded in their dayes and they have forgotten the Lord and his Iudgements and sought themselves and not the Lord and been ambitious and self-ended and they have exalted themselves in their Pride and Covetousness and this hath been the path of many that have sitten in the Throne even till the God of Heaven hath been provoked against them to confound them and overturn them even when their measure of oppression and unrighteousness of Injustice and Persecution was fulfilled and when the measure of one was finished the Lord brought that down with shame and another was set up to raign till it had fulfilled its measure of that which went before it that it might be brought down even as the other and all this the God of Heaven hath effected by his power that all the Earth might take knowledge that he can do whatsoever he will and that he hateth and abhorreth Injustice and Oppression Cruelty and Persecution and that his Vengeance and Iudgements are extended forth against such Rulers and Governments by whom and in which Persecution Cruelty and Injustice are brought forth and because hereof hath he overturned and confounded Rulers and Governments and these things have been visible in our eye 2. Consider that you are now set in the Throne and are raised up out of your suffering condition and you are become the Rulers and Potentates in our Nation divers having been cast out before you and unto you a day and time is given to try you and prove you what you will do and whether you will rule and govern alone for the Lord and answer the end wherefore the Lord hath restored you which if you do and walk in the Fear of the Lord and forsake your Iniquities and do Iustice and Righteousness in the Earth then the Lord make you happy and a blessing in the Kingdoms But if so be ye walk in the wayes of Oppression and just Iudgement Mercy and Truth be wanted in the Land through you and you run on as others before you in Pride Ambition vain-glory and Covetousness and have no respect to the God of Heaven and his Heritage then the God of Heaven shall reprove you and deep confusion shall come upon you and as with a whirle-wind shall you be overthrown and you shall know that there is a God that can do whatsoever he will even he shall deface your glory and turn your Sun into Darkness and your Day shall become a Night of Misery Oh therefore say not in your Hearts that our Mountain is strong and we can never be moved neither think in your selves that your force is great and your number many and none shall be able to prevail against us but rather consider that there is a secret and an eternal Hand that can remove your Mountain and overcome all your might and power and subdue your Number and turn all your Wisdom and Policy into Folly and Madness These can his Hand do even the God of Heaven who is greater then all if he smite none can heal you and if he kill none can make alive if he beâ—… your enemy to fight against you there is none that can deliver you out of his 〈◊〉 all flesh is as grass that is soon cut down and withered and the strength of 〈◊〉 sons of men are as a Reed that is soon shaken and bruised 3. Consider how that you are placed in your present state between good and 〈◊〉 between doing the will of God and the will of the Devil that ye should do the one and forsake the other and in the doing of the one or the other dependeth the Blessing or the Curse the Love or the Hatred of the Almighty and you are in your day that is given you to prove you time is taken from others and given to you even by the Lord that gives and takes time and power according to his own pleasure and no man hath assurance of time unto himself but it cometh and goeth at the pleasure of the Almighty and time â—nd power is now given unto you for a moment Consider what the God of Heaven reâ—…ires of you in this your day and if you fulfill the will of the Lord then you may be happy but if otherwise then other effects shall follow upon 〈◊〉 and let not the King say in himself that because I am the true 〈◊〉 and to me onely it belongs to govern these Kingdoms and I may goverâ—â— as I will without correction as though therefore he might rule according to his own pleasure and the Lord take no notice I say let not this enter into any of your hearts but let the King know assuredly that these
cry up as Oracles of God I answer The most high God judge between thee and us whose wrath is kindled against thee thou enemy of righteousness and Child of wrath thou hast belyed the Lord of Heaven and Earth for to this he moved thee not for he moves none to utter lyes and slanders as thou hast done but the spirit of enmity and of the Devil hath moved thee and to the Truth thou bears no witness but against the Truth and against the Innocent and charges us with fleshly mindedness and spiritual pride O thou Lyar and false Accuser the Lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee and render upon thy head according to thy deeds prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee forever Sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the Gospel we do deny but the plain single Truth we do declare by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves Churches and Preachers of the Gospel which is not the Gospel that the Apostles preached but an adding your own Imaginations upon their words who witnessed the Gospel and it shall stand for thy own condition thou art in the sorcery and witchraft who draws people to observe an outward visible thing from the Light of Christ within them which leades to the simplicity of the Gospel which is inward and not outward and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts crying up the Ordinances and Oracles of God which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world which passeth away and here thou art seen and made manifest in the Light of Christ to be a Hypocrite who falsely accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy self the same Gospel as ever was do we declare and not another which we received not from man neither was taught it by man and as the Oracles of God it shall stand forever for a witness against thee and all the world who doth not believe for even the Father beares witness of us and therefore our witness is true and the righteous God will plead with thee thou Lyar and false Accuser and here be a witness against thy self that the Lord moved thee not but the Devil acting in thy own imaginations and in the vanity of thy own mind and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts And whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the Lord Thus saith the Lord to thee O Quaker thou art fleshly minded I answer It is not the voyce of the Lord to us that speaks in thee but the voyce of the Devil and the Serpent which speaks from thee fleshly minded we are not but are redeemed out of it and our mindes are changed and are Spiritual and 't is the Spirit of the living God seals unto us and witnesses in us and here thou art of thy Father the old Dragon and Accuser of the Brethren but it is God that justifies and who art thou that condemns and this thy speech is seen and comprehended which thou hast directed to us and it is judged by the Spirit of true judgment to be a false Accusation and a Lye and not the Word of the Lord and into the Lake amongst the false Prophets thou art to be turned who useth thy tougue when the Lord never spake to thee And thou sayest we look upon the Iustitution of Christ Supper with a fleshly and carnal eye because we say that the bread and wine which Christ commanded his Disciples to eat and to drink is carnal I Answer The bread and wine is visible and carnal and fleshly and not Spiritual nor Eternal and in the eternal Light by the Spiritual eye of God opened in us we see them and do own that it was a command of Christ to stand for its time and no more but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing and the spiritual thing being the Substance bearing witness the figure is denied and declared against and thou and thy Generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limitting God to a visible thing that without it no salvation art in the sorcery and witchraft and an enemy to the substance for Christ never since he was sacrificed brake of the Bread or drank of the Cup with his Disciples but new in his Fathers kingdom and thou who art in the â—arnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of Christ art sensual and by the Light of Christ art to be condemned and judged with the world who art without God and without the injoyment of Christ in the beggerly rudiments of the world Thou sayst O fleshly minded men whom the god of this world hath blinded because you believe not and thou sayst thus saith the Lord and speaks the Prophet Malachic words To which I answer this again I do deny the god of the world is cast out and the eye is opened through judgments and our fleshly minds are judged and in the Name of Jesus we do believe and our belief in him hath purified our hearts to the praise of the Living God who hath wrought all our works in us and foâ— us do I speak without boasting and here again I charge it upon thee that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser and let shame cover thee who professes thy self to be a Teacher of others who thy self is not taught of the Lord but steals Malachis words and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations and calls it the word of the Lord the Lord is against thee thou false Prophet who prophesies lyes in his Name and that which thou speaks to us is thy own condition and that which shall come upon thine own head for a child of disobedience thou art and thy eye is blinded by the god of this world And whereas thou sayest we are spiritually proud that give forth our selves to be some great ones and we say we are Apostles and are not but are found Lyars proud Pharisees Hypocrites that say we are Iust Holy Humble and the poor sinful Publicans are more justified then we I answer proud we are not our God shall judge between thee and us in this thing for we have nothing but what we have freely received from him and that we give forth our selves to be great ones here thou art a Lyer and a false Accuser again this we have said and do yet again declare that we were moved of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to come to declare his mind and his Truth in this City but this is no boasting and by that same spirit which was in the Apostles were we moved and are guided and by no other but who hath found us Lyers since we came I challenge you and all thy Sect to prove one lye that we have uttered or else let shame cover thee and let thy mouth be stopped and let thy own heart condemn thee to be
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
Love undefiled was your Conception begotten by the Word of immortal Life unto the Inheritance incorruptable whereof you are Heirs of the faithful Promise made free by the Son through the slaying of the enmity upon his Cross whereby you are nourished up into Immortallity to reign over Hell and Death and the Grave for evermore With thoughts of eternal Love are you remembred and read in the Lambs book of Life recorded by the eternal Spirit and of the Lord cannot be forgotten Your Mother is a Virgin unspotted and your City is new Ierusalem come down from Heaven and glorious and full of Pleasure is your Dwelling place there is no need of a candle for the Lamb is the Light thereof and the Temple therein Your God is no Image nor your Worship no Imgination nor to the great Image you do not joyn nor his power hath no dominion over you but the Yea and Amen is your Covenant and the I am whom there is none besides is your God and he that lives forever is your Rock and sure Defence and Salvation is appointed your VValls and Bulwarks Gladness is sown for you yea everlasting Mercies shall you reap and your long mourning shall be turned into everlasting Rejoycing and your present Heaviness into durable Joy your VVaters shall be sure and your Bread shall never fail your Fulness shall abound and your Plenty shall be enlarged never more to hunger nor thirst but your little Seed shall become a great Nation and the whole Earth shall be replenished thererewith and your despised Government shall rule over Kingdoms and your Laws shall all the Nations of the Earth become subject unto Ye are no part of the Image of Idolatry but your beginning is the little Stone cut out without a hand and it shall fill the Earth and become a great Mountain whereupon the Fowls of the Heaven shall be refreshed eating the flesh of Kings and Captains You are found faithful in your Tryals and the glory of the VVorld cannot steal away your Hearts you cannot be moved for your feet are set upon a Rock Satan you scorn and the glory of his Kingdom you utterly disdain upon his power you tread and your feet trample under foot his majesty and renown Your King reigns for ever and of his Government and Dominion there shall be no end but the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be given for a Possession to him his Scepter is Righteousness and his Law is Equity and his Statutes are full of Justice and Judgment And thus saith the Lord of Hosts your God and King Because you have been found faithful and have not loved your lives unto death for his Names sake and for his Glories sake but have continually abased your selves and laid down your Crowns that you might honour him therefore you will he honour and exalt and will establish your Kingdom in peace forever and all that riseth up in judgment against you shall be consounded and condemned and his Hand will be against all your Adversaries to their overthrow and dishonour everlastingly You have loved Righteousness and Judgment upon Earth and your Path hath been in Equity and you have born the Affliction and Storm with patience and have endured with joy the Burden of the Oppressor you have been tryed to the bottom and have been found Innocent and without Guile before the Throne of God clothed with the Garments of Uprightness your Light is the Candle of the Lord and your Life and Glory is the Possession of the Most High Babylon is given you for a Prey and the riches of Aegypt is given you for a Spoil and you are free-born Children of the Seed Elect the first Fruits unto God and unto the Lamb your Purchase is obtained through death and your Crown of honour is purchased through suffering and the glory of Babylon is no whit equal for thou excellest in Beauty and Vertue Whereunto shall thy Beauty be compared O thou fair and comly Virgin unto whom shall I liken thee O thou choice and free-born Daughter of Sions King thy long travel of sorrows in the womb of Anguish hath brought forth Children of a comly stature thy Babes are truly lovely upright and faithful-hearted thy Young-men are noble bold and valiant chosen of thy God and Victory is with them thy Virgins are perfect in Beauty pure and undefiled and no spot in their Garments thy Old men are lively and honourable and stedfast in the Path of Righteousness and their gravity shall be truly respected thy Body is perfect in the Lords Record and Remembrance and with an eternal Crown of infinite Glory shall the Righteous Judge honour thee because you have delighted to do his Will and have kept his Covenant undefiled which abides with you for ever sealed and signed unto you by the Spirit of Promise decreed before the World was All Nations shall call you blessed and of your fulness shall they partake Who is like unto you A People saved by the Lord elect and chosen and redeemed out of Kindreds Tongues and People and have a name better then of Sons and Daughters Praise ye the Lord and Glorifie him for evermore Young-men and Maidens Old-men and Children and all that breath Praise you the Lord for thereunto are you called and for this cause are you brought forth Clap your hands and sing for joy of heart your Redeemer is the holy One and your Maker is your Husband I know you and to you am I known and I read you within the Vail and do behold you the Train of the Most High filling his Temple Follow him forever and let his Name be testified of throughout the Earth Make War in Righteousness and prepare your selves to do his service Let not your hands be slack neither be you sloathful in our Lords Design but wound the Head of your Enemies and mannage War against Gog and Magog throughout all Generations Ride on and prosper tread down the fenced Cities and enlarge your dominion and let the Children of Strangers of the Seed of Esau be your Slaves and Bond-men and fill the Earth with your precious Seed and sow it in the morning and in the Evening with-hold not your hand though you are despised of men yet the Lord hath made you truly honorable in his Glory you appear and his Righteousness is your clothing which will never wither and though some of you for a moment suffer Bonds for his Names sake yet you are free everlasting and are not ashamed of your Testimony before the Princes and Nobles of the Earth O Sion thou art desirable because of thy Beauty and thy Dwelling-place is scituate in a very fruitful Hill and thou feedest in the Valleys of fat Pastures of eternal Pleasures where nothing that defiles can enter nor no Devourer treadeth on thy Mountain nor no Lyons Whelp treadeth in thy Path it is the Way of the Ransomed of the Lord who hath blotted out thy Transgressions never more to remember thy Sins thou Seed
Heaven and Earth all Nations upon Earth are but as the drop of a Bucket before him and the hearts of all men are in his Hand and by him Kings rule and the Princes of the Earth are at his disposure and you are all weighed in the Ballance of Equity and found too light before the Lord for all flesh hath corrupted its way before him Be awakenened ye that have long slept in Darkness and been at ease in the flesh ye that have had peace in this World and pleasure in the vanity thereof the Lord is coming to make war against you his Trumpet hath sounded and his Sons and Daughters are gone forth to bear witness of his Majesty and Power and Dominion and the Lord hath spoken Who can but prophesie he hath given the Word and many are they that publish it Let your ears be open to Instruction and kick not against the Lord neither harden your hearts against him but make way for him and prepare his Path for he cometh to judge the World in Righteousness and the People with equity and the Testimony of the Light of Jesus in you all shall witness for him your princely Powers must become subject to the Power of the Kingdom of the Most High and your glory must be vailed and darkned before the Glory which â—he Lord is causing to shine forth and we the Servants of the Most High do give you warning of the day of your Visitation which is upon you and all the World for the Lord is now risen who hath long winked at the time of great ignorance but now â—e warns you all to repent therefore bow down ye Stiff-necked and tremble ye Stout-hearted and be abased ye Lofty-looks our King is above you all our dominion is over you all and the line of true Judgment are you all measured with and your wayes are not found perfect in the Sight of the Lord nor your hearts right before him his Kingdom hath not been known in your dominions neither hath his Laws and his Judgments born rule but you have every one been doing that which is right in the sight of your own eyes and the counsels of your hearts have been nought but vanity before the Lord Vain-glory hath abounded among you which the the Lord's Soul hath been burdened by the honours and pleasures of the flesh have been your delight and strife and enmity hath been among you and wars and quarreling and fighting one against another and you have rejoyced in the overthrow one of another and in destroying one another and you have taken pleasure in gaining one anothers dominions you have striven who should have been the greatest and greatly oppressed the Poor you have exalted your selves one against another and drawn up your Armies one in defiance of another and the blood of Thousands have been shed to satisfie the humours of your proud hearts all this hath been evil in the Sight of the Lord and his Spirit hath been grieved and his Soul vexed by all this and he hath forborn till he hath been weary for he hath been dishonoured by all this and his Law hath not born rule and his Judgments have had no place you have been cruel-hearted one towards another and merciless and without pitty and ouy have not done to others as you would be done unto but you have rendred evil for evil and sought occasions of evil one against another and vexed one another through the pride of your hearts therefore now is the Lord risen to make war against you all and to dash you to pieces the Feller comes up amongst you he that will not spare to slay and to devour who will not be afraid of your lofty looks he will spoil you of your Treasure and lay waste your strength all ye Kingdoms of the Earth and your gathering together against him is but as Briers and thorns for he will exalt his own Kingdom over you all and all ye Kings of the Earth shall know that the Kingdom of the most high must rule in your Kingdoms and your Laws shall be changed and the poor shall no more be oppressed for he is come thâ—t proclaims liberty unto the Captives who will remove oppression far away who will change Times and Worships and Ordinances and there shall be no Law but the Law of God nor no light but of the Lamb nor no worship but the Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth for all your Worships which the Nations are full of is nought but vanity and a lye immitations and superstitions brought forth in hypocrisie and not in an upright heart vanity of vanities have abounded both in civil and spiritual affairs The root in which you stand is wholly corrupted and no good fruit springs from it but cursed fruit which must be 〈◊〉 down and cast into the fire ye have been evil and could not bring forth any good you are corrupted and your fruit is of a bitter taste a day of sorrow of lamentation and misery is coming upon you all ye that have been high and lofty and stouthearted fearfulness shall surprise you and the terror of the Lord of Hosts shall compass you about I am moved to salute you all with this as a warning and when it comes to pass remember you have been told ye that know not the Kingdom of the most High ruling men but are saying in your hearts this hath my hand done in a moment shall you be smitten and know there is one above you which must rule for it is his right to rule over all Nations and there shall be no King but Jesus thâ— Aâ—oinâ—eâ— oâ— God â—oâ—â—o Government but the Government of the Lamb there shall be no more war but war against the Dragon who hath stood to devour the Man-child which is now bringing forth and he must rule with his Iron Rod and shall subdue all under his feet We whom God hath warned cannot but warn you of these things which 〈◊〉 come to pass he is coming to separate between the Just and the unjust he will gather from among you that the wicked may be consumed from off the face of the Earth All you Rulers in the World I warn you all take heed how you persecute such as comes to warn you who brings this Message to you lest you add sin to sin till there be no place found for repentance for ye shall all know our God is the true God that made Heaven and Earth before whose presence all â—â—esh must come to Judgment By one who hath measured the Times who is come to the Day that hath made all Things mâ—…ifest EDWARD BURROUCH A General Epistle and Greeting OF THE Fathers Love tâ— all the SAINTS Called and chosen to faithfulness in Christ Jesus the Light of the World in which they believing and their faith standing in his Power many suffer for his Name sake And this is to all such as are found worthy to suffer and is an Exhortation to the strengthning of their
the Spirit and here we witness the Lord is our God and we are his People and he seeth no sin in us who are born of him nor remembers iniquity but his Covenant is with us and the Kingdom is become the Lords and his Dominion is set up where God is all in all where the Prince of Darkness is cast out and this is the End and Substance of all Ministrations which we bear witness of and I do exhort all you that are called of God every where patiently to wait in the way of the Lord and in his Judgements to receive this and to possess it within you that you may be Worshippers of God and Doers of his Will and may have the Witness that you are accepted of him and may know your Calling and Election sure where nothing that defileth can enter but that may be taken away and removed and him you may feel and witness whom Satan hath nothing in who is the Second Adam and cannot be overcome but is greater then the first Adam who was overcome though innocent and is lost from the Presence of God but he in whom there is no sin and who cannot transgress comes to seek and to save that which was lost in sin and to bring back that which was driven away by sin and he is greater then Innocency and overcometh the Devil and is called the Son of God and to him that overcometh who is the Light of the World is all Power given of the Father And know him in you all to be greatest who is not of the World nor cannot bow to the Devil to give you dominion and authority over all the World and the Powers of Hell and Death even he who sealeth up the old Dragon in Perdition never more to deceive And who witnesseth this knoweth the Election which it is not possible to deceive or be deceived and as every one of you have received him who is the Lord from Heaven so let your Faith stand in him and walk in him and let all your Conversations be ordered by him in all pure and blameless walking iâ— the sight of your Enemies that it may be manifest that you are Branches in him and that you have received power to become the Sons of God and that you are Heirs of the Inheritance which shall not fade away And all you that witness this your eye is open to see God and you are clensed from sin by the Word of God and you have received the peace with God and glad tidings from him in your own Souls and this is Salvation by the second Adâ—… herein be established and setled and look not for another for there is not any besides this Saviour and this Salvation but if any preach another believe hiâ— not and if any cry Lo here and lo there is Christ without you go not after them nor follow them but know him within you which is greater then all yea If we our selves or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Jesus then he that lighteth every man that cometh into the World or any other Salvation theâ— God with us let us be accursed for this is the Gospel of our Salvation Christ Jesâ—â— within us the hope of Glory the Power and Wisdom of God to rule and reign iâ— us by which we are changed from death to life and translated from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son And now all Friends and Elect of God who are called and faithfull you that have received this Testimony which God hath given of the Son and which thâ— Son hath given of the Father which in faithfulness hath been testified in this Generation I exhort you all in the fear and Counsel of the Lord take heed to thâ—â— which you have believed and heard and learned of the Father which is tâ—â— Truth as it is in Jesus and shall abide for ever and be not removed from yoâ—… hope nor given to change but mind the Life of God in you all which is immortal and is but one and it answereth to the Lord in Judgments and in Mercies and one to another in that which is righteous and just and witnesseth against all the works of the World which are evil and not wrought in God Ye that know this which is of the Father in you dwell in it and walk in it and be not shaken out of it nor removed from it for it is the Way of Peace unto everlasting Rest where there is no sorrow but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and every one in particular have Salt in your selves to savour withal that you may resist the Wicked One in all his Temptations and may not joyn to any thing which is out of union and contrary to the Life of God and to the Truth which you have received that you may never be betrayed of your Hope nor of the Simplicity which is in Christ Jesus in which the Father is well pleased and let the Light of the World guide you in all things that your works may be wrought in God never to be condemned nor you to suffer loss knowing this first That none are justified by him but them that are led and guided by him and to whom he is a Saviour he is also a Teacher and he is given to Teach in all the Wayes of Truth And now let your fellowship be in the Life and Power of God and know not one another in words only and in shews and in outward appearance but witness one another in the Spirit and in the Truth and have communion there in breaking the Bread of Life that Christ Jesus may be seen to be the Head in you and you Members to serve him and one another all receiving Wisdom from the Head and Vertue from the Vine Christ Jesus that you may abound in Love Mercy and Peace and all the fruits of Righteousness unto the Father and dwell in the Fear and Counsel of God and be subject to his Will not despising the Cross which is the Power of God which slayeth the Birth that is born of the flesh which is not Heir of the Promise but walk in the Cross daily that your Understandings may be kept open to try and discern all spirits whether they be of God and believe not every spirit for lying spirits may arise among your selves and go forth from the Light who are not in the Truth but in the Feignedness and Hypocrisie with false Visions and lying Imaginations handling the Word of God deceitfully and corrupting and perverting the pure Way of God having the Form but not the Power having left the Power and gone from the Light and such utter the Words of Truth without the Life and are but as the Chaff to the Wheat and they are to be denied and resisted and not joyned to lest innocency and simplicity be betrayed and your Faith made void and so you destroyed from the Life of God and Death surprise you and Darkness enter into your
that who will not have hire for preaching nor be hired by great sums of money from one Country to another such as makes the Gospel of Christ free and without charge who will not be burdensome to any but walks in all wisdom as examples of righteousness to all people whose conversations are in heaven and holdeth forth in life and practice unto all men what they profess in words and by doctrine and conversation holding forth the Light of the glorious Gospel which they have received from God being Partners of all holiness of Peace and Long-suffering of Meekness and Patience unto their Flocks even such who walk in Christ and shew forth good works and the fruits of his spirit causing his Light to shine forth among men in humility and soberness and in all the fruits of peace and Truth and such are approved of God and of the Saints even they that preach Christ freely to all people and hold forth the Light of the World which lighteth every one in the World the free gift of God to all mankind that all may believe and come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved and such Ministers respect not the person of any man for advantage neither respect dayes nor places nor things but worships God in Spirit and in Truth and teach that worship unto all people and they gather people into the new Covenant where Christ is the High Priest and our Bodies the Temples of God and the Circumcision in the Heart and in the Spirit for such are Ministers of the Spirit and not of the Letter and they divide the Word of God aright they feed the Hungry and the Rich are sent empty away they cry not peace to the wicked neither do justifie the Unconvered neither do they condemn the Righteous nor such as are of an upright Heart but Christ they preach to justifie all that do believe and are obedient to him and do condemn all that believe not but are disobedient and such Ministers have the Word of Reconciliation and their Ministry is made effectual to accomplish the work of God Sinners are converted and brought to God thereby and to be taught of him alone and the Saints through that Ministry may obtain to the Holy Ghost and to need no man to teach them but as the Anointing within them which they receive through the Ministry whose labour is and the end of it to present every man perfect in Christ and this Ministry and such Ministers we approve of and they are approved of Christ and we would have them established and who are such will not take care for an outward maintenance neither what to eat or what to put on neither will they petition to Magistrates for Tythes and Augmentations but are without care as for a Lively-hood in this World they will not remove from one Town to another for a better Parsonage â—r Place for such as do so are not the lawful called Ministers of Christ but have run and were never sent for Christ's Ministers take not though for an outward maintenance but approve themselves in Patience in all Conditions and â—omtimes are in Want and in Cold and Hunger and Nakedness and in Persecutions and Tryals and Afflictions and suffered all things for the Name of Christ and yet we do believe and know That such have power to eat and to drink and may receive carâ—â—l things where they sow spiritual things but as a free Gift and not by compulsion or force we do allow that the Ministers of Christ may eat of the Milk of the Flock which they keep and feed and they may eat of the fruit of the Vineyard which they have planted and which they labour in and they may supply their necessities from them whom they have begotten of the Faith and whom they labour among 〈◊〉 Life and Doctrine who are Sheep of the Fold and Plants of the Vineyard of Christ Jesus but I say as a free gift may they receive the fruits of their labours and not as a debt nor any title claimed thereto by the Law of the Nation neither may they receive it by force or compulsion but who are the truely called Ministers of Christ are so far from this of forcing maintenance from any that they will not make use of their power in taking what may be freely given them for they will not make the Gospel burdensome by any means and this is the maintenance we do allow the Ministers of Christ they may eat such things as are set before them in any house which they enter into which is worthy and they may supply their necessities in food and raiment as a free gift from them who are gathered out of the world who are the Church of Christ over whom the Ministers are made Stewards to watch over them to exhort them to instruct them and to edifie them but not from the world who continues in unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel may they receive any outward maintenance by compulsion or by a free gift neither may they receive great sums of money by the year or tythes or other offerings to maintain themselves and their families in pride and idleness and lust and excess and superfluity in meats and apparel such a maintenance if by free gift much less by force is not allowed by Christ and his Saints but is the maintenance of Antichristian Teachers which never were sent of Christ and such cannot be content with his allowance and wages but lives in pride and pleasures of this world and in vanity and maintained they say they must be and if they be so they care not from whence it comes nor by what means and that is the reason wherefore so many hundreds of honest people are so spoiled in their Persons and Estates the Bodies of some being cast into prison and many others having their Goods taken from them by force and distraint and all this is to maintain Antichrists Ministers who neither care how they have it or from whom or to what evil use they improve it and this plainly appears in this Nation by many evidences but the Ministers of Christ do deny such a maintenance and such practises and are come to that Life which judgeth all these things And as concerning COMPELLING of Maintenance and forcing of iâ— from people this is utterly against the Law of Christ and condemned by him and denied by the Saints for it is unreasonable and no equallity in it that people should be compelled to maintain a Ministry especially such a one as they know 〈◊〉 not the Ministry of Christ neither is profitable to them and which they receiâ—â— no fruit from for the Ministers of Christ do not desire maintenance from the people of the World neither can receive any from them neither in justice and equity should the Ministers of the World receive or compel Maintenance from the Saints by force and cruelty but this we would have and this is reason and equity let all Ministers be maintained by
against the Lord that made him and he is doing and fulfilling daily the will of the Devil and grieveth the Spirit of God and vexeth his righteous Soul and is subject unto the Curse of Wo and Destruction being ignorant of the Life and Power and Wisdom of the Creator to lead him to guide him and to preserve him but follows the counsel of hisown heart which is evil altogether though he was made upright yet hath he sought out many inventions which are continually abominable unto the Lord the ground in which he stands is corrupted and all his fruit is unpleasant even bitter and evil unto the Lords Taste Man is fallen into the Pit of Misery and Sorrow compassed about with desolation and is left without a Helper from himself or from any other Creature and this in short is the state of all mankind upon the face of the Earth who was planted a noble Vine wholly aright Seed to bring forth good fruit unto his Maker but he is turned into a degenerate plant bringing forth cursed fruits which the Creator hath not pleasure in his best works are not accepted and his evil deeds are condemned because the ground in which he stands is accursed because of disobedience CHAP. V. Concerning the World in general and the state of things as they have been and as now they are this Testimony I give to the whole World DArkness hath been over the face of the Earth and thick darkness hath covered the people for many ages the Beast hath reigned upon the face of the whole Earth and all Nations have been subject to his power and dominion even the Kings and Princes of the Earth have given their power unto him all the World hath wondred after him as it is written and the whole World hath worshipped the Beast and his Image he hath power to kill all that would not worship him both small and great rich and poor even all have been subject to his Government and he hath had power to war against the Saints and to make war with them and to overcome them even all that would not worship him he hath had power to kill The Rule and Government of the SON of God hath not been witnessed among men for Ages nor the true God known nor manifestly worshipped in Spirit and Truth but he hath been as a Stranger among men and they have been ignorant of his Wayes and Judgments and all People have been doing that which is right in the sight of their own eyes and God hath been forgotten dayes without number the Living Fountain hath been forsaken and many broken Cestern have been hewen out which have not holden pure Water Great Evils and continual Abominations have been acted in the sight of God and the measure of iniquity hath been fulfilling through many Generations and it is grown nigh to the full The Law of God hâ—th been made void and his Grace hath been turned into wantonness and all things have been out of good order Kings Princes Rulers Governments Laws and Decrees have been corrupt and not right in the sight of the Lord Oppressions Tyranny and Vain-glory hath abounded in the Nations and Justice and true Judgment have been neglected and Mercy and Truth have been Strangers and the World hath been filled with violence and the whole Earth stained and polluted with Oppressions Injustice and Cruelties and the cry of the poor hath not been heard every one hath sought themselves and not the Lord nor the good one of another the Kings and Princes of the Earth have not been perfect nor upright before the Lord but Vain-glory hath abounded and superstitions and Idolatries hath reigned over them and unrighteousness hath abounded and Self-seeking and they have risen up one against another in quarrelling and destroying one another and to gain one anothers Dominions by Craft and Pollicy and strong hand and the poor have been oppressed and troden down and thousands of thousands destroyed to fulfil the wills and lusts and pride of their hearts all this hath been evil in the sight of the Lord and his soul hath been weary with it by the destruction of his Creatures one by another even Rulers Teachers and people have all been out of the Way and subverted from that wherein God hath pleasure and the Prince of Darkness hath ruled in his dominion swaying all under his Government and even all things both of civil and spiritual concernment hath been out of the Counsel of the Lord. Oh what cruel Injustice and Tyranny in civil Government Oh what abominable Superstitions and Idolatries have been in supposed Church-governments It s a vexation to the spirit of the Lord to consider it and the Righteous soul hath long cried out and mourned under it and because of this is the Lord of Heaven and Earth now risen to overturn to overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws and he will confound and break down all Tyranny and Oppression under which the poor have groaned and â—e will change Times and Laws and Governments there shall be no King ruling but Jesus nor no Government of force but the Government of the Lamb noâ— no Law of effect but the Law of God all that which is otherwise shall be ground to powder the Kingdom of the Most High shall rule amongst men and the Kingdoms of this World shall be changed and shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and the Lord shall be known in the Earth to be the God of Truth of Righteousness Justice and Mercy and Truth shall be exalted and true Judgment shall be set up in the Nations and the Worship in Spirit and in Truth shall he established for the Lord is gathering his numberless number to stand before his Throne without Guile in their Mouthes and without Fault before him CHAP. VI. Concerning mans Restauration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought this Testimony I give unto all People MAns Restauration is a repairing and giving again that which he had lost by transgression and Redemption is a recovering and a winning again and setting free from that wherein man hath been held even all the sons of Adam because of disobedience and Salvation is a saving keeping and preserving from sin and death and disobedience and all the ways thereof and also a saving from wrath and misery and condemnation which are the effects thereof and by the Son of God Christ Jesus is all this wrought manifested and witnessed and Restauration Redemption and Salvation is onely in Christ Jesus the second Adam and not in any other and it is wrought by him and by no other and they are the free gift of the Father unto the sons of men no way purchased by the works of the Creature or desert of him but are freely given unto the Creature through the Power and Wisdom of the Creator and onely by Jesus Christ the Son of the eternal God and by the eternal Spirit are they witnessed in all
all men do forget their own Promises and Oaths yet will not the Lord forget his chosen People to defend them from all their Enemies who hath again appear'd to gather his People after the long and dark Night of Apostacy and his House and Tabernacle shall be exalted over all the Earth An Objection Now many may say Seeing I challenge claim and affirm That this Religion is the true Religion which is according to Scripture then they ask and say Hath there been no true Religion before this or have all these Religions been false before And seeing this hath but newly appear'd in the World was there no true Religion before And if there were any where was it And what was that Religion seeing there hath not been for many Ages such a Religion as this is And after this manner do many reason and object to themselves and raise to themselves Stumblings and conceit themselves That our Fore-fathers were of a Good Way and many of them sure were saved which were not of this Religion which did not profess and practice these things which is professed and practised by this people Answ. Now unto all these I do answer and say That this Religion is the true Religion which is according to Scripture as is proved already seeing they profess and practice nothing for Religion but what the Scriptures do justifie and shew the very Example of the same things but that God had a People in all Ages and a Seed that never bowed to Baal its believed and such as did sincerely seek after God according to what they knew and they were accepted of God according to what was made manifest in that Age and Generation yet the Testimony of Truth it self and the Way of the Lord it self for many Generations hath not so clearly and purely been held forth as it is now in this Age and Generation for now the true Light hath shined and the Way of Salvation is evidently made manifest as by many Witnesses and evident Tokens which may be given and was not so clearly for many Ages past held forth and known and such who have been sincerely seeking after God though they knew not perfectly the way unto him neither had they such a pure Testimony revealed to guide them as now is manifest yet such do now rejoyce and own the Way of the Lord and the Seed of God is refreshed in them and all causes of stumbling removed and the pure Light of the Gospel is sprung forth more clear in this Age then in any Age for many Generations for the Scripture sheweth that a dark night of Apostacy hath been over the whole World and the Beast hath reigned and the false Prophet hath deceived many Nations and the whole World hath wondered after the Beast for many Ages and the Beast hath made war with the Saints and hath had power to kill them and hath put a stop many times to the Appearances of God till now at length he doth appear and the power of Hell and Death shall not stop it and they do say that they are come out of the Apostacy to the dawning of the Day again and the same Power of God and the same Truth that was in the Apostles days and the same Ministry by the Gift of the same holy Ghost as was in the Apostles dayes is now witnessed and at the time of ignorance God winked but now the eye is opened and all is called to repentance so it will not excuse any man to plead how it was with our Fore-fathers or to say Where was this Religion before these few years and such like for now the Power of God it self is made manifest which brings into the true Religion and all that are of God hear it and shall own it and shall receive the Testimony which is given It s known that there are many thousands which have not yet owned it in which there are true thirstings after God and a zeal for him and such are not condemned to be altogether out of Religion for such seek his Face and the Day is neither clear nor dark to them in which they are and such shall own and submit to the Government of Christ and they that are not under the Government are not of the true Religion as I said This is the time of Restauration and the Lord is bringing back again and a thorow Reformation will the Lord work in the Earth such as hath not been known in Ages past There hath been a Seed sown which the Devil hath catched away but now the Seed shall grow and become the greatest of all Herbs and the Fowls of Heaven shall lodge in the Branches And this is a plain Answer to all sober people for according to the Scriptures in the times of the Apostles the Day of glorious Light is sprung forth and mighty was the Power of God at that Day but since hath Darkness overshadowed all and Antichrist hath reigned and the whole World hath been made drunk with the Wine of Fornication which hath been in the hand of the Whore who hath sat upon the Beast and upon Nations and Peoples and the Gentiles have trodden under foot the holy City of God for forty and two Moneths but now is the time of Restauration as hath been promised That the Lord is bringing back his People again and the Tabernacle of God shall be with men and Christ alone must reign and rule and his Kingdom set up ever the whole World And let no man be offended at what I have done for I have not reflected upon any mans person but on what he practiseth for Religion London the 10th Moneth 1657. E. B. A MESSAGE FOR INSTRUCTION TO All the Rulers Judges and Magistrates to whom the Law is Committed Shewing what Just Government is and how far the Magistrate's Power reacheth and what the Sword of Justice is to cut down and what it is to defend Whereby they may learn and be directed to discern betwixt the Guiltless and the Guilty and betwixt a Matter of Wilful Wrong by Evil-Doers which they are to Punish and a Matter of Conscience by men that fear God which they are to be a Praise unto and not a Terror and in particular divers Causes are discover'd which are prov'd to be Matters of Conscience and not of Wilful Wrong though many therefore are unjustly persecuted and afflicted as Evil-Doers With an Exposition of some parts of the Law for the Edification of such as desire to judge Righteously between Man and Man who would discern of different Causes and Iustifie the Righteous and Condemn the Evil-Doer Concerning Government and Magistracy this I have to say IT is an Ordinance of God ordain'd of him for the preserving of Peace among men for the punishing and suppressing of Evil-doers and for the Praise of them that do Well that men's Persons and Estates may be preserv'd from the Violence and Wrong-dealing of evil men And for this End Government was ordain'd of God to be set up
hath not appeared to be and her former Glory hath seemed to be gone and she hath been driven away from her Head from her Husband and from her Seed Behold all people the Estate of such a Woman and read this Parable who can A Woman most Glorious and Fair having her Husband Ruler of the whole Earth and having an Heir born to rule over Heaven and Earth being cover'd with the Light of Heaven and of the Everlasting Day and having the Light of the Night under her Feet yet hath this Woman been deprived of her Glory and sate desolate in the Wilderness a mournful place separated from her Husband and made Childless and without Seed And what Eye that sees this aright but must Mourn and what Heart that truly perceives it but must lament A Woman so Great and so Glorious and so Fruitful as to bring forth the Heir of Heaven and Earth yet has she been left as a Mourner as without Husband and without Issue for many Generations This hath been her Estate and Condition for Ages since the dayes of the Apostles which Iohn saw in a Vision would shortly come to pass after him and we see it hath been come to pass within this sixteen hundred years And this hath been the Estate of the true Church for many Ages A Woman childless whose Heir hath been taken from her and whose Seed hath been made war against and killed for many Generations But her time was decreed and she should but be thus for so many dayes and now are the dayes expired and she again shall receive her Heir that hath been caught up from her and her Seed shall spring forth and her Slain shall live and her Beauty shall be given her and her first Glory shall be encreased and she shall feed no longer in the mourning Wilderness but she shall be fed upon the Mountain of God's House which is to be established upon the top of all Mountains and her Seed shall spring forth numberless and her Heir shall rule with an Iron Rod and her Marriage Day is come and the approach thereof nigh and Life shall be revealed Thus she hath been and thus she shall be the Lord hath said it Now as for all those Multitudes of Sects and Peoples that have professed Religion and as for all those Churches so called that have gone under that name which have professed Christ to be their Head and made a shew of him in appearance the Papist's Church the Protestant's Church and all the Sects that have risen out of them they have not been the true Spouse the Lamb's Wife but Children of Fornication and not of the Seed of that Woman that was once clothed with the Sun and they are come up and their Original begun while this true Woman this Spouse of Christ hath been Childless None of these are clothed with the Sun nor none of them have brought forth the Heir of Salvation Come let 's reason with you Who was your Mother who brought you forth and in what Womb were you bred you that have appeared in the world and for many Ages for the true Spouse The Mother of the Heir hath been childless and as a Widdow banished from her Husband and her Heirs separated from her and her Seed killed and made War against She hath not born you nor brought you forth Then of what Womb did you spring all ye of the Papist's and Protestant's Church and all the Sects that came out of you answer me this None of you have been fled into the Wilderness for you have appeared in the World None of you have been as a Widdow mourning for you have been practizing Ordinances and rejoycing in the World None of you have been without Issue nor your Seed made War against for you have been fruitful in the World and one Sect brought forth another and one Church brought forth another therefore none of you have been that Woman which Iohn saw For never none of you from the least to the greatest of you were ever clothed with the Sun nor had the Moon under your Feet nor ruled the Nations with the Rod of Iron therefore none of you are the true Spouse the Lamb's Wife he is not Husband to any of you nor is he your Child nor Heir And this is the Word of the Lord God to you all you Churches and Sects Your beginning and springing forth was from another Womb while this Woman lodged in the Wilderness and while she was childless and without Seed and the Mother of Harlots brought you forth the great Whore whose Superscription is Mystery of Babylon and her Character is Mother of all Abominations For while this other Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness which Iohn saw was fled thither this woman the Mother of Harlots which brought you forth hath been fruitful and flourishing and hath had an Husband and many Children For Iohn speaks of two Women of a Whore and of a Virgin of one the Blood of whose Seed was drunk and the other drunk the Blood yea one that was made war with and against for the Saints were killed and their Blood drunk and that other killed the Saints and was made drunk with their Blood the one was fled into the Wilderness he saw of which I have spoken 〈…〉 other making all Nations drunk with her Fornication and ruling over all the Nations of the Earth as a Queen And while the one of those the Virgin the Lamb's Wife hath been fled into the 〈◊〉 and left Childless without Seed the other the Whore hath â—… and brought forth many Children taken great Pleasure in the 〈◊〉 and committed Fornication with the Kings of the Earth And these thing◠〈◊〉 saw were to come to pass and we see that have Iohn's Spirit is come to pass already And 〈◊〉 all ye Sects upon the Earth and Churches so called that have been in the World for many Ages Which of those two Women are you of 〈◊〉 the Seed of whether of them are ye Who of these two was it that brought you forth answer me and make it appear But I have said already The Virgin brought you not forth the Lamb's Wife did not bear you nor you are not of her for you were brought forth while she was baniâ—hed and deprived of her Heir and without her Husband and you are of the Seed of that Whore the product of her Fornications generated by the seed of Adulrerers And though you have been warning and fighting and striving one against another yet you were bred in one womb and are of one seed And thouâ—â—â—â—me of you in one appearance of the Whore's beauty brought forth have made War against them brought forth in another appearance of her and â—â—â—ned her flesh yet have ye given your power to the Beast and Iohn saw that also which we see is fulfilled Some that should hate the Whore and make War against her yet shâ—uld they also give their power to the Beast This have we seen fulfilled amongst
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 only let thy Laws 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 Neighbour's Person or Estate and that 's only thy Place to rule in outward Affairs but not to Rule over any mans Conscience to compel 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 People's Consciences and if thou dost meddle 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 and Power of God in them and with them and let them shew their Weapons of the Spirit for only such as have 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 want 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 s in vain for thee or any to uphold such or endeavour to establish them but if thou meddlest 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 leavest that undone which God requires then shalt thou be condemned and if thou dost 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 alone 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 nor Tythes nor 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 Lord's Judgments come upon the Land If thou wert but rightly sensible what casting into Goals and what suing at Law of poor People and what spoiling Peoples Goods by Restraint and all for and about Tythes 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 lose the Hearts of all good People by their own doings and stand over them all in God's 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 cumbred 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 and 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 all the kingdoms of the World and he hath a Controversie with all sorts of people in as much as Corruption and Degeneration is entred 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 of 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 dost it then shalt thou be condemned and the Lord will speedily execute his Judgments 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 defend 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 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 Iudgment and a Friend to this Common-Wealth and to thee wisheth well in the Lord E. B. London the 18th of the 8th Moneth 1658. This was delivered to him in the Eighth Moneth 1658. To the Protector and his Council THE Lord God will shortly make you know that we are his People though we be accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter yet our King of Righteousness will break you to pieces if you harden your Hearts and Repent not And seeing that Love will not draw thee neither the Gentle Leadings of our God have any place in you yet Judgment shall awaken you and his heavy Hand of Indignation shall lie upon your Cousciences and you will be scatterred and distracted to pieces E B. This was written in White-Hall in the Tenth Moneth 1658. to Richard and his Council For the Parliament YE that sit in Counsel that are assembled for the Nations Good hear ye the Word of the Lord God which is towards you all Rememember the Cause of God and of his People remember the Groanings of the Poor and give ear to the Cry of the Oppressed and relieve the Guiltless Sufferers and break the Bonds of Iniquity and let the Oppressed go free do this lest you perish And remember the Old Good Cause that is decayed and hath long been laid waste let it be once more revived in the Nations that God may bless you Remember the first Engagement which was for Freedom and suffer not the Exercise of pure Conscience to be trodden down by Oppressors but seek ye seek ye the Glory of the Lord and the Safety of his People and the Freedom of such as are oppressed and be not ye Oppressors nor Adders to the Sufferings of the
Iron Rod over the world and whatsoever he saith it is done for his Word is an Everlasting Command If he saith to a man Live it is so if he saith to a man Dye it cometh to pass and if he give Peace to a Man or a Nation none can make War and if he make War with a Person or in a Nation no man is able to make Peace For why he hath all Power in his Hand and to him all Judgment and Authority is given he is the Son of the Living God the Everlasting Creator he was and is and is to come his Eye beholdeth all things and his Arm compasseth Heaven and Earth and what his Purpoâ—â— is he hath alwayes and will ever bring it to pass if he set up Rulers they must Rule and if he pull them down none can hinder whom he will he Honoureth and if it be his Pleasure he bringeth men to Shame if he break a Nation down none can build it up and if he confound Powers and Authorities in the Kingdoms of men they all fall as withered Grass before him â—ehold ye men He is so Great and Mighty and of so great Authority that whatsoever he saith it is done and whatsoever he willeth it cometh to pass and none is able to resist him and overcome his Power when his Pleasure is to accomplish a Work by him all things are that be and all things live that have Life and through him all things move and of his Fulness every Creature in Heaven and Earth receive And this my Master is altogether Honourable in Birth and otherwise and altogether Mighty in all his Works he is Just and Merciful full of Goodness Righteousness and Truth all Vertue dwells in him and his Judgement and Mercy his Authority and Meekness and his Wrath and his Love they are Companions And what are ye before him or How shall ye be able to resist him or to turn backward what his Purpose is concerning you and this Nation for ye have no Beeing nor Breath without him Behold ye men ye are verily as the Dust before the Wind so are ye to him soon blown away and your Place not found as the Grass before the Mower so are ye before him soon cut down and withered and your Beauty utterly extinguished as a Potters Vessel under an Iron Rod even so are you to him he can immediately break you never to be bound up as a Drop to the Fountain so are you to him soon dryed up and made nothing Wherefore ye Men ye Mortal Creatures ye Ignorant Persons Sons of a Transgressor ye Dust and Ashes for thus you are in comparison of him this Mighty Prince hearken to his Message which cometh to you from him Hear and Fear and be not Stout-hearted against the Lord God that is about to speak unto you As for this little Island of England wherein your present Place and Beeing is It is an Island which the Lord hath shewed great Favour unto in Ages past and in this present Time and I must tell you he hath a Purpose of Love towards it and to Honour it in the view of the World though through great Tribulations and he hath an intent of great Good unto it For he hath a Seed a precious Seed in it scattered abroad and he hath a People that fear his Name and have walked in his Wayes and he hath made them and elected them and what they are it is by him that he may dwell among them and have the whole Government over them all yea he hath a speedy Purpose verily concerning this Nation and he will purifie it in Judgment and refine its Inhabitants through the Fire of Tribulations that it may be pleasant to him and fit to do his Will He hath a purpose to work some great thing in it I must tell you as he hath said unto me so to do He will have his Name exalted and reverenced in this Island and his Terror shall be sent out of it through the World and his Branch from it shall spread over the Earth he doth purpose in his season to take it into his own hand and to sway the Government thereof with his own Scepter and to set up Righteousness alone and to overthrow all Oppressions and Oppressors and the Kingdoms of this World must become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. True it is Such hath been the coming to pass of Time and of Things for many Ages by past that my Master hath been as it were banished from the Nation and hath not been suffered to enjoy his Right but hath been expelled even as it were by the force of Satan and Antichrist who hath long usurped Authority over the Inhabirants of this Nation and in my Master's absence Lamentable Injustice Cruelty Unmercifulness Tyranny and Oppression hath been exercised upon the Inhabitants and the poor Creatures have been held in great Slavery by their Rulers that have ruled by the Dragon's power and been kept in great Blindness and Ignorance and under great Oppression both in Body and Spirit by Antichristian Teachers for this many Years even while the great King hath been absent and as it were gone into a far Country even all this time hath Antichrist and the Devil ruled and reigned and hath made and executed Oppressing and Tyrannical Laws and Decrees both in Church and State and all the Nation hath been out of right Order and laid waste and barren of good Fruit and it hath been as a Wilderness by reason hereof and men that have ruled for many years have not ruled singly by my Master's Authority but by another power though not without the knowledge of my Lord neither as though he had not Power to have done otherwise but for his own Pleasure he hath suffered it thus to be and let men go on to rule and govern in their own Wills and after their own Lusts and people have walked wickedly towards him and towards one another and all this he hath suffered not as if he gave Toleration for it for his Messengers now and then and his Witness in peoples Consciences have been reproving their Ungodly wayes and he hath often shewed his dislike by divers Wayes and Tokens and many Judgments and strange Overturning to the way and proceeding of both Rulers Prophets and Teachers of this Nation but yet they have gone on against his Mind and contrary to his Will notwithstanding his Reproofs and Judgments not that he had not Power to have executed his Pleasure in Wrath upon them and to have destroyed them altogether and have made the Nation a Heap and as nothing long before this day for Power was in his Hand to have done it But he hath been Long-suffering and of great Patience and born all things and taken the Injustice and Cruelty and Wickedness and Idolatry and all Unrighteousness that hath abounded in the Nation upon himself and suffered under it and born it for its season while woful and lamentable Oppressions have
bring your fear upon you to your utter confusion though you are making defences all that you can for your selves and your Kingdom and this seems to be 〈…〉 â—â—y wherein every mans heart is tryed and every man and sort of People is pouring forth the Maliciousness of their Hearts against the poor People in scorn called Quakers What say the Papists and Episcopal men Quakers are 〈◊〉 New Sect and Deceivers c. And what say the Presbyterians and the Independanâ—â— of them Oh! they are Seducers they are Witches they are false Prophets they are Vagabonds not worthy of Countenance c. nor any Place of Trust in the Nation c. What say the Anabaptists of them O! they are Blasphemers and Hereticks and Irregular Persons and distructive to Gospel c. This and such like is the Cry of these and all sorts of people against a poor despised People whom the Eternal God hath made dreadful unto them all who shall be a Rod in his Hand to break them and confound them and utterly to destroy their Antichristian kingdom for they are beloved of the Lord though hated of all men and though the whole Body of the Beast and Antichrist and every Horn of his head do set themselves to War against the Lamb and his Followers and though all these sorts of people mentioned and some others do at this day pour out their Fury and Malice against this People yet shall they not be confounded for their Trust is in the Living God and as sure as the Lord lives The Fear that People have of the Prosperity of this People shall come upon them and without Weapon or Arm of Flesh or the Multitude of an Host of Men will their God dash their Enemies to pieces And all ye Sects whatsoever that are risen in Opposition against us what do we regard your Fury and Madness against us What do we fear your Reviling you uncircumcised Philistines We mock at your Terror and we reject your Strength as the Strength of a Straw we despise your Authority which is not of God as the Authority of so many Bryars and Thornes we can glory over you in the Lord What are you and from whence did you come is not Babylon your City and is not the great Whore your Mother and the Mother of Harlots your Nurse and what is your growth but even like the Grass of a Summer's growth that 's soon cut down and withered and like the Leaf of a Summer Tree that utterly perisheth in Winter The Mighty Day of the Lord is at your Door Confusion is begun amongst you and the Sword of one may destroy another and the Strength of one shall tear another and the Remnant that is left shall be destroyed and we must overcome them without Sword or Carnal Weapon and this shall come to pass in a day and the Eye that is yet blind shall see it and the Child that is yet undelivered shall be a Conqueror over the Beast and over his Image and over all your false Sects and over every Horn that is risen up against the Lamb and his Followers the time of the Lamb's Kingdom is at hand Behold behold ye Mountains of the Earth The Sentence of Eternal Vengeance will pass upon you ye Hypocritical Professors ye Pastors Elders Members and Ministers of Churches so called the Decree of the Almighty is coming out against you you have provoked him by your Wickedness towards him and his People even to the Destruction of your own selves wherefore Tremble before the Lord for his Dread and the weight of his Hand shall be upon your Consciences Oh Nation mourn over thy iniquities which have provoked God against thee and if men turn not unto him his sore Judgment will be upon thee we are not for this Party or the other neither do we justifie one side in opposition to another for we see the Earth is corrupted and all sorts of men that are this day striving one sort against another are in a wrong way and in a wrong spirit and we cannot side with any of them but we rather mourn over the Nation who is torn in pieces by the ambitious spirit of her pretended Rulers and we desire the repentance of all and not the destruction of any and we are for Gods part and not for men E. B. AN ANSWER TO THE Great Cry The QUAKERS will soon FALL A Great Cry in the World hath been by many people of all sorts As for the Quakers they will soon fall and come to nothing they will stand but for a while as other Sects have done before them For many Sects that have â—â—de a great stir for a time they have come to nought and so will these they will fall and â—â—â—e to nought in a Year or two or the like and they will forsake this Way And this Noise and Stir about them will come to an end and they will have a Fall And thus and after this manner do the People of the World Cry and say one to another To this I answer O ye Fools and Blind that thus do judge and say ye are ignorant and sottish Children and know not the Way of the Lord nor his Judgments neither do ye know his Secrets nor have entred into his Counsel who told you thus or by what spirit have you received it and do ye not speak as ye would have it and because you would have it so do ye not therefore speak it Ye Fools and Blind whose Hearts are hardened I tell you nay your words shall never come to pass but you and all our Enemies shall be found Lyars and as you say of others so shall it come to pass upon your selves and that which you desire for others it shall fall upon your own heads Again I tell you nay we shall not fall nor be decreased nor come to â—â—â—ght but the Truth shall stand forever and we shall be encreased through the World and shall be the Renowned People of the whole Earth For we are of them whom the Lord is gathering from off the barren Mountains and out of the Mouthes of all dumb Shepherds whom the Lord will feed and keep as the Sheep of his own Pasture over whom the Seed of David Christ the Heir of Heaven and Earth is chief Shepherd and he is set over us and he rules in Equity and Righteousness And them we are spoken of Ezekiel 34. which are the Sheep of God's Pasture and the Lord hath sought us out even as a Shepherd his Sheep and we shall not fall as ye suppose And we are them spoken of in the Revelations whom the Lord is bringing through great Tribulations and making us white in the Blood of the Lamb and redeeming us through his Sufferings And we are of that Numberless Number spoken of which shall stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion for we are of the Seed which is coming up out of Egypt and shall replenish the whole Earth And ye Fools and Blind will
but that over all you will be preserved in faith and victory I am now according to the Will of the Father in Ireland it is some weeks since I arived at Cork City in much peace and safety with my dear Companions it having been long upon my spirit to visit the Seed of God in this Nation even of love have I felt it in me and not of constraint but of a willing mind and free spirit and not of force and after the time of patience and waiting for many dayes to see my way clear for it the Lord hath ordered it and brought it to pass acceptable unto me and many here and this is the time which this visitation must be effected for till now my way was not clear and but that this Journey hath laid upon me I should have rejoyced to have been present among you either in testimony by suffering or otherwise but this is the will of God and it is in my heart to pass through this Nation and to visit the Seed of God by the Love and Word of the Father as he gives of his Life and Strength and opens the way before me I perceive in this Land Friends are generally well and truth grows in victory and dominion and the Lord is adding to the numberless number of them that must stand on Mount Zion and through the rage of men and above it all the little Flock is preserved in its beauty and the Seed sown in weakness and afflictions is received and quickned in much power which is my joy About Bristol I continued about two moneths in much precious service for the Lord and truth had good authority over all great acceptation in the hearts of many and some convinced and others edified and confirmed as many can witness in the spirit and until after the time of the Fâ—ir I was not clear of that City but imediately after I was free and my way made very convenient and clear to this place and the hand of providence ordered all things very well on that behalf as I do hope in the continuance of the power and presence of the Lord with me through this work and in his power I am committed even to do or suffer all things for his Name sake and that by vertue of his own life that dwells in me And the Lord preserve all the Brethren like-minded that the work of the Lord may be fulfilled and finished by us Amen County of Cork the 21th of the 6th Moneth 1660. E. B. A PRESENTATION of Wholsome Informations unto the King of England c. Being a Defence Pleaded and also appealed unto Him even to the Testimony of the Spirit of God in His own Conscience In Answer to a certain Accusation charged before Him in a Printed Book called The thrice happy Welcome of King Charles the Second by one George Willington of Bristol City against Us whom in derision the Accuser calls Quakers And also herein are laid down divers Considerations in Answer to a Petition directed to the King by the same Author in the Book aforesaid concerning Church-Government and concerning the making and sending forth Ministers and concerning the True Prophets and True Ministers and the False and how they are distinguished in their Call Maintenance and Fractises and that none ought to suffer death of Body or be killed or spoiled in Person or Estate though they may err in their mindes in the knowledge and Judgment of spiritual things All which is soberly presented to the King and His Council for Them to consider The Epistle to the King and his Council KNow ye That it is Righteousness Iustice Mercy and Truth and the fear of the Lord God it is the doing hereof and the walking herein in which you onely may be truly honourable I say if you do these things if you fear the God of Heaven and depart from all Iniquity and if you be doers of Iustice and Mercy and if ye break the yoke of cruel Oppressions and let the oppressed go free then are you worthy to be honoured both in the sight of God and men if so be that you are possessed with the nature I mean with Righteousness Iustice Mercy and Truth then you deserve the name but not otherwise for if Unrighteousness Injustice and Falshood dwell with you and be brought forth by you then are you not honourable to God neither can his servant in feignedness and flattery give the name unto you but and if I should give flattering titles unto you I should provoke the Lord to wrath against me though yet I gained your favour but I have rather chosen to speak the truth from my heart in Righteousness and to be well-pleasing unto the God of Heaven then with flattering Lips and a deceitfull Tongue be a man-pleaser while I grieve the Spirit of the Lord and the chief desire of my heart is to keep my conscience clear in all things though I should gain the displeasure of you and the most eminent accounted of men And if you shall say who art thou I must answer That I am a Servant of the great God of Heaven and Earth him I fear and before his presence I tremble I fear not him that can but kill the Body I flatter not any by feigned words for I regard not the love or hatred of this World I have not learned to practise a flattering tongue nor can I use it towards you or any upon the Earth but words of truth and righteousness are my delight and the dialect of my native Countrey and the characters thereof are not in the eloquency of words of mans wisdom but to demonstrate by the Spirit of the Lord in plainness and soberness with more respect to please the Lord then to please men Thus am I known among my Familiars and thus I desire only to be known unto you not in words only but in substance not in flattery but in an upright heart And this my present occasion thus to write unto you is even in as much as we have been accused even to the King by one George Willington of the City of Bristoll in a Book of his directed to the King even therefore is it that I have taken in hand to answer and publish a defence against his Charge with some sober Considerations chiefly laid down and directed even to the King that he may consider them and my hopes are that he and you of his Council will read and consider the Defence as well as the Charge against us assuredly knowing that it is good reason and equity for you so to do and may prove also of good consequence to you so to do for if the King should receive mis-informations and thereupon proceed in Iudgement Oh what pits and snares of danger did he run himself into even to destroy himself Now to the intent that he and you may be better informed in some particulars concerning us about which we are charged and accused and that you might know the truth and
Islands and all the Kingdoms in the World are altogether at the Lords disposure to give the governmâ—â—t thereof to whomsoever he will he giveth and taketh away Power and Dominion according to his pleasure and it is his proper right to rule over all even the God of Heaven and he it is that pulleth down and setteth up according to his own mind and if you please not the Lord but vex him in your proceedings you must know that the Lord can take from you the Dominion and give it to whom he will and there is no injustice in him thus to do but of right he doth it because it is his pleasure so to do with whom there is no Iniquity nor Unrighteoâ—sness Therefore let it enter into your hearts to Fear the God of Heaven assuredly knowing that it is he alone who hath secretly purposed and effected this your reâ—â—â—â—ing into the Throne and he hath given you this day and put this season into your hand that ye should do his will But if ye provoke him he alone can cast you down and take your day and season from you and none can hinder and this justly and none can reprove him 4. As concerning the men that were cast out before you whose persons many of them are now under your power be not passionate nor of a spirit of Revenge â—â—â—ards them neither seek their destruction but be merciful and patient and meek towards them for though it is the pleasure of God to reprove them by you for their iniquities yet it is contrary to his minde that you should take away their lives and cause them to be put to death for there is a seed of God amongst â—â—at people and when they come to true repentance and to the forsaking of their â—â—quities the Lord will shew mercy to them and peradventure heal them of all their backslidings and afflictions too Therefore shew Mercy and Moderation â—â—â—ards them and cut them not off in their sins lest that while you condemn them for being too cruel towards you in times past ye condemn your selves in the sight of the Lord and all people in doing that to them even in the same measure of cruelty for doing of which to you you now condemn them and so thereby bring the same guilt upon your selves which lies upon them but therefore show Moderation and Meekness towards them and leave vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongs if they be worthy of it it shall come upon them It is true they have been active against you and it 's probable they were raised up of God as a judgement and reproof upon you because of your iniquities which were many and great against God and the God of Heaven had a just Cause against you and improved them in it as instruments to reprove you and they had once a just cause against Oppressions and the Lord blessed them in it and gave them many Victories and wrought great Deliverances for them even when they were both fewer in number weaker in strength and less in policy and craft even then oft-times did God appear for them and gave them Victories and defeateâ— their Enemies and you your selves must confess to this That the Providence of War was clearly on their side which I call the hand of the Lord and consider what a sad thing it would be on your part and how contrary to God to cause them now to suffer when you have opportunity against them for that which was effected by them when the Lord was with them you ought not to cause them to suffer on that account but if you do you will provoke the Lord against you if that you destroy them and take away their lives because they were once prosperous against you even through the Hand of the Lord do I say and through the Providence and good Fortune of War needs must you acknowledge Now it s acknowledged that they quite forsook the just cause and forgat the Lord and his mercies and deliverances and became corrupted and abominable before him and insulted over their enemies in the spirit of ambition and began to set up the same things which once they had cried against in others and this was their Transgression and abomination and in their corruption and forsaking the Lord they became fully guilty of the same abominations of others before them and the Lord became provok'd against them to reprove them and correct them and afflict them even because of their transgressions who as I have said did forget the Lord and walked in the same Path themselves which they reproved others for and the same abominations were set up by them which they once pulled down in others and this was their Hypocrisie in whom was found a deceitful heart which led them aside into treachery false-heartedness covetousness and vain-glory and because of these their iniquities hath the Lord bowed them down under you and smitten them before you even because they were not faithful to the end and not because they were faithful at all no not because they were active against Oppressions at all but because they became guilty of the same abominations and set up that in themselves which once they moved against in others and because hereof hath the Lord reproved them and that justly that they might learn his righteous Iudgements and be humbled under his hand and that all the Earth may know if Men forsake Him he will give them up to the will of their Enemies though he may bless a man or a people while they fear his Name yet if they sin against him he can turn blessings into a Curse and now they that were once exalted are abased and brought down and you that were once low are now exalted and if you become corrupted and provoke the Lord through wickedness in this day of your Exaltation and if they become humbled and repent of their Transgressions through their afflictions in this day of their sufferings then the God of Heaven can and may suddenly by his secret hand bring you down and â—â—y you low and raise them up and exalt them and bow down your strength and might under others these things can the Lord effect according to his pleasure he exalteth and abaseth whom he will he setteth up and pulleth down according as men reverence him or regard him not They that honour him he honoureth but they that dishonour him by unrighteousness he bringeth such to shame O therefore ye Men consider how dreadful the Lord is and take his counsel lest ye perish 5. Concerning Liberty of Conscience in the faith and worship towards God you ought to be considerate and to take the counsel of God lest you run upon the same Rock upon which many have been broken before you to 〈◊〉 limitting the Spirit of the Lord and of such whose Consciences have been tender and binding them to or from by force or violence any such 〈◊〉 such way of Worship and Profession of Faith and exercise in Religion
if you do thus and will not allow clearly and freely Liberty of Conscience but will by force and violence limit the Spirit of the Lord and tender Consciences this shall be a Snare upon you and a Rock oâ— offence against you to break you to Pieces for in so doing the God of Heaven will be displeased with you as with others if so be that you take upon you to prescribe the Lord a way how he must be worshipped and will take upon you to rule and judge in the cases of Conscience and in the matters of Christ's spiritual Kingdom which appertains to Christ alone to be Iudge of and Ruler in and not man and to him alone you ought to give the whole Rule and Government in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that he may prescribe and teach Worship and Faith and Duty to himself in all spiritual things and this I claim of you on his behalf even that you give unto him the whole Rule and Authority in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that you allow Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Faith and Worship to all Christian people in these Nations and that no man be compelled or forced to or from by outward violence any kinde of profession of Faith or practises of worship for it is of Antichrist so to do if that you impose any Sâ—rt of Worship and Religion contrary to mens Consciences upon penalties on mens Persons or Estates if you do thus you exercise not the Power of Christ but of Autichrist and it is â—â—depriving of Christ of his Heirship and of the Government of his own Kingdom which will be reckoned against you as a fearful abomination if you â—â—lk therein And therefore let men believe in Christ and Worship him according as they are perswaded in their own Consciences for a tender Conscience in the Sight of God is a thing greatly regarded of him and if you limit it and do violence upon it the Lord will be provoked against you and these Nations will not bear it but it will beget fiery contentions in the mindes of men if any Religion and Worship contrary to their Consciences be imposed upon them and while some men are gratified others will be displeased and if you allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of spiritual things the effect of it may prove sad and Miserable to your selves and your Government and this shall you know in time to come even the good effect of Toleration in Liberty of Conscience and of woful effect upon the contrary Therefore be wise and instructed ye Rulers of the Earth and kiss the Son lest ye perish out of the way of Peace and Happiness Now you have your day and time to be made happy or to be left miserable that your Government may be blessed or otherwise deprived of all Blessedness These things have I Written to You in Love and Honour towards You That Ye may know and be informed what the Lord requireth of You if so be You may escape the Wrath that is to come And love nor Wrath to You Your prosperity nor overthrow is determined upon You or prophesied unto You by me but as You walk in Justice Truth and Righteousness or as You walk contrary and bring forth Oppression and Persecution Bristol City the 4th day of the sixth Moneth 1660. Edward Burroughs A PRESENTATION of Wholsome Informations unto the King of England c. THe Servants of the Lord and his People that feared his Name and trembled at his Word never wanted false Accusers in any Age to repute them vile and to reproach them by slanderous words and that even to the Rulers of the World and to the Kings of the Earth have the chosen People of the Lord been falsly accused and reproached by the slanderous Tongues of ungodly Men in all Generations as in many Particulars might be proved out of the Scriptures by the Example of things in the dayes of old For even in those dayes it came to pass that the Elect People were reproached and falsly reputed by the men of the World as in the Case of the Iews in their building of the Temple again when they returned out of the Captivity How were the People of God at that day accused and reproached and that by the wise men of that Kingdom even unto the King Ahasuerus Ezra 4. 15 16. That good City of Ierusalem the Habitation and Dwelling of the Iews and then only named People of God was accused of being a bad rebellious City and hurtful to Kings and that the People moved Sedition therein to the danger of the Revenue of Kings c. And Neh. 4. 2. the People of God were scorned and reproached and called feeble Iews who builded the House of God and it was said in derision of them that a Fox should go up and break down their Wall And also how were the holy Prophets and Servants of God rejected reproached and accused even to the Princes and Rulers of the Earth in Generations past as Daniel to the King how was he accused Dan. 6. 13. and the three Children were accused to the King Dan. 3. 8. and the Apostles were reproached under the slander of being movers of Sedition and such-like Acts. 24. 5. being many times accused and haled before Felix Agrippa and divers others of the Rulers of the Heathen and it was told the Apostles by Christ That all manner of evil should be spoken against them for his Name sake And throughout the whole Scriptures there is very large Testimony how that in Ages past the Servants and People of God were accused and falsly reproached before Rulers and Kings by their Enemies that sought their destruction The truth of this is so clear and full that it needs no further Testimony And as it was in this case in the days of old so is it happened in this day who more now accused and falsly reproached then the Innocent People of God Is not all evil spoken against them and that even to Rulers and Governers and Kings And this is done by their Enemies that seek to destroy them even by such as would not have the Work of the Lord to prosper and his People to be preserved and on this account the cry is great against us every where as if we were Hereticks Blasphemers Seditious and Enemies to Magistracy and Government to Church and Ministry and such like And these with such like have been and are the Accusations against us whereby we are reproached falsly before men and this hath been our portion in this World since we were a People by the Men of this Generation and the very same is come to pass upon us in this case as was upon the People of God in former Generations and as it was done unto them so it is done unto us and therefore we are in Patience under all our Afflictions and Sufferings whether we are persecuted by Actions or Words and for the Name of
if the same things come to pass which they declare 〈◊〉 you deny them in this Age and â—ry against such as Hereticks who witâ—… the fulfilling of them which shews you are of Antichrist and that you quench the Spirit in the Sons and Daughters which God hath promised in the New Covenant that he would give and pour forth upon Sons and Daughters and they shall prophesie And are not we to look for these things now What must not God's Promises be fulfilled must not an Heards-man now preach if the Word of the Lord come unto him and must not Plow-men now speak of the things of God if they have experience of them and must not Fisher-men and Tent-makers bear witness to the Name of Christ if they have received of his Spirit and will you deny the Scriptures which saith As every one hath received the Spirit and the Gift so let him administer the same one to another 1. Pet. 4. or do you say None must have the Gift of the Spirit but such as are brought up at Schools and Colledges or will you limit the holy One to such and such Men and Wayes Oh you are blind and ignorant who would quench the Spirit of God that it should not speak in these dayes and thus you are denyers of the Scriptures but God hath given of his Spirit and spoken in our Hearts and we must prophesie and speak as the Spirit of God giveth utterance as the Saints of old did Act. 2. 4. Now for your way of making Ministers at Schools and Colledges and so quallifying them with knowledge in the seven Sciences as it is said and ordaining them in that manner and way as among Papists and Protestants hath been practised for Ages this way of making Ministers and sending of them forth was never known among the Apostles for they were not thus made and ordained and sent to preach nor was this way of making and sending forth Ministers till the Spirit and Power of God was lost and forsaken by the Apostate Christians and the Scriptures make no mention of such ways nor give no Example for such things and we cannot own any Religion nor any Practice thereof but what we have Example for from the Saints of old before us and we believe that it is generally of Antichrist to invent and introduce such and such Practices for Religion towards God and for the Worship of him for which there is no Example in all the Christian Churches in the Apostles dayes and we believe that way of making Ministers and sending of them forth which is not approveable by the Scripture nor according to them is of Antichrist and not of God neither can we own such Ministers nor their Ministry who are not ordained of God and according to the Scriptures nor can we deuy private Preachers nor their Ministry as you call them if they have received the Spirit of Christ though they be not so learned outwardly nor ordained according to what some may call the right way but who are Ministers made and sent of God and have the Authority of his Spirit such we own and cannot deny and such the Lord will bless with his Presence to the confounding of all their Enemies Concerning Settlement in a happy Government Object There hath been great Divisions and Distractions in these Nations for many years and in the midst of them the great cry hath been by many for Settlement and Peace and for a quiet and happy Government Answ. These things hath the Lord suffered to come to pass in the World even great Contentions Divisions and distractions and much Changes of Government in these Kingdoms And the appearing Cause of these things hath been from the Lust that hath warred in the Members for from thence doth Wars and Strife arise and many have been Ambitious Vain-glorious Self-seeking and Covetous of the Honours and Pleasures of this World the lust and desire of these things hath possessed the minds of Men and induced them to Envy and Wrath one against another and hath filled them with Heart-burnings and cruelty of mind to the killing and destroying of one another by Wars and Blood-sheds and by Plots and Contrivances have sought how to extinguish one another from the Earth that themselves might be exalted and thus from the desires that have warred in mens minds have Wars arisen against the Persons of Men and among them and this is the appearing Cause of the Wars and Distractions that have been in these Nation though the hidden cause which hath not so appeared hath been in God and because of the wickedness of Men both high and low and because of their Oppressions and Abominations which have been many and great in the World therefore hath the God of Heaven been provoked in just Judgement towards Rulers and People to suffer Men to destroy one another and to execute Bloodshed and Destructions one upon another and he hath brought it to pass in giving up men to the fulfilling of their cruel intents which have been hatched in their evil Minds every Man against his Neighbour and even because they have been departed out of his Counsel and followed their own wicked Wayes and Justice and Mercy and Truth have been wanting amongst Men in these Nations so that this is the principal cause wherefore the Lord God hath brought about and suffered these Wars Distractions Confusions and Discord in these latter dayes and out of the justness of God's Judgments because of the wickedness of men have these things been And now these Distractions and confusions and Discords amongst Men can never wholly and truly cease to be till Iniquity and Transgression be repented of and turned from which is the very cause wherefore God hath done and suffered these things as I have said and so Men must cease from Oppression from Cruelty and from all Unrighteousness and must turn to the Lord and become cleansed from their Sins ere ever the Judgements of the Lord be removed and these Distractions Wars and Confusions cease to be in these Lands and till Men become Meek and Humble and till they cease to seek revenge one of another and till they cease all Oppression and Covetousness Injustice and Unmercifulness and till they forsake their worldly Honour and high Titles which puff them up in Arrogancy and Ambition and even till every Man forsakes his particular Iniquity till all these things be Distractions will not cease nor shall Settlement and Peace and happy Government ever be This is certainly so for except the Cause be removed the Effect can never cease and there appears to be at this day as great if not far more Dissatisfactions in the Minds of some People than hath been heretofore and it appears to be as far from Settlement and true Peace in an happy Union in Government as for many years though it hath been expected by many that we should have Peace and Settlement in Government yet behold it cannot be for there are Discontents and Murmurings in the
which he would bring upon others Again The Accuser chargeth us That we would neither have King Magistrate 〈◊〉 Ministers but of our selves c. Answ. 1. I have before mentioned what kind of Rulers and Government we would have even such as are just men and men of Truth and Righteousness and that hate Covetousness and every evil Way and such are of us even such we would have to reign as are approved of God who would be a praise to them that do well and a terrour to Evil-doers and that would only rule and reign for the Lord exercising and executing his Righteous Laws by the Spirit of God and such will be blessed in their Authority 2. And till such only rule and bear the Sword of Justice in the Earth we do know Peace and Happiness can never be in the Kingdoms of the World but divisions and confusions will arise and be brought forth for it is the only blessedness of a Government in any Nation when the Authority it self is just â—ad according to God and when such as bear the execution thereof are just Kings Righteous Magistrates and Ministers of Justice that will judge for God and not for man and we seek not the Place of Government in this World nor do we intrude our selves into such Places though this we say while that spirit reigns and rule in the Nations of the Earth which is not of God but contrary to us Peace and Happiness in good Government amongst men through the World can never be though we are truly subject to whatsoever Authority is set over us by doing or suffering Then the Accuser speaks of teaching the Wayes of Righteousness and saith according to this the Quakers have gone through Ireland and he speaks of God's Wrath following for hardness of Heart and this saith he is just like the Quakers Doctrines now Answ. That the Quakers scornfully so called have gone through Ireland and through many other Nations of the Word to teach and preach Truth and Righteousness this is true and without occasion of an evil Charge against them for so doing and the Lord hath prospered us and been with us to the turning of many from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God and we have Testimony in the Consciences of many for the truth of our Doctrines and Practices and this is not Error nor Heresie to proclaim the Wrath of God because of the hardness of Peoples Hearts for that is the Portion of all hard-hearted men and we are not ashamed of this Doctrine for it is according to the Scriptures of Truth and but that this Accuser is given up to blindness of mind he would never have mentioned these things against us nor used our Names in reproach in this matter And lastly whereas he saith some of the Quakers say they are Jews and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan and thou chargest Iames Naylor with â—â—ying that he was Christ and that one should say George Fox was Iohn Baptist and such false Prophets and Prophesies we have heard too much of c. Answ. 1 That they say they are Iews and are not are such as have a Name to live but are dead who say and do not but we are not such so this his Charge is false and wicked and of the Synagogue of Satan he doth manifest himself to be by his accusing of the Brethren And as for Iâ—…s Naylor he never said he was Christ through this hath been cast as a foul Reproach upon him by others yet it never was proved against him lawfully noâ— any thing tending thereunto saving that he said Christ was in him as 〈◊〉 iâ— in every Member of his Body according to measure And as for the story of George Fox there are many such lying stories that have gone abroad in these Nations in opposition to the Truth of God made manifest but over all these things Truth â—ath gotten the victory and the Lord's Work must prosper in the Earth and all Lyâ—rs must be confounded and have their Portion in the Lake And this iâ— our Portion from the World as Christ said They shall speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my Name sake but great shall be your Reward in Heaven And this is for a Testimony against them that our Enemies are of the Devil and for a Testimony to us that we are of God And thus I have returned our Defence before you against his several Lyes and Slanders and it s left to the Witness of God in your Consciences to be Judge in this Case between us and him and if you be cloathed with the Spirit of moderation and meekness and will judge according to Equity I doubt not but the Cause is clear against our Adversary who wrongfully and to a wicked and evil intent hath hatched Mischief against us and brought it forth before you and we desire nothing of Revenge towards him for his evil work but do leave him to be rewarded of the Lord who will justly give him and all men according to their Deeds And now I have a few Considerations to present unto you three in particular as such in that capacity who bear rule in this Land 1. Consider how that you are set in Place and Authority and ought to judge and govern for God alone and to be a Terror to all Evil-doers and a Praise to all that do well and the living God requireth of you To do Iustice Truth and Righteousness in the Land to hear the cry of the Widow and Fatherless and to judge uprightly the Cause of the Poor without respect to your own self-ends and ye ought to be meek and humble men in your Places of Care and Trust which iâ— committed unto you and take heed that your hearts be not lifted up in the honour of high Places and so Iudgment Mercy and Truth be neglected and Oppressions and Cruelties be brought forth 2. Consider that if ye do Iustice and Righteousness and walk humbly with the Lord and exercise Mercy and Truth in the Land and hear the Cry of the Poor and deliver the Afflicted then the Lord can make you a Blessing to your selves and to the People But if you be proud and exalted and ambitious and vain-glorious and exercise Cruelty and Oppression and tread down the Poor and vex the Needy and grieve the Lord God by your Iniquities then God will cast you down and lay your honour in the Dust and make you a Curse and a Reproach and your Names and Memorial shall be a stink and the justice of the Lord's Hand shall effect it 3. Consider that ye are Men and not God and your strength flesh and not spirit and there is a God greater than all who is above all who can suddenly in a moment save his People and destroy his Enemies and he can break you down and never raise you up he can turn his Hand upon you and all man-kind as the Potter doth with his Clay even tread
of Conscience and their Hearts will be dis-engaged in Love and Affection to you-wards and this will be infallibly the Effect of Persecution for Conscience sake as King Charles the first saith in his Meditations A charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength when rougher Opposition fortifies and puts the Dispised and Oppressed Party into such combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors c. 10. Consider if ye force Worship and Religion and cause men to conform against their Judgments how dangerous is this to destroy mens souls and to lead 〈◊〉 even to destruction For seeing ye affirm not the Infallibility of your Worship and Religion and yet will impose them and so engage mens Souls in depandancy for Salvation upon things and wayes uncertain and which GOD giveth not the Faith to believe in I say how dangerous is this to ruin souls for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which God works in the heart in the Obedience of Infallible TRUTH So ye 〈◊〉 mens souls upon a Rock and it is unreasonable as before mentioned that men should be forced into the profession and Practice of uncertain and fallible Religion and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil for which not you altogether but themselves must bear the punishment in the Day of the Lord and except ye could affirm and prove the infallibility of your Church which is impossible there is no Equity nor Right Reason for it That you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you For as King Charles the First said in his Meditation He desired not any should be further Subjects unto him then he and all of them might be subject unto God c. 11. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience but persecute about the same ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the Heathen Rulers and of the false Christians and shews that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the Church of Rome and ye follow their example who persecute unto death such as they call Hereticks and if ye do persecute for matters of Conscience then ye allow the very deeds of the Heathens who persecuted the Christians for their Religion sake and ye justifie Papists in persecuting the Protestants and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the World by your works and fruits that ye are of Antichrist if ye impose on mens Consciences by force in the matters of Religion and persecute good Conscience about the same for it was the Antichrist and the Beast that first forced all to worship and violently engaged all into a conformity and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the Image Rev. 13. as ye may read And it was not Christs way nor the practice of any of his primitive Churches to impose and force on the persons and Consciences of men concerning their Church and Religion to cause all into a conformity thereunto and destroy and persecute all that would not This was not the way of Christ and his Apostles in their daies but they left Religion free and said they were not lords over mens faith nor lords over Gods Heritage neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience much lesse compel against mens Conciences for the Apostle left the practice of doubtful things as every one was perswaded in his own mind to do or not to do without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same Therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience ye are out of the Doctrine Example of Christ and his Apostles and follows the way and example of Antichrist Heathen Rulers and cruel Papists to your great dishonour 12. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion but impose and persecute about the same It must inavoidably tend to destroy and expel Trading Husbandry and Merchandize in these Kingdoms for a great part of Trading and Husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in Religion and hates persecution and violence in that case this ye will find true on examination and if liberty of Conscience be not allowed such will be exposed to great afflictions some to imprisonment and some to poverty and some to flee into other Countries to the destruction of their Callings and Trading and the hands and industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these Kingdoms if they cannot enjoy their just liberty in temporal spiritual cases and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect even to dis-enable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades and expose these Nations to want and poverty and to enrich their enemies 13. Consider If Liberty of Conscience be deny'd and Persecution be introduc'd about the same all these and many more woful Consequences and Effects will follow infallibly to the ruin of these Kingdoms even Wars and Bloodsheds and Discontents and Murmurings and all evil things will be the Product of the aforesaid Cause viz. Of denying Liberty of Conscience in Religious Matters for in a word it will tend to and may effect the Overthrow of you and Ruin your Government and Authority for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you and his Wrath will go out like a Devouring Flame upon you if that ye limit the Holy One and will not suffer him to exercise his proper Right in being King in mens Consciences to exercise them in all the Wayes of his Worship and Matters of his Kingdom but do oppress impose and persecute about the same this I say will infallibly work the Kingdoms ruin and expose you and your Government to the Indignation of the Holy Lord God who is tender of his Honour and will not give it to another and he loveth and effecteth the Cause of such whose Consciences are truly tender towards him and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them and for a time exercise great Afflictio and â—â—â—ressions upon them for the matters of their Conscience yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season and deliver them and avenge their â—ersecuâ—ors And therefore all ye Rulers consider and lay these things to heart lest ye provoke the Lord against you by destroying the People whom he regards and that not for evil doing but for the Caâ—es of Conscience and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion and how and conform in things against their Light and Knowledge 14. Consider If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience what exceeding danger 〈◊〉 run your selves into even to destroy just men and righteous as Hereticks and erroneous and may promote Hereticks as Church-members both which are great Abominations in the Sight of God and this Danger ye bring upon your selves for ye are not infallible Judges who are Hereticks and